The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Nine-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. 

So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.

So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?

316 pages

Lexile 580

Author interview

Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina by Rodman Philbrick

Zane Dupree is a charismatic 12-year-old boy of mixed race visiting a relative in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hits. Unexpectedly separated from all family, Zane and his dog experience the terror of Katrina's wind, rain, and horrific flooding. Facing death, they are rescued from an attic air vent by a kind, elderly musician and a scrappy young girl--both African American. The chaos that ensues as storm water drowns the city, shelter and food vanish, and police contribute to a dangerous, frightening atmosphere, creates a page-turning tale that completely engrosses the reader. Based on the facts of the worst hurricane disaster in U.S. history, Philbrick includes the lawlessness and lack of government support during the disaster as well as the generosity and courage of those who risked their lives and safety to help others. Here is an unforgettable novel of heroism in the face of truly challenging circumstances.

Video Book Talk 
192 pages

Lexile- 860L

A Young Scientist's Guide to Faulty Freaks of Nature by James Doyle

Are you intrigued by the effects of smog or methane clouds, the “Harry Potter” dinosaur, the Australian blue bird that screeches chainsaw noises, ocean “snot,” or the pink tentacles in the Korean dish where they swallow wriggling tentacles? Then strap on your hat for adventure and learn how planet Earth has been modified by the crazy chemistry of birdbrained biology and foolhardy physics of humans.

The Young Scientist’s Guide to Faulty Freaks of Nature is your guide to some of the strangest science ever seen, and in it you’ll discover that some of the things scientists told you were “wrong” were actually right! Fictional hobbits? They are real! You’ll even meet an all-new creature called a “spider-goat.” So if you have a thirst for the weird, the wonderful, and the downright wacky, then this is the science book for you.

Includes 20 experiments for the sink, bathtub, and backyard!

142 pages

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it's up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Video Book Talk

The story of the real Ivan

300 pages

Lexile 570

John Newbery Medal

The Lion Who Stole My Arm by Nicola Davies

On his way home from a fishing trip Pedru is attacked by a lion who takes his arm. As Pedru gradually adapts to his altered circumstances, at home and at school, he vows to get his revenge. So when his father, the finest hunter in the village, agrees to hunt the lion with him, Pedru is thrilled. But father and son track and kill the wrong lion – and find it's wearing a collar. Pedru's feelings change when he returns the collar to the Madune Carnivore Research Unit and the scientists there help him see his lion in a different light. With this new understanding he devotes himself to the study of lion behaviour, inspired by the animals' resilience and the possibilities their careful management opens up for his country's future in the form of tourism.

Here Lies the Librarian By Richard Peck

The book opens with a tornado wrecking havoc on a small Indiana town. When fourteen-year-old Peewee (whose real name is Eleanor), her big brother Jake, and their relatives Colonel and Aunt Hat Hazelrig and Sparks, their garage dog, take shelter in the basement of the family auto repair facility, they don’t know what to expect when they emerge. When they do, they find that their property has suffered very little damage, but the twister has made its way through the graveyard that lies between their property and the town, exposed caskets in its wake. One of them was the not-much-loved town librarian; the library has been closed since the librarian died. The library had been damaged by the tornado as well.

Peewee helps out her brother at his repair shop until four young ladies stop to have a tire mended and realize with a start that when Peewee takes off her cap, she reveals herself to be a girl. The four young women are library students from Indiana University and are shocked that the small town’s library is closed, and that no funds exist for its revival. As they are all from wealthy families, they appear at the town board meeting with plans and funds to refurbish the library. The town board accepts.

In the meantime, Jake is putting the finishing touches on a car he’s built to enter the ten-lap Hendricks County Fair against the Kirby brothers’ auto business. One morning, Jake finds his beloved car missing from its garage and immediately assumes that the Kirbys have stolen it only to have Grace, a librarian and the heiress of the Stutz Bearcat fortune offer up her car for Jake to drive. Jake takes her up on her offer only to injure himself in the first few rounds. Grace and Irene talk Eleanor into finishing the race, and not only does she finish, she wins.

Lexile: 780
145 pages

The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts by Richard Peck

"If your teacher has to die, August isn't a bad time of year for it," says Russell. Russell Culver is fifteen in 1904, and he's raring to leave his tiny Indiana farm town for the endless sky of the Dakotas. To him, school has been nothing but a chain holding him back from his dreams. Maybe now that his teacher has passed on, they'll shut the school down entirely and leave him free to roam.

No such luck. Russell has a particularly eventful year of schooling ahead of him, led by a teacher he never could have predicted-perhaps the only teacher equipped to control the likes of him-his sister Tansy.
Despite stolen supplies, a privy fire, and more than any classroom's share of snakes, Tansy will manage to keep the school alive and maybe, just maybe, set her brother on a new, wiser course.

Video Book Talk
Lexile: 750
190 pages

Middle School: Get Me Out of Here by James Patterson

Everything you need to know about this book you will find at this website:

Middle School Books

It is a quick read and almost everyone will find parts they can relate to.

Enjoy!

The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney

The 5th Wimpy Kid book is like the first four... simply Greg-ri-ific! Greg Heffley is growing up and that isn't always easy. He and his best friend Rowley are having issues. Greg finds out he isn't the cute, little kid that everyone loves anymore. Greg tries to figure out the facts of life. Greg get "the talk". This is a quick read that we all can relate to. I hope you try it out.

John, Paul, George and Ben by Lane Smith

This website explains what this book is all about way better than I can...
be sure to view the trailer and try out the game.
http://hyperionbooksforchildren.com/board/displayBook.asp?id=1598