Sunday, November 27, 2011

Crossed


by Ally Conde
Lexile: 630
Genre: Science Fiction

Ky is gone and Cassia feels she has no choice, but to follow his trail and try to find out what happened to him. Her journey will take her far from her family and into an uncertain future. As she learns more about herself, the Society, and her two closest friends, she realizes that she will need to make some difficult choices.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

The Crash


by Paul Kropp
Lexile: 440
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Craig, Rory, Ben, and Lerch are on their way home from a basketball game. But a routine bus ride proves to be a dangerous test for them all. Their bus slides down a cliff in a snowstorm, the bus driver is knocked out, and Ben is badly injured. When the bus explodes and know one comes to find them, they know that someone will need to go for help if they are going to survive the crash.

Who was Sacagawea?


by Judith Bloom Fradin and Dennis Brindell Fradin
Lexile: 650
Genre: Biography

Sacagawea was just 16 years old when she set out on an expedition across the western United States with Lewis and Clark. She traveled with her husband and infant son, Pomp, and was instrumental in making the journey a success for Lewis and Clark.

Shipbreaker


by Paolo Bacigalupi
Lexile: 690
Genre: Science Fiction

Nailer and Pima are trying to survive. Their survival depends on their ability to locate and salvage materials from old shipwrecks. One day, a severe storm strikes their beach and leaves behind a new ship. Nailer and Pima set out to mark the find of their own. As they are assessing the ship for its valuable treasures, they realize that they are not alone. Suddenly they are faced with a difficult decision...the recovery of this boat could change their lives, but the only way to make that happen is for them to end the life of the boat's owner.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever


by Jeff Kinney
Lexile: ???
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Greg, Rowley and all the other favorite wimpy kid characters are back. Believe it or not, Greg has managed to get himself in trouble again. But fortunately for him, the big blizzard strikes so the police are not able to track him down. Now he's stuck inside the house with his family though...which might just be worse than being hauled off to the police station. Greg and his antics will keep you laughing from beginning to end.

Who was Anne Frank?


by Ann Abramson
Lexile: 660
Genre: Biography

Anne Frank was a Jewish girl who was forced to go into hiding for two years. While she hid, she wrote about her daily life in a journal she called Kitty. Her hope was to one day become a famous author. Tragically, her life ended at the age of 15, but her father had her diary published and it has become world famous and has been translated into 65 languages.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Two Princesses of Bamarre


by Gail Carson Levine
Lexile: 570
Genre: Fantasy

Princess Meryl is the princess who dreams of adventure - fighting dragons and protecting her kingdom. Princess Addie is content to stay at home where she is safe. But Meryl becomes ill with the dreaded Gray Death and has only days to live. It is up to Addie to leave the safety of the castle to go on a dangerous quest in search of a cure that will allow her sister to live. Can she find the courage to save her sister?

Monday, November 7, 2011

Who was Amelia Earhart?


by Kate Boehm Jerome
Lexile: 610
Genre: Biography

Amelia Earhart is a legend. She was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean. She was a daring and courageous pilot who attempted to fly around the world in 1937 and was never seen again. Over and over, Amelia Earhart challenged peoples' perceptions about what women were able to do.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

War Horse


by Michael Morpurgo
Lexile: ???
Genre: Historical Fiction

Albert loves his horse, Joey, more than anything else in the world. One day, his father sells Joey to the army and Albert is left home alone and brokenhearted. Joey heads off to the war where he is trained to charge the enemy, drag artillery, and cart wounded soldiers off the battlefield. When Albert is old enough, he enlists in the veterinary corps with one goal: find Joey and bring him safely home.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Red Midnight


by Ben Mikaelsen
Lexile: 690
Genre: Historical Fiction

Santiago and Angelina have had to flee their home in Guatemala with nothing except directions from their Uncle Ramos to take his sea kayak and sail to the United States. Santiago is not a sailor and faces a dangerous journey that he is doubtful he will survive. His sister, Angelina, is four and doesn't understand why they can't return home. Santiago turns their survival into a game for her. Will their luck hold as they push forward through the ocean on their journey to begin a new life in the United States?