Monday, September 24, 2012

Flush

by Carl Hiaasen
Lexile:  830
Genre:  Mystery

Noah's dad has a temper and it has gotten him in trouble this time.  He is trying to stop a casino boat's illegal dumping, but now that he's in jail, Noah and his sister, Abbey, have to pick up the mystery where their father left off, to prove that he is innocent.  Meanwhile, the casino boat is still dropping its crud into the ocean.  Noah and Abbey are determined to put a stop to the nasty pollution.

Ascend

by Amanda Hocking
Lexile:  ???
Genre:  Fantasy

Wendy is facing a new challenge.  Now that she is Queen, does she give herself to the Vittra to protect her people or does she stay and fight for her throne? Either decision is going to lead to a brutal battle that will hurt the people she has grown to love.  Read this exciting conclusion to the Trylle trilogy.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

The Raft

by S.A. Bodeen
Lexile:  680
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Robie doesn't have an ordinary life.  Growing up on Midway Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean can be quite exciting, but it can also get boring.  Each summer, Robie gets to spend a month with her aunt in Hawaii.  Unexpectedly, her aunt is called out of town, so Robie is left on her own.  Robie decides to head home early and books herself a flight on a supply plane that's heading back to Midway Island.  The problem is that the phones on the island aren't working so her parents don't know she's on her way home.  Halfway there, the plane encounters a storm so severe that one of the engines stalls.  As the plane plummets to the ocean, Robie wonders if she will ever see her parents again.  Then, suddenly, she's in the middle of the ocean, alive, but in a raft...with nothing...

Sunday, September 9, 2012

A Tinfoil Sky

by Cyndi Sand-Eveland
Lexile:  ???
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Mel and her mother Cecily have moved around a lot.  So when her mom tells her that they're going "home" to Riverview, Mel is really excited.  Maybe they'll be able to get a real house and stay in one place for awhile.  But as usual, things don't turn out the way Cecily plans.  Her attempts to reunite with her mother, Gladys, don't work out so Mel and Cecily find themselves living in their car and singing on the street to raise money for food.  It's not great, but Mel figures that they'll be okay as long as they stay together.  Then, one night, Cecily disappears and Mel is left all alone.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Wonder

by R.J. Palacio
Lexile:  790
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Austin has never been to school before.  His parents have decided that as a 5th grader it's time to switch from home school to a private school, Beecher Prep.  Going to middle school is tough enough for the average kid, but August is different.  He was born with a severe facial deformity that frightens most people when they see him.  Will the students at Beecher Prep be able to look beyond Auggie's face and see the extraordinary person he is?

Monday, September 3, 2012

Torn

by Amanda Hocking
Lexile:  ???
Genre:  Fantasy

In book two of the Trylle Trilogy, Wendy has accepted the fact that she is a changeling - someone who has been switched at birth - but the more she learns about her past, the more her future is threatened.  Should she side with her father and the Vittra clan or is her rightful place in Trylle where she is being groomed to take over for the queen?  Wendy is torn...and knows she must make the decision that is right for herself and for the people she will rule.

Switched

by Amanda Hocking
Lexile:  ???
Genre:  Fantasy

Imagine if you woke up one morning and found out that everything you thought was true, was a lie...Wendy knows she's had a different life - her mother tried to kill her when she was 6 so she has been raised by her brother and aunt.  Until one day this mysterious new boy, Finn, shows up at Wendy's school, and tells her that she is a changeling - someone who had been switched at birth.  If Wendy decides that he's telling the truth, her life will change forever.

The Beef Princess of Practical County

by Michelle Houts
Lexile:  810
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Libby is getting the chance she always wanted.  She is going to be able to show a calf at the Practical County Fair.  Libby has grown up on her family's ranch and watched her brother, Ronnie, win lots of prizes.  She and her granddad choose two special fair calves that become Libby's sole responsibility.  Over the course of the summer, Libby learns a lot about raising cattle, her family, and herself.