Titanic Book 3: S.O.S.

by Gordon Korman
Lexile: 820
Genre: Historical Fiction

The unsinkable Titanic has hit an iceberg and it is going down. There are not enough life boats so the only certainty on this cold April night is that many people are going to die. Who will get the precious spots on the lifeboats? Every second is going to count in the race against time.

Titanic Book 2: Collision Course

by Gordan Korman
Lexile: 770
Genre: Historical Fiction

The Titanic is journeying across the ocean on her maiden voyage. Paddy, Sophie, Juliana, and Alfie have no idea about what lies in store for them. Not only will their lives be in danger from the deadly course of the ship, but on board with them are several people who are hiding secrets of their own. Will they figure who they can trust and who they should avoid? And will it matter at all...as the iceberg looms closer and closer.

Close to Famous

by Joan Bauer
Lexile: 540
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Foster and her mother have had to flee their home in Memphis with only what they could quickly pack into the trunk of their car. They drive until they can go no further and settle in the town of Culpepper, West Virgina where they attempt to start their lives over. Mama wants to be a singer and Foster wants to be a baker, but both of them are holding on to secrets that are going to make it hard for their dreams to come true.

Orchards

by Holly Thompson
Lexile: ???
Genre: Poetic Novel

Ruth is dead and Kana feels partly responsible. Kana and her group of 8th grade friends never realized how hurtful their actions were until Ruth went to the orchard, alone, for the last time. Kana's family thinks it's best if she spends the summer with her relatives in Japan. Kana doesn't want to go and spend the summer working in the orange groves with people she doesn't know. But once she's there, she learns some things about herself, has time to think about Ruth, and about how she's going to move her life forward.

The Scorpio Races

by Maggie Stiefvater
Lexile: 840
Genre: Fantasy

"It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die." Life on island of Thisby is tough and dangerous, but never as dangerous as in November when the islanders hold the famed Scorpio Races. Riders race their capall usice (flesh eating horses) to their death or to the finish to earn the coveted prize. Sean Kendrick and Kate (Puck) Connolly are two of the racers. One is racing to earn freedom for his horse, the other is racing to win freedom for her family. What neither realizes is that their individual plans will soon become joined.

Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.?

by Bonnie Bader
Lexile: 750
Genre: Biography

Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.? He was a man who believed that the world could change. He tried to bring about change through peaceful protests and by preaching messages of nonviolence. He is known to this day as one of the great leaders of the Civil Rights movement.

Who was Walt Disney?

by Whitney Stewart
Lexile: 720
Genre: Biography

Walt Disney loved being the class clown. He figured he'd grow up to do something that made people laugh. He began with nothing and built an empire that is still going strong today. From his first Mickey Mouse cartoons, to full length movies, to amusement parks, Walt Disney was always ahead of his time in keeping people entertained.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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?

No Passengers Beyond this Point

by Gennifer Choldenko
Lexile: 620
Genre: Science Fiction

India, Finn, and Mouse are moving to Denver. They are on their way to meet Uncle Red and start a new life without their mom, their friends, and their dog. None of them are happy about it, but their mom tells them it's their best option. But once they land at the airport, strange things begin to happen and it looks like moving to Denver is not going to be quite what they thought it would be.

Sarah's Key

by Tatiana de Rosnay
Lexile: 610
Genre: Historical Fiction

Sarah is just 10 years old the night her life changes forever. She and her parents are arrested by the French police in July of 1942. Sarah is able to hide her brother before they are taken away. She promises to come back to him as soon as she can. What she doesn't realize is that she and all the other Jewish families in Paris are being taken far away and they won't ever be coming back.

Darth Paper Strikes Back

by Tom Angleberger
Lexile: ???
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Origami Yoda is back. But this time his owner, Dwight, is in big trouble. It seems that the principal thinks that Dwight should be placed at an alternative school because of all the trouble he's gotten into with his origami yoda finger puppet. Dwight's friends refuse to sit by and watch him get expelled. They compile a case file to present to the school board about all the good things Origami Yoda has done with the help of Dwight. But still the mystery remains...is Origami Yoda real?

The Mostly True Story of Jack

by Kelly Barnhill
Lexile: ???
Genre: Fantasy

What would it be like to be invisible? Jack knows..he has no friends, his family never notices him, he feels totally alone. Until one day when he is returned to his aunt and uncle in Iowa. Strange things begin to happen at their house. Strange things that cannot be explained unless you believe in magic. Is Jack really ready to find out who he is?

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

by Tom Angleberger
Lexile: 760
Genre: Realistic Fiction

It doesn't get any stranger than an origami Yoda finger puppet who can dispense advice on a variety of topics. The question is, how does he know what he knows and is he real? Origami Yoda's owner and creator, Dwight, is one of the weirdest kids in the 6th grade, but when he brings his Origami Yoda to school things change. As Yoda begins to dispense advice, the whole 6th grade is suddenly paying attention to him. Is Origami Yoda real or just another of Dwight's strange creations?

Emmy and the Rats in the Belfry

by Lynne Jonell
Lexile: 740
Genre: Fantasy

Emmy and the rats are back. Emmy's trying to resume her normal life, but problems in the rodent world keep dragging her back to the rats. Emmy's parents think she needs to learn how to be responsible so they've shipped her off to spend some time with her elderly aunts. But the rats go along and the adventure begins when Miss Barmy returns. She's not done with Emily either.

The Forbidden Sea

by Sheila A. Nelson
Lexile: 820
Genre: Fantasy

Adrianne Keynnman has become the hunted. After rescuing her sister from nearly drowning, she is marked on the wrist by the elusive and haunting Mermaid of Windwaithe Island who is known for dragging young girls out to sea. Adrianne wonders how she will be able to protect her family and herself from the mermaid as well as the townspeople who are quickly turning against her.

Blood Wounds

by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Lexile: ???
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Willa's life is going along okay. She has some challenges adjusting to life with a stepfather and two stepsisters, but all in all, things have been okay. Until one day when a phone call changes everything. Willa unexpectedly has to come face to face with her past; a past that she doesn't know much about. Will it change who she thinks she is?

Dirty Little Secrets

by C.J. Omololu
Lexile: 890
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Lucy appears to be a normal high school student. But she is hiding a terrible secret. Her mother is a hoarder and the home she lives in is full of filth and garbage. Lucy has just two years left before her high school graduation and then she plans to leave home and never look back. As she attempts to lead a normal life, she is forced to lie to her friends about what her home is really like. One morning something happens that she isn't going to be able to hide. Will she be able to share the truth of her situation with the world?

Empty

by Suzanne Weyn
Lexile: 790
Genre: Science Fiction

Fossil fuels are a finite resource, but nobody actually believed they would run out. Suddenly gas tanks are empty, electricity is running out, and food is disappearing off the shelves. Niki, Tom and Gwen are slowly realizing that the life they knew as normal is going to cease to exist. How will they adjust? What sacrifices will they have to make?

Ralph S. Mouse

by Beverly Cleary
Lexile: 860
Genre: Fantasy

Ralph S. Mouse is going to school. He's had enough of his pesky younger cousins at the Inn where he lives. He convinces his friend Ryan to smuggle him into Room 5 at Sneed Elementary School. Ralph longs for the nights when he can race his motorcycle up and down the long, smooth corridors of the school. But he and Ryan have an argument and Ralph finds himself alone - without his motorcycle or his home. Can he and Ryan patch things up so that Ralph can get back on the road?

Accomplice

by Eireann Corrigan
Lexile: 750
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Chloe and Finn seem to lead perfect lives. They are good students, do lots of community service and are about to begin to apply to colleges. But then Chloe decides they aren't perfect enough and that if they want to get into their dream schools, they need to do something that will make them stand out. So the girls devise a scheme in which Chloe mysteriously disappears. Only Finn will know where she went and where she is hiding. But things don't go as planned, and suddenly others are becoming victims in ways Finn could not have foreseen.

The Fourth Stall

by Chris Rylander
Lexile: ???
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Do you have a problem? Well, Mac in the Fourth Stall can solve it for you. But for a price, of course. Mac and Vince have devised a success way to earn money by solving problems for their fellow classmates. They are on top of their game until Fred, a third grader, shows up with a problem. A big problem. Will this be Mac and Vince's greatest solution or will it be the end of their entire business?

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery

by MaryRose Wood
Lexile: ???
Genre: Mystery

The Incorrigibles are back - Cassiopeia, Alexander, and Beowulf, along with their governess, Miss Penelope Lumley. This time the quartet journeys to London where all kinds of mysterious things occur. Despite Miss Lumley's hard work at curbing the children's wolfish behaviors, there are still things they do that she doesn't expect. From Buckingham Palace, to the zoo, to the opera...a day with the Incorrigibles is always an adventure.

Moon Over Manifest

by Clare Vanderpool
Lexile: 800
Genre: Historical Fiction

Abilene Tucker has been put on a train. She feels as though her father has abandoned her as she journeys to spend the summer with unknown friends of his in a place she has never seen. When she arrives in Manifest, Kansas, she decides that she will do whatever she can to uncover the truth about who her father was in the past and how that has shaped him to be the person she know today.

Who was Rosa Parks?

by Yona Zeldis McDonough
Lexile: 700
Genre: Biography

Rosa Parks grew up in the South during the days of the Jim Crow laws and segregation. But she decided to join with others and do something about the unfairness and inequality of life in the South. Her work with the NAACP and her infamous ride on the bus, led her to a life long mission of obtaining equal rights for all.

Who was Harriet Tubman?

by Yona Zeldis McDononough
Lexile: 650
Genre: Biography

Harriet Tubman was a courageous woman. She was a former slave who risked her life over and over again to help slaves escape to freedom. She was a secret conductor on the Underground Railroad and worked as a nurse and a spy during the Civil War.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

by Jessica Day George
Lexile: 810
Genre: Traditional Literature

"The lass" is the youngest of nine children. Her mother's disappointment in having yet another girl causes her to grow up without a name. Until "the lass" meets the mysterious white reindeer who gives her a gift - a name and the ability to communicate with animals. One day a bear appears at the cottage door and asks "the lass" to go with him to his enchanted palace where she must live with him for one year and a day. If she complies, her family will have wealth and happiness the rest of their lives. "The lass" goes, much to the horror of her older brother, who knows secrets about the palace that he cannot tell her.

The Puzzling World of WInston Breen

by Eric Berlin
Lexile: 670
Genre: Mystery

Winston Breen loves to solve puzzles. He thinks he's giving his sister a little wooden box for her birthday, but it turns out to have a false bottom with some mysterious puzzle pieces inside. When Winston shows the pieces to the town librarian, her hysterical reaction surprises and startles him. Before Winston and his friends realize it, they are in the midst of a full scale treasure hunt.

The Red Pyramid

by Rick Riordan
Lexile: 650
Genre: Fantasy

Brother and sister, Carter and Sadie Kane, have been living apart for 6 years, since their mother's death. They seemingly have nothing uncommon until they are reunited by their father on Christmas Eve. They go with him to the British Museum, but things go terribly wrong when their father vanishes in a mysterious explosion. Who exactly are Sadie and Carter Kane? And who were their parents? They have no idea of the adventure that awaits within the Red Pyramid!

The Brooklyn Nine

by Alan Gratz
Lexile: 840
Genre: Historical Fiction

The Schneider kids have one thing in common: baseball. This novel is a collection of nine stories that span from 1845-2002 that explains how each generation of the Schneider family connected their lives to baseball. Felix, the German immigrant, begins the family's American story. Each successive story furthers this tradition that Felix began. One baseball comes full circle by the end of the book.

Football Genius

by Tim Green
Lexile: 800
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Troy White has an amazing gift. He can watch a football game and predict just about any play before it happens. His mom has just landed a new job with the Atlanta Falcons and they are in the midst of a losing season. Troy thinks he can turn things around for them. But how will he convince the Falcon organization to listen to a 12 year old kid?

Getting Air

by Dan Gutman
Lexile: 660
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Jimmy and his skateboarding friends on are their way to a summer vacation in California where they hope to be discovered by a skateboarding company. Their journey begins uneventfully, but quickly turns deadly when terrorists attack the pilots and take control of the plane. Now their main concern is survival. Will they ever skateboard again?

Anything But Typical

by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Lexile: 640
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Jason Blake is a 12 year old with autism trying to make sense of the world around him. He struggles in school with making friends and following social cues, but in his own world and the world he's created on his online Storyboard website, he feels comfortable with who he is. He strikes up a correspondence with another writer, Rebecca, and when their two worlds intersect, Jason is terrified that once she meets him, she will no longer want to be is friend.

The Maze Runner

by James Dashner
Lexile: 770
Genre: Science Fiction

Thomas has no memory of who he is when he wakes up in a strange new place where no one will answer his questions. But he has a nagging sense, that he has been there before and knows more about it than he can remember. The Gladers welcome Thomas into their strange world where a strict order is followed to make sure they all continue to survive. But the order is threatened as things start to change and people panic. Why has Thomas been sent to the Glade?

Elephant Run

by Roland Smith
Lexile: 750
Genre: Historical Fiction

It's 1941 and London is no longer safe for 14 year old Nick Freestone. His mother decides that the safest place for him is in Burma, with his father who runs a teak plantation. Shortly after Nick's arrival, he discovers that Burma is not a safe place as Japanese forces are attacking. His father is carried off to a work camp and Nick is left a prisoner in his own home. Will he and his father be able to survive the war?

I Survived: The Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941

iu by Lauren Tarshis
Lexile: ???
Genre: Historical Fiction

Danny has recently moved to Hawaii and is unhappy that he had to leave his friends behind in New York City. His mom has a new job as a nurse and is trying to start a new life for them. Danny's plan is to run away back to New York, until the awful morning of December 7, 1941, when Japanese planes attack Pearl Harbor. Danny and the lives of many other Hawaiians are about to change forever.

Who was Dr. Seuss?

by Janet B. Pascal
Lexile: 820
Genre: Biography

Who was Dr. Seuss? As a boy, he loved drawing silly zoo animals. As a college student, he was voted least likely to succeed. As an adult, he wrote children's books that changed young reader's lives forever.

Listen!

by Stephanie S. Tolan
Lexile: 910
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Charley's main goal for her summer vacation is to learn to walk without pain. Her schoolyear ended early when she was in a car crash that left her hospitalized for weeks. Now she is home, her best friend is gone for the summer, and her father wants her out of the house and moving around. Things look pretty bleak until Charley catches sight of a wild dog running through the woods. She decides to make taming him her summer project.

Mockingbird

by Kathryn Erskine
Lexile: 630
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Caitlin lives in a very black and white world. She has Asperger's Syndrome and is dealing with her brother's recent and very tragic death. Life at home and school is difficult for Caitlin as she struggles to make sense of her world and tries to understand why so many people see things so differently. She works with her dad, her school counselor, and her friend Michael, to find closure - the one thing that she thinks will help bring her world to order.

Trapped

by Michael Northrop
Lexile: 750
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Nobody knew that it was going to snow for a week, least of all the 7 students who were waiting at school to be picked up by their parents. Once they realize that they're on their own, an adventure begins that will test their patience, friendships, and ultimately become a tale of survival. Without lights, heat, water, and the increasing buildup of snow, these teenagers will have to put their trust in each other and work together in order to survive.

Mindblind

by Jennifer Roy
Lexile: 530
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Nathaniel lives in two worlds - the real one and a self-created world where he goes to escape. He is fourteen years old and has an IQ of 182 which qualifies him as a genius. He also has Asberger's which makes it difficult to interact with other teenagers. His father hasn't truly accepted him for who he is - gifts and quirks and all - but he is able to find some good friends who form a band. The band helps him navigate the tricky outside world and helps him spend less and less time locked up in his thoughts, away from others.

Okay for Now

by Gary D. Schmidt
Lexile: ???
Genre: Historical Fiction

Doug is the new kid in town and about to start 8th grade. School has never been fun for him and his new junior high in Marysville, NY doesn't seem to be any better. He lives in fear of his angry father and brother, worries about his other brother who is fighting in Vietnam, and is working hard to keep a secret from all of his new teachers. He finds some friends in an unusual place - the library - who help him begin to settle into his new life. Maybe life in Marysville won't be so bad after all.