Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck

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

Greg is back with in his 8th book, but this time he is on a real losing streak.  His best friend, Rowley, has gotten interested in girls.  Greg is not at all pleased about how this is changing their friendship.  He tries to turn his luck around by approaching others - girls and boys - but doesn't have much luck.  Will he ever get his one and only friend back?

Cardboard

by Doug Ten Napel
Lexile:  ???
Genre:  Fantasy (Graphic Novel)

Cam's dad is flat broke.  He can't find a job and has only a few cents to spend on his son's birthday present.  Cam is a good kid and his dad wants to get him something special.  He stops at a roadside stand and the only thing he can afford is a cardboard box.  The seller assures Cam's dad that this is no ordinary cardboard.  In fact, it comes with two very simple rules:  1)  You must return every scrap you don't use and 2) You must not ask for more. Cam and his dad work together to make something special - and to their surprise, their cardboard man comes to life!  How is this possible?

Extras

by Scott Westerfeld
Lexile:  790
Genre:  Science Fiction

Aya Fuse wants to be famous.  In order for this to happen, she needs to find a big story and she needs to find it fast.  She connects with the Sly Girls, a clique who spends their time doing secret things that would get them into a lot of trouble if people found out about it.  Aya convinces the Sly Girls that she is one of them while secretly filming their activities.  Aya has no idea how her life will change when she gives this story to the world.

Specials

by Scott Westerfeld
Lexile:  880
Genre:  Science Fiction

First Tally was an Ugly.  Then she became a Pretty.  And now she is a Special - a super ramped up fighting machine who's main purpose is to help impose order.  That means keeping the Uglies down and the Pretties stupid.  Tally can't help but feel that something is wrong...there is a part of her that remembers how her life was before she was turned into a Special.  Will she listen for the truth or be pulled along with the rest of the Specials?

Pretties

by Scott Westerfeld
Lexile:  860
Genre:  Science Fiction

Tally Youngblood has finally become pretty and thinks that her life is going to be perfect.  The only thing she didn't expect was that when people in her community are changed from ugly to pretty, their minds are changed too.  Tally doesn't feel perfect and has a sense that something is wrong.  When a mysterious visitor crashes her first party as a pretty, she knows that something is going on.  Does she want to move forward in her life as a pretty or try to find out what secrets are being kept?