Same Sun Here

by Silas House and Neela Vaswani
Lexile:  890
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Meena lives in New York and River lives in Kentucky.  They are best friends even though they have never met.  They were assigned to each other as penpals during a school project and throughout the letters they have written back and forth to each other, an unlikely friendship has developed.  They find that while they come from very different backgrounds, they actually have a lot in common. For one thing, the same sun shines where both of them live.

Jump into the Sky

by Shelley Pearsall
Lexile:  940
Genre:  Historical Fiction

Levi battle is used to being left behind.  His mother left him when he was a baby and then three years ago, his father left him in the care of his aunt when he went of to join the U.S. Army.  After 3 years, Aunt Odella has decided that it is time for Levi to rejoin his father.  She puts him on a train to North Carolina with one suitcase and says nothing about how different life is going to be for him in the South. Levi's father doesn't know he's coming and Levi's not sure he'll be as welcoming as his aunt had led him to believe.  Life is about to get very interesting.

The Lions of Little Rock

by Kristin Levine
Lexile:  630
Genre:  Historical Fiction

Marlee feels like everything in her life is changing.  Her brother has left for college, her sister moved out of her room, and now it's time to start middle school.  Marlee doesn't like to talk at school so most people tend to think she doesn't have anything to say or any ideas to contribute.  But then Marlee meets Liz, a new student, who is outgoing and confident...everything that Marlee wishes she could be.  Liz has a secret.  A secret that in 1958 could cost her everything.  When Liz's secret is discovered, Marlee's perspective on life suddenly changes.  She will need the courage to find her voice if she is going to stand up for her friend.

Liar and Spy

by Rebecca Stead
Lexile:  670
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Georges has experienced a lot of change in his life recently:  a move to a new apartment, meeting new friends, missing his mom who is working doubles all the time.  But one thing that hasn't changed is 7th grade.  Georges is still bullied and teased about his name, what he eats, and who he hangs out with. His new friend, Safer, whom he meets in his new apartment building, is odd, but kind of in a good way. Safer is a the leader of the spy club and Georges is his new recruit.  Will they solve the mystery of Mr. X?

Breathing Room

by Marsha Hayles
Lexile:  800
Genre:  Historical Fiction

Evvy is 13 years old when she arrives at the Loon Lake Sanatorium.  She has a contagious disease called tuberculosis (TB) and has been sent there by her family to get well.  She meets some new friends who help her to adjust to the hard realities of life in a sanatorium.  Some of her friends will not survive. Will Evvy be able to remain strong enough to fight her disease and get back to the family she loves?

Colin Fischer

by Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz
Lexile: 870
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Colin Fischer has Asbergers which means starting his freshman year in high school is even more challenging than usual.  Colin struggles with reading people's emotions and takes whatever people say quite literally.  He has a notebook that he carries with him wherever he goes so that he can record notes about the things that are happening around him.  This helps him figure out what people really mean when they talk to him.  But when a gun is found at his school and a student is suspended, Colin's attention to detail will help him solve the mystery of who the gun belonged to and help clear the name of an innocent victim.