Shatterproof (Cahills vs. Vespers Book 4)

by Roland Smith
Lexile:  640
Genre:  Mystery

Vespers One still has seven of Amy and Dan Cahill's relatives held hostage and he has issued more demands that they must comply with if they ever want to see their family members again.  This time they have been asked to steal one of the world's largest diamonds, known as the Golden Jubilee.  Will they find it in time to keep everyone alive?

Breaking Stalin's Nose

by Eugene Velchin
Lexile:  670
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Award:  2016-17 Maud Hart Lovelace Award Nominee, 2012 Newberry Honor Book

"Anything ever happens to me, go see your Aunt Larisa.  She'll put you up." Sasha's dad whispers in his ear one night.  Sasha is growing up in Communist Russia and since a very young age has been waiting for the moment he turns ten so that he can become a Young Pioneer and pledge his loyalty to Stalin.  Hours after his father whispers to him, the secret police come and escort his father away and take him to prison.  The police tell Sasha they will be back for him in the morning.  Sasha remembers his father's words, but when he gets to Larisa, his uncle refuses to take him in.  Sasha has no choice but to fend for himself until he can figure out a way to get to Stalin and explain that this is all just a big misunderstanding.

Capture the Flag

by Kate Messner
Lexile:  700
Genre:  Mystery
Award: 2016-17 Maud Hart Lovelace Nominee

Anna, Jose, and Henry are at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. with their parents.  They have never met before, but their lives are about to intersect around the mysterious theft of the original Star Spangled Banner.  They speak for the first time in the airport where a snowstorm has cancelled all flights.  They hear that the flag has been stolen and figure that there is a good chance that whoever took it, might be trying to sneak it out by plane.  Rather that be bored in the airport, they decide to investigate.  Is there a criminal mastermind in their midst?

The Summer of the Wolves

by Polly Carlson-Voiles
Lexile:  790
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Nika and her brother Randall are trying to find a permanent home.  Their parents have died so that has meant a series of foster homes.  Nika and Randall are happy with Meg, their foster mother of eleven months until the day that their social worker calls with the good news that their uncle in Northern Minnesota has offered to have them come to visit.  Nika is less than excited about the idea of leaving her friends in sunny California to move to the wilderness, but it turns out, she does not have a choice.  Shortly after she arrives, she and her uncle rescue an abandoned wolf pup and Nika starts to think that maybe this strange new place could be a new beginning for her and her brother.

Orbiting Jupiter

by Gary D. Schmidt
Lexile: 740
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Jack is about to meet his new foster brother, Joseph.  He doesn't know much about him other then these three things:
    1) Joseph almost killed a teacher.
    2) Joseph has been locked up in a juvenile detention center.
    3) Joseph has a daughter who he has never seen.
Jack doesn't know what it is going to be like to live with Joseph and at first it is difficult.  But over time, Joseph begins to trust Jack and as he starts to feel more comfortable, Joseph begins to open up about his life.  Jack is determined to show Joseph that their are good people in the world that will have his back, no matter what...

Winter (Lunar Chronicles Book 4)

by Marissa Meyer
Lexile:  800
Genre:  Fantasy

This is the 4th book in the Lunar Chronicles where we finally find out whether or not the long lost Princess Selene (Cinder) will defeat the evil Queen Levana for control of Luna.  In order for this to happen, Cinder is going to need the help of Scarlet and Wolf, Cress and Thorne, Winter and Jacin, and of course Kai, the emperor who is soon to be the husband of Levana.  Can this team of unlikely heroes, take down the most powerful ruler?

An Ember in the Ashes

by Sabaa Tahir
Lexile:  680
Genre:  Fantasy

Laia has a great life.  She lives with her grandparents and her beloved older brother.  Her grandfather is training her to be a healer.  But one night, the Martial Empire comes, slaughters her grandparents and takes her brother hostage.  Laia escapes only to be captured by a resistance fighter.  They are willing to bargain with her.  If she spies at Blackcliff, where the Empire's soldiers are trained, they will help get her brother out of prison.  But, if she is discovered, the penalty is death.  Laia doesn't see any other way out.  When she goes under cover as a slave, she meets Elisas, who is a solider at Blackcliff.  Neither of them are truly free and they are going to need each other if they are both to survive.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Old School

by Jeff Kinney
Lexile:  1020
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Is life better now or was it better in the "olden days"?  Greg Heffley is trying to figure out that question as his mother has embarked on a quest to get their town to eliminate modern technology for one weekend.  As if that wasn't enough, Greg's grandpa has moved into the family and displaced him from his room.  Having to share with Manny is hard enough, and now Greg's dad is harder on him them ever because he wants his father to approve of the way he is raising his boys.  After an incident with Grandpa and the car, Greg opts to go on a class trip to Hardscrabble Farm where boys and girls are taught to exist without modern conveniences.  Will Greg survive his "old school" experience?

The Last Star (The Final Book of the 5th Wave)

by Rick Yancey
Lexile:  670
Genre:  Science Fiction, Dystopia

Who is the real enemy?  Is it the others? Or is it us?  They want the Earth.  Or do they? They came to destroy.  Or did they come to save?  For those who are left, there are no easy answers and no clear path that will save them.  Cassie, Ringer, Zombie, and Nugget are all who are left. It will be up to them to figure out the truth if they are able to save themselves or saves what makes them all human.

Drowned City

Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans
Written and Illustrated by Don Brown
Lexile:  GN920
Genre:  Informational, Graphic Novel
Award:  Orbis Pictus Award

This is the first graphic novel to ever win the Orbis Pictus Award.  In this book, Don Brown describes the horror that descended upon New Orleans in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina struck.  Through vivid images and text, he tells the story of those who remained behind in the city and what happened in the aftermath when there wasn't enough food, shelter, or emergency help to go around.

The Big Dark

by Rodman Philbrick
Lexile: 780
Genre:  Science Fiction

What would you do if suddenly your entire world went dark?  No electricity, no batteries, no phones...nothing.  Charlie Cobb and his family are living in a small town in New Hampshire when they find themselves without any power.  It is the middle of January so this means that finding away to stay warm is a necessity.  Not only is the survival of their family a challenge, but having to deal with how others in the town are responding to the situation, is making it tough.  Someone is going to have to stand up and take charge before someone gets hurt.

Booked

by Kwame Alexander
Lexile:  660
Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse

Nick Hall is unstoppable on the soccer field so don't even bother to try.  He and his friend Coby have big plans to get to the World Cup and show the world what awesome soccer players they are.  But then Nick's world is shattered when his parents announce that they are separating.  His mom moves to Kentucky to continue a career she had put on hold, and now nothing is the same.  Can he figure out how to successfully navigate this change in his life?

A Night Divided

by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Lexile:  810
Genre:  Historical Fiction

Gerta and her family are living in Germany after the end of WWII.  There is talk that the Russians are going to cut off all ties with the west in order to protect their communist way of life.  Gerta's parents are divided on what to do.  Her father wants to move their family to West Berlin where they would have more of a chance of building a life filled with freedom.  Gerta's mother thinks they should stay where they are in the East as that is where they have jobs and friends and family.  Gerta's mother finally agrees to let her husband and son Dominic go to the west to see about jobs and a place to live. But overnight, a wall is erected and the family is separated.  Gerta, Fritz, and their mother fear that they will never see the rest of their family again.  As life becomes more unbearable, and Fritz is recruited for the military, Greta realizes that it might be up to her to get her family back together. There is one chance...and it could cost her her life.

Tomorrow, When the War Began

by John Marsden
Lexile:  850
Genre:  Dystopia, Science Fiction

Ellie and her friends have finally persuaded her parents to let them go camping alone.  They have a great time out in the Australian wilderness until they return and find that everyone is gone.  The electricity is off, the phones don't work, and there is no sign of life anywhere.  But then strange aircraft and helicopters are flying overhead.  After some investigating, they find out that the world as they know it has ended.  Their country has been invaded and their friends and family are all being held hostage.  They have two choices:  return to the wilderness and try to survive on their own or stay and try to figure out where everyone went.

Fish in a Tree

by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Lexile:  550
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Ally has become an expert at fooling people.  Her extreme behaviors have helped her mask the fact from her teachers that she can't read.  She prefers to have people think that she is a troublemaker, rather than "slow" or "dumb."  In reality, Ally is a very bright girl who has creatively managed to fool all of her teachers for the last seven years, until Mr. Daniels takes over for Mrs. Hall midyear.  Mr. Daniels isn't falling for Ally's old tricks.  He actually expects her to stay in class and do all of the reading and writing assignments.  He tells Ally that she can trust him, but will Ally be willing to reveal her biggest secret?

The Dead of Night (Cahills vs. Vespers Book 3)

by Peter Lerangis
Lexile:  560
Genre:  Mystery

Seven members of their family are still in danger and Amy and Dan Cahill continue to be in a race against time to keep them safe.  They are working diligently and desperately to meet the demands of the kidnapper who is holding them hostage in an undisclosed location.  This time their hunt takes them to Prague and Turkey where they search for another treasure that Vesper One wants.  Will they find it in time to keep their family members alive?

March Book Two

by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell
Lexile:  850
Genre:  Memoir/Graphic Novel

John Lewis continues his memoir about his role in the Civil Rights Movement in March, Book Two. The story picks up with John's involvement with the nonviolence movement through peaceful sit-ins and freedom bus rides.  John and his fellow protestors are repeatedly attacked, punished, and jailed, but they refuse to post bond and pay their fees.  They remain determined in their quest for equal rights.

March Book One

by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
Lexile:  760
Genre:  Memoir/Graphic Novel

Growing up, John Lewis loved chickens and wanted to become a pastor.  He lived in the South and grew up experiencing the injustices in society between whites and blacks.  His uncle took him on a trip to the North where is eyes were opened even further to the different ways in which people were treated. He met Martin Luther King, Jr. and started to learn about nonviolent methods.  He became involved with the Civl Rights Movement because he wanted his voice to be heard and he wanted to become part of the movement to bring about change.

A King's Ransom (Cahills vs. Vespers Book Two)

by Jude Watson
Lexile:  570
Genre:  Mystery

Vesper One has struck again.  The seven members of Amy and Dan's extended family are still being held hostage and it is up to them to comply with the kidnapper's demands.  Now they are a desperate search to find an ancient map that will lead them all around the country again.  Will they find it in time to meet Vesper One's demands and keep their family members alive?

The Body in the Woods

by April Henry
Lexile:  720
Genre:  Mystery

Alexis, Nick and Ruby have only one thing in common - they are all teenage members of Portland's Search and Rescue team.  They think they have signed up to help out with missing people searches, like when a hiker gets lost in the woods.  They are unprepared for the fact that on their first mission, they find a dead body, and it's not for the hiker they were looking for in the first place.  Alexis, Nick, and Ruby find themselves in the spotlight of a murder investigation that they will need to quickly figure out before the killer locates the next victim.

Half Bad

by Sally Green
Lexile:  680
Genre:  Fantasy

Nathan is a half-code:  half White Witch, half Black Witch.  This means he is an embarrassment to his family and a puzzlement to the Council who is not sure what should be done with him.  As his seventeenth birthday approaches, they must decide who should give him his three gifts and they must decide on his classification.  His guardian, Celia, is training him for something, but it is unclear to him just what that something will be.  Nathan must discover for himself whether he is half-bad or half-good.

I Will Save You

by Matt De La Pena
Lexile:  770
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Kidd has had a rough life...no mom or dad and no real friends.  He has recently left a therapy program at a group home and is now trying to make a start at his new life work.  He has a job at a beach campsite doing maintenance, but Devon, an old sort of friend/enemy has appeared.  Kidd fears that Devon is going to destroy the progress he is making with his boss, Mr. Red and his new friend Olivia.  Kidd will have to resist Devon's influence if he wants a chance at a normal life.

The Medusa Plot (Cahills vs. Vespers Book One)

by Gordon Korman
Lexile:  730
Genre:  Mystery

Amy and Dan Cahill have survived the clue hunt and are looking forward to settling back into a regular old life with no globe trotting adventures.  This hope is shattered when at various world wide locations, people close to Amy and Dan are kidnapped at the same exact moment.  Amy and Dan have been warned by someone who calls himself Vesper One.  If they ever want to see their family members alive again, they must follow his instructions.  So Amy and Dan have no choice but to embark on a new adventure.