Dexter the Tough

by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Lexile: 690
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Dexter is the new kid. On his first day of school he gets mad. So mad that he punches a kids he doesn't even know. But the weird thing is, the kid doesn't tell on him and actually seems to want to be his friend. Dexter is having a hard time settling into his new life with his grandmother, at a new school. He misses his parents and his old friends. Will making a new friend help him settle into his new life?

Mudshark

by Gary Paulsen
Lexile: 1080
Genre: Mystery

Mudshark is cool. He has his own detective agency and is the smartest 12 year old around. If something goes missing, Mudshark's your guy. But suddenly, a know it all parrot takes roost in the library of Mudshark's school and the rumor is that the parrot is smarter than Mudshark. Is that even possible?

Wait Till Helen Comes

by Mary Downing Hahn
Lexile: 750
Genre: Mystery/Ghost Story

Molly and Michael are dismayed when they learn that their mother and stepfather have bought a new home in the country. Then, they learn that their new home is an old church with an ancient cemetery in the backyard. They have struggled to get along with their new stepsister, Heather, but things get worse after they move into their new home. Heather makes friends with "Helen", but nobody can actually see Helen and Helen seems to be making Heather act differently. Molly begins to suspect that "Helen" is a ghost. Michael thinks Molly is crazy...but is she?

Ramona's World

by Beverly Cleary
Lexile: 750
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Ramona's back and is sure that 4th grade is going to be the best year ever. Ramona has a new best friend, a new baby sister, a teacher that seems to like her writing, and she's in class with Yard Ape again. But as you could predict, life as a 4th grader is not without its challenges...from learning to spell to being a role model for her baby sister to growing up in the shadow of her "perfect" older sister Beezus, Ramona continues to find that growing up can be difficult, but fun all at the same time.

The Best School Year Yet

by Barbara Robinson
Lexile: 1020
Genre: Realistic Fiction

The Herdmans are back! If you enjoyed The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, this will be a favorite as well. Woodrow Wilson elementary school is continually terrorized by the 6 Herman children. There's no escape for students or teachers as there's a Herdman in each grade. They smoke cigars, lie, and set things on fire. Are they really the worst kids in the history of the world or can they be caught doing good deeds too?

The Legend of the Bluebonnet

by Tomie DePaola
Lexile: 740
Genre: Traditional Literature

The Legend of the Bluebonnet tells the story of a young girl named She-Who-Is-Alone; left alone after a terrible famine. She sacrifices her most prized possession and is rewarded with a sea of bluebonnet flowers that still bloom each spring in the land that is now known as Texas.

Voyage on the Great Titanic (Dear America Series)

by Ellen Emerson White
Lexile: 1010
Genre: Historical Fiction

Margaret Ann Brady is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime - sailing aboard the Titanic on her maiden voyage as a companion to Mrs. Carstairs, a wealthy American who is planning to return to America. Margaret is excited to set sail and reunite with her brother in New York. Neither she nor Mrs. Carstairs, nor the other 2,000 passengers aboard the Tiianic know what's in store for them.