Brixton Brothers: The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity

by Mac Barnett
Lexile:  590
Genre:  Mystery

Steve Brixton is not a detective.  Well, at least he wasn't until the librarians nearly had him arrested for treason.  Proving that he is innocent turns out to be quite an adventure!

Fly Girl

by Sherri L. Smith
Lexile:  680
Genre:  Historical Fiction

Ida Mae Jones wants to fly.  The only way for this to happen is for her to lie.  She will have to lie about having a valid pilot's license, but more importantly, she will have to lie about who she is.  She knows that the only way she will be accepted into the Women's Airforce Service Pilots program, is to pretend that she is white.  With her light skin, it just may be possible, but that will mean turning her back on her friends and family.  And, if discovered, could be deadly for her.  But Ida Mae wants to fly, more than anything else in the whole world.

Hoot

by Carl Hiaasen
Lexile:  760
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Roy Eberhardt is the new kid in town.  The first person he meets is the biggest bully in school.  The second person he meets is a strange kid who runs barefoot past the bus stop in the morning.  The third person is the toughest soccer player on the girl's team who tells him to mind his own business.  Roy senses a mystery and decides to investigate, never dreaming that it will lead to a city wide protest to save some burrowing owls. 

Crazy

by Han Nolan

Lexile:  660
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Jason's world is falling a part.  His mother has died, his father is crazy, and he is totally alone.  At 15, it all seems too much to handle.  He has decided to become invisible and rely on only himself and some imaginary characters he hears in his head, rather than seek help for his living situation which is rapidly going down hill.  But when Jason is referred to the school counseling group, he meets 3 people who seem to want to be his friends.  Having friends would be a welcome addition to his lonely life, but how many of his secrets will he be able to hide?

Dark Life

by Kat Falls
Lexile:  690
Genre:  Science Fiction

The world has changed forever...and there is no longer enough room on land for everyone.  Some brave pioneers have begun settlements on the bottom of the ocean where there is land enough for everyone.  But living in a world at the bottom of the ocean is not easy, especially now that the outlaws are on the loose.  Ty and his family have been happy with their lives, but when he meets Gemma, a girl from above, the life that he and his parents have created is threatened.  Ty has been keeping secrets and they are about to be revealed.

Saving Zasha

by Randi Barrow
Lexile:  670
Genre:  Historical Fiction

World War II has just ended and Mikhail is trying to adjust to life without his father who has not been heard from in a very long time.  One day, Mikhail finds a wounded soldier and his German shepherd.  He and his family make the brave decision to try and save them both.  Unfortunately, the soldier dies, and Mikhail's family has to make a choice.  Do they turn the dog over to authorities who would most likely kill her or do they keep her secret and try to save her life?  Saving Zasha will turn out to be harder than they imagine.

A Long Walk to Water

by Linda Sue Park
Lexile:  720
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

This is the story of Nya and Salva, told in a parallel narrative that converges at the end of the story.  Nya lives in Sudan and spends her days getting water for her family.  It takes her an entire day to walk to the pond twice to fill their drinking containers.  Salva is walking.  Walking to survive.  There is war in his country and he is forced to leave his village and his family when the fighting gets to close.  Nya and Salva are both determined to survive.