Hurricane Song

by Paul Volponi
Lexile:  850
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Miles has recently moved to New Orleans to live with a father he hardly knows.  His father's first love is music and Miles isn't sure how long he wants to stick around in second place.  But his relationship with his father changes, when Hurricane Katrina strikes.  He and his father are among the thousands of evacuees who are riding out the storm in the Superdome.  If Miles survives this, he knows his life will have changed forever.

Begging for Change

by Sharon G. Flake
Lexile:  1060
Genre:  Realistic Fiction
(Sequel to Money Hungry)

Raspberry Hill and her mom have a tough life and they are both working hard to change it.  Her mother is in the hospital with a serious head injury as a result of a fight she got into with another girl who lives on their street.  Raspberry just wants to earn enough money so that she and her mom can live in a safe place.  She's tired of being the only one without a real home.  Her jealously causes her to steal money from people who are trying to help her, just as her dad has stolen from her.  Can Raspberry make things right with her friends and find a safe life for her mother?

Money Hungry

by Sharon G. Flake
Lexile:  650
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Raspberry Hill hasn't had an easy life.  Her mom tries to make ends meet by working a lot of jobs, but there never seems to be quite enough money for them to find a stable home in a good neighborhood.  So Raspberry has learned that having money buys security so she is constantly looking for ways to earn it.  She sells chocolate and pencils at school, washes windshields on the street, and cleans homes for elderly women.  But a misunderstanding forces a confrontation with her mom, and Raspberry finds herself right back where she started - no home and no money.

Flush

by Carl Hiaasen
Lexile:  830
Genre:  Mystery

Noah's dad has a temper and it has gotten him in trouble this time.  He is trying to stop a casino boat's illegal dumping, but now that he's in jail, Noah and his sister, Abbey, have to pick up the mystery where their father left off, to prove that he is innocent.  Meanwhile, the casino boat is still dropping its crud into the ocean.  Noah and Abbey are determined to put a stop to the nasty pollution.

Ascend

by Amanda Hocking
Lexile:  ???
Genre:  Fantasy

Wendy is facing a new challenge.  Now that she is Queen, does she give herself to the Vittra to protect her people or does she stay and fight for her throne? Either decision is going to lead to a brutal battle that will hurt the people she has grown to love.  Read this exciting conclusion to the Trylle trilogy.

The Raft

by S.A. Bodeen
Lexile:  680
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Robie doesn't have an ordinary life.  Growing up on Midway Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean can be quite exciting, but it can also get boring.  Each summer, Robie gets to spend a month with her aunt in Hawaii.  Unexpectedly, her aunt is called out of town, so Robie is left on her own.  Robie decides to head home early and books herself a flight on a supply plane that's heading back to Midway Island.  The problem is that the phones on the island aren't working so her parents don't know she's on her way home.  Halfway there, the plane encounters a storm so severe that one of the engines stalls.  As the plane plummets to the ocean, Robie wonders if she will ever see her parents again.  Then, suddenly, she's in the middle of the ocean, alive, but in a raft...with nothing...

A Tinfoil Sky

by Cyndi Sand-Eveland
Lexile:  ???
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Mel and her mother Cecily have moved around a lot.  So when her mom tells her that they're going "home" to Riverview, Mel is really excited.  Maybe they'll be able to get a real house and stay in one place for awhile.  But as usual, things don't turn out the way Cecily plans.  Her attempts to reunite with her mother, Gladys, don't work out so Mel and Cecily find themselves living in their car and singing on the street to raise money for food.  It's not great, but Mel figures that they'll be okay as long as they stay together.  Then, one night, Cecily disappears and Mel is left all alone.