The Runaway King

by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Lexile:  710
Genre:  Fantasy

Jaron is back in the sequel to The False Prince.  After winning the throne of Carthya, life should be settling down into a quiet routine.  Not so, for Jaron.  During the funeral for his family, an assassination attempt is made on his life and an ultimatum is issued.  In 10 days, he is ordered to turn himself over to the pirates, or risk the destruction that war would bring to his kingdom.  Jaron is not your typical king and isn't willing to back down.  There are traitors amongst his own supporters.  It's up to Jaron to figure out who is true friends are and align with them to protect his new kingdom.

Hold Fast

by Blue Balliett
Lexile:  780
Genre:  Mystery

The Pearls are a close knit family of four.  They don't have a lot of money, but they have their love of books, words, and each other.  They also have dreams for the future which includes owning their own home.  But the family's dreams are put on hold when Mr. Pearl disappears.  He's not the kind of man who would just up and leave his family.  The other Pearls fear the worst may have happened. It's up to them to solve the mystery that will clear his name and bring him home safely.

Anya's Ghost

by Vera Brosgol
Lexile:  ???
Genre:  Fantasy (Graphic Novel)

Anya is having trouble adjusting to life in an American high school.  Things look up for a bit when she meets a mysterious ghost on the way home from school.  At first the ghost seems friendly and helpful, but as time goes on, Anya begins to see another side of her, a dark and evil side.  Anya begins to question the version of the story the ghost told her about how she died.  With a little help from a real friend and some research, Anya quickly realizes she needs to put this ghost to rest for good.

Eight Keys

by Suzanne LaFleur
Lexile:  590
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Elise is having a tough time adjusting to middle school.  Her locker partner is a bully and everyone thinks that her best friend, Franklin, is a baby.  Elise is trying to understand who she is and how friends and middle school are all going to fit into her 6th grade life.  Every year on her birthday, Elise receives a letter from her father, who died when she was very young.  This year she gets the final letter which leads her to the discovery of a key.  Each key that she finds helps her unlock the puzzle of who she is, where she came from, and where she is going.

Front and Center

by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Lexile:  980
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

D.J. Schwenk has missed a lot of school helping her brother recover from a career ending football injury.  Now she's back and it's time for the basketball season to begin.  Her coach and her family have big hopes for her and soon college scouts from Division 1 schools are scouting are coming to her tiny Wisconsin town to watch her play.  D.J. knows that she wants college to be part of her future, but not sure if she's ready for the pressure of a D-1 school.  And while she's trying to sort out her future, Brian Nelson her on again off again boyfriend is suddenly showing up at her house again.  D.J. wonders if her life will ever be "normal".

The Off Season

by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Lexile:  1160
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

D.J. Schwenk has survived the summer and is looking forward to an exciting year as a junior - playing football and basketball.  But a serious injury to her shoulder, forces her to give up football in order to protect her basketball career.  And then her relationship with Brian Nelson is on and off and on and off again.  Then, to make matters worse her older brother Win suffers a career ending football injury and D.J. is the one that her family turns to to help him recover.

The False Prince

by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Lexile:  710
Genre:  Fantasy

Sage's life is about to change forever.  He's been living an ordinary life in an orphanage until one day when Connor, a nobleman of the court,  removes him from the orphanage and reveals a plan that could make Sage the most powerful man in the kingdom, IF he wins the contest.  If he isn't the winner, it most likely means his life will be over.  Neither option appeals to Sage, but he is willing to do what it will take for him to survive.  Even if it means spending the rest of his life living out a lie.