Zane and the Hurricane

by Rodman Philbrick
Lexile:  860
Genre:  Historical Fiction

Zane's father died before he was born and his mother was never able to track down any of his father's relative.  Until one day, out of the blue, Zane learns that he has a grandmother who is alive and living in New Orleans.  His mother arranges for Zane, and his dog Bandit, to spend the last week of summer vacation with his newly found grandmother.  As Zane travels to New Orleans, a tropical storm is brewing.  He has no idea that he is about to run straight into one of the most destructive hurricanes of all time.  Hurricane Katrina is on her way, and when she meets Zane, his life will change forever.

The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows

by Jacqueline West
Lexile:  770
Genre:  Fantasy

Olive Dunwoody and her family have moved into a strange new house, recently vacated by the old lady McMartin.  It's a big, creepy, old house and Olive is scared to go into the basement.  But things get really spooky when Olive notices that the eyes on the paintings are following her...and strange things are moving in the shadows...and not to mention the fact that there is a talking cat in the basement.  Olive senses that something strange is going on in the shadows...

Masterpiece

by Elise Broach
Lexile:  700
Genre:  Mystery

Marvin, the beetle, lives under the kitchen sink in the Pompadays' apartment.  The Pompaday's son, James, lives a rather uninteresting, ordinary life with his mom, step-dad and baby brother.  When James turns 11, his father gives him a pen and ink set.  James really isn't interested in it, until Marvin discovers that he is a talented artist.  Marvin secretly creates an elaborate drawing that everyone thinks James has made.  Marvin the beetle, and James the ordinary boy, develop an unusual friendship that ends up stopping a cunning art thief.

The Unfortunate Son

by Constance Leeds
Lexile:  690
Genre:  Historical Fiction

Luc doesn't think he's very lucky.  He was born with one ear and abandoned by his father, but he has somehow managed to survive the wrath of his stepfamily.  His luck turns when he becomes the apprentice of a kind fisherman and gets to live with his sister and the beautiful, Beatrice.  Life is great for 6 months until Luc is kidnapped by villains and is sold into slavery in North Africa.  Luc is determined to get back to his home, and to Beatrice, no matter what.

Unwind

by Neal Shusterman
Lexile:  740
Genre:  Science Fiction

The society that Connor, Risa and Lev are growing up in has changed drastically from the society we know today.  When children reach the age of thirteen, their parents have the option of signing an unwind order, which means their children are sent to harvest camps where their organs are harvested and sold to the highest bidder.  If unwinds can escape and survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can no longer be unwound.  So Connor, Risa, and Lev are on the run...but will they be able to survive?

Code Name Verity

by Elizabeth Wein
Lexile:  1020
Genre:  Historical Fiction

"Verity" is living a double life.  To her friends she is an adventurous free spirit doing her part to fight in the war against the Germans. But in her other life she is a spy, attempting to learn secrets from the Nazis.  When "Verity" is captured she has to figure out how to stay alive and continue to feed secret information to her friends so that there final mission can be completed.

Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities

by Mike Jung
Lexile:  790
Genre:  Fantasy

Vincent, Max, and George are founders and lifelong die hard members of the Captain Stupendous Fan Club.  They know EVERYTHING about the superhero.  So they are shocked when Captain Stupendous is injured in an encounter with Professor Mayhem and even more shocked when they learn the true identity of the Captain.  Captain Stupendous is going to need their help if he is going to continue to keep the city and its citizens from evil!