The 5th Wave

by Rick Yancey
Lexile:  690
Genre:  Science Fiction

Cassie and Sam are living happily with their parents.  And then the world ends and 7 billion people are dead.  Cassie thinks it is quite possible that she is the last human being on Earth.  She has survived the first four waves...but has no idea what the 5th wave will be and when it will happen.  All she knows is that she made a promise to her little brother that she would come and get him just as soon as she could.  Is Sam still alive?  And if so, can she find him before the 5th wave comes?

When My Name was Keoko

by Linda Sue Park
Lexile:  610
Genre:  Historical Fiction

Sun-hee and her family are proud of their Korean heritage, but they are living under Japanese occupation during World War II so they are forced to learn to read and write in Japanese.  One day it is announced that all Koreans will have to change their names and are no longer be able to fly the Korean flag.  Suddenly Sun-hee becomes Keoko and then the real sacrifices begin.  Her uncle is working for the resistance and suddenly disappears.  Next, Keoko's brother volunteers to fight in the Japanese army in order to protect their uncle and get their family more food rations. Keoko wants there to be a happy ending for everyone...but every day that possibility seems farther and farther away.

Copper Sun

by Sharon Draper
Lexile:  820
Genre:  Historical Fiction

Amari's quiet life in Africa has ended.  Her parents and brother have been murdered and she is on a slave ship headed to the Carolinas.  Hope is the only thing that she has left and she doesn't know how long that will be able to sustain her.  Life on the ship is terrible and life at her new home on a rice plantation isn't any better.  Amari meets Polly, and indentured servant, Teenie, the kitchen slave, who help her learn English and learn how to survive.  Then a tragedy occurs that forces Polly and Amari to make a decision that will change the course of their lives.  Will hope for a better life become their reality?

A Northern Light

by Jennifer Donnelly
Lexile:  700
Genre:  Historical Fiction

Mattie wants to be a writer.  In order to realize that dream, she is going to need to move away from the small town of Eagle Bay which means leaving her family and friends.  The problem is that she made a promise to her mother before she died that she would stay and help her father raise her younger siblings.  Mattie could marry Royal and farm with him next door to her father, but that just isn't her dream.  Mattie convinces her father to let her work at the Glenmore Hotel for the summer.  While she is working there, she meets Grace Brown.  Even though it is a brief encounter, meeting Grace, gives Mattie the courage to take charge of her life and set out on a path that will help make her dreams come true.

Mexican WhiteBoy

by Matt de la Pena
Lexile:  ???
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Danny is an amazing pitcher.  He can throw a fast ball faster than anyone around.  The problem is his accuracy.  He never knows where his pitches are going to end up.  His mom took him to a doctor and physically he is fine.  The issue seems to be in his head and he can't figure out how to fix it.  Until he spends the summer with his dad's family and learns the truth about why his parents are divorced. During the summer he has to confront some hard truths about his dad and with the help of an unlikely friend, will be able to get his baseball career, and his life, back on track.

Necessary Roughness

by Marie G. Lee
Lexile:  750
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Chan Kim and his twin sister Young are growing up in a strict Korean household.  The only problem is that they have to try to fit in with the students at an American high school.  Their parents don't understand things like staying after school for soccer practice or wanting to date people before they turn 18.  Chan and Young are successfully navigating their dual lives until their parents announce that they are moving the family from Los Angeles to a small town in northern Minnesota.  When Chan and Young arrive at their new school, all they see is blond hair.  Nobody plays soccer and there is no orchestra. Chan and Young will have to stick together if they hope to excel in their new environment.

City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments Book Five)

by Cassandra Clare
Lexile:  740
Genre:  Fantasy

The problems for the Shadowhunters will just not end.  Just when they thought their troubles were at an end, Jace disappears and Clary fears that Sebastian is behind his disappearance.  Clary loves Jace and would do anything for him, but when she learns that Sebastian has bound himself to Jace, figuring out a way to separate the two will take her on a completely new adventure.  With the help of Simon, Luke, Isabelle, Alec, and Magnus, Clary might have a chance to save Jace.  But will she be able to figure out Sebastian's evil plot in time?