Book Selections
2011-2012
Grades 6-8

Angleberger, Tom. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda Amulet Books, ©2010.

In a series of “case files”, Tommy tries to figure out whether the origami Yoda finger puppet that Dwight dispenses advice through really has mystical powers. After all, Dwight is a loser, but his Yoda finger puppet’s words of wisdom seem to really help people. Will Tommy end up trusting Yoda’s advice on the most important question of his life?

HB ISBN 978-0-8109-8425-7     PB ISBN 978-0-8109-9650-2
Audiobook ASIN B004U8ZINW    AR 4.7   Lexile 760

Baggott, Julianna. The Prince of Fenway Park HarperCollins, ©2009.

Just like the Boston Red Socks, Oscar Egg believes he is cursed. After all, his biological parents put him up for adoption, his new parents got divorced and now his mother is dumping him on his dad who Oscar believes is probably a gangster. As the story unfolds, Oscar discovers that his father is living an even stranger life than he imagined and that he himself is involved in the Curse of Fenway Park! 

HB ISBN 978-0-06-087242-7 PB ISBN 978-0-06-087244-1 Audiobook ASIN B0026N9M1C .

Breathed, Berkeley. Flawed Dogs: The Novel: The Shocking Raid on Westminster Philomel Books, ©2009.

Framed by a jealous poodle named Cassius, separated from the girl who loves him and cast out on the street, Sam manages to live through a series of traumatic experiences. Eventually, along with his friends from the National Last-Ditch Dog Depository, he plans a raid on the Westminster Dog Show to revenge himself on his rival. What will happen when the “flawed dogs” take on Westminster?

HB ISBN 978-0-399-25218-1     PB ISBN 978-0-545-28525-4  Audiobook ASIN B003D0ZUM2   Kindle ASIN B002N83GS0   eBook 978-1-101-14028-4 AR 5.6   Lexile 920

Draper, Sharon M. Out of My Mind Atheneum Books for Young Readers, ©2010.

How would you feel if you were trapped inside your head, not able to communicate with anyone? Meet Melody, a very clever 5th grader who has cerebral palsy and cannot speak or control her movements. New technology finally enables her to “talk”, but will her family and school friends be able to look past her disability to see Melody for who she really is? 
HB ISBN 978-1-41697-170-2   Audiobook ASIN B003IX37LA   Kindle ASIN B003ATPRNI eBook 978-1-41698-045-2  AR 4.3  Lexile 700

Falls, Kat. Dark Life Scholastic Press, ©2010.

Set in a future where sea levels have risen and the remaining land is given over to packed high rise cities. Food is produced by those who live on and farm the ocean floor. Ty, who was born and raised deep undersea, meets Gemma, a “topsider” looking for her brother. Together they end up in an adventure that includes pirates, strange talents and government conspiracies!

HB ISBN 978-0-545-17814-3 PB ISBN 978-0-545-17815-0 Audiobook ASIN B003KJM5GU AR 4.8 Lexile 690

Hegamin, Tonya & Nelson, Marilyn Pemba's Song: a Ghost Story Scholastic Press, ©2008.

Upset at having to leave her friends and move from her Brooklyn neighborhood to an old house in the small town of Colchester, Connecticut, Pemba starts to experience visions of a slave girl named Phyllis. Why is Phyllis appearing to Pemba and what is it she wants? Will Pemba be able to help Phyllis and come to terms with her new life?

HB ISBN 978-0-545-02076-3 AR 4.7 Lexile 730

Hiaasen, Carl. Scat Knopf Books for Young Readers, ©2009.

Nick and Marta dislike their biology teacher Mrs. Starch but when she disappears after a school trip to the Black Vine Swamp, they don’t buy the principal’s excuse and decide to investigate. Very quickly they become involved in a complicated mystery involving oil prospectors, an eco-avenger, a stuffed rat and an endangered Florida panther!

HB ISBN 978-0-375-83486-8 PB ISBN 978-0-375-83487-5 Audiobook ASIN B001QXUSQQ Kindle ASIN B001NLL9BO eBook ISBN 978-0-375-89167-0 AR 5.5 Lexile 810

Logsted, Greg. Alibi Junior High Aladdin, ©2009.

Cody has spent all of his life moving from place to place with his father, an undercover agent for the CIA. Cody knows how to pick locks and handle weapons, but when his dad sends him to stay with his aunt he finds that fitting in at junior high may be the most difficult thing he’s ever had to do!

HB ISBN 978-1-41697-959-3 PB ISBN 978-1-41694-814-8 (August) Kindle ASIN B002CT0TZI eBook ISBN 978-1-416-99508-1 AR 3.9 Lexile HL 570

Paterson, Katherine. The Day of the Pelican Clarion Books, ©2009.

Meli’s family is Albanian. For years they have lived in the Yugoslavian city of Kosovo. Then in the spring of 1998, ethnic tensions come to a head and Meli’s family is forced to flee Serbian persecution. After a perilous journey, they find their way to the United States, where the events of September 11th cause them to face prejudice again.

HB ISBN 978-0-547-18188-2 PB ISBN 978-0-547-40627-5 Audiobook ASIN B002TIZ4YS Kindle ASIN B003K16Q18 eBook ISBN 978-0-547-41739-4 AR 5.2 Lexile 770

Paulsen, Gary. Woods Runner Wendy Lamb Books, ©2010.

As the Revolutionary War begins, Samuel is living in Pennsylvania. The War seems far away, but one day while he is out hunting in the woods near his house his parents are taken prisoner by the British. Using his hunting skills, Samuel tracks his parents to the British headquarters in New York. Will he be able to get them out alive and will they ever be able to get home?

HB ISBN 978-0-385-73884-2 PB ISBN 978-0-375-85908-3 Audiobook ASIN B0033ZP7P2 Kindle ASIN B0030CMK1W eBook ISBN 978-0-375-89634-7 AR 5.5 Lexile 870

Prellar, James. Bystander Feiwel & Friends, ©2009.

New in town, Eric just wants to fit in at school. Griffin seems to be a popular kid and appears to want to be his friend. It doesn’t take long for Eric to realize that Griffin is a bully, but when Eric decides he has to step up and speak out against him he quickly becomes Griffin’s next victim.

HB ISBN 978-0-312-37906-3 PB ISBN 978-0-312-54796-7 Kindle ASIN B0033ZAW66 eBook ISBN 978-1-429-95496-9 AR 4.2 Lexile HL 600

Sanderson, Brandon, Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians Scholastic Press, ©2007.

If you had to chose a talent, you probably wouldn’t chose being able to break things, but since he was little Alcatraz Smedry keeps disintegrating things around him! Having been through a series of foster homes, he discovers on his 13th birthday that reality is not what he has been brought up to believe and his talent will come in really useful as he works with his new found grandfather and cousins to save the world from the cult of evil librarians!

HB ISBN 978-0-439-92550-1 PB ISBN 978-0-439-92552-5 Audiobook ASIN B0013JWURI AR 4.9 Lexile 730

Slade, Arthur G. Jolted: Newton Starker's Rules for Survival Wendy Lamb Books, ©2009.
 
Jolted: Newton Starker's rules for survival Wendy Lamb Books 2009 Every member of Newton’s mother’s family has over the centuries been killed by lightening. Newton himself spends his days living in a protective dome, afraid to go outside. When his mother is killed by a lightning strike, Newton decides he must do something, so he enrolls in the Jerry Potts Academy of Higher Learning and Survival. Will a highly intelligent pig, some good friends, and some unorthodox teaching methods be enough for Newton to conquer his fear?

HB ISBN 978-0-385-74700-4 PB ISBN 978-0-553-49506-5 AR 4.5 Lexile 660

Taylor, Greg. Killer Pizza Feiwel & Friends, ©2009.

When Toby gets a summer job at the new pizza parlor in town he’s thrilled, after all he really loves to cook and this will give him some great hands-on experience. Little does he realize that Killer Pizza is just a front for a secret monster hunting organization and he and his coworkers are the latest recruits!

HB ISBN 978-0-312-37379-5 PB ISBN 978-0-312-67485-4 Kindle ASIN B004WPGFG2 eBook ISBN 978-1-429-90945-7 AR 5.2 Lexile 770

Woodson, Jacqueline. Peace, Locomotion Putnam Juvenile, ©2009.

Since the death of their mother and father, Lonnie and his sister Lili have been living with separate foster families. As he doesn’t get to see his sister as much as he would like, Lonnie writes her letters that talk about his friends and teachers at school, and his life with his foster family; especially his foster brother Jenkins who returns injured from the Iraq war.

HB ISBN 978-0-399-24655-5 PB ISBN 978-0-14-241512-2 Audiobook ASIN B002IAI5DY Kindle ASIN B001QIGZB8 eBook ISBN 978-1-440-69916-0 AR 4.7 Lexile 860