AUTHOR: Lynda Mullaly Hunt GENRE: Fiction SUMMARY: Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure…
AUTHOR: Stuart Gibbs GENRE: Fiction, Mystery SUMMARY: Can an undercover nerd become a superstar agent? Ben Ripley sure hopes so-and his life may depend on it! Ben Ripley may only be in middle school, but he’s already pegged his dream job: C.I.A. or bust. Unfortunately for him, his personality doesn’t exactly scream “secret agent.” In…
AUTHOR: Suzanne Selfors GENRE: Adventure SUMMARY: Ben Silverstein is set for boredom in his grandpa’s rundown town of Buttonville. Until he and reckless Pearl Petal take a wounded baby dragon to the only veterinarian, Dr. Woo at her “Worm Hospital” — actually for creatures from an imaginary world. After Ben leaves the front door unlocked,…
AUTHOR: Rosanne Parry GENRE: Fiction SUMMARY: When 11-year-old Ignatius “Brother” Alderman’s dad is shipped off to Iraq, along with the rest of his reserve unit, Brother must help his grandparents keep the ranch going. He’s determined to maintain it just as his father left it, in the hope that doing so will ensure his father’s…
AUTHOR: Peter Brown GENRE: Adventure, Science Fiction SUMMARY: When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. Why is she there? Where did she come from? And, most important, how will she survive in her harsh surroundings? Roz’s only hope is to learn…
AUTHOR: Rick Riordan GENRE: Adventure, Fantasy SUMMARY: Since their mother’s death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a “research experiment” at…
AUTHOR: Gary Schmidt GENRE: Fiction SUMMARY: Seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood isn’t happy. He is sure his new teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates his guts. Holling’s domineering father is obsessed with his business image and disregards his family. Throughout the school year, Holling strives to get a handle on the Shakespeare plays Mrs. Baker assigns him to read…
AUTHOR: C.R. Stewart GENRE: Adventure, Mystery SUMMARY: Tom has spent the majority of his life locked behind the cruel walls of Weatherly Orphanage, but when he learns that his parents might actually be alive, Tom is determined to find them. Together, with his best friend Sarah and armed with only the word “Britfield” as a…
AUTHOR: Beverly Cleary GENRE: Children’s literature, Fiction SUMMARY: This is the second title in the hugely popular series about Ramona Quimby. Ramona doesn’t think she’s a pest — she knows that she isn’t a pest on purpose. So how in the world does Ramona get in trouble? Why does Davy run away whenever Ramona comes…
AUTHOR: Lewis Carroll GENRE: Fantasy, Literary Nonsense SUMMARY: After a tumble down the rabbit hole, Alice finds herself far away from home in the absurd world of Wonderland. As mind-bending as it is delightful, Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel is pure magic for young and old alike. IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to differences in multiple editions of…
