Mrs. Malecha Reads!

 by Gennifer Choldenko Genre:  Realistic Fiction Hank Hooperman tries to avoid making mistakes whenever possible, but it is getting more difficult as he has more responsibilities.  His mom has always done her own thing, but this time she has left him with his 3 year old sister for almost a week.  The landlord is threatening eviction, the power has been shut off, and Hank has no more money to feed his sister.  He finds the name and address of an emergency contact his mom listed on a field trip form so he decides that their best chance is to see if that person can help them.  Hank is trying so hard.  He loves his mother, but he is also angry at the position she has put him in.  How does he figure out what is best for himself and his sister?

 by Vera Brosgol Genre:  Fantasy, Graphic Novel Plain Jane is about to be kicked out of the only home she has ever known.  Her parents are dead and because she is a girl, she can not inherit their estate.  She decides to solve her problem by asking a local boy, Peter, to marry her, but before that happens, he is lured into the sea by an evil mermaid. Jane must find the courage to venture into the ocean to save Peter so that they can have their happily ever after.

 by Sharon M. Draper Genre:  Realistic Fiction Melody is on her way to London!  After being recognized for her heroic role in saving a neighbor's life, she and her companion on on their way to London to participate in a conference that is focused on improving the lives of people with disabilities.  While at the conference, Melody is asked to consider giving a speech.  Melody uses a computer, whom she has named Elvira, to communicate with the world.  How can someone without a voice give a speech that will inspire others?  Melody will have to find the courage within herself to introduce herself to the world.

 by Dan Gemeinhart Genre:  Realistic Fiction In the middle of the night, Ravani Foster watches as a truck pulls up to a vacant house and 7 children unload with suitcases.  Ravani is lonely and immediately wonders if these 7 children might be useful in curing his feelings of loneliness.  Ravani continues to watch and observe to see what he can learn about the midnight children.  When he finally gets up the nerve to talk to Virginia, Ravani realizes that having friends is something that he has always wanted. But Virginia and her 6 siblings have a secret and they will have to decide whether or not they can trust him with it.  Keeping their secret is really a matter of life or death.

 by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass Genre:  Mystery What happened the night the library burned to the ground?  That is the mystery that Evan realizes he needs to solve.  It seems that people have long believed that his father had something to do with it when he was a young library intern.  While Evan looks into the past, something strange is happening in the present.  A ghost and a cat seem to have taken ownership over a small collection of books that survived the fire and are in the process of building a little free library.  What do they know about that fatal night?

 by Varsha Bajaj Genre:  Realistic Fiction Minni is growing up in the poorest section of Mumbai, India where access to water is a daily struggle.  It is hard to understand why people in the high rises have all the water they need, freely flowing from their taps while Minni and her family have to wait in line to fill their buckets and then begin the long task of purifying it.  When Minni's mother gets sick, she has to take on the additional responsibility of working as a maid in a high rise where she learns even more about the difference between her life and those who have wealth and power.  Minni finds that she has an opportunity to do something that might improve the lives of her family and others, if she has the courage, but it will mean risking her job and her safety.  Is Minni up to the challenge?