Mrs. Malecha Reads!

 by Kate O'Shaughnessy Genre:  Realistic Fiction Mo is struggling with having to adjust to life without her grandma.  Her grandma has been the only constant person in her life and now that she is gone and her Uncle Billy has decided that he can't care for her, she is going to be turned over to the foster care system.  Mo's story unfolds through a series of letters to her grandma whose advice was for Mo to find a hobby.  Mo decides to collect family recipes in hopes that she will find a long lost relative.  While she is waiting she moves in with June and Tate, a couple who are thinking they want to be parents.  Mo starts to settle in, but at the same time is wondering what the future holds for her.  As she waits, her interest in cooking grows and her Family Cookbook project grows.  Will Mo find a forever family?

 by Jeff Kinney Genre:  Humor The Heffley family is about to embark on a fun summer adventure.  Greg's mom has decided that their whole family, along with her sisters and their families are all going to share a tiny beach house on an island for a whole week of family fun!  Greg is pretty sure things aren't going to be quite as fun as his mother thinks they are going to be, but she is determined to have the family spend the week together.  Greg has his usual problems and finds himself in one hot mess after another!

 by Lisa Fipps Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse Joe and his Grandmum have been getting along just fine.  Joe's mom is in and out of his life, but Grandmum has been the person he has learned to rely on.  But when they lose their home and don't have enough money to find a place to live, or have enough food to eat, Joe realizes that life can be really tough.  When his Grandmum gets sick and his mom leaves, Joe finds out what it really means to be alone.  Joe is going to try to hold it all together, but life alone is hard.  Can he open up to his friends and let them know that he is hurting and needs some help?

 by Nicole D. Collier Genre:  Realistic Fiction Jillian and her classmates are excited about their new science project - watching chickens hatch!  Jillian wishes she could speak up more about it and other things, but she is just too shy to raise her hand and contribute in class.  Jillian has friends who encourage her to speak up, but for some reason, she just can't!  Her teacher invites her to participate in the school Mind Bender challenge which at first, is the last thing Jillian thinks she wants to do.  But then she decides to dig deep and find the courage to join in and see if she can overcome her shyness.  Does Jillian have what it takes to compete with the confident and outspoken kids?

 by Gillian McDunn Genre:  Realistic Fiction Middle school has been tough for Elliott.  His ADHD impacts the way he learns at school and at home.  His parents have divorced and his dad and stepmom are expecting a baby.  His best friend, Malcom, has moved away.  It just feels like too much change.  He is trying to make new friends, but when he gets left out of a group project by the people he thought liked hanging out with him, he realizes that he is going to have to look for another solution.  That solution involves Maribel who also doesn't have a partner.  The two of them seem like complete opposites, but maybe if they put their strengths together, they can come out with a winning project.   

 by Alison McGhee Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse When Ayla and Kiri grew up, they planned to be trees.  They each had their own tree and loved to spend time in them.  Ayla and Kiri were together all of the time until an accident happened on their street and now Ayla is alone, waiting for Kiri to return.  One day, a telephone appears in Ayla's tree and people start coming to use the phone to talk to their loved ones who have passed on.  People keep encouraging Ayla to try the phone, but she is determined to wait.  Kiri is coming home...soon...Ayla is sure of it.