Mrs. Malecha Reads!

by Gillian McDunn Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Mystery Simon and his family never stay in one place for long.  They are constantly on the go so that his parents can post on their travel blog about all of the cool places they have been.  Simon is getting tired of life on the run and would really like to stay in one place for awhile.  The family has settled into an apartment in the Tangerine Pines when a priceless necklace is stolen.  Simon and his new friend, Amaya, decide that they will take on the case and try to find the necklace.  His parents aren't sure that they want to stay in a building where things are stolen, so it will be up to Simon and Amaya to solve the mystery and convince his parents that this is a place where they should put down some roots and stay.

 by Christina Soontornvat Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Sports, Graphic Novel 8th grade is wrapping up and Christina and her best friends, Megan and Leanne, are excited about moving on to high school.  Not making the cheerleading squad last year was very disappointing, but when the girls learn that there will be 3 spots open in the group for 9th grade, they are sure that this year the will have better luck.  While they are practicing as hard as they can, Christina starts to notice that her parents are not getting along at all.  When Christina's dad moves out, her future suddenly seems unclear.  What will high school be like if she doesn't make the squad and her parents split up?                                                  

 by Kekla Magoon Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Mystery Chester and Skye are on a mission to solve a mystery.  Clues have been left and cracking the code seems to be something they should be able to do if they work together.  However, Chester thinks that the clues are somehow linked to his father who left when he was very young.  As he and Skye get further into the hunt for clues, they are both learning new things about each other.  But Skye knows something that Chester hasn't yet figured out.  When Chester learns about the secrets both his mom and Skye have been keeping from him, he really feels like the world is out to get him.  Will Chester crack the code and be able to accept what he finds out?

 by Erin Soderberg Downing Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Adventure Jo's dad had promised her that they would hike the Superior Trail together.  But then her parents got divorced and her dad moved on with a new family and Jo feels like she and her mom have been left behind.  Jo's mom decides that she is willing to giv3e the hike a trail...even though it is just over 100 miles.  Jo feels like she has so much to prove...to herself, to her mom, and to her dad.  Jo is faced with one challenging obstacle after another, but she is determined to just keep walking.  

 by Jessie Ann Foley Genre:  Realistic Fiction Breda has never met her Granda before, but her mom has decided to send her to Ireland to spend the summer with him.  Breda's mom has been busy working to open her own salon and that hasn't left her much time to spend with Breda.   So now Breda finds herself in a strange country, on a farm with a person she doesn't know.  Granda doesn't seem that excited to have Breda there either.  Her mother warned her that sometimes at night her Granda has terrible night terrors because of things that happened to him as a child.  Breda wants to know his secrets and in the process uncovers some of the secrets that her mom has been keeping from her.

 by Gary D. Schmidt Genre:  Realistic Fiction Hercules Beal had no idea what to expect from his new middle school, but it certainly wasn't Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer.  Recently retired from the military, Mr. Hupfer runs a tight ship and his assignment for Hercules is for him to duplicate the 12 myths.  Herc is already struggling with being a new student and is still having a hard time accepting that his parents will not be coming back.  The last thing Herc thinks he needs is a grouchy old English teacher telling him what to do.  But as he moves through the assignment, be starts to realize that maybe Mr. Hupfer does have a point to what he is making his students do.