Mrs. Malecha Reads!

by Dean Pitchford Lexile:  830 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Award:  2016-17 Maud Hart Lovelace Nominee Sam Brattle is having the worst Christmas ever.  His dad's business is nearly bankrupt, his mom has remarried and cancelled his Christmas visit, and because he damaged his neighbor's house, he has to spend the entire winter break working off his debt.  But working for his neighbor, Mr. Wells, turns out to not be the experience he expected. In fact, meeting Mr. Wells, just might be one of the best things that has ever happened to him.

by Laurie Myers Lexile:  520 Genre:  Historical Fiction Award:  2016-17 Maud Hart Lovelace Nominee Tommy and Annie are growing up in Georgia during the Civil War and on a daily basis they see wounded Confederate soldiers brought into the makeshift hospital in the church across the street from their house.  But one day, they meet a soldier named Red, who seems different than the others.  He speaks differently and the buttons on his jacket look strange...could he be a Union soldier?  And if so, should they report their suspicions knowing that he would be sent to prison if he is from the North?

by P.J. Petersen Lexile:  420 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Award:  2016-17 Maud Hart Lovelace Nominee Ryan's older brother Tanner has invited him to go on a camping trip that involves an excursion down the Boulder River on an inflatable kayak.  Ryan is usually more comfortable on the couch playing video games so he's not sure how much fun this overnight will be.  But when the river's water level gets high and the current gets stronger, a terrible accident occurs that will cause Ryan to have to act quickly and bravely if he is going to save his brother's life.

by Carol Weston Lexile:  720 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Award:  2016-17 Maud Hart Lovelace Nominee Ava and Pip are sisters, but they could not be any more different.  Ava is noisy and outgoing while Pip is shy and hardly ever speaks.  Ava wants to be a writer and when a 7th grader, Bea, wrongs her sister, she gets an idea for a story to write for the library contest.  Ava was only trying to help her sister, but when the story gets an honorable mention, it is circulated for others to read.  When Bea recognizes herself in the story, she confronts Ava. Surprisingly, Bea is willing to turn the story into something good: helping Pip overcome her shyness.  Can the mess Ava got herself into actually turn into something good for herself and her sister?

by Trevor Pryce, with Joel Naftali Lexile:  740 Genre:  Fantasy Award:  2016-17 Maud Hart Lovelace Nominee Darel is a young frog who dreams of joining the elite warrior squad, the Kulipari. His father was a famous Kulipari warrior, who lost his life in a battle and Darel wants to follow in his father's footsteps.  Darel's home has been protected by the turtle king's magic ever since the end of the last war, but know the scorpions are threatening to attack.  Does Darel have the courage to become the warrior he has dreamed about for so long?

by Jeri Watts Lexile:  920 Genre:  Historical Fiction Award:  2016-17 Maud Hart Lovelace Nominee Kizzy Ann Stamps loves to go to school even if her teacher Mrs. Warren says she is sometimes a troublemaker.  But now change has come to town and schools are being integrated.  It is 1963 and Kizzy Ann is going to have to go to a new school with white students and a white teacher.  In order to support this transition, Mrs. Warren asks her students to write to their new teacher.  So Kizzy Ann does...and discovers that she really likes to write.  Her new teacher, Miss Anderson, gives her a journal and she writes letters all year long about the triumphs and challenges of being a student in her new school.

by Cece Bell Genre:  Memoir, Graphic Novel Award:  2016-17 Maud Hart Lovelace Nominee, Newberry Honor Book Cece Bell is starting a new school and she is worried about what others will think about her.  Cece is deaf and has to wear hearing aids that are clearly visible to everyone else and her teacher has to wear a special microphone that works in conjunction with her hearing aid.  Cece feels like everyone looks at her strangely and she isn't sure if kids will want to be friends with her.  All Cece wants is to fit in and make new friends.  Will it be possible or will she need to develop a superpower to overcome her problems?

by Joanne Rocklin Lexile:  760 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Award:  2016-17 Maud Hart Lovelace Award Nominee Oona and her little brother Fred love their cat named Zook.  Loving Zook is helping them recover from the loss of their father.  But when Zook gets sick, they get worried.  Oona tries to help her brother by telling him stories about Zook's other lives because even if Zook is really sick, this is only his fifth life, which means he still has four left.  Oona is great at telling stories, but sometimes those stories turn into whoppers and since Freddy is younger, he sometimes believes more than he should.

by Judy Cox Lexile: 450 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Award:  2016-17 Maud Hart Lovelace Nominee Daniel loves animals so he could not be anymore excited about the fact that his class is going to try and hatch chicks as a science project.  His first step is convincing his parents to let him bring one of them home to raise at the end of the project.  His mother has said "no more animals", but his father is very interested in the idea of having fresh, free eggs.  Once he convinces them, he's going to have to work hard to get the egg to actually hatch.  One by one his classmates lose interest, but Daniel stands by the eggs until one day when he sees one start to move...and out pops a chick whom Daniel names Peepers.  He is so sure that Peepers will soon be his egg laying chicken.