Mrs. Malecha Reads!

by Dana Langer Genre:  Fantasy Lolly Salt is almost thirteen and she know what is about to happen.  Her three older sisters are sirens and they have warned her that on her thirteenth birthday the Sea Witch will claim her as a siren too. Lolly is happy the way she is and is not interested in having to hide the family secret like her sisters have been doing.  But Lolly doesn't really understand who it is that her sisters have been protecting. Is the Sea Witch telling her the truth about her past?

by Brandon Mull Genre:  Fantasy Chad has an imaginary friend named Pingo.  Pingo gets Chad in all kinds of trouble.  Therefore, Chad decides he no longer needs an imaginary friend so he tells Pingo to go away.  If only it were that easy...

by Jerry Spinelli Lexile:  550 Genre:  Historical Fiction What it be like to grow up in a prison?  Cammie is doing that very thing.  Her father is the warden of a prison and she is known about the town of Two Mills as the warden's daughter.  Cammie's mother died in an unfortunate accident when she was just a little girl and Cammie and her father have never really recovered.  Cammie has a trustee from the prison who has been assigned to watch over her for the summer.  Could Eloda Pupko be what is missing from her life?  Cammie is determined to find out.

by Jonathan London Illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz Lexile:  380 Genre:  Fantasy Froggy's parents have decided that it is his turn to learn how to swim!  But Froggy is not really interested.  He would rather swing instead.  Once he lands in the pond, he realizes how much fun it is. With a little help from his mom, some flippers, and a mask, he ends up spending the whole day and night swimming away in the pond.

by Lane Smith Genre:  Realistic Fiction Cat is lying in the sun for his perfect day.  Dog is hanging out in the cool of the pool.  Bird has a full feeder and Squirrel has a fresh corncob.  Everyone is having a perfect day.  Until Bear comes along...

by Emma Shevah Lexile:  760 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Watch out world, Dara Palmer is going to be a superstar actress.  Apparently that isn't going to happen to her during her 5th grade year as yet again she wasn't given a starring role in the school play.  Dara doesn't understand why the drama teacher, Miss Snarling, won't recognize the talent that is standing right in front of her?  Miss Snarling suggests to Dara that she if she truly wants to become an actress, she should join her acting group and learn how to be an actress.  Dara is also struggling with figuring out how she fits into her family.  She was adopted from Cambodia when she was a baby and hasn't given much thought to remembering the beginning of her life, until her friend Vanna decides to go back to the orphanage where the two girls spent the first year of their life.  Dara has to make a choice between acting class or a trip to Cambodia.  Which one will help her figure out who she is and where she is

by A.S. King Lexile:  670 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Obe loves to spend time cleaning up the creek that runs by his house.  Nobody else seems to care about the garbage that the construction workers leave behind.  Obe's whole world changed the day that houses started being built on the farmland that used to belong to Obe's family, many years ago.  Obe is surprised one day when he comes across a strange creature.  It's not a dog or a pig, it's wild, but yet tame...Obe has no idea what it is, but it seems friendly and seems to like to eat plastic.  Should Obe keep his discovery a secret?

Story by Eric Litwin Art by James Dean Pete the Cat is heading off to school.  What places will he visit?  Check out how Pete rocks through the day in his school shoes.  He goes to the library, lunchroom, playground and then on the bus back home to tell his mom all about his day.  Does Pete get worried about anything along the way? Goodness no!  Because it's all good...

by Jennifer L. Holm Lexile:  490 Genre:  Historical Fiction Beans and his pals have big plans.  The Great Depression has hit their town of Key West, Florida so times are tough.  No one has extra money and Beans and his pals are no exception.  Their quest is to figure out what people are willing to pay for so that they can make some money. No one seems to be hiring, so it will be up to Beans to come up with a plan.  But Beans is always up for a little adventure!