Mrs. Malecha Reads!

by Rodrigo Folgueira Illustrated by Poly Bernatene Once upon a time, a family of frogs woke up to see a pink pig sitting in their pond.  The pig said "Ribbit." The frogs can't figure out why.  Is the pig making fun of them?  Does the pig want to be a frog?  All kinds of animals are brought into the pond to try to figure out what exactly this pig, who thinks he is a frog, is all about.

by Leslie Patricelli Some things we do quietly and some things we do LOUD.  This book shows place to be quiet and places to be LOUD.

by Julie Saab and David Gothard Little Lola is all set to have a busy day.  But then she sees a big yellow school bus roll by and decides to see where it is going.  The bus takes her to school where there is a classroom that has room for one curious little cat.  Lola enjoys learning all kinds of new things, but when it is time for show and tell, she has a big surprise for the class!

by Melissa Savage Lexile:  630 Genre:  Mystery 2019-20 MHL Nominee Lemonade Liberty Witt has had to move away from her home and her friends and is trying to figure out life without her mom.  She is moving to a small town in California where she will have to live with a grandfather she has never met.  Her first day in Walnut Creek, she meets Tobin Sky who is the CEO of Bigfoot Detectives and is intent on finding the Bigfoot that he is sure is living in the woods around town.  Lem is willing to go along with his adventures as long as he understands that this is a temporary situation.  Lem IS going to figure out a way to get back to San Francisco and nobody is going to stop her, that is, until the actual discovery they make in the woods, changes everything.

by Lisa Lewis Tyre Lexile:  660 Genre:  Mystery 2018-19 Maud Hart Lovelace Nominee Lou and her friend Benzer want something exciting to happen this summer.  They make their wish and suddenly they get more than they bargained for.  Lou finds out that the county is going to try to take away her house; the only home she has ever known.  It has been in their family for years and there is a possibility that some gold dating back to the Civil War is hidden somewhere on their property.  Lou thinks that if she could find the gold, all of her family problems would be solved.

by Margarita Engle Genre:  Historical Fiction, Novel in Verse Life for Antonio in Cuba is difficult. His country is fighting for independence form Spain.  Slaves and indentured servants are fighting for civil rights.  Antonio is lucky that he has found a job as a messenger and it is through his work that he meets Wing and Fan.  The three friends are determined to work together using their words to gain the freedom they want and deserve.

by Melanie Crowder Lexile:  960 Genre:  Fantasy Luna has heard tales about the mysterious wasting disease that has taken the lives of many in her village.  Nobody seems to know why people continue to die if they have swallowed any of the river water.  Luna is content to let the stories alone, until one day, her sister falls victim to the disease.  Now Luna is determined to figure out a way to save her sister.  Everyone else seems to have given up, so it will be up to Luna to solve the mystery of the dark and murky river...

by Laura Shovan Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse Eighteen 5th graders at Emerson Elementary have just learned that their school is going to be torn down at the end of the year.  They can't believe that they will be the last year of 5th graders and that they will have to go to 6-8 grades in another building.  The class captures the year in poems that they decide to put into a time capsule.  But these 5th graders are not going to go quietly.  They are going to speak up to try and save their school.  Will anyone listen?

by Marion Dane Bauer Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell Lexile:  760 Genre:  Fantasy, Novel in Verse A golden leaf is calling to Patches the cat and she decides to follow its call.  The leaf leads her away from her safe life with her girl and leads her to Gus, the meanest dog in the whole neighborhood.  Soon Patches is hungry and catches a little mouseling who begs her not to eat him.  Patches lets him go because he said please, but now is hungrier than ever.  And she has nowhere to sleep and something is happening to her...all Patches knows is that she needs help.  Will anyone come to her rescue?

by Jennifer L. Holm Lexile:  550 Genre:  Science Fiction Ellie likes everything to stay the same.  But then when day, her life is disrupted when a strange, cranky boy shows up who looks strikingly like her science obsessed grandfather.  Her mother quickly confirms her suspicions.  Melvin is not actually her cousin, he is in fact, her grandfather who has been experimenting with the aging process.  Ellie and Melvin will be going to school together and Ellie isn't sure what to make of all these changes.  Is staying young forever really the way everyone would want to live their life?

by Jennifer Weiner Lexile:  1040 Genre:  Fantasy All Alice wants is a friend.  She's been shipped off to school after school and can't ever seem to find a place where she belongs.  Then one night she rescues Millie from the lake.  Millie is different than anyone else Alice has ever met, but the differences don't seem to matter as Millie accepts Alice for who she is.  But Millie is hiding a big secret.  How will Alice react when she learns the truth about who Millie really is?

by Laura Resau Genre:  Historical Fiction Lexile:  790 Esma, the Queen of Lightning, shows up in Teo's small Mexican village one day.  Esma and her family tell fortunes and when Teo's is read, it is revealed that he and Esma are to be lifelong friends and that somewhere along the way, each will save the other.  Esma and Teo come from 2 completely different cultures and ways of life.  This fortune seems that it would be impossible, however, Esma and Teo choose to believe in the impossible.  This is a remarkable story of friendship that lasts a lifetime and crosses over into the next generation.