Mrs. Malecha Reads!

by Shaquille O'Neal Lexile:  590 Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Sports Shaquille O'Neal and his cousin Barry loved to play together as little kids both on and off the basketball court.  But sometimes Shaq could be too overpowering and wouldn't let Barry have a fair chance or a turn to play.  Barry wanted Shaq to give him a chance rather than do everything for him.  When an argument leads to a broken video game, the two cousins will have to work together to earn money to replace it.  Perhaps this will show them the true power of working together as a team.

by Alice Kuipers Lexile:  330 Genre:  Fantasy Polly loves words and loves to use words to create stories.  One day a magic book appears on her doorstep and when she starts writing in the book, the things she writes about actually happen to her!  But what Polly doesn't realize is that sometimes the things you write, are not really the things you mean.  So maybe, magic isn't the answer to making all of her dreams come true.

by Betty Birney Lexile:  660 Genre:  Fantasy Og is the new class pet in room 26 and he is not sure what to think.  The furry thing next to him makes squeaking noises all of the time and doesn't seem to be overly friendly.  The students are noisy and stare at Og through the window.  He can understand what they are saying, but when he speaks back, all they hear is "BOING!"  Og remembers his life before Room 26...when he lived in the swamp with his friends and family.  Some of the students think he should be returned to the swamp which confuses Og.  Don't they like having him as a class pet? 

by Angela Dominguez Lexile:  650 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Stella has been happy hanging out with her mom and brother at home and her best friend Jenny at school because they all understand her when she speaks.  But now Jenny is in another classroom and is making new friends, while Stella is struggling with girls who make fun of her.  Stella has a lot to say and a lot to share, if only she can work of the courage to speak.

by Katerine Paterson Lexile:  830 Genre:  Historical Fiction Fidel Castro has decided to bring literacy to all of a Cuba in just 12 short month.  This goal means that he will need to hire a brigade of brigadistas to spread out into the countryside to teach farmers and their families how to read and write.  Lora is only 13 years old, but when she hears Fidel Castro's plan, she knows instantly that she wants to be involved.  Her parents are hesitant, but agree to let her go, but she must first promise that if things get to hard, she will return home.  Armed with her determination to succeed, Lora sets out on her one year journey as a literacy teacher.

by Aisha Saeed Genre:  Realistic Fiction Lexile:  660 Amal dreams of becoming a teacher, but those dreams look like they are coming to an end when she accidentally insults the landlord of her town and is forced to move to his home and work as a servant.  Amal's father promises that he will figure out a way to get the money to cover his debts so that she can come home, but as time goes on, Amal fears that she will have to serve the Khan family forever.  Will Amal ever get back to life with her family in their quiet Pakistani village?

by Cynthia Kadohata Lexile:  760 Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Sports Eleven year old Conor eats, sleeps, and breathes hockey.  It is safe to say that hockey is the most important thing in his life, except for his dad and his dog Sinbad.  Playing at the elite AAA level of hockey is expensive so when Sinbad gets cancer, Conor has a tough choice to make.  Is he willing to give up some of the money his dad puts towards his hockey training to help Sinbad?  He knows he must make the right choice as his choice will have consequences for both of them.

by Vera Brosgol Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Vera wants to be like everyone else...have a sleepover birthday party and go to summer camp.  The birthday party is a disaster and she spends the whole summer at home with her younger brother.  But then she hears from a friend at church about this amazing Russian summer camp that the church would help pay for her to attend.  She persuades her mother to sign her up for 2 weeks and Vera could not be more excited!  She will have new adventures to share like all of the other kids when school starts up again in the fall.  However, camp doesn't go exactly the way that Vera thought it would and after just a few days she is longing for home.  Will she be able to stick it out?

by Nidhi Chanani Genre:  Fantasy, Graphic Novel Priyanka Das feels like her whole life is one unanswered question.  She wants to know about India, where her mother came from.  She wants to know who her father is.  She wants to know why her mother left India and why she hasn't spoken to her sister in a very long time.  Priyanka is left to imagine what life is like in India until one day her mother surprises her by telling her that she spoke with her sister and her sister invited Priyanka to visit.  Priyanka can't wait to begin her adventure to India!

by Susan Hood Genre:  Historical Fiction The war has come to London and 13 year old Ken Sparks is going to get a chance to escape it.  His dad and stepmother have decided that he should pursue an opportunity to ship out of the country aboard the SS City of Benares, a luxury ship liner that will take him to safety in Canada.  As Ken boards the ship, all he can think of is his new future ahead and he plans to enjoy all that the ship has to offer during his trip.  The crew has warned the passengers that they need to get 500 miles away from England before they believe that they will be safe as German submarines are often on the prowl just off the coast.  The passengers celebrate when they hit the 600 mile mark and Ken begins to relax, thinking that he will soon be living safely in Canada.  Until there is a big explosion and suddenly the ship begins to take on water.  Ken and his friends have practiced Lifeboat drills so they know what to do, but none of them ever expected what happens next

by Laurel Snyder Genre:  Science Fiction Life is perfect on Orphan Island.  When the boat emerges from the mist, there is a small child aboard who gets off to become one of the nine.  The Eldest of the group gets in the boat and sails away leaving the only home he or she remembers.  This has continued for as long as the 9 can remember.  When Dean sails away, leaving Jinny as the Elder in care of little Ess, Jinny feels lost, adrift, and strange.  For the first time in her life she is questioning their "perfect" existence.  What happened when Dean sailed away?  And where do these orphan children keep coming from?

by Lauren Magaziner Lexile:  760 Genre:  Mystery Do you want to be a criminal?  Well, Pilfer Academy is the place for you!  It is a secret school that will train you in the art of thieving.  However, because it is secret, once you are in, there is no getting out.  The teachers are strange and they encourage their students to be as sneaky and naughty as possible.  When George is kidnapped and taken to the Academy he thinks it is pretty great at first.  But the more he finds out about how things work at Pilfer Academy, the more he is determined to find a way to escape.

by Alison McGhee Lexile:  820 Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Fantasy When Pablo was  baby, he washed up on the shore of Isla in a small swimming pool with only a small bird.  The good people of Isla took Pablo and his bird in and have raised him as their own ever since his mysterious appearance.  But the older Pablo gets, the more he wants to know about his family and the circumstances under which he found his way to Isla.  If only Birdy could talk and tell him the truth about where he came from.