Mrs. Malecha Reads!

by Elana K Arnold Genre:  Realistic Fiction The fact that Iris is alive is a miracle.  The fact that Boris is alive is a miracle.  Sarah didn't get a miracle and Iris is lost without her.  Why do miracles happen to some people and not others?  Iris has been wrestling with this question ever since she and her parents moved to Oregon for a fresh start.  In Oregon, it always rains and 6th grade is in the middle school, not the elementary school, and there is no Sarah.  Her only friend is Boris and Iris isn't even sure she wants to make new friends. Iris doesn't know how to move on or if she wants to move on and begins to sense that Sarah's presence is nearby.  Is there any possibility that Iris could still communicate with her?  Iris and Boris set out to figure out whether or not they can get another miracle.

by Jeff Kinney Lexile: 1020 Genre:  Humor Everybody has read Greg Heffley's diaries...but how much do we really know about Greg's best friend Rowley?  Now it is Rowley's turn to keep a journal and in this journal he reveals information about himself and his so called best friend.  Greg and Rowley have an interesting relationship.  Are they friends?  Are they enemies?  Is Greg a bully? Read Rowley's journal and learn more about these two unique characters!

by Cynthia Kadohata Lexile:  690 Genre:  Historical Fiction World War II changed everything for Hanako and her family.  They were living in California and were hard at work operating their own Japanese restaurant.  But then with very little warning, they were relocated to an internment camp.  Once the war was over, her parents had no choice but to return to Japan which means that Hanako will have to learn a whole new culture and way of life.  Hanako's grandparents are tenant farmers and have little to offer the family other than a joyful reunion and place to stay.  Food is scarce, work is hard, and Hanako isn't making friends.  She misses her old life in America and is struggling with watching the changes that the war has brought for her family and Japan.

by Christopher Edge Lexile:  900 Genre:  Science Fiction Maisie is turning 10 and she couldn't be more excited.  She can't wait to open her presents because she is hoping that she gets all of the supplies needed to build a nuclear reactor.  (!!)  Yes, Maisie is not your average 10 year old.  She has been homeschooled for most of her school years because she is so far advanced in math and science.  Her 15 year old sister, Lily, finds this very annoying and the two girls have struggled to get along.  On the morning of her birthday, Maisie wakes up to find that everyone is gone and nothing is left except the all consuming darkness that is growing by the minute.  Can Maisie figure out what is going on?

by Sherri Winston Genre:  Mystery Meet Jada Sly. Artist and Spy.  Okay, so maybe she is only 10 which actually makes her an artist and spy in training.  But she is taking her training very seriously because her mother's life depends on it.  Everyone is convinced that Jada's mom dies in the a plane crash, but Jada is suspicious about what happened and the more she investigates, the more she uncovers to the true story.  Her father is convinced that Jada is imaging things and thinks that she needs to accept her mother's death and move on.  Luckily for Jada, her new school has a spy club that she can join.  She and her friends are determined to get to the bottom of the mystery of her mom's disappearance.

by Rosanne Parry Genre:  Fantasy, Animal Story Swift lives in the mountains with his pack and life is good.  Him mother and father are teaching him the ways of survival that he will need to know as he grows older.  One terrible night, a rogue pack of wolves threatens Swift and his family.  They are forced to separate so that some of them may be saved.  Swift is one of the lucky ones who survives, but is now on his own without his family.  Will he ever find a new place to call home?

by Tony Abbott Lexile:  550 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Lately life has become a struggle for Jeff, mainly because his parents are running low on money.  First he has to leave the private school he loves and attend a public school that is cheaper, but where he doesn't know anyone.  Then his dad stops sending child support.  Next, his mom loses her job.  When Jeff finds out that they are in danger of losing their home because they are 5 months behind in the rent, he doesn't know what else could possibly go wrong.  As he and his mom struggle to make ends meet, Jeff has to sometimes act as the grown up which isn't really fair.  All he wants to do is get back to his old school, hang out with his friends, and just be a kid.  But right now, that doesn't seem possible at all.

by Rosa Lagercrantz Lexile:  510 Genre:  Realisitc Fiction Dani's father is sad which means he has to travel to Rome to visit his family which means that Dani has to go and stay with her grandparents.  Dani's father has been sad a lot since her mother died, but Dani is determined to be as happy as she can be.  She misses her friend Ella who has moved away and decides that the thing that would cheer her up the most would be to surprise Ella with a secret visit on her birthday.  The problem is that there is non one to take her.  Her grandmother proposes that she take the train by herself and Ella's mother would meet her on the other end.  Dani decides that she is brave enough to try this, but when she gets off the train, no one is there to meet her.  How could the perfect plan have gone so wrong?

by Sandy Stark-McGinnis Genre:  Realistic Fiction December believes that one day soon she will turn into a bird.  The scar on her back is where her wings will develop and she will be able to fly away and live happily ever after.  In the meantime, she has moved into a new foster home with Eleanor, also known as the bird whisperer.  December was to find a forever home and is drawn to Eleanor, but she also that when you depend on people, they can leave you.  Can December learn to trust Eleanor or should she continue to hang on to her hope of flying away as a bird?

by Kate Allen Lexile:  710 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Lucy's mother loved sharks and dedicated her life to learning more about them.  Unfortunately, her mother died young and unexpectedly and Lucy and her father have struggled to move on.  When a dead shark washes up on the beach near Lucy's home, she is suddenly interested in the research project that her mother never finished.  With the help of her best friend, Fred, the two decide to learn all that they can about sharks in the area.  However, another tragedy strikes, and Lucy is left alone once again.  Is Lucy brave enough to forge ahead with her life?