Mrs. Malecha Reads!

by Wendy Wan-Long Shang Lexile:  650 Genre:  Historical Fiction Peter and his family love baseball.  Everything that Peter has learned about the sport comes from his very talented older brother Nelson.  But when Nelson is killed in a car accident, life at home changes and Peter no longer wants anything to do with baseball.  Baseball without Nelson is too hard to handle.  Life is moving on whether he wants it to or not, but Peter's mom is struggling and Peter doesn't know how to help her.  So he decides that maybe if he joins the baseball team, it will give him something to talk to his mom about.  At the tryouts, Peter's dad unexpectedly volunteers to coach.  Peter is shocked because he had no idea that his father had any interest in coaching.  His father's methods seem unconventional to Peter and his teammates and when one of the players turns out to be a girl, some of the boys threaten to quit.  Is there any way this team will have a winning season?                    

by Mary Downing Hahn Lexile:  650 Genre:  Ghost Story, Scary Story Jules and her family have just moved into Oak Hill, an old mansion that her father is restoring.  There are stories about this house...stories about it being haunted by ghosts of people from the past.  Jules' parents don't believe her when she says that she sees the mysterious figure of a young girl on the third floor of the old house.  One day when Jules is out on a picnic with her mother, she is sure that she saw the same girl out in the woods.  Her mother insists it must have been her dream or her imagination, but Jules doesn't think so.  She feels a presence in the house and is determined to get to the bottom of the situation.  Who is the mysterious girl in the locked room???

by Rebbeca Petruck Genre:  Realistic Fiction Will Nolan is having a good school year.  He enjoys hanging out with his friends and is looking forward to the beginning of the wrestling season.  But things take an unexpected turn, when Will's friend, Daryl, uses a racial slur with regards to a new student and Will ends up eating a stink bug.  Now Will is known as Bug Boy and has to navigate the aftermath of his argument with Daryl while at the same time, try to be a good friend to the new student, Eloy. Whoever would have thought that eating a bug could change someone's life in so many different ways?

by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb Lexile:  550 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Daisy has ten weeks to prove that she can learn how to be a service dog.  She has been adopted by Colonel Victor who suffers from PTSD and now she needs to learn how to recognize and respond to his actions when he needs help.  But training is hard!  Daisy has to learn to walk on a leash, obey commands, and not get side tracked by all kinds of delicious smells and sights.  Daisy is determined to do the best job that she can, but will her best be enough?

by Ellie Terry Lexile:  670 Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse Calli's mom doesn't like to stay in one place for very long which makes it hard for Calli to connect with friends.  It is especially difficult for her to make friends because Calli tries to hide the fact that she has Tourette's Syndrome.  When she meets her new neighbor, Jinsong, she begins to wonder if maybe she can trust him with her secret and be her real self, tics and all.  But Jinsong is struggling with his own issues. He wants to be known as the nicest kid in school, but when kids start picking on Calli, he has to decide whether or not to go along with the crowd or stand up for Calli.  Will Calli and Jin's story have a happy ending?

by Cordelia Jensen Lexile:  860 Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse Lauren and Sierra...are two girls with more in common that you might think.  Lauren has always taken care of her brother who has recently moved to a special school where he can get more help with his autism.  Sierra has always taken care of her mother who has recently been sent to jail because of addiction issues. Sierra moves in with a foster family across the street from Lauren and the two soon become friends.  Lauren is hiding a big secret from her family which she shares with Sierra.  At first, Sierra agrees to keep her secret, but as Lauren gets more addicted to her scheme to help raise money for those in need, Sierra realizes that she isn't going to be able to keep Lauren's secret any longer.  Will she be able to help Lauren and still remain her friend?

by Joanne Rocklin Genre:  Realistic Fiction Penelope is about to become a big sister and she is taking that job very seriously.  Penny has lived alone with her two moms for quite awhile so the idea of having someone else in the house is exciting.  Penny decides to keep a journal where she writes down all of the things she wants her new sibling to know.  Life is tricky so she figures that it doesn't hurt to give her sibling a head start.

by Veera Hiranandani Lexile:  700 Genre:  Historical Fiction Nisha wishes that she had had the chance to get to know her mother, who died when she was a baby.  Her father is a doctor and always very busy so the main people in her life are her brother, Amil, her grandmother, and the family cook, Kazi.  Nisha's life begins to change when India is divided into two countries:  Pakistan and the new India.  Muslims and Hindus are being divided, violence is on the rise and her father has decided that they are no longer safe and must leave their home with all of their belongings and walk to safety. It is a dangerous journey that Nisha records in a diary where she pretends that she is writing to her mother.  Will Nisha and her family ever feel safe again?

by Barbara Dee Lexile:  620 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Norah Levy is all set to return to middle school after a two year absence.  She is excited to be back with her friends and be a normal girl...not the girl who had cancer.  Norah has spent the last two years battling Leukemia and she's not sure how to act around friends that she hasn't been with in two years.  Norah finds that everyone reacts to her return in different ways.  Her parents are super protective and have instituted all kinds of rules that she must follow.  Some of her friends treat her differently or ignore her all together.  Norah meets Griffin, a new 8th grader, who doesn't know anything about her past and Norah in tends to keep it that way.  She just wants one normal relationship...that shouldn't be too hard to have, should it?

by Rebecca Behrens Lexile:  800 Genre:  Historical Fiction Twelve year old Bea has recently learned that she will be spending 2 weeks with her grandmother, Pidge, who has reluctantly moved from Boston to California to be closer to Bea's dad.  They are worried about Pidge being on her own and want Bea to watch for any signs that her grandmother's behavior is changing.  So when Pidge tells Bea to pack a bag because they are going on an adventure, Bea isn't sure what to do.  Pidge assures her that they will be safe and begins to show her letters that she has received from her sister, "Meelie" who Bea learns is actually Amelia Earhart.  Pidge is convinced that Meelie is going to arrive back at their family farmhouse on July 24th so they have no time to waste.  Bea decide to trust Pidge and the two set off on their last grand adventure.

by Raina Telgemeier Lexile:  480GN Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Raina's got some tummy trouble.  At first, it's just the usual stomach bug that others in her family have, but Raina's doesn't seem to go away.  Now she is completely overcome with worry about the thought of throwing up again.  There seem to be germs everywhere she turns...and it is affecting her school performance and her friendships.  Why can't Raina just forget her tummy troubles and get on with her life?

by Dav Pilkey Lexile:  550GN Humor, Graphic Novel Dog Man and Petey the Cat are back with more adventures!  Can doing good deeds outdo those who are doing evil?  Dog Man is prepared to find out.  He has been working hard to overcome all of his bad habits, but now he must face a new supervillain.  At the same time, Petey the Cat is out of jail and ready to start a new life.  But when his father shows up, he will have to face his past to figure out the difference between being good and doing good. 

by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown Lexile:  560 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Maddie has a great sense of humor and a fantastic imagination. And she thinks that wearing a fake mustache is hilarious and she likes to make people laugh.  But something is different for Maddie this year.  She seems more clumsy and is having trouble moving one of her hands.  When her mom notices, she takes her to the doctor right away and they learn that Maddie has a brain tumor that will require surgery to remove it.  Maddie doesn't want anyone to know, but her parents and teacher think she should tell her friends so that she can have their support.  Maddie's not so sure, especially about telling Cassie, who has been causing problems for Maddie at school.  As her surgery approaches, Maddie will have to decide if she has the courage to stand up to her tumor and a bully.