Mrs. Malecha Reads!

 by Donna Jo Napoli Genre:  Historical Fiction Twelve year old Lorraine and her family are starving.  Two years of devastation to their potato crops have left them with virtually nothing except each other.  Her parents are dong their best to exist as farmers, but by the time they scrap up the rent to pay the landlord for their small farm, there isn't much left over.  Children are dying and families are moving away.  But Lorraine is determined to do whatever she can to help her family survive, even if it means trusting a young girl who many people would view as an enemy.

by Karen Rivers  Genre:  Realistic Fiction 12 year old Nat lives with her movie star father and moves all over the world.  Nat is okay with their pick up and go lifestyle, except that the older she gets, the harder it is to build any lasting friendships.  She loves her dad, but also wonders about her mom.  Her dad has never talked about her and why she left when Nat was just a baby.  When Nat and her dad move to Canada to try to find some privacy from the photographers who are always chasing them, she meets Harry who is dealing with struggles of his own.  Nat thinks Harry could be her new BFF, but Harry doesn't seem interested even though they have something in common:  their love of whales.  Will this shared interest be enough to grow a friendship?

 by Jacqueline Woodson Genre:  Realistic Fiction Each Friday afternoon, 6 very different kids come to ARTT (A Room to Talk) because their teacher thinks it will be a good way for them to get to know one another.  At first, no one wants to share anything, but gradually, over time, they learn to trust each other enough with their stories.  These 6 kids soon learn that there is power in storytelling and power in building relationships built on mutual trust and respect.

 by Sarah R. Baughman Genre:  Realistic Fiction Life as Addie knew it changed forever the day her twin brother Amos drowned in Maple Lake.  Amos was convinced that there was something strange going on with the lake, but Addie wasn't interested in helping him solve that particular mystery.  But now that Amos is gone, Addie feels compelled to use the notebook of clues he left behind to try and figure out what Amos knew.  With the help of some visiting scientists, Addie is able to uncover the secret of Maple Lake.  Little did she know, that the secret will impact her whole family.  As a scientist, Addie feels strongly that she must look at what the data shows even when some people won't agree with her findings.

 by Stacy DeKeyser Genre:  Historical Fiction Nick has always played by the rules his parents have set for him.  He does well in school, goes to Greek school, and works in his father's shop every Saturday.  Whenever he has free time, he is playing baseball with his friends at an unlikely place - the Milwaukee Zoo!  Now Nick has a chance to enter a contest that would allow the winner to be the honorary bat boy for his town's minor league team.  Unfortunately, the contest is on Saturday, and there is no way that his dad will let him go. Nick is determined to find a way to get to the ballpark no matter what the cost.

 by Anthony John Genre:  Realistic Fiction Noah is adjusting to the realities of his new life:  being stuck in a wheelchair and living without his dad.  He's not happy about either one of these things, in fact, he's pretty angry about everything these days.  Going back to school is tough too, so when Double Wide joins the class, Noah is excited about the distraction.  Double Wide or Dee-Dub doesn't know the old Noah which is a nice change and the two soon become friends.  When Noah's mom starts hanging out with the single neighbor down the street, Noah enlists Dee-Dub's help in hatching a plan that will keep him out of his life.  But Noah will soon realize that while moving on can be hard, it is also necessary if you plan to live a full life.