Mrs. Malecha Reads!

 by Christopher Paul Curtis Lexile:  750 Genre:  Historical Fiction Deza is the smartest girl in school and her older brother Jimmie is the best singer in all of Gary, Indiana.  Their parents are struggling to earn enough money to keep their home and food on the table. A boating accident causes their father to leave home and Deza, Jimmie, and their mother have no choice but to follow him.  They end up living in a homeless camp in Flint, MI.  Life is rough until Jimmie starts earning money singing and their mom is able to find work cleaning at the hotel.  But there is no word from their father.  Will their family ever be able to live all together again?

 by Carl Hiaasen Lexile:  830 Genre:  Mystery Noah's dad has a temper and it has gotten him in trouble this time.  He is trying to stop a casino boat's illegal dumping, but now that he's in jail, Noah and his sister, Abbey, have to pick up the mystery where their father left off, to prove that he is innocent.  Meanwhile, the casino boat is still dropping its crud into the ocean.  Noah and Abbey are determined to put a stop to the nasty pollution.

 by Katherine Applegate Genre: Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse Kek arrives from Africa to the United States without his family. He knows his brother and father are dead and holds on to hope that his mother will be found in another refugee camp and join him later. With the help of his cousin, aunt, his ESL teacher, and a cow named Gol, he attempts to create a new life for himself in a country he doesn't always understand.

 by Stuart Gibbs Lexile: 820 Genre: Mystery Teddy lives with his parents at FunJungle, the world's largest zoo. One day Henry the Hippo is found belly up in his home at Hippo River. What caused the mascot to go die? Henry takes it upon himself to attend the autopsy and learns that Doc, FunJungle's crabby veterinarian, thinks that Henry was murdered. Teddy begins his quest to find out the real story behind Henry's death.

 by Kristin Mahoney Genre:  Realistic Fiction Augusta has started 6th grade.  Middle School.  And her younger sister, Lou, is full of questions about it.  But Gus doesn't feel like answering any of curious Lou's questions.  The reality is that middle school is not that great.  Gus is still adjusting to having her parents live in separate homes, her best friend from elementary school is going to a different middle school, and she seems to have become a target for a group of mean girls.  Will there be anything good about 6th grade?

 by Nikki Grimes Genre:  Realistic Fiction Dyamonde Daniel is new in town, but she is not letting anything stop her.  Her family secret is that she is super smart, according to her mom anyway.  But if she is so smart, how come she can't make any new friends?  Then one day, another new student, Free, shows up.  He is one of the grouchiest kids Dyamonde has ever met.  Now she has decided to get to the bottom of his attitude.  What will she discover about Free?

 by Whitney Stewart Genre:  Biography Who was Walt Disney?  He was a boy who loved to play practical jokes on just about anyone.  He was also an ambulance driver during World War 1.  But he is most famous for being the creator of a cartoon mouse named Mickey.  How did this class clown turnout to be one of the world's most famous people?  Read this biography to find out!

 by Jerry Craft Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Drew is ready to start 8th grade.  He is thinking that since this is his second year attending Riverdale Academy, a school outside of his neighborhood, that things should be easier since he knows what to expect.  But things do not go as smoothly as he had hoped.  It is still hard being one of only two Black students at Riverdale Academy and his friends and teachers are still unknowingly making comments and doing things that make him uncomfortable.  Drew really wants to find a way to build bridges between his two realities...life at home with his grandmother who has to work long hours at her job and life at school with privileged kids who want for nothing. As the pressures mount, Drew finds himself withdrawing. 

 by Jamie Sumner Genre:  Realistic Fiction When people look at Ellie, the first thing they usually see is her wheelchair.  So people are often shocked when they found out she has dreams of becoming a master baker.  Ellie loves to try new recipes for her mom. But when her mom announces that they are moving to Oklahoma to help take care of her grandpa, she is nervous about having to start at a new school where people don't know her.  Ellie convinces her mom that she doesn't need an aide following her all over school.  Maybe that will help her blend in more...but when she gets to her new school, she quickly learns that people aren't concerned with her wheelchair as much as they are concerned about where she lives.  It seems that it is the townies vs. the trailer park, but Ellie is about to make some new friends that are going to help her roll with her new situation.

 by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein Genre:  Realistic Fiction When Piper's dad gets a new job at the prestigious Chumley Prep, Piper gets to attend tuition free.  Her dad thinks this is a fantastic new opportunity for both of them, but Piper isn't so sure.  She doesn't know how she'll fit in with all of the high achieving rich kids who have every advantage they need to succeed.  When the headmaster announces that there will be a new award, the competition is on as every student is going to try their best to win.  Will Piper be able to find a way to stay true to herself and shine, all at the same time?

 by Paul Griffin Genre:  Realistic Fiction 5 friends are on their way home from an exciting camping trip. They are flying aboard Cassie's dad's private jet so they are traveling in style.  Tony, the long time family pilot, is set to get them home safely until...they are skyjacked!  The 5 friends are going to have to stay calm if they are to figure out this crazy situation and get home safely.  Unfortunately, this story does not have a happy ending for everyone.

 by Kat Zhang Genre:  Fantasy Sophia loves when the Memories come...they transport her to another world where her mother is still alive and her family is whole.  When she meets DJ, and realizes that he has Memories too, they discover that they were both born on June 11th, the day of a partial solar eclipse.  Could their Memories somehow be connected to something that happened on the day they were born?  When their class has to do a project on the upcoming solar eclipse, Sophia, DJ, and another friend, Luke, hatch a plan to discover if it is possible to eclipse into a parallel universe.  If they are able to, will that universe be better than their current reality?

 by Laura Geringer Genre:  Realistic Fiction Briana's life changed forever the day her father's heart stopped beating.  Their family of 4 was perfectly balanced.  Her brother, Aaron, hung out with mom, and Briana had dad.  But now she only has Aaron because her mom is so consumed by grief that she can barely function.  Briana has a secret.  She is pretty sure that she has an additional heart beating in her chest now.  When it beats, it sounds like it is her dad talking to her.  No one believes her, and she can't really blame them, but how is it possible for her to keep hearing her father's voice?  She knows that he wants her to take care of mom and Aaron, but all Briana wants is to have her dad back.  Will her life ever be normal again?