Mrs. Malecha Reads!

 by Maulik Pancholy Genre:  Realistic Fiction/LGBTQ+ Rahul is getting ready to start 7th grade and he is not looking forward to it.  He is feeling very anxious about all of the new things this year will bring, but most especially because of the class bully, Brent.  Rahul's best friend Chelsea and his grandfather, Bhai, are great supporters, but Brent is relentless and is making his life miserable.  Bhai's advice to Rahul is that he pick one thing to be the best at.  But what should that one thing be?

 by K.A. Holt Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse Ben Bellows and 4 others have failed the Florida State Language Arts assessment so they get to spend the summer at school in a tiny room under the stairs practicing for the retake.  None of them want to be there, but none of them are expecting their new teacher, Ms. Jackson to be as awesome as she is.  Everyone in the class has 2 things in common - they love to play the video game Sandbox and they hate reading.  From day one they challenge Ms. J to get them to read...who will win this battle?

 by Watt Key Genre:  Adventure/Science Fiction Adam and his parents are in a car accident one night.  He knows that something came out of the woods and onto the road that caused his dad to swerve the car.  Now his parents are missing and no one seems to know what to do to find them.  When the search is officially called off,  Adam decides to head into the woods alone.  He is convinced that the night of the accident, he may have seem a Sasquatch-like creature and fears that the creature may have taken his parents.  No one will believe him so it will be up to him to discover what creatures are living in the Florida swamp.

 by Alda P. Dobbs Genre:  Historical Fiction 1913 is a dangerous time in twelve year old Petra Luna's life.  Her mother has died and her papa has been taken away by soldiers so it is up to Petra to keep her grandmother and 2 younger siblings alive.  When their village is destroyed, they have no choice but to flee with only the clothes on their backs.  They cross the desert barefoot, determined to get to the US border in hopes that they might reach safety.  The small family faces many challenges along the way, but Petra remembers her promise to her father and will do anything she has to in order to protect her family.