Mrs. Malecha Reads!

 by Kate DiCamillo Genre:  Fantasy Answelica the goat is feared by everyone until one morning when Brother Edik finds a girl in the pen with her.  The girl does not know where she is from and Brother Edik doesn't know why Answelica has accepted her.  But the child is here.  And Answelica is going to protect her.  Meanwhile, the king's men are looking for a girl who has gone missing.  They have been told they must find her because the future of their kingdom depends on it.  Who is this girl that everyone is looking for?

 by Alice Kuipers Genre:  Fantasy Polly and her magic book, Spell, are all set for another round of adventures.  Polly thinks that Spell is the coolest book ever because anything that she writes in it, comes true!  In this adventure, Polly and Spell are going to team up to have the most spectacular science fair project ever!

 by Alice Kuipers Genre:  Fantasy Polly Diamond has a magic book named Spell.  She loves words and writing stories so when she discovers that her magic book can make her dreams come true, she is truly excited.  As her family waits for her new baby brother to arrive, Polly dreams up all kinds of things that could make her life more interesting.

 by Saadia Faruqi Genre:  Realistic Fiction Sara and Elizabeth are completely different people and don't have any interest in becoming friends, until they both find themselves in a cooking class without partners.  Sara is there because her mom is the teacher and she has to be.  Elizabeth is there because she loves to cook and wants to hang out with her friend Maddy.  When Sara has to participate to help her mom and Maddy ditches Elizabeth for her new friend, Stephanie, Sara and Elizabeth are left with each other.  As they begin to work together they discover that they might have more in common than they thought!

 by Hena Khan Genre:  Realistic Fiction Zara Saleem is the Queen of the Neighborhood and is used to being the one who organizes the games and sets all of the rules. So when her new neighbor, Naomi, moves in and starts to plan her own activities, Zara isn't sure how she should respond.  The other kids on the block seem to like Naomi's new ideas.  Should Zara continue to insist that everyone do things her way or should she embrace Naomi's way of doing things?  Either way, life is not going to be the same and Zara is going to have to get used to some changes, but maybe those changes could actually be fun?

 by Saadia Faruqi Genre:  Realistic Fiction Yusuf Azeem has spent his whole life growing up in the small town of Frey, Texas and is finally realizing his dream of competing in the regional robotics competition which he knows his school team could win if they all work together.  But something is going on in his town and it begins with the recognition of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Suddenly, there seems to be an unwelcome feeling in the town directed toward the Muslim community that has perhaps been there for the last 20 years.  Yusuf and his family are starting to feel like maybe their hometown is not as welcoming as they once thought. Will Yusuf have the courage to stand up to the bullies that are threatening to divide their community?

 by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris Genre:  Adventure, Fantasy, Graphic Novel Our main character in this story is an ordinary cat who one day got blasted into space.  While in space he teamed up with a queen and a robot to see if they could work together to save the moon from being eaten by rats.  Will these heroes succeed on their daring mission and will the cat get to eat pizza?  Read this book to find out!

 by Alexis Castellanos Genre:  Historical Fiction, Graphic Novel Marisol loves her life with her parents on the island of Cuba.  She is happy at home and at school and feels safe and loved.  Until the revolution comes...and then almost overnight her world changes.  Her parents decide it is safest if she go to the United States without them.  Marisol doesn't like the cold, drab environment in New York City, but gradually she begins to look for the good in her new home.  With the help of kind strangers, she is able to start to feel at home.

 by Yehudi Mercado Genre:  Memoir, Graphic Novel When Hudi's parents learn that he needs to lose weight, they tell him he has to play a sport.  The only problem is that Hudi is the least athletic kid and every time he has tried to compete he ends up in the emergency room.  With the help of an imaginary friend, Hudi is optimistic that maybe things will be different this time.  He decides to try baseball first and when that doesn't go well, he moves on to soccer.  Eventually he discovers that he is going to have the most success by embracing who he is...a performer, not an athlete!  Will his parents ever accept the person he is and wants to be?

 by Kat Fajardo Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Suyapa wants to spend her summer reading, drawing, and hanging out with friends.  However, her mother has other plans.  She is taking the family back to Honduras to spend the summer and once they arrive, Suyapa learns that her mother has secretly planned a Quinceanera for her.  A big party where is she the center of attention is the LAST thing Suyapa wants, but her mother is determined that she go through with it. The only good thing about being in Honduras is getting to spend time with her cousins and abuelita.  Can they help her convince her mother to let her spend the summer how she wants to?

 by Johnnie Christmas Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Sports, Graphic Novel Bree is excited about her first day at her new middle school until she finds out that the only elective classes with an opening is Swim 101.  Bree doesn't know how to swim and the thought of admitting that to people at her new school on the first day is overwhelming.  Bree comes up with all kinds of ways to get out of class until she's caught by the hall monitor.  Bree turns toward, Etta, an elderly neighbor who just so happens to have been a competitive swimmer in her younger years.  Etta agrees to teach Bree to swim and Bree has decided that joining the swim team and facing her fears about swimming will be the best way for her to fit in at her new school. Can Bree learn how to swim well enough to help her teammates win their first ever state championship?

 by Joseph Bruchac Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse Malian loves to visit her grandparents who live on the Wabanaki reservation, but this time her visit is extended when her parents tell her she has to stay as there is a new virus that is rapidly spreading through the city and they think she will be safer on the reservation.  Everyone is worried about the pandemic and trying to keep safe.  Malian knows her job is to protect her grandparents so she is grateful when Malsum, one of the dogs from the reservation shows up to help her out.  Malian and Malsum become best pals as they navigate through the strange new world where people are alone and isolated.

 by Victoria Piontek Genre:  Realistic Fiction Twelve year old Marvel worries about everything and these worries are making it really hard for her to go to school.  Her parents call it an anxiety disorder, but all Marvel knows it that it is messing up her life.  When she talks with her school therapist, she learns about emotional support animals.  Could one of those help her?  Marvel happens to cross paths with a lost goat, Butter, who has run into some trouble of her own.  Marvel thinks without acting and rescues Butter without thinking about her own safety.  Suddenly, life is so much better...but only when she is with Butter.