Mrs. Malecha Reads!

 by Sara Pennypacker Genre:  Realistic Fiction Ware is excited to spend his summer with his grandmother where mostly he can be left alone to entertain himself with his imaginary medieval world.  But when his grandmother has to go to the hospital, his parents sign him up for Rec Camp which is the last place Ware wants to go.  Luckily on the first day, he meets Jolene, a secretive girl who is planting a garden in an abandoned church next door to the community center.  Ware starts skipping Rec to help her with her project and despite their differences, they are able to work together and create a refuge for both of them.  When the city threatens to destroy their work, Ware and Jolene band together to try and stop the destruction.  Can two ordinary kids make a difference in the world?

 By Aida Salazar Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse Betita's papa started telling her the story of the cranes when she was a little girl when they had to escape to the United States from Mexico to stay alive.  Betita and her parents have made a new life for themselves, but one day her Papa is arrested by Immigration and is deported to Mexico.  Betita and her mother have to work hard to try to save Papa and when they get detained as well, others will step up and work to save their family.  Betita just wants to live safely again with her parents and her new baby sister.  She will need to be brave and use the power of her voice and artwork to make people aware of the dangerous situation she and her family face.

 by Colleen AF Venable Illustrated by Stephanie Yue Genre:  Animal Story, Graphic Novel Katie wants to go to summer camp with her best friend, Bethany, but the cost is too expensive for her family to afford.  Katie decides to offer to do odd jobs for people in her apartment building to earn money to pay for camp.  She tries hauling groceries (the bags are too heavy), she tries plant sitting (the plants all die) and then finally she finds the perfect job - cat sitting!  However, these are not ordinary cats and there are 217 of them!  Has Katie found the perfect job to pay for camp or is this going to be just another disaster?

 by Saadia Faruqi Genre:  Realistic Fiction Marya lives next door to Alexa who seems to have the perfect life.  Alexa is two days older and every year gets to have an amazing birthday party.  Marya's parents won't let her have a party, but when Alexa starts bragging about how amazing hers will be, Marya can't stand it and makes up a story about how she is going to have an epic party two days after Alexa's!  How will Marya convince her parents to change their minds?  This party just has to happen!

 by Kelly J. Baptist Genre:  Realistic Fiction Isaiah feels like he is the one holding his family together now that his father has died.  His mother has good days and bad days, but lately it seems there have been more bad than good.  His little sister Charlie is always asking him questions that he doesn't know the answer too and things at school aren't going great either because he's not getting along with his best friend, Sneaky, and a girl named Angel is bullying him.  All Isaiah wants to do is lose himself in the stories that his father wrote, but life's demands keep getting in his way.  If only he could be a super hero like his dad was; then everything would be just fine.

 by Hannah Gold Genre:  Animal Story April and her father have recently moved to Bear Island where they will be living alone for 6 months while her father conducts scientific research.  April wonders why it is called Bear Island as there are no bears there anymore.  One day while she is out exploring, she catches sight of a large shadow that looks suspiciously like a polar bear.  After further investigation, April discovers Bear, a malnourished and lonely polar bear who she befriends by feeding peanut butter.  April and Bear forge an unlikely friendship that just may save both of them.