Mrs. Malecha Reads!

 by Mae Respicio Genre:  Realistic Fiction Alex is the new kid at Golden Valley Middle School.  He is excited to learn that the kids there love slime as much as he does!  Alex is on a quest to construct the perfect slime even if his dad thinks that sliming is a waste of time.  His dad wants him to play soccer and be more active like he was at Alex's age.  Alex's dad is also remodeling their family market with hopes of drawing in more customers and ultimately, making it more profitable.  Alex feels like everything is changing and that no one is listening to what he wants.  Will winning a slime war at school show his dad that he can be successful without having to play sports?

 by Kelly Barnhill Genre:  Fantasy Stone-in-the-Glen used to be a beautiful town, but ever since a fire destroyed most of it, the townspeople have all retreated into their homes and have tried to survive on their own.  They have been content to let the Mayor control their lives because he is the one who saved them all from the terrible dragon.  But times are getting harder, particularly at the Orphan House where there are many children to feed.  An Ogress has moved into the area and she helps people by leaving them gifts of food that she has made from things she grows in the garden.  When a child from the Orphan House goes missing, the townspeople fear that the Ogress has something to do with it.  It will be up to the orphans to set the town straight on who is the real enemy in Stone-in-the-Glen.

 by Jasmine Warga Genre:  Science Fiction     Resilience is a Mars rover with a special mission.  He is being sent to Mars to learn more about the planet and hopefully retrieve a stranded rover that went offline.  Res knows that he has an important job to do and the more he interacts with the humans who are getting him ready for the mission, the more he learns about the world.  He begins to form attachments to the humans who are building him which is going to make it hard for him to leave.  Robots aren't supposed to have feelings, but Res thinks he is starting to have feelings about all kinds of things.  He knows for sure that once he gets to Mars, he will do everything he can to fulfill him mission and return to the humans who created him. 

 by Wendy Wan-Long Shang Genre:  Realistic Fiction Evan Poa and his family have moved from California to Virginia to start their lives over.  Evan's dad was arrested for scamming some people out of money and they want to put that scandal behind them.  Evan is Chinese American and the new town they are living in does not have many people that look like him.  Evan has to deal with comments from his classmates while he tries to figure out who might be his new friends and who might be his enemies.  When someone attacks his family and the police refuse to investigate, Evan has to step up and figure out who is responsible.

 by Kayla Miller and Jeffrey Canino Illustrated by Kristina Luu Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Beth and Chandra are on a mission to get dates for their first school dance and find the perfect dresses that will make a big impression on everyone.  However, identifying the mission seems to be much easier than carrying it out.  They have high expectations that the dance will be the best night of their lives, but all the pressure is getting to them.  Will they be able to find their groove in time for the dance?

 by Terri Libenson Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Sarah and Leo have been best friends for a long time, but now that they are going to different middle schools, things are changing.  Leo is doing everything he can to convince himself that he doesn't like his new school and Sarah has suddenly developed a crush on Leo's other best friend, Ben.  Sarah wants to ask Ben to the school dance, but she doesn't know how to tell Leo that.  Will their friendship be able to survive?

 by Terry Crew and Cory Thomas Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Terry has a Big Dream Plan and he thinks that transferring to Rock City Academy will give him the best shot at realizing that dream.  But getting used to a new a school is not as easy as it might seem.  He and his new friends, Rani and Xander, decide to host the talent show as a way to get involved with their school.  They run into a few problems, but ultimately realize that when you have good friends by your side, just about anything is possible!

 by Betty C. Tang Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Feng-Li is so excited to come to California for vacation.  She loves her life in Taiwan, but she is excited to explore new places.  However, once they arrive, her parents tell her that she is staying in California for good.  Not only that, her parents have to return to Taiwan and she will be staying with her older siblings.  Learning to fend for themselves in a new country is a challenge, so the 3 will need to grow and learn how to work together as a team.  Are they up for starting a new life together?