Mrs. Malecha Reads!

 by Gale Galligan Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Ollie and Cat are used to moving around a lot due to their dad's job as a diplomat.  They are leaving Germany and moving to Virginia.  Ollie and Cat assume it is just another temporary stop until their parents tell them they are buying a house and plan to stay put for awhile.  The girls aren't used to making real friends or getting comfortable in a school.  Will staying in one place be everything they hoped for?

 by Christina Soontornvat Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Sports, Graphic Novel 8th grade is wrapping up and Christina and her best friends, Megan and Leanne, are excited about moving on to high school.  Not making the cheerleading squad last year was very disappointing, but when the girls learn that there will be 3 spots open in the group for 9th grade, they are sure that this year the will have better luck.  While they are practicing as hard as they can, Christina starts to notice that her parents are not getting along at all.  When Christina's dad moves out, her future suddenly seems unclear.  What will high school be like if she doesn't make the squad and her parents split up?                                                  

by Hena Khan Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel  Aliya has moved from Florida to Wisconsin and everything is different, except for that fact that she loves to play basketball.  Aliya played on a decent rec team in Florida because her school did not have a girls' team.  She is excited to learn that her new school does, except for the fact that only 9 girls show up for tryouts and they pretty much stink.  However, the school has hired a new coach so maybe there is a chance that they can all learn some new skills and succeed as a team.

 by Johnathan Todd Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Cecil and his family have just moved from Florida to Boston so he it anxious about how he will fit in in his new school and his new neighborhood.  His sister tries to give him some advice, but that just makes him more nervous.  Cecil is an artist and loves to spend his time drawing comics.  His dad thinks it is kind of a waste of time so Cecil is trying to figure out a way for his dad to see that comics are important to him and can actually earn him some money and respect.  But when someone gets a hold of Cecil's drawing and uses it against him, Cecil will have to figure out how to stand up for himself.

 by Christina Diaz Gonzalez and Gabriela Epstein Genre:  Realistic Fiction and Graphic Novel 5 kids who nobody pays any attention to, suddenly have come up with a plan to help someone out who is struggling.  They have been stuck together on a community service project because they all have one thing in common - they speak Spanish.  Other than that, they are nothing alike and have no desire to be lumped together in a group.  The strategy of staying invisible has worked for a long time, but they realize that if they work together, they might all benefit, even if it means sharing some of their secrets with each other.

 by Rex Ogle and Dave Valeza Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Rex wakes up on the first day of 7th grade with a giant pimple on the center of his forehead.  He's nervous enough about the first day of school so for this to happen just seems to be too much.  And he is right...it is just the start of his problems with the embarrassments of growing up.  Rex can't afford a lot of the things his friends can and he gets picked on and bullied for that.  Will Rex be able to turn things around and make 7th grade a survivable experience?

 by Vera Brosgol Genre:  Fantasy, Graphic Novel Plain Jane is about to be kicked out of the only home she has ever known.  Her parents are dead and because she is a girl, she can not inherit their estate.  She decides to solve her problem by asking a local boy, Peter, to marry her, but before that happens, he is lured into the sea by an evil mermaid. Jane must find the courage to venture into the ocean to save Peter so that they can have their happily ever after.

 by Coco Simon Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Katie is looking forward to the start of middle school.  She and her best friend, Callie, have all kinds of plans.  But on the first day of school, Callie suddenly seems to want to hang out with new friends and those friends want nothing to do with Katie.  Callie seems determined to remain in the Popular Girls Club which Katie is not able to join.  Katie decides to make new friends and they form the Cupcake Club.  Katie learns that making new friends can be way better than trying to fit in with old ones.

 by Mei Yu Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Mei Yu is the new kid in school.  Her family has moved from China to Canada and nothing is the same.  Mei must learn a new language, make new friends, and figure out how to navigate life in a new country.  At first all Mei wants to do is go back to China, but over time she begins to figure out how to connect with people and learn a new language.  Maybe her new life in Canada will turn out to be okay.

 by Sarah Sax Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Sports, Graphic Novel The Brinkley Martian baseball team is hoping to have a winning season, but they lost most of their players last year.  Alexandra is hoping that this will play in her favor as she has to convince the new coach that she can play just as well as the boys.  When Al gets a spot on the team, not all of the boys are happy and when she gets interviewed by the local tv show, things get worse.  But Al is determined to learn from her mistakes and help her team move forward together.

 by Saadia Faruqi and Shazleen Khan Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Zara and Seeshan can barely stand to be in the same room as each and now they have to go on a family trip.  Their parents are tired of the constant fighting so their punishment is to have their phones taken away. Now they have to spend a week together figuring out how to get along!  Zara stumbles across a sick turtle and at first Zeeshan teases her about her love for animals and constant need to help them, but eventually, he decides that helping the turtle out might be a cool project.  When the twins become focused on something other than themselves, they are surprised to learn that hanging out together isn't all that bad!

 by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Middle school is starting to make sense to Sunny.  She's made some friends, but they are all signing up for different clubs and sports teams.  Sunny knows she should do something other than watch tv after school, but nothing seems to interest her until her friend Arun mentions starting a debate club.  Their first step is to find an advisor and then the fun can begin. Will the debate club be a middle school success?

by Maria Scrivan Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Nat is excited!  Her parents have finally agreed to let her be a bit more independent by allowing her to go on an overnight class field trip to Philadelphia.  Unfortunately, the trip gets off to a rough start when Nat and her friends get separated from the group and she loses her phone.  If she doesn't check in with her parents, they will think she isn't responsible enough to handle her new freedom.  Nat is going to have to get herself together and figure out how to find her friends and her phone!

 by Chrissie Krebs Genre:  Animal Story, Humor, Fantasy, Graphic Novel Bear was just an average old bear until the day a tornado hits the woods and causes a wizard's wand to fly into bears head.  He can't pull it out and now he looks like a giant unicorn. But the good news is that he can now grant wishes.  This works out okay at first until everyone in the forest starts lining up to have their wishes come true.  How will Bear manage his newfound popularity?

 by Alina Chau Genre:  Fantasy, Graphic Novel Jordan was a star player on her school's basketball team until an injury left her paralyzed from the waist down.  She still hangs out with the team, but it's not the same as when she was able to play.  One day on her way home she comes across a mysterious white elephant who has been injured.  She takes the elephant home and names her Marshmallow.  Marshmallow shows Jordan that there are lots of things she still can do and one of them is swim.  Jordan discovers that water polo is a new sport that will allow her to compete with a team.  But will her basketball friends understand why she isn't coming to their practices and games anymore?

 by Dan Santat Genre:  Memoir, Graphic Novel Dan should be excited about his class trip to Europe, but he has low expectations because the girls who made fun of him all through middle school are going on the trip too.  He is hoping that his troubles in middle school will not follow him to Europe or worse yet, to high school.  As he travels he experiences a number of firsts that give him hope for the future.  Being a tenneager can be tough, awkward, and exciting, all at the same time.

 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?