Mrs. Malecha Reads!

 by Terri Libenson Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Navigating middle school is tough and Jaime and Maya are trying to figure out who their real friends are.  Jaime knows that something is off with her friend group because they have started to make fun of the way she dresses and Maya will hardly acknowledge her.  Maya feels more and more annoyed with Jaimie because she won't even try to fit in.  Will Maya and Jaime's friendship survive or will they go their separate ways?

 by Erin Dowling Genre: Realistic Fiction Lucy, Freddy, and Herb Peach are ready for summer vacation.  They know it is going to be different since it is the first summer without their mom, but they are unprepared for their dad's big announcement that he has purchased a food truck and they are going on the road!  The kids are stunned.  First of all, about the fact that their barely ever around dad suddenly has time to spend with them and second of all, that he bought a food truck?  None of them have any business or cooking experience, but according to their dad, this was one of the things their mother always wanted to do.  So the Peaches are off on their summer adventure!

 by Chad Morris Genre:  Realistic Fiction Is it possible for a whale to talk to a human?  Willa thinks so.  She and her dad go on a whale watching cruise in memory of Willa's mom, who recently passed away.  Willa has inherited her mom's interest in the ocean, so when she meets Meg, a humpback whale, who she can talk with, Willa isn't all that surprised.  Talking to Meg helps Willa as she adjusts to living with her dad and his new family.  Willa is also trying to reconnect with her friend Marc who seems like he sometimes wants to be friends, but other times he seems to be hiding things from her.  Willa needs advice on how to handle lots of things in her life right now, but is turning to a humpback whale in the middle of the ocean the best thing for Willa to do right now?

 by Maria Scrivan Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel For the first time in her life, Nat feels confident.  School is going well, she's got a great friend group, and most importantly, she has her first crush!  Nat is sure that Derek likes her back, until the day he tells her that he just wants to be friends. Nat is heartbroken and her self-confidence is destroyed. Her friends don't know what to do with her and that leads to more drama.  Why can't things go back to the way they were before Derek knew she had a crush on him?

 by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel It's summertime, but Sunny doesn't know what to do until one day, while hanging out at the pool, she gets a job offer to work in the snack bar.  Sunny is all in and suddenly her summer is heating up!  She learns how to manage the crowds, meets new friends, and finally conquers jumping off the high dive.  Who says working can't be fun?

 by Jenn Bishop Genre:  Realistic Fiction Drew's summer isn't going as he expected.  3 years have passed since his dad committed suicide, but Drew and his mom are still struggling.  Drew is still angry with his dad, with himself and wonders what the future holds for him.  He does enjoy volunteering at the library, helping with the summer programs, until Audrey shows up.  She's grumpy and grouchy and doesn't seem to like kids very much.  And then at home, an old friend of his mom's, Phil, shows up for a visit unexpectedly.  Drew doesn't know what to make of all of these changes, but somehow he's going to have to navigate through things.  Maybe Audrey and Phil will turn out to be two people who might be able to help him.

 by Rajani LaRocca Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse Reha feels like she is trapped between two worlds.  At school she is the only Indian American student trying to git in, and at home she has to be the perfect Indian daughter for her parents.  Reha wants to do regular teenage things; like talk to boys and go to the school dance.  Her dad understands, but her mom still wants to make all of her clothes and keep her at home.  While Reha is struggling with all of these things, she doesn't notice that her mom is changing too.  When Reha learns that her mom is very sick, she decides she must focus all of her energy on being the perfect daughter for her mother, even if it means sacrificing the things she longs to do and be part of.