Mrs. Malecha Reads!

 by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass Genre:  Mystery What happened the night the library burned to the ground?  That is the mystery that Evan realizes he needs to solve.  It seems that people have long believed that his father had something to do with it when he was a young library intern.  While Evan looks into the past, something strange is happening in the present.  A ghost and a cat seem to have taken ownership over a small collection of books that survived the fire and are in the process of building a little free library.  What do they know about that fatal night?

 by Varsha Bajaj Genre:  Realistic Fiction Minni is growing up in the poorest section of Mumbai, India where access to water is a daily struggle.  It is hard to understand why people in the high rises have all the water they need, freely flowing from their taps while Minni and her family have to wait in line to fill their buckets and then begin the long task of purifying it.  When Minni's mother gets sick, she has to take on the additional responsibility of working as a maid in a high rise where she learns even more about the difference between her life and those who have wealth and power.  Minni finds that she has an opportunity to do something that might improve the lives of her family and others, if she has the courage, but it will mean risking her job and her safety.  Is Minni up to the challenge?

 by Kate O'Shaughnessy Genre:  Realistic Fiction Mo is struggling with having to adjust to life without her grandma.  Her grandma has been the only constant person in her life and now that she is gone and her Uncle Billy has decided that he can't care for her, she is going to be turned over to the foster care system.  Mo's story unfolds through a series of letters to her grandma whose advice was for Mo to find a hobby.  Mo decides to collect family recipes in hopes that she will find a long lost relative.  While she is waiting she moves in with June and Tate, a couple who are thinking they want to be parents.  Mo starts to settle in, but at the same time is wondering what the future holds for her.  As she waits, her interest in cooking grows and her Family Cookbook project grows.  Will Mo find a forever family?

 by Jeff Kinney Genre:  Humor The Heffley family is about to embark on a fun summer adventure.  Greg's mom has decided that their whole family, along with her sisters and their families are all going to share a tiny beach house on an island for a whole week of family fun!  Greg is pretty sure things aren't going to be quite as fun as his mother thinks they are going to be, but she is determined to have the family spend the week together.  Greg has his usual problems and finds himself in one hot mess after another!

 by Lisa Fipps Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse Joe and his Grandmum have been getting along just fine.  Joe's mom is in and out of his life, but Grandmum has been the person he has learned to rely on.  But when they lose their home and don't have enough money to find a place to live, or have enough food to eat, Joe realizes that life can be really tough.  When his Grandmum gets sick and his mom leaves, Joe finds out what it really means to be alone.  Joe is going to try to hold it all together, but life alone is hard.  Can he open up to his friends and let them know that he is hurting and needs some help?

 by Nicole D. Collier Genre:  Realistic Fiction Jillian and her classmates are excited about their new science project - watching chickens hatch!  Jillian wishes she could speak up more about it and other things, but she is just too shy to raise her hand and contribute in class.  Jillian has friends who encourage her to speak up, but for some reason, she just can't!  Her teacher invites her to participate in the school Mind Bender challenge which at first, is the last thing Jillian thinks she wants to do.  But then she decides to dig deep and find the courage to join in and see if she can overcome her shyness.  Does Jillian have what it takes to compete with the confident and outspoken kids?

 by Gillian McDunn Genre:  Realistic Fiction Middle school has been tough for Elliott.  His ADHD impacts the way he learns at school and at home.  His parents have divorced and his dad and stepmom are expecting a baby.  His best friend, Malcom, has moved away.  It just feels like too much change.  He is trying to make new friends, but when he gets left out of a group project by the people he thought liked hanging out with him, he realizes that he is going to have to look for another solution.  That solution involves Maribel who also doesn't have a partner.  The two of them seem like complete opposites, but maybe if they put their strengths together, they can come out with a winning project.