Book Tittle: Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 Author: Richard Paul Evans

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1 Book Tittle: Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 Author: Richard Paul Evans Michael Vey has a secret. He is electric and can even restart car batteries. He thought he was unique until he meets Taylor, and they make a startling discovery. When Michael s mom disappears, they face an unknown enemy and even more electrics. The most exciting book release yet young adults! I didn't know what to expect when I began reading this book. I had read every one of Richard Paul Evan's books adults and children, but couldn't imagine what a young adult book by him would be like. Once I began reading MICHAEL VEY, I couldn't put it down until I was finished, and then only wanted more! The characters are real; you come to know them and feel them. Book Tittle: City of Orphans Author: Avi New York City, When Maks sister, Emma, is falsely accused of stealing and imprisoned, Maks and his friend Willa must prove her innocence. Maks must balance his amateur detective work with his newspaper business, not to mention the Plug Ugly gang and their attempts to stop Lower East Side Newsies from delivering their papers Kids who like adventures, mysteries, historical fiction and even fantasy will love CITY OF ORPHANS! City of Orphans is a great read, and is perfect upper elementary and middle grade students. Avi proves once again that he is a master storyteller as he spins the tale of Maks, a 13 year old immigrant living in New York in the 1890's. He is a character that is easy to cheer, and I felt like I knew him pretty much from the very beginning.

2 Book Tittle: Okay Now Author: Gary D. Schmidt Doug Swieteck sees only the negatives of his move to a new town. Doug s father and brothers often take their anger out on Doug. Despite Doug s family troubles, he finds his own place in town and discovers his strengths and talents with the help of some unlikely friends. A HOME RUN BOOK FOR YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE!! As a school librarian, I'm a tough critic when it comes to Middle Grade and Young Adult books. A good chunk of what I read is perfectly readable, certainly entertaining, and strongly written, if not stellar. OKAY FOR NOW is stellar. I mean it. If I could give Gary Schmidt's companion to THE WEDNESDAY WARS six stars instead of five, I would. Book Tittle: Page by Paige Author: Laura Lee Gulledge Paige has recently moved to New York City from Virginia with her writer parents. In her sketchbook, Paige journals her inner feelings and struggles. Although she is a true artist, she is afraid to share her drawings with her new friends. Gulledge presents beautiful illustrations and visual metaphors. Illustrations + storyline = one of the best graphic novels I've read! I haven't read as many graphic novels as I would like to, but this is absolutely one of my favorites I've ever read, and I don't think that will chance no matter how many I read! This is the kind of graphic novel I know I'll be able to hook my students with. It has quite a bit of girl appeal as Paige is a teen whose parents moved her to a new city and she has to start all over at a new school. As she's discovering her new city, she is also struggling to discover herself. This is a universal coming-of-age story written in an engaging way a teen audience. It's quiet and subtle, much like Paige herself, with a beautiful art style, not so much comic book style. It's also about being brave and honest and true to oneself-all messages we all can use at times.

3 Book Tittle: Divergent Author: Veronica Roth Beatrice Tris lives in a society where citizens belong to factions that share certain aptitudes. Tris has not one, but three aptitudes, selflessness, courage, and truth-seeking. To survive, Beatrice must hide her Divergence and choose just one faction, one aptitude. When she selects Dauntless, courage, she little imagines the stunts, battles, and friendships she will encounter Satisfied my inner teenager..., I bought this one on recommendation from an Indigo employee during my post Hunger Games book search. I didn't buy it immediately, and it took several trips back to Indigo bee I actually bought it, and then it proceeded to sit on my shelf - I wasn't ready to move on from the afterglow of The Hunger games yet. So when I took it as my plane read on my trip to New York - I still didn't read it, until I was stuck on planes/airports 16 hours on the way home. In those 16 hours, I fervently read it cover to cover, only stopping because I had to get off a plane and rush to the next one. My biggest regret is leaving this book unread so long! Book Tittle: Now is the Time Running Author: Michael Williams Deo and his friends live soccer. Every day they meet in the fields near their village in Zimbabwe and play, cheered on by Deo s brother, Innocent. One day, the soldiers arrive, and everything changes in an instant. Deo and Innocent run their lives with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a soccer ball. Fantastic and powerful novel Imagine witnessing the brutal beatings and murders of your family and village. All you have left is your brother, although older than you he has the mind of a child. With a homemade soccer ball, and his brother's special box, Deo and Innocent head to South Africa in search of peace and the possibility of finding the father they never knew. The trek from Zimbabwe to South Africa is tough including crossing a hazardous river and a dash through a dangerous animal preserve. These scenes are two of the best I have ever read bee. Without spoiling, I do want to say Innocent's stash of goodies in his box is brilliant. This is a difficult yet must-read book encompassing topics such as political cruelty, refugee abuse, drug addiction and a young boy devoted to his mentally disabled brother.

4 Book Tittle: Wildfire Run Author: Dee Garretson The President s son Luke and his friends Theo and Callie enjoy their vacation at Camp David, the safest place in the US. When a raging wildfire threatens to turn Camp David into a death trap, they race to override security systems and save the Secret Service agents who are supposed to keep them safe. An Awesome, Fast Paced, Action Packed Adventure! What an awesome, fast paced, action packed, thrilling adventure! This story is one that just grabs ahold of it's reader and doesn't let them go until the last page. The story centers on Luke, the son of the President of the United States. While on a trip to Camp David with his dad, an destructive earthquake hits MO, causing his father to promptly return to the White House leaving Luke behind with his own secret service men, and his best friend Theodore. While there, a frightening wild fire breaks out and heads straight Camp David. Book Tittle: Inside Out & Back Again Author: Thanhha Lai Vietnam, Even though Ha s father has been missing almost a year, Ha and her family decide to leave Vietnam and start their lives over in the United States. Told in verse, Ha s story describes her new life with humor and hope. Lovely & thought-provoking! INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN is a beautiful novel-in-verse about a young girl who flees Vietnam as Saigon is falling and makes a new home with her mother and brothers in Alabama. Based on the author's own experiences as a child immigrant, the poems are spare and lovely, and they manage to capture both the sense of wonder and the feeling of isolation of a newcomer in a world where everything seems different. As a teacher, one thing I found especially interesting and heartbreaking was Ha's feeling of suddenly not being smart any more when she enrolled in her new school in America - such a common experience gifted kids who encounter a language and culture barrier in a new home.

5 Book Tittle: Out of My Mind Author: Sharon M. Draper Melody is probably the smartest student in her school, but no one knows it because cerebral palsy has her trapped inside her body. Can technology open her world to everyone else? Melody narrates her story of immense struggle and even greater accomplishments. Funny, Relatable, Thought-provoking! Eleven-year-old Melody is in a wheelchair and she cannot speak; theree, people have always assumed that she is mentally retarded, although the opposite is true. She has a photographic memory, so her knowledge base is vast. When she is finally given the gift of language through the intervention of her caregiver and a school worker and can express herself, her intelligence is revealed. I loved Melody's voice and her courage, and her first-hand experience of how difficult it is to be different in middle school. Because the whole story is told "out of her mind," it is very readable (and a little humorous), and didn't feel heavy, though a sympathetic and merciful reader will feel sad Melody, especially when she experiences a big disappointment -- as my 12-year-old daughter did -- much more so than her tough mom. For me, because I had related to her so much, instead of focusing on the disappointment, I rejoiced with her in her triumphs, and the trial seemed not something that was necessarily a result of her disability, but rather typical middle school posturing. Book Tittle: Candymakers Author: Wendy Mass An obnoxious rich kid, a spy, a child who witnessed a tragic event, and the son of a candy factory owner come together to compete in a national candy competition best new candy. Mysteries abound. Candy lovers will find this book a sweet read! "Sweet" book! This book was fabulous! Told from 4 kid's perspective, this book went into every kid's thoughts and ideas. A book about true friendship, finding yourself, and most importantly, CANDY! Wendy Mass has done it again, another fantastic book! This book features three 12 year old kids and one who's... older, tweens will love this book as have I, an eleven and a half year old :) If you have read this review and are considering buying the book, buy it!