• The War I Finally Won

    by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Year Published: 2017 Historical fiction

    Ada shows courage in riveting English wartime sequel.

    Historical Fiction

     

    Comments (-1)
  • 2016 Summer read

    The War that Saved My Life

    by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Year Published: 2015 Historical fiction, realistic

    Nine-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.
     So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?

                                                                                 - Goodreads

     Historical fiction

    Comments (-1)
  • 2016 Summer read

    Twerp

    by Mark Goldblatt Year Published: 2013 Realistic fiction
    Julian Twerski isn't a bully. He's just made a big mistake. So when he returns to school after a weeklong suspension, his English teacher offers him a deal: if he keeps a journal and writes about the terrible incident that got him and his friends suspended, he can get out of writing a report on Shakespeare. Julian jumps at the chance. And so begins his account of life in sixth grade--blowing up homemade fireworks, writing a love letter for his best friend (with disastrous results), and worrying whether he's still the fastest kid in school. Lurking in the background, though, is the one story he can't bring himself to tell, the one story his teacher most wants to hear.
                                                                                                   - Goodreads, 2016 
     
     
     
    Comments (-1)
  • 2016 Summer read

    I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This

    by Jacqueline Woodson Year Published: 1994 Realistic Fiction

    Twelve-year-old Marie is a leader among the popular black girls in Chauncey, Ohio, a prosperous black suburb. She isn't looking for a friend when Lena Bright, a white girl, appears in school. Yet they are drawn to each other because both have lost their mothers. And they know how to keep a secret. For Lena has a secret that is terrifying, and she's desperate to protect herself and her younger sister from their father. Marie must decide whether she can help Lena by keeping her secret...or by telling it.  

                                                             - Goodreads, 2016

    Comments (-1)
  • 2016 Summer Read

    The House on Mango Street

    by Sandra Cisneros Year Published: 1984 Realistic fictions

    Told in a series of vignettes – sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous – it is the story of a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago in a Hispanic neighborhood , inventing for herself who and what she will become. She ponders the advantages and disadvantages of her environment and evaluates  her relationships with  family and friends.

                                                                    - Goodreads, 2016

    Comments (-1)
  • 2016 Summer read

    Inside Out & Back Again

    by Thanhha Lai Year Published: 2011 Historical fiction, Poetry

    For all the ten years of her life, Hà has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, and the warmth of her friends close by. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, Hà discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food . . . and the strength of her very own family.

    This moving story of one girl's year of change, dreams, grief, and healing received four starred reviews, including one from Kirkus which proclaimed it "enlightening, poignant, and unexpectedly funny." An author's note explains how and why Thanhha Lai translated her personal experiences into Hà's story.

                                                      -Goodreads, 2016

    Comments (-1)
  • 2016 Summer read

    The Cat Who went into the Closet

    by Lilian Jackson Braun Year Published: 1993 Mystery-Murder

    In The Cat Who Wasn't There, Qwill is persuaded by his beloved companion, Polly Duncan, to join a group tour of Scotland. Although he expects to revel in his Scottish heritage, Qwill must try to keep Polly safe from the Pickax Prowler. Instead, his trip is cut short when a thief swipes a suitcase, the bus driver disappears, and a fellow tourist is found dead - all on the same day. The remaining tour members return to Pickax, where Qwill has other worries on his mind: Who is the fellow still following Polly? In The Cat Who Went into the Closet, Qwill rents Euphonia Gage's mansion in Pickax, which includes fifteen closets jammed with several generations of junk. Koko begins investigating and discovers obsolete currency, canceled checks, an old bankbook, nail clippers, foot powder and a man's argyle sock. Meantime, while enjoying a new life in Florida, the mansion's former occupant apparently commits suicide. But why would someone as happy as Euphonia kill herself? In The Cat Who Came to Breakfast, the development of a major resort complex at the southern end of serene Pear Island (affectionately known as Breakfast Island) is causing a ruckus. Local residents, summer people, and mainland fishermen are all hopping mad that the peace of their island retreat is being shattered. Then a cabin cruiser explodes in the marina, causing general alarm. And when a series of deadly "accidents" follows on the heels of the mysterious explosion, Qwilleran begins to wonder if sabotage is involved.  

                                                            -Goodreads, 2016

    Comments (-1)
  • 2016 Summer Read

    Crossover

    by Kwame Alexander Year Published: 2014 Realistic Fiction, Sports

    "With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . .The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I'm delivering," announces dread-locked, 12-year old Josh Bell. He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he's got mad beats, too, that tell his family's story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood.


    Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family.      

                                                            -Goodreads, 2016

    Comments (-1)
  • 2016 Summer read

    Million-dollar Throw

    by Mike Lupica Year Published: 2009 Realistic fiction, Sports

    Nate Brodie is nicknamed “Brady” not only for his arm, but also because he’s the biggest Tom Brady fan. He’s even saved up to buy an autographed football. And when he does, he wins the chance for something he’s never dreamed of—to throw a pass through a target at a Patriots game for one million dollars.

    Nate should be excited. But things have been tough lately. His dad lost his job and his family is losing their home. It’s no secret that a million dollars would go a long way. So all Nate feels is pressure, and just when he needs it most, his golden arm begins to fail him. Even worse, his best friend Abby is going blind, slowly losing her ability to do the one thing she loves most—paint. Yet Abby never complains, and she is Nate’s inspiration. He knows she’ll be there when he makes the throw of a lifetime.

                                                             - Goodreads, 2016

    Comments (-1)