Title

Description

Author

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

These are the greatest detective stories ever written. Join Holmes and his loyal friend, Dr. Watson, as they comb the foggy streets of nineteenth century London in search of solutions. Can you solve the crimes before Mr. Holmes?

Arthur Conan Doyle

Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Despite some out-of-date language, this story has wicked appeal. It is funny, scary, and unforgettable and by one of America's greatest authors.

Mark Twain

Airborn

Fantasy and adventure combine in this imaginative tale that includes airships, sky pirates, a fantastic new species called "Cloud Cats," and two realistic characters, Matt, a resourceful cabin boy on the airship Aurora, and Kate, a passenger with a hidden agenda that pulls them both into the adventure of their lives. You won't be able to put this one down!

Kenneth Oppel

Ark Angel (Alex Rider series)

Fasten your seat belts for the latest in Horowitz's marvelous spy-thriller series starring 14-year-old British schoolboy and ace agent from MI6, Alex Rider. This time he must stop a group of ecoterrorists. Feel free to read any from the series -- Adventure with a capital A!

Anthony Horowitz

Becoming Naomi Leon

When Naomi's mother resurfaces to claim her after she and her brother have lived happily with their Gram for seven years, Naomi runs away to Mexico with her great-grandmother and younger brother in search of their father. If you liked Esperanza Rising, you'll love this new book by the same talented author.

Pam Munoz Ryan

Bloomability; Ruby Holler; Walk Two Moons (and any other Creech)

In these books, as in all Creech books, the reader is sent along on a life-changing odyssey with a thoughtful young character. The settings may change, but the quirky yet believable characters and frequent humor make these all winners.

Sharon Creech

Brian's Hunt

If you have enjoyed Brian's earlier survival adventures, you'll definitely want to read this one as Brian, now 16, returns to the Canadian wilderness to befriend a wounded dog and to hunt a rogue bear.

Gary Paulsen

Cryptid Hunters

Twins Grace and Marty and their mysterious uncle are dropped into the middle of a jungle in the Congo to search for the children's missing photojournalist parents as well as for possible dinosaurs, reported to exist deep in the hidden wilderness.

Roland Smith

First Boy

Political intrigue and mystery abound in this story about Cooper, 14, who lives happily on his grandparents' dairy farm in New Hampshire until black sedans start following him and mysterious accidents start happening around him, causing him to question who his parents really were and what really happened to them when he was a baby. And why is a Presidential candidate suddenly so interested in him?

Gary Schmidt

Flush

If you loved Hoot, then you can imagine what zany adventures and quirky characters await you in this new book. When their Dad is imprisoned for an act of eco-terrorism to save the Florida Keys habitat, Noah and Abbey spring into action to solve a mystery, beat the bad guys, and free their father. (If you haven't read Hoot yet, then you have even more fun ahead!)

Carl Hiassen

First Test (Protector of the Small) series

In the first book of the series, follow scrappy and determined Kel as she tackles all sorts of obstacles to be the first to take advantage of the new decree that permits girls to train for the knighthood. Feel free to follow Kel through the series.

Tamora Pierce

Girl Named Disaster

Not yet twelve, Nhamo flees an impending marriage and sets out for Zimbabwe via Lake Cabora Bassa. Her journey is dangerous, and upon reaching her destination she must face the terrors of civilization. Fortunately, her Ancestors travel with her in conversation, keeping all kinds of spirits alive.

Nancy Farmer

Island of the Blue Dolphins

This Newbery award-winner relates the tale of a Native American girl who uses courage and self-reliance to survive alone for 18 years on an isolated island after she was left behind when her tribe emigrated.

O'Dell Scott

Jungle Book

Stirring and mysterious, this book plunges you into the animals' "law of the jungle." Be forewarned! The book is the original version and is much more complex and compelling than Disney's take on the story.

Rudyard Kipling

Kensuke's Kingdom

When Michael is swept overboard from his family's yacht and washes up on a deserted jungle island in the Coral Sea, what begins as a thrilling survival story becomes much, much more as Michael discovers he is not alone on the island after all.

Michael Morpurgo

Last Treasure

Relatives he has never met summon 13-year-old Ellsworth to visit because they need his help to find a hidden treasure they believe has been left behind by an ancient and mysterious ancestor.

Janet Anderson

Princess Academy

Named a 2006 Newbery Honor Book, this part adventure, part suspense, part fairy tale will captivate you. Miri's only desire is to work the quarries like her father and sister, but instead is rounded up with some other girls and forced to attend Princess School and compete for the hand of the Prince of their kingdom. Turns out Princess School is not such a good fit for spunky Miri.

Shannon Hale

Robinson Crusoe

This classic uninhabited island survival tale is based on the actual experiences of Alexander Selkirk, chronicled in Marooned, the non-fiction account by Robert Kraske listed below. You might decide to read both books and then compare the factual and the fictional.

Daniel Defoe

Rowan Hood: Outlaw Girl of Sherwood Forest

When her mother is murdered for being a healer, 13-year-old Rosemary has nowhere to turn except to the father she's never met--the outlaw Robin Hood. Disguising herself as a boy, she sets out alone on a perilous journey to Sherwood Forest. This is the first in a series -- keep reading!

Nancy Springer

Sea of Trolls

Viking lore inspires this magical adventure story of Jack's attempt to survive a kidnapping by bloodthirsty Vikings, dragons, and an evil queen to get both himself and his spoiled little sister back home safely to the British Isles, all while fulfilling his destiny as an apprentice bard.

Nancy Farmer

Thief Lord

Welcome to the magical underworld of Venice, Italy, where thieving children, a disguise-obsessed detective, and a magical merry-go-round lead to incredible secrets.

Cornelia Funke

Treasure Island

Long John Silver is still the most realistic and terrifying pirate in fiction, and "thirteen men on a dead man's chest" still haunt Treasure Island. One of the most memorable adventure stories ever.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Young Man and the Sea

When 12-year-old Skiff Beaman realizes he must take care of himself and his father, he undertakes a dangerous trip alone out on the ocean off the coast of Maine to try to catch the huge bluefin tuna some have reported seeing. This novel strongly parallels Hemingway's famous book, The Old Man and the Sea.

Rodman Philbrick

Akhenaten Adventure and Blue Djinn of Babylon

Non-stop adventures result when 12-year-old twins John and Philippa discover that they are descendents of a long line of important djinn (think genies in a bottle) and that it is up to them to stop the plans of the evil Iblis. Feel free to enjoy both of these fast and funny tales -- a third is due soon.

Philip Kerr

Al Capone Does My Shirts

Ever wondered what it would be like to live on Alcatraz? Well, that notorious island prison becomes home to Moose when his father takes a job there in 1935. There's lots to like in this recent Newbery Honor book.

Gennifer Choldenko

All Alone in the Universe

Debbie, 13, is devastated when her longtime best friend discovers a new best friend, leaving Debbie to feel "all alone in the universe." This sweet and realistic story about friendship introduces Debbie, the appealing main character in this year's Newbery winner Criss Cross (see below.)

Lynne Rae Perkins

Among the Enemy (Shadow Children series)

Matthias is a third child in an overpopulated society that limits families to two children only, so he must stay in hiding in order to survive. Through a lucky accident, Matthias infiltrates the Population Police and tries to help his friends from within the corrupt system. This is the latest book in the Shadow Children series - feel free to read others.

Margaret Peterson Haddix

Annie, Between the States

Annie is torn between competing loyalties during the Civil War. This terrific book by last year's visiting author brims with adventure, romance, intrigue, and moral struggles as Annie finds herself embroiled in the heartbreak of a divided nation.

Laura Elliott

Aquamarine

When two best friends discover a lovesick mermaid washed ashore and living in a nearby swimming pool, the girls work together to try to give Aquamarine one magical evening before she returns to the ocean depths forever.

Alice Hoffman

Artemis Fowl series

Pit a 12-year-old, big-hearted criminal mastermind against Holly Short, fairy captain, and you end up with a fantastic and contemporary fairy story.  No wonder this series is so popular!

Eoin Colfer

Ashes of Roses

Sixteen-year-old Rose and her family arrive on Ellis Island in 1911 in the hopes of starting a new life, but after most of her family is sent back to Ireland, Rose must find her own way in a new country, fending for herself and her younger sister. This is a fascinating read that also will tie in with your History classes.

Mary Jane Auch

Assassin

Here’s a great book, full of adventure and historical detail, and perfect for all of you who enjoy reading diaries or journals. Lady Grace Cavendish, 13, favorite companion of Elizabeth I, must choose among three suitors. Mere hours later, one of the rejected young men is found stabbed to death and the others are missing. Lady Grace must solve the murder mystery and clear the name of her betrothed. Feel free to follow Lady Grace in her next court mysteries, Betrayal and Conspiracy.

Patricia Finney

Avalon High

Not quite sure what category this belongs in, but fans of the author’s Princess Diaries are sure to enjoy this part romance, part fantasy that puts a modern twist on the King Arthur legends. Head off for junior year with Ellie at her new high school and be amazed at the coincidences and adventures that await her.

Meg Cabot

Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast

Sixteen-year-old Beauty, undersized, awkward, but with a generous and loving heart, returns to an enchanted castle to fulfill her father’s promise to the Beast.

Robin McKinley

Beyond the Deepwoods (Edge Chronicles series)

Follow the adventures of Twig as he leaves the woodtrolls who adopted him to discover his fate as a sky pirate. The series is now complete with the newest and final (7^th!) installment, Freeglader, which provides a fitting conclusion to this marvelous fantasy.

Paul Stewart

Beyond the Western Sea: Volumes 1 and 2

Driven from their home in Ireland, a brother and sister meet their landlord’s runaway son in Liverpool, England, where all three wait to board a ship to the new world. Their adventures continue at sea and after they land in America to begin a new, and still difficult, life.

Avi

Boys of San Joaquin

In a small California town in 1951, twelve-year-old Paolo and his deaf cousin Billy get caught up in pranks, schemes, and budding romances as they search for money missing from their church. You’ll laugh out loud.

James Smith

Break with Charity: A Story about the Salem Witch Trials

This riveting novel about a fascinating episode in American history is based on historically accurate accounts of the Salem witch trials, but with a twist – Susanna knows that the witches’ accusers are lying, but she is afraid to speak out.

Ann Rinaldi

Bromeliad Trilogy: Truckers, Diggers, Wings

Remember Masklin, Grimma, and all the nomes from library class? Here’s your chance to continue their adventures through the trilogy. Enjoy the ride with these funny, thought-provoking little creatures as they try to “Go home” as instructed by the Thing.

Terry Pratchett

Bucking the Sarge

Luther, 14, seems to have it all: a forged driver’s license, a great car, a great friend, a college fund, but it all comes thanks to the illegal slumlord activities of his Mom, the Sarge. Will Luther, through his sense of humor and his good heart, manage to do the right thing and stick it to the man (well, actually, the woman – his bad, bad, bad Mom?)

Christopher Paul Curtis

Bud, Not Buddy

Bud may be a motherless runaway trying to survive during the Great Depression, but that doesn’t stop him from carefully following his own clever “rules of life” and the clues on an old jazz poster to search for his unknown Dad. You’ll love every minute of Bud’s adventures and the memorable characters he encounters while on his quest to find his father.

Christopher Paul Curtis

Carver: A Life in Poems

In a series of 59 poems Nelson traces George Washington Carver’s life, from the aftermath of the Civil War to his research work at the Tuskegee Institute. The poems themselves are unusual in theme and exquisitely written.

Marilyn Nelson

Chu Ju’s House

Chu Ju, 14, is a smart, likable girl living in present day rural China. When her mother gives birth to a second daughter and her grandmother decides they should sell the baby and hope for a boy next time, Chu Ju runs away to save her little sister and find her own future. A survival tale full of adventure and compassion.

Gloria Whelan

City of Ember and People of Sparks

The first suspenseful book tells the story of Lina and Doon as they struggle to learn the truth about the strange world they live in – a world that seems to be running out of everything and which must keep its lights from going out at all cost.  The adventure and tension build until the end – and now there’s a sequel!

Jeanne DuPrau

Code Orange

Mitty, a likable slacker at a NY prep school, ignores his looming biology paper until the last minute. When he begins to research smallpox he finds an envelope in an old book that contains a couple of smallpox scabs from the 1902 epidemic. Has he released the virus again? What should he do? Then he becomes the target of terrorists who want to use the virus as a weapon. You won’t be able to put this book down.

Caroline Cooney

Colibri

Equal parts mystery, treasure hunt, crime story, and spirit world, this book relates the adventures of a Mayan girl and her Uncle as they travel through present-day Guatemalan villages in search of the treasure that a fortune teller has promised is in their future. More important to Colibri is her search for answers about her missing parents….

Ann Cameron

Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Falsely accused of theft after his mother’s death and declared a “wolf’s head” whom any man may kill, Crispin flees the medieval village where he was raised. This Newbery winner is brimming with adventure and mystery.

Avi

Criss Cross

This year's Newbery winner truly is a winner. The summer she is 14, Debbie wishes for something different to happen, and while nothing dramatic results from this wish, she and her friends all sense the changes that lay just ahead for them as they grow up. Appealing characters, lots of drawings, and some poetry enliven this realistic story. While the book stands alone, Debbie originally was introduced in All Alone in the Universe. You might want to read it, too.

Lynne Rae Perkins

Cuba 15

Violet Paz, growing up in suburban Chicago, barely knows Spanish, and her dad refuses to talk about his Cuban roots, so it's a real surprise when Abuela insists that Violet have a quinceanero, the traditional coming-of-age ceremony.

Nancy Osa

Dark Hills Divide

Alexa knows the walls of her town are there to keep all safe, but when she finds the key to a secret passageway, she finds herself free to explore the mysterious forests and mountains where quests and adventures await.  Now there’s a sequel to enjoy: Beyond the Valley of the Thorns.

Patrick Carman

Dark is Rising series

The seventh son of a seventh son has set out on a quest to conquer the forces of darkness.  The odyssey takes Will, who is actually the last of the immortal Old Ones, through the twelve days of Christmas, with the Dark rising.  He must gather together the Six Signs of Light in a suspenseful tale set in snow and ice.  Enjoy any and all in the series.

Susan Cooper

Dark Sons

In this unique, award-winning novel, alternating poems compare the conflicted feelings of Ishmael, son of the biblical Abraham, and Sam, a teenager in present-day New York City, as they both try to come to terms with being abandoned by their fathers and with the love they feel for their younger stepbrothers.

Nikki Grimes

Dark Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural

A Coretta Scott King Award winner, these stories will have you jumping at an odd sound or looking over your shoulder to see who is following you. Often depicting revenge for racism, these tales are set within historical contexts.

Pat McKissack

Dave at Night

From the poverty of New York City's Lower East Side to the hope and magic of the Harlem Renaissance, the newly orphaned Dave tries to escape from the Hebrew Home for Boys in 1926 and is astonished by what he finds. This adventurous story also will give you a preview of some of the themes of 7th grade History.

Gail Carson Levine

Divide, Back to the Divide, and Jinx on the Divide

Open the Divide and enter a fascinating world where mythological creatures are real and humans are considered mythical.  Human boy Felix joins forces with Betony, an elf, to save her world and then figure out how to get Fellix back to his.  Warning:  It ends in a cliffhanger, so you may want to head right into the sequels!

Elizabeth Kay

Dragon Rider

This exciting adventure story is also filled with magic as Firedrake learns that the peaceful valley where he and the other silver dragons live is threatened with danger of discovery by humans and sets out on a quest with his friend Sorrel to find a new home for all dragons.

Cornelia Funke

Dragonsong series

Forbidden by her father to indulge in music in any way, a girl on the planet Pern runs away, taking shelter with the planet’s fire lizards who, along with her music, open a new life for her. Music and dragons are continuing themes in this terrific adventure-fantasy series.

Anne McCaffrey

Eager

The Bell family’s new robot, Eager, has been programmed to experience emotions and to learn from each new adventure. Eager and the two Bell children discover that their futuristic world is not as perfect as everyone thinks and that the newest breed of robots is planning a revolt. Eager must find the courage and know-how to disrupt the rebellion of the more advanced robots.

Helen Fox

Ear, the Eye, and the Arm

Set in Zimbabwe in the year 2194, the three children of the nation’s leader are kidnapped and face one fantastic adventure after another trying to find their way home again.

Nancy Farmer

Empty Mirror

This book has everything – historically accurate information about the influenza (flu) epidemic of 1918 combined with a spooky supernatural tale. Nick, 13, is known as a troublemaker, but he is upset when blamed for crimes he did not commit. Then he discovers that he no longer can see his reflection in the mirror and that there seems to be an evil double marauding through town. What is Nick to do?

James Lincoln Collier

Ender’s Game series

Intense is the word reviewers use for this series. Aliens have attacked twice and now military geniuses are bred and trained to try to protect human life on earth. Young Ender becomes leader of the pack in his special school, where the students are encouraged to play war games, both real and imagined.

Orson Scott Card

Eragon and Eldest

If you like fantasy, adventure, dragons, elves, and epic battles, then these are the books for you. The author wrote Eragon when only 15 and now has followed up with Eldest, which many people like even better.

Christopher Paolini

Fellowship of the Ring; Two Towers; Return of the King

Read The Hobbit? Ready to return to Middle Earth? Then dive into the trilogy – one of the most compelling, engrossing, and satisfying works of fantasy ever written.

J.R.R. Tolkien

Fever 1793

Early Philadelphia is vividly re-created in this coming-of-age story about Mattie’s life during the yellow fever epidemic that led to one of the great crises in American history. Pair this with Murphy’s Newbery-winning, compelling non-fiction account of the same event: An American Plague : The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 in the Non-Fiction section.

Laurie Anderson

Flipped

Ever notice how you and your friends often recall the same events differently? That's the premise here as, in alternating chapters, two teenagers (a girl and a boy) describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years.

Wendelin Van Draanen

Flying South

1968 was a year of such political and racial upheaval that it even affected the life of 11-year-old Alice in sleepy Charlottesville, Virginia. You’ll enjoy watching this spunky character navigate a year of big changes.

Laura Elliott

Full Tilt

Think you’re ready for this surreal, scary psychological adventure?  When sixteen-year-old Blake goes to a mysterious, by-invitation-only carnival, he discovers that he must survive seven different carnival rides before dawn, each one a terrifying reflection of one of his deepest fears.

Neal Shusterman

Game of Sunken Places

When Gregory and Brian visit Gregory’s mysterious and eccentric Uncle Max at his spooky mansion in rural Vermont, they discover an unusual board game that pulls them into unimaginable adventures.

M. T. Anderson

Giant Rat of Sumatra

San Diego, California in 1846 is not a safe place for “Shipwreck,” who is cabin boy on a pirate ship as war breaks out between the United States and Mexico. If you like pirates, adventure, jewel thefts, and mysteries, then this is the book for you.

Sid Fleischman

Giver; Gatherine Blue; Messenger

If you have not yet read The Giver, the classic unsettling book about a perfect, controlling society and the role young Jonas is asked to play in it, then now is the time. You will remember this Newbery winner forever. You may want to continue with Gathering Blue and Messenger. They are “companion” books to The Giver – not quite sequels, but related by theme.

Lois Lowry

Goblin Wood

Adventure, humor, fantasy, and a bit of romance – who could ask for more? Makenna, a young hedgewitch, is forced to flee the day her mother is murdered for practicing magic. As her adventures unfold, she finds herself the head of a goblin army fighting against a campaign to rid the world of all magical creatures.

Hilari Bell

Great Gilly Hopkins (and any other Katherine Paterson books)

Gilly is a contrary foster child who lands in a home with a learning disabled child, a disagreeable mother, and an old man next door who is blind. All Gilly wants is to find her mother...

Katherine Paterson

Gregor the Overlander series

In this action-packed fantasy, Gregor and his little sister are pulled into a strange underground world, triggering an epic battle involving humans, bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy. Feel free to head right into the 2 sequels – it just keeps getting better.

Suzanne Collins

Habibi

Liyana Abboud's family is moving from St. Louis to Jerusalem, the land where her father was born. What does Jerusalem hold for her? She meets a new grandmother in the West Bank, a history much bigger than she is, and Omer...a Jewish boy.

Naomi Shihab Nye

Harry Potter series

Been waiting for some free time to tackle a Harry Potter book? Now’s your chance – enjoy!

J. K. Rowling

Hatching Magic

When a small dragon accidentally finds her way into 21^st century Boston, it is up to eleven-year-old Theodora to try to set things right between the wizard who owns the dragon and Professor Merlin of Harvard.

Ann Downer

Heir Apparent

While playing a total immersion virtual reality game, Giannine learns that the equipment to which she is connected has been damaged and the game has become terrifyingly real. Now she must win the game quickly or else! At times heart-stopping, at times filled with slapstick humor, you will cheer for Giannine as she learns from her mistakes and battles to win the game and save her life.

Vivian VandeVelde

Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices

Marvelous Walter Dean Myers offers a collection of new poems, all written in the first person in the unique voices of the various residents of the neighborhood that combine to reveal a vivid portrait of his beloved Harlem.

Walter Dean Myers

Heroes Don't Run

In this final installment of Adam's story, (after Boy At War and Boy No More,) Adam, now 17, lies about his age so that he can join the marines in 1944. He survives boot camp and then is sent to Okinawa. Adam's first person narration brings to life the gritty reality of war. This historically accurate novel stands alone, but you might want to follow Adam through the WWII trilogy, starting with Boy at War when he was fourteen and living in Honolulu when Pearl Harbor was attacked.

Henry Mazer

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series

Seconds before Earth is demolished to make room for a galactic freeway, an earthman is saved by his friend in this zany mixture of British humor, and science fiction.  This is the first of five, so keep reading!

Douglas Adams

Hoot

Humor, mystery, and adventure all play a part in this story about Roy as he tries to avoid a bully while becoming involved in an unorthodox plot to save a colony of burrowing owls from a construction site. You'll love this unique Newbery Honor book. Try Flush, too -- the newest by this author.

Carl Hiassen

House of Tailors

When thirteen-year-old Dina emigrates from Germany to America in 1871, her only wish is to return home as soon as she can, but as the months pass and she survives a multitude of hardships living with her relatives, she finds herself beginning to think of Brooklyn as home.

Patricia Giff

House of the Scorpion

This gritty, thought-provoking science fiction novel follows the connection between El Patron, the 140-year-old patriarch of the Alacran family who rules a narrow strip of land between the U.S. and Mexico, and Matt, a young clone, despised by almost everyone, who holds the key to the future of the Alacran empire. Winner of multiple awards.

Nancy Farmer

Ice Drift

This page-turning survival tale is set in the Arctic in 1868. Inuit brothers Alika and Sulu are seal hunting when the ice shelf they are on is rammed by an iceberg and detaches from their island. As the boys drift south into warmer waters, they must survive on their shrinking bit of ice.

Theodore Taylor

Inkheart and Inkspell

Meggie learns that her father, Mo, can "read" fictional characters to life when an evil ruler named Capricorn, freed from a novel years earlier, tries to force Mo to release an immortal monster from the story. Adventures abound and then continue in the sequel.

Cornelia Funke

Jimi & Me

Keith, a mixed-race 13-year-old, has a great life in Brooklyn living in comfort with his Mom and his successful, record-producing Dad, who encourages and shares Keith's interests in guitar and the music of Jimi Hendrix. But when his Dad dies and he has to move to Cleveland, absolutely everything changes. A novel written in free verse.

Jaime Adoff

King of Mulberry Street

In the 1890's when he was just a boy, Beniamino's Mom smuggled him onto a boat from Italy to New York in the hope that he would find a better life there. But how can a boy survive alone in New York? Well, first he finds friends in the same situation. This is a remarkable immigrant story based on the actual experiences of the author's ancestor.

Donna Jo Napoli

Kite Rider

To what lengths will Haoyou , 12, go to fend for himself and protect his widowed mother from their greedy, overbearing uncle and a suitor responsible for his father's death? Will he fly from the top of Chinese sailing ships? Entertain the Mongol leader Kublai Khan? You won't be able to put down this remarkable adventure tale.

Geraldine McCaughrean

Land; Roll of Thunder; Let the Circle Be Unbroken

Start this moving series with The Land where Paul Edward, the son of a part-Indian, part-African enslaved mother and a white plantation owner father, finds himself caught between the two worlds of his parents as he pursues his dream of owning land in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Mildred Taylor

Legend of the Wandering King

Set in ancient Arabia, this intriguing and unique fable follows Prince Walid on his quest to right the terrible wrong he committed out of jealousy.

Laura Gallego Garcia

Lightning Thief

OK, it’s true; Percy is ADHD, and he has been expelled from six schools.  But why are some of his teachers trying to kill him?  Just in time, Mom tells him the truth.  His father is Poseidon, he is a half-blood, a lot of the gods and goddesses are really made, and it seems to be up to Percy and his new friend Annabeth (half-blood daughter of Athena) to set things right.  You’ll laugh, you’ll gasp, you’ll groan, and you might even look up some Greek myths to get all the jokes.  (See D’Aulaires Book of Greek Myths listed under Folklore, Myths, and Legends.)

Rick Riordan

Lionboy Trilogy

Lionboy:  The Truth, the final installment in this exciting trilogy, will meet all your expectations, as Charlie Ashanti is kidnapped in Morocco and taken to the Caribbean for genetic experiments.  Charlie must use all of his cleverness as well as his ability to speak to cats (including lions) to free himself and stop the evil Corporacy.  If you’ve not yet started this trilogy, then happy reading ahead – enjoy all 3!

Zizou Corder

Lord of the Nutcracker Men

The horrors of war become all too real to Johnny, an English boy whose toymaker father has enlisted during World War I. Every letter his father sends home includes a hand-carved toy soldier which Johnny uses for his war games until he comes to believe that the battles he and his friends are enacting are affecting the war his father is fighting in the trenches.

Iain Lawrence

Little Women; Little Men; anything else by Alcott

The four sisters growing up in the 1860’s could be growing up today in terms of their frustrations, dreams, embarrassments, griefs, and triumphs. Little Men picks up the story with the next generation, and an eccentrically run school for boys who don’t fit in. Classic books that will stay in your memory for a lifetime.

Louisa May Alcott

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy

Turner Buckminster hates his new home – a small Maine town where the kids are unwelcoming and he can’t play his beloved baseball – until he meets Lizzie, a smart and spunky African American girl who lives in a small, tight-knit community on a nearby island. But the white residents of Turner’s town have plans for that island and enlist Turner’s minister father to help destroy the African American community, pitting Lizzie and Turner against the town leaders.

Gary Schmidt

Lost Years of Merlin series

The first book in this marvelous Merlin series starts with the beginning, which is actually unknown.  Merlin finds himself thrown from the sea, washed up, knowing nothing of his background or parentage.  Celtic and Druid mythology, the powers of nature, and the imagery of water all make this series an absorbing and exciting read.

T.A. Barron

Mango-Shaped Space

Afraid that she is crazy, 13-year-old Mia, who sees a special color with every letter, number, and sound, keeps this a secret until she becomes overwhelmed by school, changing relationships, and the death of Mango, her cat. While this is fiction, Mia's condition, synesthesia, is a real one, and the novel gives excellent insight into what it is like to live with this unusual disorder.

Wendy Mass

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

Max and her friends, all with wings and grown super-powerful as a result of genetic experiements, have escaped from the scientific institute that kept them in cages and tortured in the name of research.  Will they be able to evade the Erasers (part men, part wolves) sent to track them and bring them back?  Non-stop action and thrills await.  A sequel will be released soon.

James Patterson

Midwife's Apprentice

Beetle rises from the dung heap, filthy but warmed from a night's sleep, and sets off to find food. She also finds Jane Sharp, a midwife, to whom she becomes an apprentice. Beetle's story provides an accurate and humorous account of daily life in a medieval English village. Newbery winner.

Karen Cushman

Milkweed

Set in Warsaw, Poland, in 1939, a street child, known only as Stopthief, finds community when he is taken in by a band of orphans who help him weather the horrors of the Nazi regime.

Jerry Spinelli

Mister Monday (Keys to the Kingdom series)

In this first book in a thrilling new series, Arthur’s life is saved by a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock, but bizarre creatures from another realm are determined to take the key back even if it means killing him.  You’ll enjoy the 3 sequels – the series stays strong.

Garth Nix

Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman?

Leading a suspenseful double life in Victorian England, the mysterious Montmorency makes great use of the newly designed sewer system that runs beneath London to embark upon a remarkable crime spree. If you like this, there are 2 sequels for you to enjoy.

Eleanor Updale

Narnia series

Never read these classic fantasies?  Start with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and step into the alternate world of Narnia  After reading some of these best-loved books, every time you open an attic door or unknown closet, you will wonder what adventure awaits.

C.S. Lewis

Old Country

This hard-to-classify novel is much more sophisticated and complex than it appears. Part fantasy, part war novel, this unusual and intriguing story is told by Gisella whose life changes forever in unimaginable ways the day her big brother is forced into the army.

Mordecai Gerstein

Olive's Ocean

Martha does a lot of growing up during a summer visit to her grandmother's cottage by the ocean. She gains perspective on the death of a classmate, on her relationship with her grandmother, on her feelings for an older boy, and on her plans to become a writer. A Newbery Honor book.

Kevin Henkes

Once and Future King

Open this classic and begin an adventurous journey into medieval England and through King Arthur's remarkable life from birth to the end of his reign.

T. H. White

Only You Can Save Mankind

Johnny realizes something is very wrong when the aliens in his new videogame surrender and ask for help returning to their home planet. When Johnny does help them, all the aliens in everyone's videogames vanish, leaving players angry and annoyed. But there's much more at stake here as Johnny tries to save the Scree Wee race of aliens from extinction. Funny, quirky, adventure-filled, by the author of the nome books.

Terry Pratchett

Orwell's Luck

When a 7th grader finds an injured rabbit in the driveway, she names him Orwell and nurses him back to health. And then the magic begins - Orwell starts to communicate with the girl through the horoscope column in the daily paper!

Richard Jennings

Other Side of Truth

This adventure story feels pulled right from the headlines. In Lagos, Nigeria, 12-year-old Sade's mother is shot to death by gunmen aiming for Sade's journalist father. To ensure his children's safety, her father arranges false identities and sends Sade and her younger brother to London, while he remains behind in Nigeria. What can Sade do to ensure her family's survival?

Beverly Naidoo

Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place

Uncooperative? Unreasonable? According to the camp director, Margaret doesn't belong there. Fine with Margaret. Instead, she joins forces with her eccentric uncles and the young handyman from camp in a crusade to save their home of brightly painted towers from destruction.

E. L. Konigsburg

Peter and the Starcatchers

Ever wonder how Captain Hook, Peter Pan, and the Lost Boys ended up in Neverland? What's the real story behind Captain Hook's hook? And why doesn't Peter ever grow up? Find all the answers in this humorous, swash-buckling, treasure-filled adventure story that's a prequel to Peter Pan. Feel free to read the original, too, of course!

Dave Barry

Phantom Tollbooth

When bored Milo (and bored is the key word here) dusts off his toy car, pays his toll, and drives on through, he begins a journey to a magical land. Join him and you'll never admit to being bored again.

Norman Juster

Pictures of Hollis Woods

A foster child with a huge heart, artistic hands, and an unfortunate dose of skepticism worms her way into not one but two separate families. A Newbery Honor book.

Patricia Giff

Ptolemy's Gate (Bartimaeus trilogy)

Already a fan of the Bartimaeus series? Then you'll be excited to know that this final volume is the best yet! Bartimaeus is as witty as ever and Nathaniel and Kitty face amazing challenges as all questions are finally answered. If you're new to this series, then start with The Amulet of Samarkand and The Golem's Eye.

Jonathan Stroud

Raven's Gate (Gatekeepers series)

Here's something new for Alex Rider fans. In the first book of the new Gatekeepers series, Matt, a troubled fourteen-year-old English boy, uncovers an evil plot involving witchcraft and the site of an ancient stone circle. You won't be able to put this book down! Evil Star (Gatekeepers #2) will come out this summer.

Anthony Horowitz

Ravenmaster's Secret: Escape from the Tower of London

Forrest lives at the Tower of London where his father's job is to guard prisoners and care for the famous ravens that live within the walls. When Forrest secretly makes friends with a Scottish girl imprisoned in the Bloody Tower, the two become involved in an intrigue that is both dangerous and treasonous.

Elvira Woodruff

Ruby in the Smoke, Shadow in the North, Tiger in the Well trilogy

"Her name was Sally Lockhart, and within fifteen minutes, she was going to kill a man." Thus begins the first in Pullman's Victorian London trilogy. How can you resist such an opening?

Philip Pullman

Saffy's Angel; Indigo's Star; and Permanent Rose

Have you read Saffy's Angel? Then you'll definitely want to read more adventures of the eccentric, artsy, funny Casson family. There's so much going on in these books, just like in the family, that it's all too hard to describe - just start reading and enjoy!

Hilary McKay

Same Stuff as Stars

When Angel and her little brother Bernie are dumped at their great grandmother's poor farm by their selfish mother, it is up to Angel to find a way for them to survive. This is a beautifully told tale of resilience and hope.

Katherine

Patterson

Samir and Yonatan

Samir, a Palestinian boy, is sent for surgery to an Israeli hospital where he becomes friends with an Israeli boy, Yonatan. But he is still haunted by the West Bank violence that led to the death of his little brother.

Daniella Carmi

Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind

Shabanu lives happily in the Cholistan desert of modern Pakistan with her family of nomadic camel-herders. She and her beautiful sister are betrothed to brothers, but when tragedy hits, plans change. Now Shabanu is expected to marry an older, wealthy man in order to settle a feud. Should she run away from all she loves, bringing shame to her family, or go through with the marriage?

Suzanne Fisher Staples

Shackleton's Stowaway

Based on the facts of the remarkable survival story of the Endurance, a ship that froze in the ice when attempting to explore Antarctica in 1914, this novel conveys the bravery, boredom, and fear faced by the crew as they weathered months trapped at the bottom of the world. Pair this with Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World or Ice Story (see below) for fascinating non-fiction accounts of this remarkable event.

Victoria McKernan

Shining Company (or any others by this author)

In 600 A.D. in northern Britain, Prosper, 12, becomes a shield bearer with the Companions, an army made up of three hundred younger sons of minor kings trained to act as one fighting brotherhood against the invading Saxons.

Rosemary Sutcliff

Shiva's Fire

From the day of her birth during the cyclone that killed her father and devastated her village in southern India, Parvati has known instinctively that she is different. How will she incorporate her mystical abilties and love of dance into the traditional role expected of her?

Suzanne Fisher Staples

Sign of the Qin

Adventure rules in this story based loosely on Chinese mythology that also includes elements of fantasy. Hard to classify, and also hard to put down as you are "propelled from the lush opulence of the Emperor's palace to the filthy slums outside it, from misty swamps to the Gobi Desert's desolation, from Heaven to the Netherworld dominion of Yamu, god of death." And the action never stops.

L. G. Bass

Small Steps

Remember Armpit from Holes? Well, he takes center stage in this latest novel by Sachar. Armpit's plan is to be an upstanding citizen from now on, but then X-Ray shows up with a new scheme, and suddenly.you'll have to read to find out.

Louis Sachar

Sports Shorts: An Anthology of Short Stories

Calling all sports fans! Also calling all who can't make a play to save their lives. Here's 8 stories, each one written by a different acclaimed author, recalling their days of glory (or not) as school athletes. (or not.) You'll laugh, you'll groan, you'll recognize yourself and your friends in these terrific stories.

Joseph Bruchac

Squire's Tale and others

Here are the familiar stories from the Arthurian legends re-told in an accessible and humorous way. The first two of the series revolve around Terence, the mysterious young squire to Sir Gawain. Read any of the books in this entertaining series.

Gerald Morris

Stargirl

At first Mica High School does not know what to make of Stargirl, a teen who animates the school with her colorful personality. Eventually they seem to accept her until she steps too far out of the teenaged "norm" and suddenly finds herself shunned for her refusal to conform. An accessible and absorbing read.

Jerry Spinelli

Star of Kazan

Annika, a foundling, is happy growing up in 1900 Vienna with her extended "family," but when a glamorous stranger arrives, claiming to be her mother, Annika tries to adjust to her new aristocratic life. But all is not as it seems, and mysteries and adventures abound.

Eva Ibbotson

Subtle Knife and Amber Spyglass

Did you love The Golden Compass? The subsequent books in this amazing trilogy immediately pick up the action and suspense. Lyra and her new friend, Will, travel the worlds with the subtle knife and the alithiometer, as they attempt to triumph over the dark forces of Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter.

Philip Pullman

Supernaturalist

In this futuristic adventure, Cosmo must survive high-tech car races and precarious space flights as he is sent on a mysterious mission involving supernatural parasites that only he and a few others can see.

Eoin Colfer

Sword of the Rightful King

In this masterful retelling of the famous legend, Merlinnus the magician devises a way for Arthur to prove himself the rightful king of England--pulling a sword from a stone--but trouble arises when someone else removes the sword first.

Jane Yolen

Tangerine

What happens when your family moves to Tangerine County, Florida, where electrical storms and lignite deposits create an otherworldly atmosphere and where your brother commits an act of violence that leaves you permanently affected? Find out what's going on in one of the most consistently popular books among 7th and 8th graders.

Edward Bloor

Taking Care of Moses

Eleven-year-old Randall must decide whether or not to keep the secret of the baby found on the steps of the Rock of Ages Baptist Church. Humorous and poignant while dealing with big themes.

Barbara O'Connor

Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts

When their teacher up and dies right before school starts, Russell and his buddies think they are in for a fun fall. But, unfortunately, a new teacher is quickly found, and, worst of all, it's Russell's big sister! Hilarious story full of antics and high jinks set in rural Indiana in 1904.

Richard Peck

View from Saturday

This plot of interweaving puzzle pieces centers on Mrs. Olinski's sixth-grade Academic Bowl team as they compete at the state finals. The story is revealed as each character tells the tale from his or her point of view. A Newbery Honor book.

E. L. Konigsburg

Warriors

Jake, a 13-year-old Iroquois boy, is known on the reservation for his talent at the sacred game of lacrosse. When his family moves to Washington, D.C., Jake enrolls in a prestigious boys' prep school. His LAX skills are valued there, but Jake grows frustrated with his coach's misleading statements about Native Americans.

Joseph Bruchac

When My Name Was Keoko

Here's a WWII story from another perspective based on the true experiences of the author's Korean relatives. Before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japan invaded and occupied Korea, changing everything for narrator Sun-hee (re-named Keoko by the Japanese) and for her older brother, who joins the war.

Linda Sue Park

Where I'd Like to Be

Maddie is fascinated by Murphy, a new girl who arrives at the East Tennessee Children's Home with tales of traveling overseas and knowing how to float through the air. The girls, along with several friends, build a remarkable fort that allows them to imagine the homes that may someday be theirs.

Frances Dowell

Wind in the Willows

The world and adventures of Toad Hall, Badger, Ratty, Mole, and their human-like companions definitely deserve a visit. Funny and moving, this classic is pure pleasure to read.

Kenneth Grahame

Witch Child and Sorceress

Caught up into a luxurious carriage galloping away from a witch's hanging in London, Mary is thrust onto a ship heading for the New World to escape a similar fate. From the breathtaking beginning to its mysterious, promising ending, this novel mixes stark realism with high adventure. Sorceress is a terrific sequel -- you'll want to read it, too.

Celia Rees

Wreckers, Smugglers, Buccaneers (High Seas trilogy)

The perfect adventure story: ships lured onto the rocks by bands of plundering Cornishmen, captive father enchained in a rat-filled sewer, a luxurious mansion furnished with stolen goods, and the central question: who can you trust? This trilogy will keep you glued to the pages from start to finish. A wonderful mix of true history and fictional suspense.

Iain Lawrence

Wringer; Library Card; Loser

If you haven't read any of these books yet, then treat yourself to one or two. They will make you think.

Jerry Spinelli

Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad

This version brings Homer's Iliad to life for Middle School readers. Achilles, Helen, and Odysseus all appear larger than life during the ten-year siege of Troy. Follow this with McCaughrean's Odysseus (see below) to learn what happens after the Trojan War.

Rosemary Sutcliff

Complete Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault

Think you're too old for fairy tales? You may have a different opinion once you dive into this terrific translation of all 11 tales attributed to master folklorist Perrault, including his dramatic Little Red Riding Hood, (without a huntsman to come to the rescue,) Sleeping Beauty, (the princess doesn't live happily ever after until she has endured bitter trials,) and the bloody tale of Bluebeard.

Neil Philip

D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths

Curious about those scamps who live on Mt. Olympus after reading The Lightning Thief? No education is complete without knowledge of Greek mythology, and here is one of the best versions for Middle Schoolers, complete with beautiful illustrations of gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines. Enjoy!

Ingri D'Aulaire

Gilgamesh the Hero

This epic is the oldest recorded story in the world. Gilgamesh was a real king around 3000 B.C. in the Sumerian city of Uruk (now Iraq.) The story pits the mighty warrior against the gods in his quest for immortality.

Geraldine McCaughrean

Girl Who Married a Lion

Like a breath of fresh air, you will enjoy this wealth of traditional African folk tales starring animals and humans, recounted with humor, simplicity and great affection for African culture.

Alexander McCall Smith

Golden Hoard

This broad collection of myths and legends about creation, romance, and adventure is exciting, magical, humorous, and poetic.

Geraldine McCaughrean

Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales

Seventeen heroic female characters, primarily from tall tales, fairy tales, and folk tales, fill this wonderful collection that is a winner of the Coretta Scott King award.

Virginia Hamilton

In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World

Culled from myths about beginnings, this collection is filled with the wonder and joy of discovering one's origins.

Virginia Hamilton

Odysseus

Filled with suspense, wild action, immortals, monsters, and heroes, this is a masterful retelling of Odysseus' struggles to return home to his Penelope after the Trojan War.

Geraldine McCaughrean

People Could Fly: American Black Folk Tales

African American folk tales inventively use animals and fantasy to relate stories of hope and freedom. Winner of the Coretta Scott King award, this collection celebrates the indomitable human spirit.

Virginia Hamilton

Rainbow People

In the 1930's, Chinese immigrants shared folk tales from their native land. Yep compiled these recollections into this collection of twenty short stories that provide a fascinating glimpse into Chinese culture.

Laurence Yep

Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit

Remember hearing some of these tales in library class this year? You'll laugh at the adventures and misadventures of Brer Rabit and his friends (and enemies) in this wonderful version of these classic African American folk tales.

Julius Lester

Non-Fiction

American Plague : The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793

Hitting in the first 20 years of the new nation, the yellow fever epidemic was a crisis of monumental proportions. History, science, politics, and public health come together in this dramatic account, filled with heroes, confusion, and a constitutional crisis. This 2004 Newbery Honor book pairs well with Anderson's Fever 1793 in Historical Fiction (above.)

Jim Murphy

Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl

If you haven't yet read this, now's the time. Anne Frank recorded exactly what she saw and felt when her family went into hiding during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam.

Anne Frank

Black Frontiers: A History of African-American Heroes of the Old West

Find out what life was like for African American mountain men, soldiers, homesteaders, and scouts on the frontiers of the American West.

Lillian Schlissel

Cosmos

Calling all science lovers: this is the book for you. The best selling science book of all time examines the evolution of the universe, human knowledge, and the scientific method and speculates on the existence of life on other planets.

Carl Sagan

Curse of the Pharaohs : My Adventures with Mummies

Intrigued by ancient Egypt, King Tut, and mummies' curses? Egypt's head of The Supreme Council of Antiquities has led quite an adventurous life battling robbers and uncovering hidden tombs and treasures and he tells you all about it in this fascinating book that includes remarkable photographs.

Zahi Hawass

Dream of Freedom: the Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1968

This critically acclaimed, attractive, and powerful book examines the rise of the Civil Rights movement in America, the men and women whose lives made an impact in the pursuit of social and political equality, and landmark Supreme Court cases that changed the fabric of American society.

Diane McWhorter

Elephant Memories

Years of observing how elephants fare in the face of droughts, poachers, Maasai hunters, and tourists are shared here in such a way that you will come to know and love Teresia, Slit Ear, Tuskless Tania, and the rest of the herd.

Cynthia Moss

Endless Steppe: Growing Up in Siberia

During World War II, when she was eleven years old, the author and her family were arrested in Poland by the Russians as political enemies and exiled to Siberia. Hautzig recounts the trials of the following five years spent trying to survive on the harsh Asian steppe.

Esther Hautzig

ER Vets: Life in an Animal Emergency Room

Pet lovers will enjoy this award-winning look at the workings of a veterinary emergency room. Case studies, great photos, and tips on pet health are included, as well as some fascinating pet facts from history (such as the pig put on trial for murdering a child in the 15th century.)

Donna Jackson

Farewell to Manzanar

The author relates her experiences of living at the Manzanar internment camp during World War II with her Japanese-American family and how those years have influenced her life.

Jeanne Houston

Forbidden Schoolhouse

In Connecticut in the 1830's, when an African American teenager asked if she could attend Prudence Crandall's boarding school for girls, Crandall agreed. Immediately the white families pulled their daughters from the school, so Crandall turned it into a school for African-American students. This decision angered the town and placed Crandall, her students, and the school in great danger.

Suzanne Jermain

Freedom Riders

This book follows two college students, one black and one white, as they headed South in 1961 to participate in the important and dangerous struggle for civil rights. Includes photos and a foreword written by both the men that tells where they are now and what they do today - forty-five years later.

Ann Bausum

Genius: A Photobiography of Albert Einstein

Through words and photographs, this new biography from National Geographic examines Einstein's personal life as well as his remarkable scientific achievements.

Marfe Delano

George Washington, Spymaster

This fascinating account of espionage during the Revolutionary War will be gobbled up by History buffs and anyone interested in codes, ciphers, and spies. "One of by land, two if by sea" is only the most famous of the espionage exploits used by accomplished spymasters such as Washington and Ben Franklin.

Thomas Allen

Good Brother, Bad Brother: the Story of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth

Winner of multiple awards, this fascinating biography reveals the remarkable lives of the intriguing Booth brothers, one of whom supported the North and the other of whom was such a passionate supporter of the South that he assassinated Abraham Lincoln.

James Giblin

Guinea Pig Scientists

Don't try this at home! This fascinating book reveals the amazing risks and experiments that early scientists tried on themselves in their zeal to solve some of science's biggest mysteries. This riveting book is historically and scientifically accurate, but definitely not for the squeamish.

Leslie Dendy

Hitler Youth : Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow

What was it like to be a teenager living in Hitler's Germany? This award-winning, photo-filled book tries to answer that question by looking at the youth organizations that Adolf Hitler founded and used to further his goals. Profiles of some Hitler Youth members as well as some young people who opposed the Nazis also are included.

Susan Bartoletti

Ice Story: Shackleton's Lost Expedition

You won't believe this terrifying and thrilling tale is true, but it is. In 1914, an expedition set off to be the first to cross the continent of Antarctica. Instead, 27 men encountered many disasters, including the sinking of their ship . For more information see also Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World (below) or for an excellent fictional account, Shackleton's Stowaway (in Historical Fiction.)

Elizabeth Kimmel

In These Girls, Hope Is a Muscle

The Amherst High School basketball team always does well until the crunch of the playoffs. One year, though, the girls put respect on the agenda and play beyond their personal best.

Madeleine Blais

Last Chance to See

Adams' (author of Hitchhiker's Guide) trademark zany style shines through in this non-fiction work as he moves between laugh-out-loud descriptions of his travels to serious pleas for awareness and conservation of all animals. The BBC sponsored this team of author and zoologist on their journey throughout the world to find and film some of the most endangered species.

Douglas Adams

Leonardo da Vinci

Everybody knows that Leonardo was a genius, but this new, lively biography gives you a chance to understand the amazing range of his remarkable scientific achievements and the close connection between science and art.

Kathleen Krull

Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters

This award-winning book presents eloquent portraits of 10 intrepid African-American women activists for the causes of abolition, women's rights, and civil rights.

Andrea Pinckney

Marooned

Subtitled The Strange but True Adventures of Alexander Selkirk, the Real Robinson Crusoe, this book brims with adventure and survival. Selkirk defied a direct order from the captain of his ship and was punished by being abandoned on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific. You may decide also to read the classic novel, Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, which is a fictionalized account of Selkirk's adventure.

Robert Kraske

Meeting Dolphins: My Adventures in the Sea

Written from her own experiences, Dudzinski's book is a fascinating look into the world of marine mammals and very inspiring for budding zoologists.

Kathleen Dudzinski

Portraits of African American Heroes

Twenty outstanding African Americans, ranging from Frederick Douglass to Judith Jamison to Ben Carson, are profiled in this lovely book of portraits and lively words that capture the unique accomplishments of each subject.

Tonya Bolden

Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America

You may think you already know all about Jackie Robinson, but this new biography by his daughter shares never before seen family mementos and memories of her famous father and his remarkable impact on America's game and American history.

Sharon Robinson

Race to Save the Lord God Bird

This fascinating award-winner chronicles the attempt to save from extinction the ivory-billed woodpecker, once prevalent in the southeastern United States, but last spotted in Cuba in 1987. You'll be riveted by this true environmental tale full of mystery and suspense.

Phillip Hoose

Real Revolution : the Global Story of American Independence

This fascinating and well-researched account of the American Revolution takes a broader view by focusing on the events happening around the world that impacted the colonists and their quest for freedom.

Marc Aronson

Remember D-Day

Offering remarkable historical photos and first-hand accounts by some of the soldiers who survived , this is a well-written, accurate, and detailed account of the Allied invasion of Nazi-controlled Europe that marked a turning point in the war.

Ronald Drez

Secrets of a Civil War Submarine

All of you learned a lot about the Civil War this year, but this new book gives new insight into the mystery behind the disappearance of a Civil War submarine, as well as more general info about the history of submarines. Did you know the first sub was built during the Revolutionary War?

Sally Walker

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World

Subtitled The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance, you'll be amazed by this unbelievable true story of survival as the exploratory ship became frozen in the Antarctic ice and then eventually sank, leaving the men stranded in small life boats far from any chance of rescue. Pair this with the acclaimed fictionalized account of the same event, Shackleton's Stowaway. (see above) or read Ice Story (above) for another factual account.

Jennifer Armstrong

Strong Right Arm: the Story of Mamie "Peanut" Johnson

If you love cheering for the underdog, then this is the biography for you! One of only three women to ever play professional baseball, tiny Mamie Johnson earned her nickname in the Negro League when a batter told the crowd she was "no bigger than a peanut" and he wasn't afraid of her. She proceeded to strike him out with a curve ball taught to her by Satchel Paige himself!

Michelle Green

Tarantula Scientist

This new and highly acclaimed science book, a winning combination of amazing photos and fascinating text, reveals all you could ever want to know about spiders, including the world's largest specimen, the Goliath birdeating tarantula.

Sy Montgomery

Understanding the Holy Land: Answering Questions about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

It's in the news everyday. Now there's an excellent, balanced book to help you understand the historical background to and causes of the age-old enmity between the two groups.

Mitch Frank

Upstairs Room

Reiss writes about the two and a half years when she and her Jewish family hid in a small farmhouse where a kind Dutch family ingeniously protected them, even when German soldiers occupied the home. There's also a sequel, Journey Back.

Johanna Reiss

Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights

An important piece of American history happened right here when Marian Anderson, one of the most gifted voices ever, was refused the right to perform at Constitution Hall because of the color of her skin and instead performed before tens of thousands at the Lincoln Memorial. This moving biography follows Anderson's important life and the parallel life of the civil rights movement in America.

Russell Freedman

Wake Up Our Souls : A Celebration of Black American Artists

This attractive and informative book, published in conjunction with the Smithsonian, celebrates the art works, the history, and the important contributions of African American artists.

Tonya Bolden

With a Little Luck : Surprising Stories of Amazing Discoveries

The discoveries of penicillin, Neptune, pulsars, and the Dead Sea Scrolls all involved luck, but what these 11 inspiring stories reveal is that the scientists needed to be ready to take advantage of the luck when it arrived.

Dennis Fradin

With Courage and Cloth : Winning the Fight for a Woman's Right to Vote

This award-winner charts the history of the long and difficult fight for women's suffrage. You may well be surprised and impressed at the grit, fiery determination, and radical tactics used to get the vote.

Ann Bausum