th
5 and 6
th
Benjamin Franklinstein Lives!
Matthew McElligott
Victor Godwin's orderly life is upended when he discovers that Benjamin Franklin never actually died- he was
put into suspended animation and hidden away for more than 200 years in Victor's basement! After an accident
reawakens Ben, Victor must not only help him adjust to the modern world but also help him overcome a slight
flaw-when Ben runs low on energy, he turns into a rampaging monster desperately hungry for electricity! All
this while trying to take first place in the school science fair. With one of history's preeminent scientists helping
out, what could go wrong?
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Publication date: 8/4/2011
Pages: 224
Age range: 8 - 12 Years
AR 4.4
Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading
Tommy Greenwald
Charlie Joe Jackson may be the most reluctant reader ever born. And so far, he’s managed to get through life
without ever reading an entire book from cover to cover. But now that he’s in middle school, avoiding reading
isn’t as easy as it used to be. And when his friend Timmy McGibney decides that he’s tired of covering for him,
Charlie Joe finds himself resorting to desperate measures to keep his perfect record intact.This is the hilarious
story of an avid non-reader and the extreme lengths to which he’ll go to get out of reading a book.
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Publication date: 5/8/2012
Pages: 240
Age range: 9 - 12 Years
AR 5.4
Edgar Allan's Official Crime Investigation Notebook
MARY AMATO
of other stories. But fishnapping? This may be the first in all of children's literature. But a fish is only the beginning. Soon,
the thief is back. More items disappear from the classroom, Edgar Allan becomes more determined than find out who is
behind such criminal mischief. If there is one thing he strives to succeed at, it is this, and his and his aim is to beat his
rival, Patrick Chen, in solving the case. Edgar's skills of observation are an important part of his investigation, and he
finds himself watching several possible culprits closely, including Taz, Destiny and Kip. What he learns about ultimately
helps move them from Edgar Allan's suspects list to his friends list. We should all be so wary of the people we
encounter. Another clever book about friendship and language from the imaginative Amato, this is sure to be a hit with
young mystery readers.
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Publication date: 6/15/2011
Pages: 176
Age range: 8 - 11 Years
AR 4.3
Max Cassidy: Escape from Shadow Island
Paul Adam
Max Cassidy can escape from anything.
Only fourteen years old, Max is the world's foremost escape artist. Chained, handcuffed, locked in an airtight
water tank, there's nothing he can't get himself out of. He learned the art from his father—a man who just two
years ago was murdered and Max's mother went to jail for the crime.
Now a mysterious man has shown up backstage after one of Max's shows, telling Max that not only is his
mother innocent, but his father is still alive. He can provide only one clue: a slip of paper with eight digits
written on it. It is this clue that will lead Max from his home in London to the exotic and deadly Central
American country of Santo Domingo and the impenetrable fortress on the sinister Isla de Sombra.
Max Cassidy can escape from anything—but given the chance to finally know the truth about what has torn his
family apart, escape from Shadow Island is the last thing on his mind.
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Publication date: 2/15/2011
Pages: 295
Age range: 8 - 12 Years
AR 4.9
Missing on Superstition Mountain
Elise Broach
It’s summer and the three Barker brothers—Simon, Henry, and Jack—just moved from Illinois to Arizona.
Their parents have warned them repeatedly not to explore Superstition Mountain, which is near their home. But
when their cat Josie goes missing, they see no other choice. There’s something unusually creepy about the
mountain and after the boys find three human skulls, they grow determined to uncover the mystery. Have
people really gone missing over the years, and could there be someone or some thing lurking in the woods?
Together with their new neighbor Delilah, the Barker boys are dead-set on cracking the case even if it means
putting themselves in harm’s way.
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Publication date: 5/22/2012
Pages: 288
Age range: 8 - 12 Years
AR 4.2
The PS Brothers
MARIBETH BOELTS
Russell and Shawn call themselves the PS Brothers: P is for poop, S is for scoop, and Brothers is because
they’re best friends. Scooping poop is the fastest way to earn money to buy a puppy. These two are crazy about
dogs. And they’re sure that once their puppy grows into a tough dog, no one will ever pick on them for being
weak or poor again. Unfortunately, getting a puppy is not that easy. Russell and Shawn don’t count on
uncovering a dog-fighting ring—and that can bust apart a dream faster than a dog can sniff out a bone.
But doing the right thing might still get them what they want—and maybe even more.
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Publication date: 10/25/2011
Pages: 144
Age range: 9 - 12 Years
AR 4.8
Storm Runners (Storm Runners Series #1)
Roland Smith
Chase Masters and his father are "storm runners," racing across the country in pursuit of hurricanes, tornadoes,
and floods. Anywhere bad weather strikes, they are not far behind. Chase is learning more on the road than he
ever would just sitting in a classroom. But when the hurricane of the century hits, he will be tested in ways he
never could have imagined.
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Publication date: 3/1/2011
Pages: 160
Age range: 8 - 12 Years
AR 4.5
Troublemaker
Andrew Clements
Once a troublemaker, always a troublemaker? A reputation proves challenging to change in this “rock-solid
school story” (Publishers Weekly) from Andrew Clements.
Clayton Hensley is accustomed to trouble: There’s a folder of incident reports in Principal Kelling’s office
that’s as thick as a phonebook and growing daily. Most recently, Clay’s art teacher told the class to spend the
period drawing anything they wanted, and Clay decided to be extra “creative” by drawing a spot-on portrait of
Principal Kelling…as a donkey.
It’s a pretty funny joke, but Clay is coming to realize that the biggest joke of all may be on him. When his big
brother, Mitchell, gets in some serious trouble, Clay decides to change his own mischief-making ways…but he
can’t seem to shake his reputation as a troublemaker.
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Publication date: 7/26/2011
Pages: 160
Age range: 8 - 12 Years
AR 4.7
The Trouble with Chickens (J.J. Tully Series)
Doreen Cronin
J.J. Tully is a former search-and-rescue dog who is trying to enjoy his retirement after years of performing
daring missions saving lives. So he’s not terribly impressed when two chicks named Dirt and Sugar (who look
like popcorn on legs) and their chicken mom show up demanding his help to find their missing siblings. Driven
by the promise of a cheeseburger, J.J. begins to track down clues. Is Vince the Funnel hiding something? Are
there dark forces at work—or is J.J. not smelling the evidence that’s right in front of him?
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Publication date: 1/24/2012
Pages: 144
Age range: 7 - 11 Years
AR 3.8
Wonderstruck
BRIAN SELZNICK
Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose
dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in
his mother's room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on
desperate quests to find what they are missing.
Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories--Ben's told in words, Rose's in pictures--weave back and
forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you,
and leave you breathless with wonder. Rich, complex, affecting, and beautiful--with over 460 pages of original
artwork--Wonderstruck is a stunning achievement from a uniquely gifted artist and visionary.
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Publication date: 9/13/2011
Pages: 608
Age range: 8 - 12 Years
AR 5.4
7th and 8th
Bystander
JAMES PRELLER
Eric is the new kid in seventh grade. Griffin wants to be his friend. When you’re new in town, it’s hard to know
who to hang out with—and who to avoid. Griffin seems cool, confident, and popular.
But something isn’t right about Griffin. He always seems to be in the middle of bad things. And if Griffin
doesn't like you, you’d better watch your back. There might be a target on it.
As Eric gets drawn deeper into Griffin’s dark world, he begins to see the truth about Griffin: He’s a liar, a
bully, a thief. Eric wants to break away, do the right thing. But in one shocking moment, he goes from being a
bystander . . . to the bully’s next victim.
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Publication date: 5/10/2011
Pages: 256
Age range: 10 - 14 Years
4.2
The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (Daniel X Series
#1)
James Patterson
At first glance, Lee might seem like an average fifteen year old, shooting the breeze with his friends around a campfire,
crushing on his friend Dana, sassing the assistant principal at school. But Lee has a little bit more responsibility than your
average kid: he's the next Alien Hunter, bequeathed with the List of hidden alien outlaws living and lurking on Earth in
disguise. All must be destroyed in order to protect the human race from eventual takeover. It's a big job for one
teenager. His father had the title of Alien Hunter until #1 on the List, The Prayer, killed him and Lee's mother in cold
blood. Lee was just 3. Ever since then, his supreme abilities--like being able to change shape and conjure up his longdead parents out of thin-air--have gotten him through life, not to mention countless battles with aliens that roam the
earth, hunting humans as part of an inter-planetary game.
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Publication date: 6/15/2010
Pages: 272
Age range: 10 - 14 Years
AR 4.6
The Fourth Stall
CHRIS RYLANDER
Middle school just got a lot more criminal.
Do you need something? Mac can get it for you. It’s what he does. He and his best friend and business manager,
Vince. Their methods might sometimes run afoul of the law, or at least the school code of conduct, but if you
have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can pay him, Mac is on your side. His office is located in the
East Wing boy’s bathroom, fourth stall from the high window. And business is booming.
Or at least it was, until this particular Monday. Because this Monday is when Mac and Vince find out that the
trouble with solving everyone else’s problems is there’s no one left to solve yours.
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Publication date: 1/3/2012
Pages: 336
Age range: 8 - 12 Years
AR 5.1
Hothead
Cal Ripken
Connor Sullivan is an All-Star shortstop on his Babe Ruth team, the Orioles. He can hit and field with the best
of them, but he's got one big problem: his temper. When he strikes out or makes an error, he's a walking Mt.
Vesuvius, slamming batting helmets and throwing gloves. His teammates are starting to avoid him, even his
best friend Jordy. His coach is ready to kick him off the team.
To make matters worse, things aren't much better at home. His dad is having trouble finding a new job after
being laid off. Money is tight. Connor's dream of attending the prestigious Brooks Robinson Baseball Camp this
summer seems like just that now - a dream.
When the sports editor of the school paper threatens to do a big story on his tantrums - complete with
embarassing photos - Connor realizes he has to clean up his act. But can he do it in time to regain his
teammates' trust and help the Orioles win the championship against the best team in the league?
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Publication date: 2/14/2012
Pages: 160
Age range: 9 - 12 Years
AR 5.2
The Juvie Three
GORDON KORMAN
Gecko Fosse drove the getaway car.
Terence Florian ran with the worst gang in Chicago.
Arjay Moran killed someone.
All three boys are serving time in juvenile detention centers until they get a second chance at life in the form of
Douglas Healy. A former juvenile delinquent himself, Healy is running an experimental halfway house in New
York City where he wants to make a difference in the lives of kids like Gecko, Terence, and Arjay.
Things are going well, until one night Healy is accidentally knocked unconscious while trying to break up a
scuffle among the boys. Terrified of the consequences, they drop him off at a hospital and run away. But when
Healy awakes, he has no memory of them or the halfway house. Afraid of being sent back to Juvie, the guys
hatch a crazy scheme to continue on as if the group leader never left. They will go to school, do their
community service, attend therapy, and act like model citizens until Healy's memory returns and he can resume
his place with them.
But life keeps getting in the way...like when Gecko finds romance. Or Arjay gets famous. Or Terence starts
reverting to his old ways. If the boys are discovered, their second chance will be their last.
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Publication date: 1/5/2010
Pages: 256
AR 4.9
Legend
MARIE LU
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its
neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a
prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-yearold Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June's brother, Metias, is
murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race
for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two
uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep
its secrets.
Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.
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Publication date: 11/29/2011
Pages: 336
Age range: 12 - 17 Years
AR 4.8
Lost in the River of Grass
GINNY RORBY
"I don't realize I'm crying until he glances at me. For a moment, I see the look of anguish in his eyes, then he blinks it
away and slips off into the water. I immediately think of the gator. It's still down there somewhere. . . ."
A science-class field trip to the Everglades is supposed to be fun, but Sarah's new at Glades Academy, and her fellow
freshmen aren't exactly making her feel welcome. When an opportunity for an unauthorized side trip on an airboat
presents itself, it seems like a perfect escape—an afternoon without feeling like a sore thumb. But one simple oversight
turns a joyride into a race for survival across the river of grass. Sarah will have to count on her instincts—and a guy she
barely knows—if they have any hope of making it back alive.
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Publication date: 1/28/2012
Pages: 255
Age range: 11 - 15 Years
AR 4.4
Trash
ANDY MULLIGAN
In an unnamed Third World country, in the not-so-distant future, three “dumpsite boys” make a living picking
through the mountains of garbage on the outskirts of a large city.
One unlucky-lucky day, Raphael finds something very special and very mysterious. So mysterious that he
decides to keep it, even when the city police offer a handsome reward for its return. That decision brings with it
terrifying consequences, and soon the dumpsite boys must use all of their cunning and courage to stay ahead of
their pursuers. It’s up to Raphael, Gardo, and Rat—boys who have no education, no parents, no homes, and no
money—to solve the mystery and right a terrible wrong.
Andy Mulligan has written a powerful story about unthinkable poverty—and the kind of hope and
determination that can transcend it. With twists and turns, unrelenting action, and deep, raw emotion, Trash is a
heart-pounding, breath-holding novel.
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Publication date: 10/11/2011
Pages: 240
Age range: 12 years
AR 5.1
Variant
ROBISON WELLS
Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.
He was wrong.
Now he's trapped in a school that's surrounded by a razor-wire fence, where video cameras monitor his every
move—and where breaking the rules equals death.
All Benson wants is to find a way out. But when he stumbles upon the real secret the school has been hiding, he
realizes that escape may be impossible.
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Publication date: 8/28/2012
Pages: 400
AR 4.5
Wild Life
CYNTHIA C. DEFELICE
Erik is preparing for his first-ever hunting trip when he learns that his parents are being deployed to Iraq. A few
days later, Erik is shipped off to North Dakota to live with Big Darrell and Oma, grandparents he barely knows.
When Erik rescues a dog that’s been stuck by a porcupine, Big Darrell says Erik can’t keep him. But Erik has
already named her Quill and can’t bear to give her up. He decides to run away, taking the dog and a shotgun,
certain that they can make it on their own out on the prairie.
In this story of adventure and survival, Erik learns about the challenges and satisfactions of living off the land,
the power of family secrets, and the pain of losing what you love.
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Publication date: 5/10/2011
Pages: 192
Age range: 8 - 12 Years
AR 5.5