2014-2015
Truman
Nominees
The Top 12 Titles in Middle
School Reading
Goodreads: 4.10
Lexile: 800
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
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Surrounded by enemies, the once-great
nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the
Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable
darkness crawling with monsters who feast
on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on
the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at
anything. But when her regiment is
attacked on the Fold and her best friend is
brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant
power that saves his life—a power that
could be the key to setting her warravaged country free. Wrenched from
everything she knows, Alina is whisked
away to the royal court to be trained as a
member of the Grisha, the magical elite led
by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it
seems. With darkness looming and an entire
kingdom depending on her untamed
power, Alina will have to confront the
secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of
her heart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GFt5WLSk_c
Goodreads: 3.60
Lexile: 680
The Raft by S. A. Bodeen
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_evgvvKOmVo
Robie is an experienced traveler. She has
taken the flight from Honolulu to the
Midway Atoll, a group of Pacific islands
where her parents live, many times. When
she has to get to Midway in a hurry after a
visit with her aunt in Hawaii, she gets on
the next cargo flight at the last minute.
She knows the pilot, but on this flight, there
is a new co-pilot named Max. All systems
are go until a storm hits during the flight.
The only passenger, Robie doesn't panic
until the engine suddenly cuts out and
Max shouts at her to put on a life jacket.
They are over miles of Pacific Ocean. She
sees Max struggle with a raft. And
then...she’s in the water, fighting for her
life.
Max pulls her onto the raft, and that’s
when the real terror begins. They have no
water. Their only food is a bag of Skittles.
There are sharks. There is an island. But
there's no sign of help on the way.
Goodreads: 4.19
Lexile: 730
Unstoppable by Tim Green
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If anyone understands the phrase
“tough luck,” it’s Harrison. As a
foster kid in a cruel home, he
knows his dream of one day
playing for the NFL is a long shot.
Then Harrison’s luck seems to
change. He is brought into a new
home with kind, loving parents—
his new dad is even a football
coach. Harrison’s big build and his
incredible determination quickly
make him a star running back on
the junior-high-school team. In no
time, he’s practically unstoppable.
But Harrison’s good luck can’t last
forever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjMPBFkTiBc
Goodreads: 4.28
Lexile: 520
One for the Murphys
by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBFUPBw7KLI
In the wake of heart-breaking
betrayal, Carley Connors is
thrust into foster care and left
on the steps of the Murphys, a
happy, bustling family.
Carley has thick walls and isn’t
rattled easily, but this is a world
she just doesn’t understand. A
world that frightens her. So, she
resists this side of life she’d
believed did not exist with
dinners around a table and a
“zip your jacket, here’s your
lunch” kind of mom.
Goodreads: 3.66
Lexile: 580
Elemental by Anthony John
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Thomas has always
been an outsider. The
first child born without
the power of an
element—earth, water,
wind, or fire—he has
little to offer his tiny,
remote Outer Banks
colony. Or so the
Guardians would have
him believe.
Goodreads: 4.16
Lexile: 750
Insignia by S. J. Kincaid
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More than anything, Tom Raines wants to be
important, though his shadowy life is anything but that.
For years, Tom’s drifted from casino to casino with his
unlucky gambler of a dad, gaming for their survival.
Keeping a roof over their heads depends on a careful
combination of skill, luck, con artistry, and staying
invisible.
Then one day, Tom stops being invisible. Someone’s
been watching his virtual-reality prowess, and he’s
offered the incredible–a place at the Pentagonal
Spire, an elite military academy. There, Tom’s instincts
for combat will be put to the test and if he passes, he’ll
become a member of the Intrasolar Forces, helping to
lead his country to victory in World War III. Finally, he’ll
be someone important: a superhuman war machine
with the tech skills that every virtual-reality warrior
dreams of. Life at the Spire holds everything that Tom’s
always wanted–friends, the possibility of a girlfriend,
and a life where his every action matters–but what will
it cost him?
Gripping and provocative, S. J. Kincaid’s futuristic thrill
ride of a debut crackles with memorable characters,
tremendous wit, and a vision of the future that asks
startling, timely questions about the melding of
humanity and technology.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVQ3bcYKpp0
Goodreads: 4.06
Lexile: 600
See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles
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Twelve-year-old Fern feels invisible. She’s
starting middle school, and with it come all
the usual challenges. Her dad is always
busy planning how to increase traffic to the
family business. Her Mom is constantly
going off to meditate. Her sister, Sarah,
who's taking a "gap year" after high school,
is too busy finding ways not to work. Her
brother, Holden, is too focused on his new
"friend" to pay attention to her. And then
there's Charlie: three years old, a "surprise"
baby, and the center of everyone's world. If
it wasn't for Ran, Fern's best and oldest
friend, there would be nowhere to turn. Ran
is always calm, always positive. His mantra
"All will be well" is soothing in a way that
nothing else seems to be. And when Ran
says it, Fern can almost believe. But when
their lives are unexpectedly turned upside
down, Fern feels more alone than ever and
responsible for the event that wrenches the
family apart. All will not be well. Or at least,
all will never be the same.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-NX38Ay3iA
Goodreads: 3.94
Lexile: 730
Ungifted by Gordon Korman
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The word “gifted” has never been
applied to Donovan Curtis. It’s usually
more like “don’t try this at home.” So
when the troublemaker pulls a major
prank at his middle school, he thinks
he’s finally gone too far. But thanks to
a mix-up, instead of getting in trouble,
Donovan is sent to the Academy for
Scholastic Distinction, a special
program for gifted and talented
students.
It isn’t exactly what Donovan had
intended, but there couldn’t be a
more perfect hideout. That is, if he
can fool his family, the teachers, the
superintendent, and a school full of
fellow students with IQs well above
genius level.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1dFNJEQwE
Goodreads Average Rating: 4.11
Lexile: 790
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXrMAFGWyuE
Humans and androids crowd the
raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly
plague ravages the population. From
space, a ruthless Lunar people watch,
waiting to make their move. No one
knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one
girl. . . .
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg.
She’s a second-class citizen with a
mysterious past, reviled by her
stepmother and blamed for her
stepsister’s illness. But when her life
becomes intertwined with the
handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly
finds herself at the center of an
intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden
attraction. Caught between duty and
freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must
uncover secrets about her past in order
to protect her world’s future.
Goodreads: 4.20
Lexile: 710
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh6wEmn0FP8
In a discontent kingdom, civil war is
brewing. To unify the divided people,
Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a
cunning plan to find an impersonator of the
king’s long-lost son and install him as a
puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited
to compete for the role, including a defiant
boy named Sage. Sage knows that
Conner’s motives are more than
questionable, yet his life balances on a
sword’s point — he must be chosen to play
the prince or he will certainly be killed. But
Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as
well.
As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage
to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon
layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until
finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end,
may very well prove more dangerous than
all of the lies taken together.
Goodreads: 4.19
Lexile: 720
Dead City by James Ponti
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Most kids have enough to deal with
between school, homework,
extracurricular activities, and friends,
but Molly Bigelow isn’t your typical
tween. By day, Molly attends MIST—the
Metropolitan Institute of Science and
Technology—but it’s what she’s
learning outside of school that sets her
apart from her classmates. Molly is a
zombie hunter, just like her mother.
This, however, is news to Molly. Now she
must come to terms with not only the
idea that zombies exist, but also that
they’re everywhere, and it’s her job to
help police them and keep the peace.
Sure, she’d like to be a regular kid, but
“regular” just isn’t possible when it turns
out the most revered (or feared,
depending on your perspective)
zombie hunter in the history of New York
City is your mother. It seems Molly’s got
some legendary footsteps to follow…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuGUC9r21Yw
Goodreads: 4.03
Lexile: 800
Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip
by Jordan Sonnenblick
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oXxdnuY_hc
Sometimes, the greatest
comebacks take place far away
from the ball field.
Meet Peter Friedman, high school
freshman. Talented photographer.
Former baseball star. When a
freakish injury ends his pitching
career, Peter has some major
things to figure out. Is there life after
sports? Why has his grandfather
suddenly given him thousands of
dollars worth of camera
equipment? And is it his
imagination, or is the super-hot star
of the girls' swim team flirting with
him, right in front of the amazing
new girl in his photography class?