Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything In It By Sundee T. Frazier
Mixed-race Brendan Buckley is fascinated by science, and he likes to find the
answers to questions that he poses in his notebook. Brendan finds that life
isn’t always easily explained, however, after he meets his grandfather for
the first time at a rock club meeting. Brendan’s white grandfather has been
estranged from Brendan’s mother since her marriage to an African American.
Despite Brendan’s mixed parentage, he bonds with his grandfather through
their shared interest in rock collecting, and they continue to meet secretly
until Brendan’s mother finds out. It takes time and a serious accident for
Brendan’s grandfather to come to his senses and reunite with his family. By
frequently lightening her tone, Frazier delivers her messages without using
an overly heavy hand. Brendan is a real kid with a passion for science and
also a willingness to push his parents’ rules; he’s not just a placard for
the author’s central message. Grades 4-6. --Todd Morning From Booklist
Diamond Willow By Helen Frost
Set in a remote part of Alaska, this story in easy-to-read verse blends
exciting survival adventure with a contemporary girl’s discovery of family
roots and secrets. Middle-schooler Willow’s dad is Anglo, and her mother is
Athabascan. The girl longs to spend more time with her traditional Indian
grandparents even though she knows she will miss computers and other things
that are a part of her life. When her beloved dog, Roxy, is blinded in an
accident (partly Willow’s fault), and her parents want to put the dog down,
Willow tries to take Roxy to Grandma and Grandpa. The two are caught in a
raging blizzard, and Willow is saved by the spirits of her ancestors, who
live on in the wild animals around her. Frost, who spent years teaching in
Alaska, blends the young teen’s viewpoint with a strong sense of place and
culture. The casual diamond shape of the poems reflects how precious jewels
of wisdom can grow around painful scars. Willow’s bond with Roxy is the heart
of the tale. Give this to fans of dog stories and to readers who liked Gary
Paulsen’s Hatchet (1987). Grades 6-9. --Hazel Rochman From Booklist
Igraine the Brave By Cornelia Funke
An adventure is what Igraine wishes for most in the world and on her twelfth
birthday, she finds one! Everyone at Castle Pimpernel is looking forward to
Igraine's birthday. But when her magical present goes wrong and her parents
turn themselves into pigs, it's up to Igraine to put things right - even if
that means facing giants, three-headed dragons and a particularly Spiky
Knight. - from amazon.com
Black Eyed Susan Nominated Books for Grades 6 – 9
The books for the 2nd Quarter Projects must come from either this list or the
list of Black Eyed Susan Nominated Books for Grades 4 – 6
Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 6–10—Jane, 15, is smart, good-looking, and the best
artist in her school. After a shark attack at a local beach results in the
amputation of her right arm, nothing is the same. Bingham's free-verse novel
neatly accommodates the teen's loss; her dreams, anger, and frustration are
explored as she rebelliously tries to adjust to her new circumstances. The
main narrative is interspersed with news clippings, internal dialogue, and
letters of support from other amputees, and even though Jane resists being
part of that community, there are connections. Her voice is authentic and
believable as both a teenager and victim. This engaging read will entice
enthusiastic and reluctant readers; the drama of the shark attack will hook
them, and Jane's inner journey will hold them till the end.—Janet S. Thompson,
Chicago Public Library
A Thousand Never Evers by Shana Burg
From School Library Journal
Grade 5–8—Burg's debut novel, set in 1963, is told through the eyes of Addie
Ann Pritchett, a seventh-grade African American. She finds herself embroiled
in the Civil Rights Movement that affects her family and her little town in
the Mississippi Delta in profound and personal ways. To start, there's the
death of the richest man in town, who bequeaths his land to everyone in
Kuckachoo so that, "together whites and Negroes shall plant a garden." Addie
and her mother work as household help for a young couple in town, where the
girl overhears hateful remarks made by members of the Garden Club, who have no
intention of sharing the produce from Old Man Adams's land across racial
lines. Meanwhile, Addie's brother accidentally breaks the leg of a white bully
who is tormenting her cat and flees into the bayou. Elias disappears and is
feared drowned. Weaving in and out of these serious concerns are the normal
insecurities of a girl on the brink of adolescence. Addie's relationships with
her family and friends are interesting and well developed. The civil rights
issues that come to a head as Addie's uncle is arrested and in danger of being
lynched will make the injustices of the era vivid for today's readers. The
protagonist moves from protected innocence out to the larger,
often-threatening world and finds strength in her family, her community, and
herself.—Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY
Dragons Keep by Janet Lee Carey
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 6–10—Nonstop action may keep readers glued to this
page-turner, but strong writing and character development are what will make
it linger in their memories long after they've finished it. Princess Rosalind
Pendragon is meant to fulfill a 600-year-old prophecy from Merlin that she
will restore her family's good name and end a war. Rosalind was born with one
dragon talon, which is a fearful secret known only to the teen and her mother.
It is kept hidden by the golden gloves that Rosalind is never without, and
over the years, the queen tries desperately to find a cure for the curse. When
Rosalind reveals her claw to Lord Faul, a dragon that has been terrorizing the
island, her destiny is set in motion. Taken by him to be nursemaid to his
motherless children, she learns of her dragon blood and of her mother's
treachery. Rosalind and the dragons are bound together in a complex
relationship that, in the end, helps her fulfill the prophecy. Her heroic
journey comes full circle, and she finds internal peace as well as peace for
her people. While the story has roots in traditional fairy tales and legends,
the author has crafted something new and magical, and unexpected plot twists
will surprise readers throughout. Lord Faul and Rosalind, whose personality is
a fantastic combination of Joan of Arc, Briar Rose, and Patricia Wrede's
Princess Cimarron, develop so well as characters that readers will be touched
by them. Devotees of fantasy adventure stories will certainly find treasure
here.—Cheri Dobbs, Detroit Country Day Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
From Booklist
*Starred Review* The facts seem simple enough. While their mothers have
coffee, Ted and his older sister, Kat, and their cousin, Salim, wait in a
queue to ride the London Eye, an observation wheel that allows those locked in
the glass-and-steel capsules to see 25 miles in every direction. A stranger
from the front of the line offers one free ticket, and since Salim is the
visitor, stopping in London before moving with his mum to New York, he takes
it. Ted and Kat see him enter the capsule and follow his ride, but to their
shock, he doesn’t exit with his fellow riders. This book, very different from
Dowd’s searing A Swift Pure Cry (2007), is much more than a taut mystery. In
Ted, Dowd offers a complex young hero, whose “funny brain . . . runs on a
different operating system” (seemingly Asperger’s Syndrome) and who is
obsessed with shipping forecasts and with his inability to connect well with
others. After several long days have passed with no sign of Salim, Ted must
use the skills he has and overcome some of his personal challenges to find his
cousin. Everything rings true here, the family relationships, the quirky
connections of Ted’s mental circuitry, and, perhaps most surprisingly, the
mystery. So often the mechanics of mystery don’t bear close scrutiny, but
that’s not so here. A page turner with heft. Grades 5-8. --Ilene Cooper
Go Big or Go Home by Will Hobbs
From Booklist
When a meteorite crashes through the roof of Brady’s home in the Black Hills
of South Dakota, the young astrophile is excited beyond belief. He names it
Fred (for “Far Roaming Earth Diver”) and calls his cousin Quinn over to check
it out. The two are enamored of anything extreme or insane and deem this space
rock “extremely insane” before setting out for a headlong series of bicycling,
fishing, and caving adventures. When Brady starts to surpass his normal
physical limitations, it becomes apparent that the meteorite might have
brought along some hidden visitors with it from outer space. Hobbs captures
young teen dialogue well, and the characters are all easy to like in this
solid adventure. Reluctant readers who’d rather be airborne than chairbound
will appreciate the two young boys’ penchant for pushing the envelope, and the
postulations involving extremophile organisms is a neat twist with just a hint
of science behind it, even if it leads to a few mildly preposterous situations
by the end. Grades 5-8. --Ian Chipman
Schooled by Gordon Korman
Capricorn Anderson had never watched a television show before. He'd never
tasted a pizza. He had never even heard of a wedgie. And he had never, in his
wildest dreams, thought of living anywhere but Garland Farm commune with his
hippie caretaker, Rain.
Capricorn (Cap for short) had lived every day of his life on Garland Farm
growing fruits and vegetables. He was homeschooled by Rain, the only person he
knew in the world. Life was simple for Cap. But when Rain falls out of a tree
while picking plums and is hospital-ridden, he has to attend the local middle
school and live with his new guidance counselor and her irritable daughter.
While Cap knew a lot about Zen Buddhism, no amount formal education could
ready him for the trials and tribulations of public middle school.
Cap doesn't exactly fit in at Claverage Middle School (dubbed C Average by the
kids). He has long, ungroomed hair, wears hemp clothes, and practices Tai Chi
out on the lawn. His weirdness basically makes him biggest nerd in school.
This is great news for Zach Powers, big man on campus. He can't wait to
instate the age-old tradition in C-Average School: The biggest nerd is
nominated for class president--and wins. So when Cap becomes president, he is
more puzzled than ever. But as Cap begins to take on his duties, the joke
starts to turn on Zach.
Will Cap turn out to be the greatest President in the history of C-Average
School? Or the biggest punchline?
Skulduggery Pleasant (also known as Scepter of the Ancients)
by Derek Landy From Booklist
Twelve-year-old Stephanie Edgley inherits her uncle Gordon's estate and is
promptly attacked on her first solo visit to the property. A mysterious
skeleton-detective, Skulduggery Pleasant, comes to her rescue, explaining that
he thinks Gordon was murdered and that she may be next. The two join forces
and set off to solve the crime in a series of magical adventures that take
them into a world filled with ancient evil creatures, including Nefarian
Serpine, who seeks the Scepter of the Ancients and the infinite power it will
bring him. Landy, whose previous writing credits include horror screenplays,
keeps the action brisk, his characters slightly macabre, and uses humor to
take the edge off the violence. The story line is intricate (with numerous
plot twists and switches in allegiance), and although her actions seem better
suited to a somewhat older girl, Stephanie is a well-developed main character.
-Kay Weisman
The Killing Sea by Richard Lewis
From Booklist
Drawing from his own experience as a rescue worker, Lewis creates a powerful
fictional tale of survival and cooperation in the wake of the 2004 tsunami
that killed nearly a quarter of a million people and devastated much of the
Southeast Asian coastline. Set on the western coast of Sumatra where the waves
first hit land, the story centers on Ruslan, a local teenager searching
corpse-strewn ruins for his father, and Sarah, a young American tourist
desperately seeking medical help for her little brother. Falling in with a
small group of other survivors, the three young people wander through
shattered villages, seeing bodies dumped into hastily dug mass graves and
people fired upon as suspected rebels, but also witnessing much kindness
(except at the end, when, rescued at last, they are set upon by avid
journalists and other Ugly Americans). Although many of Lewis' descriptions
are horrifyingly vivid, Ruslan's resilience and Sarah's emotional numbness
will give readers some shielding. An afterword is appended. John Peters
Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick
When eighth-grader San Lee moves to a new town and a new school for the
umpteenth time, he doesn't try to make new friends or be a loner or play cool.
Instead he sits back and devises a plan to be totally different. When he
accidentally answers too many questions in World History on Zen (only because
he just had Ancient Religions two schools ago) all heads turn and San has his
answer: he's a Zen Master. And just when he thinks everyone (including the
cute girl he can't stop thinking about) is on to him, everyone believes him .
. . in a major Zen way.
Someone Named Eva by Joan Wolf
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 5–8—When resistance fighters assassinated the highest
ranking Nazi officer in Czechoslovakia, Hitler sought revenge on the small
village of Lidice. All 173 men and teenage boys were executed while the women
were sent to the Ravensbruck concentration camp. Ten Lidice children, who
exemplified Aryan traits, were selected for "Germanization." They were sent to
Lebensborn training centers, forced to speak only German, given new names, and
indoctrinated into the Nazi ideology. They were then adopted by German
families. The rest of the children of Lidice were gassed. Based on extensive
research and interviews with survivors, Wolf tells the heart-wrenching story
of the fictional Milada, who is sent to a Lebensborn center and adopted by the
commandant of Ravensbruck. Readers are quickly immersed into her character,
gaining a painful understanding of her intense struggle to hold onto her true
self and identity. Students who have read stories of Jewish persecution and
survival during the Holocaust will be enlightened by this portrait of how
Hitler's Final Solution affected these innocent children.—Rachel Kamin, Temple
Israel Libraries & Media Center, West Bloomfield, MI
Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest By Matt Haig
Samuel and Martha’s new life with their Aunt Eda in Norway is filled with
rules, but most important is rule number nine: NEVER—UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES—
GO INTO THE FOREST. Sure, their Uncle Henrik disappeared in the forest ten
years ago, but it can’t be the forest’s fault…can it? Samuel is skeptical
until he finds an unusual book, The Creatures of Shadow Forest, which
describes the fantastic and sinister creatures supposedly living there. Could
Aunt Eda be right? Samuel discovers the truth about the forest’s dangerous
secrets when Martha becomes lost in the forest, and it’s up to him to save
her. – from amazon.com
Swindle By Gordan Korman
After a mean collector named Swindle cons him out of his most valuable
baseball card, Griffin Bing must put together a band of misfits to break into
Swindle's compound and recapture the card. There are many things standing in
their way -- a menacing guard dog, a high-tech security system, a very secret
hiding place, and their inability to drive -- but Griffin and his team are
going to get back what's rightfully his . . . even if hijinks ensue. This is
Gordon Korman at his crowd-pleasing best, perfect for readers who like to
hoot, howl, and heist. – from amazon.com
Savvy By Ingrid Law
For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each
possess a "savvy" -a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn
thirteen. Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes
and spark electricity . . . and now it's the eve of Mibs's big day. As if
waiting weren't hard enough, the family gets scary news two days before
Mibs's birthday: Poppa has been in a terrible accident. Mibs develops the
singular mission to get to the hospital and prove that her new power can save
her dad. So she sneaks onto a salesman's bus . . . only to find the bus
heading in the opposite direction. Suddenly Mibs finds herself on an
unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up -and of
other people, who might also have a few secrets hidden just beneath the
skin. – from amazon.com
Paint the Wind By Pam Munoz Ryan
Maya lives like a captive. At Grandmother's house in California, everything
is forbidden: friends, fun, even memories. And her life is built on lies:
lies Grandmother tells her about her dead mother, lies Maya tells to impress
or manipulate. But then she moves to the vast Wyoming wilderness where her
mother's family awaits - kind, rugged people who have no tolerance for lies.
They challenge Maya to confront the truth about who she is. And a mysterious
mustang called Artemisia waits, too. She holds the key to Maya's freedom. But
to find it, Maya will have to risk everything, including her life. – from
amazon.com
Dragon’s Egg By Sarah Thomson
It is a rare talent, and only she can care for the Inn's herd. She feeds
them, gathers their eggs, and tends to their injuries. But Mella dreams about
the dragons of legend, even though hardly anyone believes they still exist.
Dragons are small farm animals, not huge fire-breathing monsters. Everyone
knows that.
Until one day changes everything.
A Knight of the Order of Defenders arrives at the Inn. Signs of the mythical
dragons have led him there, he says. Then a simple errand takes Mella through
the forest, where she stumbles across a dragon's egg—and faces the true,
terrifying dragon guarding it. On the spot, Mella vows to get the egg safely
to the fabled Hatching Grounds. She must leave her home for the first time,
and she finds an unlikely companion in the Defender's squire, Roger.
For Mella and Roger, this one day is the beginning of an adventure. Where
will it take them? – from amazon.com
A Crooked Kind of Perfect By Linda Urban
Ten-year-old Zoe Elias has perfect piano dreams. She can practically feel the
keys under her flying fingers; she can hear the audience's applause. All she
needs is a baby grand so she can start her lessons, and then she'll be well
on her way to Carnegie Hall.
But when Dad ventures to the music store and ends up with a wheezy organ
instead of a piano, Zoe's dreams hit a sour note. Learning the organ versions
of old TV theme songs just isn't the same as mastering Beethoven on the
piano. And the organ isn't the only part of Zoe's life that's off-kilter,
what with Mom constantly at work, Dad afraid to leave the house, and that odd
boy, Wheeler Diggs, following her home from school every day.
Yet when Zoe enters the annual Perform-O-Rama organ competition, she finds
that life is full of surprises--and that perfection may be even better when
it's just a little off center. – from harcourtbooks.com
Fearless By Elvira Woodruff
When a storm brings down his father's boat, Digory Beale is forced to leave
home to discover his fate. For if Digory has been orphaned, he can never go
home again.
On his journey, Digory becomes the apprentice to a charming stranger whose
life's obsession is to save sailors' lives. Digory must face his fears of the
sea to help Henry bring candles to the lighthouse he's built on a killer
reef. But who could have known the force of a monster storm heading their
way? In this poignant page-turner, Digory comes to understand the many facets
of courage -- and what it means to be a true hero. – from amazon.com