Raina is a nervous kid bites her nails and tends to stress over everything. When 5th
grade starts, Raina finds out that she is scared of throwing up. Sbe has to see a therapist and
she doesn’t tell any of her friends because she doesn’t want them to think she is weird. When
Raina’s enemy ends up in the hospital, she must decide if she wants to make things right. I
enjoyed this graphic novel because it was funny and had a good message. My favorite part is
when Raina gets her own room. I would recommend this book to 5th graders.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman is the first book in a 4 book series, which Shusterman refers to as
a “dystology.” After a war breaks out between pro-life and pro-choice people in America, both
sides come to an agreement to implement a practice called “unwinding,” or the retroactive
abortion of teenagers ages 13-18. The method promises to keep 98% of the child’s body alive,
but harvest all of their organs and donate them. This is the story of three teens, Connor, Risa,
Brave is about a boy named Jensen who is trying to navigate middle school one level at
a time. He faces bullies, mean friends, and evil teachers. When the newspaper crew asks him
for help, he gladly accepts. When middle school starts getting harder and more confusing,
Jensen has to decide for himself who to hang out with and who to stand up to. I really enjoyed
this book because it had lots of interesting facts and well developed characters. My favorite part
Crush is about a boy named Jorge Ruiz who has middle school life under control. At
least until he runs into a possible crush on a theatre girl, Jazmine. He has to figure out a way to
ask her to the athletics ball without everyone noticing since Jorge hates gossip. I really enjoyed
this book because it was funny and exciting. My favorite part is when Jorge helps the drama
club move boxes and they get pizza. I would recommend this book to 5th, 6th, or 7th graders.
Spy School Goes South is about a boy named Ben Ripely. He is asked to trail one of his
former friends who agrees to lead him and his friends to SPYDER, the group of terrorists that
Ben continuously thwarts. When things go sideways and Ben ends up in a crocodile infested
river, he must rely on his friends to track down his enemies and save the day. I really liked this
book because it had things I didn’t expect and the characters had good senses of humor. My
A Lite Too Bright features Arthur Pullman the third, who is known for his famous grandfather,
the author of a bestselling classic, A World Away. However, Arthur’s grandfather had died after a
long time faced with Alzheimers disease. After Arthur had faced a trial in court for allegedly
attempting to hit his girlfriend, he is sent to live with his aunt and uncle. Not long after, he sees a
hidden note in an old book of his grandfather and quickly leaves in order to figure out what his
Scott Novosell is eager to play on the Kansas University basketball team. He repeatedly emails
the team’s head coach, and eventually scores an interview with him. The interview didn’t go
well, but the coach advised him to participate in the walk-on tryouts. On the first day, he played
outstandingly, but all of a sudden, he broke his leg and is unable to try out for this season. Will
Scott bounce back and try out next season, or leave basketball behind and focus on other
things?
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a science fiction novel. Set in the dystopian
nation of Panem, Katniss Everdeen volunteers herself as a tribute for the 74th annual Hunger
Games. The games pit teenagers against one another in a fight to the death for the Capitol’s
enjoyment and to instill fear into the citizens. Katniss joins forces with Peeta Mellark, the
baker’s boy, and if they are to win they have to discern how to survive and not fall into the
Capitol’s trap.
Charlie Thorne and the Lost City is about a girl named Charlie Thorne who is on the run
because she has dangerous information memorized. When she sets off on an adventure to find
Darwin’s secret discovery, she never imagined the adventures that she faces. I enjoyed this
book because it has a really smart main character and lots of unexpected challenges. My
favorite part is when Charlie gets taught how to paint her nails. I would recommend this book to
6th or 7th graders.
Lucy Everhart serves as the main character. On a bright day, Lucy and Fred discover a huge
white shark that the tide had brought in. They both come upon Helen's (Lucy's mother)
research papers while looking for explanations for why great white sharks show up on the
tides. Fred and Lucy are interested in learning more about the research article. Unexpectedly,
though, something happens, leaving Lucy and her father alone. She chooses to get in touch
with Helen's tutor Vernon Devine while keeping her parents, Fred, and everyone else she knew
