Grades 3-6
Perry’s mom is an inmate at Blue River Co-Ed Correctional Facility in Surprise, Nebraska. He was born and raised there, and he knows all the rules and all the inmates. The new district attorney, however, finds out about Perry’s living arrangements, and forces Perry to live “on the outside” in a foster home. Perry is determined to find answers about his mom’s crime and discover the truth about why she’s really behind bars.
Grades 3-5
Fourth grader Moxie McCoy is a confident detective who is determined to catch whoever stole her school mascot, Eddie the Owl. Usually, she works together with her best friend who has recently moved away. She calls on her little brother Milton instead, and together the two of them interview Moxie’s classmates, who are all potential suspects. Can the two rival siblings come together and solve the case?
Thanks to School Library Journal for a review copy of this book.
Grades 3-6
Delphine and her two younger sisters are sent to visit their birth mother, Cecile, during the summer of 1968. They travel all the way from Brooklyn to Oakland, California and they’re not sure what to expect. When they arrive, they find that Cecile isn’t happy to have them visit, and wants them to attend the Black Panther summer camp. They came with one thing to accomplish: to get to know their mother better. However, Delphine fears this might be an impossible task, given how outlandish their mother is.
Grades 3-6
Ms. Bixby announces to her sixth grade class that she has cancer and will be leaving before the end of the school year. Heartbroken, three of her students embark on a mission to visit her in the hospital and bring her all her favorite things. Their plan goes awry when they end up going on a school day instead of a Saturday like they’d planned. What’s more, bringing Ms. Bixby her favorite alcoholic drink is proving harder than they’d thought. This funny, heartwarming book is a true testament to the effect that great teachers have on their students.
Grades 3-6
Melody has cerebral palsy. She can’t walk or talk, but she is smarter than most people, and has a photographic memory. Her classmates are quick to dismiss her, but she is determined to let them see her and not be defined by her disability.
Grades 3-6
Twelve-year-old Stevie is forced to live with her distant grandfather after her parents are tragically killed. Her grandfather owns a dilapidated motel, and makes it clear he wants nothing to do with his granddaughter. Hurt and confused, Stevie befriends the motel’s guests and neighbors. They all come together and plant a flower garden to brighten the place up, even though her grandfather is dead set against it. Will Stevie ever win her grandfather over?
Grades 3-6
Justine Silver is Jewish, and her best friend Mary Catherine McAllister, is Catholic. One day, Justine decides to become Catholic like Mary Catherine. Instead of giving up chocolate for Lent like her friend, Justine gives up being Jewish. She confesses all of her sins to Father Ted, the stuffed bear in her closet, which she has turned into a confessional. When Justine’s grandmother suffers a stroke, she begins to question her decision to give up her Jewish faith. What will she ultimately decide?
Grades 3-6
In this latest book in the I Funny series, Jamie Grimm is back and ready to teach his classmates how to be funny! This is the hardest job he’s ever had, however, and the stakes are high, because if he fails, the school library will be closed forever. Will he be able to pull it off?
Grades 3-5
Jenna, Piper, Selena and Ziggy are ready for a fun-filled summer on the Cape as they embark on their journey to become junior lifeguards. They’re hoping to make the cut and that program director Bud Slater will pick them. The girls’ competition is gorgeous Samantha Frankel, and they want to keep their heads in the game long enough to beat her. However, it won’t be easy with the temptation of Hayden Jones and Luke Slater around, two uber-cute boys who also want to make the squad. Can they pull it off? Read Junior Lifeguards: The Test by Elizabeth Doyle Carey to find out!
Thanks to Netgalley.com for a review copy of this book.
Grades 3-5
John and Marta are a young couple who find a sleeping boy on their porch one day. The boy is unable to speak, and therefore cannot explain his story to the two of them. They wonder who on earth would leave a young child with no one to care for him, but immediately understand that it is they who must do so. As time goes on, they form an inseparable bond with the boy and become a family, something that no one ever expected.
Michelle’s Bookish Life 