THE GIFT OF THE PIRATE QUEEN

by Patricia Reilly Giff (4th+)

Grace O’Malley has been taking care of her father and her sister Amy ever since her mother died. Now she finds out that her cousin Fiona will be coming to stay with them and help her out in taking care of the family. She doesn’t need Fiona’s help and she certainly does not want her around. Even with her sisters diabetes and her own problems at the school, she still does not feel that she needs help with the family. But, Fiona shows up anyway, and from her Grace learns of the brave pirate queen named Grace O’Malley. Can Grace actually be brave like the great pirate queen in order to help her family and herself through the tough times. To learn about the O’Malley family and the brave pirate queen, read The Gift of the Pirate Queen by Patricia Reilly Giff.

MONTANA GHOST STORIES

by Debra D. Munn (5th+)

Here are the ghosts of Montana from miners and cowboys, to murderers and even Native Americans. These stories span a long range of places including Bannack, the University of Montana in Missoula, the Big Horn Battlefield, the Big Sky Ski Resort, the Grand Theatre in Helena, mining mansions in Butte, a house in Great Falls, Montana State University theatre in Bozeman, Chico Hot Springs, the town of Garnet, and Virginia City. The stories have to do with silent apparitions, strange noises, footsteps that are heard when no one is there, doors that are locked and unlocked, the feeling of a presence or being touched by a bedside visitor when no one is there, and items moving on their own. For scary and spine-tingling tales of Montana’s ghosts, read Montana Ghost Stories by Debra D. Munn.

HOSTAGE

by Willo Davis Roberts (4th+)

Have you ever wanted more adventure in your life? Well, that’s how Kaci feels. Everyone in her family is really good at something but her. But, as her grandma always says, “be careful what you wish for.” Kaci and her family are moving into a new house and one day she finds herself at home alone while the house is being robbed. She tries to hide but the robbers find her and decide the best way to deal with her is to use her as a hostage and get rid of her later. She tries to leave clues so her family can find her but will they be in time? Can she survive and outsmart the robbers until her family and the police can find her? For a fast-paced action story, read Hostage by Willo Davis Roberts.

GHOST STORIES OF MONTANA

by Dan Asfar (5th+)

There are many spine-tingling and strange stories that come from Montana locations. These stories and tales have been put together as a collection in this book. There are stories of haunted houses, the Little Big HornBattlefield and surrounding area, the Old West and mining towns, the Montana wilderness, and even of Montana colleges. Spine-tingling events include apparitions, mischievous ghosts, strange deaths, phantom hitchhikers, and scary mining ghosts missing limbs. If you are interested in scary stories and enjoy reading of places that perhaps you may have visited, then you will want to read these tales. Places that strange tales and stories have come out of range from large cities like Great Falls, Butte, Helena, and Billings, to less known areas perhaps such as Conrad, Valier, Virginia City, Nevada City, and even Montana highways. For a spine-tingling good read and interesting stories of Montana tales from the Old West to today, read Ghost Stories of Montana by Dan Asfar.

THE LIBRARY CARD

by Jerry Spinelli (4th+)

What is so great about a library? Well, we are about to find out. Come along on a journey with Mongoose, Brenda, Sonseray, and April Mendez, four pre-teens who discover changes in their lives after a mysterious blue library card shows up among their possessions. It begins with Mongoose who finds his library card in his pocket among the stuff he has just stolen from a store. He makes the decision to check out the library and finds his life changing for the better. Brenda is a TV addict, she just can’t get enough of it. But when the school has a Great TV Turn-Off week she thinks she may go crazy. That is until she finds the mysterious blue library card. Curious about the library she visits and also finds her life has changed and she has missed so much of it already. Sonseray lives out of a car with his uncle and he is always so angry with anything and anyone no matter what is done. He finds his library card and one day discovers himself in the library looking for air conditioning. He leaves with much more than he bargained for however, and his life is set on a track for the better. Lastly, April Mendez loved to read and spent every waking hour possible in the New York City library, that is until her family moved to a mushroom farm. Now what is she going to do. She has no friends and she has no library anymore to keep her happy. She has this useless library card that she soon finds will help her in many ways and make her life seem complete. To find out more about how this special library card helped these pre-teens in their sometimes scary and uneventful lives, read The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli and take an adventure of your own through reading.

YELLOWSTONE GHOST STORIES

by Shellie Larios (5th+)

Do you enjoy ghost stories? Do you like reading about places you know about or have visited? Then this may be the book for you. Yellowstone National Park was the worlds first national park and these 20 or so spooky tales come from there. The tales in this collection include ghosts haunting inns with noises and appearances, mysterious disappearances and circumstances, as well as tragic stories of death, murder, and loss. Many of the ghost stories and tales in this collection happened in hotels and areas that are still around in Yellowstone National Park today. So, if you would like to hear of the headless bride who haunts the Old Faithful Inn or of the little ghost boy who wanders lost through the same hallways or perhaps learn of the whispers ofthose who have drowned in Yellowstone Lake and of the mysterious woman who hitchhikes in the rain trying to get to work at a hotel that no longer exists, then read Yellowstone Ghost Stories by Shellie Larios.

BOLD NEW HORIZONS

Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack Sparrow Series #12
by Rob Kidd (2nd+)

Captain Torrents is now in possession of Poseidon’s trident. With it he has captured Captain Jack Sparrow and his former crew, who are now crew to Captain Laura Smith, Arabella’s mother. Torrents has them all trapped in the caves of the Merfolk where he has punctured holes in the cave walls in which sea water has begun pouring in and will soon fill the cavern. They must escape in order to get the trident back from Torrents and help the Merfolk gain the freedom they so desperately want. But Jack eventually finds himself fighting alone against Torrent and the Trident when the rest of his crew has become incapacitated in battle. Can he defeat Torrents and if he does can he handle the task of becoming the new leader of the free Merfolk? Read Bold New Horizons, the last book in the Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack Sparrow series by Rob Kidd.

DAY OF THE IGUANA

by Henry Winkler (3rd+)

Book 3 in the Hank Zipzer series

Hank and his friends, or the Magik 3, have gotten the job of putting on a magic show for Hank’s twin three-year-old cousins at their birthday party. But Frankie has a dilemma. The birthday party happens to be at the same time as the one monster movie he has wanted to see all of his life. He really does not want to miss it, even if they are getting paid to do the magic show. So, Hank comes up with a plan that they can tape the movie using his uncles recorder and after the birthday party they can watch it. But something goes wrong and Frankie ends up really mad with Hank? Can they work it out and become friends again? Hank really hopes so, and soon, because he has just gotten himself into another mess, which requires the help of Frankie in order to fix. To find out what it means to have a real friendship and someone who is there for you no matter what, read Day of the Iguana, book 3 in the Hank Zipzer series by Henry Winkler.

I GOT A "D" IN SALAMI

by Henry Winkler (3rd+)

Book 2 of the Hank Zipzer series

Hank Zipzer has done it again. He’s is bound to be grounded for the rest of his life for this latest stunt that he has pulled. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Here’s what happened. Hank got to school feeling really good about his spelling test that day. As it turns out though he doesn’t do so well and then he gets even worse news, it’s report card day. When he gets his, he knows he is in deep trouble. Hank makes his problem even worse when he tries to hide his report card from his parents and some how it ends up in a batch of salami his mother is making as a taste test for a very important man that might buy a lot of her salami, that is if the taste test goes well. Now Hank has to come up with a way to get the “report card contaminated” salami back without his mother losing her order and hopefully without his parents finding out what he has done. Can he do it? Read about this hilariously fun adventure in I Got a “D” in Salami by Henry Winkler.

DaWILD, DaCRAZY, DaVINCI

by Jon Scieszka (3rd+)
book 14 in the Time Warp Trio

Sam has come up with an idea that because everything in The Book has to do with inventions that perhaps an inventor created The Book. Many of the inventions in The Book are from the famous artist and inventor, Leonardo da Vinci. The boys go on an adventure, this time on purpose, to find Leonardo da Vinci and ask him questions about how The Book works exactly. But after they find him they have to deal with the army soldiers and generals for whom Leonardo is working for creating military inventions. Is da Vinci the inventor of the book and if so can he help them learn how to use it? To find out, read DaWild, DaCrazy, DaVinci by Jon Scieszka.

ME OH MAYA

by Jon Scieszka (3rd+)
book 13 in the Time Warp Trio

Mayans, oh my! Here’s a fact you may not know, Mayans are big into making sacrifices to their gods. Well, the boys find themselves among the Mayans on their newest adventure trying to not become one of these sacrifices to the gods. To do this, the boys must beat the high priest— Kakapupahed—at a game very similar to basketball. The boys think no problem until they see the players on the high priests’ team and learn that the losers of the game lose more than just the game but also their heads. Yikes! What can they do but win. Find out what happens when you read Jon Scieszka’s Time Warp Trio book #13, Me Oh Maya.

VIKING IT AND LIKING IT

by Jon Scieszka (3rd+)
book 12 in the Time Warp Trio

Knowing about Vikings and meeting them are definitely two separate things. Fred, Sam, and Joe know about Vikings but are very surprised when they end up on a beach where they meet them for real. This is all thanks to one special and magic book. They travel along with the Viking called Leif Erikson, who discovered North America, and help him in a battle against his nasty cousin. Then it is time for them to find the book and return home just in time to battle Fred’s brother for his NFL smash game. Read Viking It and Liking It to enjoy a tale of Vikings and their fierce fighting.

HEY KID, WANT TO BUY A BRIDGE

by Jon Scieszka (3rd+)
book 11 in the Time Warp Trio

The boys still have not figured out how to work the book. Lately, it has been time-warping them when they say anything around it. They also have not yet figured out how to hang onto it, though they have tried many ideas. But when The Book takes them back to the time the of the Thomas Alva Edison and the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, they find they have a lot to fix or they will have messed up the future for everyone. They are not alone this time though. Somehow they seem to have brought their great-granddaughters back from their time in the future also. Working together can they fix the future so that all of the inventions they so enjoy in their time are still invented in the time they find themselves now. Read Hey Kid, Want to Buy a Bridge, book 11 in the Time Warp Trio series.

SAM SAMURAI

by Jon Scieszka (3rd+)
book 10 in the Time Warp Trio

Once again the boys have accidently opened the book or said something that has brought forth the green spiraling mist from The Book and transported them into trouble. In the 1600’s the greatest fighters in Japan were called Samurai and these warriors carried to weapons called the Katana or long knife and the Wakizashi or short sword. Each samurai was very skilled with both of these swords and could easily defeat and kill their enemy. Well, the boys are about to find out just how skilled samurai are when they land in 1600 Japan surrounded by samurai and battles. Can they get out of this sticky situation and will they heed the advice of some new found friends as well as ones they’ve met on another adventure. Read Sam Samurai to find out.

SEE YOU LATER, GLADIATOR

by Jon Scieszka (3rd+)
book 9 in the Time Warp Trio

The trio is once again swept into the past. They must fight as gladiators in Rome against other gladiators as well as some strange creatures. The only weapons they have are the wooden swords that came along for the ride. They must survive in order to locate the book and get home. In order to survive they must get a thumbs up from the crowd and the emperor for their fighting skills. If they get a thumbs down they will be killed. Can they display great fighting skills and be set free or will they be killed instead. To find out, you must read See You Later, Gladiator by Jon Scieszka, book 9 in the Time Warp Trio series.

IT'S ALL GREEK TO ME

by Jon Scieszka (3rd+)
book 8 in the Time Warp Trio

This time the boys are off on an adventure into the world of gods and goddesses. A play that the boys were putting together and staring in for school ends up becoming real when The Book gets brought into it. The whole thing soon becomes a battle between the gods/goddesses and the monsters of Greek mythology such as Medusa, Cyclops, and the Minotaur. Will they find the book in time to change the history of the gods back and save their own lives in time for opening night? Find out by reading It’s All Greek to Me.

SUMMER READING IS KILLING ME

by Jon Scieszka (3rd+)
book 7 in the Time Warp Trio

Have you ever read a book and one of the characters scared you? Well, imagine if you ended up in a story with every scary and mean character from every book on your summer reading list. This is what happens to the Time Warp Trio. They find that in order to get back they have to defeat all of the evil characters who are taking the nice characters prisoner and in order to do that they again have to find the book. Can they free the good characters and get back home, making everything right again. Find out when you read Summer Reading is Killing Me.

TUT, TUT

by Jon Scieszka (3rd+)
Book 6 in the Time Warp Trio

On this new adventure the boys are off to the land of the Pharoahs. Joe’s sister, Anna, has stumbled across The Book and in trying to make a point that there were woman Pharaohs, she opens the book and ends up sending all three boys, herself, and her cat Cleo to Egypt on a green mist. But once there they are accused of being grave robbers by the Pharoah’s priest, Hatsnat. The boys know something about Hatsnat that he doesn’t want the Pharoah to find out about and so will do anything to keep them quiet. What do they know and will he succeed in keeping them from talking with the Pharoah. To find out, read Tut, Tut, book 6 of the Time Warp Trio series.

2095

by Jon Scieszka (3rd+)
Book 5 in the Time Warp Trio

What do you think you would find in the future? Well, this is the question Joe, Sam, and Fred are asking themselves. Joe has found a page in The Book in which you can type in a year you wish to visit instead of wishing for a certain place. So, the boys decide to travel to the future this time, 100 years into the future, to 2095. It is quite different but what thing that is the same is that the boys again find themselves in trouble. They are running from “killer” robots, secret police, and the woman in charge of the museum of the future. What they didn’t count on were some allies in the future who are going to help them find the book and get back to their time. Who are these special allies and why do they want to help the boys get back? Find out when you read 2095, book 5 in the Time Warp series by Jon Scieszka.

YOUR MOTHER WAS A NEANDERTHAL

by Jon Scieszka (3rd+)
Book 4 in the Time Warp Trio

Joe, Fred, and Sam are still trying to figure out how the book works. This time they have determined that when they go back in time they are going to take tools and weapons with them. Each boy gets loaded down with what things they believe they will need and they are on their way to the time of cavemen. But they are in for more than they bargained for. First of all, they thought that if they just held on tight to the book they would land in the Neanderthal with it this time. It doesn’t work out that way and they are forced to again find the book in that time in order to return to their time. What they didn’t count on were the crazy Neanderthal women, the strange cavemen, and the giant saber- tooth cat or wooly mammoth who try and get them. Will they make it home this time or will this be there last trip? Read Your Mother was a Neanderthal by Jon Scieszka.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE GOOFY

by Jon Scieszka (3rd+)

Book 3 in the Time Warp Trio

This time, Sam accidentally takes himself and his buddies on a trip into the old West. They still have not figured out how The Book works. Sam was making fun of the magic in the book and made up a rhyme that ended up taking them back to the time of cowboys and Indians. At this time, it is the battle of Custer and the Seventh Cavalry. But when the Indian chief and the warriors that they meet turn out to be more than the cowboys have portrayed can they stop Custer and the seventh cavalry from doing harm to them. To find out read Time Warp Trio book 3, The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy.

THE NOT-SO-JOLLY ROGER

by Jon Scieszka (3rd+)
Book 2 in the Time Warp Trio

When Fred, Sam, and Joe get together one day to take another look at the book they find that they are not quite sure how it works. Their idea is that you open it and make a wish on one of the pictures. As it turns out, they are wrong. While trying to figure out The Book, they end up on their next adventure. Fred wants to go looking for buried treasure and Sam wants to go back in time to meet a historical figure. Well, as it turns out, when the green mist appears they both get their wish. The boys find themselves on a deserted island stuck in some coconut trees. That is the island was deserted until the pirates showed up to bury their treasure. Now Fred, Sam, and Joe are in big trouble because their magic tricks aren’t working the same way they did last time in getting them out of trouble. In fact, their magic has gotten them in more trouble this time. Read The Not-So-Jolly Roger to find out if the boys escape the pirates and make it home without any bullet holes or cutlass wounds.

KNIGHTS OF THE KITCHEN TABLE

by Jon Scieszka (3rd+)
Book 1 of the Time Warp Trio

Three boys find themselves in a strange land being attacked by what looks like, but can’t possibly be, a large tin can. It all began at Joe’s birthday party when he opened a present from his magician uncle. It turned out to be a book and when Joe’s friend Fred opens the book they find the tale of King Arthur’s court with knights and dragons. Fred makes a wish that he could be in a place like that with adventure and suddenly the boys find themselves surrounded by green smoke. When the smoke finally clears, they find themselves fighting the tin can, which turns out to be a knight. After defeating the knight, King Arthur believes them to be great sorcerers and has asked for their help in defeating a dragon and a giant that are terrorizing his kingdom. All Joe, Fred, and Sam want to do is get home. Can they find a way home and get there before they are scorched by the dragon or stomped on by the giant. Find out when you read Knights of the Kitchen Table, the first book in the Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka.

ELEPHANT RUN

by Roland Smith (5th+)

During the time of World War II a young boy named Nick lives with his mother in England. But when there apartment is destroye in a bombing raid, Nick’s mother decides that he may be safer living with his father in Burma, Southeast Asia. When Nick arrives he meets some very interesting and wonderful people and is determined to learn how to run his fathers teak plantation and how to be a mahout training the timber elephants in the area. But when the war follows him to Burma and the Japanese attack there Nick finds himself alone but for his one friend Mya. Both have been taken prisoner on the teak plantation, forced to do anything the Japanese wish. Nick’s father and Mya’s brother are taken to a different camp where they are also forced to work. Nick and Mya are determined to get free, to escape, and find their families. Many obstacles stand in their way. Besides the angry guards and the treasonous mahout who are out to get them they also have dangers of the jungle to worry about such as poisonous snakes and the angry timber elephants. Can the two of them escape the Japanese unharmed and make it through the jungle of Burma to find their families? To find out read this exciting and exhilarating tale, Elephant Run by Roland Smith.

NIAGRA FALLS, OR DOES IT?

by Henry Winkler (3rd+)
Book 1 of the Hank Zipzer series

Henry Zipzer, also known as Hank, just started the fourth grade and already he is feeling stupid. His teacher, Ms. Adolf, just assigned them a five paragraph essay on what they did over the summer vacation. How can this be happening? He is a terrible writer, a terrible speller, in fact, there is not much he feels good at, except perhaps creativity. Everyone seems to think he has a lot of that. Can he use that to his advantage? Hank has an idea that will top all of the creative ideas he has had so far this year—a living essay of Niagra Falls. He just can’t write a paper essay for many reasons including he is allergic to lined paper, if he sits too long his butt falls asleep, and his handwriting looks like a chicken stepped in tar and ran across the page. But when things go hilariously wrong with his Niagra Falls “living essay” he gets sent to detention as well as grounded. Detention turns out to be one of the best things for him though. He meets Mr. Rock, who helps him to find that he is not stupid he just learns differently than others. Can Hank find the best way of learning for him and can he do it without any more “living essay” incidents. Read Niagra Falls, or Does It by Henry Winkler and look for the rest of the Hank Zipzer series to find out what other creative things Hank can come up with to cause mischief.

EACH LITTLE BIRD THAT SINGS

by Deborah Wiles (4th+)

Comfort Snowberger is a ten-year-old girl who has grown up in a funeral home run by her family. Comfort spends her time in her closet-her favorite place-writing what she calls “Life Reports,” otherwise known at the town paper as obituaries. She has been to over 247funerals since she was four year old. She is used to death and thinks she understands it. That is until her great-great aunt Florentine passes away and everything seems to go downhill from there. Her best friend Declaration has turned mean towards her and her annoying, sobby cousin Peach has come to town for the funeral. He just will not leave Comfort alone and she can’t stand him. As Comfort soon comes to find she doesn’t know everything about death and grieving but she learns a great lesson within a tragedy. Read Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles and find how Comfort copes with death and tragedy.

SNAKEHEAD

by Anthony Horowitz (5th+)

Alex thought he was alone in the world with only his friend and housekeeper Jack Starbright. But when he finds out that there is one person who can tell him more about his parents he goes looking for him. As it turns out, when he finds this person, whose name is Ash, he also finds himself back into trouble and another mission, this time with the Australians and their ASIS team. Fighting against the Scorpia once again, Alex must stop them from destroying half of Australia with a giant tsunami. But what he finds out from this man, Ash, might not be what Alex wants to hear. Read Snakehead and follow Alex on this new adventure into his parents past and into his future.

MINNIE AND MOO GO TO PARIS

by Denys Cazet (1st+)

Moo has been reading again. This time she has been reading magazines and dreaming of all the places she could go and visit. She convinces Minnie that they need to go and see Africa, Paris, and China. So, off they go on their new adventure. Along the way they meet new friends who are interested in seeing America, where Minnie and Moo are from. So, Minnie and Moo invite them on the trip to see Paris and China and finally America, back at the farm. Join Minnie and Moo and their new friends on this hilarious adventure through what they believe are Africa, Paris and China. Read Minnie and Moo Go to Paris by Denys Cazet.

MINNIE AND MOO SAVE THE EARTH

by Denys Cazet (1st+)

One night Minnie and Moo are relaxing in the farmers hot tub when Moo begins thinking about the stars. She sees a shooting star and it looks to have landed on the hill under their tree. When she tells Minnie though, Minnie says she thinks to much. But Moo sees two more shooting stars fall right at the same place. Could they be UFO’s? Moo wants to check it out but Minnie says she thinks to much. Were they UFO’s and if so what will happen to the farm? Find out when you read Minnie and Moo Save the Earth.

MINNIE AND MOO AND THE MUSK OF ZORRO

by Denys Cazet (1st+)

Moo has been reading about heroes such as Zorro. When she tells Minnie about what she has read, about how heroes like Zorro used to save others from those who were bad, they decide that they should be heroes. So, dressed in clothes they have found in the barn, they set off through the farm to stop evil-doers. Find out who they help and what weapons they use to defeat the bad ones when you read Minnie and Moo and the Musk of Zorro.

MINNIE AND MOO: THE NIGHT OF THE LIVING BED

by Denys Cazet

Minnie and Moo are two of the strangest cows you will ever meet. One night while sleeping, Minnie has a horrible dream about a giant rat who eats the last of the chocolate. Minnie awakens Moo and begins to explain what happened in her nightmare. While they are talking their bed begins to roll down the hill. They catch it but it is already going to fast to stop. As they roll along they pick up a few friends. When they finally come to a stop a ghost walks up to them and says the strangest thing, “Trick or Treat.” They decide that in order to save the chocolate they must go from house to house and do tricks in order to get treats. Read Minnie and Moo: The Night of the Living Bed to find out what comical tricks they play and what happens when they run into the giant rat!

ARK ANGEL

Book 6 of the Alex Rider Adventures (5th+)
by Anthony Horowitz

Once again Alex finds himself in trouble and with another mission when he is supposed to be on vacation getting some much needed rest and relaxation. After being injured from his last mission, Alex is in a hospital where he meets another boy his age named Paul Drevin. When some men try to kidnap Paul, Alex steps in and takes his place. Paul’s father, billionaire Nikolai Drevin, asks Alex to join them in watching the launching of a rocket that is going up to the Ark Angel, the first hotel in space, which Nikolai with the help of the British government has created. But when the CIA again approach Alex, he soon finds that maybe Nikolai isn’t the great guy that everyone thinks he is. Alex has come upon another dangerous plot-this time to destroy Washington. Can Alex stop it and what about his new friend Paul? Find out when you read Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz.

SCORPIA

Book 5 of the Alex Rider Adventures (5th+)
by Anthony Horowitz

Alex has learned a family secret. Before Yassen Gregorivich died he told Alex that his father was an assassin who in fact trained Yassen. He tells Alex that he must venture to Venice and look up Scorpia. What does this mean? Alex doesn’t know whether Scorpia is a person or a place or a group of people, but in order to find out more about his father he travels to Venice and finds out what he can. In the process, he finds another secret, M16 may have been involved in the death of his father. Not sure who to trust, Alex is on a ride between M16 and Scorpia. Who is telling the truth and whom should he be working for? He must find out quickly before his homeland and the other children who live there are murdered. Can he do it? Find out when you read Scorpia, book 5 by Anthony Horowitz.

EAGLE STRIKE

Book 4 of the Alex Rider Adventures (5th+)
by Anthony Horowitz

Alex is once again on vacation, having a great time with his friend Sabina and her parents, when disaster strikes. Someone attacks Sabina’s family and Alex believes it to have been Yassen Gregorivich, the killer for hire who had murdered his uncle. Alex finds out that Yassen was hired to kill Sabina’s father by a very wealthy and popular man, Damian Cray. Cray is a millionaire pop idol who has his hand in everything around the world including a new life-like video game system and antidrug campaigns. So, when Alex takes his information to M16, they don’t believe that Damian Cray could have been involved and that Alex is overreacting. So, Alex sets out on his own to findproof of Damian Cray’s involvement and ends up finding himself struggling to stay alive. As it turns out, Damian Cray is a mad man who has a plan to save the world which will ultimately destroy it. Read this action packed book, Eagle Strike, where Alex has to fight his way through a bull fight, an actual human video game, and a high speed chase through the streets of Paris to stay alive and bring down Damian Cray before he destroys the world.

THE TASTE OF NIGHT

Dangerous Girls #2 (6th+)
by R.L. Stine

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a twin? What if your twin was a vampire? Destiny and her sister Livvy are twins who live in a small town that is becoming infested with vampires. Their mother has died from a vampire bite and their father has become a hunter. When Livvy is bitten and turned by a vampire, the family is distraught. Destiny misses her sister but knows she must keep it together for her father and her brother. Her dad is working on finding a cure for Livvy, in order to turn her back, but his progress is slow and not working well. Meanwhile, a new vampire comes to town and begins playing mind games with the girls, pitting them against each other. Do they still have enough of a bond as sisters and twins to figure out the game before someone gets killed? Find out when you read The Taste of Night by R.L. Stine.

SKELETON KEY

Book 3 of the Alex Rider Adventures
by Anthony Horowitz (5th+)

Alex was enjoying himself and having a nice break from M16 when again they called on him to come back to work. After solving a case and stopping a bad guy, Alex finds out that the guy had many friends who now want Alex dead. So, M16 sends Alex away on another mission. This mission takes him to America where he is to work with the CIA. When he gets there, they tell Alex that they are going to a place called Skeleton Key in Cuba to do some surveillance on a man named General Alexai Sarov. They are sending in two undercover agents as a vacationing couple but they need Alex to act as their son so they can get past the Cuban airport. Alex doesn’t believe that surveillance is all they are going to Cuba for but he goes along for the vacation time and because he really has no other choice. But in a tragic turn of events, Alex finds himself all alone once again, kidnapped by Sarov, and trying to save the world. Can Alex find out what Sarov’s plans are before something bad happens? Find out when you read the Alex Rider adventure Skeleton Key.

AMONG THE FREE

Book 7 of the Shadow Children series
by Margaret Peterson Haddix (5th+)

Luke was one of the third children who secretly joined the Population police in order to try and bring them down so that third children could be free. He has been working for a long time in the stables of the Population Police but finds that he is now being transferred and asked to do unthinkable things. He is on the run again and just when he thinks it is all over for him, he hears news that the Population Police may have been overthrown and third children might now be free. Is it true or is it another Population Police trap? Find out when you read Among the free, the last book of the Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

AMONG THE ENEMY

Book 6 of the Shadow Children series
by Margaret Peterson Haddix (5th+)

In the middle of the night the population police show up at Niedler School, forcing all of the students into trucks and telling them that they are going to work for the government from now on in order to get food. Matthias and Percy along with the young Alia are among this group of students. They know that they must get away but an accident leaves them injured and stranded. Matthias is the only one who can get help but he soon finds himself an unwilling member of the Population Police. Can he stick it out and use his newfound position to help the cause of the third children and their road to freedom? Read book 6 of the Shadow Children series, Among the Enemy, to find out.

CODE TALKER

by Joseph Bruchac (5th+)

Ned Begay is a sixteen-year-old Navajo is desperately wishes to join the United States in the war against the Japanese, World War II. A person is not allowed to join until they are seventeen but Ned sneaksaround that and joins the Marine Corp. At a time when Indians are being sent to boarding schools and forces to forget everything abouttheir families including their language, it is a surprise when he findsout that he has been recruited into the Marine Corp for that particularlanguage, Navajo. Ned is to become a code talker, a top-secret positionthat no one must actually know he is doing. His job will be to communicateimportant messages back and forth during the war in the Navajo language,which has not yet been broken by the Japanese. Ned soon finds himself right in the thick of the fighting with gunfire, mortars, and extremely long months of fighting on every side. He finds himself on various different islands of Japan including Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima. Read this veryintriguing story of Ned Begay. Ned may be a fictional character but theevents that take place and the code talkers were real. This is a greatnarrative of the events taking place in World War II and the role the Navajo code talkers held during it.

SWINDLE

by Gordon Korman (4th+)

Griffin Bing has a plan. He and his friends are going to have a sleepover in a haunted house to prove that they are not scared of anything. Things aren’t going very well until they come across an old desk with a secret hidden in the back. They find an old Babe Ruth baseball card. Wondering if it is worth anything, Griffin and his friend take the baseball card to a collector named S. Wendell Palomino, or Swindle as they soon come to name him. Mr. Palomino tells them the card is not worth anything but that he would give them a deal on it. But Griffin and his friends soon find out that Swindle has done just that, swindle them. That card is worth a fortune. Now they have to come up with a way to get it back. There way involves burglary, angry guard dogs, and very high tech security. Can they pull it off without getting caught? Read Swindle by Gordon Korman to find out.

VAMPIRATES: BLOOD CAPTAIN

by Justin Somper (book 3) 5th

Conner and Grace find themselves separated in this third Vampirate book. Conner has returned to The Diablo, angry with his friends at the Pirate Academy. Grace has returned to The Nocturne to help care for Lorcan. Both are following their own journeys but may once again find themselves
together after everything plays out. Lorcan is not getting better and so Grace and the Captain take him to a healer know as Mosh Zu. Grace and Lorcan stay with Mosh Zu at a place called Sanctuary while Lorcan heals. Conner finds himself in another scheme with Captain Wrath. But this scheme goes greatly wrong and Conner is no longer sure he wants to be a pirate. Will Grace follow in Mosh Zu’s footsteps and become a healer? Will Conner leave pirating and if so, what will he do? Read the Blood Captain to find out.

AMONG THE BRAVE

Book 5 of the Shadow Children series
by Margaret Peterson Haddix (5th+)

Trey has always been the least brave of all of his friends and he knows it. He spent the first thirteen years of his life hidden away in a room. But when his friends need his help he realizes that he has to step up and become brave for them. Becoming brave includes impersonating a Population Police officer after it is believed that his friend Lee has been arrested. Everything is falling apart and it is not looking good for anyone who is a third child. Can Trey do it? Can he be brave enough to help his friends and perhaps help find a way for all third children to be safe? Find out when you read Among the Brave, the fifth book in the Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

AMONG THE BARONS

Book 4 of the Shadow Children series
by Margaret Peterson Haddix (5th+)

Luke has been living under the name of Lee Grant at the Hendricks School for Boys and it has been going well. But when Mr. Hendricks, the headmaster, informs him that his brother (Lee’s brother), Smits, will be coming to the school he fears that things are about to change. Why would his brother be coming? Then when Smits does show up, Luke is not sure how to act around him, it is strange. The two of them don’t know if they can trust each other. Smits has also come with a very large bodyguard named Oscar and Luke thinks there is something strange about him. What is going on? Why has Smits shown up at Hendricks all of the sudden? Will Luke’s cover be blown in this new turn of events? Find out when you read Among the Barons by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

AMONG THE BETRAYED

Book 3 of the Shadow Children series
by Margaret Peterson Maddix (5th+)

Nina Idi used to be a student at the Harlow School for Girls, which was connected by a forest to the Hendricks School for Boys. She was one of the girls that used to sneak into the forest at night to meet boys of her kind, third children. But one of the boys, Jason, whom she loved, has betrayed her and now she finds herself in a Population prison. She finds herself in a cell with two brothers, Matthias and Percy and their sister, Alia. She has been given two options--get the siblings to admit to being third children or be put to death. Can she turn around and betray the children as she was betrayed? Or will she choose to be put to death? Is it possible there is another option not yet found? Find out by reading Among the Betrayed, the third book in the Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

AMONG THE IMPOSTERS

Book 2 of the Shadow Children series
by Margaret Peterson Haddix (5th+)

Luke has been taken from his home and has been given the fake I.D. of another young man who was killed in a skiing accident. Now Luke finds himself headed to the Hendricks School for Boys under the name of Lee Grant. It is not a place that he likes. No one seems to care about anyone else unless they are bullying or being cruel to that person. Then Luke finds a door to the outside and his stay changes as well as the people he knows within the school. But who can he trust? Are his friends really his friends? Read Among the Imposters, book 2 of the Shadow Children series, to find out.

AMONG THE HIDDEN

Book 1 of the Shadow Children series
by Margaret Peterson Haddix (5th+)

Luke is a shadow child, a third child. A group known as the Population Police have created and enforce a law against families having more than two children. If a family should have more than two children then those extra children will be killed. Many families have had more than two children and the additional children have had to go into hiding. Luke is one of these children—a third child, a shadow child. He used to be able to go outside in his backyard because it was hidden by forest. But after developers tore down the forest and build houses for barons he finds that he has to stay in the attic. He cannot go outside and cannot even go downstairs for fear of being seen. He hates having to hide and miss out on everything that is going on around him. But one day through a hole in the attic he sees a face in the window of the house next door. A house where he knows there are already two children. Luke works up the courage to sneak over there and finds a new friend in another third child, Jen. Jen hates hiding also and is determined to do something about the law. But when Jen carries out her plan and turns up missing, Luke is really worried about what may have happened to her. What happened to Jen and is Luke now in trouble of being discovered because he made friends with her? Find out when you read Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS

by Gennifer Choldenko (5th+)

The year is 1935 and Moose Flanagan’s family just moved to a new house on a nice secluded island. They’ve moved here in order for his sister to attend a specific school that is nearby. His sister is not like other kids and she needs help. But he hates the move and all of the attention he gets because of his new home. What is so special about his home? It’s on Alcatraz. Alcatraz is the famous island that is home to many famous murderers, mob bosses, and convicts such as Roy Gardner, Machine Gun Kelly, and Al Capone. He’s moved here because his father got a job as a prison guard/electrician and in the year 1935 the warden liked having the guards readily available in case of an escape. So guards and their families all lived on Alcatraz. Moose is twelve years old and not only does he have to deal with his sister being different and his family being stressed but he also has to deal with the fact that he now lives on Alcatraz island surrounded by convicts and murderers. Then there is the wardens daughter, Piper, who in herself is sure to get him in trouble. She always has a new scheme to make some money. Like the time she made money from selling Al Capones laundry service to all of the kids at the school. Can Moose make it living on Alcatraz with his somewhat strange sister and stay out of trouble with a friend like Piper? Find out when you read Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko.

*Al Capone Does My Shirts is a fictional story but many of the facts and details about life on Alcatraz are true.

VAMPIRATES: TIDE OF TERROR

by Justin Somper (book 2) 5th+

Someone on the crew of the Diablo has died in battle and it has left the rest of the crew extremely upset. This was an excellent swordsman and a best friend to Conner and Bart. Grace realizes that one day her brother could die if he continues on this journey of pirating. So, she convinces Connor that they should visit the Pirate Academy in hopes of dissuading him from the life of a pirate. But she soon finds that that might not be the case at all. Conner loves the Academy and wants to enroll full time to help him become a better pirate and one day become a captain of his own ship. Meanwhile, something strange has been happening to Grace. She has these dizzy spells and somehow is finding herself back on the Vampirate ship. She is not fully there but is somewhat ghost like when she visits. She always returns to the Academy when she doesn’t want to though. Lorcan and the Vampirate captain need her. There is unrest on the ship and Lorcan is not doing well without her. Can she find a way to get back to the ship for good? Will Conner continue his dream of becoming a pirate Captain? Read Tide of Terror, the second book in the Vampirates series to find out.

POINT BLANK

by Anthony Horowitz (5th +)

After recently discovering that his uncle was a spy and after becoming one himself, Alex Rider finds himself roped into another mission. This one involves a group of 14-year-old boys like himself but who have very wealthy families and who are always getting into trouble. In the past few weeks there have been two men killed who both had sons attending the same private school in which to tone down their behavior. M16 believes that this is too much of a coincidence and that something is going on with the school. They send in Alex to find out what is going on. Alex finds that indeed something very strange is going on. All of the boys are wandering around the school like they are brainwashed and something about all of them seems very similar, even though they are all different and unique boys. But soon Alex finds that he may know too much to stick around the school. But there is no way out. The school is on a mountain surrounded by snow and guards with guns. In an attempt to get his information to M16 Alex is chased through the snow by guards on snowmobiles mounted with machine guns. This is only one of the problems Alex faces at his new school. We he make it out alive with his information about the school or will this be his final mission. Find out when you read book 2 ofthe Alex Rider series, Point Blank.

VAMPIRATES: DEMONS OF THE OCEAN

by Justin Somper (5th+)

Grace and Connor live with their father in the lighthouse on Crescent Moon Bay. They have always been outcasts but no more than when their father dies and their only options are adoption by a rich banking family in town or the orphanage. They choose a third option however and sneak away on their fathers boat. As it turns out, this was maybe not a good idea. Or was it? After a huge storm breaks apart their boat, Connor and Grace find themselves separated in the water believing that the other has drowned. Connor is picked up by a pirate ship captained by Molucco Wrathe a strange but well known captain among the seas. He tells Connor that Grace must have been taken by the sea but Connor swears he saw another ship, a strange ship, in the water right before he was pulled out. He is determined to convince everyone that Grace is on that ship. But will they listen and help him search out the ship? Grace, on the other hand, was picked up by what she is soon to find out is the Vampirate ship from the sea shanty their father used to sing to them. The captain of this ship has told Grace that Connor was pulled from the water by a pirate ship and is alive. When Grace asks how he knows he talks in riddles about it. Lorcan, who pulled Grace from the water, is set the task to protect Grace while on the ship. What is he protecting her from though? Will Grace figure it out soon and will Connor find her before it is too late? Read Demons of the Ocean, the first book of the Vampirates series by Justin Somper.