By Adrian McKinty Danny Lopez is not only the new kid in town but his parents have enrolled him in a really strange school…no speaking among students is allowed even during lunch, both the teachers and students read from a script, and the dress code includes white gloves. How weird is that! On top of having to attend this bizarre school, dealing with the cliques within it, and putting up with his loser stepdad, Danny learns that cats are being killed all over town. He fears for his own cat Jeffrey, and is determined to find the cat killer. He suspects everyone from his neighbor’s father to fellow classmates and therefore trusts no one. As he investigates he is threatened and then someone attempts to end his life. Deviant is a fun Read more…

by Schmidt, GaryHolling Hoodhood has a lot on his mind. He’s got to deal with bullies, cream puffs, religion, flower children, nuclear war, and escaped rats — not to mention yellow tights with feathers on the butt. There’s also his 7th grade teacher, Mrs. Baker, who hates his guts. Why else would she make him run wind sprints or read Shakespeare outside of class? Told with warmth, humor, and uncommon sensitivity, The Wednesday Wars tells the story of the dramatic events of 1967-68, as well as the dramatic events of a year in the life of one seventh-grade boy. You won’t want to leave the excitement, uncertainty, friendship, and fun of Camillo Junior High. Highly recommended for middle school readers.- reviewed by Rebecca, Matthews Read more…

by Tingle, RebeccaOh, to be a princess. Jewels, horses, books and servants, all the best things in life. Of course there are down sides too. Kidnapping attempts, silent guardians and arranged marriages. Fifteen-year old, Aethelflaed is King Alfred's oldest daughter and has been promised in marriage to Ethelred of Mercia. With the betrothal gifts comes a bodyguard called Red. Flaed is only once able to escape his watchful eyes and the consequences are greater than she anticipated. As she gets to know Red she realizes she could learn a lot from him, and begins to accept him as a part of her changing life. Will she ever have a need for the skills she's been taught, and if she does how will her fiance react? – reviewed by Read more…

By Lisa McMann This is a truly fun book to read for both teenagers and adults! The High Priest of Quill chooses the Wanteds and Necessaries; the Unwanteds are sent to their deaths when they turn 13. Alex, Meghan and Lani are among those that are Unwanted – their creative minds and artistic abilities are considered worthless in Quill society. Alex’s twin, however, is more interested in mathematics and science and therefore is deemed a Wanted, so Aaron watches as Alex is sent to the Lake of Boiling Oil. Instead of death, however, the Unwanteds are ushered into a world filled with magic and fantasy; there are amazing animals that speak, gigantic statues that are alive, talking blackboards, and origami dragons that spit fire as they fly Read more…

This Bible was created specifically for tweens and is about helping you understand how God looks at you and will help you face the most important decisions of your life. It is the New Living Translation of the Bible, which is easy to understand. This bible teaches you how are a V.I.P. in God’s eyes. V: you have value in God’s eyes. I: your identity is found only in Jesus Christ—and wow does that mean a lot! P: because of the V and the I, you have a special purpose in the world. But that’s not all. You’ll find lots of features in here just for tweens about real-life issues and questions that you face. These include info on what the Bible is, how to find your identity in Christ, and how to grow in your faith. Plus, Read more…

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’ big day. As if waiting weren’t hard enough, the family gets scary news two days before Mibs’ 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 Read more…

By Jordan Sonnenblick It has been a long haul for Jeffrey. He has been in remission from leukemia for some time. What a lot of people do not know, though, are the after effects of the toxic drugs that, while they kill cancer, are sometimes indiscriminate in the other cells they destroy and damage. So taking toxins to cure one disease can leave someone like Jeffrey with some other obstacles including a bit of a learning difficulty when it comes to math. It is not sufficient that Jeffrey has to deal with his own challenges, now there is a new one: he might not go to high school unless he passes the new state tests. After Ever After handles with aplomb so many topics and issues. Ones from the mundane and almost predictable: friendship, Read more…

by Lisa Yee Maybe (short for Maybelline, her mother’s favorite mascara brand) wears oversize men’s T-shirts, uses lots of black eye makeup, and rejects everything girly—which is probably a reaction to her mother’s charm school and impending seventh marriage. This latest husband-to-be is the worst yet, and when he attempts to rape Maybe (in a scene that is realistic but not explicit), she and her friend Ted decide to join their buddy Hollywood when he moves to California for film school. Maybe’s stated goal is finding her biological father, but as she runs out of money and hope, that goal changes to finding herself. Despite the heavy topics, this is a breezy read populated with friendly characters and sunny serendipity: Read more…

by Kathryn Lasky Eleven-year-old Georgie loves science-fiction movies, but she won’t be going to the theater anytime soon. It’s a hot Indiana summer in 1952, and public places from pools to camps are closing to slow the spread of polio. Despite all the headlines, Georgie never thought she’d come as close to the fearful disease as she does when she spies a silver glint in her neighbor’s yard. There she discovers a monstrous, hissing machine, and inside is Phyllis, a girl encased in an iron lung. “I have eighty-seven cubic centimeters of air, but you have the world,” Phyllis tells her. Phyllis’s ability to breathe may be limited, but her strength to manipulate is boundless. As Georgie struggles to comprehend this Read more…

By Elizabeth Scott I think it’s impossible for someone not relate to something in The Unwritten Rule. Be it having a crush on your friend’s (or best friend’s) boyfriend or maybe being friends with someone that uses you as a stepping stool, they can’t give you a compliment without sort of insulting you at the same time. There is a lot here and I know it sure gave me a lot to think about and all the while Scott is writing in her relatable and humorous voice. I love how the book is super romantic but also very serious when it comes to friendship and family issues. It’s really a very well rounded book. At first Sarah’s best friend Brianna seems like the sweetest friend ever but little by little you realize she’s doing things for herself Read more…