Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Look at the cover of this book and notice the figure in Anya's hair. That's the ghost that follows her out of a deep well and becomes her friend and an ally in her awkward efforts to get the attention of her crush at school. Anya, a Russian immigrant to the U.S. who has worked hard to lose her accent and fit into American high school life, doesn't have a lot of friends and Emily (the ghost) is an appealing friend...at first. This graphic novel paints a realistic picture of Anya and her day-to-day troubles as well as the spooky story of how Emily turns out to be a not-so-friendly ghost. This one will be liked by fans of graphic novels as well as by younger teens who just want to read a good story about a girl they can relate to.

Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine

The year is 1958, and although Little Rock High School was integrated the previous year, racial relations have not improved in this southern city. In fact, all the public high schools in the city, both white and black, have closed this year to try to stop any further integration. Marlee is a 12-year-old girl who almost never speaks outside of her own family. Her older sister sits at home because her school is closed, but Marlee still attends her all-white junior high. She is thrilled to meet a new student named Liz who becomes her friend and helps her so speak up more and more at school. But one day Liz is gone and rumor has it that she left school because it was discovered that she is really black but passing as white in order to go to a good school. Rather than give up on the friendship, Marlee finds ways to keep in touch with Liz, but Marlee doesn't understand the danger she is putting Liz in by continuing their friendship. This historical fiction book is both a good story and a good lesson in American civil rights history. Middle school readers, especially girls who like historical fiction, will enjoy it.

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

If you want to live (or re-live) the joy and pain of first love, read this book. Essentially, it's a very long break-up letter from a girl named Min to her ex-boyfriend, Ed. She's dumping a box of items on his doorstep along with this letter and each item means something in the history of their relationship. Min loves old movies and good coffee and is in the "artsy" crowd. Ed plays basketball, dates cheerleaders, and secretly loves math. None of their friends understand why they fell in love but they did. Handler's brilliant writing captures all those small moments of wonder at the beginning of a relationship. I enjoyed this as an adult (even though I got bogged down by the many allusions to old movies referenced by Min) and I think it will find it's niche with smart, artsy teenage readers. Like many other YA books, it contains sexual situations and other mature content, so I recommend it for older teens and adults who enjoy savoring good writing. I admire the way Daniel Handler, also known as Lemony Snicket, was able to understand and convey how it feels to be a heartbroken young woman. This book was just named a Michael Printz award honor book.

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

"They pulled my arm hair.

They threw rocks at me.

They promised to stomp on my chest."

Imagine that your father was taken prisoner years ago and has never returned. You live with your mother and brothers, in the shadow of a war, always hoping for his return. When the war does reach your home, you flee on a ship at a moment's notice and find safety in a refugee camp. Soon you learn that you have a sponsor in the United States of America—in a place called Alabama. You show up ready to begin a new life and instead of being met with kindness you are bullied, harassed, and humiliated. This is Há's story—a remarkable year in the life of a 10-year-old girl from Vietnam. It is also semi-autobiographical so you know that many of Há's experiences are grounded in the author's own childhood. It is beautifully written in free verse and is full of language to savor. It won the National Book Award and was named a Newbery Honor Book today.

Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck

Secrets at Sea is about a family of mice that lives with a family of humans in New York state. When the humans plan a voyage to England to find a husband for their awkward oldest daughter, the mice fear for their own livelihood (no more crumbs!), but then decide to take fate into their own hands and stowaway on the ship with the humans. Helena, the narrator and oldest sister, tells of the family's adventures aboard the ocean liner in 1887. Once on board, the mice meet aristocrats, become involved in romances, and face the dangers of cats, long corridors, and the sea itself. This Victorian adventure could be enjoyed by children of all ages. It does have a lot of 19th century vocabulary unfamiliar to younger kids, but I read it with my first grader and he thoroughly enjoyed it. I think that it could appeal to readers all the way up through 6th grade.

No Ordinary Day by Deborah Ellis

Valli spends her days picking up coal in her home town of Jharia, India. It is a dirty and dangerous job and she would much rather be in school learning to read. On the other side of the train tracks she sees the "monsters"—a community of people with leprosy who are feared and abused by the coal-picking children. When Valli discovers that the people she lives with are not actually her biological family, she hops on a coal truck and escapes to Kolkata where she is homeless but surviving day-to-day. In a chance encounter with a doctor she discovers that she herself has leprosy and she must decide whether to accept help or remain on the run. This slim book paints a picture of the life of the poor in India that is not often found in children's books. Intermediate and middle school children could learn a lot from Valli's story and it would make a good introduction into a discussion of poverty, human rights, and global issues.

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

This book has a great premise. It is 1996 and two teenagers, Emma and Josh, log on to the internet via AOL for the first time. There they discover their own Facebook pages from 15 years in the future. Josh likes what he sees (he's married to the hottest girl in school, living in a big house, and the father of twins) but Emma, whose future self is caught up in a bad marriage, isn't so happy. They both decide to play around with the present to see how it affects the future, and even little changes turn out to cause big ripples in future events. The underlying tension of the book is that, while Josh and Emma are best friends, Josh wants to be more than friends and Emma is busy dating other people. I would classify it as a fun romantic comedy and an entertaining read. I think it could have had more depth to it or more reflection on how bizarre social networks might seem to a pre-internet person. It's not too racy but I would recommend it for 8th grade on up.

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

I'm a few years behind in reading this but I'm glad I waited. Now I can go right ahead and read The Death Cure without having to wait a year. This is the sequel to The Maze Runner, which I read when it first came out a couple of years ago. Thomas and the surviving Gladers have escaped the maze and now are waiting to find out lots of things, such as who really is behind WICKED? What has happened to the world? Will they ever get their memories restored? Why were they subjected to such a cruel and elaborate "trial"? However, they soon find out that no one is giving out answers to any of their questions. Instead they are thrown into yet another trial. This time they must travel 100 miles through the "scorch" to get to a safe haven. Theresa has disappeared and in her place is a boy who claims to have been part of a similar maze trial with a group of girls called Group B. Our Gladers, AKA Group A, must travel through a hot, dusty wasteland toward an abandoned city populated with cranks that have the flare. (Yes, there is a lot of jargon in this book but it all makes sense when you read it.) Oh, did I mention that WICKED has told the Gladers that they all have been infected with the deadly flare and if they make it to the safe haven they will get the cure? There were enough plot surprises to keep me reading, and some new characters that added to the complexity of this series. My complaint about The Maze Runner was that it didn't have enough character development to make me care about Thomas and Theresa. The Scorch Trials was much better in that regard and I can't wait to hear how their story ends.

CHERUB Book 1: The Recruit by Robert Muchamore

This British spy book came highly recommended by my avid 6th grade spy reader, Joshua. He says it's the next best thing to the Alex Rider books. There are 12 books in the series but only 4 are currently available in the U.S. So when one of our teachers went to England in September we had him buy the rest of the series. Our middle school book club read this book this month so I finally read it. As an adult who has read every Alex Rider book I was eager to compare. The hero of the story is an orphaned kid with some problems who is recruited into Britain's elite and secretive child spy agency, CHERUB. He must undergo an unbelievable 100-day training that would probably have killed any normal adult and then is sent on his first real mission.  I have to say that I did like the story but I was a bit shocked throughout the book at the language and actions of the 11-year-old main character. It starts right off with an attack, an abusive stepfather, and a drunk and dead mother, and goes on to stealing beer, getting drunk, and a makeout session. I'm making it sound worse than it is, but still, for a book that I thought would be 5th and 6th grade appropriate it was a bit much. As I said the spy story is good, it's just all the other stuff that makes it more for older kids. I would say 7th grade and up for sure.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

While this seems in some ways to be Selznick's follow-up to The Invention of Hugo Cabret, it really is a completely different book. There are two seemingly unrelated stories—one told in words and one told entirely in pictures. Ben is orphaned and living on the Gunflint Trail in Northern Minnesota. After his mother dies he finds clues that lead him to look for the father he never knew. His quest eventually leads him to the Museum of Natural History in New York City. The other story (entirely in pictures) is about a girl from the 1920s who is deaf and unhappy and goes on her own quest, also to New York City. The art is lovely and the story is lovely as well. As you might expect, the stories come together in a surprising way as you realize that each child is on a similar voyage of discovery. There are many layers to this book and while it is over 600 pages long, about two-thirds of the book is pictures so don't let its enormous size stop you from a wonderful read. It would make a nice read-aloud for families.

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

I recently re-read this amazing fantasy trilogy that consists of The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. Actually, I listened to them all as audiobooks narrated by the author and with a cast of actors playing all the characters' roles. I have listened to many audiobooks in my years as a school librarian and these are the absolute best (second place are the Harry Potter books which also are a great listening experience). It would be impossible to summarize the plot of this trilogy in a blog entry so I will just explain why I like these books so much. First of all, I love Pullman's invention of daemons, which are the physical embodiment of the soul. In Lyra's world, all humans have a daemon and it is in the form of an animal. You can talk to your daemon and cuddle up to it, but it's highly taboo to touch another person's daemon. Also, it's excruciatingly painful to be very far apart from your daemon. I love the relationships that the characters have with their daemons, and the fact that later in the series we find out that people from our world actually also have daemons. Secondly, I love the complexity of these books. Pullman has strong views about the church and what it has done to humanity that some people find objectionable, but I would argue that he has done a brilliant job of weaving his ideas into a marvelously complex fantasy world. I am in awe of the intellect that was able to create this epic story that entertains, delights, and even enrages some people. Thirdly, the characters Pullman creates are incredibly real. I would know Will Perry or Marissa Coulter or Mary Malone if I saw them on the street. In the end, a book is only as good as its characters and Pullman truly knows how to create living breathing characters, even when they are witches, armored bears, or Texan aeronauts.

Where She Went by Gayle Foreman

I really liked If I Stay when I read it several years ago. I still recommend it to students frequently. This follow-up book from the point of view of Adam, Mia's troubled ex-boyfriend is absolutely beautiful and even better than the first book. Gayle Foreman takes us three years into the future. Adam is a bona fide rock star with a full slate of issues, Mia is a Julliard graduate beginning her solo cello career, and the two haven't spoken in almost three years. How and why did this happen? Who broke up with whom? In a novel rich with dialogue and emotional depth we get to hear Adam and Mia's conversation on the night they see each other again and go on a long tour of New York City by night. The book is practically written in real time which is quite unique. It reminded me of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, two movies that I love that are also consist of dialogue between two likable characters on whom you just want to eavesdrop. As with If I Stay, this is a young adult book and I recommend it to readers in grades 8 and up.

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

My 7th graders just finished reading this book in language arts class. I had recommended it to the teacher but never actually read it myself. Finally the book came back to the library and I read it almost in one sitting. It is a moving book based on a true story that in another author's hands could have been a little too preachy. But Linda Sue Park isn't just any author and she wove together two narratives to make one complete story about Sudan. Nya, a girl in 2008 watches a new well being built in her village, and Salva, a terrified refugee boy in 1985 walks and walks to try to find a save haven in the most horrific of worlds. Salva eventually comes to Rochester, New York where he studies and works and becomes determined to help the people of his homeland. I am proud that our 7th graders loved this book. I'm sure they couldn't read this book without learning a great deal about the Sudan and without also having a lot of empathy for these characters whose lives are so different from theirs. I recommend this to all middle schoolers everywhere—especially those who want to learn more about the world.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

I just finished reading this book to my son, Will, who is 6 years old. He begged me to buy it for him and to tell you the truth I thought he would not be able to handle it. He has a history of getting scared and can't even stand to watch Disney movies. But this magical book worked its spell on him and right now he can't sleep because he is thinking of questions (Who will be the new Dark Arts teacher next year? and Will Voldemort ever get his own body?) If I were J.K. Rowling I would have wanted to watch this kid read my book. He was alternately snuggled up to me, then sitting up full of questions, then full of amazement (Voldemort killed the unicorn?), and occasionally hiding outside of the room almost not able to stand the suspense. Oh, and of course he was laughing (especially when the troll got a wand up the nose). And you should have seen him adding up the points as Dumbledore kept giving Gryffindor more and more points toward the House Cup. He almost erupted into cheers when Neville got those 10 points. I have a new appreciation for this story—so full of honest childhood moments (mean kids and trading cards and dreams of being a sports hero) yet at the same time full of the most wonderful magic ever dreamed up. Reading this book together has been one of the best parts of being Will's mom (so far).

Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed is the sequel to Matched, a book about a dystopian society that controls all aspects of a person's life. Cassia is "matched" with Xander, who happens to be her best friend. But she gets a glimpse of Ky on her microcard and wonders if he is really her true match. This sets off a string of events that ends with Ky and Cassia in love but Ky is banished to the outer provinces. When Matched ends Cassia is determined to go after Ky. When Crossed begins, Ky is being used as a decoy and could be killed at any moment. He runs to take refuge in a canyon and takes along a boy named Eli. Cassia gets herself sent to where Ky is and takes off for the canyon with another girl named Indie. Fortunately we don't have to wait through the entire book for the two to reunite. They find each other again and must struggle to stay alive and figure out where they belong—in the Society, with the "farmers," or as part of the rebellion. Once again poetry plays an important part in the story and there are several surprising revelations about past events that make things more interesting. As in the first book, the romance is an important plot element, and also like the first book, we are left with a cliffhanger ending. Ky and Cassia are parted again and Xander is about to come back into the picture. These are enjoyable books for romance/dystopia fans but I don't find them quite as compelling as The Hunger Games trilogy or the Life as We Knew It books.