Rules by Cynthia Lord

Imagine having a brother who constantly embarrasses you and being stuck babysitting that brother a lot of the time. And then imagine that your parents give all their attention to your brother and never seem to give you credit for putting up with him and helping out with him. That's the story of Catherine's life, and since her brother has autism, things aren't going to change. David doesn't understand how to behave in public, so Catherine is always writing down rules for him to remember (like no toys in the fish tank and keep your pants on in public). It's summertime and with her best friend away Catherine really hopes that the new girl in the neighborhood will be a good friend. But strangely enough, the real friend that she meets that summer is a paralyzed boy who communicates by pointing at cards. Catherine is an artist, a compassionate spirit, and a very believable narrator. She's the kind of friend I would have wanted to have when I was 12 years old. It's more than a book about kids with disabilities—it's about being true to yourself.

The Last Girls of Pompeii by Kathryn Lasky

You kind of know up front how this book is going to end. It's the story of two teenagers who have no freedom—Julia, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, and Sura, Julia's slave. Julia's prospects in life are dim because she was born with a deformed arm and at that time it was considered a curse. Well, it's 79 A.D. and they live in Pompeii, so you can guess that they will be trying to escape the horrible eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. In spite of knowing something about the ending, I found the details of life in Pompeii to be fascinating. Lasky obviously did a lot of research into Roman religious practices (lots of animals are sacrificed), wedding rituals, food (flamingo tongues!), gladiator flights, and more. My only criticism is that the actual eruption of the volcano was almost anticlimatic—their escape seemed awfully easy. This book was personally fascinating to me because I actually visited Pompeii for spring break and walked those same streets. This is great for kids studying Roman civilization. My only fear is that there is so much detail and advanced vocabulary that this will be a hard read for the average middle schooler. But nevertheless, I recommend it for motivated readers, especially 6th graders since they study this era in history.

Demonkeeper by Royce Buckingham

Can there be a funny book about an evil beast that hunts (and sometimes kills) teenagers? This book has just the right mix of horror, fantasy, and humor to pull you in and make you keep reading. Nat lives alone in a very scary house where he is the demonkeeper. The job involves controlling his minions (3 little demons who are supposed to help him) and feeding the beast in the basement (a really evil thing that wants to escape). Nat makes the mistake of leaving the house for a date with a girl (strictly forbidden) and while he is gone some kids break into the house and unknowingly release the beast. When a very creepy "thin man" enters the picture, Nat has to fight two evil beings to keep his job as demon keeper. Good thing he finds a pretty understanding girl to help him out of this mess. Like I said, it's creepy and funny at the same time. I think middle school guys will especially like this one.

Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes

I can't say I have been all that thrilled about the books I've read this summer, but I'm happy to say this one was great. It's about a group of 5 high school freshmen who all struggle to fit in at their school until they come together to form a band called Lemonade Mouth. Each of the band members has a unique story, and each tells things from their point of view (so you have to keep track of who is talking). Wen is a nice guy who is struggling with his feelings for his father's sexy new girlfriend. Stella is new to the school and when told she can't wear a certain t-shirt she suddenly develops a reputation as someone who fights against the system. Charlie calls himself a "big fat loser," but he's really a sensitive guy with a talent for percussion. Mo's family is from India and she struggles to live up to her father's strict expectations (while she secretly dates a popular guy). And Olivia, the lead singer, is kind of strange and also so painfully shy she throws up in the bathroom before going on stage. Fate, detention, and a dentist's corny jingle bring the 5 students together, and the music they write speaks to the kids at their school—especially the kids who think of themselves as freaks. This book is funny and clever and the part I love most is the friendship that forms among these 5 kids. It is a high school story, so I recommend it to 7th and 8th graders. An interesting note: this author also wrote I am the Wallpaper, and those characters play a minor role here.

Red Moon at Sharpsburg by Rosemary Wells

The American Civil War comes alive in this novel about a girl from Virginia who sees first-hand the horrors of war. In the beginning India Moody is a smart, optimistic girl who believes that the yanks haven't got a chance against the Confederate Army. She sees her father and many other men go off to war and begins to hear about the brutality and futility of the war. India is tutored by Emory Trimble, a young man who studies bacteria and knows that lives would be saved if doctors would sterilize their instruments. India learns chemistry and biology along with him and dreams of being a scientist. India is poor and her home is in the path of the war. As she grows into a young woman she sees tragedy, understands the inhumanity of war, and sees her home and family destroyed. It's a moving, intense book with glimmers of humanity among the evils of war. It's the best Civil War novel for this age group that I have read. Recommended for 7th and 8th graders and especially for social studies teachers. (And isn't it cool that this is the same Rosemary Wells who wrote my son's favorite Mother Goose collection? She's got a lot of talent!)

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Laurie Halse Anderson is a really fine writer. She captures the voice of teenagers and tells tragic, difficult stories with amazing humor. Twisted has a male for a main character. Tyler Miller, a former loser who starts his senior year muscular and tough looking with a bad-boy reputation due to an act of vandalism he committed the previous year. It's the kind of combination that catches the eye of Bethany Milbury, queen of the school. She used to think Tyler was a total nerd, but now she's flirting with him and Tyler can't resist her charms. The downside is that Bethany's brother, Chip, is a real jerk, and Bethany's father is Tyler's father's boss. Things go wrong for Tyler at a big party, and while he is trying to be a good guy and not sleep with Bethany, he is accused of uploading pornographic photographs of her to the Internet. Thus begins Tyler's downward spiral which nearly ends in suicide. This book has mature themes—I don't recommend it to middle schoolers except for mature 8th grade readers—but it is compelling and well-written and very real. I wish high school guys would read this book and discuss the choices that Tyler makes.

Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham

This book surprised me. I bought it for the media center because girls love reading about tragedy, and the biography of Bethany Hamilton (the surfer whose arm was bitten off by a shark) is a big hit. I thought this might be a mediocre attempt to capitalize on the popularity of that book. In reality, this is a well-written novel in verse format. The story begins in the hospital after fifteen-year-old Jane has been attacked by a shark. She has just been told that her arm has been amputated. She is depressed and angry and unwilling to be a brave, inspirational poster child. The book is quick and easy to read, but full of deep emotion and introspection. There are moments of beautiful poetry. I think readers will be drawn to the book because of the subject matter and the format, and will find that they are reading a really fine novel. Jane's story isn't full of drama or action—it's a journey of emotional healing. It's a big step up from the usual "chick lit" that some girls like to read.

Case Closed vol. 1 by Gosho Aoyama

This series of Japanese manga mysteries was recommended to me by mystery writer Michael Dahl. The detective, Jimmy Kudo, is a brilliant high school student who is transformed into a little boy by a would-be killer. While trying to get his body back to normal, he takes on the name Conan Edagawa and becomes the "little brother" of his best friend and secret crush, Rachel Moore. Her father is an inept private investigator, and Conan solves cases for him while making him think he's solving them. There are quite a few mysteries within this one book, and while the clues are there, they are clever enough that I couldn't solve them. It sort of reminded me of a modern-day Encyclopedia Brown, but with more sophisticated mysteries for older kids. I think middle school readers who like a mystery will really like this series.

Tales of the Cryptids: Mysterious Creatures that May or May Not Exist by Halls, Spears, & Young

Everyone has heard of Bigfoot, Yeti, and the Loch Ness Monster, and even though no one has proven their existence, some people believe they really do exist. If you think it's fascinating to read about those creatures, this book is for you. The most interesting part of the book is all the cryptids (that's the name for mysterious creatures that aren't proven to exist) that most people don't know about. There's the Stronsay Beast, Mokele-mbembe, Champ, and many more. Several of the cryptids sound similar to dinosaurs. It is possible that they didn't all go extinct? You'll learn which cryptids have been found, which have been proven to be hoaxes, and which ones we still may find someday. This book is well organized and colorful with many photographs and drawings. It's also well-written and researched, and by far the highest quality book about Bigfoot and company that I've ever seen.

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen

Imagine a summer in which you suddenly became rich without even trying. That's the premise of this short, funny novel by Gary Paulsen. The main character gets an old riding lawn mower from his grandma, and suddenly has more business than he can handle. When a friendly stock broker takes an interest, the money increases, and the situation gets a little ridiculous. Not a lot of 12-year-olds sponsor prize fighters or have to fend off criminals wanting a piece of their business. It's all rather ridiculous, but it's fun and the setting is Eden Prairie, Minnesota. It might even be a good read for the stock market club members. Recommended for 6th graders who dream of making money.