The Boy Who Saved Baseball by John H. Ritter

Sports fans will be happy to see that there is finally a Maud Hart Lovelace nominee for them. You don't have to love baseball to like this book, but I'm sure it helps. It is the saga of a small town steeped in baseball history that is about to lose its field, and it's heart and soul, when developers start building huge suburban homes where the field has stood for years and years. The kids of the town are given one last chance to save their field and their town, but they have to win a difficult baseball game, and they know they are not up to the challenge. But a boy from the country shows up in town, and he knows how to convince a reclusive baseball legend to be their coach, and he also has a theory about how to master the art of hitting. The story has some twists and turns, but primarily it is the story of a group of kids working hard to take on the world. As I said, baseball lovers will be happy.

Isaac Newton by Kathleen Krull

This chatty, gossipy biography of Sir Isaac Newton gives an interesting introduction to one of the greatest scientists of all time. Biographies by Kathleen Krull are never dull, which can't be said for most middle school biographies! I didn't really know anything about Newton, and now I know what a strange, disagreeable man he was. I don't remember as much about the science as I do about his ridiculous feuds with other scientists and his strange behaviors. I would say that if you're interested in the history of science, you should definitely read this book (and Krull's others in this series about Leonardo da Vinci and Sigmund Freud). And if you need to read a biography for a school project, this is a great choice because is moves quickly and is actually fun to read.

Search and Destroy by Dean Hughes

Guys who want to know what it was like to fight in Vietnam will want to read this book. It is about a teenager who enlists in the army in order to escape his dead-end future and to "experience life." What he finds out is that war is horrible, and this one is particularly awful because he can't find any reason for the U.S. to be at war with the Vietnamese. He discovers many of his fellow soldiers to be heavy-drinking and cruel, and the only one who befriends him seems to be a strange religious nut. Guys will particularly like the descriptions of how the soldiers moved through the jungle and worked together under terrifying circumstances. As an adult, I just found it incredibly sad that we sent so many young men off to kill and be killed. I wouldn't say it was the most fluid plot and dialogue I've ever read, but it's a good fit for middle school guys.

I am the Wallpaper by Mark Peter Hughes

Have you ever felt like wallpaper, like you are there in the background but nobody notices you? Floey is ordinary, and she's tired of being overlooked. She confides to her diary all of her attempts to be the new and improved Floey Packer. However, her worst nightmare comes true when she finds her personal and private diary on the Internet for all the neighborhood boys to see. There's lots more to this book, including horrible cousins, a small training bra, a crush on a best friend, a disastrous poetry reading, and some elderly people skinny dipping. This book is fun to read, but also contains some serious thoughts about being true to yourself, sticking up for yourself, and getting along with your friends. Recommended especially for 7th and 8th grade girls.

City of Light, City of Dark: A Comic Book Novel by Avi, drawings by Brian Floca

I did it. I finally read a graphic novel. It's not a super hero comic or a manga book, but more of a strange, dark fantasy involving beings called Kurbs who live under New York City. They let humans live on their land, but every year someone must find the source of their power and return it to them. Most humans know nothing of this arrangement, but one man does, and he wants that power for himself, even if it means destroying the city. He comes up against the woman who seeks the power, her daughter and some ordinary kids who get caught up in the life-or-death quest. I thought it was a pretty strange story, but I think readers who like fantasy will really like this book. It's just one example of many kinds of graphic novels in the OMS library—most of them can be found in the nonfiction section with the call number 741.5.

Disappearing Act by Sid Fleischman

Imagine that you are a middle school kid living with your older sister because your mother has disappeared. Then imagine that someone starts stalking you, and so you and your sister drive away to start a new life. Kevin and Holly are on the run, and they end up in Venice Beach, California, where people make their money on the boardwalk doing magic shows, painting henna tattoos, and dressing as the Statue of Liberty. They change their names and earn money by singing opera and telling fortunes. But all the while "The Toad" is after them for some unknown reason. It sounds pretty serious, but actually it is a short, sort of funny book by a really good writer. If you're looking for a quick, entertaining book to read or listen to (the audiotape is great), try Disappearing Act.

Blizzard's Wake by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

This Maud Hart Lovelace nominee combines the danger of a real-life killer blizzard with the psychological drama of a teenage girl who can't forgive the man who killed her mother. Kate and her father and brother live in North Dakota, and the year is 1941. They are all trying to go on with their lives after their mother died four years ago. Zeke is the drunk driver who killed her, and he is just out of prison after serving three and a half years. When a deadly blizzard roars across the prairie, Kate is stranded in the house, her family is stranded in a car, and Zeke is wandering down the road. Finally they all end up in the house together, but Kate isn't about to let Zeke forget how much she hates him. The real action of this story is inside Kate's heart and mind, and if you like learning about people and how they think and feel, you will like this story.

The Misfits by James Howe

Have you ever been called names by other kids? If so, you might relate to Bobby and his friends Joe, Addie and Skeezie. They are smart, funny, interesting kids, but for one reason or another, they are misfits. Bobby is overweight. Addie is tall and very smart. Skeezie looks like Elvis. And Joe is sure he is gay. You can join in on the story of their 7th grade year and find out how they start a new political party and run for student council at their middle school. At first I thought these kids seemed too smart to be real, but in the end, I loved all four characters and was cheering for them to win the election and all go to the dance with the people of their dreams. Any 6th or 7th grader who has ever felt like a misfit will enjoy this funny book by James Howe.

Rising Water by P.J. Peterson

Rising Water is a short book with lots of action. It's about high-school-age siblings named Tracy and Luke, who work at an animal rescue center. Tracy can't stand it when a boy named Kevin is sent to do community service hours at the animal shelter. In her mind Kevin is irresponsible, doesn't care about animals, and on top of that is a criminal. Kevin is actually a pretty decent guy who made a mistake, and he isn't sure why Tracy is so nasty to him. Well, their town is flooding, and Tracy's brother Luke takes off in his boat to save a woman's dog. Tracy and Kevin go along, and as the teenagers navigate the flooded neighborhoods, they find a house that is being burglarized. Luke tries to stop it, and the kids get messed up with thieves with guns. As you might have guessed, the question is, can Tracy and Kevin work together and overcome their dislike for each other?
Readers looking for a quick book full of drama will like Rising Water.

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

If you like science fiction series, you should definitely read this book. It's the first of "The Hungry City Chronicles," and it is set far in the future in a world ravaged by war and environmental destruction. Cities now are built upright and on tracks, and they roam around devouring other cities and using them for spare parts. London is one of the biggest and strongest cities, and its leaders have an evil plan for dominating the world. Tom lives on London, but in one dramatic night is thrown off the city along with a horribly disfigured girl named Hester Shaw. She is seeking revenge for the murder of her parents, and Tom just wants to return to London where a beautiful girl named Kate lives. As you might expect, the two teenagers have many adventures as they try to return to London, and as they journey they find out more about the horrible technology that London is about to unleash on the world. This book is full of death and destruction, so don't expect your favorite characters to survive the chaos of life in the future. It reminded me a little bit of Airborn by Kenneth Oppel because it has airships and a couple of young teenagers who must save the day. Sci Fi and fantasy fans will love this book. So far there are 3 more books in the series for you to read when you're done.

Everlost by Neal Shusterman

This is the newest book by the author of Full Tilt and many other popular books for teens. I would say this is unlike any of his other books. Neal and Allie are killed in a car accident and wake up 9 months later in Everlost, a world in between the living and the dead. They are in our world, but they can't interact with living humans and they are in constant danger of sinking down to the center of the earth. They take off toward New York City, where they find a colony of children living in the Everlost version of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. All is not peaceful in Everlost, though, and there are villains and evil deeds and circumstances that send Allie searching for a way out. This book has tons of action and lots of original ideas about the afterlife. If you like Neal Shusterman's other books, give this one a try.

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

None of this would have happened if D.J.'s dad hadn't injured himself moving the manure spreader. Welcome to the life of a farm kid--a high school girl who has to run a dairy farm all summer long. It's hard work, and she's not thrilled about getting help from Brian, the jerk who is the quarterback of the neighboring town's football team. But it is a summer of big changes for D.J. She finds out a startling truth about her best friend Amber, realizes that her family has a BIG communication problem, starts to enjoy talking and working out with Brian, and decides she doesn't want to be a "cow" anymore. (You've got to read it to understand!)

This is one of the best books I read all summer. To describe the plot doesn't do it justice. It's a fantastic book and I don't know how anyone could read it and not relate to D.J., the Dairy Queen (and football player). Highly recommended for 7th and 8th graders!!!

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar

If you're a guy who likes funny books about real-life situations, this may be the book for you. Scott is a high school freshman and absolutely everything is going wrong in his life. He drifts apart from his best (and only) friends, he is picked on at school and on the bus, Julia, his major crush, doesn't know he exists, and to top things off, Scott's mom is pregnant. Scott decides to write notes to his future baby brother or sister, and he tells that baby everything about his miserable life, including lots of top ten lists and pieces of advice for his new sibling. Scott spends his school year trying to get Julia's attention, but all his attempts backfire. He writes for the school paper, works on the school play, and runs for student council, all to be near her, but each attempt fails to get her attention. Scott ends up with a couple of surprising friends, and he really is a good writer, so all is not lost. Scott's thoughts and lists are really hilarious, and middle school guys will enjoy a glimpse into what high school might be like for them. David Lubar also wrote Dunk, which a 7th grade boy once told me was the best book he had ever read. And he's the author of some short stories about Lawn Weenies. If you like funny books, look for the call number FIC LUB on the shelves and take a look at some of David Lubar's books.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

This is a great book for readers who like a long, drawn-out fantasy in a world of princes and princesses. You will become immersed in the world of Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, the girl who can speak to birds but who never quite fits into her royal family. When her chance to become a queen is viciously taken from her, she has to struggle to survive, then to prove who she is, then to stop a war. Along the way she learns a lot about life as a peasant, and meets a charming and handsome man who thinks she is only a Goose Girl. Shannon Hale is a great writer and I highly recommend this book to good readers. (I listened to it on CD, and it was fabulous.) We have both the book and CD at OMS, so take your choice.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

Have you ever wondered what creatures might live under the earth? Could there be another world full of huge cockroaches, friendly bats, evil rats, and human beings who have adapted to the Underworld? If you want to be transported to another world, read Gregor the Overlander, one of this year's Maud Hart Lovelace nominees. Gregor is a normal kid who follows his 2-year-old sister down a vent in his New York City laundry room. They fall and fall until they end up in the Underworld and are escorted to the royal city by crawlers (giant cockroaches). It turns out that Gregor has a mighty prophecy to fulfill, and he will have to lead a team of Underlanders to rescue his father. Full of action and all the enchantment of an imaginative fantasy world, fantasy readers will LOVE this book and want to read all the sequels. Even if you don't usually like fantasy, give this one a try. It's not always my favorite thing, but this is one of those that will grab you and pull you into its world. It's a little bit like City of Ember, only much much stranger!