Jefferson's Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

I love historical fiction and I am interested in the lives of enslaved people, so I was excited to finally read this story about Thomas Jefferson's lesser-known children. After Jefferson's wife died at a young age, he never remarried, but he did have a lifelong relationship with Sally Hemings, a slave who was also his wife's half-sister and who was as young as his own daughters. Some facts are known about Sally and her four children, but the author had to imagine many of the details of their story because no one knows how they really felt and acted and where they ended up in their lives. The story was told from the point of view of three different slaves and it tells of their confusion and concerns. While the weren't subjected to whippings and backbreaking labor, they did live in fear of their loved ones being sold away from them. They also faced the heartbreaking reality that some of them would be freed and go off to live as white people, while others would not have that freedom. I was engrossed in the stories of Beverly, Maddy, and Peter. This book would be a great read for students studying the founding of the United States and absolutely fascinating for anyone who is planning to visit Jefferson's home at Montecello.

Masterminds by Gordon Korman

Imagine finding out that everything your parents ever told you was a lie. That your whole world was actually a lie. That's what happens to Eli and his friends in this mind-boggling book. Elis has always lived in Serenity, a crime-free town that is isolated from the rest of the world. He and his friends have been taught to believe that they live in paradise and that the rest of the world is dangerous. But when Eli bikes a little too far from home, something unusual happens, and it leads him to suspect that things in Serenity aren't quite what they seem. He and his friends begin to uncover some very unexpected secrets about their community. If I say any more it would be a spoiler. Read this book if you like action, mystery, and kids going up against evil adults!

The Thing about Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

Suzy is an unusual seventh grader. She loves science and can tell you all about space and animals and all kinds of information about the natural world. Unfortunately, talking about science all the time hasn't helped her make a lot of friends now that she is in middle school. A few days before the start of seventh grade she finds out that Franny, who used to be her best friend, has drowned. Suzy is full of guilt, but she won't talk to anyone about her grief or about the terrible thing she did to Franny at the end of sixth grade. In this story, Suzy becomes obsessed with a deadly type of jellyfish, thinking that maybe Franny died because of a jellyfish sting rather than by drowning. This beautifully written book takes you into Suzy's world, and while you see Suzy's flaws, you definitely are rooting for her to come to terms with her grief and make some new friends and move on with her life. Highly recommended for fans of realistic fiction.