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!

Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time by Lisa Yee

Stanford Wong is awesome at basketball (he just made the 7th grade A team), but he also got an F in English class. His parents care more about grades than sports, and he is forced into summer school instead of basketball camp. Worst of all, they give him a tutor, a genius girl his own age named Millicent Min. And on top of everything else going wrong, his parents are fighting and his grandma is forced to move to a nursing home. Luckily for Stanford, he has his tight group of basketball-playing friends, and Millicent has a very cute friend named Emily who seems to like him. All he needs to do is keep his friends from finding out he's in summer school and keep Emily from finding out that he's not a genius (oh, and he has to pass English class or he will have to repeat 6th grade and be kicked off the A team!).

This book is filled with humor and will keep you laughing at everything poor Stanford goes through to survive this crazy summer. Especially recommended for 6th grade guys who like sports and funny books (but girls will like it too).

Immersed in Verse by Allan Wolf

The full title of this book is Immersed in Verse: An Informative, Slightly Irreverent & Totally Tremendous Guide to Living the Poet's Life. This book could change the life of a middle schooler who wants to be a poet. If that person is you, I would recommend buying this book for yourself because you will want to refer to it over and over again. Allan Wolf talks about what poetry is and how to find it it all the things around you. However, this book is not stuffy and dull. It is colorful and funny and easy to read, and is packed with examples of all kinds of poetry. He describes the Nine Habits of Highly Successful Poets, tells about structure and tense and point of view, and gives all kinds of ideas for kinds of poems to write. He even finishes up the book by talking about poetry readings and poetry slams and how to share your work with others. This book won't be for everyone, but I can't underestimate how wonderful this book is for someone who writes poetry. Highly highly highly recommended for all your writers out there!

Takedown by Rich Wallace

This is book #8 in the Winning Season series. They all are on order at the OMS media center and should arrive in time for September. Donald is a 7th grader who, jealous of his friends who do well in sports, decides to go our for wrestling. He's never wrestled before, but he wants to be good at it right from the start. Of course, he has to take some time to learn the sport and he needs to work hard before he can win a match. This book is all action (no real character development and not much plot). If you like sports and you want a book that's not too hard to read, this series might be for you. Each book is about a different sport. Recommended for 6th and 7th grade guys especially.

The Mysterious Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

I love this book. Being that it is the story of a china rabbit who learns how to love, one might think that a) it's for litle kids and b) that it's really sappy. It is neither! In the hands of the amazing Kate DiCamillo it is a lovely book that people of all ages should read and savor. Edward comes full circle and as he is passed from person to person (from his first mistress to a fisherman's wife to a hobo to a dying girl to a shelf in a doll store) he is tattered and torn and broken, but he emerges with a heart that not only can love, but that is eager to be loved in return. The doll in the store says it best when she tells him he must be awash with hope--he must wonder who will come along to love him next. DiCamillo's vocabulary is impressive and her writing style somehow imitates classic children's books without ever being stilted or overdone. Read this one with your whole family! (OMS owns it on CD, so take it on a road trip and make everyone listen!)

Between Mom and Jo by Julie Anne Peters

Two OMS students told me if I only read one book this summer it should be this one. So I read it, and I agree with them--this is an important book. Nick is a boy who loves his dog, his cat, his fish, and his two moms. This is much more than a book about a kid with gay parents. It's about a kid facing the kinds of problems kids face in all kinds of families. Nick's moms both love him very much, but when they separate things get ugly and Nick is not given any say over his fate. Readers will laugh with Nick and his playful mom, Jo, and also relate to his deep depression when he is separated from her. Peters doesn't shy away from issues that affect children from gay families--in fact, she weaves in the harassment and embarassment and insecurity into the story in a realistic way that leaves the reader with a deeper understanding and empathy for Nick and other kids like him who face both ordinary and extraordinary pressures. There is a lot of humor here, and Jo especially comes alive with her colorful language, her flaws (alcoholism, impulsiveness, and obstinancy to name a few). Recommended for 7th and 8th graders, both boys and girls.

Copper Sun by Sharon Draper

Copper Sun is the story of Amari, an African girl kidnapped and sold into slavery in the colonies that later became the United States of America. It's a painful book to read, full of the true horrors of an unfathomly cruel system of human bondage. Draper does not shy away from the reality of life for Amari and other slaves--including rapes, beatings, humiliations, murders and more. Fortunately, Draper tempers the horrific details with a strong-spirited character who overcomes her situation and dreams of freedom. The positive ending is probably unrealistic, but it gives the reader hope in the midst of a bleak world. Highly recommended for mature readers (8th grade and up) who want to know more about slavery and read a compelling story about a strong female character. If you choose to read this book, you will learn a lot and be moved by Amari's story.

Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

I know I am late in reading this book, but it was a great book to read over the summer. If you like fantasy and you like books, this story will drag you in and hold your attention until the last page. A young girl named Meggie finds out that her father can read characters out of books and into the modern world. Unfortunately, he can also read people into books, and her mother disappeared many years ago. In her place are some evil characters from a book called Inkspell. Meggie, her father, her elderly aunt, a man named Dustfinger, and the author of Inkspell must go up against the nefarious Capricorn to save their lives and try to end his evil plans. Along the way Meggie realizes that she also has the gift of reading characters in and out of books. Funke has great fun with fairies and other fantasy creatures coming out of the books, and with all the intricacies of characters coming and going from books. I've heard the sequel Inkheart is even better!