Avi.  The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.  J AVI

In 1832, Charlotte Doyle crosses the Atlantic Ocean on board the Seahawk.  She’s thirteen years old, alone, and among a rebellious crew with a murderous captain.

 

Babbitt, Natalie.  Tuck Everlasting.  J BAB

Doomed to – or blessed with – eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can.

 

Barron, T.A.  The Great Tree of Avalon:  Child of the Dark Prophecy.  J BAR

In accordance with prophecy, Avalon’s existence is threatened in the year that stars stop shining and at the time when both the dark child and Merlin’s heir are to be revealed.

 

Brink, Carol.  Caddie Woodlawn.  J BRI

The story of a tomboy pioneer girl and her exciting adventures on the Wisconsin frontier.

​​

Cheng, Andrea.  Shanghai Messenger.  J 811.54 CHE

A free-verse novel about eleven-year-old Xiao Mei’s visit with her extended family in China, where the Chinese-American girl not only finds many differences, but also the similarities that bind a family together.

 

Choldenko, Gennifer.  Al Capone Does My Shirts.  J CHO and J CHO SR "Grade 7"

A twelve-year-old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935, when guards’ families were housed there, and has to contend with his extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his autistic sister.

 

Codell, Esme Raji.  Sahara Special.  J COD PBK

Struggling with school and her feelings since her father left, Sahara gets a fresh start with a new and unique teacher who supports her writing talents and the individuality of each of her classmates.

​

Dahl, Roald.  Matilda.  J DAH

Matilda is a genius.  Unfortunately, her family treats her like a dolt.

 

DiCamillo, Kate.  The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.  J DIC

Edward Tulane, a cold-hearted and proud toy rabbit, loves only himself until he is separated from the little girl who adores him and travels across the country, acquiring new owners and listening to their hopes, dreams, and histories.

 

Dickens, Charles.  David Copperfield.  J DIC

Orphaned at a young age and abandoned by a cruel stepfather, David Copperfield struggles to make a life for himself.

 

Gutman, Dan.  Satch and Me:  A Baseball Card Adventure.  J GUT

With his ability to travel through time using vintage baseball cards, Joe takes Flip with him to find out whether Satchel Paige really was the fastest pitcher ever.

 

Hannigan, Katherine.  Ida B: …And Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World.  J HAN

In Wisconsin, Ida B spends happy hours being home-schooled and playing in her family’s apple orchard, until her mother begins treatment for breast cancer, and her parents must sell part of the orchard and send her to public school.

 

Hunter, Erin.  Moonrise.  J HUN

As they journey home to warn their clans of the coming destruction, six cats, guided by StarClan’s prophecy, meet an unfamiliar tribe of cats with their own set of beliefs and their own mysterious prophecy.

​

Konigsburg, E.L.  The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place.  J KON

Upon leaving an oppressive summer camp, twelve-year-old Margaret Rose Kane spearheads a campaign to preserve three unique towers her grand-uncles have been building in their back yard for over forty years.

 

Konigsburg, E.L.  From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.  J KON PBK

When Claudia decided to run away, she planned very carefully.  She would be gone just long enough to teach her parents a lesson in Claudia appreciation.

 

Lewis, C.S.  The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  J LEW

Welcome to Narnia, a delightfully magical land where talking animals, farms, dwarfs, centaurs, and friendly giants live in peace and harmony.

​

Paulsen, Gary.  Brian’s Hunt.  J PAU

Brian is camping along a lake in the woods when he finds a dog that is wounded and whimpering.  Who or what injured the dog?  As Brian cares for her, he worries about his Cree friends, who live north of his camp.

 

Scieszka, Jon.  The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy.  J SCI

The Time Warp Trio find themselves in the Wild West of yesteryear, rubbing elbows with cowboys and Indians.

 

Spinelli, Jerry.  Wringer.  J SPI

As Palmer comes of age, he must either accept the violence of being a wringer at his town’s annual Pigeon Day or find the courage to oppose it.

 

Stewart, Paul.  Beyond the Deepwoods.  J STE

Thirteen-year-old Twig, having always looked and felt different from his woodtroll family, learns that he is adopted and travels out of his Deepwoods home to find the place where he belongs.

 

Van Draanen, Wendelin.  Secret Identity.  J VAN

Fifth-grader Nolan Byrd, tired of being called names by the class bully, has a secret identity – Shredderman.

 

White, Ruth.  Buttermilk Hill.  J WHI

When her parents divorce and gradually begin to make new lives for themselves, Piper faces the difficult changes by finding solace and a means of self-expression through her poetry.

​