Countdown by Deborah Wiles

Franny is an 11 year old girl in the fifth grade in Maryland in October 1962. She is being taught to take shelter during air raid drills, and adults all around her are talking of the Cold War and a possible conflict with the Soviet Union. Her best friend, Margie, has been spending more time with a new girl, Gale, and her big sister just started college and has mysterious meetings and grown up activities, so Franny feels left out. The story of Franny's day-to-day life is interspersed with pictures and information detailing the early 1960s, the beginning of the Cold War, Harry Truman and more. There is information about the Civil Rights movement, and the Cuban Missle Crisis. Franny's father is an Air Force officer, so when President Kennedy announces a that nuclear missiles are aimed at the United States from Cuba and that he is instituting a blockade, her father is called to action. Her uncle, a World War I veteran fearing the worse, tries to build a bomb shelter in the yard and ends up in the hospital. Things seems to be going from bad to worse, then a fight starts at a Halloween Party between Franny and Margie. Franny chases after Margie when she runs away, and has to face her fears of the bomb and about her life. Wonderful coming of age story. According to the Author's afterward, the book is the first in a trilogy about growing up in the sixties. She describes it as a Documentary Novel. I was absorbed and fascinated as I have memories of the time, so I look forward to getting input from today's students who aren't familiar with the period. Countdown by Deborah Wiles.

The Journey and the Rescue by Kathryn Lasky

The Guardians of Ga'hoole series continues with Soren and Gylfie meeting up with two more orphaned owls, Twilight and Digger. Twilight was captured by St. Aegilous, but escaped as a baby while Diggers managed to escape from an attack on his family. Together, they begin to search for the famed Ga'hoole tree and its legendary warriors. In The Journey they find their way through various territories including an artic area inhabited by Puffins who give them directions to get to Ga'hoole, where they settle in and begin learning owl crafts. In The Rescue, one of their favorite teachers, Ezylryb, is missing, and they begin to investigate to where he could be. A menacing villain, named Metal Beak, emerges as the likely suspect in Ezylryb's disappearance, and they set off in search of him. The climactic battle scene is thrilling. A great continuation of the series, sure to keep readers hunting for the next chapter. The Journey by Katherine Lasky. Blackstone Audiobooks, 2006. The Rescueby Katherine Lasky. Blackstone Audiobooks, 2007.

The Capture by Kathryn Lasky

The first book in the Guardians of Ga'hoole series features a fledgling owl named Soren. One night, while his parents are out hunting, he falls or is pushed from his nest and lands on the ground. As he can't yet fly, he is fearful of predators, but instead of a predator, he is picked up and carried away by large owl that delivers him to an "orphanage" for owls. On his trip he meets an elf owl, Gylfie, and together they begin to investigate and discover all is not what it seems. Soon they begin plotting a way to escape, which involves learning how to fly without the training provided by their parents, while hoping they will be able to see their families again. There is intrigue, menacing bad guys, a great story that moves quickly as well as a lot of interesting information about owls. The narrator of the audiobook, Pamela Garelick, tells the story with a distinct British accent, which makes it even more exotic. The Capture by Kathryn Lasky. Guardians of Ga'hoole, Book 1. Blackstone Audio, Inc. 2006.

out of my mind by Sharon Draper

Melody is a bright fifth grader trapped in a body that doesn't work. Born with cerebral palsy, she hasn't been able to communicate easily with the world around her. Then, with the help of her classroom aide, they discover a new device that will enable her to talk and communicate more easily. She begins to interact with students in the regular classes more and her teachers begin to realize she is very bright. When the teacher forms a quiz show team, she auditions and makes the team, causing the able-bodied students on the team to rethink their understanding of her disease and her. The story is filled with details of family life that give an understanding of what it would be like to live with disability. Inspiring and touching. out of my mind by Sharon Draper. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2010.

boom! by Mark Haddon

boom! is a  quirky, sci-fi  adventure from the author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Set in England, it centers around Jimbo, who lives in a flat with his parents and older sister. Jimbo isn't doing real well in school and thinks the teachers might be planning to send him to a special school, so he and his friend sneak a walky-talky into the teachers lounge to see if they hear anything.  What they hear is out of this world--two teachers talking in a strange, unidentified language. Soon, Jimbo's friend disappears, Jimbo and his sister are racing to Scotland on a motorcycle to try to find him, and Jimbo ends up being transported to another planet with a wide variety of strange creatures. He finds his friend and they have to figure out a way to outwit the aliens and find their way home. Great fun, although many of the references and words are British, which may be hard for some American students to understand. Originally published in 1992 as Gridzbi Spudvetch, Haddon reworked it and republished it as boom! boom! by Mark Haddon. David Fickling Books, 2009.

Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell

Nikki Maxwell has started at a new Middle School and feels out of place. So, she starts keeping a diary reporting the adventures of the CCPs (Cute, Cool and Popular) people, her efforts to fit in, and her various adventures. She's artistic and wants to enter an Art Contest, but feels intimidated by one of the popular girls, so she signs up to be a library helper instead. There, she makes friends and embarks on more adventures. The book is funny and illustrated with line drawings, and emphasizes the importance of peer acceptance in middle school. Dork Diaries: Tales from a NOT-SO-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renee Russell. Aladdin, 2009.

Spaceheadz by Jon Scieska

Michael K. is starting at a new school and is assigned to sit with two other new students, who are decidedly weird. While Michael is trying to live down staring in a famous cereal commercial due to his dad being in the advertising, the new kids are walking advertising slogans. They claim they are from another planet and have been listening/watching all the broadcasts from earth, apparently mostly the television advertisements. Michael has to help them recruit people to be SPHDZ or the earth will be "turned off." They are being tracked by a hapless agent from the Anti-Alien Agency (AAA). Fast-paced, full of silliness, the book includes regular asides about scientific facts. First of a series, the book contains links to SPHDZ.com and ANTIALIENAGENCY.Com where you can get more information and sign up to be a SPHDZ. Spaceheadz by Jon Scieska. Simon and Schuster, 2010.

Falling in by Frances O'Rourk Dowell

Love fantasies? Feel like you don't fit in? Then you will relate to Isabelle Bean in Falling In. Isabelle has always felt out of place and never really made any friends at her elementary school. Then, one day, after being sent to the principal's office, she opens a closet in the school nurses' office and falls into another world. Suddenly she is surrounded by children who are afraid of a witch in a primitive world without electricity, cell phones and the like. She befriends a young girl named Hen and together they meet up with an older woman healer, Greta. There she discovers many things about herself, the witch, and her place in the universe, while helping treat an epidemic and save Greta's life after a horrible mix up. Fallin in by Frances O'Rourk Dowell. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2010.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Carter and Sadie Kane have lived apart since their mother died, Sadie in London with her grandparents, and Carter travelling the world with his Egyptologist father. Until, during a visit with Sadie in London, their father takes them to the British Museum to see the famed Rosetta Stone. Suddenly, their world changes as their father is captured by an evil Egyptian god, Set. Carter and Sadie take off with their father's brother Amos to figure out how to stop the evil Set from destroying the world. Excitement and disasters follow as they travel through portals around the world, develop their magical powers, and figure out what they have to sacrifice to save the world. Exciting, fun, full of fascinating facts about Egyptian mythology, the Red Pyramid delivers. The Red Pyramid by Rich Riordan. Disney-Hyperion Books, 2010

The Last Newpaper Boy in America by Sue Corbett

A book right out of the newspaper headlines. Wil, the main character, is ready to take over the delivery of the newspaper in his small town of Steele, Pennsylvania, a family tradition. Unfortunately, Steele has fallen on hard times. The hairpin factory started by his great-grandfather has closed, leaving his father and many of the the town citizens out of work. Wil hopes to save money from his job to buy a computer so he doesn't have to always use the one at the library. His hopes are dashed when his brother is notified on his first day that the newspaper is canceling delivery to Steele. With the encouragement of his grandmother, Wil fights back by circulating a petition and getting the townspeople up in arms about the change. Meanwhile, the fair is coming to town, and Wil suspects one of the new games of chance might be rigged and sets about finding a way to prove it. Everything comes together at a town council meeting where Wil's father is discussing ways for the town to encourage a new tenant for the factory that could put the local people back to work. Timely and up-to-date and fun. The Last Newspaper Boy in America by Sue Corbett. Dutton's Children's Books, 2009.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Billy lives in the Ozark mountains with his family. More than anything, he wants a pair of hound dogs to hunt for coons and sell their pelts. He worked two years to buy the hounds, which he names Old Dan and Little Ann. After training them, he begins to have some success in hunting until he eventually participates in a coon hunting contest. The hardships and sometimes desperation of life in the hill country are movingly illustrated as is the great love that can grow between a boy and his dogs. A classic tale that still resonates. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. Laurel-Leaf Books, 1961.

We the Children (Keepers of the School) by Andrew Clements

The first book in a new series, Keepers of the School, introduces Benjamin Pratt a middle-grader at an historic elementary school on the coast of his New England town. Benjamin is heading toward his class one morning, when he runs into the custodian, who is having problems. While waiting for help, the old custodian presses as gold coin into Benjamin's hand and tells him that he is now he must be the one to fight for the school. The school, which was founded in the late 1700s, has been sold to developers who are planning to tear it down and build an amusement park. After the custodian dies, Benjamin must follow the clue on the coin, with the help of his friend Jill, to other clues that will presumably help them stop the planned demolition. I say presumed because the first book ends in a cliffhanger, it is the first of a six part series. What's there is thoughtful and exciting, including a sailing race that is the climax of the book. The second book, Fear Itself, is being published on September 7, 2010. We the Children by Andrew Clements. Illustrated by Adam Stower. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2010.

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Patterson

Sarah Louise, Wheeze, as she is called, lives in the shadow of her twin sister Caroline, who is a gifted musician. Born and raised on a small island in the Chesapeake Bay, she longs to go out and help her father fish for crabs and oysters, but that is a man's job in the 1940s. But then the war comes, Caroline ends up with a scholarship to pursue her music and her best friend joins the Navy. While helping her father on her boat, she deals with her family and friends and sorts out what she wants to do with her life. A determined heroine, she finds her path and strikes out to make a new life for herself. A touching coming of age story well voiced by Christina Moore in the audiobook version. Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Patterson, Recorded Books, LLC., 1998, 1980.

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman

A quaint traditional children's tale from Neil Gaiman incorporating some of the same Nordic Gods featured in his adult book, American Gods. Odd is a 12 year old boy in a Norwegian Village. His family situation is difficult since his widowed mother remarried an abusive man. He also was crippled in an accident, but still manages to get around with the help of a cane. One day, he leaves his home and goes into the woods to his father's old woodcarving hut. There, he meets a mysterious fox who leads him to a bear that got trapped in a tree with a bee's nest in it. Odd soon discovers that the animals, including an eagle who joins them, are the Nordic Gods Odin, Loki and Thor, who have been tricked out of their home by a Frost Giant. He travels with them to Asgard to help them reclaim their home, and encounters magic, mystery and a beautiful goddess along the way. Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman with illustrations by Brett Helquist. Harper, 2009.

Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton

In a story that jumps between the early days of the printing press and the 21st Century, Matthew Skelton tells the story of Blake Winters, who is passing time in an Oxford Library while his mother does research. When a mysterious book pricks him on the finger as he is running his hand along the shelves, he is caught up in a mystery centuries old. Parallel stories tell the tale of Endymion Spring, the original printer's helper who worked with Johann Gutenberg as he was perfecting the invention of movable type, and the book with his name on the cover that Blake finds. Blake soon realizes he is the only one who can read the book. It holds secrets that are coveted by many people and puts Blake and his younger sister, Duck, into great danger. Fans of mysterious, magical fantasies will enjoy this. The audiobook is narrated by Richard Easton and includes an afterward where Skelton describes what how he came up with the story. Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton. Listening Library, 2006.

Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen

Sam is a 13-year old boy living with his parents in Pennsylvania in 1776. They live on the frontier where  Sam spends most of his time in the woods hunting. Then one day a traveler arrives with news from the colonies. War has started and the Americans are fighting the British for independence. Soon, while Sam is off on a hunting trip, he senses something is wrong and rushes home. There he finds his house burned to the ground and his parents gone. They had been kidnapped and taken prisoner by Hessians fighting with the British. He begins to track them and discovers that his world has just become a very different, scary place. Paulsen concludes each chapter with a page of historical facts about some aspect of the Revolution, and in an afterward says that he wanted to remind people of the actual horrors of war. Fast moving and exciting, it's a great read. Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen. Wendy Lamb Books, 2010.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

A timeless classic, My Side of the Mountain tells the story of Sam Gribley, who lives in New York City with his large family. Restless and interested in living on the land, he leaves home and heads to land in the Catskill Mountains that used to be his great-grandfather's farm, but has revered to woodlands. He is determined to live off the land and with the help of the town librarian, he gathers the information he needs to create a home out of tree, figure out what wild foods are edible, learn to hunt and trap, and capture and raise a baby falcon to help him hunt. Along the way he has to avoid a Forest Ranger that is hunting him, deal with reporters who are investigating stories of a "wild boy" living in the wilderness, and prepare for the long, cold winter. Details about what he cooks and eats, how he tans deer hide to make clothes and blankets, and the many other survival tips are fascinating. The audiobook version is well narrated by Jeff Woodman. He seemlessly slips from one character to the next. A Newbery Honor Book. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. Recorded Books, LLC., 1994. Original copyright 1959.

Martin Bridge Ready for Takeoff! by Jessica Scott Kerrin

Martin Bridge tries to do the right things in these interconnected stories geared for students in Grades 3 & 4. First he plans a treat for a substitute bus driver only to have it go wrong when the regular busdriver returns. Then he deals with finding out his neighbor's guinea pig died while he was taking care of it. Throughout his love of the TV show Zip Rideout keeps him going. The black and white illustrations by Joseph Kelly move the story along. Enjoyable, realistic fun for new readers. First of a series. Martin Bridge Ready for Takeoff! by Jessica Scott Kerrin. Illustrated by Joseph Kelly. Kids Can Press, 2005.

Pendragon Book 1: The Merchant of Death by D. J. MacHale

When Bobby Pendragon's uncle asks him to skip an important basketball game to help some people in trouble, he had no idea what he was getting into. He and his uncle go through some kind of mysterious portal and end up in another "territory" called Denduron where the Milago people are being enslaved. Separated from his uncle, who has been sentenced to death by the ruling people, Bobby discovers he is a "traveller" someone able to move between territories who has the responsibility to help maintain peace in the various territories. The problems in Denderon are being made worse by another traveller, Saint Dene, who is wanting to create chaos and disorder. Can Bobby rescue his uncle before his execution and help keep the revolution that is brewing from destroying life on Denderon? Pendragon Book 1: The Merchant of Death by D. J. MacHale. Brilliance Audio, 2002.

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix

After a prologue where a mysterious plane arrives at an airport with nothing but babies aboard, the story jumps ahead 13 years. Jonah has known all his life that he was adopted. After he befriends a new boy who moved in down the street, he receives a mysterious letter that says only "You are one of the missing." When his new friend gets the same letter and discovers he is adopted also, they set off on a hunt for the truth with the help of his sister Katherine. Plenty of mystery and excitement follow with a cliff hanging ending setting things up for the sequel, Sent. Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Simon and Schuster Books for Young People, 2008.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Miranda lives in New York City with her mom, a paralegal in 1979. She is in the 6th grade and working on various school projects, and her mother is rehearsing to be a contestant on a game show, The $20,000 Pyramid, a "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" type show of the time. Then one day her best friend, Sal, who lives in her apartment building is hit on the street by another boy. He isolates himself from her, forcing her to make new friends and solve the mystery of why Sal was hit. She takes solace in her favorite book, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle, reading it to friends, discussing it and rereading it regularly. Then she starts receiving small, mysterious notes that hinting that one of her friends is in danger and that someone is coming to help save him. The mystery is slowly revealed. An enjoyable story, well read by Cynthia Holloway in the audiobook version. Winner of the 2010 Newbery Award. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. Random House, Listening Library, 2009.

The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers

Henry loves to eat books. An interesting premise for a fun picture book. Irish author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers uses found objects in his art like old catalog cards, notes, and lists from old books as background to the story of Henry who starts eating books and then discovers he absorbs the information from them as he digests them. This helps make him one of the smartest kids around until things start to go "terribly wrong." Lighthearted and witty, the book comes around to the logical conclusion that it is better to read books than eat them. It's a fun journey. The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers. Philomel Books, 2007.