"Will Reid is a gawky kid who wears fake turtlenecks, is obsessed with his ant farm and is lousy at gym. In other words, he's the perfect target for Shane, the grade 9 bully. Katie has been Will's friend since elementary school, but defending him now comes at a real cost. And then there's Devan... Devan has been part of Shane's bullying team until he realizes that its not so smart to mindlessly back up each nasty attack of Shane's. Together, the three teens struggle to find their way out of the classic dilemmas of life: how not to be a bystander to bullying, how to stand up for your friends, and how to deal with anger. Young readers will find much food for thought in this compelling, crisply told story of compassion confronting intimidation." (courtesy of the back cover) (excerpt: 11-13) FYI: This book is rated m for mature. "In this gritty, realistic wilderness adventure, thirteen-year-old Cort is caught in a battle against a Gulf Coast hurricane. Cort's father is a local expert on hunting and swamp legend in lower Alabama who has been teaching his son everything he knows. But when a deadly Category 3 storm makes landfall, Cort must unexpectedly put his all skills-and bravery-to the test. One catastrophe seems to lead to another, leaving Cort and two neighbor girls to face the storm as best they can. Amid miles of storm-thrashed wetlands filled with dangerous, desperate wild animals, it's up to Cort to win-or lose-the fight for their lives" (Good Reads). Definitely a book for lovers of the outdoors, action, and adventure! (excerpt: pages 15 - 17) FYI: this book is considered M for mature. The Crossover follows two basketball loving twin brothers named Josh and Jordan Bell. They find themselves drifting apart as they move throughout their teenage years, especially when Jordan meets a new girl. Throughout their basketball season, the boys run into a number of obstacles that they need to overcome. Ultimately, Josh and Jordan learn that sometimes there is more to life than just winning basketball games. This is a heartfelt novel that any sports or basketball fan would love. Uniquely it is beautifully written in verse (poetry). The Crossover was also awarded the 2015 John Newbery Medal, which is one of the most prestigious literature awards! Also by Kwame Alexander: Booked (verse book about soccer) Rebound (verse book at Josh & Jordan's dad growing up) The Playbook (inspiring stores about the greatest in sport) The Crossover graphic novel (coming out Sept. 24th 2019) Excerpt: pages 24 - 25 (The Crossover) pages 51 - 57 (The Playbook) "Ten concentration camps. Ten different places where you are starved, tortured, and worked mercilessly. It's something no one could imagine surviving. But it is what Yanek Gruener has to face. As a Jewish boy in the 1930s Poland, Yanek is at the mercy of the Nazis who have taken over. Everything he has and everyone he loves have been snatched brutally from him. And then Yanek himself is taken prisoner - his arm marked B - 3087. He is forced from one nightmarish concentration camp to another, as World War II rages all around him. He encounters evil he could never have imagined, but also sees surprising glimpses of hope amid the horror. Can Yanek make it through without losing his will to live - and, most of all, his sense of who he really is inside?" (inside front cover) (excerpt: pages 2 - 3 & 65 - 67) "Everybody is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid." - Lynda Mullaly Hunt Ally has fooled a lot of people, including the smart ones, with her knack for hiding her inability to read by willfully creating unruly distractions. That is until she gets a new teacher and Mr. Daniels sees her in a different light - a bright creative kid underneath the troublemaker profile. With the help of Mr. Daniels, Ally is able to overcome her learning disability (dyslexia) and discover that there is more to her than what meets the eye. Fish in a Tree captures the ups and downs of growing up perfectly. The main character Ally deals with school troubles, friendship issues, bullying, and overcoming obstacles. This is definitely a book that many middle school students would enjoy. (excerpt: pages 4 - 5) |
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