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Middle School Reads February 2019
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From you to me
by K. A Holt
What It's About: On the first day of eighth grade Amelia finds a letter that her older sister Clara wrote to herself before she drowned, and it contains a list of the things Clara planned to do in her own eighth grade year--so Amelia, with the help of her best friend Taylor, resolves to complete the list, in the hope that it will bring some closure and ease her still raw emotions.
Read it for: A beautiful story of life after loss, friendship, and being true to yourself
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West
by Edith Pattou
What It's About: When Rose first met Charles, he was trapped in the form of a white bear. To rescue him, Rose traveled to the land that lay east of the sun and west of the moon to defeat the evil Troll Queen. Now Rose has found her happily-ever-after with Charles—until a sudden storm destroys his ship and he is presumed dead. But Rose doesn’t believe the shipwreck was an act of nature, nor does she believe Charles is truly dead. Something much more sinister is at work. With mysterious and unstoppable forces threatening the lives of the people she loves, Rose must once again set off on a perilous journey. And this time, the fate of the entire world is at stake.
Look For: The start of Rose's story in East
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North to Benjamin
by Alan Cumyn
What It's About: Freezing temperatures. Cracking ice. Ferocious wolves. Eleven-year-old Edgar is willing to face them all to stop his mother from upturning their lives once again -- not this time, not this town. He's finally made a friend; he's finally found a teacher who understands him; and then there's Benjamin, an old dog who understands Edgar better than anyone. But Edgar's mother's path to destruction is beyond his control, and then Edgar loses control, and Benjamin becomes the only one who understands him. So together they embark on a journey across the unforgiving Yukon wilderness for help. But soon Edgar is no longer looking to stop his mother from ruining their lives, but to save Benjamin's and his own.
Read It For: A story of a boy and a dog going on an adventure.
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Five feet apart
by Rachael Lippincott
What It's About: Stella Grant likes to be in control—even though her totally out of control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. At this point, what Stella needs to control most is keeping herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardize the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn’t care less about his treatments. Soon, he’ll turn eighteen and then he’ll be able to unplug all these machines and actually go see the world, not just its hospitals.Will’s exactly what Stella needs to stay away from. If he so much as breathes on Stella she could lose her spot on the transplant list. Either one of them could die. The only way to stay alive is to stay apart. But suddenly six feet doesn’t feel like safety. It feels like punishment.
Look For: The movie version coming out March 15!
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| Gamer Army by Trent ReedyWhat it's about: At age 12, Rogan is already one of top players of the virtual reality game Laser Viper. When he's invited to compete in an elite tournament, Rogan soon begins to suspect that there's more than the championship at stake. Why you might like it: Each Laser Viper mission is shown from multiple points of view, allowing readers to follow the action like a playthrough. |
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Cinder
by Marissa Meyer
What It's About: As plague ravages the overcrowded Earth, observed by a ruthless lunar people, Cinder, a gifted mechanic and cyborg, becomes involved with handsome Prince Kai and must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect the world in this futuristic take on the Cinderella story
Series Alter: Check out the rest of the series Scarlet, Cress, and Winter
Is It For You?: If you like re-told fairy tales with a dystopian feel this book is for you
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The iron trial
by Holly Black
What It's About: Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial. Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail. All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him. So he tries his best to do his worst -- and fails at failing. Now the Magisterium awaits him. It's a place that's both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future.
Series Alert: If you like this check out the rest of the series starting with the second book, The Copper Gauntlet
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Poison
by Bridget Zinn
What It's About: Following a botched attempt to poison the Princess Ariana, 16-year-old Master Potioner Kyra is on the run. Once, she was Ariana's best friend, but Kyra's pesky (not to mention terrifying) visions seem to indicate that Ariana will be the kingdom's downfall. So now, with an adorable tracking pig named Rosie for company and an annoyingly attractive rogue named Fred on her trail, Kyra's got to elude the army (not to mention witches, goblins, and her ex-fiance) long enough to stop Ariana and save the kingdom.
You'll Like It If: You enjoyed Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
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Graceling
by Kristin Cashore
What It's About:Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po. She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone. .
Series Alert: Check out this books companions Bitterblue and Fire
Why You Might Like It: It's an adventure story with mystery weaved throughout
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The Book Jumper
by Mechthild Gläser
What It's About: Amy Lennox doesn't know quite what to expect when she and her mother pick up and leave Germany for Scotland, heading to her mother's childhood home of Lennox House on the island of Stormsay. Amy's grandmother, Lady Mairead, insists that Amy must read while she resides at Lennox House-but not in the usual way. It turns out that Amy is a book jumper, able to leap into a story and interact with the world inside. As thrilling as Amy's new power is, it also brings danger: someone is stealing from the books she visits, and that person may be after her life. Teaming up with fellow book jumper, Will, Amy vows to get to the bottom of the thefts-at whatever cost.
Why You Might Like It: If you often find yourself wishing you could jump into a book, you'll enjoy this tale.
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Contact your librarian for more great books! |
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