Sarah Bishop

Sarah Bishop is by Scott O'Dell. Sarah is 15 and the American Revolution is underway. The Patriots kill her father and burn her home. The British kill her brother and threaten her with death for a crime she didn't commit. As she runs for her life she vows never to trust anyone ever again. She finds a cave in the woods and decides to live alone for the rest of her life. Will Sarah ever learn to trust again and find peace? A good story, but nowhere near as good as The Island of the Blue Dolphins.

Ratings: 6th grade - 7 out of 10.

Elijah of Buxton

Elijah of Buxton is by Christopher Paul Curtis. 11-year-old Elijah is the first child born free in Buxton, a settlement of runaway slaves in Canada. Most people see him as a "fra-gile" boy who's scared of everything and cries easily. But when a friend who has been saving money to buy his family out of slavery has his money stolen, Elijah must step up and become a hero. Great historical fiction!

Ratings: 6th grade - 9 out of 10.

Masquerade

Masquerade is by Melissa de la Cruz. The second book in the Blue Bloods series. Schuyler and Oliver head for Venice to find her grandfather. She believes he can help them fight the Silver Bloods who are attacking young Blue Bloods in New York. But is a Silver Blood already infiltrating Blue Blood society? Mimi's masquerade ball hides a revelation that will change them all forever.

Ratings: 9th grade - 8 out of 10 - P (Profanity).

Baseball, Snakes, and Summer Squash: Poems About Growing Up

Baseball, Snakes, and Summer Squash: Poems About Growing Up is by Donald Graves. A great little book of poems about boys growing up in America as it was. A wonderful collection of poems to get boys into poetry and to allow adults to reminisce about their own childhood.


Ratings: 6th grade - 10 out of 10.

Elephant Run

Elephant Run is by Roland Smith. A great historical adventure set in Burma (today's Myanmar). When London is bombed 14-year-old Nick Freestone is sent by his mother to stay with his father on the family teak plantation in Burma where he will be safe. Then the Japanese take the country and his father is captured and taken to a P.O.W. camp. Nick and his friend Mya are kept to work as servants on the plantation. Nick must escape and rescue his father and Mya's brother and somehow get to safety in Australia. A wonderful tale of courage, survival, and family in the midst of WWII.

Ratings: 7th grade - 8 out of 10 - V (violence).

The Sorcerer of the North

The Sorcerer of the North is by John Flanagan. Book five in the Ranger's Apprentice series finds Will headed north. Now a full-fledged Ranger, Will is chosen to investigate rumors of sorcery surrounding the mysterious illness of Lord Syron from Castle Macindaw. Disguised as a traveling minstrel he battles fear, superstition, sorcery, and traitors. When his friend Alyss is taken hostage Will must risk everything to save her life. This series gets better and better with each installment!

Ratings: 7th grade - 10 out of 10.

Changes

Changes is by Jim Butcher. OMG! The 12th book in the wildly popular Dresden Files is probably the best book yet in the series. Harry picks up the phone and discovers Susan Rodriguez on the line. She tells him that the Red Court has kidnapped their child (yeah, the one she didn't tell him about) and she needs his help to rescue their daughter. Harry's life spirals downhill from there, as usual. Who are his real friends? Can he risk them to save his child? What bargain will he have to make to get his daughter out of this one alive and what will it cost him? Don't pick this one up if you have something else to do because it's impossible to put down. There is no break in the action. How long till the next book?

Ratings: 10th grade - 10 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content) - V (violence).