Dear Mr. Henshaw
by:  Beverly Cleary
1984 Newbery Winner

Leigh is Boy Henshaw's biggest fan.  Henshaw is the author of Leigh's favorite book, Ways to Amuse a Dog.  Leigh's parents are getting divorced, and when he and his mom move, Leigh becomes the new kid in school.  This is an awesome story told through letters and journal entries by Leigh.

Crispin : the cross of lead

by:  Avi
2003 Newbery Winner

Asta's son is the only name he has.  He and his mom are nothing but poor peasants in 14th century medieval England.

Accused of something he didn't do, Asta's son gets declared a wolf's head.  This means anyone who sees him may kill him.

He knows he must run away if he is to survive.  With his newly revealed name - Crispin - and his mother's cross of lead he runs!

Very good book!

Guts : the true stories behind Hatchet and the Brian books
by:  Gary Paulsen

Here are the real events that inspired Gary Paulsen to write Brian Robeson's story in Hatchet, The River, Brian's Winter, and Brian's Return.  He takes readers on his first hunting trips, showing the wonder and solace of nature along with his hilarious mishaps and mistakes.

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key
by:  Jack Gantos

Joey can't sit still and has trouble following the rules.  He wants to be good and he knows that deep down he is, he just can't help it.  Joey has A.D.D. and now his meds are not working properly.

If he doesn't get his act together he will have to go to an entirely different school!

Very good!

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
by:  E.L. Konigsburg

Margaret Rose Kane is incorrigible!
Is that good or bad?

Bad - she gets kicked out of summer camp???

Good - She believes in herself and stands up for what is right.

Very good!

Toys Go Out
by:  Emily Jenkins

Lumphy is a stuffed buffalo,
StingRay is a stuffed stingray, and
Plastic...well Plastic isn't sure what she is.

6 linked stories that showcase
ridiculous and touching adventures
of 3 extraordinary friends.

Peak
by:  Roland Smith

For a climber, saying you're stopping by Everest is like saying you're stop by to see God.

14 year-old Peak Marcello is in big trouble for trying to climb a New York City skyscraper.  His sentence...go live with his dad who he hasn't seen in years.

Awesome!

One Crazy Summer
by:  Rita Williams-Garcia
2011 Newbery Honor Book

Delphine is the oldest of 3 girls.  She is only 11 years old but acts 25 by the way she has to watch out for her sisters.  They were abandoned by their mother when the youngest was just a baby. This summer they are going on a big trip on an airplane to visit their long lost mother.  It turns out to be one crazy summer!

Awesome!

The Higher Power of Lucky
by:  Susan Patron

2007 Newbery Winner

What is a higher power 
and how does a person get one? 
These are questions Lucky, 
a ten-year-old girl, 
asks herself after the death 
of the mother.

Elephant Run
by:  Roland Smith

Nick is sent from London, where his mom lived, to Burma (now called Myanmar) in Asia.

His father is in charge of a plantation and several mahouts or elephant drivers.  The elephants are trained to do work in the jungle.

With World War II raging, Nick turns out to be in just as much danger in Burma as he was in London.

This is a page turner!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by:  Brian Selznick

2008 Caldecott Winner
- A novel in words and pictures -

This is an awesome "Graphic" Novel!  Must read.

Hugo lives in the walls of a busy train station in Paris.  His survival depends on secrets and him staying hidden.

284 pages are original drawings that tell a story.

Zach's Lie
by:  Roland Smith

Another great one by Roland Smith.  Awesome!

When Zach's dad messes up big time, some very bad people come looking for his family and he ends up in jail.  Zach, his sister and mom have to go into the witness protection program.  New hair color, new eye color, new name, new town, new everything...new life.  The bad men find them just as they are getting used to their new identities.

Sounder
by:  William Armstrong

1969 Newbery Winner

Sounder is a strong and faithful coon dog.  He will do whatever it takes to help his owners survive the hard times.  But when father is put in jail for stealing food for his family even the wounded Sounder has to run and hide.

The Underneath
by:  Kathi Appelt

2009 Newbery Honor Book

This is the story of four unlikely best friends...a dog, a cat, and two kittens.  The friends have a nice life as long as they stay under the porch of the house where the wicked old man, Gar, lives.

This is a wonderful, very well written story, however, please be warned that there is some animal abuse and sadness.

Criss Cross
by:  Lynne Rae Perkins

2005 Newbery Winner

She was wondering if the grass really could
be greener on the other side of the fence.
It depends on who was standing in the grass.
Maybe you had to go take a look.

Excellent!

Runt
by:  Marion Dane Bauer

A short easy read about a 
pack of wolves in Minnesota.

Well worth reading!

Chasing Redbird
by:  Sharon Creech

From the start, Zinny knew that uncovering the trail 
would be more than just a summer project.

It was her chance to finally make people notice 
her and have a place she could call her very own.

Awesome!

Savvy
by:  Ingrid Law

Mibs is about to turn 13...the age when the Beaumonts' savvy starts.  A savvy is a kind of special power that can be tricky to control.  Mibs has one brother that can create electricity and one that causes hurricanes.  With this kind of family there is never a dull moment!

The White Giraffe
by:  Lauren St. John

When both of Martine's parents die in a fire she is sent to Africa to live with her grandmother she never even knew she had.  There is a myth that a very rare white giraffe lives near Martine's new home, but it's never been seen.  The myth also says the girls who can ride the white giraffe will have special powers...is Martine that girl?

Very good!

I, Q : Independence Hall
(Book 1)
by:  Roland Smith

One of the best action adventures I've ever read!

Angela and Q are step brother and sister.  Angela's Dad and Q's mom have become rock stars and the family is going on tour.  Angela's real mom was a secret service agent and is now dead...or is she...or has she faked her death to become a terrorist?

Must read!

Lawn Boy

by:  Gary Paulsen




One day I was 12 years old and broke.  I set out to mow some lawns with grandpa's old mower.  One client was Arnold, a stockbroker, who offered to teach me about: the beauty of capitalism.

The grass grew and so did business.  Arnold invested my money in many things.  One of them was a prizefighter.  All of a sudden, I was the sponsor of my very own fighter, Joey Pow.  That's when my summer got really interesting.

Turtle in Paradise
by:  Jennifer L. Holm
2011 Newbery Honor Book

It's 1935 and times are hard.  Turtle's mother needs a job and Turtle can't come with her.  Turtle is sent to Key West, Florida to stay with relatives she has never met.  Thrown in with a bunch of rough and tumble boy cousins isn't easy.  Turtle may be a girl, but she is tough and she will prove it - tough as the shell on a turtle.

Best historical fiction I'v read in a long time!

Stormbreaker
by:  Anthony Horowitz

Awesome! Must read.

He is only 14, but he has been called to duty.  His uncle, who Alex thought was a banker, is dead.  He wasn't a banker, he was a spy.
Alex must take over where his uncle left off - to save the lives of millions.

Was his uncle training him all along??

No Talking

by:  Andrew Clements

This year's 5th grade class has been nicknamed "The Unshushables" by their teachers.  So, you can imagine the shock of all the teachers when all the 5th graders stop talking... totally... at school!

Great book!

The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs
by:  Betty Birney

When Eben read about the Seven Wonders of the World, he longed to escape his small farming community and do some exploring of his own.

Eben's dad gives him a challenge. If Eben can find seven wonders in his own town he will let him go all the way to Colorado on a train to visit relatives. Eben has 7 days to find 7 wonders!

Awesome book!

Walk Two Moons
by:  Sharon Creech

1995 Newbery Winner

Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle, known as Sal, is on a trip with her grandparents in search of her mother.  Along the way Sal tells a story about her friend Phoebe.  Phoebe receives mysterious messages, met a "potential lunatic," and her mother also has disappeared.

Wonderful story.

Kira - Kira
by:  Cynthia Kadohata

2005 Newbery Winner

Glittering.  That's how Katie's sister makes everything seem.  "Kira-Kira" means glittering in Japanese.

When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it's Lynn who explains to her why people stop and stare at them.

When Lynn becomes ill, and the whole family begins to fall apart, it is up to Katie to find a way to remind them all that there is always something kira-kira in the future.

A Season of Gifts

by:  Richard Peck

This is the companion to  Down Yonder and A Long Way From Chicago.  If you liked those two books, you'll love this one!

It's 1958 and a new family has moved in next to Mrs. Dowdel.  She is the kind of grandma every kid wishes they had.  There's never a dull moment with Mrs. Dowdel around.

A fabulous holiday read!

Point Blank
by:  Anthony Horowitz

Alex didn't realize that his uncle was training him to be a spy from the time he was born.  Now his uncle is dead and Alex at age 14 has been asked to fill his spy shoes.

Alex helped once but he doesn't want to be a spy.  

Well, they needed him again.