New young adult books

We recently purchased some new young adult titles.  If you're still looking for a book to read for your summer reading assignment, you might want to check out one of these titles.  Books are located in the young adult fiction section of the library by author's last name unless otherwise noted.  Please see the Children's or Reference Librarian for the exact location of these books.

Boy on Cinnamon Street, The by Phoebe Stone
Since a tragedy she cannot remember, 13-year-old Louise has changed her name, given up gymnastics, moved in with her grandparents, and locked her feelings inside but through her friends Reni and Hen and notes from a secret admirer she begins to find herself again.
Grade Level: 9th grade and up

Cracked by K. M. Walton
When Bull Mastrick and Victor Konig wind up in the same psychiatric ward at age 16, each recalls and relates in group therapy the bullying relationship they have had since kindergarten, but also facts about themselves and their families that reveal they have much in common.
Grade Level: 9th grade and up

DJ Rising by Love Maia
Sixteen-year-old Marley Diego-Dylan's career as "DJ Ice" is skyrocketing, but his mother's heroin addiction keeps dragging him back to earth.
Grade Level: 9th grade and up

Fated by Alyson Noël
When she begins having strange experiences, Daire discovers her identity as a Soul Seeker who is capable of traveling between the worlds of the living and the dead and meets a gorgeous dream boy whose evil brother wants to steal her powers. This is the first title in the Soul Seekers series.
Grade Level: 9th grade and up

Girl in the Mirror, The by Meg Kearney
In a series of poems and journal entries, 17-year-old Lizzie grieves over the death of her adoptive father, as her plans for college and search for her birth mother are put on hold. (YAP K)
Grade Level: 9th grade and up

One Moment by Kristina McBride
Rising high school senior Maggie remembers little about the accidental death of her boyfriend, Joey, but as she slowly begins to recall that day at the gorge with their long-time friends, she realizes he was keeping some terrible secrets.
Grade Level: 9th grade and up

Steampunk: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein illustrated by Zdenko Basic & Manuel Sumberac
Frankenstein is the long celebrated gothic tale of a science experiment gone awry. In this brand-new edition, Shelley's haunting horror story is transformed with the addition of steampunk-inspired art. With elaborate full-color illustrations throughout, this is a truly unique interpretation of Frankenstein.  It’s a fresh look at a classic story, spiked with gadgets, fashion, and steam-powered machinery.
Grade Level: 9th grade and up

You Against Me by Jenny Downham
When 18-year-old Mikey's younger sister claims to have been raped and he seeks to avenge the crime, he meets Ellie, the sister of the accused, and befriends her, complicating the situation considerably for all of them.
Grade Level: 9th grade and up

Back to School Books

Beginning school can be a scary experience for your little one. Here is a list of books that you may find helpful. Books are located in the Parent/Toddler section of the Children’s Department alphabetically by the first letter of the author’s last name unless otherwise noted. Please ask the Children’s Librarian for assistance in finding the exact location of the books.

Bourgeois, Paulette Franklin Goes to School
Franklin is nervous about the first day of school, but his teacher, Mr. Owl, knows just what to do.

Capucilli, Alyssa Biscuit Goes to School
School looks like so much fun! Biscuit wants to go to school and meet the teacher—but dogs don’t go to school! What will the teacher do when Biscuit sneaks in anyway? (J Rea 1 Cap)

Danneberg, Julie First Day Jitters
The first day of school is scary for everyone, even the teacher who is new to the school. Children may be surprised to see that even adults get nervous sometimes.

Goodman, Joan Elizabeth Bernard Goes to School
On Bernard’s first day of school, he is only interested in going home, while the rest of his family finds joy in the blocks, paints and dolls to which he pays no attention until he makes a new friend.

Harper, Jessica Place Called Kindergarten, A
Wondering why their friend Tommy has not come to the barn at his usual time, the animals become alarmed when the dog tells them that he has gone to a place called "Kindergarten."

Hest, Amy Off to School, Baby Duck
It is Baby Duck's first day of school and she is scared. She likes all the new important things in her book bag, but what if her teacher is mean or she doesn't have any fun or make any friends? Luckily, Grampa knows just what to say and do. And Baby Duck feels much braver after she meets her teacher and makes a new friend.

London, Jonathan Froggy Goes to School
Froggy is nervous about his first day of school. First, he has a nightmare about the first day of school. On the morning of the first day, he is so nervous he has trouble pouring milk on his bowl of flies. At school he must learn to keep his voice down and pay attention. And he leaves his lunch box at school. His mom says, "Oh Froggy. Will you ever learn?" He replies "That's why I'm going to school, Mom!"

McGhee, Alison Countdown to Kindergarten
Ten days before the start of kindergarten, a pre-kindergartner cannot tie her shoes by herself and fears the worst.

McQuade, Jacqueline At Preschool with Teddy Bear
It is off to school with Teddy Bear. He is excited about learning new things and meeting new friends. (ABC cube)

Pak, Soyung Sumi’s First Day of School Ever
When Sumi first arrives at school on her first day, she thinks that school is a lonely, scary, mean place. For Sumi, the first day is extra hard because she doesn’t know the same language as everyone else. But with some help from a kind teacher and the fortunate acquaintance of a friendly girl at recess, Sumi realizes that school isn’t as lonely, scary or mean as she thought.

Poydar, Nancy First Day, Hooray!
Kindergartener Ivy Green can’t wait for school to begin tomorrow, but she’s also a little worried. What if she misses her bus? How will she find her classroom? Readers will discover that not only does Ivy anticipate the first day of school, but so do her teacher, the janitor and even her principal. They are all scrambling to prepare for the first day of school.

Rockwell, Anne Welcome to Kindergarten
Tim visits his future kindergarten class and learns what he will be doing during his first year of schoool. The classroom may seem a little big at first, but after finding out about all the fun things he'll learn, it doesn't seem so big at all. In fact, maybe it's just the right size.

Rosenberry, Vera Vera's First Day of School
Vera is looking forward to her first day of school. When the day finally arrives, she is bursting with excitement, until she sees all the children in the school yard. She becomes frightened and runs home. Vera's mom walks her back to school and Vera discovers school isn't as scary as she thought and decides she will like the second day much better.

Rouillard, Wendy Barnaby Goes to School
Barnaby loves to explore. But the new challenge of the first day of school lies ahead and Barnaby isn’t sure he is ready. Soon he learns that school is the greatest adventure of all!

Scotten, Rob Splat the Cat
A nervous Splat finds his first day at Cat School much better than he expected.

Slate, Joseph Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten
Miss Bindergarten and her students get ready for the first day of kindergarten. The children are introduced alphabetically as they appear. This is a fun way to learn the alphabet and also learn about the first day of school from both students' and teacher's perspective.

Thompson, Lauren Mouse’s First Day of School
Mouse hides in a child’s backpack and discovers all the fun to be had in a kindergarten classroom full of books, paints, blocks and more.

Wells, Rosemary Timothy Goes to School
Timothy is excited about the first day of school until he meets Claude. Not only is Claude the smartest and the best at everything, but he also wears all the right clothes and has all the friends. Timothy can’t stand it! But when Timothy meets Violet he learns that he’s not alone after all.(Also available in audio CD/BK 018)

Woodruff, Elvira A Dragon in My Backpack
Bumps the toy dragon helps his friend Ben deal with his first day of kindergarten apprehension in this back to school adventure. (JEPB W)

More Favorite New Children's Books

Here are some more of the favorite new children's picture books that recently arrived at the library. Ask the Children's Librarian for the exact location of these new books.

I Spy With My Little Eye by Edward Gibbs
Children can look through the cut-out hole in the book and try to guess what animal is on the next page. Each animal gives children a hint to what is on the next page. This is a fun introduction to color. (JE Gib)

Froggy Goes to Hawaii by Jonathan London
Froggy is back for another adventure! This time he's going on vacation to Hawaii! While on vacation Froggy dances the hula, goes surfing with his dad and goes looking for sea turtles. But when Froggy is around, unexpected things sometimes happen. (JE Long)

Chamelia by Ethan Long
Most chameleons like to blend in, but Chamelia likes to stand out. Figuring out how to stand out can be difficult but Chamelia makes sure she is always ready. But sometimes things don't go as planned. Can Chamelia stand out but learn to share the spotlight too? (JE Lon)

Hopper and Wilson by Maria van Lieshout
Hopper and his little friend Wilson wonder what it's like at the end of the world. Wanting to find out, they set sail to see for themselves. A cute book about the importance of friendship. The illustrations add to the book's charm. (JE Van)

Spinster Goose: Twisted Rhymes for Naughty Children by Lisa Wheeler & Sophie Blackall
Most children are familiar with Mother Goose and her nursery rhymes, but some children are even too bad for Mother Goose. Those children are sent to Mother Goose's sister's school for naughty children. After reading these fun rhymes, your misbehaving little ones may decide being bad isn't worth being sent to Spinster Goose's school! (JE Whe)

Vineland Public Schools Summer Reading for Honors and AP English High School Classes

Students entering Honors and AP English classes at Vineland High School in the fall have a separate summer reading assignment from the other high school students. Students entering these classes have received their books and assignments. Click here for the Honors English class assignment. For more information, particularly for the AP assignment, please contact Vineland High School or the student's English teacher.

Vineland Public Schools 8th Grade Summer Reading List

The following is list of suggested titles for 8th graders. This list was compiled by Children’s Outreach Librarian Samantha Tai at the Vineland Public Library. All titles are available at the Vineland Public Library. Please note that students are not required to read a title from this list. They may pick any title that is deemed grade appropriate. Please see a librarian for the location of the following books or for more suggested titles. To see the actual assignment click here.

As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins
A teenage boy encounters one comedic calamity after another when his train strands him in the middle of nowhere, and everything comes down to luck. (YA FIC Perkins)
Also by Lynne Rae Perkins: All Alone in the Universe (J FIC Perkins & J AUD CD FIC Perkins) and Criss Cross (J FIC Perkins)

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
Now on the cusp of manhood, Finnikin, who was a child when the royal family of Lumatere was brutally murdered and their throne was taken over by a usurper, reluctantly joins forces with an enigmatic young novice and fellow exile, who claims that her dark dreams will lead them to a surviving royal child and a way to regain the throne of Lumatere. (YA FIC Marchetta & AUD CD YA FIC Marchetta)

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
When 13-year-olds Jonah and Chip, who are both adopted, learn they were discovered on a plane that appeared out of nowhere, full of babies with no adults on board, they realize that they have uncovered a mystery involving time travel and two opposing forces, each trying to repair the fabric of time. (J FIC Haddix)

Framed! by Malcolm Rose
Sixteen-year-old Luke Harding is the youngest person ever to qualify for the position of forensic investigator, and he is about to get his first real case. A young student has been mysteriously shot and killed by an arrow. The boy’s murder is quickly followed by two more grisly deaths and all clues lead back to Luke himself. (J FIC Rose)

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
In a world where some people are born with extreme and often-feared skills called Graces, Katsa struggles for redemption from her own horrifying Grace, the Grace of killing, and teams up with another young fighter to save their land from a corrupt king. (YA FIC Cashore & AUD CD YA FIC Cashore)
Also by Kristin Cashore: Fire (YA FIC Cashare)

Hunger Games, The by Suzanne Collins
In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the 12 districts against one another, 16-year-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister's place. (YA FIC Collins & AUD CD YA Collins)
If you enjoy The Hunger Games, make sure you read the other books in the trilogy: Catching Fire (YA FIC Collins & AUD CD YA Collins) and Mockingjay . (YA FIC Collins)
Also by Suzanne Collins: The Underland Chronicles (J FIC Collins & J AUD CD FIC Collins)

I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school—that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it’s really a school for spies. Try the other books in the Gallagher Girls series too. (YA FIC Carter)

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Through journal entries, 16-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. (YA FIC Pfeffer & AUD CD YA FIC Pfeffer)
Also by Susan Beth Pfeffer: The Dead and the Gone and This World We Live In (Same as above)

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt
In 1911, Turner Buckminster hates his new home of Phippsburg, Maine, but things improve when he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a girl from a poor, nearby island community founded by former slaves that the town fathers--and Turner's--want to change into a tourist spot. (J FIC Schmidt & J AUD CD FIC Schmidt)

Lost Conspiracy, The by Frances Hardinge
Two young sisters who live on a beautiful island soon become caught in a deadly web of deceit. Neither girl is exactly what she pretends to be. When they are drawn into a sinister conspiracy, one discovers that the only thing more dangerous than the secret she hides is the truth she must uncover. (YA FIC Hardinge)

Monstrumologist, The by Richard Yancey
In 1888, 12-year-old Will Henry chronicles his apprenticeship with Dr. Warthrop, a scientist who hunts and studies real-life monsters, as they discover and attempt to destroy a pod of Anthropophagi. For further adventures about Will Henry and Dr. Warthrop, check out the sequel The Curse of the Wendigo. (YA FIC Yancey)

My Life in Pink and Green by Lisa Greenwald
When the family's drugstore is failing, seventh-grader Lucy uses her problem-solving talents to come up with a solution that might resuscitate the business, along with helping the environment. (YA FIC Greenwald)

Peace, Love and Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle
Fifteen-year-old Carly's summer volunteer experience feels more real to her than her life of privilege in Atlanta ever did, but her younger sister starts high school pretending to be what she is not, and both find their relationships suffering. (YA FIC Myracle)

Peeled by Joan Bauer
In an upstate New York farming community, high school reporter Hildy Biddle investigates a series of strange occurrences at a house rumored to be haunted. (YA FIC Bauer & AUD CD YA FIC Bauer)

Rag and Bone Shop, The by Robert Cormier
Trent, an ace interrogator from Vermont, works to procure a confession from an introverted 12-year-old accused of murdering his seven-year-old friend in Monument, Massachusetts. (YA FIC Cormier)
Also by Robert Cormier: The Chocolate War (YA FIC Cormier, YAP C & AUD CD YA FIC Cormier) There is also a move based on the book The Chocolate War-we have two copies: DVD 5028 & DVD 5036

Saffy’s Angel by Hilary McKay
After learning that she was adopted, thirteen-year-old Saffron's relationship with her eccentric, artistic family changes, until they help her go back to Italy, where she was born, to find a special memento of her past. (J FIC McKay & J AUD CD FIC McKay)

They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
“Boys, let us get up a club.” With those words, six restless young men raided the linens at a friend’s mansion, pulled pillowcases over their heads, hopped on horses, and cavorted through the streets of Pulaski, Tennessee. The six friends named their club the Ku Klux Klan, and, all too quickly, their club grew into the self-proclaimed Invisible Empire with secret dens spread across the South. Includes personal accounts from oral histories, congressional documents and diaries. (YA 322.42 Bar)

Trash by Andy Mulligan
Fourteen-year-olds Raphael and Gardo team up with a younger boy, Rat, to figure out the mysteries surrounding a bag Raphael finds during their daily life of sorting through trash in a third-world country's dump. (YA FIC Mulligan)

Wings by Aprilynne Pike
Fifteen-year-old Laurel has always known she was different from other teenagers, but she's about to learn just how different she is. She doesn't eat the food that most of her teen peers eat—she's a vegan, sticking to salads and peaches and other fruit. When she grows a flower blossom that look like wings on her back, she begins to investigate her past and learns some extraordinary things about herself. Continue the trilogy with Spells and Illusions. (YA FIC Pike)

Vineland Public Schools 7th Grade Summer Reading List

The following is list of suggested summer reading titles for 7th graders. This list was compiled by Children’s Outreach Librarian Samantha Tai at the Vineland Public Library. All titles are available at the Vineland Public Library. Please note that students are not required to read a title from this list. They may pick any title that is deemed grade appropriate. Please see a librarian for the location of the following books or for other suggestions. To see the actual assignment, click here.

90 Miles to Havana by Enrique Flores-Galbis
When unrest hits the streets of Havana, Cuba, Julian's parents must make the heartbreaking decision to send him and his two brothers away to Miami via the Pedro Pan operation. But when the boys get to Miami, they are thrust into a world where bullies seem to run rampant and it's not always clear how best to protect themselves. (J FIC Flores-Galbis)

Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko
In the sequel to Al Capone Does My Shirts, Moose Flanagan, who lives on Alcatraz along with his family and the families of the other prison guards, is frightened when he discovers that noted gangster Al Capone, a prisoner there, wants a favor in return for the help that he secretly gave Moose. (YA FIC Choldenko & AUD CD YA FIC Choldenko)

All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn
After learning their grandmother’s inn is haunted, Travis and Corey decide to do some “haunting” of their own. Before long, their supernatural pranks have tourists flocking to the inn. They soon learn that they aren’t the only “ghosts” at the inn. Their pranks have awoken the local ghosts who refuse to “rest in peace.” (J FIC Hahn)

City of Ember, The by Jeanne DuPrau
The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she’s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever. If you read this book, make sure you also watch the movie based on the book. (J FIC DuPrau & J AUD CD FIC DuPrau)
Also by Jeanne DuPrau: The People of Sparks; The Prophet of Yonwood; and The Diamond of Darkhold (Same as above)

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
Nine months before Rosa Parks triggered the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, by refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin let herself be arrested and dragged off the bus for the same reason. Colvin played a central role in the city’s civil rights drama, but her story has been largely lost to history. (YA B Colvin)

Countdown by Deborah Wiles
The fearful events of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis are witnessed by 11-year-old Franny, who finds her life and perspectives changing throughout the course of a week that is also marked by difficult family issues. (YA FIC Wiles)

Faith, Hope and Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Ivy June Mosley and Catherine Combs participate in a school exchange program where each girl spends two weeks in the other's home and school. Ivy June, who lives in the mountains of Kentucky where most of the residents have no phone service or bathrooms and many of the men work in the coal mines, spends two weeks in Lexington at Catherine Comb's middle class house and goes to her private girls’ school. The two overcome many stereotypes and become very good friends. (J FIC Naylor & J AUD CD FIC Naylor)

Honus and Me by Dan Gutman
When Joe Stoshack gets a job cleaning old Miss Young's attic, he's not too happy about it. The place is filled with tons of worthless trash, and he's only getting paid $5 for hauling it out. Suddenly Joe finds a little piece of cardboard. He's holding the world's most valuable baseball card. Joe is rich–really rich–but it's more than that. Suddenly, Joe is face-to-face with the player on the card. He’s able to travel through time with one of the greatest ballplayers who ever lived. If you have a favorite baseball player, try one of Dan Gutman’s other Baseball Card Adventure books: Jim & Me; Satch & Me; Abner & Me; Shoeless Joe & Me; Mickey & Me; Babe & Me; or Jackie & Me (J FIC Gutman)

Maximum Ride series by James Patterson
Meet 14-year-old Maximum Ride, or Max for short , and the rest of her flock, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel in book one, Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment. Max and her flock are just like ordinary kids, only they have wings and can fly. After the mutant Erasers abduct Angel, the youngest member of their group, the "birdkids," who are the result of genetic experimentation, take off in pursuit and find themselves struggling to understand their own origins and purpose. (YA FIC Patterson)

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
In a series of poems, fifteen-year-old Billie Jo relates the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Depression. (J FIC Hesse, JPB H & J AUD CD FIC Hesse)

Reckless by Cornelia Funke
Jacob and Will Reckless have looked out for each other ever since their father disappeared, but when Jacob discovers a magical mirror that transports him to a warring world populated by witches, giants, and ogres, he keeps it to himself until Will follows him one day, with dire consequences. (J FIC Funke & J AUD CD FIC Funke)

Red Pyramid, The by Rick Riordan
Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane accidentally unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes the doctor to oblivion and forces his two children to embark on a dangerous journey to save him. (J FIC Riordan)

Ruins of Gorlan, The by John Flanagan
When 15-year-old Will is rejected by battleschool, he becomes the reluctant apprentice to the mysterious Ranger Halt, and winds up protecting the kingdom from danger. This is the first book in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. (J FIC Flanagan)

Schwa Was Here, The by Neal Shusterman
A Brooklyn eighth-grader nicknamed Antsy befriends the Schwa, an "invisible-ish" boy who is tired of blending into his surroundings and going unnoticed by nearly everyone. (J FIC Shusterman & A AUD CD FIC Shusterman)
Also by Neal Shusterman: Antsy Does Time (YA FIC Shusterman & AUD CD YA FIC Shusterman)

Search for the Shadowman by Joan Lowery Nixon
Twelve-year-old Andy Thomas isn’t thrilled with his teacher’s assignment to explore family history. But when he starts asking questions about his ancestors, he’s surprised to discover a black sheep named Cody Joe Bonner. No one wants to discuss what happened in his family’s past, but Andy is determined to continue his investigation. Will his investigation hurt those he loves or help them realize it’s never to late to seek justice? (JPB N)

Throne of Fire, The by Rick Riordan
In the sequel to The Red Pyramid, Carter Kane and his sister must prevent the chaos snake Apophis from breaking free in a few days' time or the world will come to an end. To have any chance of battling these Forces of Chaos, the Kanes must revive the sun god Ra. (J FIC Riordan)

Vineland Public Schools 6th Grade Summer Reading List

The following is list of suggested summer reading titles for 6th graders. This list was compiled by Children’s Outreach Librarian Samantha Tai at the Vineland Public Library. All titles are available at the Vineland Public Library. Please note that students are not required to read a title from this list. They may pick any title that is deemed grade appropriate. Please see a librarian for the location of the following books or for other suggestions. To see the actual assignment, click here.

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared To Dream by Tanya Lee Stone
The fight for women to become part of the space program began in the 1960s. Thirteen women fought to be admitted into the space program and were not allowed in even though they passed all the tests, many times surpassing the men who were given the same tests. Despite the prejudice and adversity that these women met, they persevered. They never made it to space, but because of their efforts and fights women are allowed in the space program today. (J 920 Sto)

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
In a future where the Population Police enforces the law limiting a family to only two children, 12-year-old Luke has lived his entire life in isolation and fear on his family's farm, until he becomes convinced that maybe the government is wrong. (JPB & J FIC Haddix)

Emerald Atlas, The by John Stephens
Kate, Michael, and Emma have passed from one orphanage to another in the 10 years since their parents disappeared to protect them, but now they learn that they have special powers, a prophesied quest to find a magical book, and a fearsome enemy. (J FIC Stephens & J AUD CD FIC Stephens)

Faraway Island, A by Annika Thor
During World War II, two sisters are sent from Vienna to live with foster parents in Sweden until their parents can arrange to get visas so that they can all go to the United States together. They are supposed to be placed in the same home, but unfortunately are separated. Nellie, being the younger sister, has a much easier time adjusting to living in a new country. In addition to having a difficult time in school, Stephie has a very strict foster mother. As time goes by, Stephie realizes that she may be staying in Sweden much longer than the six months her father promised. (J FIC Thor)

Goose Girl, The by Shannon Hale
On her way to marry a prince she's never met, Princess Anidori is betrayed by her guards and her lady-in-waiting and must become a goose girl, a forest worker who gathers the royal geese, to survive until she can reveal her true identity and reclaim the crown that is rightfully hers. (YA FIC Hale)

Heartbeat by Sharon Creech
Using free-verse form, Sharon Creech tells the story of 12-year-old Annie who ponders the many rhythms of life the year that her mother becomes pregnant, her grandfather begins faltering, and her best friend (and running partner) becomes distant. (J FIC Creech & J AUD CD FIC Creech)

Maze Runner, The by James Dashner
Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape. (YA FIC Dashner & AUD CD YA FIC Dashner)

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
In the summer of 1968, after travelling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California to spend a month with the mother they barely know, 11-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp. (J FIC Williams-Garcia)

Operation Redwood by Susannah T. French
Julian Carter-Li intercepts an angry e-mail message meant for his greedy, high-powered uncle and learns his uncle's company plans to cut down some of the oldest and last California redwood trees. It's up to Julian and a ragtag group of friends to stop them. (J FIC French)

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Eleven-year-old Melody has a photographic memory. Her head is like a video camera that is always recording. She's the smartest kid in her whole school but no one knows it. Melody has cerebral palsy and is unable to speak. Her teachers and doctors consider her incapable of learning until a technological device allows her to speak for the first time. (J FIC Draper)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
Beginning with the first book, The Lightning Thief, 12-year-old Percy Jackson learns he is a demigod, the son of a mortal woman and a god. His mother sends him to a summer camp for demigods where he and his new friends set out on a quest to prevent a war between the gods. If you read The Lightning Thief, make sure to watch the movie based on the book! (YA FIC Riordan & AUD CD YA FIC Riordan)

Ring of Fire: Century Quartet Book 1 by Pierdomenico Baccalario
Four seemingly unrelated children are brought together in a Rome hotel where they discover that they are destined to become involved in a deep and ancient mystery involving a briefcase full of artifacts that exposes them to great danger. (J FIC Baccalario & J AUD CD FIC Baccalario)

Scat by Carl Hiaasen
Nick and his friend Marta decide to investigate when a mysterious fire starts near a Florida wildlife preserve and an unpopular teacher goes missing. (J FIC Hiaasen & J AUD CD FIC Hiaasen)

Scorch Trials, The by James Dashner
In the sequel to The Maze Runner, after surviving horrific conditions in the Maze, Thomas is entrapped, along with 19 other boys, in a scientific experiment designed to observe their responses and gather data believed to be essential for the survival of the human race. (YA FIC Dashner & AUD CD YA FIC Dashner)

Shakespeare’s Secret by Elise Broach
Named after a character in a Shakespeare play, misfit sixth-grader Hero becomes interested in exploring the unusual connection between a valuable diamond supposedly hidden in her new house, an intriguing neighbor, and the unexpected attention of the most popular boy in school. (J FIC Broach)

Strange Case of Origami Yoda, The by Tom Angleberger
Sixth-grader Tommy and his friends describe their interactions with a paper finger puppet of Yoda, worn by their weird classmate Dwight, as they try to figure out whether or not the puppet can really predict the future. Includes instructions for making an Origami Yoda. (J FIC Angleberger)

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm
In 1935, when her mother gets a job housekeeping for a woman who does not like children, 11-year-old Turtle is sent to stay with relatives she has never met in far away Key West, Florida. (J FIC Holm & J AUD CD FIC Holm)

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, "The $20,000 Pyramid," a 12-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space. (J FIC Stead & J AUD CD FIC Stead)

World Without Heroes, A by Brandon Mull
Fourteen-year-old Jason Walker is transported to a strange world called Lyrian, where he joins Rachel, who was also drawn there from our world, and a few rebels, to piece together the Word that can destroy the malicious wizard emperor, Maldor. This is the first book in the Beyonders series. (J FIC Mull)