#21 - This Place Has No Atmosphere

This fabulous futuristic book by Paula Danziger was a favorite of mine in middle school, so I decided to give it a re-read.  It is a great story of a girl who just happens to move to a colony on the MOON!  Just like any teenager, Arora doesn't want to leave her friends and her boyfriend and move with her family to be pioneers in the first colony on the moon.  Once she gets there she has a hard time adjusting, but soon finds that it isn't so bad.  What makes her change her mind?  Is it the possibility of love on the moon?  Read it and find out!

This book appealed to me as a middle school girl, and I think will still appeal to today's middle schoolers.  I would say it is suited for grades 4 - 8.  Give it a try!

 

#20 -- Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians

How would you like to read a book about evil librarians who carry weapons like crossbows? Or torture people with paper cuts?  Or create a monster out of crumpled up paper?  If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then this book by Brandon Sanderson is for you!!  Alcatraz (funny name, huh?) is an orphan in foster care.  He always gets sent from home to home because he destroys so much property.  On his 13th birthday a very old man comes to the door and introduces himself as Alcatraz's grandfather.  He whisks Alcatraz away saying that they must run from the evil librarians.  Why are they running from the librarians?  Why do these librarians have weapons?  And most of all -- Why are they trying to steal a bag of sand???You will have to read this silly adventure book to find out the answer to all of these questions.

This book is appropriate for all age groups but would appeal to 4th - 6th graders.  It was a light-hearted, funny read that I enjoyed.

#19 -- The Raft

This book by S.A. Bodeen was a fabulous, suspenseful read.  The main character, Robie, is visiting her aunt in Honolulu.  Her aunt has to leave out of town suddenly for work, so Robie is left alone at the aunt's apartment.  Robie decides she doesn't like being alone so she hops on a supply plane that is heading back to where she lives on the isolated island of Midway.  The plane goes down in the middle of the ocean.  She and the co-pilot make it onto an inflatable raft.  They have no supplies, no water, and only a bag of skittles to eat.  No one knows that Robie was on the plane since it was a spur of the moment decision.  Will they ever come looking for her or the plane?  What will happen to them when the skittles run out?  How will they survive?  Will they both survive?  Read it to find out!!

This was a fantastic adventure read.  I was glued to the pages and couldn't wait to find out what happens to Robie.  This book would appeal to all middle schoolers from 5th to 8th.  The text was easy to read and the story was so interesting and gripping that no one would be able to put it down!

#18 -- Drive Me Crazy

This was a fantastic romantic comedy novel by Erin Downing that is perfect for anyone who loves their teen romance with a bit of humor. The story revolves around Kate, her friends, and her love triangle. She has envisioned how her summer would play out all year long, but things don't turn out like she had planned. Her summer love isn't all she had thought he might be, and there is a new guy who is showing interest. Who will she choose?  Read it to find out!!

This book is geared more for the 7th grade and up crowd. There is a bit of language (I would call it more PG than PG-13), so if that kind of thing bothers you then steer clear. Other than that, I would definitely recommend this fun, cute read. I will definitely try more of the books in this romantic comedy series. 

#17 -- The Lemonade War

This great little book by Jacqueline Davies is about a brother and sister who have a Lemonade War to see who can make the most money.  They decide that the winner gets to keep all of the money, so they are both very eager to win.  Because of this, they get into an all-out war and try to sabotage each other.  You will have to read the book to find out how they went about doing that.

This was a cute book and great for all grade levels from 3rd grade on up.  Come check it out!!

#16 -- I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

This is a very popular book (and series) by Lauren Tarshis that deals with well-known events in history.  This book gives an account of the sinking of the Titanic through the eyes of a 10-year-old boy named George.  He and his sister and Aunt are on the ship as first class passengers.  He gets into a lot of trouble on the boat - just as any boy would do.  But when the ship starts to sink, he becomes the hero for his family since he had explored the ship so much.  How does he accomplish that?  You will have to read it to see!!

This was a great book and very short.  The reading level is low, so it will appeal to all students from about 3rd grade and up.  The subject matter is not too shocking since most already know the story of the Titanic's voyage.  I would recommend it to all students.

#15 -- A Friend at Midnight

This book by Caroline B. Cooney was a good, thought provoking read.  It was about a family who is separated by divorce.  One brother decides to go live with his father, but comes back  home unexpectedly with none of his belongings.  Something happened while he was gone, but he won't talk about why he is back.  What happened to him?  Did the father send him back?  Or did he decide to come back all on his own?  You will have to read to find out the answers to these questions.

This was a good book.  It was easy to read, but the subject matter may be better suited for 7th or 8th graders or above.  The main character must make some deep, thought provoking decisions regarding whether she will honor her father or treat him with the level of respect he gives to her.