#26 - I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011

This is another book in the extremely popular I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis.  This book centers on the tsunami that hit Japan in 2011.  Ben has gone with his mother and brother to visit his uncle in Japan.  While they are there a huge earthquake occurs.  They get out of the house safely, but find a more horrifying sight outside.  They can see a huge wave heading toward land.  That wave hits the shore and takes out everything in its path, including the car that Ben's family was using to try to get as far away from the wave as possible.  All of his family is washed out with the wave and separated.  Once Ben finds land again he is alone with the family's cat.  Will he and the cat find a safe place to stay?  Will he find his family again?  Read the book to find out.

This was a great, quick read that is very fascinating.  The action and adventure kept me reading until the very end.  I see why my students love this series so much!  I would recommend this book for grades 4 and above (maybe even mature 3rd graders).

#25 - The Boy Who Dared

This historical fiction novel by Susan Campbell Bartoletti is based on a true story of Hitler Youth, but many of the scenes of the book come from the author's imagination, thus making it fiction rather than a biography.  It is the sad tale of a boy who tries to speak out against Hitler's army and tell the truth about what was really happening in Germany.  He finds an outlawed radio and listens to Anti-Hitler programs and starts a pamphlet campaign to get the message out to the masses, but he is soon discovered.  What happens to him then?  Does he turn on his friends?  Is it possible to survive?  You will have to read to find out.

This was a graphic account of one boy's journey during Hitler's reign.  I would suggest this book for 7th grade and up (or mature 6th graders) because of some of the content.

#24 - Catching Fire

This book by Suzanne Collins is a re-read for me.  I wanted to reread it before I saw the moving coming out this weekend.  This is a fabulous series.  Catching Fire lives up to the first book in suspense and action.  The love triangle also gets a lot more serious.  Katniss and Peeta have won the Hunger Games and are now able to reap the benefits of being the victors...or so they think.  Now President Snow is after them because he feels like they cheated the system by having two winners.  How will he get back at them?  Will they have to face the Hunger Games again?  Will they survive???  You will have to read to find out.

This is a great book and part of a great series.  Violence is very abundant in these books, so I would say that it is best suited for 6th grade and up (or for younger students who are very mature readers).  All who start the series are bound to finish it.  I will have to do a reread of Mockingjay now!

#23 - The Truth About Truman School

This book by Dori Hillestad Butler is a fabulous fictional account of cyberbullying and the way such bullying can cause harm to a whole school.  Two students start a website called The Truth about Truman School where students could write about how bad school lunch was or about a horrible test they just took.  The website morphs into a place where hateful information was spread and other students were put down and ridiculed.  The site gets out of control and one student even runs away because of it.  What will the creators of the website do to fix the problem?  You will have to read to find out.

This was a great book about bullying that all middle schoolers should read.  It is told through personal journal entries by the students at the school.  It was very believable and a good lesson for all middle school students to read.  I recommend this read for boys and girls from 4th grade and above.

#22 -- Keeping the Moon

This book by the ever-popular Sarah Dessen was a good read about a girl who goes to live with her aunt for the summer but finds that her problems from home seem to follow her.  Colie is the formerly fat girl who has lost a ton of weight, but is still called fat and ugly by her peers.  She thinks that by going to a new place for the summer and meeting new people she might be able to get past her former reputation.  That isn't the case.  Eventually she is able to overcome her fear of rejection and find love in an unexpected place.

This was a good book even though it was one of the older titles by this author.  I feel that all girls would relate to Colie and the issues she faces in the book.