Some have sequels, some are trilogies, and some go on and on! They will all keep you wanting more!
Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger – In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. If that weren’t strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient. Origami Yoda predicts the date of a pop quiz, guesses who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and saves a classmate from popularity-crushing embarrassment with some well-timed advice. Dwight’s classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless. JF ANG
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson – Soon after Peter, an orphan, sets sail from England on the ship Never Land, he befriends and assists Molly, a young Starcatcher, whose mission is to guard a trunk of magical stardust from a greedy pirate and the native inhabitants of a remote island. JF BAR, also some on CD
School of Fear by Gitty Daneshvari – Everyone is afraid of something… Madeleine Masterson is deathly afraid of bugs, especially spiders. Theodore Bartholomew is petrified of dying. Lulu Punchalower is scared of confined spaces. Garrison Feldman is terrified of deep water. With very few options left, the parents of these four twelve year-olds send them to the highly elusive and exclusive School of Fear to help them overcome their phobias. But when their peculiar teacher, Mrs. Wellington, and her unconventional teaching methods turn out to be more frightening than even their fears, the foursome realize that this just may be the scariest summer of their lives. JF DAN
The Missing by Margaret Peterson Haddix – Thirteen-year-old Jonah has always known that he was adopted, and he’s never thought it was any big deal. Then he and a new friend, Chip, who’s also adopted, begin receiving mysterious letters. The first one says, “You are one of the missing.” The second one says, “Beware! They’re coming back to get you.”Jonah, Chip, and Jonah’s sister, Katherine, are plunged into a mystery that involves the FBI, a vast smuggling operation, an airplane that appeared out of nowhere. The kids discover they are caught in a battle between two opposing forces that want very different things for Jonah and Chip’s lives.Do Jonah and Chip have any choice in the matter? And what should they choose when both alternatives are horrifying? Start with the book Found. JF HAD, also JF HAD PB
43 Old Cemetery Road by Kate and Sarah Klise – The best-selling author Ignatius B. Grumply moves into the Victorian mansion at 43 Old Cemetery Road, hoping to find some peace and quiet so that he can crack a wicked case of writer’s block. But 43 Old Cemetery Road is already occupied–by an eleven-year-old boy named Seymour, his cat, Shadow, and an irritable ghost named Olive. And they have no plans to share! Start with the book Dying to Meet You. JF KLI
Titanic by Gordon Korman – The Titanic is meant to be unsinkable, but as it begins its maiden voyage, there’s plenty of danger waiting for four of its young passengers. Paddy is a stowaway, escaping a deadly past. Sophie’s mother is delivered to the ship by police – after she and Sophie have been arrested. Juliana’s father is an eccentric whose riches can barely hide his madness. And Alfie is hiding a secret that could get him kicked off the ship immediately. The lives of these four passengers will be forever linked with the fate of Titanic. And the farther they get from shore, the more the danger looms. Start with the book Unsinkable. JF KOR PB, also on CD
Lunch Lady Comics by Jarrett Krosoczka – The school lunch lady is a secret crime fighter who uncovers an evil plot to replace all the popular teachers with robots. JF KRO
Pacy Lin Novels by Grace Lin – These books share the adventures of Pacy Lin, a young Taiwanese-American girl. Humor and lots of life-lessons. Start with The Year of the Rat. JF LIN
11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass – GROUNDHOG DAY meets FLIPPED in this tale of a girl stuck in her birthday.
It’s Amanda’s 11th birthday and she is super excited — after all, 11 is so different from 10. But from the start, everything goes wrong. The worst part of it all is that she and her best friend, Leo, with whom she’s shared every birthday, are on the outs and this will be the first birthday they haven’t shared together. When Amanda turns in for the night, glad to have her birthday behind her, she wakes up happy for a new day. Or is it? Her birthday seems to be repeating itself. What is going on?! And how can she fix it? Only time, friendship, and a little luck will tell. . . JF MAS PB, also on MP3, others in JF MAS
The Winnie Years by Lauren Myracle – Winnie Perry is turning ten and ten is BIG: it means double digits, more responsibility, and being an almost-middle-schooler. Ten means that Winnie can handle anything, even a three-year-old baby brother and a practically teenage (and acting like it) older sister. And with her best friend, Amanda, by her side, Winnie plans on enjoying every last second of their last year in elementary school. Start with the book Ten. JF MYR, then, as Winnie grows, the later books are found in YA
Wayside School Series by Louis Sachar – The Wayside School was supposed to be built one story and 30 classrooms long, but the builder accidentally built it 30 stories high with one room on each story. Follow the strange and hilarious adventures of the 30 students on the 30th story. JF SAC, JF SAC PB, some on CD and MP3
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stuart – Dozens of children respond to this peculiar ad in the newspaper and are then put through a series of mind-bending tests, which readers take along with them. Only four children-two boys and two girls-succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. But what they’ll find in the hidden underground tunnels of the school is more than your average school supplies. JF STU, and JF STU PB
My Life as a… by Janet Tashjian – Summer’s finally here, and Derek Fallon is looking forward to pelting the UPS truck with water balloons, climbing onto the garage roof, and conducting silly investigations. But when his parents decide to send him to Learning Camp, Derek’s dreams of fun come to an end. Ever since he’s been labeled a “reluctant reader,” his mom has pushed him to read “real” books—something other than his beloved Calvin & Hobbes. Start with the book My Life as a Book. JF TAS
39 Clues by Various Authors – This series follows Amy and Dan Cahill, brother and sister, as they race around the world trying to find clues leading to the secret of their family’s wealth and power. Start with The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan. JF, JF PB, also some of CD and MP3
Septimus Heap by Angie Sage – The series follows the adventures of Septimus Heap who, as a seventh son of a seventh son, has extraordinary magical powers. After he becomes an apprentice to the arch wizard of the series, Marcia Overstrand, he must study for seven years and a day until his apprenticeship ends. Magyk is the first! JF SAG
Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson – In a series of poems, eleven year-old Lonnie writes about his life the death of his parents. J811 WOO and JF WOO
