Joe & the Gladiator


Catherine Cookson - 1971
    Then an unlikely friendship with an old rag-and-bone man, Mr. Prodhurst, leads him into the greatest challenge of his life. For Mr. Prodhurst bequeaths his peculiar-looking horse, The Gladiator, to Joe -- with only enough money for a couple of weeks feed!How can Joe possibly look after the horse properly? He is determined to try. Otherwise, The Gladiator will have to be put down...A tense and absorbing tale of one boy's courage and determination to succeed against all the odds.

The Romantic Obsessions and Humiliations of Annie Sehlmeier


Louise Plummer - 1987
    After immigrating from Holland to live and attend high school in Utah, Annie enjoys her sister's support during the colorful experience until one special boy comes between them.

The Secrets of Droon: Books 4-6: Volume II


Tony Abbott - 2005
    He’s turned into a bug–again. Eric and Julie hope someone in Droon can help. Princess Keeah thinks there might be a cure in the City in the Clouds. Too bad the friends only have one day before the city disappears! The Great Ice BattleBrrr! Jaffa City is under a spell of ice and snow. Even Galen the wizard is frozen solid! Eric, Julie, Neal, and Princess Keeah have to figure out a way to break Lord Sparr's curse. But they better hurry or they might get frozen, too.The Sleeping Giant of GollLord Sparr has found a new weapon to use against the city of Droon. He’s woken up a mean old giant that will now obey his every command! It’s a good thing Eric, Julie, and Neal are around to help their friends try to stop Lord Sparr. It’s a giant job, but somebody’s got to do it!

Me, Penelope


Lisa Jahn-Clough - 2007
    More than anything, Lopi wants to find someone to really connect with, someone to love—but short of that, she wants to have sex. She’s already figured out how to graduate a year early, but the rest isn’t so easy. For one thing, her mother, Vivian, isn’t just crazy: she’s young, vivacious, and beautiful. No one can resist Viv’s charms, but Lopi knows it’s all just an act. Viv is only pretending to be happy, trying to ignore Lopi and the horrible accident that changed everything between them. Lopi tries to pretend too, as she navigates the murky waters of sex and love and growing up, but she can’t fool herself—Lopi has a secret that sets her apart: the accident was her fault, she is evil . . .

8th Grade Fugitive


Richard Clark - 2017
     "A highly addictive read, which will keep many on the edge of their seats." "A well-written, heart-pumping, action-packed read." Readers' Favorite 5★ review “Hey, it’s me, Brian. Brian Ryan. I’m 14… well, next July I am. And I know what you’re thinking, but I’m not just some skateboard freak. Sure, I wipe out a lot, but I’m into the physics of the stunts and all. I even design my own stunts… which don’t always work out… but that’s why God invented band-aids, right?” Join Brian on his craziest day ever! Accused of a serious crime, he zips around the mean streets of his suburban middle school, staying one step ahead of the cops. On the day of the Xtreme Dream Games, will Brian be able to catch the real culprit and clear his name? If you like your middle grade fiction with a twist of James Bond, Zac Power and Secret Agent 6th Grader, you'll love 8th Grade Fugitive! From the writer of My Best Friend Is a Secret Agent, this mystery thriller chapter book is a fun adventure full of action and excitement for any reader - children, tweens, teens... and beyond! This funny who-done-it is the first in a series, so if you like it, there's more to come! (Don't forget to look for the surprise after Chapter 1!)

Party Line (Point Horror, #3)


A. Bates - 1989
    Unfortunately, he also discovers that some of the new girls he meets on the phone have disappeared. What started as a way to get dates, leads Mark into a frightening mystery—one that becomes dangerous as well!

Eleven Miles to Oshkosh


Jim Guhl - 2018
    His father, a deputy sheriff, has been murdered by the unknown "Highway 41 Killer." His mom has unraveled. And a goon named Larry Buskin has been pummeling Minnow behind Neenah High.Minnow finds support in the company of his roguish grandfather, his loyal pal Mark, and beautiful Opal Parsons, who has her own worries as the first African American student in their school. When the sheriff seems in no hurry to solve the murder, Minnow must seek justice by partnering with unlikely allies and discovering his own courage.

Kyra's Story


Dandi Daley Mackall - 2003
    All feel a measure of guilt for their role in the loss of their friend and must learn to understand their own life story through God's eyes instead of their own finite perspective. Kyra, Sammy's twin sister, is sure that she knows why he died. She's sure that the guilty deserve to be punished. Soon everyone in Mason, Iowa, will learn that atoning for what is wrong is a lot harder than assigning blame.

Spellbound


Christopher Pike - 1988
    Now Jason has a new girlfriend, and together with some new kids in town is returning to the place where Karen was killed. Some will die. The others will come face to face with a horror beyond imagining.

Stars


Eric Walters - 1996
    Maybe he had just been too busy stealing and running and hiding from the cops to look up. Or maybe being stuck with a stupid bunch of losers and social workers was beginning to get to him. Whatever it was, the sky was huge, and filled with stars. And the stars were what Joseph liked best.

Thief


Brian James - 2008
    Elizabeth is a pickpocket and thief living on the edge in New York City, torn between loyalty to her foster sister and a new boy who's recruited into their thieving ranks.

Pepperland


Mark Delaney - 2004
    Star) is sixteen when her mother dies of breast cancer. Star is angry that her mother has died and left her, and nothing seems to make her feel better: Not talking to her shrink. Not playing rock music with her best friend Dooley. Not even listening to her mother's old familiar Beatles albums.It is not until Star finds an unsent letter addressed to John Lennon and a broken-down vintage Gibson guitar that she begins to find a way out of her grief...and maybe even a way to take care of some unfinished business left by her mother.Written as homage to the Beatles and the healing power of music, Mark Delaney's unforgettable novel offers a realistic and poignant look at a difficult period in a teenager's life and the process of finding one's self.

Rewind


Jan Page - 2004
    Some people believe it only moves in one direction— forward.But others think time moves forward and backward simultaneously. Of course, no one really knows the answer.No one, that is, until Liam is killed by a falling speaker at a Battle of the Bands contest. Suddenly Liam travels back in time and soon finds himself in the middle of his teenaged parents' band rehearsal, and an unseen observer of a love triangle between bandmates.Would his mother be happier ending up with the drummer instead of his father? Would that choice save the drummer from a fatal accident that is about to end his life? And if Liam helps them along, will he be canceling out his own existence? If only he can figure out how to use time to his own advantage.

The Book of Michael


Lesley Choyce - 2008
    The circumstances surrounding her final hours attract considerable media attention, especially because Michael and Lisa had sex just prior to her death. A public outcry against light penalties for young offenders ensures Michael is tried as an adult; he receives a harsh and severe penalty. Six months into his imprisonment, the true murderer confesses. Michael is released but quickly finds that the stigma of imprisonment and the (wrongful) rap for murder is not an easy thing to escape out on the streets.

Diary of a Teenage Girl 3/1 Slipcase (Diary of a Teenage Girl: Caitlin, #1-3)


Melody Carlson - 2005
    an empty life without Christ and a meaningful one with Him. Through Caitlin's candid journal entries we see her grapple with such universal teen issues as peer pressure, loyalty, conflict with parents, the longing for a boyfriend, and her own spirituality.It's My LifeCaitlin O'Conner faces new trials as she grows in her faith and strives to maintain the recent commitments she's made to God. As a new believer, Caitlin begins her summer job and makes preparations for a Mexico mission trip with her church youth group. Torn between new spiritual directions and loyalty to Beanie, her best friend (now pregnant), Caitlin searches out her personal values on friendship, romance, dating, life goals, and key relationships with God and family. Tough choices threaten her progress, and her year climaxes in her realization that maturity sometimes means life-impacting decisions must be made ... by faith alone.Who I AmIt's challenging enough to be a normal high school senior -- but Caitlin O'Conner has a host of new difficulties to deal with in the third book of Melody Carlson's widely popular and fascinating teen series. Time is critical to help the orphans in Mexico, missions-minded Caitlin believes, but Mom and Dad are set on her attending college. Meanwhile, her relationship with Josh takes on a serious tone via e-mail -- threatening her commitment to "kiss dating goodbye." When Beanie begins dating an African-American, Caitlin's concern over dating seems to be misread as racism. One thing is obvious: God is at work through this dynamic girl in very real but puzzling ways. A soul-stretching time of racial reconciliation at school and within her church helps her discover God's will as never before.