The Limit


Kristen Landon - 2010
    . . With this first sentence, readers are immediately thrust into a fast-paced thriller that doesn't let up for a moment. In a world not too far removed from our own, kids are being taken away to special workhouses if their families exceed the monthly debt limit imposed by the government. Thirteen-year-old Matt briefly wonders if he might be next, but quickly dismisses the thought. After all, his parents are financially responsible, unlike the parents of those other kids. As long as his parents remain within their limit, the government will be satisfied and leave them alone. But all it takes is one fatal visit to the store to push Matt’s family over their limit—and to change his reality forever. Kristen Landon's The Limit brings the popular dystopian thriller genre to a middle grade audience.

A Place Called Morning


Ann Tatlock - 1998
     Booklist, Starred Review! Mae Demaray retreats from life after her young grandson dies accidentally while under her care. What was once a quiet life in an old clapboard house on a quiet Minneapolis street, rich with the hues of security and love, is now shattered. But a decades-old family secret, based on an unlikely friendship over the years, brings redemption and restoration once it is revealed.

The Someday Birds


Sally J. Pla - 2017
    He has his clean room, his carefully organized bird books and art supplies, his favorite foods, and comfortable routines.But life has been unraveling since his war journalist father was injured in Afghanistan. And when Dad gets sent across country for medical treatment, Charlie must reluctantly travel to meet him. With his boy-crazy sister, unruly twin brothers, and a mysterious new family friend at the wheel, the journey looks anything but smooth.So Charlie decides to try and spot all the birds that he and his dad had been hoping to see together in the wild. If he can complete the Someday Birds list for Dad, then maybe, just maybe, things will turn out okay...Equal parts madcap road trip, coming-of-age story for an unusual boy, and portrait of a family overcoming a crisis.

Fuzzy Mud


Louis Sachar - 2015
    Your next step may be your last."Fifth grader Tamaya Dhilwaddi and seventh grader Marshall Walsh have been walking to and from Woodbridge Academy together since elementary school. But their routine is disrupted when bully Chad Wilson challenges Marshall to a fight. To avoid the conflict, Marshall takes a shortcut home through the off-limits woods. Tamaya reluctantly follows. They soon get lost, and they find trouble. Bigger trouble than anyone could ever have imagined. In the days and weeks that follow, the authorities and the U.S. Senate become involved, and what they uncover might affect the future of the world.

Dolphin Tale: A Tale of True Friendship


Emma Ryan - 2011
    Sawyer is quiet at first, but his special connection with Winter soon brings him out of his shell. One day, after visiting his cousin at an army hospital, Sawyer gets an idea to have a doctor there make Winter a prosthetic tail. This proposal inspires the staff at the aquarium and fills Sawyer with the hope that Winter may one day swim again.

Why People Die by Suicide


Thomas E. Joiner - 2005
    Drawing on extensive clinical and epidemiological evidence, as well as personal experience. Thomas Joiner brings a comprehensive understanding to seemingly incomprehensible behaviour. Among the many people who have considered, attempted, or died by suicide, he finds three factors that mark those most at risk of death: the feeling of being a burden on loved ones; the sense of isolation; and, chillingly, the learned ability to hurt oneself

Steal Away Home


Lois Ruby - 1994
    A hidden room—containing a human skeleton! How did such a thing get there? And why was the tiny room sealed up? With the help of a diary found in the room, Dana learns her house was once a station on the Underground Railroad. The young woman whose remains Dana discovered was Lizbet Charles, a conductor and former slave. As the scene shifts between Dana’s world and 1856, the story of the families that lived in the house unfolds. But as pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place, one haunting question remains—why did Lizbet Charles die?

The Curse of Snake Island


Brian James - 2007
    As the ship heads toward Snake Island, Pete has an idea to earn some respect—if the kids can find the hidden treasure before the grown-ups, then they’ll have to be taken seriously! Only one problem: The treasure is guarded by a giant snake that curses anyone who looks in its eyes. Can the pirate kids find the treasure, earn the pirates’ respect, and escape certain death?

Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and Their Parents)


Eline Snel - 2010
    This little book is a very appealing introduction to mindfulness meditation for children and their parents. In a simple and accessible way, it describes what mindfulness is and how mindfulness-based practices can help children calm down, become more focused, fall asleep more easily, alleviate worry, manage anger, and generally become more patient and aware. The book contains eleven practices that focus on just these scenarios, along with short examples and anecdotes throughout. Included with purchase is an audio CD with guided meditations, voiced by Myla Kabat-Zinn, who along with her husband, Jon Kabat-Zinn, popularized mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) as a therapeutic approach.

Birdie's First Day of School


Sujean Rim - 2015
    What will her teacher be like? What should she bring? What should she WEAR? When Birdie walks into her brand-new classroom . . . oh my! A whole new world opens up as she discovers all the fun and adventure that school has to offer. Sujean Rim has crafted another gorgeously illustrated Birdie adventure, featuring a brand-new "big girl" moment as Birdie conquers her back-to-school jitters and discovers that learning new things is always in fashion!

Speechless


Adam P. Schmitt - 2018
    Why him? What could he possibly say about his cousin, who ruined everything they did? He can't recall one birthday party, family gathering, or school event with Patrick that didn't result in injury or destruction. As Jimmy attempts to navigate the odd social norms of the wake, he draws on humor, heartfelt concern, and a good deal of angst while racking his brain and his memory for a decent and meaningful memory to share. But it's not until faced with a microphone that the realization finally hits him: it's not the words that are spoken that matter the most, but those that are truly heard.

Song for a Whale


Lynne Kelly - 2019
    But she's the only deaf person in her school, so people often treat her like she's not very smart. If you've ever felt like no one was listening to you, then you know how hard that can be.When she learns about Blue 55, a real whale who is unable to speak to other whales, Iris understands how he must feel. Then she has an idea: she should invent a way to "sing" to him! But he's three thousand miles away. How will she play her song for him?

Charlotte the Scientist Finds a Cure


Camille Andros - 2019
    The animals of the forest are all getting sick and no one can figure out why. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and help her friends and family, Charlotte dives into some serious medical science. But when the doctors and other scientists don’t take her work seriously, she sets out to find a cure on her own, determined to show that she can make a difference. This empowering story about a smart, confident bunny encourages girls to be persistent and believe in themselves.

The Ultimate Minecraft Comic Book Volume 1 - The Curse of Herobrine


Minecraft Books - 2014
     It tells the story of young Steve, who finds himself in an epic battle to save the lives of hundreds of villagers including his father. Battling zombies, skeletons, creepers, and the invincible Herobrine - will he be able to save his father and the hundreds of villagers from the curse Herobrine has placed on the land? Get your copy today and see for yourself!

Found Things


Marilyn Hilton - 2014
    Maybe it's because her beloved older brother, Theron, has abruptly vanished. Maybe it's because that bully Daniel Bunch won't leave her alone. Or maybe it has everything to do with the eerily familiar house that her mind explores when she's asleep, and the mysterious woman who lives there. River has to puzzle through these mysteries on her own until she makes a strange new friend named Meadow Lark. But when she brings Meadow Lark home and her mother reacts in a way that takes River by surprise, River is more lost than before. Now all that's left for her to do is make wish after wish;and keep her eyes open for a miracle. Marilyn Hilton's haunting debut dives down deep into murky waters brimming with secrets, sorrow, and hope, giving us faith in the things that we seek, but haven't yet found.