Thursday, August 21, 2008

Rules by Cynthia Lord


Catherine likes to live an orderly life. That's because her brother, who is autistic, keeps things interesting. So Catherine makes up rules for David to live by. But because she spends so much time trying to make David as normal as possible, Catherine misses out on a friendship that could be truly special.

If I have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's my Prince? by Melissa Kantor


A modern-day Cinderella story. Lucy's mother has died and she is forced move in with her father, his new wife and her twin daughters. Her dad is away from home all week and Lucy's stepmother can't seem to remember that Lucy needs things like clothes and furniture for her bedroom. Her stepsisters can get in trouble for anything. And Lucy doesn't fit in at school either. Until the hottest guy in school starts paying attention to her. But is he really her Prince Charming or will Lucy have to rescue herself?

The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen


Macy blames herself for her father's death. If she had went running with him instead of staying in bed, she would have been able to help him. So now Macy tries to play everything safe to keep anymore bad things from happening. She has a safe, if boring, boyfriend and a snooze of a job. Until the night she volunteers to help out with her mom's open house. That's when she meets the Wish Catering crew. These people don't play anything safe, yet they have a great time living life. When Macy starts spending time with Wes, she begins to see that she has not been living her life. Slowly she will begin to heal.

Heat by Mike Lupica


Michael is one of the best pitchers in Little League history. He is on the verge of leading his team to the Little League World Series. But Michael has a problem. Other coaches don't believe that someone that good can be that young. The other coaches demand that Michael show proof that he's only 12. Sounds easy enough, but Michael has no birth certificate. He was born in Cuba, and all identification had to be left when the family fled from the country. Then Michael's father died, leaving Michael in the care of his 17-year-old brother. If anyone finds out, Michael will taken away. So how can he prove his age without giving away his family's secrets?

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan


Percy Jackson is having a rough time. He has just gotten kicked out of boarding school. But that is the least of his problems. See, his Math teacher has just turned into a monster and tried to kill him. Soon Percy finds out that he is not human, at least not completely. His father was a god and now several mythological creatures are out to kill him. When the mighty god Zeus's lightning bolt is stolen, Percy is the prime suspect. Now he has just 10 days to get across the country, find the lightning bolt, return it to Zeus, and keep himself and his best friends from getting killed along the way.

Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata


Weedflower tells the story of 12-year-old Sumiko, a Japanese American girl growing up in California. The story begins just before World War II. When Pearl Harbor is bombed, Sumiko and her family become the victims of American fears that the Japanese will bomb California next. Sumiko's uncle and grandfather are taken to prison. Then the family is forced to sell their home and most of the belongings and are relocated to a camp for Japanese. What would you do if your country suddenly turned its back on you and considered you a traitor? You might be surprised by Sumiko's family.