Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Summary:  Sixth-grader Bryan wishes his life could be more peaceful and free of drama, but living in New York City’s projects makes that difficult.  His father is in and out of jail, and both his parents are trying to help Bryan and his older sister Ava stay on the right path. When Bryan meets Mike, he and his parents think he’s found a good friend–Mike is respectful and gets good grades.  But before long, Mike is convincing Bryan to cut school and “train surf” on the outside of subway cars. Bryan knows what he’s doing is dangerous and wrong, but it’s hard for him to risk Mike’s disapproval. When events start to catch up with the two boys, their friendship becomes strained, and Bryan has to decide where his loyalties to Mike, his family, and a new friend lie.  177 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Bryan’s experiences in the NYC projects may be unfamiliar to some kids, but his struggles with friends, family, and self-acceptance will resonate with almost all late elementary and middle school readers.

Cons:  Bryan’s father was kind of a mysterious character; I would have liked to understood more how he spent his days and a little more about his past.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons

Summary:  Sixth-grader Ollie is off to a rough start in school following the tragic death of her mother.  Seeking an escape after school one day, she wanders through the woods until she meets up with a distraught woman trying to throw a book into the river.  Ollie rescues the book, entitled Small Spaces, and is soon caught up in the story of a woman whose husband sold his soul to “the smiling man”.  When Ollie’s class takes a field trip to a nearby farm, she soon notices many similarities between the story in her book and the history of the farm.  When the bus breaks down and is surrounded by a strange mist, Ollie decides to go get help.  Coco and Brian, two kids she’s had reasons to dislike at school, join her, and the three slowly become friends as they fight for their lives against ghosts, scarecrows, and other evil forces before finally confronting the smiling man in the heart of his cornfield maze.  Ollie is the only one who is able to defeat him, and in doing so, she is able to acknowledge her grief about her mother and begin to move forward with her new friends.  224 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Those ready to move on from Goosebumps will enjoy this truly creepy tale that offers many heart-pounding, suspenseful moments before the final showdown between Ollie and the smiling man.

Cons:  I will never look at scarecrows the same way again.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Published by Wendy Lamb Books

Summary:  Caleb and his older brother Bobby Gene are delighted to meet 16-year-old Styx Malone one day in the woods near their house.  They’re looking to unload a bag of fireworks they won, but that their parents won’t let them keep, and Styx has some good ideas.  He tells the younger boys if they keep trading for something slightly more valuable, they’ll eventually be able to get a new moped that the three of them can share.  Caleb in particular has a worshipful admiration of Styx, whose free-and-easy ways contrast with the boys’ strict parents.  Caleb’s modest wish is to go to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, but his father insists it’s safer for African-American boys to stay in their small town where everyone knows them.  As the summer goes on and Styx’s plans grow increasingly daring–and dangerous–Caleb and Bobby Gene have to make some tough choices about where their loyalties lie.  When tragedy strikes, the boys learn the truth about Styx and gain a new appreciation for their family and for each other.  304 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Caleb is an engaging narrator, and there’s plenty of fun to be had before things get a bit more serious.  Many readers will figure out Styx’s troubled life in the foster system before Caleb and Bobby Gene do, but don’t worry, there is ultimately a happy ending.

Cons:  The story has a contemporary setting, but the boys seem to have a lot of freedom to wander around all day on their own (particularly given their strict parents), and Styx is constantly chewing on candy cigarettes, which don’t seem like they’d be readily available in their small Indiana town in the 21st century.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Published by Sky Pony Press

Summary:  Zoey wishes she could be her favorite animal, an octopus.  It would be nice to have eight arms when she’s trying to take care of her three younger siblings while her mother works and tries to keep her boyfriend, Lenny, happy so he’ll let them stay in his trailer.  It would be helpful to be able to have an octopus’s camouflage abilities so her wealthier classmates wouldn’t stare at her ill-fitting clothing.  And it wouldn’t be bad on occasion to be able to shoot a cloud of black ink at the kids who make fun of her or at the social studies teacher who is asking too many questions about Zoey’s home life.  But Zoey is a seventh grade girl, not an octopus, and when her teacher insists that she join the debate club, she starts to learn that discrediting an opponent is a technique, not only for winning a debate, but also for stealing another person’s confidence.  When Zoey sees Lenny doing that to her mom, she starts to think she needs  to intervene.  When her friend Fuchsia’s mom puts the two of them in a dangerous situation with her new boyfriend, Zoey realizes she has to leave her camouflage behind and speak up for herself and for the people she loves.  256 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  A compelling story of a family living in poverty, forced to make impossible choices just to get through the day.  Zoey sees the kids around her worrying about homework, having crushes, and enjoying their friends, but none of that normal middle school stuff can be for her because she is so weighed down by her family situation.  The ending is hopeful, but realistic–there is still a long difficult road ahead for Zoey and her mom.

Cons:  The gun debate subplot didn’t always ring true for me.  Zoey’s friend Silas loves to hunt, which seemed to be presented as the reason guns are okay, but he and his dad were hunting bobcats for sport, which didn’t really convince me that hunting is a good thing.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Published by Random House Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Picking up a short time after the ending of The Fourteenth Goldfish, Ellie continues the tale of her grandfather, Melvin, a scientist (with two Ph.D.’s!) who turned himself back into a teenager in the first book.  He returns from the bus trip he took at the end of book 1 and moves back in with Ellie, her mom, and her new stepdad. Ellie’s best friend Raj is the only kid at school who knows the truth about Melvin, who passes himself off as Ellie’s cousin.  Ellie and Melvin decide to enter the science fair when Melvin discovers an axolotl with extra legs entwined in a jellyfish specimen in his lab. Axolotls can regenerate body parts, and the two of them make a discovery that could have implications for human growth.  There’s plenty of information about science and scientists, but also interesting and emotional details about Ellie’s everyday life, like her attempt at a date with Raj, life with her new stepfather, and the poignant death of her beloved cat. Melvin’s experiments on himself make it doubtful that there will be another book in this series unless there is a different angle than the septuagenarian teenager one.  Includes an author’s note, additional information about the scientists mentioned in the story, and resources for further research on them. 240 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Ellie’s voice gives the story a light touch, even as it deals with pretty heavy subjects like life, death, and love.

Cons:  The science experiment, which seemed like it had some pretty interesting implications, just sort of fizzled out at the end of the book.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.