Published by Random House

Summary:  Alec’s sixth grade year is off to a rocky start, and it’s all because he loves reading too much.  His habit of reading during class has his teachers threatening summer school, and even at the extended day program after school, he’s expected to do (non-reading) homework or participate in a group activity.  When he learns that kids can start new clubs, he thinks he has the perfect idea: find another reader and call themselves The Losers Club.  That way, they can read all they want, uninterrupted, and no one else will want to associate with the “losers”.  But the plan backfires when other readers want to join.  Not only that, but the first new member is Nina, a new girl who has caught the attention of Kent, Alec’s former friend turned bully.  Alec learns that life in sixth grade is far more complicated than the worlds in the books he likes, but it can also be more interesting and rewarding.  Includes a two-page list of all the books mentioned in the story.  240 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Andrew Clements fans won’t be disappointed in his latest story about a resourceful kid who finds his own way to overcome difficulties.

Cons:  In referencing Charlotte’s Web, Alec mentions Fern’s younger brother Avery and mentions that Avery reminds Alec of his own younger brother.  News flash, Andrew Clements (and your editor at Random House): Avery is Fern’s older brother.

Published by HarperCollins

Summary:  Lester Musselbaum is starting fifth grade after being homeschooled by his mom all his life.  His father was an astronaut who was killed in an accident when Lester was five.  Lester loves science, especially astronomy, but is apprehensive about going to public school.  He struggles in the first few weeks with a couple of mean boys, too much noise in the cafeteria, and a teacher who sometimes makes last-minute changes to the schedule.  His inclination at such times is to run away, but he gradually learns other coping strategies.  A girl named Abby becomes a friend, and a diagnosis of Asperger’s leads to an IEP that makes school a little easier for Lester to handle.  There are still good days and bad days, but Lester begins to see his strengths and to use them to make his way in a new world.  336 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I fear that “give this book to fans of Wonder!” is becoming a tired cliché.  However, the comparison is inevitable in this engaging tale of a fifth grader with a difference that sets him apart from his peers.  First-time novelist Mandy Davis does an outstanding job of portraying Lester sympathetically yet realistically.  I read this book in less than 24 hours.

Cons:  Teachers and other school personnel seemed unnecessarily nasty at the beginning of the story, although they improved as time went on.

Published by Katherine Tegen Books

Summary:  When we first meet Daisy, she’s in a cage at the pound, situated between the door leading to the Good Side, full of sunshine and happiness, and the door that goes to the Bad Side, smelling of fear, from which dogs never return.  Daisy knows it’s almost her time to go to the Bad Side, but she’s rescued by a military veteran named Victor and his son Micah.  Victor suffers from PTSD, and he’s enrolled in a program to train a service dog.  The VA will pay for ten weeks of training, so that’s how long Daisy has to prove herself, or get sent back to the pound.  But Daisy’s got some trauma in her own past, and sometimes that can interfere with her training.  And as much as she wants to help, figuring out humans can sometimes seem impossible.  When Daisy fails her first test as a service dog, she’s given a second chance…will she be able to make the most of it?  177 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  A heartwarming story with a very funny canine narrator.  Readers who are struggling to get that summer reading requirement taken care of might want to consider this relatively short book that is both compelling and humorous.

Cons:  The ending seemed a little implausible; however, readers will find it very satisfying.

Published by Philomel Books

Summary:  When Winnie’s parents divorce, they are determined to divide her time equally between the two of them.  They buy two houses on a circular street with a huge tree in the middle.  Winnie spends three days a week with her mom, three days a week with her dad, and one day, Wednesday, by herself in her treehouse.  As her parents become increasingly competitive in making her time with each of them the best, Winnie finds the treehouse to be more and more of a haven.  Finally, she’s had enough, and retreats to the tree, refusing to come down until her parents are willing to sit down and listen to what she has to say.  Inspired by her actions, nine of her friends join her, each with his or her own demands to parents.  Who will win in this war between kids and parents?  288 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  What kid wouldn’t want to live in a giant treehouse with no parents?  Winnie and her friends have a pretty good time, and document their activities with craft instructions, Scrabble tips, and Post-It note footnotes to the main narrative.  This makes for a fast-paced, appealing read that will draw in reluctant readers.

Cons:  I found the Post-It notes distracting.

Published by Scholastic

Summary:  When Chase Ambrose falls of the roof of his house, the blow to his head causes complete amnesia.  After getting reacquainted with his family, he starts back to school, where he discovers he has been a superstar athlete and the biggest bully in the eighth grade.  The kids in the video club that he now wants as friends were once his biggest victims.  His old friends Aaron and Bear can’t understand why he’s turned into such a goody-two-shoes.  The three of them are doing community service at a retirement home as punishment for one of their worst misdeeds, and Chase befriends a crotchety war veteran there who may hold a clue to more of Chase’s former life.  As his memory begins to return in brief flashbacks, Chase has to make a choice between who he used to be and who he wants to become.  256 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Told in the usual Gordon Korman style of short chapters from many different points of view, this funny and thought-provoking look at the middle school social hierarchy will definitely be a popular choice for many readers.

Cons:  Chase’s complete transformation was occasionally difficult to believe.

Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary:  Hadley’s not too excited about moving into a new house, particularly since the move includes her new stepfather and stepbrother.  She’s excited about the discovery of a beautiful dollhouse in the attic, though, and intrigued by the glass doll’s eye that seems to appear out of nowhere.  The old lady living over the garage seems like the grandmother she never had, and the boy next door is a little peculiar, but nice enough.  Events take a sinister turn, however, when Hadley accidentally wishes her stepfather and stepbrother away, and her mother starts acting like a Stepford wife.  These incidents seem tied to the dollhouse and its occupants, and Hadley becomes increasingly desperate to learn how to control her wishes and return things to normal.  Interspersed through the main narrative are chapters told by the first girl who lived in the house with hints of how her life may be tied to the present.  The old lady (ominously named Althea de Mone) shows her true colors as events come together in a creepy conclusion.  208 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  The menacing details start on page one and don’t let up much right through the end.  Horror fans will find this hard to put down.

Cons:  There’s a happy ending for everyone…except the reader.