Published by Walden Pond Press 

Summary:  Topher, Steve, and Brand have had a good year in sixth grade with Ms. Bixby, one of the Good Ones, according to their system of rating teachers.  So it’s a horrible shock to learn that their teacher has cancer and will be out for the rest of the year.  There’s a farewell party planned for her one Friday, but she ends up in the hospital a few days before.  The three boys decide to skip school and visit her, picking up items along the way to give as gifts.  Most of the story takes place that Friday, told in the alternating voices of the three boys.  There are many adventures along the way, and each boy gradually reveals why Ms. Bixby has been extra special to him during their sixth-grade year.  Have the Kleenex handy for the poignant final chapter when the boys finally connect with their teacher at the hospital, and for the bittersweet epilogue.  320 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  The three boys are interesting and engaging main characters, each one with his own set of problems that are hinted at early on, but only slowly revealed to the reader.  Ms. Bixby proves to be an amazing teacher who has, unknown to the other two, reached out to each boy and changed his life in some significant way.

Cons:  In the scene at the hospital, the writing gets a little overwrought; Ms. Bixby occasionally seems too good to be true.

Published by Disney Press 

Summary:  Willa, Steve, Tim, and Noah love horror of all kinds.  They form a club called The Fearsome Foursome to share scary stories with each other.  One stormy night, their clubhouse is mysteriously destroyed, and in its place are four frighteningly fancy invitations to a nearby mansion.  Arriving at the creepy old place, they are met by a ghostly librarian, who offers to tell them a story about each one of them…tales so creepy they will be dying to hear the end of them.  Each narrative ends with the death or dismemberment of the main character, and at the end of the book, all four kids discover they have turned into ghosts.  This is volume 1 of a series based on Disney’s Haunted Mansion; stay tuned to learn more about some of the other 999 ghosts that live in the aforementioned mansion.  240 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Fans of Goosebumps and Alvin Schwartz’s scary stories will enjoy these spine-tingling tales that add enough humor and gross details to keep the tone on the lighter side.

Cons:  I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the fact that all four kids ended up as ghosts living in the Haunted Mansion forever.

Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky 

Summary:  Dara Palmer is shocked and dismayed when—once again—she is passed over for a part in the class play.  Although the drama teacher suggests she and her best friend Lacey join her theater class, the two girls are certain they are destined for stardom without any outside help.  Things are no easier at home.  Dara was adopted from Cambodia, and she can’t help feeling like an outsider with her parents, older brother, and super annoying younger sister, also adopted (from Russia).  As her fifth grade year progresses, Dara slowly and painfully finds her way to a greater maturity, first by admitting she could use some help bringing her acting skills up to the same level as her passion for theater, then coming to terms with her history and learning some empathy for the friends and family members in her life.  282 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Extremely annoying at the beginning of the story, Dara grows and changes without sacrificing her strong (and ultimately winning) personality.  Kids will enjoy the humor and true-to-life situations in this British import.

Cons:  Dara’s insights and maturity sometimes seemed a bit of a stretch, given how bratty and self-centered she is at the beginning of the book.

Published by Starscape 

Summary:  Bailey is born on a puppy mill, but his sense of adventure leads him into the world on his own.  He’s picked up by a truck driver who leaves him in a locked truck on a warm day.  Rescued once again, he ends up with Ethan, an eight-year-old boy who soon becomes his best friend and constant companion.  Through their years together, Bailey learns how to take care of Ethan, saving him from real and imagined dangers.  A neighborhood bully named Todd is part of Ethan’s life, first as a friend, but gradually becoming a dangerous enemy.  His final act of revenge against Ethan and his family sets the stage for Bailey’s greatest act of heroism.  This is the second book in a series adapted from Cameron’s adult novel, A Dog’s Purpose.  208 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Told in Bailey’s voice, the story is by turns funny, touching, and exciting.  The adorable cover will catch the eye of dog lovers, and they won’t be disappointed by the rest of the book.

Cons:  This seemed like a contemporary story except for two brief, and seemingly unnecessary, references to the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Published by Bloomsbury 

Summary:  Charlie is trying to save money to buy a new dress for her Irish step dance competition, so when her friend Drew invites her to go ice fishing to make some money, she agrees.  The only fish she catches is too small to sell, but to her amazement, the fish speaks.  “Release me,” it says, “and I will grant you a wish.”  Skeptical, she gives it a try, and in the next day or so, realizes her wish has come true.  She returns to the hole several more times, making wishes to help her friends, but, predictably, the wishes go awry, and Charlie vows to stop.  Then comes a phone call that turns Charlie’s world upside down.  Her sister Abby, a college freshman, is addicted to heroin.  She has to leave college and enter a treatment center.  After much careful thought, Charlie makes one last wish for Abby.  It seems to be working until Charlie’s dance competition.  It’s a day of triumph for Charlie until Abby disappears, and Charlie has to learn that all the wishes and magic in the world can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped.  240 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Charlie is an engaging protagonist, and the story lines about the fish and her dance competitions add some lighthearted notes to a sad and weighty topic.  The issue of addiction of a family member is handled realistically, and Charlie’s ultimate realization that she can’t save her sister and must live her own life as best she can is a good message for kids to hear.

Cons:  The cover and first few chapters make this feel like a much lighter read than it turns out to be.  Some kids in the recommended age group may not be ready for the subject of addiction…or parents may be concerned that they’re not ready for it.  Preview before sharing with young readers.