How Lunchbox Jones Saved Me from Robots, Traitors, and Missy the Cruel

Luke's middle school has a reputation for being the biggest losers in the state--probably anywhere.  The trophy case is practically empty.  That's all just fine with Luke since he'd rather race home everyday and play Alien Onslaught with his online friend.

But somehow he gets suckered into joining the school robotics team.  He doesn't care about robots.  He doesn't even know anything about robots.  And this is the worst team ever!  The two Jacobs break everything, Mikayla is obsessed with using her feet for everything, Stuart leaves a trail of sunflower seeds behind him everywhere he goes, and, oh yeah, don't forget about Lunchbox, the biggest, meanest kid at Forest Grove Middle School.  How did this become Luke's life?

He's also pretty angry at his older brother, Rob, who is supposed to be his best friend.  But best friends don't just join the Marines and abandon you, so Luke is trying to pretend Rob doesn't exist.

That won't work forever, but right now he's got to figure out how to deal with robotics.  Give the rest of the team smallpox?  Maybe.  Or maybe this misfit team has a chance to bring Forest Shade Middle its first trophy.  Ha!  Who am I kidding?

Read Jennifer Brown's new book about robots and friendship!

The Truth About Twinkie Pie

Thanks to a million dollar prize in a cooking competition, GiGi and her big sister DiDi are starting a new life in New York!  All GiGi has ever know is her home in small town South Carolina where pretty much did nothing but study.  DiDi has been taking care of her since GiGi was a baby and their mother died, and big sister is determined to make her little sister a success.

GiGi wants to start fresh at this new school where no one knows her.  It's the perfect opportunity for reinvention.  Of course, she'll keep studying and making good grades, but a little fun never killed anyone.  That's why she's decided her recipe for success will involve a lot more friendship and a lot less studying in the library alone during lunch.

It seems to be working from the start.  When she literally runs into a beautiful and cool boy named Trip on the first day, she is pleasantly surprised to find a genuine friendship developing.

But, of course, it can't be that easy.  Mace has been friends with Trip forever, and she takes an instant dislike to GiGi.  Things get worse when GiGi catches Mace and DiDi hanging out.  DiDi never lets GiGi hang out with her at the salon, so why is she suddenly so friendly with her own sister's mortal enemy?!

When GiGi decides to make a grand gesture to fix her relationship with her older sister, she discovers a shocking secret that makes her doubt everything.

I really enjoyed Kat Yeh's book about friendship and family.  There are several laugh out loud moments, and GiGi's personality shines through on every page.

Paper Hearts

Meg Wiviott's novel in verse is based on a true story of friendship and survival during the holocaust.

Fania and Zlotka find themselves at Auschwitz concentration camp.  There is no reason for the Nazis to hate them--except that they are Jews.  The girls never met before coming to the camp, but once there they form an instant bond of friendship.

Through the dehumanizing efforts of the Nazis, the young women find courage and strength from each other and their small group of friends.  In a place without hope, without love, without family, these young women dare to find all three.

Everything is illegal in Auschwitz but especially paper, pencils, and scissors, but Fania's 20th birthday is coming, and her friends want to do something special, something small, something dangerous.  They steal supplies to make a birthday card in the shape of a heart and bound with fabric taken from their own clothes.

This true story shows that it is possible to have hope and friendship even in the darkest of times.  Highly recommended.

Always, Abigail

Abigail is sure 6th grade is going to be awesome!  She and her two best friends, Ally and Cam (AKA Allicam) have been obsessed with the poms since they were little, and this is the year they can join.

But things don't go the way Abigail expects.  First Allicam are in one homeroom, and Abigail is in another.  Plus, they don't have any classes together.  Plus, Abigail is in Old Hawk's homeroom, the oldest and strictest teacher in school.  Plus, Abigail also has Old Hawk for language arts.  Plus, Old Hawk is making them do a friendly letter assignment all year long.  Plus, Old Hawk is assigning the partners.

Abigail's partner is Gabby Marco, the weirdest girl in school.  She can't believe how terrible her luck is.  Not only is she separated from Allicam, but she is forced to write letters to Flabby Gabby.  This girl laughs randomly and lives in a beat up trailer.  Sixth grade is not going well.

The real problem, though, is Abigail begins to see Gabby as a real person who is actually kind of fun.  She also starts to see the mean side of Allicam.  Abigail knows she should defend her new friend, but that would mean giving up her old friends and her goals for 6th grade.

Nancy Cavanaugh's new book perfectly captures the middle school struggle of changing friendships and dealing with bullies.  This book really took me back to my own middle school days.  Abigail is the perfect every girl stuck between wanting to be popular and doing the right thing.  I highly recommend this book!

There Will Be Bears

Gramps is Tyson's best friend.  He's just a cool, old, tough dude, and this is the year Gramps is taking Tyson on his first hunting trip.  This is going to be the year he becomes a man...

Except everything starts going wrong.  Tyson's other best friend who is actually a kid his age named Brighton has started hanging out with the football crowd and pulling away from Tyson.  Also, he's flunking history.  And even though he is excited about going hunting, he keeps hearing stories about Sandy, a violent grizzly bear who has already killed several people this season.

But it all comes to a head when Tyson's dad says he and Gramps can't go hunting.  Gramps is sick, and he's going to have to live in a nursing home!  This is so wrong!  Gramps is strong and tough.  He shouldn't be in a nursing home.

The truth is Gramps really is sick, but he wants to take Tyson hunting, too, so he hatches a plan for the two of them to secretly go on the trip anyway.

Tyson is excited, but also really nervous.  What about Sandy?  What about a sick Gramps in the wilderness?  Read Ryan Gebhart's story of family, friendship, and bears!

The Nethergrim

Edmund wants to be a magician, so he saves all his money to buy books and candles to learn on his own, but he has to do it in secret because he father thinks reading is a waste of time.  He bought the inn to leave to his eldest son, and that's what Edmund should be concerned about.  But Edmund only cares about two things:  magic and Katherine.

Katherine is tall and strong and prefers sword fighting and horses to pretty much everything else.  Her father trains all the king's horses with Katherine's help.  She doesn't have many friends, but she only needs her father, the horses, and her two best friends Edmund and Tom.

Tom is a slave to the cruelest master in the village.  He has a special gift with the natural world.  He can speak to and understand animals, and he has a vast knowledge of plants.  His only moments of peace are when he can steal time with his friends.

When a number of children go missing from the surrounding area, all signs point to the return of the Nethergrim.  Even though it's supposed to be dead, killed by a trio of men including Katherine's father, the signs are clear.  As fear and despair spread through the countryside, Edmund, Katherine, and Tom realize they know where to find the missing children, but no one will listen.  That means the three friends must venture into danger to save the missing children before it is too late and the ancient horror that is the Nethergrim awakens.

What a fabulous fantasy epic by Matthew Jobin!  I can't wait for book two!

Zane and the Hurricane

Zane's father died before he was born in a car accident, so he's only known his mother's side of the family in New Hampshire.  All that changes when his mother discovers a long lost relative in New Orleans, Louisiana.  She's not just any relative though; she's his great aunt Trissy who raised his father.  She's very old, and she wants to meet Zane.

Zane only agrees to go if he can bring his dog, Bandy, so the two set off reluctantly for New Orleans.  Things are going so awful until a few days after his arrival when news of Hurricane Katrina arrives.  In their efforts to escape, Zane is separated from Miss Trissy.

Now Zane must survive the worst storm he's ever experienced, but what happens after the storm is even worse.  Plus, he's on his own in a city filled with danger.  The once beautiful city is now full of filthy water, dead bodies, and violence, and it seems like no one is willing to help.

Zane is lucky to find two other survivors who are willing to share early on, and the three companions set off looking for dry land and shelter, but it seems there is very little compassion left for the poor bedraggled companions.

Rodman Philbrick's new book is a powerful story of survival and the importance of compassion.  This book is a great entry to the Hurricane Katrina disaster for readers of all ages.  Highly recommended.

The video below shows the day by day development of the storm.  If you want to see more storm footage and the devastating effects, there is plenty of video available on the internet.

Twerp

Julian is not like his friends.  At least that's what everyone keeps telling him, but the way he sees it is different.  His best friend Lonnie is the leader, the one with all the ideas, and the rest of the gang just kind of follows along because his ideas are usually good and because Lonnie's just so persuasive.

No one meant for Danley to get hurt.  They were just kids playing around, but now the suspension is over, and Julian and his friends are back in class.  But Julian's English teacher isn't satisfied.  Mr. Selkirk wants something written, and it has to be long.

This is beginning of Julian's musings on his life, his friends, and their adventures.  Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and sometimes Julian writes the truth whether he can see it or not.

This is the story of the year when Julian finally starts to see things for how they really are, to see the truth about his friendships and about his choices.  To finally see what it means to stand up and be yourself.

I really enjoyed Mark Goldblatt's coming of age story.  Julian is not a character you always like, but I think most of us can identify with those moments when you just go with the flow because that's what's easiest.  Highly recommended!

Students reading this book should be aware that the historical context is important to the details of the story.  You will hear characters using words, phrases, or attitudes to describe people of other races that may surprise your modern mind. Keep the historical context in mind as you read.  How would the characters and story be different if it took place in 2014 instead of 1969?

The School for Good and Evil

Sophie is determined to be a princess in a fairy tale, so when it comes time for the kidnapping, she does everything she can to make sure she is taken.  The rest of the village takes precautions: nailing windows and doors shut, patrols in the street, the good dirtying themselves up and the bad trying to be a little better.    Every four years, a mysterious creature comes in the night to kidnap the best and worst child in the village.  No one is exactly certain where they go, but the faces of kidnapped children in storybooks are proof enough.

Sophie believes her devotion to personal beauty and carefully planned acts of charity make her the obvious choice for good.  Sophie doesn't really have any friends.  She's too good for anyone in the village, but what started out as one of her "acts of charity" has actually turned into a friendship of a sort.

Agatha is the opposite of Sophie in many ways.  She is dark-haired, wears only black, has a perpetual grumpy attitude, and lives in a cemetery.  Additionally, she thinks Sophie is insane for wanting to be kidnapped.  So, while Sophie is doing everything in her power to be kidnapped, Agatha is trying to protect her.

When the actual kidnapping does happen, the two girls are taken together, but Sophie's exultation quickly turns to dismay when she is dumped in Evil and Agatha is dumped in Good.  How could this have happened?!

From day one Sophie is intent on proving there's been a mistake, getting her prince, and winning her happily ever after.  Agatha sees the true danger around them and devotes her time to finding a way home.  Will either girl get her hearts desire?  And will these two misfits find out where they truly belong?

I really enjoyed Soman Chainani's book about misconceptions and friendship.  I love the way the author picks apart common fairy tale tropes to show how ridiculous the are in "real" life.  I recommend this one for fairy tale and fantasy fans.

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

Ophelia, her sister Alice, and their father are still grieving from her mother's death when her father gets a special commission to prepare the world's greatest exhibit of swords.  As an expert in swords, Mr. Whittard takes the job hoping to distract himself and his daughters from their grief.

But this is no ordinary museum.  The displays are strange and shifting, and the museum curator, Miss Kaminski, is strange and beautiful.  Mr. Whittard is too distracted by the swords to pay much attention, and Alice is enamored by Miss Kaminski who gives her clothes and makeup.  This leaves Ophelia to explore alone.

Soon she finds a door hidden in a mosaic image of the sea.  The door is locked, and inside is a boy.  He does not know his name, and he has been the Snow Queen's prisoner for many many years.  Slowly, he tells Ophelia his story, the story of how he was trained to fight the Snow Queen, but he is now her prisoner.

And slowly, our scientific Ophelia begins to believe.  And she knows she must help him no matter how terrible the danger because if she doesn't, the Snow Queen will bring about the end of the world.

I love Karen Foxlee's new book about magic and friendship!  It is a sweet and delicate tale.

Tesla's Attic

I love Neal Shusterman as I'm sure you know if you've been reading this blog for any amount of time.  It only takes a couple of pages in this new series starter co-written with Eric Elfman to figure out why.  As with all Shusterman's books, it's clear from the beginning that this is not your average story.  It is his skill with character and plot which transforms what could be a ho-hum story into a clever and surprising tale of friendship, honesty, and long ago scientific rivalries.  Who else could this?

Nick has just moved to Colorado Springs with his father and younger brother Danny following the tragedy that destroyed his home and killed his mother.  The family is still reeling from this loss, and they've moved from Florida in part to escape and in part because the ancient house left to them by a relative is the only housing option they have.

When Nick decides to use the attic as her bedroom, he knows he'll need to have a garage sale to get rid of all the junk that's been hidden there for ages.  But once he gets rid of them, he realizes they are not just ordinary objects.  That may look like an innocent toaster, but when Nick tries to use it, it blows out all the lights in the room.  Did I mention it doesn't even plug into the wall?  And that's the tamest of the objects.

Soon after the stuff is gone, guys in suits show up to demand the items and immediately put Nick on edge.  He knows that stuff is more than it seems.  He also seems to know instinctively that the the white suit guys should not get there hands on any of it.

With a little research, he learns that he and friends are in the middle of an ages old battle between Tesla and Edison.  Not only are they endangered from Edison's modern day followers, but Nick has unwittingly set off a chain events that could destroy the entire planet!  

A Snicker of Magic

Felicity's mother has a wandering heart.  That's why they never stay in one place long enough to make friends, but now that they're back in Mama's hometown of Midnight Gulch, Tennessee, maybe things will be different.

Midnight Gulch used to filled with magic, and folks would come from miles around to visit the town and hear its most famous residents, The Brothers Threadbare, play music that made everybody's feet light and hearts happy.  The day those two brothers had a duel was the day magic left Midnight Gulch, and things haven't been the same since.  That was the day Midnight Gulch and its inhabitants were cursed. There's still a snicker of magic left to make life interesting.

Felicity has a little magic herself.  She sees words everywhere--floating in the air, crawling on someone's arm, sliding across the cafeteria table.  Felicity loves words, but she's too shy and tongue-tied to share them with anyone until she meets a spiky-haired do-gooder named Jonah Pickett on her first day in Midnight Gulch.  Felicity's never had a best friend before, but Jonah claims her for his own on her first day at school.  Felicity makes other friends, too, and she's getting to know her family, too.

It seems like everybody in Midnight Gulch is being held back by the curse, and Felicity is convinced if she can break it, magic will come back to town, and her mama's wandering heart will finally find home.

I love this book!  It's a wonderful story about words, creativity, magic, and love.  I got to meet Natalie Lloyd last week, and she was so cute and sweet just like you would imagine.  You should all read this book!

Doll Bones

Zach loves playing the game with Alice and Poppy.  Using dolls and action figures they create elaborate long running tales of adventure and intrigue, but when Zach's dad comes home after a long absence, he decides his son is too old for dolls.  With the action figures gone, Zach feels like his characters are dead.  How can the game go on?

That's when Poppy decides to liberate the queen from the glass case in her living room.  The queen is old and kind of creepy, and once she's out, she tells Poppy she is made from the bones of a dead child named Eleanor, and Eleanor isn't going to rest until her bones are returned to her grave.

Zach and Alice aren't sure they believe Poppy at first, but strange things keep happening, and soon the three friends are headed off on a quest to calm and angry ghost.

Read Holly Black's new tale of friendship, adventure, and a haunted doll!

33 Minutes

Sam Lewis and Morgan Sturtz used to be best friends, but in exactly 33 minutes Morgan is going to kick Sam's butt.  Why?  Well, that's kind of a long story.

Only a year ago, the had the best day ever with an all day marathon of Alien Wars, their favorite video game.  They were a power team with each player using his own strengths and defending the other's weakness.  What could tear such awesomeness apart you ask?

Well, things have been changing for a while.  Morgan just keeps getting bigger and more athletic, and Sam just keeps staying the same size and getting smarter.  Despite this, the Wagner Middle School's star football player and star ArithmeTitan remained close.

The real problems started with Chris Tripadero.  Sam was leery of the new kid, but Morgan always wanted to hang out with Chris, and slowly but surely, Chris began to take Sam's place as Morgan's best friend.  What does Sam have against Chris?  For starters, he's a jerk.  Also, his parents are never around to say things like, "Hey, maybe you shouldn't throw that (fill in the blank) off the roof; you might hurt someone."

Now, instead of hanging out with his best friend, Sam is nervously counting down the minutes said best friend kicks his butt.  Will the butt kicking actually happen, or is there still a chance for Sam and Morgan to be friends?

Read Todd Hasak-Lowy's funny, painful, and poignant story of middle school and friendship.  This is a great story that had me laughing out loud on one page, and heartbroken on the next.

The Lions of Little Rock

Marlee is afraid of everything from the high diving board at the pool to talking to kids at school, but this year will be different.  To start, all the high schools in Little Rock are closed because people don't want to integrate, so Marlee's older sister isn't even going to school.

The junior highs aren't trying to integrate yet, so Marlee is back at school going through her days in silence until Liz shows up.  For some reason Liz latches onto Marlee, and Marlee eventually realizes that Liz could be a real friend.  As their friendship grows, a revelation about Liz threatens to tear them apart forever.

Liz is "passing."  That means she is a black person pretending to be white, so she can get a better education.  People are already upset about integration, and this just makes things worse.  Marlee knows she should leave Liz alone, that it would be better for both of them, but she's never had a friend she could actually talk to before.

Can Marlee find her voice when it really counts?

I loved this book!  It's great historical fiction, and a great book about friendship and bravery.  It's a powerful reminder of the evils of racism and the beauty of friendship.  It is a reminder that sometimes the true heroes are ordinary people who decide to stop ignoring injustice and take a stand in their own neighborhoods.  Be sure to read author Kristin Levine's note at the end of the book to find out about her inspiration for the story!

A Beautiful Lie

When religious conflict in India builds to the breaking point and the country is on the verge of breaking apart, Bilal decides the truth is too difficult bear.  That is when the lie is born.  Bilal's father loves India and dreams of a united land and people.  Now that India will be broken apart, Bilal and his father face their own tragedy.  Bilal's father is dying. He won't last much beyond the division of the country, and Bilal's decides that rather than break his father's heart with the news, he will lie.

With the help of his three friends, Bilal keeps up the lie and prevents everyone in their village from telling his father the truth.  But the tensions are rising all over the country, and the four friends of different faiths may not be facing just the end of a united India, they may be facing the end of their friendship.

Click here to connect to author, Irfan Master's website to learn more about him and his work.

The Summer Before Boys

Julia and Eliza have always been best friends, and this summer is no different.  They are both twelve, and Julia is spending the whole summer with Eliza because her mother has been deployed in Iraq, and her father is away working.

Everything starts out like normal, and the two girls can easily lose themselves in the world of make-believe they create.  They aren't walking to the lake; they are pioneer children crossing the plains.  They aren't two regular girls sweating away in tanks and shorts; they are Victorian ladies in white dresses with mothers looking for suitors.

Of course things are different this year because Julia is always worried about her mother, but something else has changed.  Almost immediately, Julia notices a boy.  For the first time, she's just as worried about getting him to notice her as she is about spending time with her cousin.  Maybe even a little more.  Will their friendship survive?

Nora Raleigh Baskin's newest book beautifully deals with the struggles of children of parents at war and the struggles between friends as they transition from children to teens.

Eight Keys

Elise is about to start middle school.  She's excited...and nervous.  Her worst fears seem confirmed on the first day when she's assigned to share a locker with Amanda, a girl who seems determined to make Elise's life miserable.  She still has her best friend, Franklin, but even before the problems with Amanda start, Elise is starting to feel a little embarrassed by the way Franklin wants to "play."  Kids in middle school don't play, right?  This is confirmed when her friendship with Franklin makes Amanda's taunting even worse.

When she tries to tell her teacher about Amanda, the teacher doesn't want to listen, and Elise doesn't want to bring thoughts of all her school problems home, so she doesn't tell Aunt Bessie and Uncle Hugh either.    Elise's mother died when she was born, and her father died of cancer three years ago.  All the changes in her life are making Elise feel like she doesn't belong anywhere, and she can't even bring herself to get on the bus some days.  To make matters worse, she's so behind on her homework, that it seems pointless to even try.

That's when she finds the first key, a key left by her father that unlocks one of eight rooms in the barn that she's never really thought about.  As she discovers each key and room, she finds messages, images, and ideas left by her father that slowly help her to see her life and herself in a different way.

Suzanne LaFleur's new book will make you think about the relationships in your life, too.

Camo Girl

Z isn't just Ella's best friend; he's her only friend.  Ella doesn't really know how it happened.  It seems like one day everything was fine, and the next everyone had turned against Ella and Z.  The kids call Ella Camo Face because her skin has patches of brown and black.  Ella knows she's ugly, but it still hurts to hear the taunts of other kids.


Ella is Z's protector, and partner in the fantasy he's created.  He calls her lady Eleanor and milady and talks like he's in a story about King Arthur and Camelot.  Ella knows the fantasy helps him deal with life since his daddy left and they lost the house, but sometimes she's ready for the fantasy to be over.  Everyone else teases Z and calls him a freak.


One day a new boy shows up at school.  His name is Bailey, and Ella thinks he's beautiful.  Plus, he's the only other black kid in school.  For the first time in a long time, Ella wants to break out the protective circle she's drawn around Z and herself.  But part of her knows it's pointless.  Bailey is cool and normal and good-looking.  Why would he want to be friends with Camo Face?


But things aren't always what they seem on the surface, and Bailey, Z, and Ella have more in common than she would've thought.  Maybe being "normal" isn't as hard as Ella thought, but Z may not be able to handle all these changes, and all three kids may not be able to keep their secrets for much longer.  


Camo Girl is the newest book by Kekla Magoon, who also wrote one of my favorite books, The Rock and the River, so read that one, too!

How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy

Lamar Washington is the maddest, baddest bowler at Striker's Bowling Paradise.  But bowling isn't his only game; he and his best friend Sergio have spent their days pulling pranks on anyone and everyone, but it's all in good fun.

Outside of the bowling alley, Lamar is dealing with some pretty serious issues at home.  Since his mom died, he feels like no one really cares about him.  His dad is all wrapped up in Lamar's older brother, Xavier the basketball savior, and the brothers' relationship is worse than bad.

When Lamar tries to get some attention from this super fine soccer goddess at Strikers, he begins to realize that maybe all those pranks weren't as funny to everyone else as they were to him.

Things really take a turn for the worse when Lamar starts hanging out with Billy Jenks.  Lamar has always heard that Billy is a delinquent, but he seems so different now that they are spending more time together.  But time with Billy is causing problems with Sergio and making Lamar focus on all the negative parts of his family life.

At least he has something to look forward to; his bowling idol, Bubba Sanders is coming to town on the fourth of July.

But Lamar makes one colossally bad decision that jeopardizes everything.  Holy crackers and cream cheese!  Now he has to try to find a way to be a real man and earn the respect of his family and friends all over again.

This book will make you laugh out loud and make you think!  This is the first book from Corpus Christi author, Crystal Allen.