Lawless - by Jeffrey Salane

Kids have different opinions about school.  I know this, because I'm both a parent and a teacher, and have seen all sorts.  None of the kids I know have ever been interviewed and enrolled in a super-secret hidden school for the children of master criminals, though.  Not that I know of, at least.

In this amazing, action-packed, suspenseful thrill ride of a book, young M. Freeman (a sweet, innocent girl who seems to have quite a talent for crime), ends up at the Lawless School, though she has no idea where it is.  It's a nice school, except for all the people trying to kill her, and the fact that her plane crashed inside a mountain the first day of class, and, yeah.  Let's just say that nothing is ordinary at this school.

When I finished this, I was very disappointed that I didn't have the sequel in my hands, as I was so hooked I couldn't wait a day to get to the library.  The sequel leaves you hanging just as much, which may just be a ploy to get you to buy more books, but is also pretty exciting as a reader.  This book is so much more than you expect, as it digs deep into M's life and shows her character changing nearly page to page.  It's pretty sophisticated, like a true spy novel, but should be manageable for most middle-grade readers.  I HIGHLY recommend the series to all readers, especially those who love spy stories, mysteries, and suspense.

Liar and Spy - by Rebecca Stead

This book has a few twists and turns, so let's call it a mystery. What it really is, though, is a story about some lonely kids in the city who somehow get connected, and through their friendship find ways to deal with the problems in their lives. Sounds boring, but it's not.  It's a book that will make you think.

Georges, Candy, and Safer.  Yep, those are the names of our three main characters, so you know the author has a thing about names. When seventh-grader Georges moves into a new apartment building with his dad, he doesn't expect to end up in the middle of a spy ring investigating a potential murderer in a dark apartment.  However, Safer has a way of shaking things up for him, and life is not likely to return to normal anytime soon.

Follow these kids through the everyday excitement of Georges' life and learn a thing or two about friendship, acceptance, and... candy.
This book has nothing to do with Stead's previous bestseller, When You Reach Me, though it definitely has some similarities.  City kids, unexpected twists, and friendship helping the characters to survive personal challenges.  This is an author to watch!

The League of Seven - by Alan Gatz

Bringing together a band of teenage oddballs in a futuristic/old-fashioned America, this steampunk story will capture your imagination and leave you cheering!  The heroes are flawed but worth cheering for, the villains both oddly familiar and ridiculously unimaginable.

Like all steampunk stories, this one relies on lots of futuristic 18th-century technology, such as brass laser guns, airships, submarines, and robot babysitters.  When Archie finds out that his parents have been brainwashed by giant insects, he must set out across the country to Old Florida to rescue them.  Falling in with two mysterious but distinctly talented new friends, it is up to the three to stop not only a crazed murderous inventor (Thomas Edison), but the largest monster in history, who lies trapped under the swamps.

This story has plenty of mystery, lots of action and suspense, and enough dramatic twists to keep any reader turning pages.  It is highly imaginative and a bit inspiring.  You may find yourself, like I did, wishing you could climb aboard their airship for just one short adventure.

The Life and Times of Benny Alvarez - by Peter Johnson

This book was so much better than I expected.  It's all about a seventh-grade boy with an odd family, and ailing grandfather, and a curse: The cutest girl in his school is out to get him.  The final challenge: A poetry contest.  Yes, this seems a bit odd, but it totally works in this creative and captivating story.

Meet the Alvarez family: Benny's energetic younger brother Crash, his negative and oddball dad, his overly optimistic mom, his lovable big sister (who makes the best chicken noodle soup on Earth), his spaz dog Spot, and Benny himself, who his mom calls "Mr. Negativity."  It's true that he looks at the world as a glass half-empty, but in his mind, if you're expecting the worst, it's hard to be disappointed!  When a combination of surprising events happen, Benny is forced to finally decide whether he's going to be negative or positive, as his future and friendships hang in the balance.

The plot is tight, though this is far from an action/adventure book.  It's a school/family/friendship story about a believable and likable kid with everyday problems, who finds his own inner strength (with a little help from friends and family) to save the day at the end.  There's poetry, heavy use of a thesaurus, lots of humor, a bit of blushing (well, it's not Benny's fault he can't ever seem to look Claudine in the eyes!), and some more serious topics too.  It's a rewarding read that will touch both your funny bone and your thoughtful side.

Legend - by Marie Lu

June is rich, her brother is a powerful and important soldier in the Republic's army, and her skills are remarkable.  Day is dirt-poor, on the run from the law, apparently homeless, but his skills equal June's. What brings these two teenage characters together is the stuff of legends, and the plot of this book, so I won't give it away.  I can tell you that the story takes place in an imagined future in the American west, that there is a good assortment of likable and believable characters, and that the action, including some rough fight scenes, is fantastic.

This is probably my favorite of this type of books: The teen dystopian/futuristic America drama/adventure series with a strong but flawed heroine/hero.  With Marie Lu's Legend, you've got the real deal.  June and Day are both fascinating characters, and to see what happens when their worlds spin together makes for an unforgettable story.

There are many middle grade/teen series out there, but this one has just as much action and suspense as the others, but none of the graphic love scenes.  It's a winner, trust me.  Keep your eye on Marie Lu!

The Lost Kingdom - by Matthew Kirby

Imagine travelling back to the mid-1700 American colonies, and preparing for the adventure of a lifetime into the uncharted western wilderness.  Now imagine that your journey is organized by Ben Franklin, with the goal of connecting with a long-lost colony to aid in the fight against the French. Let's make this even cooler: You're travelling by air using ridiculously cutting-edge technology, in the first airship in history.

This exciting story combines a real period of history and actual people from that time with a fictional (in some ways fantastical) plot.  Enjoy the story, connect it to some history and names that you've heard of (including George Washington), but don't believe a word of it.  Here's your introduction to a new genre: Alternate History.

The main character is teenage Billy Bartram, who tells the tale first-person.  Billy accompanies his famous botanist father on the expedition as his sketch artist, and through Billy's eyes we experience the excitement and terror of their journey, the shock of his father's prejudice against the natives, the suspense of an unidentified spy, and the confusion that comes when a child first realizes that not all adults are trustworthy or honorable.

What an amazing book!  The characters and setting are interesting and well-scripted, and the plot is fast-paced, twisting, and captivating. Matthew Kirby has come back with another winner.

The Lost Children - by Carolyn Cohagan

Lots and lots of gloves.  A city where everyone must wear gloves at all times!  A dad who never really talks, won't look his daughter in the eyes, and is obsessed with gloves! Weird mouthless dogs that terrorize entire villages.  A very small bad guy.  A very big good guy, who is also a bad guy.  A magical shack. A humongous orphanage.  An age-defying mystery.  Strange holes in the ground.  A surprising energy source.  Three kids who are nothing alike, trapped in a world none of them really understand, trying to do something they really don't want to do, and both dreaming of and dreading what will happen once they've done it.  A tremendous, captivating story.

I know, what kind of story description is that?  Could I be any less clear?  Probably, so don't push your luck!  The truth is, this is a strange book, with all sorts of unexpected events and interesting twists.  It is both a fantasy adventure and a story of friends who find it difficult but necessary to work together in the face of great danger.  It's also the sad story of a girl and her dad, and the shocking secret that holds them apart.

I borrowed this from my friend Kylie, and liked it so much I went out and bought my own copy.  It's a keeper.

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians - by Jarett J. Krosoczka

I had high hopes for this book because my 2-year-old loves this author's picture book so much (Punk Farm, Bath Tub Pirates, My Buddy Slug, Giddy Up Cowgirl), but it was a bit of a disappointment.  It was a little hard to follow, the plot was pretty weak, and it just didn't hold my attention.  I'm obviously not the target audience for this book, and it may be just right for an early reader who wants to move from comics to graphic novels.

The illustrations are great and the characters are pretty goofy, so there's something redeeming about the book, but I would never spend money on any book in this series.  There are so many good graphic novel series out there, keep looking and you'll find something more interesting.

The Loser List - by H. N. Kowitt

Did you enjoy Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but find yourself hoping for  a more likable main character? This is your book.

The Loser List is the story of Danny, a bright sixth grader who desperately wants to be cool at his new school.  Of course he doesn't want to give up his comic book obsession or his ultra-geek best friend, so what is a boy to do?  All sorts of wild stuff, in this case, including joining the gang of school thugs, a bunch of junior criminals who appreciate Danny's artistic abilities for all the wrong reasons.  Danny is a very likable character, one we can all relate to.  The way he ends up solving his problem is excellent, and the entire story is funny and interesting, with excellent illustrations.  There are far fewer pictures than you'll find in the Wimpy Kid series, but just enough to really help the story and add a bit of humor and clarity.  I did not expect this book to be as good as it was.  Really, check it out.

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy - by Gary Schmidt

This is one of those books that you aren't sure you want to read, because the cover is kind of old-fashioned and dull. Then you start reading, and you almost abandon it because the setting and characters don't really click with you, and you're not really into it, but you decide to stick it out.  Then before you know it you've finished the book in tears, and you can't get it out of your mind.    In other words, just read it.  You'll see what I mean.

The setting is a small town on the Maine coast in the early 1900's.  Our main character is Turner Buckminster Fuller III, the new pastor's son who left his fabulous life in Boston to start a new life as the least popular boy in a small town where nothing unusual is acceptable.  For Turner, a sincere but rebellious boy, life has suddenly become very hard.  Before long he has made an enemy of the coolest kid in town and the most grumpy old lady on his street, embarrassed his father in front of his new congregation, and become friends with a girl from the local settlement of ex-slaves, the one and only Lizzie Bright.  Could life get more difficult for him?  You have no idea.

Lizzie is more than Turner's equal, a smart and athletic black girl in a town where not only do the locals not approve of her people, but where they are actively trying to evict the entire island settlement to make room for a resort.  When Turner decides to stand up for Lizzie and her people, he must choose between his own town and family and his sense of right and wrong.  He makes the right choice, but the consequences are tremendous and terrible.

This is a fantastic book, memorable and haunting, lyrical and personal.  It starts slowly, but will draw you in until you don't know what hit you.  If you want to get a feel for small town life and mindsets in the early 20th-century, this is a good resource.  If you want to read a story about the power of friendship and the importance  and challenge of standing up for what is right, you can do no better.

The Lemonade War - by Jacqueline Davies

Hot summer days, and a simmering sibling rivalry.  For brother and sister Evan and Jessie, this means a lemonade war! The first to earn $100 at their lemonade stand will have to give their winnings to the other. Evan wants an iPod, but Jessie wants to make a donation to the Humane Society.  Surprisingly, though, that's not what either of them really wants at all.  As the war heats up and both kids get desperate enough to try anything, the siblings' relationship seems about to explode!  Just how much money CAN a kid make selling lemonade?  You'd never believe it if I told you, so go ahead and read it for yourself.

If you didn't read the cover, you'd swear this book was written by Andrew Clements, and that's one of the best compliments I can give.  It's a sibling rivaly story, but it's also a business story, and gives many smart tips to anyone wanting to try earning some money for themselves.  There's math worked in, friendship and jealousy issues, as well as a thieving "friend" who seems to get away with anything.  This is a short, sweet, but exciting story about what can happen when temperature and tempers rise.

Loser - by Jerry Spinelli

What is a loser?  A kid who never seems to get things right. A kid who is different.  A kid who is no good at sports.  A kid who actually LIKES school, if you can believe it.  A kid who thinks his dad, a mailman, is the coolest guy ever.  A kid named Donald Zinkoff.

This is the story of Zinkoff, told from his birth until he is in middle school, which is a lot of time to cover in a short book. There are many funny scenes, and even though the reader spends a lot of time feeling sorry for this kid, Zinkoff, who keeps getting picked on, you also get a feeling that this kid is pretty awesome.  He's got a tough life, but he doesn't seem to care what others think.  Zinkoff is the kind of guy I'd like to know, but he's considered a total dork among his peers, and they avoid him like his weirdness in contagious, until one day... he does something nobody expected.

The author uses an odd writing style of short, choppy sentences, but with lots of detail.  I read this aloud to my class recently and it was a big shift from other books we've read (The Bad Beginning, for instance, which was my class's favorite), that have normal sentence structure. There are a lot of natural pauses in this writing, and although it's very expressive, it doesn't have much of a flow until you really get into it and used to the style.  Once you do, you fall in love with the author's poetic use of words to describe things the way few authors do, from the point of view of a blissfully unusual kid.

Check this out if you want to see how Zinkoff survived years of bullying and came out on top, if you enjoy quirky characters, and if you love a good school story.

Leepike Ridge - by N. M. Wilson

Young Thomas lives in a rickety house on top of a giant rock, and doesn't think his life can get weirder than it already is.  Boy, is he wrong.  The trouble starts when his teacher starts trying to marry his mom, and doesn't get any better when he falls asleep on a floating piece of styrofoam in the river, and winds up lying next to a corpse in a hidden underground cave.  With mysterious cave-dwellers, grumpy old men who throw their dogs into rivers, scary large men who sit in the basement of a bowling alley and smoke, and treacherous treasure hunters, this  book is full of adventure and surprises.  Can Thomas find his way back home?  Will the treasure hunters succeed in their evil plans?  How strong is rope made from your own beard?  I suppose you'll have to read the book yourself to find out.

This book is a surprisingly good story, full of twists and turns and delightfully quirky characters.  It will interest lovers of history, cave-exploration, and dogs.  It's both a mystery and a survival story, and it's a tale with a heart and a satisfying ending.

Lawn Boy - by Gary Paulsen

This is a short book full of big ideas, and was not what I expected.  That's a good thing in this case.

First of all, the narrator is an unnamed 12-year-old boy whose wacky grandmother just gave him his grandfather's old riding lawnmower.  Within a day, the boy went from having no idea what to do with his summer to being a successful independent businessman, mowing his neighbors' lawns.  The funny thing in this story, and the most important part of the plot, is that his business keeps growing, by leaps and bounds. With the help of a neighbor who happens to be a stockbroker (and a very poor dresser), our boy is soon in WAY over his head as the owner of a business that is taking on a life of its own.  There are some twists and turns that you won't expect, and that make this a very funny story.  The book ended a little too quickly for me, a little abruptly, but that's my only complaint about this engaging story.

This book will teach you not only the vocabulary and concepts involved with owning and running a business, but also about the stock market, dealing with nasty gangs of extortionists, how to own a professional boxer, and why your kooky old grandma may be the smartest person around. Check it out.

The Lightning Thief - by Rick Riordan

You're about to get kicked out of your school, but is it your fault your math teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill you? Percy's not sure why he's got such bad luck, or what is really going on. When the minotaur appears and chases him all the way to an unusual summer camp where he seems to be protected, things get even weirder, but at least he gets some answers.

Twelve-year old Percy Jackson is a funny, tough, and smart kid - the kind of main character we all love to read about. This first book of his adventures has him deep inside the world of Greek gods, fighting to return Zeus's lighning bolt before things get really ugly. This book is HOT with so many kids at my school, and has been for years. I've only read the first book, but it was so captivating and fun to read that I'll polish off the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series soon, for sure.

If you love adventure, books full of action, monstrous creatures attacking middle-school students, and Greek mythology, this is a sure winner. I'd recommend finding a nice guide to Greek mythology, and having it next to you as you read.

Leon and the Champion Chip - by Allen Kurzweil

How does a dorky boy with a passion for potato chips outsmart the class bully, become a hero of his school, and have the best school year ever?  It's all in this book, and you're going to love it.   Leon and his two best friends have a number of adventures in their school, including trying to create a voodoo doll to gain control over the school bully.  Apparently they did this successfully in the first book in the series, Leon and the Spitting Image, but I didn't read that one, and it wasn't necessary to fully enjoy this tale.  The three kids encounter a wacky science teacher who decides that the class should study nothing but potato chips for the entire year, and this turns out to be  a very important part of the plot.  There are many other sub-plots too, and they tie together nicely by the end.

It's a book that reminds me of an Andrew Clements book mixed with Dork in Disguise by Carol Gorman.  The kids end up outsmarting the adults, and making it a happy ending, while making the adults learn something along the way.  Read this if you love potato chips, good stories where characters solve their own problems, if you are interested in science, or if you just like good books.

Lost and Found - by Andrew Clements

Wouldn't it be weird to have an identical twin, when your parents can't even tell you apart?  Imagine the trouble you could cause at school...  Well, that's just about what happens in this excellent book by Andrew Clements, one of my favorite authors of school stories.  Jay and Ray Grayson just moved to a new school, and Ray is sick on the first day.  Somehow it seems like the school made a mistake, because Ray isn't even on the attendance list!  Jay decides to take advantage of this, and from then on, the two twins act like there is only one of them.  You guessed it, they go to school on alternating days, Jay on Monday, Ray on Tuesday, and so on.  This could get pretty confusing, don' t you think?  Read this book to see how long Ray and Jay can pull this trick off, and what kinds of interesting situations they have to deal with along the way.

This book is even more interesting because it turns out Andrew Clements has twins of his own, so he really knows the kind of thing that can happen.  It's a great book, and another of this author's wonderful stories about daring children.

The Kid Who Ran For President - by Dan Gutman

What if a 12-year-old boy ran for president? And if he did, what if he really had a chance to WIN? That's what this story is about, and it's a good one. Judson Moon is just a normal middle school student who likes to make people laugh, but his friend Lane, who is really into politics, has big plans for him. Before you know it, Moon's life is turned upside down as he learns what it takes to try to win a presidential election. You won't know if he makes it unless you read the book!

I like Dan Gutman's writing because it's funny, and has a nice flow to it. This book is no exception, but it can be challenging keeping up with all the political details. It's a good resource for learning a little about how elections work, but you also may want to check out Dan's book Landslide (see below) for more specific information about U.S. elections.

Read The Kid Who Ran For President if you like stories about kids who dare to try difficult things (kind of like Andrew Clements' stories), interesting realistic fiction, or books that keep you guessing until the end. For a hint of how the book ends, keep your eyes open for the sequel, and the title may give you a clue.

(Dan Gutman's nonfiction book Landslide is a nice companion to his novel.)

Letters from Camp - by Kate (and Sarah) Klise

Imagine a summer camp in Missouri run by six adult siblings who, years before, used to be a popular family musical group. At this camp run by The Harmony family, once known as the Harmony Family Singers, brothers and sisters are invited to come and learn how to get along with one another. In this story, six children come to the camp, but find that things are a LOT different than they had expected! Instead of your normal summer camp, these kiddos were made to work hard, eat terrible food, wear hideous clothing, and much worse, while the Harmony siblings sat back and plotted their comeback musical tour. Just when you think this is bad enough, it turns out that something much more terrible is actually going on at camp Happy Harmony, and it's up to the children to save the day, before somebody gets away with MURDER!

This is a unique book, written in the Klises' usual style. The story is told through a variety of letters, memos, notes, and other forms of written communication between the different characters, and must be pieced together by the reader to make any sense. This is not only a more challenging way to read, it is also very enjoyable and rewarding. This book is great for mystery lovers, for readers who love using illustrations to understand the story, and for those who enjoy seeing kids outsmart adults time after time. If you like this story (and you will!), you must read Regarding the Fountain, the first in a series by the same sister duo. Kate does the writing, while Sarah illustrates, and the result is unforgettable!

To see random pages from this book, click HERE.

The Last Holiday Concert - by Andrew Clements

Imagine that you are in sixth grade, a member of your school's chorus (choir), and preparing for the big Winter Concert. The students are so terrible and uninterested that the teacher just throws his hands in the air and says "That's it! I'm done! This concert is yours, and now you're in charge. Good luck." How would you and your friends react to that? Would the class become chaos, and the concert become a big joke? Would you beg the teacher to forgive you? Would somebody tell the principal?

In this incredible book by master storyteller Andrew Clements, the students don't do any of those things. Instead, they elect a leader, figure out how to take care of business on their own, and set off to have the best Winter Concert in all of history.

Like other Clements books, this story involves a teacher who learns a lot from the students, one student who achieves more than he ever thought he could, and an overall theme of kids finding ways to succeed, when the adults don't expect it. This is a great book for lovers of school stories, people who like reading about kids taking charge, anyone who has ever been in a choir concert, and for any reader who is a Clements fan. I'd recommend reading this book in December, before the holidays (just for the mood), but it will be a favorite no matter when you take it off the shelf.