DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: No Brainer by Jeff Kinney.  Need we say more?

JAYSON GOES FOR IT! by Brayden Harrington.  A feel good story, with themes reminiscent of Wonder, about a pair of students who don’t let their stuttering keep them from pursuing justice and running in the class elections.  Gr 3-7. 

MASCOT by Charles Waters/Traci Sorell.  A novel in verse presenting 6 different points of view from students discussing whether to change the school’s sports teams name and mascot.  Gr 4-7. 

HOUSE OF THE LOST ON THE CAPE by Sachiko Kashiwaba.  Set during and in the aftermath of the 2011 Japanese tsunami , a girl, a young woman and an old grandmother form a family and fight evil spirits.  Gentle, yet straightforward. Gr 3-8.  

MATH MYSTERIES: The Triple Threat by Aaron Farmer.  4th grade detectives use their math skills to figure out the meaning of some suspicious events.  Includes puzzles for the reader.  Gr 3-5. 

THE WIZENARD SERIES: TRAINING CAMP by Wesley King.  Only Kobe Bryant could come up with this fantastic mashup of basketball and magic.  A new coach, Rolabi Wizenard, shows up and starts running the most unusual training camp the players have ever experienced.  Gr 5-8. 

DOGTOWN by Katherine Applegate/Jennifer Choldenko.  For fans of the One and Only Ivan, another heart-tugging tale of unloved, animals who head out to find a better life.  

THE MAGIC LUNCH BOX by Hanna Kim.  Ben Lee’s family moves from the familiar Koreatown in LA to suburban Michigan, where he is made fun of, especially for the foods he likes.  Wishing to blend in, he wishes his lunch was just like all the other kids.  Lo and behold, his wish comes true.  Eventually, he realizes he needn’t be embarrassed by cultural differences.  Gr 2-3. 

THE IMPROBABLE TALES OF BASKERVILLE by Ali Standish.  Mashup/pastiche of Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter.  Young Arthur Conan Doyle is offered a place at the mysterious school Baskerville Hall.  He meets Jimmy Moriarty and Irene Eagle and together they investigate mysteries and magic. Gr 3-7. 

THE WIDELY UNKNOWN MYTH OF APPLE AND DOROTHY by Corey Ann Haydu.  A Percy Jackson read-alike about the daughters of 2 Greek gods/goddesses who must decide to live in Olympus or on Earth.  Gr 3-7.  

BENEATH THE SWIRLING SKY by Carolyn Leiloglou.  Vincent is spending the summer with his art conservator Uncle Leo when he discovers he has the magical ability to enter into paintings – famous paintings.  And that he is a member of a secret society that protects paintings from evil forces. Anyone for lunch with Monet in the countryside?  Gr 3-7. 

NOTHING ELSE BUT MIRACLES by Kate Albus.  Life on the homefront, specifically NYC during WWII.  Faced with eviction and separation, 3 children whose father is off fighting discover an old dumbwaiter in their apartment building that leads to an abandoned hotel floor.  There they try to maintain a secret existence.  Warm story about a family trying to stay together. Gr 4-7. 

REMEMBER US by Jacqueline Woodson. In the 1970s, the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn was dubbed the Matchbox for the many fires destroying the impoverished neighborhood. It is also Sage’s home, where she plays hoops better than all the boys and dreams of being the first female pro basketball player. During the summer before 7th grade, feelings of conflict arise in her about staying or leaving the neighborhood and growing up. Gr 5+