Middle School Reads
July 2016
“The first time Uncle Charlie came to live with us he was alive.
The second time he came, he was dead.” 
~ from Avi's School of the Dead
Recent Releases
Save me a seat
by Sarah Weeks

Just arrived from Bangalore, Ravi Suryanarayanan is eager to make friends at his new American school. When he spots Dillon Samreen, a popular, cool classmate with swoopy bangs and a big smile, Ravi believes the two could become great friends. Even if Dillon is an ABCD—American-Born Confused Desi—another name for U.S.–born children of Indian immigrants, Ravi believes catching Dillon’s attention will take him from the lame table in the cafeteria to where the popular kids eat. Meanwhile, all white Joe Sylvester wants is not to catch the attention of Dillon Samreen. Joe is large and awkward and completely aware of how Dillon can smile at you one minute then torture you forever and ever. When Ravi, Joe, and Dillon wind up in Mrs. Beam’s class, the trio are on a collision course that will end with the unlikeliest of friendships.
Hilo : saving the whole wide world
by Judd Winick

It starts with just a toe—Hilo's toe, specifically. Diving right in where series opener Hilo (2015) ended, the story begins with Hilo blasted to a Void to keep the Earth safe from the human-hating, destruction-driven robot Razorwark. However, his toe (through which he can talk) remains with D.J. Soon, a portal opens, and to the elation of Gina and D.J., out pops Hilo (albeit in pieces that fuse themselves back together). The trio discovers that other creatures are also able to use the portal, and soon their quiet town is teeming with bowling-ball–wielding robots and virulent vegetables that threaten to overwhelm their entire village. Hilo's lost memories are also slowly returning, and he learns that he may have some commonalities with his enemy.
The gallery
by Laura Marx Fitzgerald

When the white 13-year-old is expelled from Catholic school for impertinence (just “why was Eve punished for knowledge?”), Martha’s Irish-immigrant mother, a housekeeper at a Fifth Avenue mansion, gets her employed as a kitchen maid. Her curious mind sets to work on the intrigues of newspaper mogul J. Archer Sewell and his “invalid” wife, who stays shut in her room along with an astounding art collection. Capable and curious Martha, however, learns that not all is as it seems. Capers ensue, in which the impending stock market collapse and yellow journalism play important roles, providing parallels to today.
The secret of Dreadwillow Carse
by Brian Farrey

In Emberfell, where perpetual happiness reigns, Jeniah and Aon, a commoner, feel like outsiders because they alone seem to know sorrow and fear. Bound together by the grief of parental loss, the two protagonists vow to uncover the secret behind Aon’s mother’s strange disappearance and how it relates to the foreshadowed downfall of the monarchy’s seemingly blissful 1,000-year rule. The mysterious Dreadwillow Carse, the only place in the kingdom plagued by sadness, appears to hold the answers to both. In his latest fantasy novel, Farrey (The Grimjinx Rebellion, 2015, etc.) weaves a captivating and suspenseful tale of the power of female friendship and the pain of growing up.
Wolf Hollow
by Lauren Wolk

Twelve-year-old Annabelle’s coming-of-age begins when newcomer Betty Glengarry, newly arrived from the city to stay with her grandparents “because she was incorrigible,” shakes her down for spare change in Wolf Hollow on the way to school. Betty’s crimes quickly escalate into shocking violence, but the adults won’t believe the sweet-looking blonde girl could be responsible and settle their suspicions on Toby, an unkempt World War I veteran who stalks the hills carrying not one, but three guns. Annabelle’s strategies for managing a situation she can’t fully understand are thoroughly, believably childlike, as is her single-minded faith in Betty’s guilt and Toby’s innocence. But her childlike faith implicates her in a dark and dangerous mystery that propels her into the adult world of moral gray spaces.
Thrillers
I Am Princess X
by Cherie Priest

Thriller. Princess X, the sword-swinging, sneaker-clad comic book superheroine created by fifth-grade friends May and Libby, died on the day that Libby was killed in a car crash. So why is May, now 16, suddenly seeing stickers and graffiti featuring Princess X? It all leads back to a recent underground webcomic about the princess – a webcomic full of cryptic details which indicate that Libby might be alive, in danger, and purposefully leaving clues for May to find. Alternating between Princess X's illustrated exploits and May's investigation (both on the internet and in real-life Seattle), this techno-thriller is short, smart, and satisfying. 
The One Safe Place
by Tania Unsworth

Dystopian Thriller. In a bleak, dusty future ravaged by climate change, Devin is lucky to grow up on one of the world's few remaining farms. But after his grandfather's death, Devin is unable to survive on his own. He winds up in the Gabriel H. Penn Home for Childhood, a luxurious orphanage where everything seems perfect...too perfect. Richly descriptive writing and steady pacing ramp up the tension as Devin uncovers the home's chilling secrets. This dark, gripping read is a solid choice for dystopian fiction fans and mystery readers alike. Older readers looking for a more horrific twist on a similar tale should try Clive Barker's The Thief of Always.
Library Events 
Matisse-Inspired Cut Paper Collage
June-July at multiple libraries, Event Time
 
Embrace your inner artist with this hands-on art class for kids. The Oklahoma City Museum of Art will help you create collage and paper designs that tie into the Henri Matisse exhibit at the museum this summer.This event is held at multiple libraries.
Contact your librarian for more great books!