READ ALOUD FICTION

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Among the Hidden (Book 1 in the Shadow Children series) – Haddix, Margaret Peterson

Science Fiction - 164 p.

Summary: In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm, until another "third" convinces him that the government is wrong.

NOTE: A favorite. Although slow to begin, this thought-provoking, and captivating, story will certainly lead to good discussions. Part of the Shadow Children series.

Bud, Not Buddy - Curtis, Christopher Paul

Historical Fiction - 245 p.

Summary: Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father - the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids.

NOTE: Vivid story about runaways, racial tension, the Depression. Great example to demonstrate “voice”.

Chasing Vermeer – Balliett, Blue

Mystery & Fiction – 254 p.

Summary: When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.

NOTE: A fast-paced story that mixes art, problem-solving, patterns, and mystery to create a very exciting and satisfying read. Good cliffhangers. Of similar interest: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin.

City of Ember, The – DuPrau, Jeanne

Fantasy – 270 p.

Summary: In the city of Ember, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions.

NOTE: Simple, but original, and suspenseful story. Good cliffhangers. Makes for a good introduction to the likes of The Giver by Lowry. Sequel: The People of Sparks (better than its forerunner - good for discussion on ethics, environment, bravery, etc.)

Clockwork, Or, All Wound Up – Pullman, Philip

Supernatural – 112 p.

Summary: Long ago in Germany, a storyteller's story and an apprentice clockwork-maker's nightmare meet in a menacing, lifelike figure created by the strange Dr. Kalmenius.

NOTE: An excellent narrative that mixes elements of the supernatural and the gothic. Pullman is best know for his captivating, and challenging, trilogy, His Dark Materials.

Giver, the - Lowry, Lois

Science-Fiction – 180 p.

Summary: Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.

NOTE: Exciting, but challenging, plot. Good for discussions. Companion books: Gathering Blue and Messenger by the same author.

Haunted Waters - Osborne, Mary Pope

Fantasy. Based on an old German Legend. 152 p.

Summary: After meeting the mysterious sea maid Undine on a bleak promontory and making her his wife, Lord Huldbrand tries to defend her from the faceless demon that haunts her, while he probes her strange ties to the aquatic world.

NOTE: Eerie love story. Excellent example of “mood” and “atmosphere” in fiction. Not for everyone, though. Read first.

Hoot – Hiaasen, Carl

Realistic Fiction – 292 p.

Summary: Roy, who is new to his small Florida community, becomes involved in another boy's attempt to save a colony of burrowing owls from a proposed construction site.

NOTE: With an environment message, the story is quirky, humorous, a bit surrealist, and extremely engaging.

Inkheart – Funke, Cornelia

Fantasy – 534 p.

Summary: Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father Mo, a bookbinder, can "read" fictional characters to life when an evil ruler named Capricorn, freed from the novel "Inkheart" years earlier, tries to force Mo to release an immortal monster from the story.

NOTE: Wonderfully written and captivating. A bit long. Sequel: Inkspell.

Last Book in the Universe, The – Philbrick

Science-fiction - 223 p.

Summary: After an earthquake has destroyed much of the planet, an epileptic teenager nicknamed Spaz begins the heroic fight to bring human intelligence back to the Earth of a distant future.

NOTE: Another unconventional heroe from the author of Freak the Mighty.

Shipwreck (Book 1 in the Island trilogy) - Korman, Gordon

Realistic Fiction – 129 p.

Summary: Six children try to survive on a desert island in the Pacific Ocean after a storm destroys their boat.

NOTE: Part of a trilogy.

Tarot Says Beware - Byars, Betsy

Mystery & Detectives – 151 p.

Summary: Herculeah Jones and her bumbling pal, Meat, investigate the murder of a palm reader.

NOTE: Very popular with students. Also by the same author: 18th Emergency, Dark Stairs, Disappearing Acts, Dead Letter…

Weasel - DeFelice, Cynthia

Historical Fiction - 119 p.

Summary: Alone in the frontier wilderness in the winter of 1839 while his father is recovering from an injury, eleven-year-old Nathan runs afoul of the renegade killer known as Weasel and makes a surprising discovery about the concept of revenge.

NOTE: Good example of “building tension” in fiction. Deals with making moral choices.

Westing Game, The - Raskin, Ellen

Mystery & Detectives – 217 p.

Summary: The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings togehter an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance.

NOTE: Kids can participate in solving the mystery as it reads like a game/puzzle. A bit challenging if read by themselves.