Walls Within Walls

By Maureen Sherry

349 pages

After their father strikes it rich, the Smithfork kids discover that they don't like their new life: their Fifth Avenue apartment, their nanny, their lack of friends and their new schools.  Everything changes when they discover that their apartment, once owned by a multimillionaire, was designed to be a giant puzzle concealing the family fortune.   The treasure hunt takes them all over New York City, exploring history, poetry, landmarks and architecture along the way.  Grade 5.

Home of the Brave

Katherine Applegate

267 pages

Written by the same author as "The One and Only Ivan," and written in the same understated way, this is a story about Kek, a boy refugee from Africa, who has lost his immediate family and has immigrated to America.  He still holds out hope for the survival of his mother, while trying to cope with the enormous culture shock inherent in the experience of cold weather, the plentifulness of food, and learning a new language.  Grade 5.

Out of My Mind

Sharon M. Draper

295 pages

Melody, an 11 year old girl with Cerebral Palsy, can't talk but is brilliant. She doesn't fit in and gets frustrated because she is more intelligent than anyone her age. With the help of neighbor, Mrs. V., and her aide, Catherine, she finds a computer that allows her to finally speak her mind.  Grade 5.

Okay for Now

By Gary D. Schmidt

368 pages

As a fourteen-year-old who just moved to a new town, with no friends and a host of family challenges, Doug Swieteck has everything stacked against him.   He finds unlikely allies in a neighbourhood girl and in the town librarian who help him find the strength to endure an abusive father, the suspicions of a whole town, and the return of his oldest brother from Vietnam.  Grade 6.

Island of Doom

By Arthur Slade

263 pages

In this conclusion to the four volume series, Modo is forced to trace his own tragic personal history.  The Clockwork Guild schemes to capture the parents who abandoned him and harvest their genes to create a supercreature which, like Modo, can rejuvenate itself.  All the star characters - Octavia Milkweed, Collette Brunet, Tharpa and Mr. Socrates must work together to bring down the Guild Master, with Modo's identity struggle at the centre. Grade 6.

Liar & Spy

By Rebecca Stead

180 pages

 

When seventh-grader Georges' dad loses his job, he and his parents move to a more affordable Brooklyn apartment building.  At home, Georges spends lots of time alone- his father is trying to start his own business, and his mother is always working extra hours at the hospital.  At school, he has become the new target of Dallas the class bully.  He is grateful to meet Safer, the strange boy who is a self-appointed spy for the apartment building. However, spying with Safer draws him into activities that feel wrong, and Georges must choose between what he feels is right, and his only friend. Grade 6.

Wonder

By R.J. Palacio

315 pages

August Pullman was born with a facial deformity which prevented him from attending regular school, until now.Grade 5 at Beecher Prep promises to be difficult in many ways - but first and foremost because people view him as shocking, different, even frightening.The story is narrated by August and several of his peers; the various perspectives combine to tell a story both challenging and enlarging. Grade 5.

Summer of the Gypsy Moths

By Sara Pennypacker

275 pages

 

A surprising opening event sets this story on a suspenseful and worrisome path.Stella and Angel are two sixth grade girls, fostered by Stella's great aunt Louise, who have nothing else incommon except their knowledge of a terrible secret.It is this that forces them to find inner resources, make difficult choices and eventually forges a connection between them.  Grade 6.

A Nest for Celeste

By Henry Cole

342 pages

 

Told from the perspective of a mouse named Celeste, this beautifully illustrated novel describes the artistic work and study of John James Audubon (1785-1851) who spent most of his life travelling across eastern North America sketching plants and animals. The array of pencil drawings (often 2-page spreads) bring the story to life and make its 342 pages fly by. Grade 3.

 

Wildwood

By Colin Meloy, illustrated by Carson Ellis

541 pages
 

Prue McKeel lives an ordinary life - until the day her baby brother is snatched and carried off by a murder of crows into Wildwood, an "Impassable Wilderness."  Prue and her friend Curtis know they have to rescue him, but they are not prepared for the world they find there.  A fantastical quest journey full of animals; illustrations by Carson Ellis (The Mysterious Benedict Society).  Grade 5.

Inside Out and Back Again

By Thanhha Lai

262 pages

The year is 1975.When war threatens, Hà, her mother, and her three older brothers are forced to flee Vietnam.The refugees travel by overcrowded boat to an uncertain future, leaving behind family, school, friends, home and all that is familiar.This award-winning story, written in free verse, poignantly describes how Hà finds herself again in a brand new place where everything feels alien, where a unfamiliar language is spoken, and where she is regarded as different and strange.  Grade 5.

Homer

By Elisha Cooper

See a perfect summer's day from the perspective of a happy dog.  A simple, beautifully illlustrated story of contentment.  Grade 1.

Boy vs. Beast: Aquatan

by Mac Park

75 pages

The perfect bridge between early readers and chapter books for boys!  The story is basic: Kai is a border guard; with his robot dog BC3 and many other techie gadgets, he protects Earth from threatening beasts in surrounding territories.  With big fonts, sound effects, diagrams, a comic strip section, lots of battles and just 75 pages, this provides chapter-book satisfaction, without discouragement.  First in the series.  Grade 2.

How Many Jelly Beans? 

A Giant Book of Giant Numbers!

By Andrea Menotti, illustrated by Yancey Labat

Can you ever have too many jelly beans? Emma and Aiden are about to find out!  A surprising and colourful picture book which playfully teaches number sense up to…a very high number!  Read and see.  Grade 1.

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom

Christopher Healy, illustrated by Todd Harris

438 pages

What happens when the four princes of Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White and Rapunzel get tired of being unknown "Prince Charmings" and unite their forces to claim their own heroic status? The bards will need to rewrite their songs when Princes Liam, Gustav, Frederik and Duncan battle trolls, witches, bandits and dragons to save their kingdom. This fun caper turns the well-known fairy tales on their heads.
Grade 5.

The Whispering House

by Rebecca Wade

272 pages

A great summer thriller!  Due to renovations, fourteen-year-old Hannah Price and her parents are forced to move into Cowleigh Lodge.  It has a history of short-term tenants and it is soon clear why:  the house is old, dilapidated and full of secrets.  The creepy discoveries Hannah makes, the dreams she has, and eerie incidents in the house all point to the unresolved death of an 11-year-old girl, 140 years before.  Will Hannah be able to understand the whisperings of the house and bring peace to it at last?  Grade 4.

It is summer! 
What could be better than a shady seat, a cool drink and a great book in hand? 
Keep your kids reading all summer long.  Check back often for fresh book suggestions for your kids, and never be without a wonderful story.