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.