Books for 7th and 8th Graders, Summer 2006 J/F/ABRAHAMS Abrahams, PeterDown the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery When Cracked-Up Katie is murdered, Ingrid must get back the red shoes she left at Katie’s house and find the killer before she’s accused of murder herself! 375 p. J/F/ALPHIN Alphin, Elaine MarieThe Perfect Shot When Brian’s girlfriend, her mother and brother are murdered next door while he is shooting hoops, the perfect shot begins to mean more than just making a basket. 359 p. J/F/CANALES Canales, ViolaThe Tequila Worm Sofia wins a scholarship to an elite boarding school and has to rely on the strength of her family and the traditions of her close-knit barrio to help her adjust to a new world of wealth and privilege. 199 p. J/F/DELANEY Delaney, JosephRevenge of the Witch As the new apprentice to the county’s ghost hunter, Tom kills the most evil and blood-thirsty of witches. Unfortunately, death won’t stop her from seeking revenge. 344 p. J/F/DOWELL Dowell, Frances O’RoarkChicken Boy Tobin’s life is not great. He has no friends and his family’s pretty much crazy. However, when the weird new kid invites him to help prove that chickens have souls, things start looking up. 201 p. J/F/EVANGELISTA Evangelista, BethGifted George has always been an easy target for bullies, but now that his dad’s the school principal they have had to watch their steps. However, the upcoming class camping trip may be just the chance the bullies need to get George. 180 p. J/F/HEARN Hearn, JulieThe Minister’s Daughter Nell has never had much to do with the prim minister’s daughter Grace, until Grace accuses Nell of using witchcraft on her. 263p. J/F/HIAASEN Hiaasen, CarlFlush Noah’s dad is arrested for sinking a gambling boat, and it’s up to Noah to prove that the boat’s slimy owner has been illegally flushing its toilets into the protected waters of the Florida Keys. 263 p. J/F/HILL Hill, StuartThe Cry of the Icemark When the king’s young daughter Thirrin becomes queen, she must make unlikely alliances with werewolves, vampires, and giant snow leopards to defend her homeland. 472 p. J/F/JOHNSON Johnson, Maureen13 Little Blue Envelopes When Ginny opens envelope #1 from her aunt, she finds $1000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket to —but that’s just the start. As she opens each of the other 12 notes, they send her on a journey across Europe that will change her life forever. 317 p. J/F/KIDD Kidd, RonaldMonkey Town: The Summer of the Scopes Trial After her father has John Scopes arrested for teaching evolution, Frances’ small Tennessee town is overrun by reporters, voyeurs and lawyers, and she finds herself questioning truths she’s never doubted before. 259 p. J/F/LARBALESTIER Larbalestier, JustineMagic or Madness When her mother goes insane, Reason moves in with her strange grandmother. She was taught that magic is not real, but a door that opens into a city on the other side of the world proves otherwise. 271 p. J/F/LENHARD Lenhard, ElizabethChicks with Sticks: It’s a Purl Thing Four girls from very different sides of the school social scene become a circle of friends when they all pick up sticks and learn to knit. 261 p. J/F/LUBAR Lubar, DavidSleeping Freshmen Never Lie Scott begins his freshman year in high school by discovering that a girl he has known his entire life has suddenly become unattainably beautiful, his friends may no longer be his friends, and his mother is pregnant! 279 p. J/F/MAYNARD Maynard, JoyceThe Cloud Chamber Arriving home from school, Nate finds that his father’s been shot. Although the official word is attempted suicide, the police are questioning Nate’s mother and everyone wants to find the missing gun. 274 p. J/F/MYERS Myers, AnnaAssassin Bella’s a simple White House seamstress who loves the theater, but when she befriends the charismatic actor J. Wilkes Booth, she is swept up in a mad plot that will end on a dark night at Ford’s Theater and change history forever. 212 p. J/F/PERKINS Perkins, Lynne RaeCriss Cross What makes you who you are? If you were somewhere else, would you be different? As the paths of kids in sleepy Seldem criss-cross with those of both strangers and friends they’ve known forever, they learn that their lives can change just…like…that. 337 p. J/F/RIORDAN Riordan, RickThe Lightning Thief Percy’s having a hard time. He’s been kicked out of six schools in six years, and now he finds out that he’s really the son of the Greek god Poseidon. After he accidentally vaporizes his algebra teacher, he’s sent to Camp Half-Blood to learn how to use his powers. 377 p. J/F/ROBERTS Roberts, Laura PeytonThe Queen of Second Place When it’s clear that Cassie and the school’s popularity queen are both interested in the same boy, Cassie is determined not to come in second this time. 324 p. J/F/SALISBURY Salisbury, GrahamThe Eyes of the Emperor Eddy Okubo and his Japanese-American friends join the U.S. Army in 1941 to defend America. But when Pearl Harbor is attacked, their loyalty is questioned and challenged by the shocking secret mission to which they are assigned. 228 p. J/F/SHINN Shinn, SharonThe Truth-Teller’s Tale Eleda can only tell the truth, while her twin, Adele, must keep any secret she is told. When the sisters’ best friend is going to be married off to the prince, the twins look for a way that will let her follow her heart instead. 276 p. J/F/WESTERFELD Westerfeld, ScottUglies Tally lives in a future where all people undergo surgery to turn them pretty on their 16th birthday and she can’t wait. But when a friend joins a group of fugitives outside the city, Tally must choose whether to betray her friend or stay ugly forever. 425 p. J/F/WILSON Wilson, DianeBlack Storm Comin’ Colton sees a sign seeking riders for the most dangerous route on the Pony Express, and knows the job is meant for him. This could be his one chance to get to California. 295 p. J/F/Whelan Whelan, GloriaListening for Lions Rachel’s missionary parents die in Africa and she is sent to far-off England where she is forced to impersonate the granddaughter of a rich, dying man. 194 p. Prepared by Amanda Blau, Meghan Goldenstein and Collee Morrison, May 2006