Author Website
Lexile 680
Series: The Selection, The Elite, The One
"The first book in this dystopian series follows America Singer, a teenage girl who is chosen to participate in a contest to pick the future queen and bride of the handsome Prince Maxon. There is a rigid caste system in her society, so if chosen, America, who is in Caste 5, would become a One. Despite the glamour, wealth, and power that such a position offers, America isn't happy about being chosen as a finalist. She hides a forbidden love for a boy named Aspen in Caste 6, the same person who urged her to enter the contest. Most of the 35 girls in the competition are thrilled to have the opportunity to escape life in a lower caste and live in the palace where they get to wear gorgeous gowns and priceless jewels as they compete for the heart of Prince Maxon. Just as America finds herself drawn to the prince and willing to become his bride, Aspen shows up as a new guard at the palace, which is under constant attack by rebels. As she continues to participate in the contest, America finds herself drawn to both boys. Sequel: The Elite (Next book in the series The One is due May 2014) (Book Talk Author: Sharon Nehls, Colorado Blue Spruce Award, 2015)" Author Website Lexile 680 Series: The Selection, The Elite, The One
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Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.
America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide. Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending. Author Website "Juliette has escaped from The Reestablishment. Now she's free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch. Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible. Haunted by her past and terrified of her future, Juliette knows that whe will have to make some life-changing choices. Choices that may involve choosing between her heart and Adam's life."
Author's Website Ty's older brother, Thane is a college football star headed for the NFL. Ty wants to follow in his brother's footsteps and is ecstatic when he his recruited to play football for his middle school team. But Ty's uncle has other plans for Ty. Claiming Ty has no time for football, his uncle uses Ty to work for his cleaning service. Ty's uncle gets involved in a dangerous gambling ring with the mob and uses Ty to gain insider information. Both Ty's life and his brother's football career is on the line. Author's Website: Tim Green Lexile 840 Elisa has gone through a major transformation since she became a hero and led her people to victory. She's no longer the timid, pudgy girl, unsure of herself and the decisions she must make for her country. Her destiny as The Chosen One has yet to fulfilled. While under constant threat of assassination, Elisa must journey to follow a trail of ancient forbidden and forgotten clues in order to complete her destiny and conquer the power she bears.
Author Website Lexile: 730 Series: Girl of Fire and Thorns (Book 1), Bitter Kingdom (Book 3) "Elisa is the chosen one. But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will. Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess. And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake. Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young. Most of the chosen do." -From the Book Lexile: 730 Author Website Series: Crown of Embers, The Bitter Kingdom In 1914, the world's biggest countries (and some of its smallest, too) were gearing up for a massive fight. Land, history, geography-each country came to war for different reasons and with different resources. But most ended up the same: sending their young men to fight for their lives in the mud, on the sea, and in the air, in a conflict that would eventually claim more than 9 million lives. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales are graphic novels that tell the thrilling, shocking, gruesome, and TRUE stories of American history. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales Website I'll never forget the day I found Skellig. I thought he was dead. He was small, covered in dust and webs, lying in a dark corner in my family's deserted garage. I shined the flashlight on his pale face and black suit. His voice squeaked, like he hadn't spoken in years: "What do you want?" "What are you?" I whispered. Somehow I sensed this mystical creature was more than he seemed. He turned his face away. I left quickly, wondering what I should do. Should I tell my parents that a withered old man was in our garage? It was a bad time for them. My baby sister was deathly ill. I did tell my new friend, Mina. She helped me move Skellig to safety. One magical day Mina removed Skellig's black jacket. Beneath the jacket were wings. The wings began to unfurl from his shoulder blades. "Ooh, you're beautiful," Mina whispered. She repeated my question: "Skellig, what are you?" -From Keep Talking That Book!, by Carol Littlejohn. Lexile: 490 Movie Trailer "Josh is hitchhiking his way from Massachusetts to Dallas and a new life he didn't ask for and doesn't want, when he is beaten, robbed, and abandoned beside a remote mountain road. He awakes in a strange, primitive village called Canara, seemingly hidden from the modern world, with no cars or telephones or electricity.
But are the people of Canara Josh's rescuers or his jailers? As he slowly heals from his injuries and the tragedy he has been running away from, Josh begins to realize that Canara is far stranger than just an isolated community passed over by time. How can hills and trees shift in place, and even buildings appear and then vanish? Why can't he escape from Canara? And does he really want to?" The way to Sang Hollow is not the same way out. No one gets in or leaves the same way. Sang Hollow's aura is misty gray, sealed forever in fog." After a stranger robbed him and left him on a deserted road, Josh found himself in Sang Hollow. There he began digging along with the Melungeons for the plant ginseng (called "sang") in the Appalachian area. If he wasn't thinking about escaping, he was thinking about his mother's sudden death. Once Josh tried to escape, but the path led him back to Sang Hollow. His feet just seemed to return the the starting point. When he asked Mavis questions about Sang Hollow, she only talked in riddles. Maybe she, too, was a part of this witches' spell, this sang spell. Would he ever be able to escape the Sang Spell? -Keep Talking That Book! by Carol Littlejohn Lexile: 880 Melungeons What is a Melungeon? Melungeon Mystery Solved? Google Images Old Gregory's time as the county Spook is coming to an end. Who will take his place? Twenty-nine apprentices tried and failed. Tom, the seventh son of a seventh son, is chosen to be the Spook's next apprentice. Tom begins his training to keep the living safe from ghosts, ghasts, boggarts and witches. But Mother Malkin, an evil witch, escapes her prison while the Spook is away. Can Tom succeed where other apprentices failed and fight the evil witch? The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch Book Trailer Author Website Lexile 790 Juliette has been locked up for 264 days. She lives amongst 4 walls, 1 window, and 144 square feet of space. This becomes her life. Solitude, loneliness, and her notebook. She does not know why she is locked up and has no idea who took her. All she knows is that her touch is deadly. Lethal, in fact. Her own parents gave her up and the community she grew up in wants nothing to do with her. She has killed before, on accident, but that does not matter. What matters is she is dangerous, a weapon, and a monster. The world outside of Juliette’s cell is polluted. There are no birds, no animals. Livestock and other sources of food have been poisoned and the world’s population is starving to death. The weather no longer has seasons and oxygen is low – almost running out. The Reestablishment has promised a better future for citizens. According to this regime, the weak must be destroyed and only the strong deserve life. That is, until one day another cellmate arrives. After going 264 days without speaking, Juliette is frightened. His name is Adam and neither will admit why they are locked up. Juliette feels an immediate draw to Adam but cannot touch him for fear he will die if she does. Shortly after their stay, the doors open and both are taken away. Juliette does not admit that she remembers Adam from her childhood. Adam does not admit that he was put in Juliette’s cell for a reason. The Reestablishment offers Juliette a deal: help us and we will help you. In this novel, Juliette learns that her lethal touch may be a power that can be used for good. But how does she tame it? How can she use it to fight the cowardice that runs the Reestablishment? Shatter Me is an origin story at its finest; showing the making of a heroine from an unlikely place. (Book Talk Author: Jaime Rogers, Colorado Blue Spruce Award, 2015) Author Website Lexile 650 Welcome to the Weenie Zone! Wipeout of the Wireless Weenies is the seventh collection of scary short stories for middle grade readers by acclaimed author David Lubar.
A boy and his family narrowly escape a zombie apocalypse—or do they? A girl neglects her cat’s litter box and finds herself in a heap of trouble. And a group of clicking, scrolling, tapping wireless weenies find themselves on the edge of disaster. Here are thirty-three hilarious and harrowing stories that will scare you, make you laugh, or see the world in a whole new way. Find out where the author got the idea for each story at the end of the book. Don’t be a weenie. Read these stories. If you dare! Author Website 12-year-old Charlie is a fantasy football guru. He may be just a bench warmer for his school's football team, but when it comes to knowing and loving the game, he's first-string. He even becomes a celebrity when his podcast gets noticed by a sports radio host, who plays Charlie's fantasy picks for all of Los Angeles to hear. Soon Charlie befriends the elderly owner of the L.A. Bulldogs — a fictional NFL team — and convinces him to take a chance on an aging quarterback. After that, watch out... it's press conferences and national fame as Charlie becomes a media curiosity and source of conflict for the Bulldogs general manager, whose job Charlie seems to have taken. It's all a bit much for a kid just trying to stay on top of his grades and maintain his friendship with his verbal sparring partner, Anna.
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