2008 6-8 Master List
- Alabama Moon/By Watt Keyt
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006. $16.00
- Moon Blake, a strong ten-year-old boy, has hidden out in the Alabama wilderness with his father since birth. When his father dies, Moon is soon caught up in a world he has never been exposed to, becoming property of the government his father has taught him to mistrust. The adventure begins when Moon and his two new friends, Hal and Kit, break out of the state home and head out on a fun-filled roller coaster of laughter and tears.
- Archer’s Quest/By Linda Sue Park
- Clarion Books, 2006. $16.00
- Twelve-year-old Kevin Kim knows something is definitely strange when Chu-mong, a legendary king of Ancient Korea, shows up in his bedroom. Kevin soon finds himself on the magical adventure of his life struggling to help Chu-mong return to his own time.
- Blood on the River: Jamestown 1607/By Elisa Carbone
- Viking Press, 2006. $16.99
- Twelve-year-old Samuel Collier is placed aboard ship as the page to Captain John Smith and sent to the New World. Samuel has never trusted anyone in his young life, and he soon learns that trusting others may be the only thing that will help him survive. Realistic historical fiction recounting the 1607 founding of Jamestown – definitely not the Disney version.
- Fairest/By Gail Carson Levine
- HarperCollins, 2006. $16.99
- In a magical land where beauty and singing are valued above all else, young Aza eventually comes to realize her magical voice outweighs her so-called ordinary appearance. Trouble is on the horizon for Aza, however, when the Evil Queen discovers Aza’s magical powers and wants to steal them away.
- Green Glass Sea/By Ellen Klages
- Viking Press, 2006. $16.99
- Eleven-year-old Dewey Kerrigan is on her way to New Mexico to live with her father who is a famous mathematician. The year is 1943, the world is at war. Dewey is shocked to discover what her father and other famous scientists from around the world are working on – a secret mission called “the gadget.”
- Hard Hit/By Ann Turner
- Scholastic Press, 2006. $16.99
- Mark Warren has the perfect life – starting pitcher on his baseball team, a new girlfriend, a wonderful family. Everything falls apart, however, when Mark’s father is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Written in poetry, each page is filled with emotion.
- Hattie Big Sky/By Kirby Larson
- Delacorte Press, 2006. $15.95
- Sixteen-year-old orphan, Hattie Brooks, is alarmed to learn that an unknown uncle has left her a homesteading claim in Montana. Despite the many hardships of life on the frontier in 1917, Hattie sets out on her own to face frost, drought and blizzards. Her strong character shines as she struggles to prove a young girl can make her dreams come true.
- Life As We Knew It/By Susan Beth Pfeffer
- Harcourt, 2006. $17.00
- When Miranda first hears the warning that a meteor is headed on a collision path with the moon, like most teenagers, she doesn’t pay any attention. Her disbelief soon turns to fear as the entire world witnesses a lunar impact that knocks the moon closer in orbit, unbelievably altering the earth’s climate – not to mention the behavior of the people around her.
- The Miner’s Daughter/By Gretchen Moran Laskas
- Simon & Schuster, 2007. $15.99
- Sixteen-year-old Willa, living in Depression-era West Virginia, works hard to help her mining family. When her town becomes a community supported by Eleanor Roosevelt’s program, Willa finds an outlet for her writing and experiences love and true friendship. True-to-life historical fiction of a coal-mining town during the Great Depression.
- Mysteries of the Mummy Kids/By Kelly Milner Halls
- Darby Creek Publishers, 2007. $18.95
- This well-written non-fiction book explores mummies from around the world, focusing on mummified children; provides information about their deaths, sites where they were found, and what caused their preservation.
- Rules/By Cynthia Lord
- Scholastic Press, 2006. $15.99
- Twelve-year-old Catherine is sick of putting up with the problems her autistic brother causes for her family. When a new girl moves in next door, Catherine longs for a normal home-life where she can bring friends without outbursts and interruptions. Catherine’s entire outlook on life changes, however, when she becomes friends with a young paraplegic who is also frustrated with his life, helping Catherine see her handicapped brother in a new light.
- Runaway/By Wendelin Van Draanen
- Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. $15.95
- After running away from her fifth foster home, 12-year-old Holly travels across the country keeping a journal of her experiences and struggle to survive.
- Semiprecious/By Anne Love
- Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2006. $16.95
- When their mother runs off to pursue her dream of becoming a country-western singer, 13-year-old Garnet and her sister, Opal, find themselves dumped on an aunt they hardly know in small-town 1960’s Oklahoma. To make matters worse, the girls’ father is seriously injured on a job out of town, and isn’t physically capable of coming to get them. Days turn into months as the girls realize their lives will never be the same again.
- The Trap/By John Smelcer
- Henry Holt and Company, 2006. $15.95
- Seventeen-year-old Johnny Least-Weasel worships his Alaskan Indian grandparents, especially his grandfather, Albert Least-Weasel. When Albert doesn’t return from a hunting trip after several days, Johnny sets out on his trail, hoping to find his beloved grandfather alive. Written in alternating chapters, Johnny and Albert each tell the story of their individual struggles to survive in the Alaskan winter.
- Truth and Salsa/By Linda Lowery
- Peachtree Publishers, 2006. $14.95
- Twelve-year-old Hayley feels her life is falling apart after her parents’ separation. Things definitely get better, however, when Hayley is sent to live with her fun-loving grandmother in Mexico. Surrounded by wonderful townspeople, Hayley soon feels accepted and loved in her new surroundings. Things become strained, however, when immigration laws cause problems for men in their small township.
updated: Thursday, 03-Aug-2006 14:19:40 EDT