A Dog's Life

Subtitled "The autobiography of a stray", this is for all you dog/animal lovers out there. Ann M. Martin tells the story of the hard-scrabble life of a stray dog. The main character, Squirrel, describes it best: "I've known dogs who dined on fine foods and led pampered lives, sleeping on soft beds and being served hamburger and chicken and even steak. I've known of dogs who looked longingly at warm homes, who were not invited inside, who stayed in a garage or a shed or under a wheelbarrow for a few days, then moved on. I've known of dogs who were treated cruelly by human hands and dogs who were treated with the gentlest touch, dogs who starved and dogs who grew fat from too many treats. I've known all these dogs, and I've been all these dogs." This is her story.

Lunch Money

Andrew Clements, author of Frindle and many other books, brings us another great school story. Greg Kenton isn't necessarily greedy; he just loves money. Plus, he's good with money, not just earning it and spending it, but making it grow. Now that he's in sixth grade, he's turning his attention to the extra quarter or two most kids have jingling around in their pockets. He's decided that tiny comic books that he's designed himself are the way to get kids to spend those quarters. The problem is, once his comics are a hit, he gets some competition from his neighborhood rival, Maura Shaw. And he's got the attention of the principal who's not sure she likes the idea of comic books sold in school. Can Greg keep himself out of trouble and still turn a profit?

Whales on Stilts

Looking for a wacky science fiction book? Then this is the book for you! Lily Gefelty seems to live a normal life. However, it starts to become increasingly obvious to Lily that something sinister is brewing at the abandoned warehouse where her father works for a company that makes stilts for whales. That's right, stilts for whales. Luckily, Lily has two best friends who just happen to be rather exceptional, Katie Mulligan and Jasper Dash. Katie lives in a suburban development that happens to be haunted and she has a wildly successful series of books based on her adventures with things like zombies, werewolves and such. Jasper leads his own exciting life as Jasper Dash, Boy Technonaut. Jasper enjoys inventing things and has had a series of books written about his escapades. Together the three friends will team up to combat the leader of the whales, Larry, and his evil plan to take over the world, on stilts. [M.T. Anderson]

MVP*

*Magellan Voyage Project
If you are a fan of tv's Amazing Race, or ever dreamt of traveling around the world, then this is the book for you! Adam Story is an average twelve-year-old. One day after school an oddly dressed man approached him with an amazing story. He is a prince without a kingdom and he belongs to a organization called LORD, the League of Royalty without Domains, made up of many such individuals. He and his people have searched the world for an exception twelve-year-old that would be the ideal candidate for his project, MVP. Adam Story is that kid. The prince's challenge, should Adam choose to accept it, is to be the youngest human to travel around the world, without an adult, using only surface transportation, and to do it in forty days or less. Will Adam take the challenge? Would you?
[Douglas Evans]