FANTASY / SCI FI:

The Ruins of Gorlan (The Ranger's Apprentice, Book 1) John Flanagan
Will hopes to become a knight; instead, he winds up as a Ranger's apprentice, joining the secretive corps that uses stealth, woodcraft, and courage to protect the kingdom. His aptitude and bravery gradually earn the respect of his gruff but good-hearted master.

The Lightning Thief,(Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 1) Rick Riordan
At first glance, Perseus Jackson seems like a loser, but he's really the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman.

The Alchemist, Michael Scott
Sophie and Josh Newman take summer jobs in San Francisco across the street from one another: she at a coffee shop, he at a bookstore owned by Nick and Perry Fleming.

House of Scorpion, Nancy Farmer
Story of the empire of Matteo Alacran, a feudal drug lord in the country of Opium, which lies between the United States and Aztlan.

Merchant of Death. (1st of Pendragon series) D.J. MacHale
Bobby Pendragon is a seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy. He has a family, a home, and even Marley, his beloved dog. But there is something very special about Bobby. He is going to save the world.

True Meaning of Smekday, Adam Rex
Written on at least two different levels, this book has an Improbable plot sound -- young preteen joins with Artoo-shaped alien to save the planet -- it's a wild ride and one you care about.

Simon Bloom: The Gravity Keeper, Reisman, Michael
Simon Bloom can’t believe his luck when he finds a book that enables him to control the laws of physics. When two thugs with evil intentions come after Simon, he must use the formulas to save himself and the book from falling into their hands.

ACTION:

The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride book 1), James Patterson
Maximum Ride is the leader of a band of kids who have escaped the lab where they were bred as 98% human and 2% bird (wings being a key component) and developed a variety of other-worldly talents.

Fall of Reach: The Halo Xbox series, Eric Nylund
As the bloody Human-Covenant War rages on Halo, the fate of humankind may rest with one warrior, the lone SPARTAN survivor of another legendary battle . . . the desperate, take-no-prisoners struggle that led humanity to Halo--the fall of the planet Reach.

H.I.V.E. , Mark Walden
H.I.V.E. is operated on a volcanic island in a distant ocean by G.L.O.V.E., a shadowy organization of worldwide wickedness. Otto Malpense soon discovers that here the slickest of young tricksters, thieves, and hackers have been brought against their will to be trained as the next generation of super villains. He’s determined NOT to be one of them.

GIRL WORLD:

This Lullaby, Sarah Dessen
Remy doesn't believe in love. And why should she? Her romance novelist mother is working on her fifth marriage, and her father, a '70s hippie singer, left her with only a one-hit wonder song to remember him by.

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging, Louise Rennison
Georgia Nicolson has a precocious 3-year-old sister who tends to leave wet nappies at the foot of her bed, an insane cat who is prone to leg-shredding "Call of the Wild" episodes, and parents who make her want to escape to Stonehenge and dance with the Druids

Dairy Queen, Catherine Murdock
D.J. Schwenk, while not really happy, never complains or questions her life on the family's small dairy farm in Wisconsin. After her father injures himself, the 15-year-old girl must do the farm work almost single-handedly, including milking the cows.

Leap of Faith, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Abigail has been kicked out of sixth grade for attacking the principal's son with a knife. That leaves her with only a few schooling options, and her parents pick Catholic school.

Hattie Big Sky, Kirby Larsen
Orphaned at age 16, Hattie longs for a place where folks will welcome her and become her family. When an uncle leaves her a claim of 320 acres in Montana, she hastens to make a home of her own, unprepared for life on the prairie in the brutal winter of 1918.

Twilight, (Book 1) Stephenie Meyer
Bella adores beautiful Edward, and he returns her love. But Edward is having a hard time controlling the blood lust she arouses in him, because--he's a vampire

REALITY BITES:

American Born Chinese, Gene Yang (graphic novel)
As alienated kids go, Jin Wang is fairly run-of-the-mill: he eats lunch by himself in a corner of the schoolyard, gets picked on by bullies and jocks and develops a sweat-inducing crush on a pretty classmate. And, oh, yes, his parents are from Taiwan.

Lawn Boy, Gary Paulsen
This short and hilarious tale pitches an ordinary preteen with an old riding lawn mower into a dizzying ascent up the financial ladder.

Runaway, Wendelin Van Draanen
An urban, female version of Gary Paulsens Hatchet, this novel chronicles the daily struggle for food, shelter, safety, and cleanliness that becomes the focus of life once a home and income are stripped away.

Sleeping Freshman never lie, David Lubar
Scott Hudson begins his freshman year of high school as a source of income to Wesley, the school shakedown artist. He gets roped into writing the sports column for the school newspaper, even though he's not an athlete. On top of everything else, his mom is pregnant.

MYSTERY:

Down the Rabbit Hole (Book 1), Peter Abrams
An avid reader of Sherlock Holmes, Ingrid Levin-Hill, 13, is also a fleet-footed soccer player with a knack for stage acting–skills that come in handy when she finds herself caught in a police investigation following the murder of an eccentric woman.

Mediator Series: Shadowland (Book 1) , Meg Cabot
Suze is a mediator - a liaison between the living and the dead. In other words, she sees dead people. They won't leave her alone until she helps them resolve their unfinished business with the living. But Jesse, the hot ghost haunting her bedroom, doesn't seem to need her help.

Mister Monday, (The Keys of the Kingdom, Book 1), Garth Nix
In a fantastic realm discovered by an otherwise unadventurous boy, the clock and calendar take on new identities. The young hero encounters an astonishing definition of reality--including ethereal moving staircases, disposable wings, and words that literally come to life--as he struggles to return to the mortal world. .

Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick
Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity.

SPORTS

Eighth Grade Benchwarmer, Thatcher Heldring
Toby Wheeler is a self-professed gym rat-he plays basketball down at the rec center but has never played for his school. However, when he meets the new coach, Toby decides to try for the team.

Coverup, John Feinstein
Two teens are sitting on the biggest sports scandal of the decade. What they don't know -yet - is how to prove it.

Crackback, John Coy
Miles is a likable and talented player who tries to please everyone: coaches, his father, his teachers, and the girl he is interested in.

Miracle on 49th St, Mike Lupica
Josh Cameron is MVP of the championship Boston Celtics and a media darling with a spotless reputation. He has it all . . . including a daughter he never knew. When twelve-year-old Molly Parker arrives in his life, claiming to be his daughter, she catches him off guard.