Making a sacrifice for her country

I've really got to get over my hesitance to read historical fiction; Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith is another great one! Ida Mae Jones lives on a farm in the South at the start of World War II. Her late father taught her to fly so she could help with dusting the crops, and when she hears of a new group called the WASP - Women Airforce Service Pilots - she's convinced this is the best way for her to help the war effort. Unfortunately, a black person isn't allowed to be a WASP, and she uses her light skin tone to "pass" as a white girl. Ida Mae goes through the danger and excitement of basic training, but she has to sacrifice her true identity to maintain the silver wings she worked so hard to earn. She is stymied when she gets the opportunity to work for a white man she has fallen in love with: "I can fly and be with Walt or be with my family and never fly again. It's not fair." Readers will cheer for Ida Mae and wonder what she does after the book ends.

Not your typical ghostly adventure

Enjoy graphic novels? Even if you're new to the format, I'd recommend Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel - it's getting great reviews! Frank Gallows works for the Supernatural Immigration Task Force, and it's his job to round up stray ghosts and zap them back to the afterlife. But he messes up, and Garth Hale, a boy with an incurable disease, gets sent, too. After Garth is befriended by a skelton horse (nicknamed "Skinny") and meets Cecil (his grandpa's ghost), they all set out to save Ghostopolis from its evil ruler. At the same time, Frank and his ex-girlfriend, who's now a ghost, blast into the afterlife to try to save Garth. Lots of craziness, adventure, and humor make it fun; the characters' growth make it worthwhile. Take the time to savor the illustrations...the details make them awesome.

Do you believe in fairy tales?

For a new twist on some classic fairy tales, you may well enjoy The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman. Elizabeth just got a part-time job as a page at the New York Circulating Material Repository. Instead of loaning out books, they loan historical objects, such as chocolate sets, wigs, and globes. But best of all is the Grimm Collection - magical items from various Grimm fairy tales, from winged sandals to Snow White's mirror. When Elizabeth learns that some of the items have disappeared, she and her fellow pages set out on a dangerous quest to find the thief. The writing is clever and charming, and includes bits of adventure, mystique, and a even a touch of romance. Perfect summer read!

Adventure - and prejudice - on the high seas

For a fascinating look at life on a whaling boat and overcoming prejudice, I highly recommend Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus. This exciting adventure is based on the life of Manjiro Nakahama, the first Japanese person known to come to the U.S. In the mid-1800s, Manjiro was only 14 when he and four other fishermen were caught in a storm and stranded on a desert island. They were rescued, but much to their dismay, their saviors were Americans - well known to be "barbarians." While his countrymen keep their distance, Manjiro is curious about the whaling ship and its odd collection of people with so many different colors of skin, hair, and eyes. Although happy that the captain befriends him and eventually takes him to America, Manjiro still longs to be out on the water and back in Japan. Will he ever get there? Illustrated with actual drawings by the real Manjiro, this is a page-turner that also provides an interesting look at early racism between the U.S. and Japan.

Overcoming the odds

Imagine your favorite thing to do. What if you had an accident, and you probably couldn't to that favorite thing any more? How hard would you work at it? For an inspiring story, read One-Handed Catch by M. J. Auch. Norm is in sixth grade and he just lost his hand in a freak accident at his father's butcher shop. How is he ever going to figure out how to do the simple things in life, like tie his shoes, let alone get back to playing baseball? Pushed by his no-nonsense mom, inspired by real-life major league (and one-armed) player Pete Gray, and helped by his friend Leon, Norm does an amazing job of adapting to his new situation. Based on a real-life incident in the life of the author's husband, this is about a clever kid who perseveres and even shows some humor after life throws him a screwball.

A quick alternative to Twilight

I can't remember who recommended Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber, but I'm glad she did! Raven is 16 and quite the outcast - black lipstick, black nails, combat boots, and only one friend. She'd actually like to be a vampire when she grows up, and that isn't likely to happen in her boring town of "Dullsville." But when the local haunted mansion gets a new family, complete with the creepy butler and pale, hunky Alexander Sterling, things start looking up. The story involves both the Goth life and typical situations at school, and throughout it all, the reader wonders along with Raven...is Alexander really the vampire that will make Raven's dream come true? A more light-hearted alternative to Twilight, fans of this book will apprecate the rest in the Vampire Kisses series, too.

Superheroes - and Daniel - to the rescue!

Powerless by Matthew Cody is a pretty cool blend of genres - a mystery with a supernatural twist.  Daniel is twelve, and his family has just moved to Noble's Green. He soon meets his neighbor Mollie and finds out that she, as well as her friends, all have a variety of superpowers. But for some unknown reason, when each of them turns 13, he or she not only looses the power, but also the memory of ever even having it. Mollie is convinced that Daniel, a regular kid who likes being a detective, can save the rest of them. So how do some old comic books, a meteor strike, an orphanage fire from long ago, and a nearby quarry fit into the puzzle? And who - or what - is The Shroud? Well, dear readers, you're going to have to read this book to discover who the villian really is and whether or not Daniel can save the day!

This is for you, puzzle lovers

If you like to solve puzzles, you might want to check out The Seventh Level by Jody Feldman. The main character is Travis Raines, a likeable seventh grader. He would love to get into the Legend, a secret group at his middle school that plans pretty cool events. When he finds a shiny blue envelope with a strange message in this locker, he can't believe it...does the Legend actually want him? Soon he's solving clues and figuring out puzzle after puzzle, but some of the tasks he's assigned don't really make sense...they have a not-nice undertone to them and they're coming in a different kind of blue envelope. Doesn't sound like the Legend, but who could they be coming from? The pacing is uneven (starts off SLOW) and the plot's a little confusing at times, but this is still a fairly entertaining story, especially if you enjoy solving along with Travis.

How important is your individuality?

Lots to think about when you read Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. The new kid at school goes by the name Stargirl, and she's something else - wears odd clothes, sings "Happy Birthday" while strumming her ukulele, and doesn't really seem to care about others' opinions. After not knowing what to think of her, the students gradually accept her eccentricities and think she's okay. But when she does the unforgiveable - showing compassion to an injured player from an opposing school's basketball team - she is totally shunned. When her friend Leo tries to explain "normal" behavior, she shows up at school with a total make-over: new clothes, look, attitude, and eerily like everyone else. Will the students stop the shunning? Can she keep her true personality buried? And what's more important to Leo, the friendship of Stargirl or the friendship of the others? This excellent story would be great for a book club discussion.

Who knew librarians could be so rotten?

There's no way I could resist a title like Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson! Alcatraz Smedley just turned 13, and for his birthday he received an apparently unremarkable...bag of sand? But the action gets fast and furious when his grandfather shows up and tells him the present was the Sands of Rashid, which the evil Librarians quickly steal to smelt into new lenses of power. Alcatraz learns that all Smedleys have special Talents - how can you not like a kid who's good at breaking things (and his grandfather, who's always late)? - and these talents are put to good use when they infiltrate the library (oh, no!) to track down the bad guys. The story is chaotic and fun; Alcatraz tells it with loads of snarky humor. And if you like it, you're in luck - there are currently three more in the series.