A dystopian thriller with a touch of romance

In the fast-paced Legend by Marie Lu the action never stops!  The story takes place in futuristic Los Angeles - there's no "United States" any more, just an ending war between the Republic and the Colonies - and it's told in alternating chapters by the two main characters, both 15 years old.  Day is the Republic's most wanted criminal; he's trying desperately to find a cure for the plague that has infected his little brother. June is brilliant and wealthy, heading for a prestigious career in the Republic's military.  When June's brother is killed, Day is the prime suspect - she's out to get him, but when their paths finally cross...a lot changes.  Besides falling for each other, they learn something really nasty that the Republic government is up to.  How can they put a stop to it, when Day is captured and his execution date is set?  Younger middle schoolers may not like the violence, but older students (and, yes, high school kids), especially fans of "The Hunger Games"-type books, won't be able to put this one down.

What would YOU do for fresh water?

Think about it, next time you take a drink, and then read A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park.  This short and excellent book alternates between two stories in Southern Sudan:  In 2008, Nya has to walk eight hours every day to gather fresh water for her family; in 1985, Salva is separated from his family when soldiers invade his village. Based on the real life of Salva Dut, the stories of survival and the importance of fresh water (especially when it's hard to get) are mesmerizing; when the stories intertwine at the end of the book, you may not be surprised, but I bet you're inspired.  This book has been used by many schools that have a "One Book" program; it would be great for students looking for a service project.

But she's black - will they let her compete?

I loved the title character in Kizzy Ann Stamps by Jeri Watts!  The year is 1963; Kizzy Ann is black, and she's nervous about starting at a new school that has just been integrated.  She's already faced hatred and bigotry, and she doesn't know what her white classmates will think of her.  Fortunately, KIzzy Ann has her beloved dog Shag.  Shag is a border collie, a type of dog that loves to work and is especially good at herding sheep.  With Shag at her side, she gets to know the others at her school a little better, but when she learns about a herding competition, she's not sure if she should go for it: what if a black girl isn't allowed to compete?  The story is told through letters to her new teacher and journal entries; although Kizzy Ann's voice sometimes sounds more like that of an adult than a child, she's a likable character and teaches us about an important part of our country's history.

"...the labyrinth was empty. Dean had disappeared."

Okay, time travel fans, The Blackhope Enigma by Teresa Flavin is a good one for you.  Dean's just goofing around as he walks through the labyrinth in Blackhope Tower, but poof!  He disappears, and his sister Sunni is shocked to see him IN a nearby painting, done centuries ago by the mystical artist Fausto Corvo.  So Sunni goes in after him, as does her classmate Blaise and (uh-oh) bad guy Angus.  Soon they're crossing through different layers of the painting, ending up in different lands, encountering some nasty creatures, meeting others "inside" the painting, and having one heck of an adventure as they desperately try to figure out how to get back home. Who can be trusted?  Parts of the story were a bit confusing, but many readers will enjoy the pace and action.

What's it like if you're homeless...and you're a kid?

I was all ready to be sad when I read Almost Home by Joan Bauer, but instead I was touched, impressed, and inspired.  Sugar Mae Cole and her mom, Reba, have lost their home and moved to Chicago to start over. But after the job Reba hopes for doesn't come through, she has a breakdown, and Sugar heads to a loving foster family.  With help from a book by her late grandfather, a puppy named Shush, and an understanding teacher from her previous school, Sugar strives to carry on.  She's a strong, likable character, and many of her feelings are expressed in emails and poems that she writes.  Even though the book is fiction, it puts a real face on the issue of homelessness in a compassionate way, and yes, there are touches of humor.  This is a mesmerizing, wonderful book - I'd love to hear a book club discuss it.

"...when you find your soul, you have to go"

And someone (something?) leaving is the trigger for the wildly creative fantasy Summer and Bird by Katherine Catmull.  Summer and Bird are sisters, and they wake up one morning to find that their parents are gone.  Trying to follow a picture-letter left behind by their mother, the girls stumble into Down, a place of magic.  They're soon separated, and as the narrator follows their individual journeys, the reader learns that Mom is actually the queen of birds and can change from woman into bird and back again by using the swan robe.  The girls encounter ravens, snakes, the evil Puppeteer, and so many other fantasy elements that your head will spin.  Imagery! Symbolism!  Metaphors!  The language is rich and the details are intricate, but the story gets so unusual (a World Snake?  a woman who eats live birds?) that I think this book is better suited to older readers.

Remarkably...odd?

Maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind when reading Remarkable by Lizzie K. Foley, but it was so absurd that I had a tough time getting through it!  Ten-year-old Jane Doe is the only ordinary person in the town of Remarkable, where everyone has some extraordinary talent.  She's also the only student not admitted to the School for the Remarkably Gifted, and when she's joined at the public school (yes, shes's been the only kid there) by the trouble-making Grimlet twins, her life gets a little crazy.  Or perhaps things got out of hand because of the pirate who showed up, the argument over which town has the best jelly, the sea serpent named Lucky, the fifth-grade teacher who's oddly proficient at teaching pirate skills, the psychic pizza-maker, or the missing composer.  I thought there were too many strangely different elements for the story to come together, and the message that it's okay to be average gets completely buried...what's your opinion?

If you like the Wimpy Kid...

...you probably like books that are funny, and you can't much goofier than NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society by Michael Buckley.  With code names like Wheezer, Gluestick, and Pufferfish, a group of six 5th graders has been trained as spies, getting "upgrades" to their weaknesses.  Who knew that asthma inhalers and braces could help save the world from the evil Dr. Jigsaw?  The pace is quick, the action is totally absurd, the occasional illustrations are fun, and the reader has to pass several security clearances - but don't worry, your thumbprint, spit, or money will work just fine!  The first in a series that has its own web site (http://www.abramsbooks.com/nerds/), the fifth title is coming out in August.

A thoughtful book...good for the soul

If you've had enough of crazy action-packed stories and would like something a bit more thoughtful, a bit more lyrical, try Sparrow Road by Sheila O'Connor. Raine is 12, and she can't figure out why her mom decided to move the two of them to an artists' colony for a summer job, leaving her Grampa Mac back in Milwaukee.  And there are more mysteries and secrets to figure out: what happened to the orphans who lived in the main house of the colony, years ago?  Why is Viktor, the owner, so cold, and why does Raine's mom seem to know him?  What is the connection between Viktor and Lillian, the sweet, frail, elderly artist who keeps calling Raine an orphan?  And will Raine finally found out who her father is?  The importance of art, dreaming, and forgiveness all play a role in this quiet, contemplative story.

Three lives weaving together

The main characters in The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby definitely need to work together if they're each going to get their wish.  Giuseppe is an orphan who scrounges a living by playing the violin; he wants to escape his wicked master and go back to Italy.  Frederick is an apprentice clockmaker; if he can figure out how to complete the project he's secretly working on, he'll be able to be employed on his own. And Hannah, a lowly maid in a glamorous hotel, wants to find a hidden treasure so she can support her family.  Although I wasn't crazy about the ending - there's a fantasy element thrown in that I wish weren't there - I enjoyed the characters, and the author's description of the sights, sounds, and smells of the various settings really pulled me into the story.