Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman. This is a creepy ghost mystery that has me reminiscing about  being in High School and seeing the Blair Witch Project. Ryan and Sarah are convinced there’s a secret to e found in the death of an old gold miner, but Ryan is not going anywhere after one of their stunts lands him in the hospital. Sarah continues the search, filming what she finds and posting the videos online for Ryan to follow along with. The two use email, video clips, texting, and a range of other things to keep chasing Old Joe Bush, and to keep Ryan’s parents from finding out.

The really cool part? Kids can go online and watch the videos along with Ryan. The websites and passwords are sprinkled throughout the book, so not only do you get a fun story, you get a secret search and a spooky video too. This would be great for reluctant readers or kids who are struggling (they have to read the book to get the passwords, and the videos give visuals to support comprehension). I realize this is extremely clever marketing and not really an altruistic attempt to support literacy, but it’s a whole lot of fun wither way. 

Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi. Maddy is having enough trouble dealing with her parent’s divorce and having to move back in with her Grandma, but when kids at her new school start making fun of her, calling her “Geek Girl,” “Goth,”  and “Freak,” she just can’t take it anymore. She retreats into a MMOG (massive multiplayer online game, similar to World of Warcraft). There she finds some safe company, some friends, a major crush, and surprisingly, her father (who cancels weekend visits to play online). As she grows a little braver, she starts a Manga club at school and discovers she’s not the only one the cheerleaders call “Geek Girl.” She finds a plenty of kids who are just like her. 

This was an excellent book for two reasons. It has a wonderful character who is going through exactly what every other middle school kid is: she just wants to have people like her for who she is. Maddy is spunky and sassy, but is has very human reactions to some of the things that happen to her.  The second reason I like this book is that is completely de-mystifies all this techno-junk, like MMOGs, IMing and a host of other acronym adjectives. The kids are using online social networks, they “Wikipediaed” things and they are texting and tweeting all over the place. The author does a brilliant job of having some character explain all this stuff (usually to some lost grown-up) so no one gets lost. There are great conversations about cyber bullying and avatars vs. IRL friends (that’s “in real life” friends, for those who don’t speak IM, and that’s “Instant Messenger” for . . .this thing could get way out of hand!). I would recommend Gamer Girl as a great introduction to modern adolescent communication; it’s a way for parents and librarians to get and idea of what all this stuff is that kids are talking about, and how it’s become a huge part of their everyday lives.

The White Gates by Bonnie Ramthun. This was a wonderful novel that I think will hit our “top ten” list in no time. When Tor moves to Colorado with his mom (she’s divorced, and a new doctor) he immediately figures out that to fit in here, you’ve got to snowboard. In between lessons, he and a friend discover a Native American curse, a rare river otter, and uncover a plot to illegally enhance the school’s snowboard team’s performance. Tons of snowy-surfy action as Tor snowboards his way through the book. Well written, great characters, lots of fun!

Lockdown by Diane Tullson (Orca Soundings Series). This is the story of Josh, a boy who is bullied and teased, then tragically brings a gun to his school. The story is told by Adam, a student who gets stranded in the hallways when the school is under emergency “lockdown.” As he and a friend hide, they talk about what drove Jost to this act.

This is a rather mature subject, but it is dealt with very tactfully and compassionately. All of our kids have heard about this kind of thing happening, and I feel that Lockdown tells a needed story about how tragic this whole situation really is. There is some death, but nothing overly graphic or too unsettling.

Death by Latte by Linda Gerber. This is the eagerly awaited sequel to Death by Bikini (there’s a sizable waiting list already). Aphra is somewhat of a reluctant spy: her parents are long time CIA operatives and when things go wrong, she always gets swept up in the action. In the book, her boyfriend, Seth’s, father has been kidnapped, and the demands are for a special ring Aphra was given as a gift. As the plot unfolds, plane crashes, parental drama, and secret messages line the path to rescuing Seth’s dad, only to discover perhaps he wasn’t really “kidnapped” in the first place. This is a very fun read with a great narrative voice. Definitely a high-interest series!

Project Sweet Life by Brent Hartinger. Dave is 16, and his parents decide it’s time for him to have a summer job. Dave and his friends concoct Project “Sweet Life,” a plan to make money while only pretending to work. This involves a range of schemes: combing garage sales for antiques, entering contests, and solving crimes for reward money. They discover that fake-working is much harder than working at McDonald’s ever would be. Good life lesson for kids: nothing comes for free, there’s hard work involved if you want to be successful. Funny narrative voice and lots of  silly scheming makes this book a good selection for middle school.

Between Mom and Jo by Julie Ann Peters. This story may be too controversial for some libraries, but I think this is an important point of view to represent.  

Nick has two moms. He is the natural child of one parent, raised by her and her partner, Jo. Like any family, there are problems. Jo has had trouble keeping a job, and has turned to drinking. She does not always make the best parenting decisions. When the family splits up, Nick finds himself in the middle of a painful custody dispute, and experiences depression as he loses one of his moms.

Nick sums it up well when he declares “I don’t care what people think, I love my moms.” Gay marriage is  hotly debated issue right now, and coming form Long Beach, many of my kids know someone (are are someone) who comes from a non-traditional family. What this book does well is it illustrates that all families, whether traditional or not, have problems to work out, and that love between a parent and a child is no less powerful when the bond is not biological. Other issues worth discussing are brought up, including adoption, legal rights for gay partners, legal rights for children in these families, and attitudes towards a child raised by gay partners.

Peeled by Joan Bauer. Hildy is a lead reporter for her high school newspaper, and she’s determined to break a huge story. When rumors of a mysterious curse surface in her town, strange people start arriving, and the local grown-up paper starts running sensationalist headlines, Hidly knows something is up. She gets to work and discovers a coordinated plot to profit from the town’s hysteria. Great story for a range of readers!

  Juice.  A well told story about what happens when the game gets out of control. The new coach has big plans for the high school football team, including beefing   up the players with illegal steroids. When the drug use is discovered,  who will   be brave enough to stand up and tell the truth?

  Grind. Got kids who are into skateboarding? This one is for them! Three friends gain tons of attention posting video of their best tricks on the web. As the pressure is on do post more daring stunts, one of the boys is badly injured.  They must take a look at the risks they are willing to take in the name of having fun.

Keep in mind: not all of the books in this series are created equal. A few others I read I wasn’t so crazy about for the middle school audience. I encourage all librarians to read (it’s a 4th grade reading level. . .at least scan!) the books they are giving to students.

And I can’t entirely blame them. These kids are picky readers partly because that’s the nature of a middle school student, but also because in too many school libraries there are, in fact, no good books. Those same libraries also run sadly short of any helpful Librarian able to produce something more interesting than Little Women (a classic, yes, but hardly high interest). Here are some of my secret weapons (I have personally read them all: guaranteed no snoozers) that have brought even the pickiest teenager to ask, “Hey, do you have another book like this?”

Peak by Roland Smith. This was a blind-faith pick out of the Scholastic catalog, but it’s a great book. From the opening scene, where Peak gets nabbed by the US Air Force climbing to the top of a NYC skyscraper, the action keeps right on going as Peak and his shady father attempt to climb mount Everest. Not everyone makes it to the top!

Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick. For the kid who isn’t so into dragons, wizzards,  or vampire love stories,  this story will make ‘em cry. Steven is a normal teenager, until his annoying younger brother is diagnosed with Leukemia and his family falls apart. A wonderful book that will peirce even the toughest teen ‘tude.

Percy Jackson and The Olympians Series by Rick Riordan (begins with the Lightning Thief).  Percy Jackson gets a huge surprise, he is a direct descendant from the ancient Greek Gods, and retains echos of  their powers.  He and a band of other similarly-powered kids take ‘em all on! Great characters all around. This book comes with the glowing recomendation from Bret in 6th grade: “This is the best book ever!”

Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson (Begins with The Angel Experiment). This one is fun for grown-ups as well as kids. Max and her friends are genetic experiments, and are on the run after busting out of a research facility. I always tell kids: “Come talk to me after you get to the restaurant scene. You won’t believe it.” And you really won’t.