by Lauren Castillo

Hedgehog lives on a teeny-tiny island with only her stuffed dog, Mutty, for company.  When a great storm carries Mutty away, she embarks on a quest to find her friend.  Following the trail of clues Mutty left behind, brave Hedgehog meets a wiggly Mole, a wordy Owl, a curmudgeonly Beaver, a scatterbrained Hen and Chicks, and a girl who’s new to the neighborhood, Annika May.  With bravery and teamwork, there’s nothing that can stop these seven from finding Mutty, but along the way they discover something even more improtant: each other. 

by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Everything is different there.  It’s a mirror image, except things are wrong.  Evil.  their mother tried to fix it, but she and an ally got trapped there along with Ms. Morales, their friend Natalie’s mom. 

Now the four kids–brave Chess, smart Emma, kind Finnn, and savvy Natalie–are determined to rescue everyone. 

by Katherine Applegate

Bob sets out on a dangerous journey in search of his long-lost sister with the help of his two best friends, Ivan and Ruby.  As a hurricane approaches and time is running out, Bob finds courage he never knew he had and learns the true meaning of friendship and family. 

by Lois Lowry

On The Horizon tells the story of people whose lives were lost or forever altered by the twin tragedies of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima.  Based on the lives of soldiers at Pearl Harbor and civilians in Hiroshima, On The Horizon contemplates humanity and war through verse that sings with pain, truth, and the importance of bridging cultural divides. 

by Rachel Vail

Niki Ames can’t wait to start eighth grade, that all-important year before high school.  She and her best friend Ava have shared so many plans for the coming year.  But then the unthinkable happens:  at grm class pair-up, Ava chooses someone else to be her partner.  Niki is devastated.  It’s clear that Ava wants to be part of the popular group, leaving Niki behind, Niki has to decide who her real friends should be.