The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Ivan seems to only remember his life being in a circus style mall. But when the owner buys a baby elephant, he starts to remember his youth of freedom before he became an attraction for humans. He has his animal friends, Bob a homeless dog that likes it that way and Stella the old elephant who is there with him. But it is a promise he makes to Stella that starts him on a journey that will forever change his life and those around him. Can he really trust some humans to help? Julia, the janitor's little girl seems to want to help. Can other humans be trusted? What is really a happy ending if you are just a captive animal far from your natural home? Why do books use something sad as the needed push so the main character will work for that happy ending? Maybe that is the question will let you in on the secret of how to find the happy ending in your life.

Lizzie Bright and the Buckmister Boy by Gary Schmidt

Sometimes you find a book that makes you angry at the beginning and keep giving you reasons for that anger to grow. Turner, the new minister's son, finds many reasons to hate his father's new job in a small town on the coast of Maine. Between the bullies and the older people who are quick to judge you when you are a minister's son, he finds little support. But then he meets Lizzie while on the beach alone, he finally gets a friend and a friendly place - the island colony that was founded by freed slaves where she lives with her grandfather. She is also an outsider since she looked down upon because of her race. It seems no matter what he does, nothing will get better. But sometimes you have to stand up for what is right, no matter the costs. The costs are high, maybe too high. Price is always paid when you take on the powers of both small towns and people's racism. But sometimes you find a few bright lights no matter how dark life becomes. Too many will relate to Turner and maybe his courage will help those who do.

Z For Zachariah by Robert c. O'Brien

For those of you who loved the strong heroine of the Hunger Games, this is a must read. Also set in the future where those adults messed up the world, Ann Burden believes she is the only one left. It was always said the valley she lived in with her family had its own environment. No matter what happened to rest of the world, it kept everyone safe that lived there. But when her family and the others left to find help, they never came back. She was left behind just in case the telephones started working again. With only her brother's dog to keep her company, Ann found a way to stay alive, but she kept a look out for any strangers that might have made it through. One day she saw smoke from a fire and each day that smoke came closer. Ann quickly planned how to stay safe, but did she really need to? Who is this stranger and how did he survive? The chilling answers test her survival skills and make her finally realize that the dog must die.  What would drive her to doing that to the one living being who has helped keep her sane? Would you do the same? Would you?

The Great Fire by Jim Murphy

On October 8, 1871, the city of Chicago nearly burnt to the ground. The story you have heard, both in song and tales, is not the truth. Why poor Mrs. O'Leary was blamed made one of my former teen patrons in Detroit exclaim " You mean white people hate other white people too?" If you have enjoyed the episode that was part of the When Weather Changed History series or the one that was part of the Unsolved History series, you need to read this. Every good story has heroes, villains, and those who are hard to put in either category. Those who narrowly escaped lived to tell the tales, but it takes science and detective work to tell about those who didn't. Reading the real words of those who survived and seeing the pictures and drawings makes you wonder if this could happen again. Will it happen again? Those living at that time had the most modern equipment of the day to fight fires. But when fire makes it own weather and the city's resources are stretched by cuts and closings, you will need to read this moving true story to make up your mind.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

When I first saw the cover, I wondered if any student would ever pick this book up. When the book won the 2010 Newbery Award, I remembered that you shouldn't judge a book by the cover. After reading it, I now understand what makes this special. Miranda just loves the book Wrinkle in Time, her life in New York, and her mom. As the book starts, she loses her best friend. She gets weird notes found in even weirder places from someone who tells her that s/he has come to save her friend. It seems that that person knows what happens even before it does. The subplots about finding a new best friend and surviving the ups and downs of a parent's appearance on a national televised game show only adds to the mystery. Even though the story is set in the late 1970's, any junior high student will enjoy the parts set in a school. The times may change, but the characters that are part of any school seem to always stay the same. If you have read and love Wrinkle in Time, you will love this book. It is not only the main character's favorite book, the plot of Wrinkle is the key to solving what is going on in this story.

The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman

Winner of the Newbery, the heart warming tale of a girl who finds a home, an occupation, some food, and her own name. Nameless until the midwife starts calling her Beetle because of where she found her (think of the grossest place in the world) , Beetle never remembers anyone who cared for her, not even in toddlerhood. Life is tough in the 14th century. Midwifery is looked down about even if they are the only ones who can help bring a new life in the world. What would you do to keep the only safe place you have ever know and what name would you give yourself if you could? This character in this very quick read has more in common with todays students than you think possible. Hope, dreams and needs don't change, just the ablity to fill them.

It's Like This, Cat by Emily Neville

I finally read this to find out why it kept getting stolen from the libraries I worked at. What I found was one of the best Newbery Award winners I have ever read. It was ground breaking in 1963 to have a real life teen that thought his dad didn't know everything and got involved with a "criminal". While it was realistic when it was written, it is a wonderful trip through a New York City that doesn't exist anymore. Written in a boy's point of view, the adventures of getting a cat, a girlfriend, and enjoying the freedom of wandering a city will relate to any reader who wished for a time where parents knew that kids just needed to get away and live their lives without adult supervision.

Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

Sometimes a little confusing at first, this is a story of interconnections we make with others and those that are just missed that would have been life changing. A group of small town teens live their normal lives that end up effecting each other in both small and big ways. Set in the 1960's, many of the events could happen in any small town, not just northern Michigan, today. From the dreamer of big dreams ,to the slacker trying to find the easy way out, to old person whose life is saved and changed, almost every reader will find a character who is just like them.

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

While the beginning is confusing, the story will pull you in and will not let you go. Written years before Harry Potter, this is a story of an 11 year old boy learning he is not "human" and must find 6 signs to keep the dark from rising and freezing the earth. Time and space is crossed in the search for the signs. Half of the Potter fans come back to me to say I am right. This is better than Harry Potter. It is the second book in the series, but you don't have to read the first. If you loved this, you have 4 others in the series. It was to be made into a movie, but I haven't seen anything about the release. Newbery Honor book.

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

One of the few times that the sequel is better than the first book. Sequel to A Long Way from Chicago can be read alone. The Great Depression had forced Mary Alice to move in with her grandmother since her parents have no money. Granny in the summer is just a warm up for rest of the year. From getting even with those who tip outhouses to a snake mixed with an out-of-town artist, you never know what grandma will do next. But you never know that going somewhere you think will ruin your life brings you to a place that you meet a person that will change your life. Quick read for those who need one.

A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck

I rarely can read more than 1 or 2 books by an author, but Richard Peck is a must read. If you think you have a weird grandma, just meet Joey's. Joey lives in Chicago during the Al Capone days but sees his 1st dead body in his grandma's living room. Each summer brings a new adventure for Joey and his sister Mary Alice. Summer with grandma is never dull especially when she thinks not all laws apply to her. This runner-up for the Newbery is a fun read even if you don't really like historical fiction.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is my nephew's favorite author and now I see why. This 2009 Newbery winner lets the reader know that sometimes it is the humans that must be feared, not the so called monsters. Nobody Owens loses his first family to a murder and now lives in a graveyard. It does take a graveyard to raise a Nobody. A vampire, a werewolf, a witch, and too many ghosts to keep straight will keep you guessing who is who while enjoying the ride. If you like this book, you will have to go to the public library to get the rest of his books since they are aimed at the post YA audience.