Interest Level: 3-6; Reading Level: 5.9

How would you feel if you were a sick twelve-year-old kid who had the perfect brother and a hovering mom? What if you and your best friend had sort of drifted apart and you didn't really have a friend? What if you by happenstance meet a new friend in the woods who is fun, energetic, mysterious, and full of imagination? Would you risk everything just to keep that friend?  This is exactly what Caleb does when he meets Kit. Up to this point in Caleb's life everything is very structured and organized in Caleb's life.  Caleb has cystic fibrosis and he has to take his medicines and treatments at the same time everyday, he has to eat a certain amount of food everyday, and he is limited in his activity because he can become tired very easily. It is so bad that even at school he has certain privileges that other kids don't get, and this does not make him very popular. So when Caleb meets Kit, his whole world is changed. She doesn't know about his sickness so she doesn't treat him differently like the other kids do. She is new in town and she just wants a friend too.  They both decide to keep their friendship a secret and this is the beginning of their deception.  Caleb is supposed to be at summer camp but he ditches most days and sneaks off into the woods for fun and adventure with Kit.  But what happens when all of the lying and deceit catches up to him and he gets sick while he is in the woods.  What will happen to Kit when the true reality of her home life becomes public? Will Caleb and Kit's friendship survive when all of the lies come crashing down? This is a must read tale of friendship and determination to find ones own self. 

Interest Level: K-3

Have you ever felt alone and wanted a friend? That is exactly how Piggy felt, until he met his best friend, Kate. They made friends with everyone in the forest, except for Miles. Miles was a mole and he lived underground. He was afraid of what was in the world above. Every time he tried to go above to see what was going on, he would get so nervous and start sneezing. Then one day, Miles and Piggy met but Miles was too afraid to stay and meet him so he went back underground.  When Piggy and his friends had a tea party Miles could not stand it anymore. He had to go where the friends and the wonderful smells were. However, when he gets up to the top things go wrong and Miles retreats back underground.  Will Piggy be able to help Miles get over his fears, or will Miles be doomed to be alone forever? This is a must read for anyone who wants a friend or wants to be a good friend.
I LOVE this book! The story will connect with so many of our students who are shy, scared, or just afraid to put themselves out there. The pictures are some of the cutest I have ever seen. Piggy makes me want to go and get some big red glasses! 
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Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.

Interest Level: 5-8

Have you ever known someone who loved comedy so much that they acted out and quoted television shows and movies all the time? Yeah, me neither, but Noah and Dash were two peas in a pod, they did everything together, including acting out skits from their favorite slap-stick comedy movies. What makes it even more fun is that Dash's dad, Gil, was always right there with them. However, comedy doesn't always last, especially when tragedy strikes. Can Noah and Dash's friendship withstand this tragedy or will Dash replace Noah with a new best friend? 
This book shows the many ups and downs of these two twelve-year-olds and how they deal with the death of a loved one. This book also deals with many relevant social issues of the day in a loving and caring way. This is a must read book!
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Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.

Interest Level: 3-6; Reading Level: 5.6

Wow! All I can say is Wow!

Imagine that you are one of nine children. Would you ever feel special? Loved? Noticed? Now imagine that you are the ninth child, the youngest. You never get anything new, everything you have is hand-me-downs. This is exactly Annie.  She is the youngest of nine children. She never feels special. She never has any new clothes, and most of the clothes that fit her come from her brother. She also battles with dyslexia. She does have friends but she never lets friends come over because of her mom's hoarding problem. If that's not enough, the whole family has a secret that they want to stay a secret. What happens when one of Annie's sisters runs away and is missing. Will the family's secret come out or will it stay buried? 
This is one of those books that when you get to the end you just sit and think about everything you just read, it stays with you for a while. Read Annie's story!!

Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.

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