All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook by Leslie Connor
The most unusual ideas can lead to the most remarkable stories, as Leslie Connor discovered when she asked what would happen if a little boy was born in prison and grew up there with his mother. Meet Perry T. Cook, an amazing young boy in a novel that explores what home and family really mean.
The Land of Forgotten Girls by Erin Entrada Kelly
Of course there's an evil stepmother, but there's nothing else predictable about this story of two sisters from the Philippines living in a small town in Louisiana. As they discover, when "truth has a thousand voices," you and you alone get to decide which voice you'll listen to.
Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar
Twelve-year-old Carol isn't going to spend her summer at the pool with her friends. Instead, she is going to help her family move her grandfather into an assisted living facility for people with dementia. Her summer in New Mexico starts as a chore, but it turns into something more magical as her grandfather begins telling her fantastical stories about healing trees, and green-glass lates, and bees with the power to end a drought.
Slacker by Gordon Korman
Cameron Boxer is very happy to spend his life avoiding homework, hanging out with his friends, and gaming for hours in his basement. It's not too hard for him to get away with it... until he gets so caught up in one game he almost lets his house burn down around him. Oops.
Kyle Keeley is the class clown and a huge fan of all games -- board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative game maker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the construction of the new town library. Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot as one of twelve kids invited for an overnight sleepover in the library, hosted by Mr. Lemoncello and riddled with lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must solve every clue and figure out every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route!
