ELLRAY JAKES: THE DRAGON SLAYER!

When it comes to height or size, he is the smallest in his class.  However, when it comes to taking on more than what one can handle, Ellray Jakes is the one for you. Even though he is small in size, he also happens to be a bigger brother to his sister who seems to be in danger of bullies in her school. 

Like an older brother, he really tries hard to teach his sister to stand up for herself and protect her from others who choose to be mean to her.  His sister’s gentle personality doesn't make things easy, he decides to take things in his hands.  However, in life there are consequences for every action and even though Ellray’s intention is a good one.  

Can he take things in his own hands and make those bullies go away?  Will his actions be understood and forgiven by his parents, and more specifically his sister?  Or can he just magically make things better without having to explain to anyone…? 

Ellray Jakes: The Dragon Slayer by Sally Warner is part of a series and it will be great if you’re a beginner when it comes to chapter books.  

For grades 3rd and up. 

COWBOY BOY

A new neighborhood, a new school and a new nemesis are just a few things that Ricky V. (“Very Afraid”) has to deal with when his dad gets a new job and the family has to relocate.

Ricky has to think and come up with different ways to fight the evil bullies who are prepared to do everything and anything to make his life miserable...
Instead of turning himself to any kind of a superhero, he decides to transform himself into a Cowboy! Hence the name of the book Cowboy Boy!

Now... Imagine all the tricks and the gimmicks that can be pulled as a cowboy to fight the nemesis… This is a fun and adventurous story that will capture you attention. Additionally, the book is filled with humorous illustrations/cartoons which add a fun twist to the story. COWBOY BOY is written by JAMES PROIMOS.

For grades 3rd-6th.

MY LIFE AS A BOOK SEQUEL

In this sequel to My Life As a Book, Derek gets a chance to be a skateboarding stunt double for a famous actor. Only it's for a famous GIRL actor. His best friend is totally jealous of him and starts making fun of him and he strikes back. He makes a deal with his parents to keep up with his tutoring and take care of his foster monkey in order to get the stunt job but one tiny mistake might undo the whole thing.

I think My Life As a Stunboy by Janet Tashjian and illustrated once again by Jake Tashijian is even better than the first book. Lots of action, humor and some emotional tugs on the heart strings will keep the reader hooked until the end. For readers in 4th-8th grade.

THE CEMETERY IS HIS PLAYGROUND

This year is going to be different. Linc has decided that going to public school instead of being homeschooled will be an exciting change, in a normal kind of way. He will not tell people that he lives next to a cemetery, or that his mother is a cemetery expert, or that he spends most of his free time there or that his close friend is the groundskeeper. His parents had been taking him to cemeteries since he was small. When his father died suddenly, it's just him and his mom. His mom has an unusual job and dresses oddly and for now, he just wants to be a normal middle school kid.

His fantasy plan goes bust when the teacher announces that the big project of the year will be to research one grave and write a historical report about the person. Linc picks a notorious grave to research and discovers interesting facts about his own family.

Here Lies Linc by Delia Ray is a perfect little odd book about an oddball kid. For readers in 6th-8th grade.

RATFINK!

Logan had many troubles... A very humiliating photo, an embarrassing grandfather, a mysterious backpack, an experimental dog poop (yes, you read it correctly) and on top of all these, a girl named Emily from his school who is the meanest and the snottiest that he has ever met that seems to only exists to drive him crazy...

But the truth of the matter is that he really is trying to change his ways of doing things, in fact, he was hoping that the new school year in the fifth grade would permit him to showcase his mature side. Boy, was he wrong about these things...

RATFINK is by MARCIA THORNTON JONES.

YOU!

For Kyle Chase, things just don't seem to go the way he plans. He is confused whether his actions are being sabotaged or if he is just making the wrong choices in life and hanging out with the wrong people. Because every time that he wants things to go smoothly in his life, they go in the exact opposite directions.

He is not sure if it's because he chooses to hang out with the wrong people or it's because his destiny is set and that there is not much that he can do. There are a lot of unanswered questions in his life and his brain is working too fast to try to figure out what he is not doing accordingly. YOU by CHARLES BENOIT is an excellent, fast paced read that will take you on a cool journey with Kyle while he investigates the things that should have or should have not happened to him.

For grades 7th and up.