ALICE-MIRANDA IS ONE PRECOCIOUS LITTLE GIRL

Alice-Miranda can't wait to go to boarding school, so she decides to apply early and go at seven and one quarter years old instead of at eight years old like everyone else. She arrives a day early (of course) and sets everything on their ears. She's sweet and never takes no for an answer. So, she sets the poor cook off on a much needed vacation, the gardener gets beautiful flowers, and she evens meets the reclusive headmistress. But the headmisstress certainly has no desire to meet Alice-Miranda again and make plans to get rid of the upstart optimistic little girl with the bouncy chocolate curls.

A bubbly book about an irresistable girl with a whole slew of supporters and few enemies thrown in just for fun. Alice-Miranda at School by Jaqueline Harvey is for readers in 4th-6th grade.

WHERE DO YOU FIT IN?

Emma Freke is a 6th grade girl who doesn't seem to fit in anywhere. I mean with a name like EMM-A FREKE, she is constantly getting teased. It doesn't help that her mother is a little on the goofy side. She's never met her father, but one day receives a mysterious invitation to meet that side of the family. Finally, a place for Emma to fit in! Or is it? I, EMMA FREKE by E.J. Atkinson is actually a wonderful story, that's not too long and not too short, and keeps you reading without wanting to take a break. For 4th-8th grades.

HERE A PIG, THERE A PIG

BERYL: A PIG'S TALE by Jane Simmons is a story that combines the book BABE with the TV show Lost. Beryl magically escapes becoming bacon and lands in the middle of a rigid pig settlement living in the woods by the side of the road. Beryl isn't exactly welcome, which causes some of the other pigs to strike out into the wild in search of "the other settlement." Beryl is mystified by the strange ways of the wild pigs, but makes a dear friend and finds some family along the way. This is a quick read for kids in 4th-8th grades.

THE PESKY BIRD

THE PESKY BIRD is not really about a bird. It's the story of a young Armenian girl who loves to climb trees. However, there was a time that girls had to conform to certain types of social standards, and believe it or not, climbing tress was not an acceptable for young girls. However, Mariam was not to take those rules seriously because she was smart and wanted to experience all that she could, including climbing trees. Once, when she was hiding on top of a mulberry tree, she got confused for a pesky bird, however when she got caught things did not turn out as bad as one would think. This is a simple story with water color illustrations that is ultimately about social acceptance. THE PESKY BIRD is by MARIANNE MARKARIAN and the illustrations are by MARGARET MARKARIAN WASIELEWSKI.

For grades 2nd and up.

SUPER COOL SOCIALLY MISFIT SPIES!

Braces. That's how Jackson, a once popular kid turns into one that the popular kids pick on. He loses his identity & cool standing but this gives him the opportunity to observe his classmates, discovering that the nerds are really spies operating right from inside the school! When Jackson himself accidentally becomes a spy and is reluctantly inducted into N.E.R.D.S. he realizes that all their supposed nerdish qualities have been retooled to become their greatest weapons and that includes his wicked new braces.

N.E.R.D.S: National Espionage, Defense and Rescue Society by Michael Buckley is very funny spy book with all the great gadgets and action of Alex Ryder and the humor of The Sisters Grimm. For readers in 5th -8th grade.

SPLISH SPLASH YOU'RE IT

Sopranos and the Maltese Falcon for the younger set. A complex and absolutely entertaining farce about how middle school is really played out. In the world of middle school everyone has their defined roles: Mr. Biggs, boss of The Organization wants his good luck Charm back; Matt, the independent private investigator hired to get the said charm; Nikki Fingers, former water gun for hire of Mr. Biggs who has the good luck charm. Dead on black comedy of social pecking order of middle school.

Big Splash by Jack D. Ferraiolo is one book that should not be judged by its cover but by the contents. A fast read for mature readers 6th & up.

NO GIRLS ALLOWED!

Sophomore, Frankie Landau-Banks doesn't want to be Bunny Rabbit anymore. She wants to be more like her popular sister, noticed and and a part of something cool. She wants to belong to her new boyfriend's cool crowd. Through chance Frankie discovers that he and his friends haved been "tapped" to join a secret male society at their boarding school just as her father had been many years ago. She wants to join desperately but realizes she would never be included because she is female.

Feeling challenged and desperate to belong, she sets on an ambitious path to prove herself. She masterminds school pranks, manipulates the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds members through a convoluted series of emails and false identities. Everyone at school enjoys the fun and Frankie is thrilled by the comments until one member is caught and everything unravels. When she unmasks herself as the secret leader of the pranks, her schoolmates, family and boyfriend have differing reactions and are thrown by this other side of Frankie.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart is about one girl's attempt to make sense of her world; love, her identity, her ambition, social acceptance and the ultimate power and role of men and women. A great novel for mature readers 6th and older.