suggested by Cathy Nelson, media specialist at South View Middle School in Edina, Minnesota, who recommends these books for readers who don't like long books. Full of adventure, mystery, history, and suspense, these books are guaranteed to please. You'll find more booklists on the South View website.

Moose Tracks
written by Mary Casanova

Twelve-year-old Seth, the son of a game warden, tries to save an orphaned moose calf from poachers.

Stealing Thunder
written by Mary Casanova

Libby visits her neighbor's spirited horse Thunder every day, grooming and riding him, and when Mr. Porter starts to abuse Thunder she decides to steal him away to safety, with the help of her new friend Griff.

Stone Fox
written by John Reynolds Gardiner

Little Willie hopes to pay back taxes on his grandfather's farm with the purse from a dog sled race he enters.

Marooned : The Strange but True Adventure of Alexander Selkirk, The Real Robinson Crusoe
written by Robert Kraske

In 1704, Alexander Selkirk was voyaging across the South Pacific when, after arguing with the ship's captain, he was put ashore-- alone--on an uninhabited island. Equipped with little more than a musket and his wits, Selkirk not only survived in complete solitude for more than four years, but to came to be quite comfortable and happy. After being rescued by a British privateer in 1709, he took a leading role in several dramatic captures of merchant ships. Although he returned to civilization a rich man, he couldn't find a place in society and always longed to return to the paradise of his island.

Earthquake Terror
written by Peg Kehret

When an earthquake hits the isolated island where his family is camping, twelve-year-old Jonathan must find a way to keep himself, his partially paralyzed sister and their dog alive until help arrives.

White Water
written by P.J. Peterson

Gripping father-son adventure story about a river-rafting trip in which the son courageously saves his father's life.

Skeleton Man
written by Joseph Bruchac

After her parents disappear and she is turned over to the care of a strange "great-uncle," Molly must rely on her dreams about an old Mohawk story for her safety.

The Doll in the Garden
written by Mary Downing Hahn

After Ashley and Kristi find an antique doll buried in old Miss Cooper's garden, they discover that they can enter a ghostly turn-of-the-century world by going through a hole in the hedge. a camelot book.

Farewell, My Lunchbag
written by Bruce Hale

When fourth-grade private eye Chet Gecko is called to catch someone who is stealing food from the school cafeteria, he finds himself framed for the crime.

Fight for Life
written by Laurie Halse Anderson

Maggie works at the Wild at Heart Animal Clinic. She gives so much of her time and effort to the clinic, even her grades suffer. However, she is compelled to help rescue the puppies who've been abused and neglected at the puppy mill.

The Janitor's Boy
written by Andrew Clements

Fifth grader Jack becomes the target of ridicule when it becomes known that his father is a janitor, and he turns his anger onto his father.

Pleasing the Ghost
written by Sharon Creech

Nine-year-old Dennis, whose father and uncle died within a year of each other, is visited by the ghost of his uncle, and together they settle some unfinished business.

Devil's Bridge
written by Cynthia DeFelice

Twelve-year-old Ben must copy with the loss of his father, who died the year before, and his mother’s over-protectiveness when he enters the annual striped bass derby on Martha’s Vineyard.

Drive-by
written by Lynne Ewing

Twelve-year-old Tito, while helping to care for his little sister, struggles to find his way during the aftermath of his brother's death in a gang-related shooting.

95 Pounds of Hope
written by Anna Gavalda

From the first day, school had always been torture for Gregory, but his expulsion from school in sixth grade allows him to find his own path and deal with his parents' fights and his beloved grandfather's illness. (Summary from Library of Congress, April 2004.)

The Girl with 500 Middle Names
written by Margaret Pederson Haddix

When Janie switches schools, she feels out of place with the richer children there, until she realizes there are more important things than money.

Hit Squad
written by James Heneghan

Birgit Neilsen, gorgeous and popular, is tired of the long-standing status quo at Grandview High School. She organizes a group of like-minded students to combat the bullying and terrorism that exists, but their good intentions soon result in tragedy and the death of a fellow student. (Summary from Amazon.com, Oct. 2004)

Looking for Red
written by Angela Johnson

A thirteen-year-old girl struggles to cope with the loss of her beloved older brother, who disappeared four months earlier off the coast of Cape Cod.

next page >>