The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie (2008)

Plot Summary:  Living in poverty on a reservation in Washington State, Arnold Spirit has dealt with many challenges in his life.  Known as Junior, he is surrounded by alcoholism on the "rez" as they call it, and can confide in only one person, his best friend Rowdy.  Junior is a smart kid, a tatlented cartoonist, and a decent basketball player. When a teacher recognizes Junior's potential and suggests that he attends a better public school off of the "rez," Junior decides to it.  Although it is difficult to make this decision, Junior does.  He realizes that he will be considered a traitor by the rest of the people on the reservation and treated even worse than before, but makes the 22 mile trip to school every day, sometimes on foot. 

Arnold's appearance in this white world throws him for a loop, and he has a hard time fitting in in a place where he has racial slurs called to him on a daily basis.  Despite all the challenges, Arnold keeps his head down and works hard, and keeps his spirits up as he sees life on the reservation crumble around him.  Arnold's determination and good humor in spite of his situation shine through and provide a tearjerking yet uplifting story of a fight against all odds.

Awards: National Book Award Winner

Subjects/Themes:  Poverty, alcoholism, gambling, racism, high school

Reviews:  Publishers Weekly Review, School Library Journal, and Booklist

Age Group:  Grades 8 and up

Project Princess by Meg Cabot (2003)

Plot Summary:  Princess Mia decides that she wants to volunteer her time during spring break to help with Housing for the Hopeful.  This five day trip to West Virginia with many of her classmates, including her boyfriend Michael, will be a good experience for her.  Not to mention that she will get to spend five whole days with her boyfriend and no parents!  Well, the principal and teacher will be there, but still, won't it be romantic?  First she must convince her mother to let her go, and she knows for sure that Grandmere will not be happy about it, especially if she has to miss her princess lessons.....The trip starts out with Lily's boyfriend puking all over the bus before they even got through the Lincoln Tunnel....  Her boyfriend will not want to kiss her if she smells like throwup.   Is this a sign that things will not go as planned? Or will Mia learn what the trip is truly about?

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Series: 

Princess Diaries Companion Books 

1.  Princess lessons

2.  Project Princess

3.  Perfect Princess

4.  The Princess present

5.  Holiday princess

6.  Sweet sixteen princess

7.  Valentine princess

Age Group: Grades 6 and up

Kids Discover Magazine

Summary of Contents:  Each issue of Kids Discover Magazine focuses on a specific science or social studies topic, such as the Civil War, Oil Use, the Ice Age, Electricity, Volcanoes, Maps, Matter, the Pioneers, Energy, and Nutrition, just to name a few.  What is great about this magazine is that it contains great pictures on the topics that it covers.  For example, the Civil War issue had a two page spread that was a timeline explained in detail on a map of the lower part of the United States.  This way readers could see where things happened on certain dates.  This issue also highlighted notable leaders of both the north and the south so students could learn about key figures during this time.  The writers reach out to their youth audience by offering some puzzles at the end of each issue as well.

In the back of each issue there is a list of additional resources on the topic covered separated into categories:  books for children, books for adults, websites and films.  I also noted that this magazine is very thin, approximately 20 pages, but did not contain any advertisements, which is not the norm, but is great compared to other kids' magazines.

Format:  Magazine

Subject/Themes:  Science or Social Studies

Issues:  Published monthly

Age Group:  Grades 4-7

High Interest Annotation:  Great for the student that isn't interested in reading non-fiction books. Since this magazine offers a brief overview of the topics that it covers it's not intimidating to readers.  Also, the magazine is simple enough for 4th graders to read while not looking too "young" or simple for older tweens.

The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt & Julie Graham-Chang by Amy Ignatow (2010)

Plot Summary: 

Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang are best friends.  These fifth graders are determined to figure out what it takes to be popular.  They decide on a plan:  a plan of observation.  They are going to watch the popular girls and figure out what they wear, what they say, who they hang out with, and then they are going to try to infiltrate the group.  Julie and Lydia are going to record everything in their notebook so they won’t miss anything.  That includes pictures and specific interactions with the popular girls.  They also explore and discuss their crushes on boys.  This hilarious notebook with it’s wonderful drawings and funny observations is great for tweens.  Lydia and Julie have to deal with real life situations that are funny, heartbreaking, and don’t forget—embarrassing.  The Popularity Papers shows just how difficult growing up really is.

Format:  Graphic Novel

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Subjects/Themes: Friendship, popularity, growing up

Reviews:  Great reviews by School Library Journal, Kirkus, Booklist and Publishers Weekly.

Age Group:  Grades 4-6

Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow (2007) by James Strum

Plot Summary:  This uniquely done graphic novel brings to life the baseball career of Satchel Paige, one of the best and hardest throwing pitchers in Negro League history. His age was always shrouded in mystery, though it is believed that he was born in 1905, and known that he died in 1982.  His career has spanned at least five decades. 

The story takes place during the era of Jim Crow and from the point of view of a sharecropper, by the fictional name of Emmet Wilson,  who is off to play a game against Satchel Paige's team.  He knows that he will make more money playing baseball for a day than his family will make picking cotton.  Paige is a larger than life presence on the mound and makes easy work of striking all men out, even the white players.  Wilson gets a rare hit off of Paige, but injures himself and can no longer play baseball. The story is about Satchel's career and how he rose above his lot in life to prove his worth as a man.  It also depicts how his actions and influences as a pitcher gave hope to blacks everywhere that someday they will escape from and conquer racism.  The drawings and depiction of what day to day life is for blacks in the racist South during the 1940s will have a strong impact on readers. 

Format:  Graphic Novel

Genre:  Historical fiction

Subjects/themes:  Baseball, Jim Crow, racism, discrimination

Reviews:   Publishers Weekly Review, School Library Journal, and *Starred Review* in Booklist 

High Interest Annotation:  Baseball fans will enjoy this story.  The powerful pictures combined with the text will give students a mini history lesson about Jim Crow Laws and how they affected blacks on a daily basis.  Satchel will have you on his side.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1

Plot Summary:  Dumbledore is dead.  Harry will soon be 17, which means he will no longer be protected from Voldemort under the roof of his aunt and uncle's home.  Mad-eyed Moody formulates a plan to get Harry safely to the Weasely's-for volunteers to become multiple Harrys by drinking the polyjuice potion.  They arrive at their destination, but not without almost getting killed since Voldemort and the Death Eaters somehow discovered their flight plans.  Everyone survives, but they find out that Moody is dead, and that someone betrayed them. 

The head of the Ministry of Magic arrives to read Dumbledore's will and to give Ron, Hermione and Harry the items that Dumbledore left them.  At first, the items seem to hold only sentimental value.  During Ron's brother's wedding to Fleur, the party received a message that the head of the ministry is dead.  Then the group is attacked and Harry, Hermione, and Ron have to flee.  This begins their journey to find the horcruxes that will help them to defeat Voldemort.  The items left to them by Dumbledore hold messages that they must decipher.   The journey is difficult in many ways, and will decide once and for all if these three are capable of battling the many forces of evil that are against them.  The action doesn't stop, and they must continue despite the threat of hopelessness, fear, danger and despair that confronts them at every turn.  Won't say anything else to avoid spoilers!

Genre:  Fantasy

Subject/Themes:  Magic, evil, wizards

Format:  Movie

Rating:  PG-13

How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous (2011) by Georgia Bragg

Plot Summary: This new j-title was quite interesting and definitely a good choice for those who do NOT have weak stomachs.  (The Introduction has a warning that states:  If you don’t have the guts for gore, do  not read this book.)  The book works to dispel many of the myths about the deaths of famous people in history while supplying more likely reasons and/or a diagnosis where appropriate.  This book contains quite a bit about the medical methods of earlier times which will lead you to believe that you are lucky to have access to modern medicine!

Subjects/Themes: Deaths, treatments of illnesses, famous historical people

Age Group:  Grades 5-8

Reviews: *Starred Review* from Booklist