After Tupac and D Foster

Two best friends become three, "Three the hard way", when D Foster comes into the lives of 11 year-old Neeka and her best friend. D has an independence that the two girls envy, and opens up their world with her experiences and her search for her Big Purpose. Within the short span of 1994-1996, the girls grow into teenagers, mourn the shootings and death of Tupac Shakur, and start thinking about what their own Big Purpose in life is. After Tupac and D Foster is by the Newbery Honor winner Jacqueline Woodson (Feathers).

The Little Wooden Doll

If you like The Velveteen Rabbit, The Best Loved Doll, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, or The Littles, you might like The Little Wooden Doll, too! An old, wooden doll living up in the attic of an old house is sad because she doesn't have a child to love her. Then one day, some children move into the old house. Will they find the doll? Will she be loved? Read how the spiders, moths, sparrows, and mice helped the wooden doll. This story was written a long time ago, but it is still a sweet story even today.

Heat by Mike Lupica

Heat is a story about 12 year-old Michael Arroyo, who pitches for a South Bronx little league baseball team. He and his brother, Carlos, are recently orphaned after their father dies, and they lie about living alone to avoid being split up by social services. Michael has such a powerful throw that the coach on an opposing team thinks Michael is lying about his age, which would disqualify him to play, and ruin his chances to become a major league player. As Michael and his brother try to get Michael's birth certificate from Cuba, their secret gets harder to hide, and their lives get even more
complicated.

Another 4th-Grade Favorite

An anonymous fourth-grader from Bingham Farms says:

I like the book Sixth Grade Secrets.

Miss Laurie says: This book is by Louis Sachar, who also wrote one of my favorites: Holes.

Captain Underpants, Anyone?

4th-Grader Talon says:

Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants was great.

A 4th-Grade Fan of Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is a fun filled quest about Percy, Annabeth, and Grover defeating monsters and finding out who stole Zeus's master bolt.

Another 4th-Grade Favorite

My favorite book is Chu Ju's House. I love how she moved to different places over and over again.

Miss Laurie's note: Chu Ju's House is by Gloria Whelan, who lives in Michigan! It was a Birmingham Battle Book for this year.

A 4th-Grader Likes Feathers

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson is a story about hope, dreams, and how everyone has a little bit of God in them.

Indy and Jonah like...

Diary of a Wimpy Kid series - We loved the series. Jeff Kinney ROCKS. THE BOOKS ARE VERY COMICAL AND FUNNY.

Lexxe and Skye like Andrew Clements's No Talking!

This book is very good. It is about Dave, Lindsey, and other 5th graders. Dave starts a whole contest about who is more quiet, boys or girls.

A Fourth-Grade Fan of Akiko!

I like the book Akiko.it was really really good. i like the action!!!

Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff

Sam's life is a mystery and full of questions. He is afraid of the number eleven. Sam can't remember his mother and father. He often has a dream about freezing water, a sail boat and Night Cat. And the number eleven. Is Mack really his grandfather? And why can't he learn to read? Will a treacherous trip to the attic from the outside of his house answer Sam's questions? Join Sam on his journey to find out who he really is when you read Eleven!

The Seance

In 1926 Scooter King helps his mother make the sceances she conducts seem real. He thinks he knows all the tricks of the trade. Then Scooter discovers a dead body in the water tank used by legendary escape artist Harry Houdini. Scooter becomes involved in a mystery that leads him into a dangerous world of murder, deceit, and possibly even magic. He teams up with Harry Houdini himself, but will working together stop Houdini from exposing Scooter's mom as a fraud? Read this exciting action-packed historical mystery by Iain Lawrence.

Billy Creekmore: a Novel

Billy was born ten years ago, in 1895. It was Friday the thirteenth, which might explain how he ended up in an orphanage for boys run by a cruel couple. Travel along on an extraordinary journey with Billy as he escapes with a stranger, works in a coal mine, and joins a circus in search of his past and ends up finding himself. An award-winning story by Tracey Porter.

Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning

In this endearing story, written by Danette Haworth, it is the 1970s, Melissa Gold moves into Violet's neighborhood and Violet's life starts to change -- and not for the better! Melissa seems bent on stealing Violet's best friends, Lottie and Eddie. Violet is a character you won't soon forget, one you wish you could meet in real life and a true friend. This story will stay with you long after you turn the last page!

Knucklehead

Have you read any of Jon Scieszka's hilarious books, like The Stinky Cheese Man or The Time Warp Trio series? Ever wondered where he gets his ideas? Then you'll enjoy his account of growing up with 5 brothers in Flint, Michigan, subtitled Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories of Growing Up Scieszka. Each short chapter is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. (I got some funny looks when I was reading this one in public!)