Al Capone Does My Shirts
by Gennifer Choldenko
JF CHOLDENKO, G.
A twelve-year-old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when guards' families were housed there, and has to contend with his extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his autistic sister.

The City of Ember
by Jeanne DuPrau
JF DUPRAU, J.
The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she’s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever!

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Igraine The Brave
by Cornelia Caroline Funke
JF FUNKE, C.
The daughter of two magicians, twelve-year-old Igraine wants nothing more than to be a knight, and when their castle is attacked by a treacherous neighbor bent on stealing their singing magic books, Igraine has an opportunity to demonstrate her bravery

Joey Pigza Swallowed The Key
by Jack Gantos
JF GANTOS, J.

To the constant disappointment of his mother and his teachers, Joey has trouble paying attention and controlling his mood swings when his prescription medications wear off and he starts getting worked up and acting wired.

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Among The Hidden
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
JF SF HADDIX, M.

In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, third child Luke has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm, until another "third" convinces him that the government is wrong.

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Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf : A Year Told Through Stuff
by Jennifer L. Holm
JF HOLM, J.

The first year of middle school can be exciting, or scary, just ask Ginny.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret : A Novel in Words and Pictures
by Brian Selznick
JF SELZNICK, B.

When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toy seller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.

Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie
by Jordan Sonnenblick
JF SONNENBLICK, J.
When his younger brother is diagnosed with leukemia, thirteen-year-old Steven tries to deal with his complicated emotions, his school life, and his desire to support his family

Beyond The Deepwoods
by Paul Stewart
JF STEWART, P.

Thirteen-year-old Twig, having always looked and felt different from his woodtroll family, learns that he is adopted and travels out of his Deepwoods home to find the place where he belongs.

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Sammy Keyes and The Hotel Thief
by Wendelin Van Draanen
JF VAN DRAANEN, W.

Thirteen-year-old Sammy's penchant for speaking her mind gets her in trouble when she involves herself in the investigation of a robbery at the "seedy" hotel  across the street from the seniors' building where she is living with her grandmother.

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Millicent Min, Girl Genius
by Lisa Yee
JF YEE, L.

In a series of journal entries, eleven-year-old child prodigy Millicent Min records her struggles to learn to play volleyball, tutor her enemy, deal with her grandmother's departure, and make friends over the course of a tumultuous summer.