• The first patient / Michael Palmer
• Dakota / Martha Grimes
• Sword song / Bernard Cornwell
• The ghost war / Alex Berenson
• Change of heart / Jodi Picoult
• Killer heat / Linda Fairstein
• Miss Julia paints the town / Ann B. Ross
• The faithful spy / Alex Berenson

• Aunt Dimity, vampire hunter / Nancy Atherton
• Compulsion / Jonathan Kellerman
• Whispers of the bayou / Mindy Starns Clark
• Peculiar treasures / Robin Jones Gunn
• Where are you now? / Mary Higgins Clark
• The forbidden / Beverly Lewis
• Edge of evil / Judith Jance
• Guilty / Karen Robards

• The homeschooling option / Lisa Rivero
• The detox strategy: Vibrant health in 5 easy steps / Brenda Watson
• Daylilies--a fifty-year affair / Frances Gatlin
• The cartoonist's big book of drawing / Christopher Hart
  
   

THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET by Brian Selznick (selected by grades 3rd-5th;  also winner of the Caldecott Medal)

Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

"No toys in the fish tank" is one of many rules that 12-year-old Catherine shares with her autistic younger brother, David, to help him understand his world. Lots of the rules are practical. Others are more subtle and shed light on issues in Catherine's own life. Torn between love for her brother and impatience with the responsibilities and embarrassment he brings, she strives to be on her parents' radar and to establish an identity of her own. At her brother's clinic, Catherine befriends a wheelchair-bound boy, Jason, who talks by pointing at word cards in a communication notebook. Her drawing skills and additional vocabulary cards--including "whatever" (which prompts Jason to roll his eyes at his mother)--enliven his speech. The details of autistic behavior are handled well, as are depictions of relationships: Catherine experiences some of the same unease with Jason that others do in the presence of her brother. In the end, Jason helps Catherine see that her rules may really be excuses, opening the way for her to look at things differently. A heartwarming first novel. (Booklist)

Three teens tell their stories, in free verse, from a psychiatric hospital after failed suicide attempts. Their lives unfold in alternating chapters, revealing emotionally scarred family relationships. An absent father, a bipolar mother, and a secret abortion have caused Vanessa to slash her wrists. As a compulsive cutter, she hides a paper clip to dig into her skin. Tony's drug overdose was triggered by an addiction in which he exchanged sex for money.   Abused as a child, he is confused about his sexuality. Connor is the son of rich, controlling parents, and he survives a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a doomed affair with a female teacher.   Initially, the narrators are inwardly focused, having arrived at "level zero," the beginning of their treatment. As they become acquainted with one another, the story, told in spare verse and colorful imagery, becomes more plot-driven and filled with witty dialogue. Both boys value Vanessa's friendship and there is an inkling of competition for her affection, although she assumes that Tony is gay. During a wilderness camping trip with other patients and staff, which would graduate the trio to the final level of treatment, it becomes apparent that one of them is mentally backsliding at the thought of returning home and has stopped taking meds. The consequences are played out, leaving the others to grapple with an additional loss and a newfound appreciation for life. Mature fans of the verse format will devour this hefty problem novel.

Young Adult fiction--
The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian / Sherman         .....Alexie
California dreaming / Zoey Dean
Wake / Lisa McMann
The opposite of invisible / Liz Gallagher
A-List / Zoey Dean
Another kind of cowboy / Susan Juby