One for the Murphy's

 Imagine if you were a foster kid living with an unfamiliar family. One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt is about twelve year old Carly Conners, a foster child. 

After an incident with her mother and her step-father Carly Conners finds herself in foster care. She immediately goes to live with the Murphys and realizes the mother is caring, the dad is a Red Sox fan, and there are three brothers, Daniel, Adam and Michael Eric. Carly is far from being part of the family but maybe she can make a little room in her heart for them. When she starts school she makes a new friend, Toni, and she learns the true meaning of friendship and love. Carly isn't part of the family and she will never be but just as soon as she starts to feel comfortable around them, some unexpected news comes from her mother. I recommend this book to 5th graders and up. If you liked this book make sure to check out Fish in a Tree and Shouting at the Rain by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. 

Chains

 Imagine if you had to work all day just because of the color of your skin. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson is a sad but realistic fiction story.

Thirteen year old Isabel and her little sister Ruth are fighting their way for freedom. They get sold to the Locktons, a couple from New York City. They aren't exactly nice, but Isabel and Ruth work as hard as they can even though they don't get any money. The sisters know not to mess around because Mrs. Lockton will hit them hard. Isabel makes a new friend named Curzon who tells Isabel she should spy on her owners but the last thing Isabel wants is to get hit hard. When something happens to ruth Isabel realizes that she will have to save Ruth. I recommend this book to 5th graders and up. 

Everything Everything

Imagine if you were not allowed outside and could barely eat or drink anything. Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon is a heartfelt story about an eighteen year old girl named Madeline Whitter.

Madeline's disease is very rare, she is basically allergic to the word. Madeline has not left her house in over fifteen years! No one ever comes into her house except for her nurse, Carla. Madeline is homeschooled and lives with her mom (her dad and brother died in a car crash.) One day when Madeline looks out her window she sees new neighbors, a girl, mom, dad, and a boy. The boy is tall and wearing all black, he has the bluest eyes and a hat that covers his hair. He catches Madeline looking at him so he stares back. His name is Olly. Out of eighteen years Madeline has never wanted anything more than to meet Olly. Just like that Madeline knows she will fall in love with him and she doesn't care what kind of challenges she will have to face. I recommend this book to 6th graders and up.

The Next Great Paulie Fink

The Next Great Paulie Fink by Ali Benjamin is a hilarious and mysterious book.  

Caitlyn Breen moves to Vermont with her mother because her mother got offered a job. Caitlyn enters Mitchell School as a seventh grader, most of the seventh graders have known each other since kindergarten. When Caitlyn enters the classroom everyone looks so sad and they all start talking about this guy named Paulie Fink. Caitlyn only has one question. Who is this person and why did he just disappear? She meets a girl named Gabby and she starts to tell Caitlyn all about Paulie Fink. He was a jokester, prankster and a troublemaker. But after a little no one has any hope they will ever find Paulie again so why not find a new Paulie Fink. What can go wrong? I recommend this book to 4th graders and up. If you liked this book make sure to check out The Thing about Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin posted in June. 

Endling the First

 The book Endling the First by Katherine Applegate is about a darine named Byx who is fearless. This is the sequel to Endling the Last by Katherine Applegate.

Byx, Tobble, Gambler, Khara, Renzo and Dog all are looking for darines. After everything they have gone through they are still somehow surviving. Byx doesn't like how all these amazing creatures and humans are risking their lives just for her. They finally find two darines and Byx can't believe her eyes. After one gets killed Byx is left with just one darine but that will do. The darine's name is Maxyan and he is not thrilled with Byx about having his father killed. Tobble, Maxyan and Byx go on a journey to find more darines while the rest are on a different journey. Will Byx be able to find more darines? I recommend this book to 5th graders and up.

Endling the Last

 Endling the Last by Katherine Applegate is a book with some violence. This is the first book in the series.

Byx is used to being the runt of her darine pack, all her siblings tease her. When Byx adventures to the water early in the morning the day her pack is supposed to move to find more darines she smells something she hasn't smelled in a really long time, humans. She races back to her pack and sees that the humans are there, she watches in horror as her pack gets killed. She instantly makes a goal, that she will find darines. On her adventure she meets a loyal friend named Tobble, a good human named Khara, a feveilt named Gambler, another good human Renzo and a dog named dog. They look almost everywhere and still no darines. Byx starts to wonder if she is the endling. I recommend this book to 5th graders and up.

If you enjoy this book, I would recommend reading the second book in the series, Endling the First. The third book in the series is set to be released on March 2, 2021. 

Fairy Tale Reform School Cursed

 The book Fairy Tale Reform School Cursed by Jen Calonita is about an adventurous girl named Gilly Cobbler. This is the last book in the series.

Rumpilstilken is planning to cast a curse that will erase all of Enchantasia! As you might know Anna (Gilly's little sister) is still with Rumpilstilken. Gilly can't help but wonder if Anna wants to come back, maybe she is homesick and she might need saving? The fairy prophecy declares that Gilly must save Enchantasia. Can Gilly and her friends save Enchantasia before it's too late? I recommend this book to 4th graders and up.