Do you love a challenge? 

Are you great at solving puzzles? 

Maybe your special talent is in creatively solving the problems you encounter? 

Meet the children of the Mysterious Benedict Society. Each one of them has been handpicked through a series of tests and challenges to join a team. Their mission? Save the world, of course.

Follow along as Sticky, Constance, Reynie and Kate take on that secret mission. Can you figure out the puzzles before they do?

This book is a wonderful combination of mystery, adventure, and teamwork. Go along for the ride!

http://www.mysteriousbenedictsociety.com/  Join the adventure, try out puzzles and games, and read excerpts from upcoming books here! 

Wonder is the story of a fifth grade boy named Auggie (August) with a genetic disorder. He can’t hide his differences from the world because they are stamped on his face for all to see. He spends his elementary years being homeschooled, due to the intense schedule of surgeries required to help him even be able to eat and breathe properly. In fifth grade, his parents decide it is time for him to start to interact more with kids his own age, though they know it will be incredibly stressful. Kids can be mean, though, right? What follows is Auggie’s story of that year, but it is also a tale of other children struggling to fit in. 

Wonder is the perfect addition to your reading diet. It would work well as a read-aloud, a small group reading circle, or to recommend to individual students. With poignant scenes about family and friends, interspersed with humor and pop culture references that kids will adore, Wonder will be sure to capture the hearts and minds of children and adults alike. 


I discovered the trailer below on the fabulous website Watch.Connect.Read.  by the amazing Mr. Schu 

Do you love to read the Guinness Book of World Records or Ripley's Believe it or Not and enjoy adventure stories with secret codes? Seriously? Of course you do! Then add in a helping of Dan Gutman's wacky humor, and you have the recipe for a book that you will simply devour. 

Coke and Pepsi McDonald are almost 13, and their parents are a little bit.... strange. They are being forced to take an RV trip from California to Virginia at the start of summer vacation. Just before they leave, they discover that they have been recruited to join the Genius Files - a secret group of highly intelligent children who need to save the world. That's when the attempts to kill them begin.

The trip is a crazy mixture of adventures, code breaking, and visits to quirky locations across the United States. What other book would include vats of liquefied Spam, jumping off of cliffs, and a visit to the TWO largest balls of twine? 

*** 
Fans of Dan Gutman's Weird School Days books will enjoy this series, and parents and teachers will like the fact that this book is a step up in length and text challenge. The second book was just released, which means you can jump right into the sequel! 

Don’t let the title fool you – girls will also love this book! 

This is an exciting collection of short stories that will make you bite your nails until the very end. Creepy but funny. Scary but not too scary. There are tales about ghosts, pirates, wishes, a terrible private investigator, and more. 


My favorite story was "Ghost Vision Goggles"; a story about boy who sends away for weird items from the back of old comics. When he receives goggles that let him see ghosts, he gets more than he expected.

The best part of this book? When I held it up in my classroom the first student to jump up and grab it was a girl. Oh yeah, I love that. I don't expect this book to stay on my shelf for long stretches at a time.

The stories are by authors my students already love: Anthony Horowitz, Margaret Peterson Haddix, James Patterson and more!

(Middle grades: 3-6)

Check out the Guys Read website for more information about this book and other reading ideas with boys in mind. (but girls will like them too!)

My students showered me with love before holiday break - love in the form of books to read. This topped my list as one of my favorite reads, and so earned the spot as my "Dragon's Book of the Week" when we returned to school.

It's 1899 in Texas and Calpurnia has no desire to act like a regular little girl. Her mind dances with curiosity about the world. Luckily for her, Calpurnia's grandfather notices her quick mind and inquisitive nature and makes it his job to help her as she explores the world around her, in spite of her mother's every attempt to train her up to be a proper young lady. 

Yes, this is the kind of story that is told a lot recently. But Calpurnia is one of those lovely characters that springs to life on the page. I highly recommend the story to students who love the natural world (boys and girls alike), as there is plenty of science built into the tale. It is also a beautifully told tale, and one that gives students a glimpse into the way the world worked as automobiles and telephones began I'm hoping my students love this book as much as I did!

Author: M.P. Kozlowsky
What would you sacrifice to make your fondest wishes come true?

Juniper's family used to be close and loving. Juniper would write elaborate plays and her actor parents would make them come to life. Her parents longed for fame and fortune, though. When they finally "made it" in the movies, their lives changed drastically. Suddenly, Juniper's parents have no time for her, and don't even seem to really care about her anymore. When she meets a new neighbor named Giles with similar parental problems, they decide to investigate.

This isn't just a tale of family changes, though. Juniper suspects something sinister has happened to her formerly loving parents. When she follows them out into the woods one dark and dreary night, her suspicions are confirmed. Can she withstand the temptations of her own deepest desires long enough to rescue her parents?

Juniper Berry is a wonderfully creepy tale, but not terrifying. It's a great choice for kids who want to dive into a book that will make them shiver. Students who are overly sensitive (as some of my students tend to be) may want to wait until they are slightly older. It's a great example of a strong female lead who will also appeal to the boys in the room!

Note: I won a copy of this book from Walden Pond Press. Check them out on Twitter! (@WaldenPondPress) 

Gerald is just a typical kid, looking forward to a vacation on the slopes with his friends. But when a death in the family leaves him stinking rich, his life is changed forever.

His mysterious great aunt Geraldine has left him more than just a tremendous fortune, though. She left him a letter declaring that she has been murdered. It's up to Gerald to figure out  who killed her, before he becomes the next victim! 

This week's book of the week is a mystery, as part of my effort to stretch my students beyond the science fiction and fantasy that they adore (Okay, I love it too). The plot is bursting with action that will firmly put it on the "must have" list for middle grade readers. There is even a touch of the fantastic along the way, which will help it appeal to the firmly fantasy contingent. While some of the miraculous coincidences can be a bit of a stretch, I think kids will enjoy the adventures of the resourceful Gerald and the friends he makes along the way. Give it a shot! 

Visit the author's webpage here!http://www.richardnewsome.com/richardnewsome/Home.html


Reviewer's Note: I was provided a copy of the book to read by the publisher - Walden Pond Press. They have a great Twitter feed! @WaldenPondPress 

A typical "unlikely hero" story -  but with some fun twists -  The Call is fantasy riddled with pop culture references which added a nice layer of humor to the story. 

Mack is sooooo "medium". He's afraid of almost everything, though he does know how to stand up to bullies. So how could he possibly be one of the "Magnificent 12" - destined to save the world?

I found myself smiling and chuckling a lot, and I think kids would have a blast with this story (my fourth grade son loved it!). It's adventurous and funny - a read that will keep kids coming back for more. 

When you are a member of the Beaumont family, you're 13th birthday is extra special. Not only are you now officially a teenager, but you unlock your special magical gift - your "savvy".

Mibs is hoping for something amazing, something to help her stand out from the crowd. But when her father is injured and hospitalized, her wish changes. She just wants her new savvy to be something that can save his life. 

My students insisted I use this book as my Book of the Week. This is a great novel about growing up, making new friends, and accepting the unique parts of yourself. 

Visit the author's website at http://www.ingridlaw.com/

What would happen if you could read yourself INTO a book just by reading aloud? It sounds like every passionate reader's fondest dream... but not if you can't find your way back out again! Especially when you can't control which of your listeners actually joins the story, or what part of the story jumps back into your world in return.

Wow. What a simple, elegant concept. This book is beautiful. The language is beautiful, the characters are fascinating, and I was pulled along through every part of the novel. I've read other books by Cornelia Funke, and they are great, but this is by far my favorite. Students love it to, as evidenced by the fact that one of my students insisted this be the "Book of the Week" for this week! 

It breaks my heart to think that there are middle grade students out there who may not have read this book! Yes, it's a movie. But do yourself a huge favor and read the book! 

While you are at it (or once you are a huge fan of Funke's work) visit her website for more about her and the worlds she has created!