F KRI	Griff Carver, Hallway Patrol (age 9-12) by Jim Krieg humor ... mystery ... school Publisher comments: Twelve-year-old Griff Carver knows a thing or two about fighting crime. Because Griff's not just any kid - he's a kid with a badge. And if you are a criminal, he's your worst nightmare. Griff might be the new kid on the Rampart Jr. High Patrol squad, but he's no rookie. And he'll do whatever it takes to clean up the mean hallways of his middle school - even if it lands him in hot water. But when Griff links cool kid Marcus "The Smile" Volger to a counterfeit hall pass ring, can he and his friends close the case? Or will Griff let down the force - and lose his badge - for good?
F LEV	The Wish (age 9-12) by Gail Carson Levine friendship ... fantasy ... school Publisher comments: Wilma Sturtz is invisible and miserable at school. So when an old lady on the subway offers her a wish, Wilma immediately asks for popularity — in fact, she asks to be the most popular kid at school. Suddenly, Wilma has more friends than she can keep track of, forty dates to the Grad Night Dance, and a secret admirer writing her love poems. Everything is great, until she realizes there's a loophole in her wish, and her time in the spotlight has almost run out.
F MAG	Seven Spiders Spinning (age 9-12) by Gregory Maguire traditions ... school ... humor Publisher comments: It's the discovery of the century: seven baby Siberian snow spiders frozen in a glacier. But as the spectacular chunk of ice is being trucked for analysis, the tiny tarantulas defrost — and escape. And when their beady spider eyes open for the very first time, they spy the seven members of a girls' club, the Tattletales. Each spider picks a girl and falls instantly in love. But love begins to sour when one of the spiders is captured by the Tattletales' classmate, Pearl. Six alarmed arachnids set off one by one to rescue their sibling. And as they get bigger, they get meaner ... which means major trouble for Pearl, the Tattletales, and the rival boys' club, the Copycats. Because there's only one thing worse than a love bite from a poisonous snow spider — and that's the bite of love gone bad! Halloween story.
F LOR	In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson (age 9-12) by Bette Bao Lord friendship ... humor ... identity ... sports ... school Shirley Temple Wong sails from China to America with a heart full of dreams. Her new home is Brooklyn, New York. America is indeed a land full of wonders, but Shirley doesn't know any English, so it's hard to make friends. Then a miracle happens...baseball. It is 1947, and Jackie Robinson, star of the Brooklyn Dodgers, is everyone's hero. Jackie Robinson is proving that a black man, the grandson of a slave, can make a difference in America and for Shirley as well, on the ball field and off, America becomes the land of opportunity.
F ANG	The Strange Case of Origami Yoda (age 9-12) by Tom Angleberger humor ... school ... mystery Publisher comments: In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. If that weren't strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient. Origami Yoda predicts the date of a pop quiz, guesses who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and saves a classmate from popularity-crushing embarrassment with some well-timed advice. Dwight's classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless. With contributions from his puzzled classmates, he assembles the case file that forms this novel.
F MAR	Belle Teal (age 9-12) by Ann M. Martin school ... family ... illness/loss ... historical Publisher comments: Belle Teal's life isn't easy, but she gets by. She lives with her mother and grandmother far out in the country. They don't have much money, but Belle Teal feels rich with their love. As school begins, Belle Teal faces unexpected challenges. Her best friends are up against some big problems. And there are two new students in Belle Teal's class: a shy boy caught in the town's furor over desegregation, and a snob who has problems of her own. As her world falls apart, Belle Teal discovers the importance of sticking together.
F SHA	Mysteriously Yours, Maggie Marmelstein (age 9-12) by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat authorship ... school Named the mystery column writer for the school newspaper, Maggie revels in the power she can exert.
F SCH	4 Kids in 5-E and 1 Crazy Year (age 9-12) by Virginia Frances Schwartz letters/journal ... humor ... school ... authorship Told in four voices, this heartfelt and sometimes hilarious story chronicles the ups and downs of a unique group of city kids learning to cope with their complicated lives.
F KIN	Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series (age 9-12) by Jeff Kinney letters/journal ... growing up ... humor ... school ... friendship It's a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you're ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary. title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley's Journal title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth
F HER	My Big Sister Is So Bossy: She Says You Can't Read This Book (age 9-12) by Mary Hershey humor ... friendship ... school Ten-year-old Effie, bursting with secrets since her best friend moved leaving her without a confidante, tries to deal with her problems on her own, certain there is no help to be found in her big sister, Maxey.
F PEC	Ghosts I Have Been (age 9-12) by Richard Peck school ... fantasy ... friendship ... spooky Blossom Culp is the outspoken outcast of Bluff City, always getting into trouble. No one wants to cross her, especially now that she's revealed that she can see the Unseen. Then Blossom herself is stunned, because her lie turns out to be truth. She actually does have second sight . . . and she is "on board" the sinking Titanic.
F HAW	The Cat That Could Spell Mississippi (age 9-12) by Laura Hawkins identity ... friendship ... school Anxious to prove that she is special at her new school, fourth-grader Linda makes everything more difficult for herself when she cheats on a spelling bee.
F DAN	The Cat Ate My Gymsuit (age 9-12) by Paula Danziger growing up ... humor ... school When the unconventional English teacher who helped her conquer many of her feelings of insecurity is fired, a junior high student uses her new found courage to campaign for the teacher's reinstatement.
F SHA	Getting Something on Maggie Marmelstein (age 9-12) by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat school ... realistic ... humor ... friendship After Thad embarrasses Maggie and she retaliates by embarrassing him even more, he plots revenge. sequel: Maggie Marmelstein For President
F WAL	Ferret in the Bedroom, Lizards in the Fridge (age 9-12) by Bill Wallace friendship ... school ... humor ... animals Liz's house is like a zoo. Thanks to her dad, a zoologist, there are turtles in the kitchen, an ibex in the backyard, a hawk in the shed, a sun porch full of lizards, and Fred the ferret. Liz has had enough! At school, her nickname is Lizard. Her classmates think she's weird and her friends are afraid to go to her house. With problems like those, how is she ever going to win the election for class president? Liz tries her hardest, but she runs into one disaster after another. So she makes the startling decision, the animals must go. Even Fred, her pet ferret. That will make all the difference in the world...won't it?
F CLE	The Janitor's Boy (age 9-12) by Andrew Clements family ... school It was the perfect crime. Unfortunately, it also led to the perfect punishment. When Jack Rankin gets busted for defacing a school desk with a huge wad of disgusting, watermelon bubble gum, the principal sentences him to three weeks of after-school gum cleanup for the chief custodian. The problem is, Jack's anger at the chief custodian was the reason for his gum project in the first place. The chief custodian happens to be Jack's dad. But doing time in the school basement after hours reveals some pretty surprising things: about the school, about Jack's father, and about Jack himself.
F CLE	Strider (age 9-12) by Beverly Cleary school ... friendship ... growing up ... letters/journal Strider has a new habit. Whenever we stop, he places his paw on my foot. It isn't an accident because he always does it. I like to think he doesn't want to leave me. Can a stray dog change the life of a teenage boy? It looks as if Strider can. He's a dog that loves to run; because of Strider, Leigh Botts finds himself running, well enough to join the school track team. Strider changes Leigh on the inside, too, as he finally begins to accept his parents' divorce and gets to know a redheaded girl he's been admiring. With Strider's help, Leigh finds that the future he once hated to be asked about now holds something he never expected: hope.
F BYA	The Burning Questions of Bingo Brown (age 9-12) by Betsy Cromer Byars school ... family ... friendship ... growing up When Bingo has to keep a notebook for school, all he can come up with are questions. Like how could I fall in love with three girls in three minutes? But not even his teacher, Mr. Mark, has the answers. In fact Mr. Mark has been acting pretty weird lately, and he's getting weirder. Is there more wrong with Mr. Mark than Bingo can handle?
F ROW	The Harry Potter Series (age 9-12) by J. K. Rowling fantasy ... adventure ... family ... school ... magic As the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone opens, all Harry Potter knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley, a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry's room is a closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years. But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry (and anyone who reads about him) will find unforgettable. title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets title: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
F NAY	The Alice Prequels (age 9-12) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor friendship ... school ... identity ... realistic ... growing up Well, a pet and pierced ears and really long hair would be nice, too ¿ and most of all, Alice wishes she still had a mother. But starting third grade in a new school in a new town can be lonely, especially if the closest thing you have to a friend is weird Donald Sheavers from next door. But even making new friends can't solve all of Alice's problems. Somehow she manages to get into trouble for a stupid lie, and to get on the wrong side of a bullying crossing guard and three snooty girls whom Alice calls "the Terrible Triplets." Will Alice ever feel at home in Takoma Park? This series introduce the younger Alice, leading up to the older series The Agony of Alice. title: Starting With Alice title: Lovingly Alice title: Alice in Blunderland
F YOL	Wizard's Hall (age 9-12) by Jane Yolen fantasy ... magic ... school Poor Henry. It's not enough that his mother has sent him away from home to learn magic. It's not enough that everyone at his new school calls him Thornmallow because he's ``prickly on the outside, squishy within''. It's not enough that the only talent he shows at Wizard's Hall is an ability to make messes of even the simplest spells. He finds himself with more responsibility than he knows how to bear.
F NIM	Children of the Red King (Charlie Bone) Series (age 9-12) by Jenny Nimmo adventure ... fantasy ... school This series chronicles Charlie's mysterious adventures at Bloor's Academy. title: Midnight for Charlie Bone title: Charlie Bone and the Beast title: Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors title: Charlie Bone and the Hidden King title: Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy title: Charlie Bone and the Time Twister title: Charlie Bone and the Shadow
F CLE	A Week in the Woods (age 9-12) by Andrew Clements identity ... survival ... adventure ... school The fifth-grade Week in the Woods is a beloved tradition of Hardy Elementary, where Mark Chelmsley (the Fourth) is pretty much killing time before his parents send him off to an exclusive prep school. But then Mark realizes the Week might be a chance to prove to Mr. Maxwell that he's not just another of the slacker kids the teacher can't stand.

Ohlone Elementary School, Sat Aug 25 11:55:33 2012 Other themes and genres