Into the Blizzard

Harrowing account of an attempted rescue and tragic end during a blizzard off the coast of Massachusetts in 1978.  I have students who will love this book and the action involved.  

Spies, Lies, and Disguise

This book contains tidbits of WWII history in the form of spies and subterfuge.  Many of the people and events are ones adult readers would be familiar with but these short, accessible nuggets would be fun for middle school readers.  The tone is light overall without losing the fact that it was a war.  I can think of a handful of students I could give this to right away.

Day Zero

Jinx's father has been preparing for the worst for years - he even wrote a survival guide about it.  But when bombs destroy banks all over the country survival becomes a real thing - especially when her stepfather is being framed for everything.  Jinx, her brother, and stepsister are told to go find her father while her mother and stepfather are taken into custody.  But things do not go smoothly - Jinx doesn't know who to trust or who is after her and when those she cares for betray her things get even more confusing.  

I quite liked this dystopian novel.  There were definitely political parallels to current events which didn't bother me too much because the members of the family argued about the 2 sides in a pretty balanced way.  I did feel the Kennebunk reference was a bit much.  There was also a good deal of swearing, especially near the end, and some violence which skew this more to the YA than for my middle grade readers.

The Dragon Warrior

Faryn and her brother have been trained by their grandfather for years to be warriors even though others in the Jade Society think there is no longer any threat.  All that changes when Faryn encounters a demon at the beginning of the Lunar New Year.  Soon she and her brother are on a quest and somehow she is now the legendary Heaven Breaker with a sword and a mission.  But can she truly control dragons and save the world or is there something else going on?

I appreciate the diversity of this and for fans of Rick Riordan type books this will be a hit.  Because I have little context for Chinese mythology and culture it was hard for me to understand.

The Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted

Jack is dreading his science project and he is nervous about his friend's presentation too because Freddy is always spouting off about weird conspiracy theories.  But then Jack is chased, rescued, and then magically transported to a mysterious island and the Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted.  Soon his and a band of other "improbables" become a new 13th group.  But who is Jack really, who are they fighting, and how can they possible defeat them.

This book had a lot of action.  It was one I was reading in spurts in the morning on my elliptical.  At times I got a bit confused and the climax was a bit convoluted but it was overall a good read.  Those who have the opportunity to read it at a more steady pace may not experience the difficulties I did.  This is the first in a series.