A Brooklyn eighth-grader nicknamed Antsy befriends the Schwa, an “invisible-ish” boy who is tired of blending into his surroundings and going unnoticed by nearly everyone.

Liz says:

“A schwa is actually a grammatical term that refers to a sound that is virtually unnoticeable. This is exactly how The Schwa is in this story – virtually unnoticeable. Through his friendship with Antsy and their connection with a disagreeable, somewhat shady, restaurant owner and his niece, The Schwa learns much about himself. There are lots of funny scenes and practical jokes which make this story fun and extremely entertaining.”

One by one, a number of people of varying ages and backgrounds transform a trash-filled inner-city lot into a productive and beautiful garden, and, in doing so, the gardeners are themselves transformed.

Liz says:

“This is a short and poignant book told from the different perspectives of neighbors who have no connection to each other until they get involved in a community garden. This is really more of a novella. It is so good that it was used as a school-wide read at my school, Scarsdale Middle School.”

After the death of his father, ten-year-old Moon Blake is removed from the Alabama forest where he was raised and sent to a boy’s home, where, for the first time, he has contact with the outside world and learns about friendship, love, and humanity.

Liz says:

“This is the best survival story I’ve read since Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet (see below). Moon’s father, a Vietnam Vet, distrusted the government so much that he took his wife and son to live in the forest with no ties to civilization (except for occasional trips to a convenience store for bare necessities). Moon’s mother dies when he’s very young and his father dies when he’s 10. He’s left to fend for himself. His greatest obstacle is his loneliness. When given the chance to decide between a reclusive life in the woods or a life in society, what will Moon decide? You’ll learn a lot about survival skills and much, much more!”

Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father–the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids.

Liz says:

“You will love Bud as he takes you on his journey and learns much about his father and himself. This is a must read.”

Crash Coogan, rising football sensation, and his friend, Mike make a regular practice of tormenting the school nerd, Penn Webb, but when Mike takes a prank too far, Crash finds himself locked in a moral dilemma.

Liz says:

“This is told from the perspective of an adult Crash looking back on a year in his life. (I believe it’s 7th grade). The voice is fresh and funny and the story deals with the important concept of not judging others and ridiculing them for their differences. This is a very accessible story that boys love and I highly recommend it.”

When he joins a predominantly African American “Teen Dream Team” that will be representing the United States in an international basketball tournament in Rome, Jimmy Doyle makes some unexpected discoveries about prejudice, racism, and politics.

Liz says:

“Boys absolutely love this book and so do I. There are lots of great basketball scenes and many poignant moments. Jimmy and the other characters are believable and the story moves quickly. I would not recommend this before 6th grade.”

When thirteen-year-old Martin arrives at an alternative school for misfits and problem students, he falls in with a group of boys with psychic powers and discovers something surprising about himself.

Liz says:

“From the very first page, you will be laughing! Martin is hilarious. He’s sent to Edgewater Reform School (I think I have the name right) because he just can’t seem to keep it together enough to stay in regular school. At Edgewater he’s surrounded by kids who each have a particular “problem”. Bloodbath, the school bully, is terrorizing Martin. To fight him off, Martin rallies the support of his friends. He has figured out a way to take their “problems” and refocus them as talents. There’s a supernatural quality to all of this. The book is entertaining and meaningful. In addition to the regular text, there are graphic elements such as school memos, letters and pictures. Everyone loves this book!!”

Things get out of hand for a twelve-year-old boy when a neighbor convinces him to expand his summer lawn mowing business.

Liz says:

“This is a fun and funny story of what can happen when a twelve year old boy gets a riding lawnmower for his birthday – big money, big business and sometimes big trouble.”

After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee’s life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.

Liz says:

“This is Jerry Spinelli at his best and is a must read for 5th graders.”

When his best friend drowns while they are both swimming in a treacherous river that they had promised never to go near, Joel is devastated and terrified at having to tell both sets of parents the terrible consequences of their disobedience.

Liz says:

“Told with sensitivity and without being heavy handed, Bauer delivers a strong message. Joel disobeys his parents’ wishes and he will have to live with the consequences. The story is extremely well-written and I highly recommend it.”