"The books that help you the most are those which make you think the most." – Theodore Parker
2012-2013 Sunshine State Book List
Allen, Crystal How Lamar’s Bad Prank Won a Bubba-sized Trophy( AR 5.4 )
When thirteen-year-old, bowling-obsessed Lamar Washington finds out that his idol is coming to town, he finds himself involved in some unsavory activities as he tries to change his image to impress people.
Carmichael, Clay Wild Things( AR 5.7 )
Stubborn, self-reliant, eleven-year-old Zoe, recently orphaned, moves to the country to live with her prickly half-uncle, a famous doctor and sculptor, and together they learn about trust and the strength of family.
Catanese, P.W. Happenstance Found( AR 5.4 )
Twelve-year-old Happenstance wakes up in a cave with no idea how he got there, or who he is, but merchant and royal advisor Lord Umber helps Hap and his two friends escape from the caverns.
Flores-Galbis, Enrique 90 Miles to Havana ( AR 4.8 )
Julian’s parents, hoping to protect him from the dangers of the turmoil in Cuba, send him to the United States in 1961 as part of Operation Pedro Pan, not realizing that life in a Miami refugee camp holds its own perils.
Gaiman, Neil The Graveyard Book(AR 5.3 )
The orphan Bod, short for Nobody, is taken in by the inhabitants of a graveyard as a child of eighteen months and raised lovingly and carefully to the age of eighteen years by the community of ghosts and otherworldly creatures.
Grant, Katy Hide and Seek( AR 4.6 )
In the remote mountains of Arizona where he lives with his mother, stepfather, and two sisters, fourteen-year-old Chase discovers two kidnapped boys and gets caught up in a dangerous adventure when he comes up with a plan to get them to safety.
Greenwald, Tommy Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading(AR 5.8 )
Charlie Joe Jackson may be the most reluctant reader ever born. And so far, he’s managed to get through life without ever reading an entire book from cover to cover. But now that he’s in middle school, avoiding reading isn’t as easy as it used to be. And when his friend Timmy McGibney decides that he’s tired of covering for him, Charlie Joe finds himself resorting to desperate measures to keep his perfect record intact.This is the hilarious story of an avid non-reader and the extreme lengths to which he’ll go to get out of reading a book.
Korman, Gordon The Juvie Three (AR 4.9)
Gecko, Arjay, and Terence, all in trouble with the law, must find a way to keep their halfway house open in order to stay out of juvenile detention.
Park, Linda Sue A Long Walk to Water : Based on a True Story(AR 5.0 )
When the Sudanese civil war reaches his village in 1985, eleven-year-old Salva becomes separated from his family and must walk with other Dinka tribe members through southern Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya in search of safe haven. Based on the life of Salva Dut, who, after emigrating to America in 1996, began a project to dig water wells in Sudan.
Patterson, James The Dangerous Days of Daniel X(AR 6.3 )
Fifteen-year-old Daniel has followed in his parents’ footsteps as the Alien Hunter, exterminating beings on The List of Alien Outlaws on Terra Firma, but when he faces his first of the top ten outlaws, the very existence of Earth and another planet are at stake.
Philbrick, Rodman The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg( AR 5.6 )
Homer P. Figg escapes from his wretched foster home in Pine Swamp, Maine, and sets out to find his beloved older brother, Harold, who has been illegally sold into the Union Army.
Rallison, Janette My Fair Godmother(AR 5.2 )
On cover the word fairy is crossed out and replaced with fair. High school sophomore Savannah wants to find the perfect prom date after her boyfriend breaks up with her to date her older sister, but when a godmother who is only fair becomes involved, Savannah finds herself in trouble in the Middle Ages, along with a boy who would like to be her charming prince.
Rorby, Ginny Lost in the River of Grass( AR 4.2 )
When two Florida teenagers become stranded on a tiny island in the Everglades, they attempt to walk ten miles through swampland to reach civilization.
Vigilante, Danette The Trouble with Half a Moon( AR 4.4)
Thirteen-year-old Dellie is overcome with guilt and grief when her brother dies, but when she finds herself at odds with her best friend, Dellie reaches out to a neglected boy who lives in her building in the projects and learns how to have faith in herself from a new neighbor.
Woods, Brenda Saint Louis Armstrong Beach(AR 4.1)
The gripping story of a boy, a dog and a hurricane Saint is a boy with confidence as big as his name is long. A budding musician, he earns money playing clarinet for the New Orleans tourists. His best friend is a stray dog named Shadow, and it’s because of Shadow that Saint’s still in town when Hurricane Katrina hits. Saint’s not worried about the hurricane at first–he plans to live to be a hundred just to defy his palm-reader friend Jupi, who told him he had a short life line. But now the city has been ordered to evacuate and Saint won’t leave without Shadow. His search brings him to his elderly neighbor’s home and the three of them flee to her attic when the waters rise. But when Miz Moran’s medication runs out, it’s up to Saint to save her life–and his beloved Shadow’s.
When thirteen-year-old, bowling-obsessed Lamar Washington finds out that his idol is coming to town, he finds himself involved in some unsavory activities as he tries to change his image to impress people.
Carmichael, Clay Wild Things( AR 5.7 )
Stubborn, self-reliant, eleven-year-old Zoe, recently orphaned, moves to the country to live with her prickly half-uncle, a famous doctor and sculptor, and together they learn about trust and the strength of family.
Catanese, P.W. Happenstance Found( AR 5.4 )
Twelve-year-old Happenstance wakes up in a cave with no idea how he got there, or who he is, but merchant and royal advisor Lord Umber helps Hap and his two friends escape from the caverns.
Flores-Galbis, Enrique 90 Miles to Havana ( AR 4.8 )
Julian’s parents, hoping to protect him from the dangers of the turmoil in Cuba, send him to the United States in 1961 as part of Operation Pedro Pan, not realizing that life in a Miami refugee camp holds its own perils.
Gaiman, Neil The Graveyard Book(AR 5.3 )
The orphan Bod, short for Nobody, is taken in by the inhabitants of a graveyard as a child of eighteen months and raised lovingly and carefully to the age of eighteen years by the community of ghosts and otherworldly creatures.
Grant, Katy Hide and Seek( AR 4.6 )
In the remote mountains of Arizona where he lives with his mother, stepfather, and two sisters, fourteen-year-old Chase discovers two kidnapped boys and gets caught up in a dangerous adventure when he comes up with a plan to get them to safety.
Greenwald, Tommy Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading(AR 5.8 )
Charlie Joe Jackson may be the most reluctant reader ever born. And so far, he’s managed to get through life without ever reading an entire book from cover to cover. But now that he’s in middle school, avoiding reading isn’t as easy as it used to be. And when his friend Timmy McGibney decides that he’s tired of covering for him, Charlie Joe finds himself resorting to desperate measures to keep his perfect record intact.This is the hilarious story of an avid non-reader and the extreme lengths to which he’ll go to get out of reading a book.
Korman, Gordon The Juvie Three (AR 4.9)
Gecko, Arjay, and Terence, all in trouble with the law, must find a way to keep their halfway house open in order to stay out of juvenile detention.
Park, Linda Sue A Long Walk to Water : Based on a True Story(AR 5.0 )
When the Sudanese civil war reaches his village in 1985, eleven-year-old Salva becomes separated from his family and must walk with other Dinka tribe members through southern Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya in search of safe haven. Based on the life of Salva Dut, who, after emigrating to America in 1996, began a project to dig water wells in Sudan.
Patterson, James The Dangerous Days of Daniel X(AR 6.3 )
Fifteen-year-old Daniel has followed in his parents’ footsteps as the Alien Hunter, exterminating beings on The List of Alien Outlaws on Terra Firma, but when he faces his first of the top ten outlaws, the very existence of Earth and another planet are at stake.
Philbrick, Rodman The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg( AR 5.6 )
Homer P. Figg escapes from his wretched foster home in Pine Swamp, Maine, and sets out to find his beloved older brother, Harold, who has been illegally sold into the Union Army.
Rallison, Janette My Fair Godmother(AR 5.2 )
On cover the word fairy is crossed out and replaced with fair. High school sophomore Savannah wants to find the perfect prom date after her boyfriend breaks up with her to date her older sister, but when a godmother who is only fair becomes involved, Savannah finds herself in trouble in the Middle Ages, along with a boy who would like to be her charming prince.
Rorby, Ginny Lost in the River of Grass( AR 4.2 )
When two Florida teenagers become stranded on a tiny island in the Everglades, they attempt to walk ten miles through swampland to reach civilization.
Vigilante, Danette The Trouble with Half a Moon( AR 4.4)
Thirteen-year-old Dellie is overcome with guilt and grief when her brother dies, but when she finds herself at odds with her best friend, Dellie reaches out to a neglected boy who lives in her building in the projects and learns how to have faith in herself from a new neighbor.
Woods, Brenda Saint Louis Armstrong Beach(AR 4.1)
The gripping story of a boy, a dog and a hurricane Saint is a boy with confidence as big as his name is long. A budding musician, he earns money playing clarinet for the New Orleans tourists. His best friend is a stray dog named Shadow, and it’s because of Shadow that Saint’s still in town when Hurricane Katrina hits. Saint’s not worried about the hurricane at first–he plans to live to be a hundred just to defy his palm-reader friend Jupi, who told him he had a short life line. But now the city has been ordered to evacuate and Saint won’t leave without Shadow. His search brings him to his elderly neighbor’s home and the three of them flee to her attic when the waters rise. But when Miz Moran’s medication runs out, it’s up to Saint to save her life–and his beloved Shadow’s.