Echo Mountain

by Lauren Wolk

It's post depression-era Maine, and Ellie and her family are forced to leave town and move into the hills to try to make ends meet. Gone are the days of stores and money--now it's isolation and bartering. As her father cuts down a tree one day, her little brother scampers beneath it. When she rushes to save him, her father pushes them both to safety, but is crushed by the tree and becomes comatose. The family's sole focus becomes keeping Daddy alive, which is no easy feat. Ellie eventually meets Cate, some call her a healer, some call her a hag. She has a wound of her own, and Ellie sets out to fix her and Daddy both. This is a beautifully written novel that will appeal to historical fiction fans of all ages. 

House Arrest

by K.A. Holt

Timothy stole a stranger's wallet, and now he's on probation and in really big trouble. His life changed so fast. One minute, he and his mom and dad had a happy little family with a baby on the way. The next minute, they find out the baby is sick, the dad bails, and it's just Timothy, his mom, Levi, and a home health care worker. He only stole the wallet to help pay for Levi's medical bills, but that doesn't change anything. His probation officer and his therapist make him keep a journal, which is the story we're reading. This is a gut-wrenching novel, full of heart and sadness and hope and love and disappointment and all the feelings! 

 

When Stars are Scattered

 

by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

The only reason I picked this up was because I heard so many glowing reviews--I'm not really a graphic novel person, and I'm ashamed to say the subject matter didn't really sound all that riveting at first glance. Boy, was I wrong.

A true story, told by Omar, a young boy growing up in a Somali refugee camp in Kenya. His parents casualties of a war-torn country, he and his brother are sent to live in the camps and given a sort of surrogate mother to watch after them. Hassan has special needs, so when Omar is offered the rare opportunity to go to school, he's torn about leaving his brother who depends on him. That's just one of the gut-wrenching, inspiring, and unbelievable stories this book has to tell. I loved this. Not be be hyperbolic, but this one could easily go into the "life-changing" category.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

by J.K. Rowling

Not enough Dumbledore in this one for my liking! Not bad, but happy to be moving on to book 6! 
 

Hide and Seeker

 

by Daka Hermon

Last year, Justin's friend Zee disappeared, right around the same time Justin's mom passed away. Now he lives with his big sister, and is dealing with the fact that Zee is back, but not the same. There's something deeply troubling about him, but everyone says to just give him time. When Zee's mom has a get-together at her house, she invites the neighborhood kids, and hopes that it will help Zee. But all he does is start screaming random rhymes at them, some of which seem like threats, and some like warnings. The next day, one of the neighborhood girls has gone missing, and even stranger things begin happening to the group of friends. Could the disappearances have something to do with their casual game of Hide and Seek? And could Justin be the next to disappear?

I loved this truly creepy tale that takes an innocent kids' game and turns it on its head. The author isn't afraid to go to dark places, while keeping it safely in the realm of middle grade. The characters are relatable, and the plot moves quickly. I will definitely keep this in mind to recommend to lots of kids, and it would make a great read aloud!