A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban
Eleven-year-old Zoe dreams of being a famous pianist and giving a recital at Carnegie Hall. Instead, her dad buys her a Perfectone D-60 and she must alter her dreams to include the sounds of an organ, not a piano. Her organ teacher recognizes her budding talent and recommends her for the “Perfectone Perform-O-Rama” where she will play Neil Diamond’s “Forever in Blue Jeans.” Instead of letting this twist of fate get her down, Zoe forges ahead with the help of her unique family members and her classmate Wheeler. (AR 3.9)
Eighth-grader Dylan is the senior patrol leader of his Hilo, Hawaii, scout troop. He and the other boys are looking forward to camping on the coast in the shadow of a volcano until they hear that Louie, a tough, troubled kid, will be joining them on the trip. After a difficult hike to the campsite, an earthquake rocks the island and a tsunami swamps the area. (AR 3.5)
It all starts with Logan crashing into Professor Wordsworth in the library reference stacks. To punish Logan, the eccentric old man places a curse on him. Logan suddenly starts speaking in really awful puns and he cannot stop. According to the professor, there is only one way to break the curse – Logan must collect seven oxymorons, seven anagrams, and seven palindromes or the pun-ishment will continue forever. (AR 3.6)
The driver steps out of a pickup truck and shoves a cardboard box filled with three frightened kittens into the bushes. So begins this contemporary fantasy about the survival of three kittens that miraculously make it across I-95. They soon encounter a group of feral cats and learn about the mayor’s plans to destroy the cats’ woodland home. (AR 4.8)
Grace’s mom explains that the Year of the Dog is all about friends and family, as well as being a good year for finding yourself. That is exactly what Grace, an American girl of Taiwanese heritage, sets out to do. As the year unfolds, Grace makes friends with another Asian girl, Melody, and they enter the science fair together. They also share a crush on the same boy and enjoy the special food of their heritage. At the end of the year and the story, Grace has learned much about her family’s culture and herself. (AR4.2)
11-year-old Mildred’s dad is a veterinarian and they live near Circleville where Ohio’s pumpkin festival is held each year. Mildred misses her deceased mom who had been Pumpkin Queen years earlier, and now Mildred is determined to grow a giant winning pumpkin. Mildred smoothly narrates the story describing her comfortable bond with her dad, her prickly relationship with her aunt, and her obsession with pumpkin growing. Along the way, she graphically describes helping with the birth a calf and mentions other trials involved in growing up. (AR 4.8)
Her family inherits a fortune and Emmy Addison’s life turns upside down. Her once loving parents now travel to faraway places and leave Emmy with a devious and controlling nanny, Miss Barmy. If this isn’t bad enough, Emmy is bitten by the classroom rat and quickly realizes that she can understand what the rat is saying. Emmy’s classmate Joe soon finds out that a second bite shrinks you into the size of an action figure. The rat, Emmy, and Joe learn that Miss Barmy has been mixing animal essences in an effort to control the Addisons’ lives. (AR 4.7)
Who would have thought that a broken-down old cow named Blossom would help eleven-year-old Toby find the meaning of life? While at the summer rental cabin, Toby finds a new lump in his side. His cancer is recurring, but he definitely wants to keep his worried parents from finding out. This decision is reinforced when he befriends an elderly, once famous poet, named Pearl who stubbornly refuses to leave her home to live with her daughters. The mix-matched pair share a love of Blossom and a deepening understanding of each other. (AR 4)
Six words in a letter change the lives of thirteen-year-old Jonah and his friend Chip – “You are one of the missing.” Both boys know they are adopted, but Jonah has never given it much thought until he and Chip start receiving mysterious letters. The boys and Jonah’s sister, Katherine, are plunged into a mystery involving a smuggling operation, the FBI, and an airplane that appears out of nowhere. (AR 5)
Igraine thought it boring that her parents are the greatest magicians between Whispering Woods and Giant’s Hills. Her brother, Albert, wants to be a magician, but Igraine would rather win one of the King’s tournaments and become a famous knight. All of Igraine’s skills and bravery are put to the test in this rollicking, magical adventure filled with evil-plotting Osmund, singing books of magic, a talking cat, and a red-headed giant. (AR 5.6)
Budding rock hound, Brendan, knows he is a scientist because he likes to ask questions and find answers. Questions like what is dust and who is the grandfather that Mom says is “gone?” Why don’t his parents talk about him or invite him to the house? Does it have something to do with his biracial heritage? Join Brendan on his quest for answers, his experiences with racial-based misunderstandings, and his need to bond with his white grandfather. (AR 4)
The rambunctious fourth grade class gets a new teacher – Mr. Jupiter. From that day forward, school becomes an exciting and unpredictable place. Mr. Jupiter charms everyone and even Miss Paige Turner, the school librarian, gets a crush on him. (AR 3.9)
The worst has happened – Evan’s younger sister is skipping a grade and they will both be in the same fourth grade class in the fall. In the past, brother and sister always got along well, but now a competitive rivalry begins with each of them trying to earn the most money over the summer. (AR 4.1)
It all started with a squirrel in the toilet that led to Veronica (Ronnie) Sparks and her hyperactive brother hitting the road with their grumpy grandfather, Pop. Pop is a wind prospector and travels across country in his slick, new RV. Traveling from Texas to Kansas searching for a good stiff breeze isn’t exactly Ronnie’s idea of a dream trip, but all goes well until Ronnie’s brother mysteriously disappears into thin air. (AR 5.4)
Winston Breen is always solving puzzles. Then one day, Winston and his sister find strange puzzle pieces in an antique box and an adventure begins. Soon Winston and his friends are hunting for a long-lost treasure. Helping them with the puzzle pieces are the town librarian, an ex-policeman, an attractive reporter, and two mysterious strangers. (AR 4.2)
