Ballpark Mysteries: The Fenway Foul-Up

Students are going to love this mystery series by David Kelley.  Each story features the same two main characters:  cousins named Mike and Kate.  Kate's mom is a sports reporter, so they get to go to major league ball parks.  Their first is Fenway Park where the star hitter for the Red Sox has had his bat stolen. Mike and Kate have to help him find it or he will forever lose his mojo!  Each book is full of facts about each ball park and its team.  (E KEL)

Heidi Hecklebeck Has A Secret

Heidi has always been home-schooled and definitely does NOT want to start regular school.  Her fear is only reinforced when, in her first minute at her desk, a mean girl starts picking on her.  She knows how to stand up for herself, but it will mean revealing her secret.  This first in the early chapter book series has a cliffhanger at the end that will make students grab the next one!  Fans of  Critter Club and Ivy and Bean will love this!  (E COV)

Galaxy Jack: Hello, Nebulon!

This is the first in a cute, early-chapter-book series by Ray O'Ryan.  Zack lives far into the future on Earth, but his family moves to the planet Nebulon. Moving across the galaxy means leaving all that he knows behind, like his friends.  He soon realizes that his new home and school may be different, but it may just work out o.k.  Kids will love reading about this futuristic world. (E ORY)

Roscoe Riley Rules #1 - Never Glue Your Friends to Chairs

In this first of an early-chapter-book series by Katherine Applegate, we meet first grader, Roscoe Riley.  The poor kid is a trouble magnet, but he is only in first grade, so he is still learning all the "rules".  He is the narrator of the stories, which make them funny and totally realistic.  In trying to help his teacher make a good impression on the principal, he thinks he helps by gluing his classmates to their chairs. (E APP)

Dogman

Dav Pilkey has added another series to his Captain Underpants and Ricky Riccotta collections with this first installment into a new genre - graphic novels.
An accident left the head of a policeman and the body of a dog useless and so doctors took the pieces that still worked and put them together.  George and Harold have such imaginations! Simple text makes this an appropriate choice for younger students.  I also likes the fact that each chapter is its own self-contained story. (GN PIL)

The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones

In this silly adventure story, a girl picks her nose and eats it, transporting her through a portal to a pirate ship.  There, she must help them find pieces of an X that will reopen the portal to get her home.  Crazy characters, bathroom humor, tons of action, fun drawings, and different fonts may attract readers.  It is a Great Stone Face nominee for this year, and is the first in a new series.  (FIC MAB)

Nest

I think this fits best on a middle-school shelf.  There are very mature topics in this story;  disease, suicide, abuse.  Written by Esther Erlich, it has Chirp as its main character, a girl who loves birds.  Her mom is diagnosed with a disease and has a nervous breakdown.  Chirp has a neighbor named Joey who becomes a great friend to her, but he is in a very bad situation at home himself.  I liked it and was eager to see how it ended, but it certainly was not a light, uplifting book. It was heavy.. too heavy for elementary school, I believe.

The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond

This was a lovely story about a bi-racial young girl who does not feel at home in her skin.  Her father died before she was born and she does not know her black side of the family.  Her mom, sister and grandparents are white.  When her dad's mother, whom she has never met, puts on an art show, Violet asks her mother if they can go.  Her new relationship with her black side of the family fills a hole in her life and makes her understand herself better.  (FIC WOO)