The following is a list of book and magazines that you and your family might enjoy reading over the summer. Please keep in mind that these are only suggestions, and that there are many other excellent books that you and your family might like. Please let us know if there is a book or magazine that you would like considered for next year's list.
Chris Purcell – Alden Librarian
Barbara Grenadir and Marie Piepiora – Alden Reading Specialists
Nancy Denman and Marty O'Meara – Children's Librarians, Duxbury Free Library

MYSTERIES

ADLER Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds (series)

AVI Something Upstairs

BYARS Tarot Says Beware (and others)

HOWE Bunnicula: a Rabbit-Tale of Mystery

JONES The Night Flyers (American Girl Mystery Series)

ROBERTS The Absolutely True Story…How I Visited Yellowstone Park with the Terrible Rupes

SOBOL Encyclopedia Brown (and others)

VAN DRAANEN Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy (and others)

YEP The Case of the Lion Dance

Other mystery authors to try:
John Bellairs, Paul Fleischman, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, David Patneaude, Gloria Skurzynski, Brad Strickland, Ian Whybrow, Betty Ren Wright.

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Realistic Fiction

CLEMENTS The Report Card

CREECH Granny Torrelli Makes Soup

VAN DRAANEN Shredderman: Secret Identity (series)

GANTOS Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key; Joey Pigza Loses Control

LYNCH Gold Dust

KIMMEL Lily B. on the Brink of Cool

SHREVE The Flunking of Joshua T. Bates

WINKLER The Zippity Zinger (and others)

Other realistic fiction authors to try:
Ellen Conford, Roald Dahl, Paula Danziger,Jean Craighead George, Peg Kehret, Lensey Namioka, Phyllis Naylor, Barbara O'Connor, Louis Sachar.

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HISTORICAL FICTION

BRINK Caddie Woodlawn

CURTIS The Watsons Go to Birmingham

CUYLER The Battlefield Ghost

DeFELICE The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker

KARR The Great Turkey Walk

PARK Seasaw Girl

PRYOR Luke on the High Seas

SALISBURY Under the Blood-Red Sun.

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HUMOR

BIRDSEYE Attack of the Mutant Underwear

BYARS The Burning Questions of Bingo Brown

COLFER The Legend of Spud Murphy

CREW Nekomah Creek

GLEITZMAN Toad Rage

JUSTER The Phantom Tollbooth

KORMAN Maxx Comedy

MCDONALD Judy Moody (series)

TAYLOR Knitwits

Other humor authors to try:
Betsy Duffey, Johanna Hurwitz, Jon Scieszka

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FANTASY

BARRY Peter and the Starcatchers

DICAMILLO Tale of Despereauz

DOWNER Hatching Magic

FUNKE Dragon Rider

HABER Heroic Adventures of Hercules Amsterdam

NIMMO Midnight for Charlie Bone (series)

PAOLINI Eragon; Eldest

SPRINGER Rowan Hood (series)

STROUD Amulet of Samakarand (series)

YOLEN Wizard's Hall; Tartan Magic

Other fantasy authors to try:
Avi, Lynne Reid Banks, Bruce Coville, Roald Dahl, Eva Ibbotson, Brian Jacques, Gail Carson Levine, Carol Sonenklar, Elizabeth Winthrop, Patricia C. Wrede.

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INFORMATION

AMARA So You Want to Be a Comic Book Artist?

ARMSTRONG Spirit of Endurance: the true story of the Shackleton Expedition

BLACKWOOD Extraordinary Events and Oddball Occurrences

BRIDGMAN Robots

CHESTER The Young Adventurer's Guide to Everest

HAKIM The Story of Science, Aristotle Leads the Way

HAWASS Curse of the Pharoahs: My Adventures With Mummies

JACKSON The Bone Detectives

OSBORNE The One-Eyed Giant

PRINGLE Strange Animals, New to Science

St. GEORGE So You Want to Be President?

WALKER Fossil Fish Found Alive.
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GRAPHIC NOVELS

Calvin and Hobbs Wind in the Willows Astro Boy (series)

Garfield Jungle Book Stories Baby Mouse (series

Superman, Batman, etc. The Last Knight Back Beauty

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Firegirl by Tony Abbott
Jessica is a burn victim, totally disfigured. A sensitive account of how a school class, and one boy in particular, is changed as a result of Jessica's brief time among them.

Sahara Special by Esme Codell
It's fifth grade with Ms. Pointy, her eggplant lipstick, unusual approach to subjects, and a tough group of kids. Can Sahara Jones make the transition from no longer being in a special needs class to life with Ms. Pointy?

Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer
Certified as the world's youngest detective, 12-year-old Fletcher Moon needs all his skills when he's framed for a serious crime, causing him to join forces with a notorious crime family in order to clear his name.

Hey Batta Batta Swing! The Wild Old Days of Baseball by Sally Cook
Find out what it was like before there was a pitching mound or numbers on jerseys. Read which player was traded for a bag of prunes, what Roger Clemens gave to keep his lucky number 21 when he switched teams, and other baseball trivia.

Victory by Susan Cooper
Cooper masterfully weaves together the present-day story of Molly, recently moved from London to America, and the 19 th century tale of Sam, a sailor on Lord Nelson's battleship, Victory. Read to the very end to discover the connection between the two characters!

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third must catch and train a dragon in order to officially join his Viking tribe, The Tribe of the Hairy Hooligans. A lot is expected of him as his father is chief of the tribe. He is not very good at the things most Viking boys are, but needs to use his wits to try and save the tribe when trouble brews with sea dragons.

Dear Max by Sally Grindley
Ten-year-old Max begins a correspondence with his favorite author. They develop a special friendship as they share storytelling ideas, secrets, and imaginative ideas.

Tales of the Cryptids by Kelly Milner Halls
Cryptozoology is the study of animals that may or may not be real like Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and those that are less familiar like Mokele-mbembe in the Congolese jungle. Pair this non-fiction account with the novel The Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith.

Winnie at Her Best by Jennifer Jacobson
What is Winnie the best at – is it spelling, acting? Read and find out in this story about friendship and self-acceptance.

Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata
Because the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, 12-year-old Sumiko, and her family living in the United States are being forced to move into relocation camps far from their home. How will her family, who grew and sold flowers, survive in the desert with only a suitcase of belongings?

Drita My Homegirl by Jenny Lombard
Drita is a refugee from Kosovo who speaks no English and Maxie is an outspoken girl from New York City. Can they learn how to overcome their differences and become friends?

Rules by Cynthia Lord
How does a 12-year-old have a normal life when she needs to constantly to remind her autistic brother about the “rules” so he doesn't embarrass her? How can she help her friend, Jason, when he can't speak?

The Door to Time by Ulysses Moore
Two eleven-year-old twins move with their family from London to an old mansion on the sea. They find there are many mysteries connected with the house and its previous owner including a hidden locked door!

Heat by Mike Lupica Michael
Arroyo lives for baseball and is the star of his Little League team until he is banned from playing because he cannot prove his age. How can he return to playing without destroying his family?

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor
With her family evicted from their apartment and living out of their car, Georgina Hayes is tired of waiting for her mom to fix the situation. She plots an elaborate scheme to get money by stealing a dog and then claiming the reward that is sure to be offered, or will it?

Phineas L. MacGuire Erupts by Frances O'Roark Dowell
Fourth grader, Phineas MacGuire, loses his best friend when he moves away, and now he needs a partner for the Science Fair. When he gets stuck with MacR, he learns about second chances and new ideas.

All of the Above by Shelley Pearsall
A 7 th grade math teacher in a poor neighborhood school forms an after-school math club so that the kids can build a tetrahedron and get into the Guinness Book of World Records. Do they succeed? Read and find out!

The One Left Behind by Willo Davis Roberts
Eleven year old Mandy is still mourning the death of her twin, Angel, when she is accidentally left behind as her family scatters to different weekend plans. She meets another teen that is on the run with his little brother. The two learn a lot about courage as they try to stay alive until help arrives.

Mama's Window by Lynn Rubright
Twelve-year-old “Sugar” is sent to live in the swamp with his crippled Uncle Free when his mother dies. Sugar discovers that the money his mother had struggled to raise for a stained glass window is going to be used for the construction of the church itself. He never gives up the dream of the beautiful window, and finds help in an unexpected source.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Twelve-year-old Hugo is an orphan living within the walls of a Paris train station where he repairs the clocks. When he meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his secret life is in jeopardy of being exposed. Uniquely done as part written novel and part graphic novel.

The Grimoire: the Curse of the Midions by Brad Strickland
Jarvey discovers he has magical powers and must travel back in time to look for his missing parents.

Blind Mountain by Jane Thomas
Sam's love is guitar, his dad's is hiking. Adventure and suspense take over when Sam's carelessness on a hike put his dad and him in great danger.

The Fairies of Nutfolk Wood by Barb Bentler Ullman
With the help of her elderly neighbor, a young girl learns that she has the ability to see fairies. This great little fairy tale is set in present day, unlike most that take place in the past.

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