The Dogs by Allan Stratton (2015)

Quick, creepy, and twisty, this is a solid choice for hungry horror fans.

Recommended grade level: 7 and up

Pages:  272 (for ISBN 9781492609384)

Genre(s) and keywords: thriller, horror, mystery, reluctant readers

Tone/Style: dark, unreliable

Pace: moderate to fast

Topics: ghosts, stalking, rural setting, parents dating

Themes: family, trust, absent parents, secrets

Summary: Cameron and his mom are being hunted by his dad. In their isolated farmhouse, Cameron sees and hears things that aren’t possible. Soon he’s questioning everything – including his sanity. What’s hiding in the night? Buried in the past? Cameron must uncover the secrets before they tear him apart. (Source)

Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell (2016)

Atmospheric horror with a wide age-range appeal and creepy dolls.

Recommended grade level: 6 and up

Pages:   298 (for ISBN 9780545941082)

Genre(s) and keywords: horror

Tone/Style: bleak, scary

Pace: moderate to fast

Topics: curses, ghosts, dolls, possession, death

Themes: aftermath of tragedy, grief, family

Summary: Dunvegan School for Girls has been losed for many years. Converted into a family home, the teachers and the students are long gone. But they left something behind…

Unstoppable: True Stories of Amazing Bionic Animals by Nancy Furstinger (2017)

Cute, inspiring, and photo-heavy, this feel-good title is great for browsing.

Recommended grade level: 4 and up

Pages:  128 (for ISBN 9780544879669)

Genre(s) and keywords: nonfiction, science, reluctant readers

Tone/Style: positive, encouraging

Pace: fast

Topics: medical technology, prosthetics

Themes: different abilities, innovation, helping others, overcoming challenges

Summary: In Unstoppable, animals are both benefiting from and helping out the world of prosthetic science – including all species, situations, and science backgrounds. From the high-tech science of 3D printing, to inflatables, to toy wheels, this title has it all. Unstoppable is a perfect fit for science enthusiasts and animal lovers alike. (Source)

The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy (2017)

A unique, suspenseful mystery-fantasy set in the 1940s.

Recommended grade level: 7 and up

Pages:   388 (for ISBN 9780544879362

Genre(s) and keywords: mystery, historical fiction, fantasy, romance, magical realism (yeah I know that’s like all the genres),

Tone/Style: mysterious, dark

Pace: leisurely to moderate

Topics: hidden past of a family member, curses, blame

Themes: grief and loss, alienation, romantic relationships, family

Summary: Aila Quinn’s mother, Juliet, has always been a mystery: vibrant yet guarded, she keeps her secrets beyond Aila’s reach. When Juliet dies, Aila and her younger brother Miles are sent to live in Sterling, a rural town far from home–and the place where Juliet grew up.

What Waits in the Woods by Kieran Scott (2015)

Traditional horror that will scratch the itch for casual genre fans.

Recommended grade level: 7 and up

Pages:   288 (for ISBN 9780545691116)

Genre(s) and keywords: horror, thriller, survival, reluctant readers

Tone/Style: scary, tense

Pace: moderate to fast

Topics: camping, murderers, being lost

Themes: trust, dating, friendship, mean friends

Summary: For city girl Callie Velasquez, nothing sounds more terrifying than a night out in the wilderness. But, wanting to bond with her popular new friends, Lissa and Penelope, she agrees to join them on a camping trip. At least Callie’s sweet new boyfriend, Jeremy, will be coming too.

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang (2018)

An uplifting graphic novel about celebrating yourself.

Recommended grade level: 6 and up

Pages:   228 (for ISBN 9781626723634)

Genre(s) and keywords: graphic novel, LGBTQIA+, historical fiction

Tone/Style: stylish, fairy-tale-esque

Pace: fast

Topics: gender roles, royalty, fashion, drag, secrets, marriage

Themes: being different, being oneself, friendship, responsibility, expectations

Summary: Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:

Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling (2017)

A smart and hilarious voice sets this apart from other books in its genre.

Recommended grade level: 4 and up

Pages:   262 (for ISBN 9781454923459)

Genre(s) and keywords: realistic fiction, humor, mystery, ability diverse

Tone/Style: blunt, humorous

Pace: leisurely to moderate

Topics: differently-abled people, theme parks, moving, making friends, new experiences

Themes: perseverance, independence, family, being different, friendship

Summary: Aven Green gets that question a lot. She loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match, or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is she was born without them. And when her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven moves with them across the country knowing that she’ll have to answer the question over and over again.

Posted by John David Anderson (2017)

A thought-provoking look at bullying and changing friendships, with just a touch of silliness in the mix.

Recommended grade level: 4 and up

Pages:  384 (for ISBN 9780062338204)

Genre(s) and keywords: realistic fiction

Tone/Style: both light and serious, thoughtful

Pace: moderate

Topics: bullying, LGBT issues, new friends, friend abandonment, technology

Themes: change, friendship

Summary:  There was a war. This is where it ended.

I can’t tell you exactly when it changed, when it spiraled out of control like a kite twisting in the wind. When it stopped being something funny and clever and became something else. Maybe there was no single moment. Maybe underneath all the squares plastered on the walls and notebooks and windows there was the same message over and over. We just ignored it because it was easier to stomach that way.

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi (2018)

A heartwarming fantasy steeped in Hindu mythology.

Recommended grade level: 4 and up

Pages:  355 (for ISBN 9781368012355)

Genre(s) and keywords: fantasy, diverse, own voices, Indian-American

Tone/Style: epic, humorous, sincere

Pace: moderate

Topics: Hindu gods, quests, religion, mythology

Themes: responsiblity, destiny, heroism, friendship

Summary: Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she’ll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur?

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World by Shannon Hale (2017)

Cute, funny, and a little bit corny, this is a celebration of being yourself.

Recommended grade level: 4-7

Pages:   324 (for ISBN 9781484781548)

Genre(s) and keywords: humor, science fiction, adventure, superheroes

Tone/Style: humorous, goofy

Pace: moderate

Topics: superheroes, secrets, identity

Themes: being different, being oneself, friendship

Summary: Fourteen-year-old Doreen Green moved from sunny California to the suburbs of New Jersey. She must start at a new school, make new friends, and continue to hide her fluffy tail. Yep, Doreen has the powers of . . . a squirrel!