THE ORACLE CODE by Marieke Nijkamp

Barbara Gordon was on the rooftop with her best friend when she was shot. Now in a wheelchair, she is dropped off at the Arkham Center for Independence for physical and emotional rehab. She isn't planning to stay long, let alone get close to any of the other "inmates," but she didn't expect to meet Jena Newton.

On one of Barbara's first nights at ACI, little Jena enters Barbara's room and offers her help after Barbara awakens from a nightmare. Jena begins a regular routine of telling Barbara stories. She says the stories have helped her twin brother who escaped a house fire that took the lives of their parents.

Shortly after Jena's nightly stories begin, she comes to Barbara for help. She says she can't find her brother. He has disappeared from ACI. Barbara's hobby of hacking computers to solve mysteries kicks in and she leaps at the chance to help Jena, hoping it will help keep her mind off her own loss.

THE ORACLE CODE, a graphic novel by Marieke Nijkamp, follows Barbara's quest to find the missing boy and further investigate questionable activities in the center. Finding a hidden therapy area has Barbara and her new friends concerned about just exactly what goes on in the place they have been took will help them. Diversity abounds in this graphic mystery.

NOT IF I CAN HELP IT by Carolyn Mackler

First of all, don't you just love the eye-catching cover?! That alone will have the target middle grade students grabbing it off the shelf. They will also find the story inside won't disappoint.

Fifth grade Willa struggles with a condition known as Sensory Processing Disorder. If she were to explain it, she would say she isn't as comfortable in her body as most people are in theirs. However, Willa chooses not to reveal her condition to anyone outside her family. Her biweekly visits with Maureen, an occupational therapist, help Willa control her fidgets and feelings for the most part. She keeps her at home behavior/reward charts a secret. Her parents and her brother understand her peculiar habits and help her keep on track.

Willa loves legos, gummy bears, and her best friend Ruby. Willa and Rudy are eagerly awaiting their middle school letters that will indicate which middle school they'll be attending next year. Both of them are hoping their test scores and interviews have earned them spots at Maya A., one of the most prestigious schools in the city. 

It has taken awhile, but Willa has finally adjusted to her parents' divorce. Living in the city with her father Monday-Friday and with her mother and step-father on the weekend has become normal. But, things are about to change for Willa and her friend Ruby.

When the girls learn that Willa's father and Ruby's mother have fallen in love and plan to marry, their reactions couldn't be any different. Ruby is thrilled and Willa is scared to death. What will happen when her best friend becomes her sister? What will happen when Ruby learns Willa's secret?

Author Carolyn Mackler does a superb job painting a picture of the struggle of living with Sensory Processing Disorder and dealing with impending life as a blended family. Readers will immediately become fans of Willa and Ruby. They will root for them as they come to terms with their changing lives. It isn't easy to make the necessary adjustments as disappointments threaten the girls' dreams of the future, and characters like the awful Avery create unwanted tension. Pick up a copy for the middle grade readers in your life. Now, I'm off to see if KEEN shoes really exist because if they do, I'm buying a pair!

JANE ANONYMOUS by Laurie Faria Stolarz

If you are looking for a suspenseful read to take your mind off daily worries, give JANE ANONYMOUS a try. Laurie Faria Stolarz ramps up the tension in this novel that alternates between "Then" and "Now" as a young girl deals with the trauma of  being abducted.

Jane was simply picking up her friend's birthday gift when her life took a frightening turn. It was after hours, but the good looking guy pleading at the door convinced her to open the store. His story was that he had to pick up a gift for his girlfriend or their relationship would be over. A little disappointed that his pick was a bracelet Jane herself had been coveting, she prepared to sell it to him. What was supposed to be a quick sale to help out a guy in a romantic jam, became seven long months held captive and traumatized beyond her wildest dreams.

Jane never made it to Shelly's house with the birthday gift. Instead, she has drugged and thrust into the trunk of her abductor's car. When she woke, she was in a totally white room with the bare necessities. Fear drives Jane to extremes as she struggles to survive. At times she rebels and refuses to eat, sleep, or bathe. Other times she realizes if she follows her captor's rules she might be able to convince him to release her or at least use his point system to earn rewards she could eventually use to escape. 

A friendship with a fellow captive named Mason helps Jane cope during her seven month ordeal. When she manages to escape and return to her family, she is shocked to discover how much she misses Mason, and even more shocked to discover that no one believes he was even real.

Readers learn Jane's story through the memories of her time held captive and her present struggle to readjust to the world when she returns. She definitely struggles with PTSD as she copes with horrific memories and tries to communicate her fears with parents and friends who just can't understand.

AUGGIE & ME: Three WONDER Stories by R.J. Palacio

After recently reading WHITE BIRD by R.J. Palacio, I realized I had never read my copy of AUGGIE & ME. Since the character of Julian, featured in the Palacio books, is one of the three stories, I decided to move it up to the top of my pile. I highly recommend it for any fans of WONDER who haven't read it yet.

Julian, Christopher, and Charlotte all have roles in the original WONDER. Each of them interacts with Auggie in their own way, but that isn't particularly the focus of AUGGIE & ME.

Julian shares his struggles after bullying Auggie. His suspension, his upcoming move to a new school, and his summer in France learning more about the sacrifices of his Grandmere. He eventually understands the true meaning of remorse and the importance of kindness.

Christopher and Auggie were the best of friends beginning almost before their births. Life takes people on different journeys, and Christopher learns how those different paths can disrupt even the most solid friendships.

Charlotte is proud of her good grades and her excellent reputation. When a change in her circle of friends shakes her confidence, she begins to have doubts about whether being nice is worth her time and energy. She discovers there is a difference between being nice and being kind.

DOG DRIVEN by Terry Lynn Johnson

Fourteen year old McKenna has been dogsledding since she could walk. Her mother was a champion racer, and McKenna is following in her footsteps. The Great Superior Mail Run race will be the longest race McKenna has ever entered, but there's another reason she wants to win this one. Emma, McKenna's little sister, is providing the motivation for McKenna to enter and win this race. Emma was diagnosed with Stargardt disease, a degenerative condition that destroys the retina eventually resulting in blindness. 

The Great Superior Mail Run race pays tribute to the mail couriers who used to deliver mail by dogsled back in the 1800s. The race will follow one of the routes used by the original mail couriers, and as an additional challenge, each of the modern-day dogsled racers must carry a bag of letters across the finish line. The letters McKenna will be carrying have been written by the students in Emma's class. Emma's letter is particularly special as she wrote it to the Foundation for Fighting Blindness asking for research to fight Stargardt disease.

As McKenna prepares for the race, she hides a secret. For some time now, her own vision has been deteriorating. Recent changes in her sight have her convinced that she also has Stargardt disease. Winning the race could help her sister, and it could also show her parents that she can be independent even though her vision is compromised. But, it is soon clear to McKenna that running her dogs and keeping her condition a secret may be more of a challenge than she bargained for.

DOG DRIVEN by Terry Lynn Johnson has just the right combination of action, emotion, and history to appeal to middle grade readers and up. This Junior Library Guild Selection book is a fast-paced, must-read. I hope to read more about McKenna Barney and her future adventures.

WHITE BIRD by R.J. Palacio

R.J. Palacio is the author of the well-known book WONDER. In her graphic novel debut, she continues the story of Julian, a character many will remember as the bully who torments Auggie Pullman. WHITE BIRD sheds new light on Julian and lets readers know that his outlook on life and his understanding of his role as a human being has changed.

Julian has a school project that requires a report about a person he knows. He decides to ask his grandmother to share the story of her experience as a young, Jewish girl during WW II. Through a Facetime communication, Julian's grandmother remembers her childhood and the years she spent hiding from the Nazis in wartime France.

A major focus of Sara's story is the young boy, who despite being crippled by polio, risks his life to help her survive and avoid capture during the Holocaust. She learns to value kindness and sacrifice while hiding in a barn on the his family's property. Her story also explains the significance of the name Julian that she later gave her own son, and that he in turn passed on to her grandson. 

Before hearing his grandmother's story, Julian admits that he regrets his past actions toward Auggie, and after learning about her experiences, Julian recognizes that kindness can have an even more important impact than he imagined.

WHITE BIRD should be placed proudly on bookshelves next to memorable books such as THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL, NIGHT, and NUMBER THE STARS. R.J. Palacio illustrates that understanding the role of kindness in history must serve as an example to humanity today.

SICK KIDS IN LOVE by Hannah Moskowitz

SPOILER ALERT: (Right on the front of the dust jacket) "They don't die in this one."

Isabel is a junior in high school. At around the age of 8, she was diagnosed with RA - rheumatoid arthritis. With the help of routine infusions, she lives a fairly normal life. Pain is a familiar part of that life, but having a doctor for a father means she is given the advantage of the latest treatment options.

On thing Isabel has decided is that dating is not for her. She believes it is easier, safer, and just plan better that way. It has never even been an issue until the day she meets Sasha. Isabel is sitting in the hospital as her medication dips through the IV into her arm when a pale, yet handsome, young man enters. He is soon hooked up to a similar IV and conversation begins.

Sasha was sick the moment he was born. When it was discovered that he suffered from Gaucher disease, his life became a battle to keep things on an even keel. Fortunately, his version of the disease is the one that allows its victims to live a normal span, but that doesn't mean there aren't complications along the way. 

Long story short, Isabel and Sasha connect again at the hospital and quickly become friends. Their friendship isn't exactly focused on their individual illnesses, but their health issues provide a common ground that neither of them can ignore. Now Isabel must decide if it is time to end her pact to never date. Sasha makes it very tempting to just jump right into a relationship, but relationships are always easy, safe, or better.

SICK KIDS IN LOVE by Hannah Moskowitz is a refreshing tale of two teens exploring what it means to take a chance with love and all the ups and downs of a romantic relationship. Moskowitz crafts realistic characters and true to life situations that are captivating and inspiring.