"Flipped" by Wendelin Van Draanen

Juli's got a big time crush on Bryce. Bryce is totally not interested.

Juli tends to live in her own universe, growing chickens, saving the planet, and speaking her mind.

Bryce falls in with the popular kids, follows their advice and tries to avoid Juli at all times.

It doesn't help things that Bryce and Juli have lived across the street from each other since the 2nd grade.

This book is one of my favorites, told in alternating chapters from both Juli and Bryce's perspective on the situation.

Someone is about to change their mind, and *flip* their thinking. Who's it going to be, and will they end up dating? Curious minds want to find out!

"Boys are Dogs" by Leslie Margolis

Sixth grade Annabelle just moved into a new house with her mom and her mom's boyfriend Ted Weeble. Annabelle creates a secret nickname for Ted, Dweeble, which is very fitting with his dorky running shorts and nerdy music. New house equals a new school, and her new middle school is filled with pesky boys that take great pleasure in teasing and tormenting Annabelle. Mom and Ted surprise Annabelle with a new puppy, hoping the distraction will help her adjust. Annabelle soon discovers that boys and dogs have a lot in common, and dog training is coming in very useful for putting boys in their place! This is a funny read, Annabelle is super clever and confident.

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw" by Jeff Kinney

Greg Heffley is back, and he's wimpy as ever. His dad Frank is ready to turn Greg into a man, but that's proving harder than it looks. Is military school the solution? Greg is the king of laziness and will do anything to get out of real work. All my favorite characters make an appearance in this edition - Rowley, Rodrick and Manny. This series continues to crack me up! Will Greg be the star on his soccer team? Will he get a new girlfriend? The movie is coming out soon, so now's a good time to get caught up on this hilarious series.

"The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks" by E. Lockhart

Frankie didn't plan on becoming a criminal mastermind, it just sort of happened...She used to be part of the geek squad, complete with debate club, and awkward, nerdy friends. But something changes her sophomore year, and she finds herself dating gorgeous senior, Matthew Livingstone. Alabaster Preparatory Academy has a long standing tradition, a secret society called the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds. It's been around for decades and Frankie's own father was part of this good old boys club. This exclusive fraternity is known for throwing the best parties and masterminding the most elaborate pranks the school has ever seen. The only problem is that it's a brotherhood, which means no girls allowed. Frankie doesn't like to be excluded, and she's used to getting her way. Her feminine competitive nature comes out and Frankie's determined to get into this inner circle, even if it comes with the risk of getting suspended!!

"Suicide Notes" by Michael Thomas Ford

15-year old Jeff is in the nuthouse, the psychiatric ward of a mental institution, for attempting to commit suicide. But he didn't do it on purpose. At least he didn't mean to. He's got 45 days of treatment to explain to his counselor why this is all a big mistake. At first Jeff is opposed to group therapy and doesn't want to discuss his personal issues with all the other locked up teenagers. But after he gets befriends a few insiders, he realizes everyone has issues and maybe he's just been ignoring one big issue he didn't want to face. His relationship with his best friend, Allie, may have more to do with his suicide attempt than he's willing to admit. This book is part "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and part "Girl, Interrupted" but funnier. Good for 8th and up.

"Son of the Mob" by Gordon Korman

Vince Luca's finally gotten Angela to go out with him. They're at the beach, things are going well, and Vince heads for the trunk of his car for a blanket. Something's not right. Inside the trunk is Jimmy the Rat, bound and gagged and barely alive. This is what happens when your dad's the powerful head of organized crime.

Vince Luca just wants to be normal at his high school. Good luck. People are scared of his dad, and should be if they want to keep all their limbs!

Vince falls for a new girl, Kendra. She's got it all, looks, brains, personality. Only problem is her dad. He's an FBI agent out to get Vince's father.

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney

Greg Heffley is keeping a diary. But it's really more of a journal, cause Greg wouldn't be caught dead in middle school with a diary. Greg's into weight lifting, video games, cartooning, and hanging out with his weirdo best friend, Rowley. This quirky book is pretty funny and has lots of tips on how to avoid getting your butt kicked by big 8th graders.

"Does My Head Look Big in This?" by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Amal attends a highly prestigious prep school in Australia. She comes to the decision to wear the hijab, a Muslim head scarf, as a sign of her religion. How will Amal's friends and family react? This is a great book about friendship, faith, and coming to terms with your personal beliefs. Recommended for grades 7th and up.

"An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green

After finishing high school, Colin and his best friend Hassan decide to embark on a road trip. Colin has had it with Katherines. He's been dumped 19 times by girls with that name, and he's determined to find out why. As a child prodigy, Colin is fascinated by anagrams and equations, but can he use his math skills to figure out why he can't keep a girlfriend?