Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Esperanza Ortega's life of ease and wealth on her father's Mexican ranch is turned upside down the day before her 13th birthday when she and her mother find out that her father was killed by bandits. They are forced to leave all they have and migrate to California with their servants to start a new life. After reading this book, you will better understand the Mexican proverb the author quotes at the beginning of the book: "The rich person is richer when he becomes poor, than the poor person when he becomes rich."

A Million Dots by Andrew Clements

How big is a million? Find out by looking through the pages of this book. The book begins and ends with one dot, and in between the remaining 999, 998 dots are presented in interesting ways. Each page has a running total of how many dots have been shown so far. If you like to learn random facts, they are scattered throughout the book as well.

Now and Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin by Gene Barretta

Benjamin Franklin was a writer, a printer, a stateman and a musician. He was also an inventor of many modern conveniences we take for granted. This book shows how Ben's inventions were created THEN and how we use them NOW.

No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman

"Any book with an award medal on it and a picture of a dog always has a canine casualty", observes Wallace Wallace. That's why he's not surprised that the book assigned in 8th grade English class, Old Shep, My Pal, has a similar plot. He gives his honest opinion of the book to his English teacher, and finds himself assigned to detention. Wallace cannot tell a lie (it's against his personal policy), so he ends up missing weeks of football practice in detention because he refuses to change his opinion. Detention takes place in the auditorium during the school play practices. Wallace is horrified to find out that this year's play is Old Shep, My Pal directed by his English teacher (who loves the book). Bit by bit, Wallace Wallace makes suggestions to improve the play, and he makes some new friends in the process.

Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff

Twelve year-old Hollis Woods was abandoned at birth and spent her entire life moving from one foster home to another. Most of the families did not work out, and Hollis ended up running away several times. Josie Cahill, a retired art teacher takes Hollis in after her latest disaster. Josie encourages the talented Hollis to express herself with her pictures. Hollis's pictures tell the story of the family she stayed with the previous summer, the Regans. They wanted to adopt Hollis, but before they could, she ran away again. Steven Regan was critically injured in a car accident that Hollis thought was all her fault. When Josie begins to show signs of dementia, social workers intervene and remove Hollis once again. But by this time she's ready to be accepted as part of a permanent family - with the Regans -who did not give up on her.