Quarantine Reading List

Here we are, all of us in our homes, away from school, with maybe a little more “free time” than we are used to! What better time to curl up with a good book that you get to read just for fun, or explore a topic you’ve been curious about. Either way, you are keeping your brain active and making the most of this “home” time. You can also mark off more of those Gobbling Up Great Books circles - most of these books will meet one of those categories! Ms. Buoy, Mrs. MacRae, and Mrs. Wishart put together this collection of reading recommendations, sorted into categories to help you find what you are looking for. Some of these are gathered as a result of hearing what you are reading and enjoying. How can you get these books? Here are some ideas: have your parents put out a Facebook request to borrow the title, visit a bookstore, order for your Kindle, use the KCLS e-book database, etc. Happy Reading! Note: An asterisk (*) following a book title means the book is part of a series

Contents Classics ...... 2 Realistic Fiction ...... 2 Historical Fiction ...... 4 Humor ...... 5 Creatures ...... 5 Mystery/Thriller ...... 5 Sports ...... 6 Adventure ...... 7 Graphic Novel ...... 7 Non-Fiction Stories ...... 8 Fantasy ...... 8 Science Fiction ...... 9

Classics 1984 - George Orwell - The “partner” book to Brave New World by Huxley – Repressive government watches everything, changes history, and controls thought. You will hear references to this book for the rest of your life, if you read it now. A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway - The unforgettable story of an American ambulance driver on the Italian front and his passion for a beautiful English nurse. All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque - Considered by many to be THE BEST war novel ever written. Follows a group of young German war recruits as they grow disillusioned by the reality of war. Books by Jane Austen: Emma, Sense & Sensibility, Persuasion, Pride & Prejudice - Her writing is said to stand out for its comedy, self-awareness and realistic, detailed portrayals of characters and their relationships in the 18 th century. (Romance) Island of the Blue Dolphins - Scott O’Dell - Left alone on a beautiful but isolated island off the coast of California, a young Indian girl spends eighteen years, not only merely surviving through her enormous courage and self-reliance, but also finding a measure of happiness in her solitary life. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott - Chronicles the joys and sorrows of the four March sisters as they grow into young ladies in nineteenth-century New England. Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut - Want to read a book about WWII from a man who was imprisoned IRL by the Germans under Dresden in a meat locker when it was firebombed by the U.S.? The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck - A family of thirteen must leave their farm in Oklahoma to find work. They become migrant workers in California. You can’t understand the Dust Bowl without reading this gem. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald - Tells the tragic love story of Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan, a dashing, enigmatic millionaire obsessed with an elusive, spoiled young woman. Disillusionment among the rich in New York. Great movie too. The Jungle - Upton Sinclair - Want to literally never eat meat again in your life? Read this book about the meatpacking industry and the abuse of hourly wage workers. Uncle Tom’s Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe – An archaic form of writing at great length and in flowery text, but considered a building block of understanding slavery in the U.S. At times criticized for its portrayal of characters, but always considered a classic.

Realistic Fiction Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz - Fifteen-year-old Ari Mendoza is an angry loner with a brother in prison, but when he meets Dante and they become friends, Ari starts to ask questions about himself, his parents, and his family that he has never asked before. Counting by 7s - Holly Goldberg Sloan - Twelve-year-old genius and outsider Willow Chance must figure out how to connect with other people and find a surrogate family for herself after her parents are killed in a car accident. Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell - Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits--smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. (Romance) Fish in a Tree - Lynda Mullaly Hunt - Ally's greatest fear is that everyone will find out she is as dumb as they think she is because she still doesn't know how to read. Genesis Begins Again - Alicia D. Williams – Middle school girl, with a list she keeps of things she hates about herself, must find new friends at a new school and a new house. Dad is a challenge to the family, too. Greetings from Witness Protection! - Jake Burt - Nicki's life has been anything but easy. She's been in and out of foster homes and always finds her way back to the center with the other orphans. So when a marshal sets her up with a family living in the witness protection program as a means of fooling any criminals on their trail looking for a family of three instead of a family of four, she looks forward to the challenge. But maintaining a B-minus average while keeping her new family safe from hitmen is harder than she imagined--especially when her own past comes back to haunt her. Love à la Mode - Stephanie Kate Strohm - High school juniors Rosie Radeke and Henry Yi, both enrolled in an elite cooking program in Paris, must balance rivalry and romance. (Romance) Nikki on the Line - Barbara Carroll Roberts - Nikki, thirteen, dreams of being a great basketball player but struggles on her new, elite team while also juggling school stress, her non-traditional family, and revelations about her biological father. (Sports) Other Words for Home – Jasmine Warga - Jude never thought she'd be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives. At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven't quite prepared her for starting school in the US - and her new label of 'Middle Eastern,' an identity she's never known before. But this life also brings unexpected surprises--there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical that Jude just might try out for. Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is. Rain Reign - Ann M. Martin - Struggling with Asperger's syndrome, Rose shares a bond with her beloved dog, but when the dog goes missing during a storm, Rose is forced to confront the limits of her comfort levels, even if it means leaving her routines in order to search for her pet. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli – Sixteen-year-old, not-so-openly-gay Simon Spier is blackmailed into playing wingman for his classmate or else his sexual identity – and that of his pen pal – will be revealed. Some Places More Than Others – Renee Watson - Amara visits her father's family in Harlem for her twelfth birthday, hoping to better understand her family and herself, but New York City is not what she expected. Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson - A traumatic event near the end of the summer has a devastating effect on Melinda's freshman year in high school. That’s Not What Happened - Kody Keplinger - In the three years since the Virgil County High School Massacre, a story has grown up around one of the victims, Sarah McHale, that says she died proclaiming her Christian faith--but Leanne Bauer was there, and knows what happened, and she has a choice: stay silent and let people believe in Sarah's martyrdom, or tell the truth. The Poet X - Elizabeth Acevedo - Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking. Where the Watermelons Grow - Cindy Baldwin - Twelve-year-old Della Kelly of Maryville, North Carolina, tries to come to terms with her mother's mental illness while her father struggles to save the farm from a record-breaking drought. Wild Bird - Wendelin Van Draanen - When her behavior escalates out of control, fourteen-year-old Wren is taken away to a wilderness therapy camp where she is forced to develop new skills, including the courage to ask for help.

Historical Fiction A Long Walk to Water - Linda Sue Park - When the Sudanese civil war reaches his village in 1985, eleven-year-old Salva becomes separated from his family and must walk with other Dinka tribe members through southern Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya in search of safe haven. Based on the life of Salva Dut, who, after emigrating to America in 1996, began a project to dig water wells in Sudan. Ahimsa – Supriya Kelkar - When her mother is jailed for being one of Gandhi’s freedom fighters, ten- year-old Anjali overcomes her own prejudices and continues her mother’s social reform work, befriending Untouchable children and working to integrate her school. Armstrong & Charlie - Steven B. Frank - During the pilot year of a Los Angeles school system integration program, two sixth grade boys, one black, one white, become best friends as they learn to cope with everything from first crushes and playground politics to the loss of loved ones and racial prejudice in the 1970s. Beyond the Bright Sea - Lauren Wolk - Crow has lived her entire life on a tiny piece of the starkly beautiful Elizabeth Islands off the coast of Massachusetts. Her only companions are Osh, the man who rescued her from a tiny skiff as an infant and raised her, and Miss Maggie, their neighbor across the sandbar. But it isn't until the night when a mysterious fire appears across the water that an unspoken question of her own history forms in her heart and an unstoppable chain of events is triggered. Crow must follow clues to uncovering her lost identity. Books by Alan Gratz: Prisoner B-3087, Project 1065, Refugee, Grenade, Allies - Most of these deal with war, particularly, WWII. Some span across times and continents, as well as various cultures. FlyGirl - Sherri L. Smith - During World War II, a light-skinned African American girl "passes" for white in order to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots. Once* - Morris Gleitzman - After living in a Catholic orphanage for nearly four years, a naive Jewish boy runs away and embarks on a journey across Nazi-occupied Poland to find his parents. This is Just a Test - Madelyn Rosenberg - In 1983 7 th grader David Da-Wei Horowitz has a lot to worry about - his up-coming bar mitzvah; his Jewish & Chinese grandmothers argue about everything; his teammates for the upcoming trivia contest, Scott & Hector, do not like each other; he is beginning to notice girls; & Scott has persuaded him to begin digging a fallout shelter in case the Cold War heats up. Humor Dead End in Norvelt* - Jack Gantos - In the historic town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Jack Gantos spends the summer of 1962 grounded for various offenses until he is assigned to help an elderly neighbor with a most unusual chore involving the newly dead, molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving, lessons from history, typewriting, and countless bloody noses. The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora - Pablo Cartaya – Middle schooler Arturo is looking forward to a relaxing summer until Carmen, a cute and funny girl moves into his apartment complex. While he deals with his stomach turning into a deep fryer over a girl, a smarmy land developer rolls into town and threatens to change it. (Realistic Fiction) Flora and Ulysses - Kate DiCamillo - A girl named Flora and a squirrel named Ulysses, whose life was saved by Flora after he was involved in an incident with a vacuum cleaner, team up to use Ulysses' superpowers to conquer villains and protect the weak.

Creatures The One and Only Ivan* - Katherine Applegate - When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life. Gregor the Overlander* (Underland Chronicles) - Suzanne Collins - When eleven-year-old Gregor and his two-year-old sister are pulled into a strange underground world, they trigger an epic battle involving humans, bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy. Watership Down – Richard Adams - A group of hardy Berkshire rabbits share many adventures together as they search for a safe place to establish a new warren after the destruction of their community.

Mystery/Thriller City of Ghosts* (Cassidy Blake) - Victoria Schwab - Ever since her near-fatal drowning, Cassidy has been able to pull back the "Veil" that separates the living from the dead and see ghosts, not that she wants to, and she was really looking forward to a ghost-free summer at the beach; however her parents are going to start filming a TV series about the world's most haunted places, starting with Edinburgh with its graveyards, castles, and restless phantoms--and Cass and her personal ghost companion, Jacob, are about to find out that a city of old ghosts can be a very dangerous place indeed. Echo: A Novel - Pam Munoz Ryan - Lost in the Black Forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and finds himself entwined in a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica - and decades later three children, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California find themselves caught up in the same thread of destiny in the darkest days of the twentieth century, struggling to keep their families intact, and tied together by the music of the same harmonica. Famous Last Words - Katie Alender – High-schooler Willa has just moved to California with her mother and film director stepfather, and she will be attending a private school – but her real problem is that she keeps seeing things that are not really there, like a dead body in the swimming pool, and her visions may be connected to a serial killer that is stalking young girls in Hollywood. Jackaby* - William Ritter - Newly arrived in 1892 New England, Abigail Rook becomes assistant to R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with the ability to see supernatural beings, and she helps him delve into a case of serial murder which, Jackaby is convinced, is due to a nonhuman creature. Spin - Lamar Giles - When DJ ParSec (Paris Secord), rising star of the local music scene, is found dead over her turntables, the two girls who found her, Kya (her pre-fame best friend) and Fuse (her current chief groupie) are torn between grief for Paris and hatred for each other--but when the lack of obvious suspects stalls the investigation, and the police seem to lose interest, despite pressure from social media and ParSec's loyal fans, the two girls unite, determined to find out who murdered their friend. The Agony House - Cherie Priest – Seventeen-year-old Denise Farber, her mom, and her stepfather are moving back to New Orleans, into the Argonne house, which is over 100 years old, and really showing its age, but which her mother plans to turn into a bed-and-breakfast--but old houses have histories, and sometimes ghosts, and a mysterious old comic book that Denise finds in the attic may hold the answer to a crime and the terrifying things that keep happening in what she thinks of as the "Agony" house. The Fixer* - Jennifer Lynn Barnes - When her grandfather develops dementia, sixteen-year-old Tess, who has been keeping his Montana ranch going, is whisked away to Washington, D.C., by a sister she barely knows and thrown into a world of politics, power, wealth, love triangles, and family secrets. The Naturals* - Jennifer Lynn Barnes - "Seventeen-year-old Cassie, who has a natural ability to read people, joins an elite group of criminal profilers at the FBI in order to help solve cold cases"--Provided by publisher. Two Can Keep a Secret - Karen M. McManus - While true-crime aficionado Ellery and her twin brother are staying with their grandmother in a Vermont community known for murder, a new friend goes missing and Ellery may be next.

Sports A Matter of Heart - Amy Dominy - Sixteen-year-old Abby Lipman is on track to win the state swim championships and qualify for the Olympic trials when a fainting incident at a swim meet leads to the diagnosis of a deadly heart condition and forces her to discover who she is without the one thing that has defined her entire life. Ghost* (Track) - Jason Reynolds - Ghost, a naturally talented runner and troublemaker, is recruited for an elite middle school track team. He must stay on track, literally and figuratively, to reach his full potential. Gutless - Carl Deuker - With both good speed and good hands, wide receiver Brock Ripley should be a natural for the varsity team, but he shies from physical contact. When his issues get him cut from varsity, he also loses his friendship with star quarterback Hunter Gates. Now a target for bullying, Brock struggles to overcome his fears and discover that, in his own way, he is brave enough. Outcasts United - Warren St. John - American-educated Jordanian Luma Mufleh founds a youth soccer team comprised of children from Liberia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkan states, and elsewhere in the refugee settlement town of Clarkston, Georgia, bringing the children together to discover their common bonds as they adjust to life in a new homeland. (Non-Fiction Stories) Strike Zone - Mike Lupica - Twelve-year-old Nick García dreams of winning MVP of his summer baseball league, of finding a cure for his sister, of meeting his hero, Yankee pitcher Michael Arroyo, and of no longer living in fear of the government and ICE agents. The Crossover - Kwame Alexander - Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health. The Football Girl - Thatcher Heldring - In the summer before high school, Tessa's decision to play football, instead of running cross-country, affects her blossoming romance with football prospect Caleb, her relationship with best friends Marina and Lexie, who are counting on Tessa to try out for cross- country, and her home life with her politically ambitious mother. (Romance) The Girl Who Threw Butterflies - Mich Cochrane - Eighth-grader Molly's ability to throw a knuckleball earns her a spot on the baseball team, which not only helps her feel connected to her recently deceased father, who loved baseball, it helps in other aspects of her life, as well.

Adventure Conspiracy 365 : January* - Gabrielle Lord - After his father's murder, fifteen-year-old Cal becomes a fugitive and must find a way to survive the next 365 days, solve his father's murder, and uncover a history-changing secret. Be sure to start with January, there are 12 books in the series! Daughter of the Pirate King* - Tricia Levenseller - When her father, the ruthless pirate king, discovers that a legendary treasure map can be found on an enemy ship, his daughter Alosa knows that there's only one pirate for the job - herself. Leaving behind her beloved ship and crew, Alosa deliberately facilitates her own kidnapping to ensure her welcome on the ship. (Fantasy) Desert Dark* - Sonja Stone - At Desert Mountain Academy, sixteen-year-old Nadia Riley begins a punishing routine to become an undercover CIA agent, but when a double-agent is reported on campus, she is the top suspect. Hatchet* - Gary Paulsen - After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive initially with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce. Swindle* - Gordon Korman - After unscrupulous collector S. Wendell Palomino cons him out of a valuable baseball card, sixth-grader Griffin Bing puts together a band of misfits to break into Palomino's heavily guarded store and steal the card back, planning to use the money to finance his father's failing invention, the Smart Pick fruit picker. (Humor) H.I.V.E. : Higher Institute of Villainous Education* - Mark Walden - Swept away to a hidden academy for training budding evil geniuses, Otto, a brilliant orphan, Wing, a sensitive warrior, Laura, a shy computer specialist, and Shelby, an infamous jewel thief, plot to beat the odds and escape the prison known as H.I.V.E.

Graphic Novel All’s Faire in Middle School - Victoria Jamieson - Homeschooled by Renaissance Fair enthusiasts, eleven-year-old Imogene has a hard time fitting in when her wish to enroll in public school is granted. New Kid - Jerry Craft - Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds--and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his friends and staying true to himself? Pashmina - Nidhi Chanani - Priyanka Das, an Indian girl living in America, has always wondered why her mother abandoned her home in India years ago, & still refuses to tell Pri anything about India or her father. One day, Pri finds one of her mother's pashminas in a forgotten suitcase, and, putting it on, finds herself transported to a place that very much resembles India, but it may be another world altogether. The Crossover: A Basketball Novel – Kwame Alexander - Thirteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health. To Kill a Mockingbird: A Graphic Novel - Harper Lee - Scout Finch, the young daughter of a local attorney in the Deep South during the 1930s, tells of her father's defense of an African-American man charged with the rape of a white girl.

NonNonNon-Non ---FictionFiction Stories Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family - Miep Gies - An autobiography by the woman who helped hide the Frank family during World War II. #notyourprincess: Voices of Native American Women - Lisa Charleyboy - Contains a collection of nearly forty poems written by Native American Women from tribes across the nation. Includes colorful artwork. Positive: Surviving My Bullies, Finding Hope & Living to Change the World – Paige Rawl - The author writes about the bullying she experienced due to her diagnosis of HIV, her suicide attempt, and how she fought back to reclaim her life and help others touched by bullying. The 57 Bus - Dashka Slater - If it weren't for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met. Both were high school students from Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in the country. Sasha a white teen, lived in the middle-class foothills and attended a small private school. Richard, a black teen, lived in the crime-plagued flatlands and attended a large public one. Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere eight minutes. We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World - Malala Yousafzai with Liz Welch - . . . Malala Yousafzai not only explores her own story of adjusting to a new life while longing for home, but she also shares the personal stories of some of the incredible girls she has met on her various journeys--girls who have lost their community, relatives, and often the only world they've ever known .

Fantasy Akata Witch* - Nnedi Okorafor - Twelve-year-old Sunny Nwazue, an American-born albino child of Nigerian parents, moves with her family back to Nigeria, where she learns that she has latent magical powers which she and three similarly gifted friends use to catch a serial killer. Red Queen* - Victoria Aveyard - In a world divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver-blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities--seventeen-year-old Mare, a Red, discovers she has an ability of her own. To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. But Mare risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard--a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. Rosemarked* - Livia Blackburne - A healer and a warrior embark on a dangerous mission to fight against a brutal empire. The Candle and the Flame - Nafiza Azad - Fatima lives in the city of Noor, on the Silk Road, which is currently protected by the Ifrit, djinn of order and reason, from attacks by the violent and ruthless Shayateen djinn--but Fatima was infused with the fire of the Ifrit who died saving her when she was four years old, and when one of the most important Ifrit dies she finds herself drawn into the intrigues of the court, the affairs of the djinn, and the very real dangers of a magical battlefield. The False Prince* (Ascendance Trilogy) - Jennifer A. Nielsen - In the country of Carthya, a devious nobleman engages four orphans in a brutal competition to be selected to impersonate the king's long- missing son in an effort to avoid a civil war. The Girl Who Drank the Moon - Kelly Barnhill - An epic fantasy about a young girl raised by a witch, a swamp monster, and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, who must unlock the powerful magic buried deep inside her. The Lightning Thief* (Percy Jackson & the Olympians) - Rick Riordan - Percy, expelled from six schools for being unable to control his temper, learns the truth from his mother that his father is the Greek god Poseidon, and is sent to Camp Half Blood where he is befriended by a satyr and the demigod daughter of Athena who join him in a journey to the Underworld to retrieve Zeus's lightning bolt and prevent a catastrophic war. The Selection* - Kiera Cass - "Sixteen-year-old America Singer is living in the caste-divided nation of Illea, which formed after the war that destroyed the United States. America is chosen to compete in the Selection--a contest to see which girl can win the heart of Illea's prince - but all she really wants is a chance for a future with her secret love, Aspen, who is a caste below her" - Provided by publisher. (Romance) The Unwanteds* - Lisa McMann - Magical twins Fifer and Thisbe Stowe have spent their entire lives wishing for an adventure. When a dragon shows up claiming that his family is being kept as slaves in their homeland, the twins sneak off to the land of the dragons to help them. The Dragonet Prophesy* (Wings of Fire) - Tui T. Sutherland - Clay and the other four MudWing dragonets were stolen from their homes while they were still in their eggs and hidden for years in order to fulfill a prophecy claiming that the dragonets would end the war between the dragon tribes, but not all of the dragonets want their destiny.

Science Fiction Among the Hidden* (Shadow Children) - Margaret Haddix - In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm, until another "third" convinces him that the government is wrong. Many short books in this series. Dry - Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman - A lengthy California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, turning Alyssa's quiet suburban street into a warzone, and she is forced to make impossible choices if she and her brother are to survive. Etiquette and Espionage* (Finishing School) - Gail Carrigan - In an alternate England of 1851, spirited fourteen-year-old Sophronia is enrolled in a finishing school where, she is surprised to learn, lessons include not only the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but also diversion, deceit, and espionage. Impostors* - Scott Westerfeld - In a world that is rapidly descending into chaos, Frey and Rafi are twin sisters, but few people know of Frey's existence, because she has been raised to be her sister's body double and lethal bodyguard, while Rafi has been raised to further the family's political power--but when their father sends Frey in her sister's place as collateral in a tricky deal, Col, the son of a rival leader, gets close enough to begin to suspect something, and Frey must decide whether to deal with him violently or finally assume her own identity. Internment - Samira Ahmed - A terrifying, futuristic United Sates where Muslim-Americans are forced into internment camps, and seventeen-year-old Layla Amin must lead a revolution against complicit silence. Need - Joelle Charbonneau - In this exploration of the dark side of social media and government control, the teenagers in a small town are drawn deeper and deeper into a social networking site that promises to grant their every need-regardless of the consequences. Sal and Gabi Break the Universe* - Carlos Hernandez - In order to heal after his mother's death, thirteen-year-old Sal learns to reach into time and space to retrieve things - and people - from other universes. Seven Second Delay - Tom Easton - In a future where few places are still habitable and people share their entire lives on the Web, Mila illegally enters the Isles, is captured, has a telephone implanted in her brain, and escapes, but government agents are after her and her greatest asset is a seven second delay from the time she acts until they receive the signal. Steelheart* (Reckoners) - Brandon Sanderson - At age eight, David watched as his father was killed by an Epic, a human with superhuman powers, and now, ten years later, he joins the Reckoners--the only people who are trying to kill the Epics and end their tyranny. The Forgetting - Sharon Cameron - Canaan is a quiet city on an idyllic world, hemmed in by high walls, but every twelve years the town breaks out in a chaos of bloody violence, after which all the people undergo the Forgetting, in which they are left without any trace of memory of themselves, their families, or their lives--but somehow seventeen-year-old Nadia has never forgotten, and she is determined to find out what causes it and how to put a stop to The Forgetting forever. The Host: A Novel - Stephenie Meyer - When Melanie, one of the last "wild" humans left on Earth, is captured, she is assigned to become the host of a spirit called Wanderer. As Wanderer probes Melanie's memories to reveal the location of the human resistance, Melanie shows the spirit visions of the man she loves, and soon, Wanderer can't help but fall in love with him too. The pair eventually becomes unwilling allies and they set off in search of the man they both love. The Hunger Games* - Suzanne Collins - Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen accidentally becomes a contender in the annual Hunger Games, a grave competition hosted by the Capitol where young boys and girls are pitted against one another in a televised fight to the death. (March Book Madness Winner 2020.)