THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, by Brian Selznick

When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toy seller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.  

HEAT, by Mike Lupica

Pitching prodigy Michael Arroyo is on the run from social services after being banned from playing Little League baseball because rival coaches doubt he is only twelve years old and he has no parents to offer them proof.

PENNY FROM HEAVEN, by Jennifer Holm

As she turns twelve during the summer of 1953, Barbara Fallucci, also known as Penny, gains new insights into herself and her family while also learning a secret about her father's death.

CORNELIA AND THE AUDACIOUS ESCAPADES OF THE SOMERSET SISTERS, by Lesley M.M. Blume

Cornelia, eleven years old and lonely, learns about language and life from an elderly new neighbor who has many stories to share about the fabulous adventures she and her sisters had while traveling around the world.

A DOG FOR LIFE, by L. S. Matthews

When John, who has a special ability to communicate with animals, finds that his dog, Mouse, is scheduled to go to the pound, he and Mouse decide to run away to find a long-lost uncle who may be able to help them.

THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ORDINARY BOY VOLUME ONE: THE HERO REVEALED, by William Boniface

Ordinary Boy, the only resident of Superopolis without a superpower, uncovers and foils a sinister plot to destroy the town.

THE HOMEWORK MACHINE, by Dan Gutman

Four fifth-grade students-- a geek, a class clown, a teacher's pet, and a slacker-- as well as their teacher and mothers, each relate events surrounding a computer programmed to complete homework assignments.

PISH POSH, by Ellen Potter

Eleven-year-old Clara Frankofile sits in her parents' elegant New York City restaurant, Pish Posh, and passes judgment on each customer as a Somebody or a Nobody, but her all-seeing eyes fail to observe the mysterious events occurring right under her nose!

WEEDFLOWER, by Cynthia Kadohata

After twelve-year-old Sumiko and her Japanese-American family are relocated from their flower farm in southern California to an internment camp on a Mojave Indian reservation in Arizona, she helps her family and neighbors, becomes friends with a local Indian boy, and tries to hold on to her dream of owning a flower shop.

THE WHITE ELEPHANT, by Sid Fleischman

In old Siam, young elephant trainer Run-Run and his aging pachyderm, Walking Mountain, must deal with the curse of caring for a sacred white elephant.