Mrs. Bixby's Last Day, John David Anderson. Mrs. Bixby, "one of the good ones" with the pink stripe in her hair and a Bixbyism quote for everything in her fifth grade class has cancer. Her last day party before leaving for treatments doesn't happen so Topher, Steve, (best friends) and Brand, (the new boy in town) set out to give her the party anyway at the hospital, but they have one day before she is transferred to a bigger hospital farther away. They combine their money, call the school pretending to be their parents excusing them from class that day, hop the city bus, and agonizingly make their way to see her.

With each new chapter, told from the three viewpoints, we laugh at the hilarity of purchasing, preserving, and protecting a white-chocolate raspberry supreme cheesecake, seethe at the angst of losing their money to George Nelson, who was to help them buy a bottle of wine, and tear up at their unfolding childhood stories. We learn the reasons why each boy, especially Brand, must see Mrs. Bixby again, "one of the good ones." You will find yourself rooting for them, experiencing every set back with them, and anxiously worrying about them. Topher, Steve, and Brand are unforgettable characters with the mischievousness of fifth grade boys, but the hearts of three golden puppies. They do finally make it to the hospital with their cheesecake, a bottle of whiskey, cold McDonald's French fries and a nearly dead cell phone. It doesn't turn out to be a good-bye party, but rather an Au revoir, or 'till we see each other again party.

This is a lovely, lovely story.

Ungifted, Gordon Korman. Donovan Curtis, with an IQ of 112, finds himself at the Academy of Scholastic Distinction when he is accidentally placed there due to a slip of paper mishap. Using it as a hideout suits him just fine because Dr. Schultz, the superintendent, has it out for him when he dislodged the bronze globe being held up by Atlas and it rolled down the hill and into the gym in the midst of a Harcastle Middle School basketball game. Donovan and his friends, the Daniels, are pranksters and this is the biggest one yet. Within minutes of arriving to his new school in the Robotics class, Donovan and all the students realize he is misplaced and doesn't belong there. They are busy creating their robot for the upcoming contest and the only thing Donovan contributes is to name it Tin Man and the talent of controlling the joy stick. Despite not fitting in, the kids grow to admire his "normalness." When the Hardcastle school dance must be held in their school, all the misfit geniuses are forced to attend by Mr. Osborne, their teacher. Donovan mistakenly shows his buddies the Tin Man and they take him to the dance floor. Noah, with an IQ of 206 is dressed as a superhero and jumps to Tin Man's rescue only to make matters worse. Dr. Schulz makes an appearance and spots Donovan, which begins his downward spiral back to Hardcastle.

This is a fun story that will have the reader laughing. Each chapter is told from a different character with their IQ revealed. Regardless of our IQ, we each have gifts that matter. When all those gifts are put together, amazing things can happen.

Comics Squad Recess! Jennifer Holm, Matthew Holm, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, et al. Kids are going to love this collection of comics from popular authors, such as Dav Pilkey (Captain Underpants) and Raina Telgemeier (Drama, Smile). Pizza monsters, aliens, ninjas, cupcakes playing freeze tag, bratty girls, bad puns and poor spelling make this a fun addition to your classroom library. Illustrations will also grab the attention of your students with their bright orange pages. This is a perfect fit for struggling or unmotivated readers.

The Gollywhopper Games, Jody Feldman. Inspired by Roald Dahl's, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this is an adorable story that will surely entertain students and make a fun read aloud. Gil Goodson, along with thousands of children, enters into the Golly Toy &  Game Company's contest so that his dad will keep his promise and move he and his mom away from the scandal surrounding the family. Almost two years earlier, Charles Goodson, was fired from his role as vice-president at the Golly Toy & Game Company for embezzlement. Distraught from all the ridicule Gil endures from classmates, he begs his dad to move them far away. The competition starts with thousands; however, is soon whittled down to two teams of five with the winning team solving puzzles and performing stunts faster than the other. The five remaining contestants must now compete against one another, and naturally, one of the contestants is Rocky, the kid most merciless in his teasing of Gil. The ending has twists and turns and a redemption for Gil's dad. The mind games are clearly spelled out, making this a possible interactive book to see how well students can solve them.