The Boy on the Porch, Sharon Creech.This is an adorable book about John and Marta finding a young, sleeping boy on their porch one morning. The boy, Jacob, does not speak and cannot provide any background information. All they have is a note saying that Jacob is a good boy and they will be back soon. Days, weeks, months pass and no one in town knows anything and no one comes to claim him. The three form an unlikely family and the little boy fills the heart of John and Marta with joy and smiles. Indeed, one day, his father does come to claim him. The rest I'll leave for you to read. Is it sad? Yes, but I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Every Day After, Laura Golden. Lizzie's father, after losing his job, is gone. Ben's father is dead. The two become fast friends at the height of the Great Depression. For Lizzie, her world shattered when her dad left, leaving only a note and a locket to replace him. Her mother, living within her own silence, is unable to help. Things go from bad to worse when her enemy, Erin Sawyer, envious because of Lizzie's top grades and friendship with Ben, sets out to destroy everything for her: pushing into her, stealing Ben's friendship, faking an apology so that Lizzie will not enter the writing contest, letting Dr. Heimler know that her mother is "not in her right mind," hoping that Lizzie will be put into an orphanage. When a letter is handed to Lizzie, delivering the news that they are now defunct on several mortgage payments, she begins to lose hope. With Ben and his mother moving away for the same reason, she wonders if it will ever stop raining despair on her life. Making some tough decisions, she learns to let go of what she needs to let go of and hang on to what she needs to hang on to.

The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman. This is a deliciously creepy story about a young boy, named Bod, for Nobody Owens, who escapes being murdered at a very young age. The man Jack murders the boy's parents and older sister and is on his way to the nursery, only to find the crib empty and the toddler nowhere to be found. Thus begins the story of how Bod comes to live in the cemetery to be taken care of by ghosts, followed by many adventures that take him outside the graveyard among the living. This 2009 Newbery Medal book will be well received by young readers that enjoy the thrill of being on the edge. The few illustrations add the right amount of intrigue. Be sure to read the author's Newbery Medal acceptance speech at the back of the book, including this: "Reading is important. Books are important. Librarians are important. Children's fiction is the the most important fiction of all."

Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina, Rodman Philbrick. After Zane's mother does some digging to learn that his late father has a grandmother in New Orleans, he and his dog, Bandy, fly down to stay with her. Zane warms to Grammy immediately and hopes to learn how his father died. But, Hurricane Katrina is fast approaching so they leave town on the preacher's bus. When Bandy jumps out the window, with Zane fast on his heels, they end back up at Grammy's house, with the storm licking at their heels. When water begins to drown the house, they must escape to the attic, with only a vent for hope. Along come Malvina and Tru in a canoe to rescue them. What follows is their harrowing experience through stink, filth, danger and death. Although familiar with the horrors of Hurricane Katrina, this story takes the reader to the heart of the devastation: poverty, race, drugs, crime.

Philbrick, author of Freak the Mighty, does not disappoint with his latest book. Prepare readers for a dialect for which they may not be familiar (truth = troot, that = dat, darling = dawlin).

Prisoner B-3087, Alan Gratz. "We are alive. We are alive, and that is all that matters. We cannot let them tear us from the pages of the world," said Yanek Gruener, or B-3087, to a young boy in the midst of the horrific Holocaust at Birkenau concentration camp. Watching the wall go up around Krakow, Poland, in 1939, to being separated from his family and knowing their fate, to the ten concentration camps that Yanek endured, his story is important. The author does acknowledge taking liberties, thus calling it a novel; however, Yanek (currently living in America and named Jack) is indeed real and the cruelty, starvation, brutality and hatred is very, very real. This story requires emotional stamina, because it is graphic, unimaginable and horrifying. Before suggesting this to a mature reader, I would recommend reading it first so you can prepare your reader for what lies ahead.

Revolver, Marcus Sedgwick. What a thrill of a read. The cover and title are enough to draw a reader into its fast turning pages. This was a "Chloe-you'll-have-to-wait-until-I-finish-this-book-before-our-walk" kind of story. It drew me in from the first two quotes, followed by the first line, "Even the dead tell stories." And those stories will arise from young Sig's dead father laying on the table only feet from him, who can't be buried because the ground in Giron, 68 Latitude North is just too frozen. The year is 1910 and hopes of gold brought Einar Andersson, his wife and two children north to the frigid temperatures. Stranded in this remote area, finding work as an Assayist (one who checks the purity of gold), Einar comes across Mr. Wolff, a giant of a man, demanding to have his gold tested. When told his gold is worthless, Wolff strikes a deal with Einar, only to be tricked and angered, setting off a ten year search for the constantly moving Andersson family. He finally finds him as Einar's chilling, decaying corpse lays on the table with Sig watching over him. demanding his share of the gold, of which Sig and his sister, Anna, know nothing. Their only hope of survival lives in a box in the pantry: an 1873 single action Army Colt revolver. But Wolff has his own gun. The ending has a satisfying twist that may surprise you.

I recommend reading this before suggesting it to mature readers, due to content that some may consider questionable. If this were a movie, it would probably be rated PG-13. This book earned the Prinz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature.

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell, Chris Colfer. Alex and Connor are given a special fairy tale book from their grandmother after the passing of their father. Little do they know of the magic found within the pages, until one night they fall into the book and land among the familiar fairy tale characters that we all know and love. Upon entering the fairy kingdom, they first meet Froggy, a reappearing character, that helps them more than once in their quest to get back home. He explains that to return to their mother, they must gather several items, including a fairy's teardrop, Sleeping Beauty's spindle and a lock of Rapunzel's hair. Once collected, the Wishing Spell will grant one final wish. Not surprisingly, evil wolves and trolls slow them down while fairies and dwarves toss out their goodness. With a couple of items tucked away in their satchel, they learn that the Evil Queen is also desiring of the final wish and she has the powers to bring Alex and Connor down. When the brother and sister finally collect all the items, they are kidnapped and brought to the Evil Queen who tricks them to win the final wish. In Cinderella fashion, the Fairy Godmother makes an entrance and shares a surprising secret, bringing the story to a satisfying "happily ever after."

This is a fantastical story, bringing back fond memories of tales all children should have as friends. If not, perhaps, reading and visiting with the familiar fairy tales will provide the foundation. With over 400 pages, recommend this book for stronger readers and they will not be disappointed.