The Juvie Three by Gordon Korman

Gecko drove the getaway car.
Terance ran with the worst gang in Chicago.
Arjay killed someone.
All three of these boys are serving time in different detention centers until they get a second chance. Douglas Healy, a former juvenile delinquent himself, gets a federal grant to run an experimental halfway house in New York City where he hopes to make a difference in these three lives. Things are going well until one night Healy is accidentally knocked unconscious while breaking up a scuffle between the boys. Terrified of the consequences, the three boys drop him off at the hospital and run away. Healy awakens and has no memory of them or the halfway house project. Afraid of being sent back to their original detention centers, the three boys scheme to continue on as if Healy were still there. They will go to school, do their community service, attend group therapy seessions, and act like model citizens until Healy's memory returns and he can resume his role as group leader. The book is funny and the teens seems real to life. It was an enjoyable book to read and one that boys should enjoy reading.

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix

FOUND by Margaret Peterson Haddix is going to be one of this year's favorites. Adolescents (and adults) will really like the plot to this story. It's intriguing and mysterious. Like Haddix's Shadow Children series, this new series of books, The Missing, is going to be very popular among readers. FOUND is the first book in the series with the next book, Sent, coming out in August. The story begins with a plane that appears literally out of thin air, though this isn't the only mystery...the plane has 36 passengers - all toddlers. There was no pilot and no crew. Interested? I thought so. Once you start, you will not put the book down. It's just that good.

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant

Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Engaging colorful mixed media illustrations tell the story of a family doctor who practiced medicine in his hometown, Rutherford, NJ for over forty years. Carlos knew by age 10 that he loved to write poetry, but when he became a young adult he felt that he needed to make a good living. He liked the idea of helping people and supporting his family so he decided to become a doctor. He wondered if he could continue to write as a doctor. Throughout medical school and once he became a doctor he set aside time to continue his writing. He published numerous books of poetry. So talented was he that the Pulitzer Prize was awarded to him posthumously for his last poetry collection, Pictures from Brueghel. At the back of the book is an interesting timeline of Williams’ life presented alongside concurrent world events. Also included are an author’s note, an illustrator’s note and a “further reading” list.

A Kitten Tale, by Eric Rohmann

Four kittens are waiting for their first snow through the other seasons. Three of them are timid, but the fourth kitten is excited and can't wait to see snow for the first time. The artwork is very simple, showing the fourth kitten always trying new things, while the others just sit back and watch. This book if for very young children who also may be afraid of new things.

I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer by Carole Boston Weatherford

This is a beautifully illustrated and well written account of Matthew Henson's life from the age of 13 when he began his first sailing adventure. It is told in the first person. Each page begins with a negative but completes with Henson overcoming that negative. For example; "I did not start as a cabin boy, climb to the ranks of an able-bodied seaman...to drift into humdrum jobs ashore. My dreams had sails." Facts about Henson's accomplishments such as learning to speak Inuit and carrying Peary to safety during during one of the polar attempts are woven into the text and speak to Henson's character. The story is a testament to Henson's determination to overcome prejudice and extreme hardships on his seven sttempts to reach the Notrth Pole. This would be an excellent book to use with character education. It is illustrated by Eric Velasquez and had starred reviews in Booklist, SLJ and Kirkus.