Double Helix

Double Helix by Nancy Werlin
Eighteen-year-old Eli discovers a shocking secret about his life and his family while working for a Nobel Prize-winning scientist whose specialty is genetic engineering.

Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go

Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go by Dale E. Basye, Bob Dob (Illustrator)

When timid Milton and his older, scofflaw sister Marlo die in a marshmallow bear explosion at Grizzly Mall, they are sent to Heck, an otherworldly reform school from which they are determined to escape.

How to Steal a Dog

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor
Living in the family car in their small North Carolina town after their father leaves them virtually penniless, Georgina, desperate to improve their situation and unwilling to accept her overworked mother's calls for patience, persuades her younger brother to help her in an elaborate scheme to get money by stealing a dog and then claiming the reward that the owners are bound to offer.

My One Hundred Adventures

My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath
Twelve-year-old Jane, who lives at the beach in a run-down old house with her mother, two brothers, and sister, has an eventful summer accompanying her pastor on Bible deliveries, meeting former boyfriends of her mother's, and being coerced into babysitting for a family of ill-mannered children.

Fablehaven (Fablehaven Series #1)

Fablehaven (Fablehaven Series #1) by Brandon Mull, illustrated by Brandon Dorman

When Kendra and Seth go to stay at their grandparents' estate, they discover that it is a sanctuary for magical creatures and that a battle between good and evil is looming. Books in this series: Book 1. Fablehaven -- Book 2. Rise of the Evening Star -- Book 3. Grip of the Shadow Plague. -- Book 4. Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary -- Book 5. Keys to the Demon Prison

The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #1)

The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #1) by Michael Scott

While working at pleasant but mundane summer jobs in San Francisco, fifteen-year-old twins, Sophie and Josh, suddenly find themselves caught up in the deadly, centuries-old struggle between rival alchemists, Nicholas Flamel and John Dee, over the possession of an ancient and powerful book holding the secret formulas for alchemy and everlasting life. Books in this series: Book 1. The Alchemyst -- Book 2. The Magician -- Book 3. The Sorceress.

The Rules of Survival

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
Seventeen-year-old Matthew recounts his attempts, starting at a young age, to free himself and his sisters from the grip of their emotionally and physically abusive mother.

Forever Rose

Forever Rose by Hilary McKay
As Christmas approaches, eleven-year-old Rose, the youngest member of the eccentric Casson family, discovers that life is filled with both catastrophic problems and wonderful surprises. Books in this series: Book 1. Saffy's angel -- Book 2. Indigo's star -- Book 3. Permanent Rose -- Book 4. Caddy ever after -- Book 5. Forever Rose.

Smiles to Go

Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinneli
Will Tuppence's life has always been ruled by science and common sense but in ninth grade, shaken up by the discovery that protons decay, he begins to see the entire world differently and gains new perspective on his relationships with his little sister and two closest friends.

The Dead & The Gone

The Dead & The Gone: A Novel by Susan Beth Pfeffer
After a meteor hits the moon and sets off a series of horrific climate changes, seventeen-year-old Alex Morales must take care of his sisters alone in the chaos of New York City. Companion to: Life As We Knew It.

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall
The four Penderwick sisters are faced with the unimaginable prospect of their widowed father dating, and they hatch a plot to stop him. Books in this series: Book 1. The Penderwicks : a Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy -- Book 2. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street.

Savvy

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Recounts the adventures of Mibs Beaumont, whose thirteenth birthday has revealed her "savvy"--a magical power unique to each member of her family--just as her father is injured in a terrible accident.