The following suggestions are taken from lists of award winning and highly recommended books for Grades 5-8. Check out BCEMS Library or the Aldrich Public Library for these books.  RL = Reading Level

1. Who Ordered the Jumbo Shrimp? and Other Oxymorons. 
Agee, Jon.
Comical illustrations help demonstrate how absurd some oxymorons are.

2. Steel Trapp: The Challenge.
Pearson, Ridley.  While on a two-day train trip to enter his invention in the National Science Competition in Washington, D.C., fourteen-year-old Steven “Steel” Trapp, possessor of a remarkable photographic memory, becomes embroiled in an international plot of kidnapping and bribery that may have links to terrorists. RL 8.1

3. Evil Genius.
Jinks, Catherine. 
Eleven-year-old Ohkwa'ri and his twin sister must make peace with a hostile gang of older boys in their Mohawk village during the late 1400s.  RL 4.2

4. Punished! 
Lubar, David.
Logan and his friend Benedict are playing tag in the library. Logan gets caught when he runs into a mysterious man. When Logan doesn't apologize sincerely, the mysterious gentleman punishes him by causing him to speak in puns. Only finding seven examples each of oxymorons, anagrams and palindromes within the time limits will return Logan to normal.
RL 3.6

5. Alex Rider series: 
Stormbreaker
Horowitz, Anthony. 
Reluctant teenage-spy Alex Rider, on a routine mission at the Wimbledon tennis championships, gets caught up in Chinese gangs, illegal nuclear weapons, and the suspect plans of his Russian host, General Sarov..  RL 5.9

6. Traitor in Williamsburg: A Felicity Mystery. 
Jones, Elizabeth McDavid. 
Felicity, a young girl in colonial Williamsburg, decides to find out who is trying to cause trouble when an anonymous person begins falsely accusing people of helping the British--including her father.
RL 5.2

7.  King of Shadows.
Cooper, Susan.
While in London as part of an all-boy acting company preparing to perform in a replica of the famous Globe Theatre, Nat Field suddenly finds himself transported back to 1599 and performing in the original theater under the tutelage of Shakespeare himself.
RL 7.0

8. Heir Apparent.
Velde, Vivian Vande.
While playing a total immersion virtual reality game of kings and intrigue, fourteen-year-old Giannine learns that demonstrators have damaged the equipment to which she is connected, and she must win the game quickly or be damaged herself.
RL 7.6

9. The Book of Three. Alexander, Lloyd.
Taran, the Assistant Pig Keeper in the mythical kingdom of Prydain, sets out with the warrior Gwydion to save his country from evil. RL 5.5

10. The Ranger’s Apprentice: Icebound Land
Flanagan, John. 
Chasing the Skandian slave-traders who kidnapped Will and Evanlyn, Ranger Halt and warrior student Horace find themselves in the frozen northern islands, where they battle a ruthless black-clad knight as they attempt to rescue their friends. RL 6.8

11. Eldest
Paolini, Christopher. 
After successfully evading an Urgals ambush, Eragon is adopted into the Ingeitum clan and sent to finish his training so he can further help the Varden in their struggle against the Empire. RL 7.0

12. Charlie Bone series:
Charlie Bone and theBeast.
Nimmo, Jenny. 
When Asa Pike, a Bloor's Academy student with the ability to change into a beast at dusk, goes missing, twelve-year-old Charlie Bone suspects a new classmate, the magically gifted Dagobert Endless, of foul play.  RL 4.3

13. Lion Boy.
Corder, Zizou.  
In the near future, a boy with the ability to speak the language of cats sets out from London to seek his kidnapped parents and finds himself on a Paris-bound circus ship learning to train lions. RL 6.3

14. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher. 
Coville, Bruce.
Small for his age but artistically talented, twelve-year-old Jeremy Thatcher unknowingly buys a dragon’s egg.  RL 5.9

15. Gregor the OverlanderCollins, Suzanne.
When eleven-year-old Gregor and his two-year-old sister are pulled into a strange underground world, they trigger an epic battle involving humans, bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy.
RL 6.0

16. Artemis Fowl series:
The Time Paradox. 
Colfer, Eoin. 
Artemis’s fairy friends help him travel back in time to find a cure for his mother's rare disease which can only be cured by the brain fluid of now-extinct African lemurs, and is shocked to discover that it was actually his younger self who was responsible for bringing about the animal's extinction.  RL 5.8

17. The Case of the Missing Marquess: an Enola Holmes Mystery.
Springer, Nancy.
Enola Holmes, much younger sister of detective Sherlock Holmes, must travel to London in disguise to unravel the disappearance of her missing mother.
RL 6.6

18. Understanding Global Warming with Max Axiom, Super Scientist. 
Biskup, Agnieszka.
Max Axiom teaches the science behind global warming, traveling the world to explore global warming, deforestation, the polar ice sheets, and solutions to climate change.
RL 6.9

19. The Stoneheart Trilogy.  
(Silvertongue). 
Fletcher, Charlie. 
Twelve-year-old George Chapman and his friend Edie, the only humans who did not disappear from London when time froze, move toward a final confrontation with Walker, a murderous immortal that has aligned itself with the forces of evil in the battle between the city's statues and gargoyles.
RL YA

20. Inkheart.  Funke, Cornelia.  Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father Mo, a bookbinder, can "read" fictional characters to life when an evil ruler named Capricorn, freed from the novel “Inkheart” years earlier, tries to force Mo to release an immortal monster from the story.
RL 7.0

21. Larklight. 
Reeve, Philip. Myrtle and Art, living with their father in an old Victorian house that floats in Earth's orbit, are called upon to save themselves and the universe from elephant-sized white spiders and join forces with the notorious space pirate Jack Havock.
RL 7.0

22. Warriors series:  Cats of the Clans. 
Hunter, Erin.
Rock, the keeper of the world beneath the world, tells about the most famous cats of the warrior Clans as well as the rogues, kittypets, and others, to three kits that have recently entered his realm.  RL 6.7

23. Redwall series:  Doomwyte Jacques, Brian.
The Redwallers face some of their most dangerous villains yet in a treacherous hunt for long-lost treasure.  RL YA

24. The Guardians of Ga’hoole series:  Exile. 
Lasky, Kathryn.
A mysterious blue owl from the Middle Kingdom known as the Striga slowly gains control over Coryn's mind and institutes a harsh new regime that begins to control the learning at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, where the Band fights to break through to Coryn and force him to acknowledge the Striga's harmful influence.RL 4.4

25. Harry Potter series. Rowling, J.K.
Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  RL 5.3-6.9

26. A Wrinkle in Time.  L’Engle, Madeline.
Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government.  RL 5.8

27. The Septimus Heap series: Queste. 
Sage, Angie.
Septimus must elude the plans of Merrin Meredith and Tertius Fume in order to find the House of Foryx, a place where all Time meets, and secure the release of Nicko and Snorri.  RL 6.0

28. Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. 
The Lightning Thief (Book One).
Riordan, Rick.
Percy, expelled from six schools for being unable to control his temper, learns the truth from his mother that his father is the Greek god Poseidon, and is sent to Camp Half Blood where he is befriended by a satyr and the demigod daughter of Athena who join him in a journey to the Underworld to retrieve Zeus's lightning bolt and prevent a catastrophic war. RL 4.9

29. The Edge Chronicles.  Riddell, Chris & Stewart, Paul.
Twig (a misplaced human boy who's being raised by woodtrolls) gets a hint of his true heritage and sheds his Deepwoods upbringing, and does the unthinkable: He strays from the path. Alone for the first time and surviving by his wits, Twig must surmount all manner of perils to pursue a destiny promised to him "beyond the Deepwoods." Twig bests and befriends a ferocious, Carroll-esque menagerie of Deepwoods denizens--from foul-mouthed halitoads and red-faced slaughterers to galumphing banderbears and piranha-Tribble wig-wigs.  RL 7.2

30. The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp.  Yancey, Richard.
Through a series of dangerous and violent misadventures, teenage loser Alfred Kropp rescues King Arthur's legendary sword Excalibur from the forces of evil. RL YA

31. Endymion Spring.
Skelton, Matthew.   
Having reluctantly accompanied his academic mother and pesky younger sister to Oxford, twelve-year-old Blake Winters is at loose ends until he stumbles across an ancient and magical book, secretely brought to England in 1453 by Gutenberg's mute apprentice to save it from evil forces, and which now draws Blake into a dangerous and life-threatening quest.
RL 5.9

32.  Wayne Gretzky: Hockey All-Star. Kirkpatrick, Rob.
Chronicles the life and career of Canadian hockey great Wayne Gretzky, covering his childhood, his years in the NHL, and his retirement; and presents photos, a glossary, and related Internet addresses.
RL 3.0

33. The City of Ember.
DuPrau, Jeanne.
In the city of Ember, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions.  RL 5.8

34. The Fire Keeper’s Son.
Park, Linda Sue.  
In eighteenth-century Korea, after Sang-hee's father injures his ankle, Sang-hee attempts to take over the task of lighting the evening fire which signals to the palace that all is well. Includes historical notes. RL 4.2

35. Shrek: The Complete Guide. 
Cole, Stephen. 
A guide to the characters and places which appear in the first three Shrek movies.
RL 3.0

36. The Tiger’s Apprentice series.  Yep, Laurence. 
Nancy's ESP both frightens and intrigues her. She is tempted to use her gift for evil. Can she control her power ...or will it end up controlling her?  RL 5.2

37. May Bird: Warrior Princess. 
Anderson, Jodi Lynn.
Three years after her return from the Ever After, May Bird, now thirteen, draws her scattered friends--Pumpkin, Fabbio, Beatrice, and Lucius--out of hiding to take a final stand against Evil Bo Cleevil, as May herself makes ready to live up to the prophecy that placed the fate of the Ever After, and her own world, in her hands.
RL 5.8

38. Ironhand.
Fletcher, Charlie.
Having upset the balance between the warring statues of London, twelve-year-old George is confronted with new challenges as he tries to free his captured friends Edie and The Gunner from the formidable Walker and deal with the three strange veins of marble, bronze, and stone that have begun to grow out of his hand.  RL YA

39. Jump Ship to Freedom.  Collier, James Lincoln.
By rights young Daniel Arabus and his mother, slaves in Captain Iver's house in Stratford, Conn., should be free. But the Captain refuses to honor their agreement and instead sells Daniel on board a ship to the West Indies. RL 5.4

40. People of Sparks. 
DuPrau, Jeanne.
Lina and Doon are thrilled to see their people join them above ground in the vibrant village of Sparks, but suspicion and prejudice soon turn the villagers and newcomers against each other. RL 5.5

41. Prophet of Yonwood.  DuPrau, Jeanne.
While visiting the small town of Yonwood, North Carolina, eleven-year-old Nickie makes some decisions about how to identify both good and evil when she witnesses the townspeople's reactions to the apocalyptic visions of one of their neighbors.
RL 5.4

42. The Runaway Dolls.
Martin, Ann M.
Best friends Annabelle and Tiffany risk placing all of dollkind in danger when they run away while trying to prevent Tilly from being sent back to London before they can determine if she is Annabelle's long-lost baby sister.  RL 6.5

43. Atlantis: Mystery of the Lost City. 
DeMolay, Jack.
In graphic art format, describes the history of Atlantis and the theories used to explain the mystery of the lost city.

44. Katie’s Trunk
Turner, Ann. 
Katie, whose family is not sympathetic to the rebel soldiers during the American Revolution, hides under the clothes in her mother's wedding trunk when they invade her home. RL 4.9

45. Come to the Castle! : A Visit to a Castle in Thirteenth-Century England.
Ashman, Linda.
Illustrations and rhyming text depict life in medieval times, with lords, ladies, servants, squires, flying silverware, mystery meat, and other oddities at the Earl of Daftwood's castle. RL 2.6

46. Diogenes.
Usher, Mark David. 
Not content to sit, stay, roll over, or play fetch, a dog in ancient Greece decides to live a master-free life, like the mouse. End notes discuss the life and teachings of the Greek philosopher Diogenes. RL 3.2

47. Biscuit’s Big Friend. Capucilli, Alyssa Satin. 
Biscuit, a little puppy, and Sam, a big dog, play together despite their difference in size. 
RL 1.1

48. The Dragon in the Driveway. Shroades, John. Cousins Jesse and Daisy, along with their pet dragon, continue their battle against the evil scientist who has plans to destroy the forest in order to find the magical golden ax that is buried there. RL 5.3

49. Dunderheads.
Fleischman, Paul.
When Miss Breakbone confiscates Junkyard's crucial find, Wheels, Pencil, Spider, and the rest of the Dunderheads plot to teach her a lesson. RL 4.0

50. Flawed Dogs.
Breathed, Berkeley.
After being framed by a jealous poodle, a dachshund is left for dead, but comes back with a group of mutts from the National Last Ditch Dog Depository to disrupt the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club dog show and exact revenge on Cassius the poodle. RL 6.3

51. Finder’s Magic.
Pearce, Philippa.
After a mysterious stranger offers to help Till find his dog, they embark on a magical quest, interviewing various witnesses, including a heron, a mole, a riddling cat, and Miss Mousey, whose sketch of a peaceful riverbank offers a vital clue.  RL 4.9

52. Franny Parker.
McKinnon, Hannah Roberts.  Through a hot, dry Oklahoma summer, twelve-year-old Franny tends wild animals brought by her neighbors, hears gossip during a weekly quilting bee, befriends a new neighbor who has some big secrets, and learns to hope. RL 5

53. The Magician’s Elephant. DiCamillo, Kate.
When ten-year-old orphan Peter Augustus Duchene encounters a fortune teller in the marketplace one day who tells him that his sister, who is presumed dead, is in fact alive, he embarks on a remarkable series of adventures in an attempt to find her. RL 5.8

54. Unfinished Angel.
Creech, Sharon.
In a tiny village in the Swiss Alps, an angel meets an American girl named Zola who has come with her father to open a school, and together Zola and the angel rescue a group of homeless orphans, who gradually change everything.  RL 4.7

55. The Wyrm King. 
Black, Holly & DiTerlizzi, Tony.
Nick, Julie, Laurie, and their friends try to prevent a hydra from destroying Florida.
RL 5.3

56. Frindle.
Clements, Andrew. 
When he decides to turn his fifth grade teacher's love of the dictionary around on her, clever Nick Allen invents a new word and begins a chain of events that quickly moves beyond his control.  RL  4.8

57. Jack Plank Tells Tales.  Babbitt, Natalie. 
Because he is too nice to be a pirate, Jack Plank looks for a new career, but each night he tells tales of why the one job he looked into that day is wrong.
RL 3.9

58. Diary of a Wimpy Kid series: Dog Days.   
Kinney, Jeff.
Greg Heffley recounts his daily experiences during summer vacation as he tries to live out his ultimate fantasy of spending the days indoors playing video games with no responsibilities and no rules, despite his mother's attempts to pack the summer with outdoor activities and family fun. RL 5.4

59. Eragon.
Paolini, Christopher. 
In Aagaesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters. RL 5.8

60. Grasshopper Summer.  Turner, Ann. 
In 1874 eleven-year-old Sam and his family move from Kentucky to the southern Dakota Territory, where harsh conditions and a plague of hungry grasshoppers threaten their chances for survival.  RL  5.2

61. I Come from South Korea.  Weber, Valerie.
Nine-year-old Chang-Min, a South Korean boy who moved to the U.S. when he was seven, describes his daily life, including school, church, Cub Scouts, and family activities, as well as what he misses about his home country. RL 3.9

62. Little Cricket.
Brown, Jackie. 
After the upheaval of the Vietnam War reaches them, twelve-year-old Kia and her Hmong family flee from the mountains of Laos to a refugee camp in Thailand and eventually to the alien world of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
RL 6.4

63. Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything in it.
Frazier, Sundee T.
Brendan Buckley, a biracial ten-year-old, applies his scientific problem-solving ability and newfound interest in rocks and minerals to connect with his white grandfather, the president of Puyallup Rock Club, and to learn why he and Brendan’s mother are estranged. RL 4.0

64. Ever. 
Mack, Tracy. 
Citrin, Michael. Brought to London under mysterious circumstances by his tutor, a young boy seeks the help of Sherlock Holmes when his tutor is kidnapped and he himself is threatened with the same fate. 
RL 5.0

65. Into the Dark: An Echo Falls Mystery.  Abrahams, Peter. Thirteen-year-old Sherlock Holmes aficionado Ingrid Levin-Hill tries to clear her grandfather's name when he is accused of murdering an environmental activist found dead on his farm. RL 4.2

66. Kids Like Me: Voices of the Immigrant Experience. 
Blohm, Judith M. & Lapinsky, Terri.
A collection of twenty-six personal narratives in which young immigrants share their struggles to adapt to life in America.  RL 5.6

67. Dawn and Dusk. 
Mead, Alice.
As thirteen-year-old Azad tries desperately to cling to the life he has known, the political situation in Iran during the war with Iraq finally forces his family to flee their home and seek safety elsewhere.
RL 6.2

68. Hardy Boys: Double Deception.  Dixon, Franklin W. When Justin, the teen celebrity Frank and Joe have been assigned to protect, starts behaving strangely, a shocking surprise awaits the detective duo.  RL 5.2

69.  An American Hero: The True Story of Charles A. Lindbergh.
Denenberg, Barry.
Biography of Charles A. Lindbergh, following his life and career from his famous transatlantic flight from New York to Paris, through his decline in popularity for his anti-war sentiments, and to his re-emergence as an American hero in his later years.
RL YA

70. Dragon Flight. 
George, Jessica Day. 
Young seamstress Creel finds herself strategizing with the dragon king Shardas once again when a renegade dragon in a distant country launches a war against their country, bringing an entire army of dragons into the mix.  RL 6.8

71. Sent (Book 2). 
Haddix, Margaret Peterson.  Jonah, Katherine, Chip, and Alex find themselves in 1483 at the Tower of London, and discover that Chip and Alex are Prince Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury, imprisoned by Richard III; but trying to repair history without knowing what is supposed to happen proves challenging.
RL 5.0

72. Copper Sun. 
Draper, Sharon M.
Two fifteen-year-old girls--one a slave and the other an indentured servant--escape their Carolina plantation and try to make their way to Fort Moses, Florida, a Spanish colony that gives sanctuary to slaves.  RL YA

73. The Book Thief. 
Zusak, Markus.
Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.  RL YA

74. Distant Waves. 
Weyn, Suzanne.
In the early twentieth century, four sisters and their widowed mother, a famed spiritualist, travel from New York to London, and as the Titanic conveys them and their acquaintances, journalist W.T. Stead, scientist Nikola Tesla, and industrialist John Jacob Astor, home, Tesla's inventions will either doom or save them all. RL YA

75. The Roar. 
Clayton, Emma. 
In an overpopulated world where all signs of nature have been obliterated and a wall has been erected to keep out plague-ridden animals, twelve-year-old Mika refuses to believe that his twin sister was killed after being abducted, and continues to search for her in spite of the dangers he faces in doing so.  RL 5.7

76. The Case of the Purloined Professor. 
Cox, Judy.
Rat brothers Frederick and Ishbu again escape the comfort of their fifth-grade classroom to go on an adventure, this time to help their friend, Natasha, seek her missing father, who is a specialist in the biochemistry of domestic animals.
RL 4.7

77. Jake Ransom: Skull King’s Shadow. 
Rollins, James.
Connecticut middle-schooler Jake and his older sister Kady are transported by a Mayan artifact to a strange world inhabited by a mix of people from long-lost civilizations who are threatened by prehistoric creatures and an evil alchemist, the Skull King.
RL 5.1

78. The Girl Who Could Fly.  Forester, Victoria.
Piper McCloud's ability to fly sets her apart from the other kids, so her mother sends her to an exclusive school for children with exceptional abilities, but even there she does not fit in with the other students. RL 6.0

79. Lone Wolf. 
Franklin, Kristine L.
When a large family moves into the house near where he and his father live in the woods, Perry's friendship with the oldest girl helps him come to terms with his sister's death and his parents' divorce. RL 4.5

80. Flight 29 Down series: 
On Fire.  
Sorrells, Walter.
When Eric breaks the camp lighter and the fire goes out, the castaways find themselves in real trouble. RL 3.5

81. The New Girl.
Cabot, Meg.
Guided by her rules, nine-year-old Allie works to get past being just the new girl at school, eagerly awaits the arrival of her kitten, and faces turmoil when her grandmother visits while the family is still settling into their new home. RL 5.0

82. The Story of King Arthur and his Knights.
Zamorsky, Tania.
An abridged version of the adventures and exploits of King Arthur and his knights at the court of Camelot and elsewhere in the land of the Britons. RL 5.2

83. The Tail of Emily Windsnap. 
Kessler, Liz. 
After finally convincing her mother that she should take swimming lessons, twelve-year-old Emily discovers a terrible and wonderful secret about herself that opens up a whole new world.  RL 6.1

84. Alice in Wonderland . Carroll, Lewis. 
The story of a little girl who falls down a rabbit hole and discovers a world of nonsensical and amusing characters. RL YA

85. Clarice Bean, Don’t Look Now.
Child, Lauren.
Clarice Bean tries to glean useful advice from the "Ruby Redfort Survival Handbook" as she deals with several worries, including "largish" spiders, Robert the pest, and, most of all, sudden change.
RL 5.4

86. The Unknowns. 
Carey, Benedict.
When people start vanishing from a godforsaken trailer park next to the Folsom Energy Plant, two eleven-year-olds investigate using mathematical clues that were hastily planted by their friend Mrs. Clarke before she disappeared.
RL YA

87. The 39 Clues: The Black Circle. 
Carman, Patrick. 
Siblings Amy and Dan Cahill continue their global search for the clues that will unlock the Cahill family's secret power while also working to evade Irina Spasky.
RL  6.0

88. Darkwood. 
Breen, M.E. 
A clever and fearless orphan endures increasing danger while trying to escape from greedy, lawless men and elude the terrifying "kinderstalks"--animals who steal children--before discovering her true destiny.
RL 5.8

89. Scat.
Hiaasen, Carl. 
Nick and Marta are both suspicious when their biology teacher, the feared Mrs. Bunny Starch, disappears, and try to uncover the truth despite the police and headmaster's insistence that nothing is wrong.  RL 6.0

90. Magic Pickle.
Morse, Scott.
A secret weapon known as Magic Pickle and eight-year-old Jo Jo Wigman work together to defeat Razin', an evil raisin who is trying to turn humans into grapes.  RL 3.1

91.  The Ghost on the Stairs.
Eboch, Chris. 
Thirteen-year-old Jon and his eleven-year-old sister Tania accompany their parents, who host a popular ghost hunting television series, to a spooky old hotel, where Tania's special ability to communicate with ghosts comes to light.
RL 4.1

92.  An Awfully Beastly Business.
MacDonald, Guy; Morgan, Matthew; Sinden, David. 
Ulf, a werewolf boy, and his friends, must stop an evil monster hunter after a dragon's mangled body shows up at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Beasts.
RL 4.1

93.  Missile Mouse: The Star Crusher.  Parker, Jake.
Missile Mouse, a secret agent for the Galactic Security Agency, is launched into a grand adventure when he is sent to rescue a scientist kidnapped by the Rogue Imperium of Planets because of his knowledge of the doomsday machine, Star Crusher. 
RL 4.9

94.  American Girl – A Samantha Mystery:  The Stolen Sapphire.
Buckey, Sarah Masters.
On an ocean liner headed to Europe in 1906, Samantha and Nellie set out to find an archaeologist's legendary sapphire that has gone missing, investigating every first-class passenger.
RL 4.4

95.  The Old Willis Place: A Ghost Story.
Hahn, Mary Downing. 
Tired of the rules that have bound them ever since "the bad thing happened," twelve-year-old Diana ignores her brother's warnings and befriends the daughter of the new caretaker, setting in motion events that lead to the release of the spirit of an evil, crazy woman who once ruled the old Willis place.

96.  The Books of Umber: Happenstance Found. 
Catanese, P.W. 
Twelve-year-old Happenstance wakes up in a cave with no idea how he got there, or who he is, but merchant and royal advisor Lord Umber helps Hap and his two friends escape from the caverns.
RL 6.1

97.  Series of Unfortunate Events:  The Penultimate Peril.  Snicket, Lemony. 
In this next-to-last chronicle of the lives of the Baudelaire orphans, the siblings pose as concierges at the Hotel Denouement to learn the identities and intentions of certain enemies, encountering characters from their past adventures and pondering the nature of nobility and villainy.
RL 7.2

98.  The Cabinet of Wonders.
Rutkoski, Marie. 
Twelve-year-old Petra, accompanied by her magical tin spider, goes to Prague hoping to retrieve the enchanted eyes the Prince of Bohemia took from her father, and is aided in her quest by a Roma boy and his sister.
RL 4.7

99.  Love that Dog. 
Creech, Sharon. 
A young student, who comes to love poetry through a personal understanding of what different famous poems mean to him, surprises himself by writing his own inspired poem.
RL 4.1

100.  The Thief and the Beanstalk. 
Catanese, P.W.
Nick joins a band of thieves and must break into a large white castle that allegedly holds an old man, Jack--rich from a quest up a magical beanstalk--but when Nick has to journey up the same beanstalk, it holds unfamiliar foes.
RL 5