Books like Dear Mr. Kilmer by Anne E. Schraff

Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnatses. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day, digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But there are an awful lot of holes. It doesn't take long for Stanley to realize that Camp Green Lake isn't what it seems. Are the boys digging holes because the warden is looking for something? But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? It's up to Stanley to dig up the truth.

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend, Ellen Rosen, often think about life before the war. But it's now 1943, and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching in their town. The Nazis won't stop. The Jews of Denmark are being "relocated," so Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be part of the family. Then Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission. Somehow she must find the strength and courage to save her best friend's life. There's no turning back now.

The life of a ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia expands when he becomes friends with a newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm.

Mexican farm workers must adjust to life in California during the Great Depression.

Eleven-year-old Melody has a photographic memory. Her head is like a video camera that is always recording. Always. And there's no delete button. She's the smartest kid in her whole school, but no one knows it. Most people — her teachers and doctors included — don't think she's capable of learning, and until recently her school days consisted of listening to the same preschool-level alphabet lessons again and again and again. If only she could speak up, if only she could tell people what she thinks and knows...but she can't, because Melody can't talk. She can't walk. She can't write. Being stuck inside her head is making Melody go out of her mind — that is, until she discovers something that will allow her to speak for the first time ever. At last Melody has a voice, but not everyone around her is ready to hear it. From two-time Coretta Scott King Award winner Sharon M. Draper comes a story full of heartache and hope. Get ready to meet a girl whose voice you'll never, ever forget. (Back Cover)

"A bolt of lightning on my kicks, the court is sizzling, my sweat is drizzling. Stop all that quivering, cuz tonight I'm delivering," raps basketball phenom Josh Bell. Thanks to his dad, he and his twin brother, Jordan, are kings on the court, with crossovers that make even the toughest ballers cry. But Josh has more than hoops in his blood. He's got a river of rhymes flowing through him -- a sick flow that helps him find his rhythm when everything's on the line. As their winning season unfolds, things begin to change. When Jordan meets the new girl in school, the twins' tight-knit bond unravels. In this heartfelt novel, basketball and brotherhood intertwine to show Josh and Jordan that life doesn't come with a playbook, and, sometimes, it's not about winning. - Jacket flap.

"Every war has turning points and every person too."Fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from Manhattan to England to visit her aunt and cousins she's never met: three boys near her age, and their little sister. Her aunt goes away on business soon after Daisy arrives. The next day bombs go off as London is attacked and occupied by an unnamed enemy.As power fails, and systems fail, the farm becomes more isolated. Despite the war, it's a kind of Eden, with no adults in charge and no rules, a place where Daisy's uncanny bond with her cousins grows into something rare and extraordinary. But the war is everywhere, and Daisy and her cousins must lead each other into a world that is unknown in the scariest, most elemental way.A riveting and astonishing story.From the Hardcover edition.

A third-grade student discovers that school expectations aren't what they seem, challenging traditional notions of conduct and friendship in the context of Mrs. Simms' 'holy' competition for the 'halo.'

Cindy struggles with a stormy relationship with her mother, ongoing trouble at school, a dangerous boyfriend, and worse. Will her fragile family survive?

Abel Ruiz is coming into his own. He's got plenty of friends. He's chosen a career path. And he's got a loving girlfriend. What more can he ask for? But when Claudia dumps him for somebody else, Abel is crushed and tries to keep his self esteem from imploding.

Amelia embarks on a journey to find her Aunt Tanner, her former cheerleader teammates, and the boy she once thought of as a friend, all while dodging ex-boyfriend's tell-all book and navigating the complex dynamics of their family's past and present. A lighthearted and humorous adventure story for young readers, perfect for fans of 'The Fault in Our Stars' and 'Wonder'.

The split in the Martinez family is real and painful. Expelled from the family, the two eldest make their own way. Felix Martinez is a hard man to love. But Naomi is determined to heal her family. And she decides to take matters into her own hands to bring together two volatile personalities.

With the state of mind Trevor was in, Vanessa could talk him into anything. Would Vanessa get Trevor involved in crime again? It could happen, only this time, Trevor might not be so lucky. But back then, Trevor had had enough brains to dump her. Now he was in deeper. The web Vanessa had woven around him was stickier and tighter.

The summer was supposed to be different. With the school year over, Darcy Wills looked forward to the best time of her life. But her plans are shattered by a series of unexpected events. First, horrible news threatens to rip her boyfriend Hakeem away. And then someone new enters her life, leaving Darcy in a world of confusion. Before the summer ends, Darcy makes choices that profoundly change her, and a beloved piece of her world is lost forever.

The unpredictable teenage drama of a 15-year-old high school student struggling with new friendships and insecurities.

Best friends meet the sea, but the school's snobbery ruins everything as Shelly and Echo face a new challenge: schoolwork.

Sam tries to make new friend Buddy after his mother's sudden death in fifth grade, but fears it will tear him away from his best friend Alex.

A coming-of-age story about a young girl's journey to find her voice amidst strict Catholic school rules in Los Angeles, USA in 1949.