(Summaries are taken from School Library Journal, Publisher's Weekly, and Amazon.com reviews and Library of Congress summaries.)

Fiction:
No Talking, by Andrew Clements
The noisy fifth grade boys of Laketon Elementary School challenge the equally loud fifth grade girls to a "no talking" contest.

The Homework Machine, by Dan Gutman
When three classmates of 5th grade computer geek, Brandon, find out that he has invented a
machine that does homework in his own handwriting, they all use it secretively
to disastrous consequences.

The Gollywhopper Games, by Jody Feldman
Gil Goodson sure hopes he's ready. His future happiness depends on winning the Golly Toy & Game Company's ultimate competition. If Gil wins, his dad has promised the family can move out of Orchard Heights—away from all the gossip, the false friends, and bad press that have plagued the Goodsons ever since The Incident.

Night of the Spadefoot Toads, by Bill Harley
When his family moves from Tucson, Arizona to Massachusetts, fifth-grader Ben has a hard time leaving the desert he loves, but when he finds a kindred spirit in his science teacher and ends up trying to help her with some of her problems, he finally begins to feel at home. 

Phineas L. MacGuire series, by Frances O'Roark Dowell
Fourth-grade science whiz Phineas MacGuire might be great at science, but he has his share of school and friend troubles!

The Tapestry series, by Henry Neff
Max McDaniels attends Rowan Academy, a contemporary American boarding school where students are trained to fight against supernatural foes.

Waggit's Tale, by Peter Howe
When a white puppy gets lost in the park, he earnestly assumes that his owner will search for him. Only later, when he joins a well-organized pack of homeless dogs, does he recognize that he has been abandoned. His new friends name him Waggit for his lively tail and train him in the ways of survival.

Tiger, by Jeff Stone (Five Ancestors series, book one.)
Five young warrior monk brothers survive an insurrection and must use the ancient martial arts to avenge their grandmaster.

Mightier Than the Sword: World Folktales for Strong Boys by Jane Yolen.
A collection of 14 folktales from around the world demonstrates the triumph of brain over brawn and strength in compassion and kindness.

The Journal of Biddy Owens, by Walter Dean Myers
Teenager Biddy Owens' 1948 journal about working for the Birmingham Black Barons includes the games and the players, racism the team faces from New Orleans to Chicago, and his family's resistance to his becoming a professional baseball player. Includes a historical note about the evolution of the Negro Leagues.

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg
Claudia runs away from home with her younger brother to live in a museum.

The B.F.G., by Roald Dahl
Kidsnatched from her orphanage by a BFG (Big Friendly Giant), Sophie helps him to save the world from other mangobbling cannybull giants.

Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke
Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a living, can "read" fictional characters to life when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service. This book is being made into a movie that will be released in January, 2009.

The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo
The adventures of Desperaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.

The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare
Left alone to guard the family's wilderness home in 18th century Maine, a boy is hard-pressed to survive until local Indians teach him their skills.

Wolf Brother, by Michelle Paver
6,000 years in the past, twelve-year-old Tarak and his guide, a wolf cub, set out on a dangerous journey to fulfill an oath the boy made to his dying father--to travel to the Mountain of the World Spirit seeking a way to destroy a demon-possessed bear that threatens all the clans. The first book of a series.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis
The first book in the popular Chronicles of Narnia series. Four English school children find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magical but troubled land of Narnia. A fantasy classic, recently re-made into a movie.

The Backward Bird Dog, by Bill Wallace
Everyone knows a bird dog leads with his nose. Everyone but J.C. After all, what's he supposed to think when he's welcomed into his new home by a cat who thwacks him on the nose with his claws, a dog who bites him on the nose, a bee sting on his behind, and a mad mamma bird.

Redwall, by Brian Jacques
When the peaceful life around Redwall Abbey is shattered by the arrival of the evil rat Cluny and his hordes, Matthias, a mouse, determines to help destroy the enemy. The first book in the Redwall series.

The Good Dog, by Avi
McKinley, a malamute, is torn between the domestic world of his human family and the wild world of Lupin, a wolf that is trying to recruit dogs to replenish the dwindling wolf pack.

Holes, by Louis Sachar
As further evidence of his family's bad fortune which they attribute to a curse on a distant relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a hellish correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself.

Matilda, by Roald Dahl
Matilda applies her mental powers to rid the school of the evil headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and restore her nice teacher, Miss Honey, to financial security.

Half Magic, by Edward Eager
Four children spending the summer in a city apartment enjoy a series of fantastic adventures by double-wishing on an ancient coin.

Mr Popper's Penguins, by Florence & Richard Atwater
A housepainter who receives a penguin as a gift tries to ease the bird's homesickness and loneliness.

Stormbreaker, by Anthony Horowitz
After the death of the uncle who had been his guardian, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is coerced to continue his uncle's dangerous work for Britain's intelligence agency, MI6.
 

Non-fiction:
Real Samurai: Over Twenty True Stories about the Knights of Old Japan! by Stephen Turnbull
From brave commanders and fierce warrior monks, to wandering swordsmen and fearless daughters, the mysterious world of the samurai is revealed in this book.

Ships, by David Macaulay
Describes wooden shiops or caravels of the 15th century and follows archaeologists as they uncover a lost caravel in the Caribbean Sea.

Spy Science: 40 Secret-Sleuthing, Code-Cracking, Spy-Catching Activities for Kids, by Jim Wiese
Describes the skills, equipment, and techniques that spies use. Includes activities and experiments.

Snowball Launchers, Giant-Pumpkin Growers, and Other Cool Contraptions, by Tom Fox
Diagrams and step-by-step instructions for projects that include a giant-pumpkin grower, a stethoscope, and a robot, and the author encourages kids to use recycled materials, such as empty oatmeal canisters and paper-towel tubes.

They Did What!? Your Guide to Weird & Wacky Things People Do, by Jeff Szpirglas
Szpirglas looks at several bizarre and absurd inventions and behaviors over the course of human history. Silly fads (remember pet rocks?), urban legends, hoaxes (War of the Worlds broadcast from 1938), strange museums, and offbeat festivals (Englands World Worm Charming Championships) are all celebrated.

Battle Stations! Fortifications Through the Ages, by Stephen Shapiro
Since the earliest civilizations, people have built strongholds to protect themselves from invasion. Now explore ten of these cunningly designed fortifications.

Cold Light: Creatures, Discoveries, and Inventions that Glow, by Anita Sitarski
Sitarski explains the history of cold light; from how cold light was first "discovered" to what experiments scientists are doing now and how cold light is helping the population in general. The beautiful photographs show details of the text so clearly that readers might almost want to touch the squid or experiment with his or her own bioluminescent bacteria-ridden chicken.

Mythology, by Neil Philip
This engagingly illustrated and well-written book describes the gods and goddesses, the heavens, creation, death, and evil in various myths from around the world.

What’s Eating You? Parasites – the Inside Story, by Nicola Davies
The creators of "Poop" and "Extreme Animals" return with this in-depth look at how parasites--mites, lice, fleas, ticks, and tapeworms--make their homes on (and in) other creatures, including humans.

Knight, by Christopher Gravett
Discusses the age of knighthood, covering such aspects as arms, armor, training, ceremonies, tournaments, the code of chivalry, and the Crusades. An Eyewitness book.

Baseball, by Kelly James
Text and detailed photographs present the history, techniques, and interesting facts of baseball. An Eyewitness book.