Recommendations based on Heatby Mike Lupica

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Because of Winn-Dixie

    by Kate DiCamillo
    A girl's journey of self-discovery and healing, as she finds friendship in an unlikely companion.

    Kate DiCamillo's beloved, best-selling debut novel is now available in a paperback digest edition. Kate DiCamillo's first published novel, like Winn-Dixie himself, immediately proved to be a keeper—a ... (Goodreads)

  2. Ark Angel

    by Anthony Horowitz
    A teenage spy embarks on a mission to save the world from a criminal mastermind.

    Maximilian Webber, a former SAS man, gives a speech denouncing an extreme eco-terrorist organisation known as Force Three (named after Earth being the third planet from the sun ). After the speech, ... (Wikipedia)

  3. Among the Betrayed

    by Margaret Peterson Haddix
    A young girl discovers the truth about her identity when her government starts rounding up children with special powers.

    Elodie Luria had left a dreary but emotionally comfortable life with her three aunts and grandmother. For the sake of giving her a chance to live out of hiding, they managed to scrounge together ... (Wikipedia)

  4. Brian's Hunt

    by Gary Paulsen
    A young boy's journey of self-discovery and survival in the wilds of the North.

    Brian, who is now sixteen years old, is canoeing through the Canadian wilderness. He realizes that the woods are now his home and he will never be happy in modern society with its noise , pollution, ... (Wikipedia)

  5. Swindle

    by Gordon Korman
    A group of kids team up to retrieve a valuable baseball card from a swindler. Action-packed adventure ensues.

    A smart, young boy named Griffin Bing decides to invite his entire class grade over for a sleepover in an old house about to be demolished after the town's plan for using as a new space in their town ... (Wikipedia)

  6. Snakehead

    by Anthony Horowitz
    Alex Rider goes undercover to infiltrate a ruthless gang of human traffickers. Danger and action ensue.

    Alex Rider lands in the South Pacific after blowing up the Ark Angel in outer space. After his recovery, he is sent to a military base in Swanbourne , Australia . One day before his departure, he ... (Wikipedia)

  7. Al Capone Does My Shirts

    by Gennifer Choldenko
    A boy moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935, where his father works as a prison guard, and navigates life with a sister on the autism spectrum.

    Moose Flanagan and his family composed of father Cam, mother Helen, and sister Natalie move from Santa Monica to Alcatraz Island in 1935. The move was caused by Cam's new job as an electrician and ... (Wikipedia)

  8. Stormbreaker

    by Anthony Horowitz
    An ordinary teen is thrust into an extraordinary mission to save the world.

    The book begins with Alex Rider learning that his uncle and legal guardian, Ian Rider, has been killed in a car crash. Unbeknownst to Alex and his housekeeper Jack Starbright, Ian's job as a banker ... (Wikipedia)

  9. Where the Red Fern Grows

    by Wilson Rawls
    A young boy embarks on an adventure with his beloved hunting dogs, learning valuable life lessons.

    An old man named Billy Colman rescues a redbone hound under attack by neighborhood dogs. He takes it home with him so that its wounds can heal. In light of this event, he has a flashback to when he ... (Wikipedia)

  10. Life As We Knew It

    by Susan Beth Pfeffer
    A teenage girl's struggle to survive an apocalyptic disaster, relying on her resilience and resourcefulness.

    Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, ... (Goodreads)

  11. Hatchet

    by Gary Paulsen
    A boy must learn to survive in the wilderness after a plane crash leaves him stranded.

    Brian Robeson is a thirteen-year-old son of divorced parents. As he travels from Hampton, New York on a single engine Cessna bush plane to visit his father in the oil fields in Northern Canada for ... (Wikipedia)

  12. Among the Brave

    by Margaret Peterson Haddix
    A dystopian future where kids are sent to secret camps to protect them from an oppressive government.

    The fifth book starts off directly where the last book had ended, from the point of view of Trey, Luke's friend from Hendricks' School for Boys. After Luke Garner (Lee Grant) leaves Smits Grant, the ... (Wikipedia)

  13. The Ruins of Gorlan

    by John Flanagan
    A young orphan's rise to become a heroic knight, defending the kingdom against an evil sorcerer.

    Morgarath, the exiled lord of the bleak, barren Mountains of Rain and Night has been waiting fifteen years in his dark realm, carefully planning his revenge against the Kingdom of Araluen. His former ... (Wikipedia)

  14. Among the Impostors

    by Margaret Peterson Haddix
    A young boy's desperate attempt to discover his true identity amidst a world of secrets and lies.

    Twelve-year-old Luke Garner is brought to Hendricks School for Boys by Mr. Talbot, the father of his dead best friend Jen. Luke is his parents’ third child and so is illegal under the country's ... (Wikipedia)

  15. Love, Stargirl

    by Jerry Spinelli
    A teenage girl's journey of self-discovery, as she navigates complex relationships and growing up.

    New in town, homeschooled, and feeling rejected by Leo, the 16-year-old narrator of the first book who had fallen under her spell, she is lonely and sad—her "happy wagon," where she keeps stones ... (Wikipedia)

  16. Horton Hatches the Egg

    by Dr. Seuss
    An elephant who agrees to incubate a lazy bird's egg, and discovers true friendship and loyalty.

    The book centers on a genial elephant named Horton , who is convinced by Mayzie, a lazy, irresponsible bird, to sit on her egg while she takes a short "break", which turns into her permanent ... (Wikipedia)

  17. Wonderstruck

    by Brian Selznick
    Two stories from different eras intertwine, revealing hidden connections between a deaf girl and a runaway boy.

    Ben’s story starts in Gunflint Lake, Minnesota in June 1977. He was born deaf in his left ear. Ben’s mom, Elaine, was the town librarian, but died in a car crash. He now lives with his aunt and uncle ... (Wikipedia)

  18. Icefire

    by Chris d'Lacey
    A boy discovers a connection between his family and dragons, leading to a battle between good and evil.

    David is frustrated that no one will publish his book. Lucy makes a wishing dragon, David's names it "G'reth" which Gadzooks his special dragon wrote down. Liz offers to drive David to campus and ... (Wikipedia)

  19. Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space and the Subsequent Assault of the Equally Evil Lunchroom Zombie Nerds

    by Dav Pilkey
    Two mischievous boys and their superhero creation, Captain Underpants, battle evil cafeteria ladies from outer space and zombie nerds.

    Zorx, Klax and Jennifer, three evil extraterrestrials , land on the rooftop of Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, but nobody is aware that their spaceship is on the roof of the school. Meanwhile, ... (Wikipedia)

  20. The Wednesday Wars

    by Gary D. Schmidt
    A coming-of-age story of a student facing the challenges of the Vietnam War era.

    In this Newbery Honor-winning novel, Gary D. Schmidt offers an unforgettable antihero. The Wednesday Wars is a wonderfully witty and compelling story about a teenage boy’s mishaps and adventures over ... (Goodreads)

  21. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

    by Judi Barrett
    A whimsical story of a town where food literally falls from the sky.

    A grandfather reads a bedtime story, chronicling the lives of the citizens of an imaginary town called Chewandswallow, which is characterized by food raining from the sky. The sky provided the ... (Wikipedia)

  22. Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

    by John Grisham
    Theodore Boone, a 13-year-old aspiring lawyer, gets involved in a high-profile murder trial and uses his legal knowledge to help solve the case.

    The thrilling young mystery series from internationally bestselling author John Grisham! In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he’s only thirteen years old, Theo Boone ... (Barnes & Noble)

  23. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

    by Gabrielle Zevin
    A teenage girl's journey to reclaim her identity through memories of her past.

    If Naomi had picked tails, she would have won the coin toss. She wouldn't have had to go back for the yearbook camera, and she wouldn't have hit her head on the steps. She wouldn't have woken up in ... (Goodreads)

  24. Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie

    by Jordan Sonnenblick
    A humorous and heartfelt story of a young boy's struggle with leukemia and its effect on his family.

    The protagonist of the book is Steven Alper, a 13-year-old boy living in New Jersey . The Alper family consists of Dad, an accountant; Mom, an English teacher; Steven, an enthusiastic and talented ... (Wikipedia)

  25. Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants

    by Dav Pilkey
    A hilarious tale of two mischievous kids who battle a mad scientist in an epic battle of wits.

    A scientist from the country of New Swissland (a country that doesn't exist, with a foreign culture where everyone has a silly name) called Professor Pippy P. Poopypants goes to the United States to ... (Wikipedia)

  26. The Prophet of Yonwood

    by Jeanne DuPrau
    A small town discovers a mysterious prophet who speaks of a much greater danger in the future.

    Nickie will grow up to be one of the first citizens of the city of Ember. But for now, she's an eleven-year-old girl whose father was sent away on some mysterious government project. So when the ... (Goodreads)

  27. Gregor and the Code of Claw

    by Suzanne Collins
    Gregor and his friends must stop the rats from taking over the Underland with the help of a mysterious prophecy.

    Only a few hours have passed since the closing of, Gregor and the Marks of Secret, , when Gregor returns from the Firelands to warn Regalia of an impending gnawer attack. As the novel opens, Gregor ... (Wikipedia)

  28. The Rise of Nine

    by Pittacus Lore
    A group of nine extraordinary teens join forces to save the world from an alien invasion.

    Marina and Six, along with Ella (previously unknown member of the Garde) and Crayton (her Cêpan) are on a plane heading towards India, where they hope to find another member of the Garde: Number ... (Wikipedia)

  29. It's a Magical World

    by Bill Watterson
    A collection of philosophical comic strips featuring the adventures of Calvin and Hobbes.

    When cartoonist Bill Watterson announced that his phenomenally popular cartoon strip would be discontinued, Calvin and Hobbes fans throughout the world went into mourning. Fans have learned to ... (Barnes & Noble)

  30. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods

    by Suzanne Collins
    Gregor and his friends embark on a dangerous quest to find a cure for a deadly plague that threatens the Underland.

    Despite the difficulties it has caused for his family, Gregor finds it hard to distance himself from the Underland . When he receives word that a plague has broken out and his bond Ares is one of the ... (Wikipedia)