JINKS, Catherine. The Paradise Trap. Egmont USA. 2012. ISBN 9781606842737. JLG Level: HIM: High Interest Middle School (Grades 5-8)

If you and your readers loved Jinks’s “Evil Genius” series (Houghton Harcourt), The Paradise Trap will be on top of the spring reading list. With classic storytelling and a dash of Greek mythology, this title presents a world almost too good to be true—a place and time specific to the wishes and dreams of each character who enters it. Every person’s fantasy starts out well enough, but when any of the tweens involved tries to leave, things get a little crazy—courtesy of the child-eating Siren, Ms. Molpe. Hidden staircases, clueless adults, and video games all add to the fun.

SMITH, Greg Leitich. Chronal Engine. illus. by Blake Henry. Houghton Harcourt. 2012. ISBN 9780547608495. JLG Level: HIM: High Interest Middle School (Grades 5-8)

What a crazy adventure! Siblings Max, Kyle, and Emma end up on their granddad’s ranch right before he has a heart attack. Before it’s too late, he tells them about his time machine. Somehow, a VW bug and the Cretaceous Period collide, the housekeeper’s daughter joins the hunt for missing twin Emma, and they all manage to dodge a hungry T. Rex and other dangerous dinosaurs. A fast read, best for those who like to dwell on details.

SCALETTA, Kurtis. The Tanglewood Terror. Knopf. 2011. ISBN 9780375967580. JLG Level: HIM: High Interest Middle School (Grades 5-8)

Mushrooms. Fungi, really. Most kids hate ‘em, but none with more reason than Eric and Mandy. Why? These mushrooms seem to be taking over the town! Looking back, it looks like history is about to repeat itself. A little scary, but realistic enough to give readers a good sense of the bond that develops between Eric and his often-annoying little brother Brian when bad things start to happen.

NERI, Greg. Ghetto Cowboy. illus. by Jesse Joshua Watson. Candlewick. 2011. ISBN 9780763649227. HIM: High Interest Middle School (Grades 5-8)

When Cole’s mom sends him out east to stay with his relatively unknown dad, things don’t feel good, at first. But then Cole begins to understand the connection between his father and the horses that he cares for, and realizes that they are a part of his history. Inner city kids and horse lovers will unite over this tale of loyalty, bonus oats, and a ton animal love.

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This article originally appeared in the newsletter Extra Helping. Go here to subscribe.

“The ultimate purpose of the merger was to create an organization that promotes information literacy and reading motivation for all Oregonians, from birth through adulthood,” says Abigail Elder, president of the Oregon Library Association (OLA).

A sponsor of the annual Oregon Battle of the Books and the Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Awards, the Oregon Association of School Libraries (OASL) aims to ensure that students and educators are “effective users of ideas and information” and encourages the pursuit of “excellence in school library media programs.” With the two associations under one umbrella, all library staff will “work collaboratively to effectively serve the needs of all,” explains Elder. OASL officially becomes a division of OLA July 12.

OLA and OASL members already work closely on library summer reading programs, the Oregon Readers Choice Award, and the Oregon Battle of the Books program, which engages more than 120,000 young readers from across the state. OLA’s Association of College and Research Libraries division also collaborates closely with school librarians on Common Core State Standards, information literacy skills, and preparing students for higher education and workforce transition, Elder says.

With help from the Oregon State Library, OLA and OASL also support the Oregon School Library Information System (OSLIS), which provides low-cost access to high-quality information resources and an information literacy curriculum for students, teachers, librarians, and other educators.

When it comes to legislative issues, the two organizations will continue to work together on the national and state level, especially as school budget cuts continue to diminish the role of media specialists.

“All OLA members are closely monitoring the situation in school districts across the state,” Elder says. “We are advocating for school librarians and strong school libraries, while also finding ways to support students, teachers and families in locations where school library services have been slashed.”

For the 2009-2010 school year, Oregon had 319 certified librarians serving 1,300 school. “However, we are in flux with school libraries—they are declining quickly,” Elder says. “By the end of this school year, we will have lost at least 50 school librarians.”

Oregon mandates school librarians but the current law has no teeth. “Many districts are cutting teacher-librarians for budgetary reasons and there have been no consequences from the state,” Elder says.

This article originally appeared in the newsletter Extra Helping. Go here to subscribe.