On Shelves Now: OH, SNAP! (The News Crew, Book 4) by Walter Dean Myers

128 p.
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Ages: 10 to 14

Zander and his friends are in trouble--again. The freedom of expression they've enjoyed by publishing their own school newspaper has spread all the way to England, where kids from a school "across the pond" are now contributors to their own school's most talked-about publication. When photos start to go alongside the articles written by kids, things get suspicious. Zander, Kambui, LaShonda, Bobbi--and a bunch of students from Harlem's DaVinci Academy and London's Phoenix School--come to learn that words and pictures in a newspaper don't always tell the whole story.

With his signature on-point pacing and super-smart characters, award-winning author Walter Dean Myers's acclaimed series delivers another awesome book about a group of middle-school misfits who are becoming the coolest kids in the city.

On Shelves Now: A STAR IS BORN (The News Crew, Book 3) by Walter Dean Myers

176 p.
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Ages: 10 to 14

An alternative school newspaper published by Zander and his crew is alive and well. And now there's plenty to report on when LaShonda steps into the spotlight with her costume designs for an upcoming play. LaShonda's designs get rave reviews, but she soon learns that show business is filled with challenges and choices. LaShonda is forced to consider what's more important--fame, or loyalty to her autistic brother. Whether she gets a standing ovation or the curtain pulled down on her is up to LaShonda. And she can't help but wonder if her friends have got her back and will be there for her whether she's center stage or waiting in the wings.

With signature humor and thought-provoking questions, Walter Dean Myers's acclaimed series once again delivers a whip-quick story that will keep readers at the edge of their seats, and have them applauding after the drama ends on the book's last page.

On Shelves Now: CHECKMATE (The News Crew, Book 2) by Walter Dean Myers

144 p.
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Ages: 10 to 14

Sidney Aronofsky is one of the best chess players under age sixteen. When he's arrested for trying to buy drugs, it comes as a total surprise to those who know him. The expectations of parents, schools, and tutors pressure the young players. Sidney loves and wants to play chess, but dislikes the constant spotlight. He thinks that if he appears to be involved in drugs, he'll be excused from playing on the school's team. In this book, Zander and his crew are back, using their school newspaper to express their frustrations and triumphs.

On Shelves Now: THE CRUISERS (The News Crew, Book 1) by Walter Dean Myers

144 p.
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Ages: 10 to 14

Zander and his crew are underdogs at DaVinci Academy, one of the best Gifted and Talented schools in Harlem. But even these kids who are known as losers can win by speaking up. When they start their own school newspaper, stuff happens. Big stuff. Loud stuff. Stuff nobody expects. Mr. Culpepper, the Assistant Principal and Chief Executioner, is ready to get rid of Zander, Kambui, LaShonda, and Bobbi--until they prove that their writing packs enough power to keep the peace and show what it means to stand up for a cause.

On Shelves Now: RHYTHM RIDE: A ROAD TRIP THROUGH THE MOTOWN SOUND by Andrea Davis Pinkney

176 p.
Publisher: Roaring Book Press
Ages: 10 to 14

Berry Gordy began Motown in 1959 with an $800 loan from his family. He converted the garage of a residential house into a studio and recruited teenagers from the neighborhood—like Smokey Robinson, Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Diana Ross—to sing for his new label. Meanwhile, the country was on the brink of a cultural revolution, and one of the most powerful agents of change in the following decade would be this group of young black performers from urban Detroit. From Berry Gordy and his remarkable vision to the Civil Rights movement, from the behind-the-scenes musicians, choreographers, and song writers to the most famous recording artists of the century, Andrea Davis Pinkney takes readers on a Rhythm Ride through the story of Motown.

On Shelves Now: THE GREAT GREENE HEIST by Varian Johnson

240 p.
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Ages; 10 to 14

Jackson Greene swears he's given up scheming. Then school bully Keith Sinclair announces he's running for Student Council president, against Jackson's former friend Gaby de la Cruz. Gaby wants Jackson to stay out of it -- but he knows Keith has "connections" to the principal, which could win him the presidency no matter the vote count.

So Jackson assembles a crack team: Hashemi Larijani, tech genius. Victor Cho, bankroll. Megan Feldman, science goddess. Charlie de la Cruz, reporter. Together they devise a plan that will take down Keith, win Gaby's respect, and make sure the election is done right. If they can pull it off, it will be remembered as the school's greatest con ever -- one worthy of the name THE GREAT GREENE HEIST.