The Homework Machine, by Dan Gutman

The book jacket shows a police file with photos of the four protagonists, a group of students who never would have chosen to be friends but who find themselves seated at the same table in Miss Rasmussen's fifth grade class. Readers are hooked from the beginning by the involvement of the police as the story unravels from interviews with the students, their parents, and teacher. One student, Brenton has found a way to harness the Internet to do his homework and soon all four gather daily at his house to use the homework machine despite their individual differences and the tensions among the four. Fun and fast to read, this one should hold lots of kid appeal.

Grades 4-6

Drita, My Homegirl, by Jenny Lombard

Drita, a refugee from Kosovo and Maxie, an African American girl in her New York City classroom are an unlikely pair. Drita barely speaks English and struggles to make friends at her new school while outgoing Maxie is in frequent trouble for clowning around in class. Their stories are told in alternating chapters as the two girls get to know each other and their families. This is an outstanding story about friendship and overcoming differences.