Just finished The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost. It's a rousing adventure involving a young boy with special abilities. He ends up in a school with four friends who also have unusual talents that are different from his own. I had some questions about who and why these abilities were developed, but I suspect the answers to those questions will be provided in the second or third book. I think decent male readers from grades six to eight would enjoy this book. Thanks to Net Gallery and Random House Children's Books for providing an electronic copy. Look for it in stores this September. 

I've just finished reading one of the books from the Seven Series. They will be out in the fall, and if the other six are similar to the one I just finished,  "Between Heaven and Earth",  I know they will be a hit with 10 - 13 year olds. Each of the seven books is written by a different author. The one I read was by Eric Walters. Each book follows the exploits of one of seven grandchildren, who are each carrying out a last request from their deceased grandfather.
Between Heaven and Earth involves DJ, whose task is to take some of his grandfather's ashes and scatter them from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. The book is about much more than just climbing a mountain, but I don't want to give any spoilers. Even if I hadn't read the dedication in the front of the book, I'd have known that Walters had climbed Kilimanjaro, because there is a sense of authenticity in his descriptions of the climb.
I don't know if you have to read the books in any particular order, but this one made sense as book one. I hope they're all being released at the same time because I'd hate to have the students waiting months for the next ones. This series will definitely be in my middle school library.
I did receive an advance copy of this book from Orca Publishers for which I am, as always, very grateful.

How surprising that just days after reading a book about students trapped in a super center (and NOT liking it), I would find myself reading ANOTHER ONE shortly afterwards. In this, several teens are on their way to school when a freak, killer hailstorm forces the driver to take the bus into the wall of a superstore. At that time, there are six high school students and six little kids on the bus. The driver leaves to try to get help, and the kids end up inside the store. A chemical weapons spill follows the hailstorm and causes some very extreme reactions, all based on blood type. The kids figure out quite quickly that the air conditioning is allowing the dangerous chemicals in, and they block off the vents so they can be safe. Quite a few things happen while the kids are in the store, including some outside visitors. When the story ends, one of them needs help, so a group of them are going to try to get to Denver. I'm quite certain there will be a second book. Warning: There are a couple sections that are not explicit, but that make this not suitable for younger students. I would suggest 13 and higher.