Warriors in the Crossfire by Nancy Bo Flood

From the Publisher: " In the final months of World War II, the tiny South Pacific island of Saipan provided a vital buffer between Japan and the advancing American troops.  Japan vowed to defend thse islands to the last man.  Based on historical events, this story unfolds through the eyes of Joseph and his half-Japnese cousin, Kento. Forced to experience the unimaginable horrors of Suicide Cliff, they discover, within themselves, what it means to become warriors."
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press, 2010, 142 pp.

Nature Girl by Jane Kelley

From the Publisher: "Eleven-year-old Megan is stuck in the wilds of Vermont for the summer with no TV, no Internet, no cell phone, and worst of all, no best friend. So when Megan gets lost on the Appalachian Trail with only her little dog, Arp, for company, she decides she might as well hike all the way to Massachusetts where her best friend, Lucy, is spending her summer. Life on the trail isn’t easy, and Megan faces everything from wild animals and raging rivers to tofu jerky and life without bathrooms. Most of all, though, Megan gets to know herself—both who she’s been in the past and who she wants to be in the future—and the journey goes from a spur-of-the-moment lark to a quest to prove herself to Lucy, her family, and the world!"
Publisher: Random House, 2010, 256 pp.

Twenty Gold Falcons by Amy Gordon

From the Publisher:  "Eleven-year-old Aidan and her friends aren't the only ones hot on the trail of gold stashed in a mysterious old building. Aidan hates moving to the city with her mother after her father dies unexpectedly. She mourns her father, misses the farm, and doesn't fit in at her snooty private school. But then she hears about the stash of valuable coins called gold falcons hidden in the Ingle Building. Her hunt unleashes a remarkable chain of events and brings her in touch with unforgettable characters, including smart-aleck elevator operators, an eccentric millionaire, and a mouse that appears to appreciate opera. This novel is filled with danger, rip-roaring fun, and countless surprises."
Publisher: Holiday House, 2010, 240 pp.

Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen

From the Publisher: "Samuel, 13, spends his days in the forest, hunting for food for his family. He has grown up on the frontier of a British colony, America. Far from any town, or news of the war against the King that American patriots have begun near Boston. But the war comes to them. British soldiers and Iroquois attack. Samuel's parents are taken away, prisoners. Samuel follows, hiding, moving silently, determined to find a way to rescue them. Each day he confronts the enemy, and the tragedy and horror of this war. But he also discovers allies, men and women working secretly for the patriot cause. And he learns that he must go deep into enemy territory to find his parents: all the way to the British headquarters, New York City."
Publisher: Random House, 2010, 176 pp.