No Purchase Necessary by Maria Marianayagam (HarperCollins, 256 pages, grades 5-8). Ajay’s problems start when he gets a 79 on an English assignment. Since his parents expect nothing less than straight A’s, he’s afraid to tell them about his grade. Desperate to make friends at his new school, Ajay accepts a dare from cool kid Jacob to steal a candy bar, only to discover there’s a million dollar prize inside the wrapper. As Ajay’s lies snowball, he’s consumed with guilt but unsure how to make things right. His parents, Sri Lankan immigrants who are struggling to make ends meet while his dad finishes school, put unrelenting pressure on Ajay and his younger sister, compounding his guilt, fear, and frustration. Ajay volunteers to help out at the store where he stole the candy, hoping to erase the security footage that may have recorded his deed, but to his surprise finds that he likes helping the store owner, who is gruff but also kind and supportive. A new friend, Mindy, also eases some of Ajay’s stress. When Ajay’s emotions boil over into a fight with Jacob, he finds himself in a lot of trouble, but some surprising consequences offer him away to start communicating what he needs and to make some changes that help make things easier for him.

I’ve just finished a week of school vacation, which seems like the perfect time for a little light reading, but instead I found myself deep into books about kids with tough home lives and complicated ethical dilemmas. My heart went out to Ajay, and it was easy to blame his parents for the pressure he put on himself, but as the story unfolded, it also became clear how much they were struggling and how fervently they wanted the best for their children. This would make a great middle school book club book that could open up all kinds of discussions about what to do when you make a mistake and how to communicate with friends and family.

The Trouble with Secrets by Naomi Milliner (Quill Tree Books, 336 pages, grades 5-8). Becky is thrilled when her music teacher recommends her to audition on her flute for the all-county band, but her rabbi father tells her she needs to wait until next year so she can prepare for her upcoming bat mitzvah. Disappointed and angry, Becky forges her mother’s signature and goes ahead with the audition. Her older sister Sara is in on the secret, and Becky soon learns Sara’s secret: she’s in love with the new boy at school, the son of a local Protestant minister. Their father has made it clear that he expects all four of his children to only date people who share their Jewish faith. Sara is afraid to tell their parents, especially when their cousin secretly marries outside the faith, causing a huge rift in her family. The story begins with a chapter called “Now,” in which Becky is getting ready for a funeral, then goes back to tell the events leading up to that day. Part two of the book is back to “Now,” which is a time filled with shock and grief, but also slow healing as Becky and her family come to terms with what has happened and learn to move forward into a new normal.

This beautifully written book had me in tears for pretty much the last third or so. Like No Purchase Necessary, it shows readers the destructive power of keeping secrets, even though doing so may feel like the easiest way in the moment. Becky is part of a wonderfully loving family, who lives their Jewish faith every day, although her older siblings Jon and Sara felt a little too good to be true. I also felt like the authors of both of these books kind of went to extremes to communicate their message about secrets, as most secrets don’t involve winning a million dollars or result in the kind of tragedy in this book.

Band Nerd by Sarah Clawson Willis (HarperAlley, 272 pages, grades 5-8). Lucy’s excited to be starting seventh grade at Windley School of the Arts, where she can pursue her love of flute in the school band. It’s clear from the first page that there are some tensions at home, and as time goes on, her dad’s drinking problem creates an increasing amount of chaos. Lucy escapes through her music, putting enormous pressure on herself to beat her rival Tolli for the first chair position in band. As she becomes more obsessed with this goal, her schoolwork suffers, and her parents threaten to send her back to her old middle school. A bungled attempt to sabotage Tolli results in Lucy getting into trouble, which ultimately leads to a conference with school administrators and her parents. As the truth about their family situation emerges, Lucy is able to communicate to her parents how their home life is affecting her and to get help from sympathetic teachers and a counselor at school. Although things don’t turn out exactly as she had hoped, Lucy is back on track for success at school and her family is working to give her the support she needs.

Middle school readers will love this graphic novel, although some of the scenes with Lucy’s dad are difficult to get through. Many of Lucy’s new friends are also dealing with challenging family issues, and this book does a great job of showing kids how to cope and reach out for help.