Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary:  Hadley’s not too excited about moving into a new house, particularly since the move includes her new stepfather and stepbrother.  She’s excited about the discovery of a beautiful dollhouse in the attic, though, and intrigued by the glass doll’s eye that seems to appear out of nowhere.  The old lady living over the garage seems like the grandmother she never had, and the boy next door is a little peculiar, but nice enough.  Events take a sinister turn, however, when Hadley accidentally wishes her stepfather and stepbrother away, and her mother starts acting like a Stepford wife.  These incidents seem tied to the dollhouse and its occupants, and Hadley becomes increasingly desperate to learn how to control her wishes and return things to normal.  Interspersed through the main narrative are chapters told by the first girl who lived in the house with hints of how her life may be tied to the present.  The old lady (ominously named Althea de Mone) shows her true colors as events come together in a creepy conclusion.  208 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  The menacing details start on page one and don’t let up much right through the end.  Horror fans will find this hard to put down.

Cons:  There’s a happy ending for everyone…except the reader.

Published by Aladdin

Summary:  Mattie is generally a behind-the-scenes kind of girl, but when her favorite teacher Mr. Torres announces that the eighth grade play will be Romeo and Juliet, she decides to join her two best friends in auditioning.  She proves to have more talent than she’s given herself credit for.  Originally cast as Paris, she gets moved into a starring role when the boy playing Romeo drops out.  She slowly comes to terms with the fact that she has a crush on Gemma, the girl playing Juliet, and struggles with revealing her feelings to both Gemma and her best friends.  After some awkward rehearsals (those kissing scenes!), the play goes off without a hitch, and the final pages at a school dance reveal that Mattie and Gemma aren’t the only ones thinking about romance.  277 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  A sweet and funny school story with a coming-out twist.  Mattie is a sympathetic character who is fortunate enough to have supportive friends and family.  Theater fans will enjoy the narrative about putting on a play and might even be tempted to try some Shakespeare.

Cons:  The cover makes the girls look like they’re about 11, but the content is a little more mature.

Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Summary:  11-year-old Joe has spent almost his whole life in a sterile London hospital room, suffering from a rare immunodeficiency that prevents him from going outside.  His only human contact is with medical personnel, his older sister Beth (their parents were killed in a car accident), and Henry, an American boy with a similar disease with whom he Skypes.  Henry is getting ready for a trip outside in a suit designed for him by NASA.  When Joe’s eccentric new nurse Amir suggests a plan to secretly get Joe outside, Joe is intrigued but scared at the prospect.  Both boys get their trips out, Henry in front of TV cameras and Joe secretly in the dead of night, but there are serious consequences for them both.  Despite all his difficulties, Joe manages to move from one day to the next with a remarkably optimistic view.  352 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  A moving story that has its moments of sadness but ultimately remains hopeful.  Despite his limited life, Joe is a typical kid in many ways, with his love of superheroes, video games, and football (British-style).  I would recommend this to fans of Wonder if it weren’t becoming such a cliche to do so with any book that packs an emotional punch.

Cons: Flashbacks to 1976.