Published by Scholastic Press

Summary:  Clea’s managed to do okay in school until she hits seventh grade.  This year she’s more aware than ever of how her racing thoughts, distractibility, and tendency to blurt out whatever she’s thinking are affecting her at school, both academically and socially.  Her parents and teachers have noticed, too, and after a few failed assignments, they decide to get her tested for ADHD. Her diagnosis both scares and relieves Clea. As she begins to better understand how her brain works, she learns to ask for help when she needs it and use new strategies to help her succeed.  Clea’s passion is chess, and staying on the team motivates her to do well in school. With support from her friends, family, and counselors, Clea seems well on her way to success going forward. 304 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Readers who have been diagnosed with ADHD, or know someone who has, will find this book enlightening and comforting.  Learning to ask for help and being kind to yourself are themes that will resonate with everyone.

Cons:  The seventh grade kids seemed preternaturally adept at dealing with their emotions and conflicts with one another.

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Published by Random House Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Eight fifth graders tell about the first half of the year through journal entries to their teacher, Ms Graham.  There is friendship drama, a budding romance, a boy who is threatened with homelessness, and a girl from Mexico who worries about being deported. Some of the kids write letters for their journal entries, while one writes all his in the form of a screenplay, and another draws his as wordless comics.  Their initial connection is through the class pet, Kermit the frog, but soon they are bonding through the social action projects their teacher initiates. When one of those projects leads four of the kids to do something dangerous, Ms. Graham is the one who gets in trouble and is threatened with losing her job.  The kids put their social action lessons to work to find a way to help their teacher and make a difference in their community, resulting in a deepening of friendships and a happy ending for all. 320 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Fans of the Mr. Terupt books or Fish In a Tree will enjoy this uplifting school story with multiple perspectives and writing types.  Inspired readers can find resources at the end to help them learn more about how they can make a difference.

Cons:  Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be time in real life to do all the cool community-building activities and service projects that Ms. Graham’s class gets to do.  After the kids’ victory, a school board member comments, “I hope you all stay engaged for our next topic, which has to do with standardized testing.” Now, that’s realistic.

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Published by Scholastic Press

Summary:  Emma’s been homeschooled all her life, but when her brother starts high school, she starts feeling left behind, and decides to go to public school for fifth grade.  The night before she’s starting school, her game warden father gets a call about a rabbit that’s stuck in a fence. Emma goes along for the rescue, and ends up falling in love with the rabbit, a tame former pet, whom she names Lapin.  School gets off to a rough start: Emma gets paired with Jack, a boy with autism, for a class project, and starts to worry that her association with him will prevent her from making other friends.  But she has a kind heart, and with the help of her family and Lapin, she figures out a way to help Jack while navigating the uncertain waters of fifth grade friendships. Includes an author’s note explaining where her inspirations for different elements of the story came from, and encouraging readers to draw on their own life experiences for their writing.  192 pages; grades 3-5.

Pros:  Cynthia Lord has written another winning middle grade novel that would make an excellent read-aloud or book club book.  Emma is an honest and caring narrator, and readers will relate to her experiences at school. Lapin’s appearance on the cover will make this book irresistible, and kids will enjoy Lord’s nonfiction Borrowing Bunnies for more information on pet rabbits.

Cons:  The ending wrapped things up a bit too neatly.

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Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Summary:  Vijji tells Rukku the story of their lives: how Vijji had always taken care of the developmentally disabled Rukku even though Rukku was the older sister.  How Vijji decided they had to run away the night their father beat them instead of their mother. How they found a new home under a bridge with two boys, Muthi and Arul, who showed them how to make money ragpicking and became like family to them.  Although the four lived in miserable poverty, they managed to have good times together until Rukku and Muthi got sick from malnutrition, bad water, and mosquito-borne disease. A chance encounter with a woman running a home for street children gave Vijji opportunities she never dreamed she would have had, and, despite tragedy, she learns to move ahead with hope.  Includes an author’s note with additional information about her personal experiences with homeless children in India. 208 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  I’m guessing this beautifully-written story will be considered for some award next January.  Readers will learn about the plight of countless children in India while getting to know some unforgettable characters.

Cons (spoiler alert):  With Eventown and Right As Rain, this makes the third book I’ve read in the span of a few weeks that deals with a child grieving the loss of a sibling. I am ready for something a bit lighter.

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Published by Feiwel and Friends

Summary:  On page 1, Riley has just entered a treatment program for her anorexia, and has started a journal to record her experiences.  During the next 53 days, she slowly and painfully looks at what got her there: her perfectionism; a gymnast sister with a “perfect” body; parents who don’t always listen or try to understand the implications of their actions.  Riley makes a new friend, reconciles with her old friends who have been hurt by her eating disorder, and rediscovers her passion for drawing and art. She describes therapy sessions and some of the drama with the other girls in the program.  By day 53, she’s ready to go home again, fearful of a relapse, but hopeful that she has acquired the tools to stand up for herself and do what’s best to keep herself healthy. 272 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  Anyone who has ever had to deal with an inner critic or feeling not good enough will relate to Riley’s struggles as learns how to be kind to herself and tell people around her how she is feeling and what she needs.  Jen Petro-Roy has also written a nonfiction book (published simultaneously with this one) called You Are Enough: Your Guide to Body Image and Eating Disorder Recovery.

Cons:  I was extremely frustrated by Riley’s parents who seemed unwilling to even look at any behaviors that might have led to their daughter’s eating disorder.

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Published by HarperCollins

Summary:  Rain and her parents have just moved from Vermont to New York City, partly because of her mother’s new job and partly to escape the memories of her older brother’s death almost a year before.  Rain has heard that three out of four couples divorce following the death of a child, and it seems like her parents may be on their way to becoming part of this statistic. She escapes from her difficult home life through running.  Her middle school track team gives her some new friends, as does Ms. Dacie’s house, a place where kids drop in after school to bake cookies and get help with their homework. As the story unfolds, readers get glimpses of the night Guthrie died and Rain’s role in helping him sneak out that night.  She learns to express her feelings through poetry, and a poetry slam in her English class allows her to open up to her new friends about what is going on with her. Rain and her parents survive the one-year anniversary of Guthrie’s death, and, although there are still plenty of uncertainties in her life, she knows she has a team of people supporting her as she moves forward.  304 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Lindsey Stoddard’s second novel is every bit as moving as last year’s Just Like Jackie, and Rain is another strong character who has to learn that she can’t always go it alone.  Keep the Kleenexes close at hand when you get to the poetry slam chapter.

Cons:  I think reading this right after finishing Eventown was too much; I had to force myself to keep going through the first several chapters as the family is dealing with their grief over Guthrie’s death.

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Published by Katherine Tegen Books

Summary:  Elodee’s family is moving from Juniper to Eventown, and not a moment too soon.  Elodee is tired of the searching, pitying looks people give her and her twin sister Naomi.  Naomi tends to get quieter and try to fit in, while Elodee gets angry and sometimes lashes out.  In Eventown, though, everything is simple and easy. The sun is always shining, everything Elodee cooks turns out perfectly, and, best of all, Mom and Dad seem happy and relaxed again.  As part of their orientation, the girls have a session at the Welcoming Center, where they have to tell six stories about their happiest and saddest memories. After the memories have been shared, they go away forever.  Elodee’s storytelling gets interrupted, though, and the memories she hangs onto seem to change the whole town. The townspeople aren’t happy with those changes, and soon Elodee’s family is the target of whispers and stares once again.  Elodee and her new friend Veena become determined to find out what is going on in Eventown, and what it is doing to them and their families. 336 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  A beautifully written, moving story about the nature of grief, memory, and storytelling.  Everyone in Eventown is burying their sadnesses and living a simple, happy life, but at what cost?  Did a Kleenex or two come into play for me as I read the final chapters of this book? Maybe….

Cons:  The pace is a bit slow, and at times Eventown felt a little too much like one big extended metaphor, which may not grab the average middle grade reader.

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Published by Scholastic

Summary:  Lety is excited to be part of a summer camp program at Furry Friends Animal Shelter, but also apprehensive about making new friends.  Since moving from Mexico almost three years ago, she’s always been in the ELL class, and has tended to hang out with other ELL kids.  On the first day, she has a run-in with Hunter, a boy who wants the same job as her her: shelter scribe, the volunteer who writes up descriptions of the animals.  Hunter brags about his reading and writing skills, and Lety is intimidated. Her friend Kennedy stands up to him, though, and pretty soon they’ve set up a contest to see whose write-ups will lead to the most animal adoptions.  As the weeks go on, Lety learns that there’s a reason Hunter sometimes acts mean. She also falls in love with a little black and white dog named Spike and hopes that doing a good job at the shelter will convince her parents to adopt him.  It’s an eventful summer for Lety that leads her to a greater confidence and a happy ending for her, Spike, and Hunter. 208 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Who doesn’t like a good dog story?  Lety’s struggles with English will be relatable to other ELL kids and possibly eye-opening for others.  Readers will also connect with her friendship issues with Hunter. This takes place in the same shelter as Gaby, Lost and Found, and Gaby is mentioned, although she no longer volunteers there.

Cons:  As a former Girl Scout leader whose charges were eager to volunteer in an animal shelter, I feel pretty confident saying that shelters never take volunteers under the age of 16.  Readers may be disappointed to learn this after ready about Lety’s summer camp experience.

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Published by Dial Books

Summary:  Avery and Bett are horrified to learn that their fathers have fallen in love and are sending them to camp to get to know each other better.  Avery is a worrier, afraid of deep water, germs, and a bunch of other things; Bett is fearless, an animal lover who is always on the lookout for her next adventure.  Avery travels from New York, and Bett from California, to reluctantly attend camp in Michigan while their fathers take a trip to China. Slowly, the girls start talking to each other, and by the end of the summer are excited to become sisters–but unfortunately, their fathers have decided to end their relationship.  The story covers a year and a half that includes two summer camp experiences and ends with the two families coming together in an unexpected way. 304 pages; grades 5-7.

Pros:  Middle schoolers will love this Parent-Trap-esque story told entirely in emails and letters.  There are many quirky, interesting characters, including the girls, their dads, a free-spirited biological mother, and an unforgettable grandmother.

Cons:  Based on the authors, I was hoping to love this book a little more than I did.  It may have been the email format, but I felt like I never got to know the girls as well as I would have liked to, and the roller coaster ride of a plot went on a little too long.

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