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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