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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Published by HMH Books for Young Readers

Summary:  When Malia stumbles across an old copy of the first Babysitters Club book (Kristy’s Great Idea), she’s inspired to start her own club with her two best friends Dot and Bree.  The three girls want to have an amazing joint 13th birthday party, and they figure the club will get them the money to fund it.  Things don’t turn out quite the way they did in the Ann M. Martin books: the girls have no experience with kids, the children can be bratty, and worst of all, Malia’s overachieving older sister Chelsea decides to start her own child care service, putting the younger girls out of business.  Malia, Dot, and Bree, however, are a force to be reckoned with, and when they combine their talents, they figure out a way to turn the tables on Chelsea. By the end of the story, they’re ready to expand, a topic that will undoubtedly be covered in book 2 of the series. 272 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Fans of Dork Diaries will enjoy this somewhat snarky send-up of the original Babysitters Club.  Malia, Bree, and Dot have their struggles, but grow and change enough over the course of the story that readers will be rooting for them by the end.

Cons:  As a diehard fan of the original BSC, I almost gave up on this book about halfway through because of my initial dislike of the three main characters.  I’m glad I stuck it out, though, as they really redeemed themselves by the end. 

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