Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary:  Maddie Polansky’s pretty sure seventh grade will suck, with art class offering the only bright spot on an otherwise dismal daily schedule.  So when she hears that unopposed mayoral candidate Lucinda Burghart is planning to cut the school’s arts funding, she feels desperate enough to try to do something about it.  After learning that the only qualification to run is to be a registered voter, she starts asking around.  To her surprise, Janet, her 23-year-old babysitter, agrees.  Janet is struggling to find work and figures she has nothing to lose.  There’s one obstacle after another, though, beginning with the required 350 signatures to get on the ballot. Although Maddie considers herself the most unpopular kid in the class, she realizes she needs allies and finds ways to convince other kids who are passionate about the arts to join Janet’s campaign.  They all have plenty to learn as they make their way through the fall, and, as we all know, there can be some interesting surprises on Election Day.  Includes a six-page author’s note with ideas and websites for getting involved in community activism and politics.  304 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Woven into this fun, slightly snarky middle school tale is a wealth of information about civics and elections, and a pretty heartwarming message encouraging kids to become activists.  The illustrations on almost every page keep things moving along at a good clip, and it’s nice to see some of the stereotypical middle school mean girls turn into human beings as the story progresses.

Cons:  Maddie’s parents, clueless almost to the point of negligence, never move beyond ridiculous one-dimensional characters.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Lou’s mom hopes to capitalize on Lou’s beautiful singing voice; Lou loves to sing but her aversion to loud noises and touch make it difficult for her to be on stage or even to function in settings like school.  She hasn’t had to worry about school for awhile, though, as she and her mom are living in their truck, traveling from one campsite to the next in search of their big break.  When Lou crashes the truck, police take her away from her mom and send her to live with a wealthy aunt of whom she has only dim memories.  Her aunt and uncle send Lou to the private school where her uncle teaches, and she finds herself enjoying school and friends for the first time.  An astute counselor diagnoses her with sensory processing disorder, but Lou refuses treatment, preferring to see herself as the fighter her mother always told her she was.  Lou feels herself increasingly torn between the desire to be reunited with her mother and the happiness she feels in her new life.  A crisis at school finally convinces her to accept help from friends and family and to begin to create a life that might be able to include all the people she loves.  288 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Lou is a likeable character who has been dealt a pretty tough hand, and she is indeed a fighter who does remarkably well despite that.  It’s nice to see some supportive, savvy social workers and school counselors in a children’s book (for a change), as well as some quirky kids who aren’t total outcasts.

Cons:  Lou’s immediate and unwavering acceptance by the theater crowd seemed a little unrealistic for middle school.   

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.