Val and Lanora were BFFs—that is, until they entered middle school and Lanora decided to reinvent herself, straightening her curly hair and hanging out with the popular girls. Being popular isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, as Lanora adds stealing to her list of reinventions. However, Val misses Lanora and can’t let their friendship go without a fight.

While she’s looking for a butterfly charm that Lanora left at their special spot in Central Park, Val meets a boy named Tasman. It turns out that Mau, a stray cat that has come to love the girls' attention, picked it up and took it to a mysterious bookshop where Tasman resides. Tasman quickly befriends Val and joins her on the quest to save Lanora. He introduces Val to The Book of Dares, which contains a spell he thinks will “cure” Lanora. And so begins Val, Tasman and Mau’s journey.

Author Jane Kelley creates a beautiful story around her cast of quirky, loyal and loving characters, tackling serious issues, including divorce and theft, but maintaining a sense of hope as the characters are each forced to overcome various obstacles. The author’s use of magic proves intriguing as Val and Tasman follow the spell and gather the appropriate ingredients. The story ultimately becomes a quest for finding themselves. Perfect for seventh and eighth graders, this wonderful story is even more powerful when read along with an adult.

Calpurnia fans, rejoice! Callie Vee, heroine of Jacqueline Kelly’s Newbery Honor winner, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, is back. The sequel picks up in the year 1900, just after a rare snowfall in central Texas fulfills one of the budding young scientist’s dreams. 

The only daughter in the midst of six brothers, Callie continues to find herself at odds with her parents’ notions of what is proper for a young girl. But in her 13th year, Callie finds ways to forge her own path, whether it’s learning to type to gain knowledge from the town vet (and earn money for college) or helping her younger brother Travis hide his latest wild creature from the rest of the family.

As it happens, 1900 brings disasters big and small, from the heartbreaking drowning of a litter of mixed coyote-canine pups to the mysterious disappearance of Callie’s five-dollar gold piece. More tragic, however, is the news from Galveston. Despite Granddaddy’s attempt to warn the mayor of the city that the ominous plunge in the barometer means the approach of a dangerous storm, a tragic flood strikes. And while the Tates’ relatives are safe, Callie faces a new challenge—learning to forge a relationship with her 17-year-old cousin, Aggie, who comes to stay. 

Peppered with quotations from Darwin’s The Voyage of the Beagle, The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate is historical fiction at its very best, transporting us into the world of characters we can’t help but love.

Deborah Hopkinson’s next book, Courage & Defiance, will be released this fall.

This article was originally published in the July 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Tamara Ellis Smith’s first novel sweeps readers up in a tale imbued with magical realism, a definitive mix of gritty realism and magic that allows the possibility for life-affirming choices.

The adventure begins in the middle of Hurricane Katrina as Zavion and his father fight to stay alive amid rising floodwaters. Zavion manages to survive the harrowing ordeal, but he has difficulty dealing with the emotional trauma caused by the storm and the recent death of his mother. 

Another boy, Henry, is on a quest after his best friend’s death on a mountain in Vermont, a death for which he feels responsible. Henry believes he must find the magic marble that he and his friend shared, and the trail leads him to New Orleans immediately following Katrina. These two protagonists’ storylines weave together like a knitted scarf, ultimately becoming one unified story.  

Another Kind of Hurricane recognizes diversity in many forms, depicting two boys in pain who begin healing and, in the process, learn about themselves.

This article was originally published in the July 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

When Burdock—a one-eyed cat named for the prickly burr seeds that inspired Velcro—discovers that Dewey Baxter is planning to burn down his barn, it becomes his mission to save the barn’s inhabitants. It isn’t long before the whole farm—workhorses Tug and Pull, Fluff the sheep, Figgy the pig, Mrs. Brown the cow, Nanny the goat and her kid, Tick—work with Burdock to concoct an escape plan.

The unsuspecting farmer takes a back seat in this story, relayed in short chapters. The gentle dialogue can be silly and a bit old fashioned, and the characters are stereotypical in both personality and name. Nevertheless, it’s a sweet tale reminiscent of the animal compassion and teamwork in Charlotte’s Web, and Rebecca Bond’s black-and-white sketches carry that theme effortlessly. 

If ever there were an E.B. White heir apparent, it would be Bond. This is a tame but endearing beginning chapter book sure to please all, especially animal lovers.

This article was originally published in the July 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

BookPage Children's Top Pick, July 2015

The summer before starting middle school, Ruby Danes meets a new girl in her neighborhood. Margalit doesn’t make Ruby feel foolish for being herself, but Ruby has never been able to reveal her deepest secret to a friend: Her mother has been in prison for six years and is sentenced for at least 10 more. Ruby keeps her life strictly compartmentalized: on the “outside,” in the real world with her peers and aunt, and on the “inside,” in prison, the only place where she can see her mother. As the girls spend more time together, Ruby struggles to find the courage to tell the truth about her life while preserving her new friendship.

In Ruby on the Outside, Nora Raleigh Baskin gives readers a serious, relatable look into the criminal justice system and its ripple effects. The story of Ruby, her aunt and her mother contributes to the growing body of children’s literature highlighting nontraditional family structures. While Ruby’s vocabulary—far beyond an average 11-year-old’s—may strike adult readers as unrealistic, the ample context clues and mature narrative voice make this title an ideal option for advanced young readers. 

Ruby’s situation is unconventional, but her anxieties about growing up different and forging lasting friendships are universal. With its careful attention to the complex emotions of a mother-child relationship, Ruby on the Outside will leave an enduring impression on young readers. 

This article was originally published in the July 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

When author Jen White was 12, she and her sister and cousin were mistakenly left behind at a gas station for six hours during a family camping trip―no one had seen the girls get out of the camper. Years later, White’s first novel, Survival Strategies of the Almost Brave, begins with 12-year-old Liberty being abandoned by her father at a gas station along with her 8-year-old sister, Billie.

The sisters’ lives have been in turmoil since their mother’s recent death, and they’ve only recently been reunited with their estranged father, an uncommunicative, globetrotting wildlife photographer. Liberty is a quick-thinking, likable narrator whose first mission is to get away from the “creepy” attendant at this remote desert location. Running from one fearful situation to the next, they meet a succession of intriguing characters, including a lonely Star Wars fanatic being bullied by his older brother and a truck driver whom Liberty dubs “Tattoo Guy.” Liberty tries to navigate each dangerous situation by writing in her notebook, trying to adopt the defense tactics of various wildlife, both predators and prey. “Dad was like a shark,” she concludes, “interesting to look at from far away, but don’t get too close or you’ll be sorry.”

Survival Strategies is a page-turning adventure story about two sisters who are understandably wary to trust adults as they desperately seek safety. Although this plot occasionally has far-fetched moments, White writes in a fresh, believable voice while touching on heavy subjects such as mental illness and serious misfortune without being morose. There are many moments of humor and grace as Liberty learns vital lessons about self-reliance and trust in this compelling, sensitive tale.

Eccentric mastermind Garrison Griswold, founder of the popular Book Scavenger website, is about to launch an elaborate new game when his plans are violently interrupted. The only clue he leaves behind is a specially printed copy of an Edgar Allan Poe short story, “The Gold-Bug.”

Enter 12-year-old Emily, an avid Book Scavenger player whose family has just arrived in Griswold’s hometown of San Francisco. Between her parents’ constant moves (their goal is to live in all 50 states) and her older brother’s obsession with his favorite band, Emily’s accustomed to solving riddles and searching for hidden books on her own. So when her neighbor James turns out to be as much a puzzle fan as she is, she unexpectedly finds herself with a code-breaking partner . . . and a new friend.

A puzzle-mystery in the spirit of The Westing Game, Book Scavenger challenges readers to play along. The codes and puzzles are pitched at the perfect level for tween sleuths, and the literary references—from Poe to contemporary middle grade lit—will pique readers’ interests in doing some book scavenging of their own. Part friendship story, part travel adventure and part cryptography manual, Jennifer Chambliss Bertman’s debut is a book lover’s delight.

This article was originally published in the June 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Twelve-year-old Lily is thoughtful and bright but needs an extra push to unleash her imagination and individuality. That push is Salma Santiago, a migrant worker whose family is in Maine for the blueberry harvest. 

The two girls connect when Salma helps catch Lily’s blind dog, Lucky, when he runs off through the blueberry barrens. Lily shares her plan to raise money for an operation to restore Lucky’s sight, and soon Salma is adding her artistic flair to Lily’s hand-painted bee-house business. When Salma learns that the winner of the annual Blueberry Queen pageant receives a large savings bond, which she needs to start a college fund, Lily vows to help Salma win the pageant. But a migrant worker has never before entered the competition, and Lily’s friend Hannah is also a contestant. 

Though the story acknowledges tensions that arise between friends, Lily and Salma exhibit a mutually supportive friendship that is often missing from stories about girls. Young readers will appreciate Lily’s concerns about growing up and the confidence she finds in a new friendship. 

Newbery Honor winner Cynthia Lord delivers a sweet story about letting go creatively and emotionally while holding onto friendship.

This article was originally published in the June 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

After six children receive invitations from an eccentric countess, they encounter mysterious keys, things that go bump in the night and secret passages during the weekend visit of a lifetime. The children unknowingly share a connection, but rather than bringing them together, this bond nearly destroys them.

As in Jessica Lawson’s previous novel, The Actual & Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher, Nooks & Crannies features a plucky young girl. Tabitha Crum’s only friend is a special mouse, but she still manages a super-positive outlook on life. Things are looking pretty grim at the mansion, so Tabitha and her trusty mouse use their sleuthing skills—picked up from reading so many mystery novels—to solve the secrets of old Hollingsworth Hall. Readers will delight in the unexpected twists and turns at every junction.

In true Sherlock Holmes style, Tabitha logically and fearlessly pursues the truth. Not only does she solve the mystery, but she makes some new friendships—the real treasure of the weekend.

This article was originally published in the June 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

BookPage Children's Top Pick June 2015

Lisa Graff’s latest novel is a feast for all kinds of readers. She writes convincingly in the voice of a middle school student, and young readers will relate easily to the main character, Trent. Graff’s stories always foster a better understanding of young people in parents and teachers, but never more so than in Lost in the Sun.

Less than a year before the story begins, an event in Trent’s life significantly alters the way he sees himself and his potential. During a pick-up game of hockey, Trent accidentally hits the puck into a friend’s chest, causing a seemingly benign injury. When a previously unknown heart condition causes the friend to die a few days later, Trent blames himself. No one seems to realize that Trent is still carrying that burden many months later, and it is a weight that slowly begins to unravel him as he begins sixth grade.

Without the years and experiences to acquire coping skills, children cannot easily handle emotional trauma, and the stress from a major event—death, divorce, abuse, neglect—is often internalized and comes out “sideways.” Trent decides that he’s a screw-up because of the accident and assumes everyone else thinks the same. It doesn’t help that his parents are divorced and he feels unloved and misunderstood by his dad. When Trent discovers that serving detention gives him an excuse to avoid forced dinners with his father, it makes being bad that much easier.

As a teacher, I have experienced firsthand the frustrations of dealing with that one kid who seems to want to push acceptable boundaries, and Lost in the Sun is a heartwrenching reminder to be more aware of what a child might really need from the people in his or her life. The book’s title is a reference to trying catch a fly ball when it’s lost in the sun—if you don’t change your perspective, you’ll miss it. If Trent wants to be happy, he’ll have to change his position and see things differently. Graff gives every character in Lost in the Sun all the highs and lows of being human, and by doing so, she gives us the chance find a fresh perspective as well.

This article was originally published in the June 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Lane Smith is a hilarious, irreverent and award-winning children's illustrator and author, with titles under his belt like The Stinky Cheese Man and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. His first middle grade novel, Return to Augie Hobble, starts out just as one might expect.

Narrator Augie Hobble is a wisecracking, pun-loving kid with some seemingly overwhelming problems. After failing Creative Arts, he’s struggling to complete his portfolio in summer school. Meanwhile, a school bully named Hogg Wills is gunning for him, and there’s plenty going on as Augie helps out at his dad’s rinky-dink amusement park, Fairy Tale Place. Augie’s one salvation is his best friend, Britt Fairweather. Smith puts his humor and illustrating skills to imaginative use throughout by including supposed Polaroid shots taken by Augie as well as notebook pages from Augie’s many failed attempts to complete his art project, elements that kids will relish.

Not surprisingly, the plot makes great use of the amusement park setting, taking many rollicking twists and turns, including Augie’s fear that he may be turning into a werewolf. Just when things seem to be turning utterly silly, they become unexpectedly, completely serious—as in dead serious, with communications from beyond the grave. At first this sudden switch is unsettling, but at this point the book really hits its stride. Augie stops depending on jokes and starts sharing what’s truly in his heart as he begins to dig himself out of a very deep hole.

On his website, Smith writes that he likes “funny, odd books that excite and challenge a child,” and he has certainly created a whirlwind of a tale told by an exuberant, exhilarating narrator. At times there seems to be too many elements swirling around in this story—Smith threw everything into the pot, and perhaps his soup needed a bit more stirring to make all the creative juices and enthusiasm blend together—but kids will undoubtedly enjoy this zany tale.

Between burping ringtones, national landmarks and problem-solving kids, Dave Barry’s rollicking Washington, D.C., adventure, The Worst Class Trip Ever, gets full House approval.

Culver Middle School’s eighth-grade class trip begins with friends Wyatt and Matt stealing an electronic device from two men whom they have pegged as terrorists. Matt and Wyatt team up with Suzana, a smart, totally hot, popular girl, and together they attempt to save each other from kidnappers, the White House from attack and the President from assassination. The story makes full use of popular culture, modern communication (complete with dying phone batteries to create believable anxiety) and laugh-out-loud scenarios on this outrageous class trip. The story is told in Wyatt’s first-person voice, which allows readers to see the events from his point of view but at the same time wonder about his judgment regarding the incidents. At times Wyatt speaks directly to the readers, creating a friendly bond that only strengthens as the tale unfolds. Humor and tension combine in this well-plotted story full of ups and downs (literally) that ends in a surprising 12th-round knockout punch.

Pultizer Prize winning-author Barry is right on target by being slightly off target, and readers will get carried away (pun intended—read the book!) with this middle-school story.

Ruth is in the throes of middle school and floundering without her friend Charlotte. For years, the girls did everything together: Charlotte was adopted by two dads, and Ruth has two moms, so their parents formed a “support group.” Now Charlotte has moved on to the popular crowd, and Ruth has become a loner. “I’m that hawk flying above it all, the quiet observer on the sidelines. And that’s the way I like it,” she says. But life won’t leave her on the sidelines.

Ruth finds a series of obscure clues tucked inside old books. Although Charlotte is busy with new friend Melinda and no longer cares about games and puzzles, Ruth longs to share the clues and solve the mystery. Possibilities for new friends surface, but Ruth struggles to have faith in other people. As the clues become even more perplexing, an upcoming spelling bee and a fire at the library bring Ruth into the mix of a motley crew of people she never expected to befriend.

The Friendship Riddle, skillfully written by Megan Frazer Blakemore, shows a finely hewn sensitivity to the perils and pitfalls of life in middle school. Blakemore’s previous novels, The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill and The Water Castle, have won critical acclaim, as likely will The Friendship Riddle for the author’s keen insight into the lives and minds of middle schoolers, the quick-paced plotting and engaging mystery, and the warmth and generosity Ruth ultimately finds in family and friends.

Billie B. Little is the Founding Director of Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, a hands-on museum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.