Macy Hollinquest is eleven years old, and don't count on her to change that anytime soon.
Her birthday is just days away, but she has no intention of turning twelve without her dad by her side. He'd promised to be there for her big day, and yet he's been gone for months—away after his discharge from the army, doing some kind of top secret, "important work."
So Macy's staying eleven, no matter what—that is, until she meets Ginger, a nice older lady who is searching for her missing dog. Ginger's dog search is the perfect cover for Macy's attempt to locate her dad. But her hunt puts her on a path to a head-on collision with the truth, where she discovers that knowing can sometimes be a heavy burden. And that change, when finally accepted, comes with an unexpected kind of grace.
Mary Penney's earnest, heartfelt story of change, loss, and new beginnings will resonate with young readers on the cusp of new beginnings, and stay in their hearts long after it's done.
Every Single Second, by Tricia Springstubb. (Also available in audio.)
From acclaimed author Tricia Springstubb comes a
poignant and topical middle grade novel about the effects of an
accidental shooting on family, friendship, and community. Perfect for
fans of Jennifer L. Holm and Rita Williams-Garcia.
Twelve-year-old Nella Sabatini's life is changing too soon, too fast. Her best friend, Clem, doesn't seem concerned; she's busy figuring out the best way to spend the "leap second"—an extra second about to be added to the world's official clock. The only person who might understand how Nella feels is Angela, but the two of them have gone from being "secret sisters" to not talking at all.
Then Angela's idolized big brother makes a terrible, fatal mistake, one that tears apart their tight-knit community and plunges his family into a whirlwind of harsh publicity and judgment. In the midst of this controversy, Nella is faced with a series of startling revelations about her parents, friends, and neighborhood. As Angela's situation becomes dangerous, Nella must choose whether to stand by or stand up. Her heart tries to tell her what to do, but can you always trust your heart? The clock ticks down, and in that extra second, past and present merge—the future will be up to her.
Grayling's Song, by Karen Cushman.
It's time for Grayling to be a hero. Her mother, a "wise woman"—a sort of witch—has been turned into a tree by evil forces. Tangles and toadstools! Lacking confidence after years of being called "Feeble Wits" by her mother, Grayling heads off dubiously into the wilds in search of help, where she finds a weather witch, an aromatic enchantress, a cheese soothsayer, a slyly foolish apprentice, and a shape-shifting mouse named Pook! A fast-paced and funny coming-of-age odyssey from a Newbery medalist.
The Last Star (The Fifth Wave #3) by Rick Yancey.
The enemy is Other. The enemy is us. They're down here, they're up there, they're nowhere. They want the Earth, they want us to have it. They came to wipe us out, they came to save us.
But beneath these riddles lies one truth: Cassie has been betrayed. So has Ringer. Zombie. Nugget. And all 7.5 billion people who used to live on our planet. Betrayed first by the Others, and now by ourselves.
In these last days, Earth's remaining survivors will need to decide what's more important: saving themselves . . . or saving what makes us human.
Lucky Few, by Kathryn Ormsbee.
In the tradition of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl comes a hilarious, madcap, and quirky debut novel about a group of oddball teens struggling to find themselves when facing their own mortality.
The life of homeschooler Stevie Hart gets all shook up when she meets a strange boy, Max, who survived a freak near-fatal accident and is now obsessed with death. He enlists her and her best friend, Sanger, to help him complete his absurd "23 Ways to Fake My Death Without Dying" checklist. What starts off as fun begins spiraling downward when Stevie's diabetes sabotages her fumbling romance with Max, Sanger announces she's moving out of state, and then death—real death—cuts close to home.
My Lady Jane, by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
Twelve-year-old Nella Sabatini's life is changing too soon, too fast. Her best friend, Clem, doesn't seem concerned; she's busy figuring out the best way to spend the "leap second"—an extra second about to be added to the world's official clock. The only person who might understand how Nella feels is Angela, but the two of them have gone from being "secret sisters" to not talking at all.
Then Angela's idolized big brother makes a terrible, fatal mistake, one that tears apart their tight-knit community and plunges his family into a whirlwind of harsh publicity and judgment. In the midst of this controversy, Nella is faced with a series of startling revelations about her parents, friends, and neighborhood. As Angela's situation becomes dangerous, Nella must choose whether to stand by or stand up. Her heart tries to tell her what to do, but can you always trust your heart? The clock ticks down, and in that extra second, past and present merge—the future will be up to her.
Grayling's Song, by Karen Cushman.
It's time for Grayling to be a hero. Her mother, a "wise woman"—a sort of witch—has been turned into a tree by evil forces. Tangles and toadstools! Lacking confidence after years of being called "Feeble Wits" by her mother, Grayling heads off dubiously into the wilds in search of help, where she finds a weather witch, an aromatic enchantress, a cheese soothsayer, a slyly foolish apprentice, and a shape-shifting mouse named Pook! A fast-paced and funny coming-of-age odyssey from a Newbery medalist.
The Last Star (The Fifth Wave #3) by Rick Yancey.
The enemy is Other. The enemy is us. They're down here, they're up there, they're nowhere. They want the Earth, they want us to have it. They came to wipe us out, they came to save us.
But beneath these riddles lies one truth: Cassie has been betrayed. So has Ringer. Zombie. Nugget. And all 7.5 billion people who used to live on our planet. Betrayed first by the Others, and now by ourselves.
In these last days, Earth's remaining survivors will need to decide what's more important: saving themselves . . . or saving what makes us human.
Lucky Few, by Kathryn Ormsbee.
In the tradition of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl comes a hilarious, madcap, and quirky debut novel about a group of oddball teens struggling to find themselves when facing their own mortality.
The life of homeschooler Stevie Hart gets all shook up when she meets a strange boy, Max, who survived a freak near-fatal accident and is now obsessed with death. He enlists her and her best friend, Sanger, to help him complete his absurd "23 Ways to Fake My Death Without Dying" checklist. What starts off as fun begins spiraling downward when Stevie's diabetes sabotages her fumbling romance with Max, Sanger announces she's moving out of state, and then death—real death—cuts close to home.
My Lady Jane, by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely
true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand,
Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in
the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even
more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to
actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.
At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren't for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.
Like that could go wrong.
Property of the State (Legend of Joey #1) by Bill Cameron.
Joey Getchie has been property of the state longer than he was in parental custody. But he's a survivor, and he has a Plan: graduate high school and get out of the foster care system before it eats him alive. He bonds with Trisha, another foster, who seems to have lucked out when it comes to foster parents. A false accusation leads to a physical clash with his foster father, so Joey flees to Huntzel Manor, where he works part time. He takes up unauthorized residence and keeps a low profile, hoping to avoid attention.
But attention arrives in the worst possible way: a classmate is seriously injured in a hit and run accident, and Joey becomes the focus of the investigation. Why shouldn't he be? He had a violent confrontation with the same classmate just last year. And of course, he's a kid with a criminal record. Except of course, he isn't.
Property of the State, first in The Legend of Joey series, is an edgy teen mystery featuring a world-wise protagonist struggling to grow up in a world where parents are the bad guys.
True Letters from a Fictional Life, by Kenneth Logan.
At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren't for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.
Like that could go wrong.
Property of the State (Legend of Joey #1) by Bill Cameron.
Joey Getchie has been property of the state longer than he was in parental custody. But he's a survivor, and he has a Plan: graduate high school and get out of the foster care system before it eats him alive. He bonds with Trisha, another foster, who seems to have lucked out when it comes to foster parents. A false accusation leads to a physical clash with his foster father, so Joey flees to Huntzel Manor, where he works part time. He takes up unauthorized residence and keeps a low profile, hoping to avoid attention.
But attention arrives in the worst possible way: a classmate is seriously injured in a hit and run accident, and Joey becomes the focus of the investigation. Why shouldn't he be? He had a violent confrontation with the same classmate just last year. And of course, he's a kid with a criminal record. Except of course, he isn't.
Property of the State, first in The Legend of Joey series, is an edgy teen mystery featuring a world-wise protagonist struggling to grow up in a world where parents are the bad guys.
True Letters from a Fictional Life, by Kenneth Logan.
If you asked anyone in his small Vermont town, they'd
tell you the facts: James Liddell, star athlete, decent student, and
sort-of boyfriend to cute, peppy Theresa, is a happy, funny, carefree
guy.
But whenever James sits down at his desk to write, he tells a different story. As he fills his drawers with letters to the people in his world—letters he never intends to send—he spills the truth: he's trying hard, but he just isn't into Theresa. It's his friend, a boy, who lingers in his thoughts.
James's secret letters are his safe space—but his truth can't stay hidden for long. Will he come clean to his parents, his teammates, and himself, or is he destined to live a life of fiction?
This heartfelt debut novel explores the muddy landscape of truth and lies and lays bare the sometimes painful but often hopeful work of writing one's own authentic story.
What Happens Now, by Jennifer Castle.
(All descriptions from OverDrive.)
But whenever James sits down at his desk to write, he tells a different story. As he fills his drawers with letters to the people in his world—letters he never intends to send—he spills the truth: he's trying hard, but he just isn't into Theresa. It's his friend, a boy, who lingers in his thoughts.
James's secret letters are his safe space—but his truth can't stay hidden for long. Will he come clean to his parents, his teammates, and himself, or is he destined to live a life of fiction?
This heartfelt debut novel explores the muddy landscape of truth and lies and lays bare the sometimes painful but often hopeful work of writing one's own authentic story.
What Happens Now, by Jennifer Castle.
An emotional and heartwarming novel from the author
of The Beginning of After, an ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults. Perfect
for fans of Sarah Dessen!
The summer Ari first sees Camden, she longs for him from afar. When the two forge a true connection the following summer, Ari lets herself fall . . . hard. As their romance blossoms, she'll have to discover the very real boy behind her infatuation while also struggling with her own demons, obligations, and loyalties.
What Happens Now is an insightful and touching novel about learning to heal, learning to love, and what happens when fantasy becomes reality, from acclaimed author Jennifer Castle.
The summer Ari first sees Camden, she longs for him from afar. When the two forge a true connection the following summer, Ari lets herself fall . . . hard. As their romance blossoms, she'll have to discover the very real boy behind her infatuation while also struggling with her own demons, obligations, and loyalties.
What Happens Now is an insightful and touching novel about learning to heal, learning to love, and what happens when fantasy becomes reality, from acclaimed author Jennifer Castle.
(All descriptions from OverDrive.)
Hope all these wonderful books will warm your (still?) frozen fingers and toes, Angela! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYes, still frozen, sadly. When we get these temperatures in October, I turn the heat on, but I just can't do it in June. Hope it's more like summer where you are, Tricia. :)
ReplyDelete