13 Gifts, Wendy Mass. Tara Brennan, in order to win friends, is caught when she accepts the challenge to break into the principal's office to steal his goat, only to get caught. Because it is near the end of the school year, her parents ship her off to Willow Falls to spend the summer with her aunt while they travel to Madagascar researching lemurs. On the train ride, her money and phone are stolen. Trying to cover up not having money, she steals one of her uncle's valuable comic books to pawn, only to be found out by the proprietor, Angelina, who actually sold it to her uncle. To avoid further embarrassment, Angelina tells her to find 13 items on a list by her fast approaching thirteenth birthday and all debts will be repaid. With the help of new found friends, they set out on the scavenger hunt to find the odd items, such as: one brass candlestick in the shape of a fish, one black steamer trunk with gold latch, and one wooden cane, handle shaped like a duck's beak.

As the items are found, Tara finds a playbill at the bottom of the new found trunk for Fiddler on the Roof, which was set to perform 35 years earlier, but was abruptly cancelled. Having found all the items and given them to Angelina, she know tells Tara she must produce and put on the musical. Reluctantly, with the help of friends, young and old, the singing part of the musical alone is set to go on.to an appreciative audience.

While on summer break, Tara is made to write an essay of what she learned from her goat stealing days. As stories merge together and Tara learns quite a bit about her parents hometown, she also learns about friendship and duty.

Death by Toilet Paper, Donna Gephart. Benjamin has a flair for jingles and slogans so much that he often wins contests for free stuff, like toilet paper. His dad died and his mom puts in extra hours to make ends meet. However, rent is due and time is running out. Mr. Katz, the landlord, can no longer delay their eviction, Zeyde, his grandfather, unexpectedly comes to stay, making his mother more strapped. Trying to help out, taking $50 he won from a contest, Benjamin begins selling candy bars at school, earning a couple hundred dollars, only to get in trouble with the principal. He is forced to work on the sly, only to have $300 stolen by Angus Andrews, his personal bully. Telling anyone will further his troubles. His last hope is to win the Royal-T Bathroom Tissue slogan contest prize money of $1500. With the help of his best friend, Toothpick, they have a plan to use Royal-T's toilet paper to dress him a zombie bride.

This is a cute story with facts about toilet paper leading each chapter. Benjamin is a character well worth getting to know.

House Arrest, K.A. Holt. What a story. Timothy has been court ordered to keep a journal for 52 weeks. He is under a house arrest, with a tracking device, only able to go to school, and to see his probation officer and counselor. The reason? He stole a wallet, hoping to buy medicine for his baby brother, Levi, who was born with health issues. He has a tracheotomy and efforts to avoid germs and infections is always a concern. His dad skipped town, leaving him and his mom to care for Levi by themselves. James, his probation officer and Miss Bainbridge, his therapist, are key characters in helping him get through the year. Told in verse, this story is one that you won't put down easily.

Okay for Now, Gary Schmidt. It is the 1960s and Doug Switeck's abusive dad informs the family they are moving to Marysville, upstate New York, because Ernie Eco can get him a job at the Ballard Paper Mill. Upon exploring the new small town, Doug finds his way to the Marysville Free Public Library where he lifts a card of the Arctic Tern, drawn by John James Audubon. He meets Lil, who gives him a cold Coke when she finds him sitting on the library steps waiting for it to open, not realizing it only opens on Saturdays. Lil's dad owns Spicer's Deli, and he gets a job delivering groceries to local customers. Between meeting his weekly customers and getting to know them, including Mrs. Windemere, and spending time with Mr. Powell, one of the librarians who helps him draw the Audubon paintings, he copes with living in "stupid" Marysville, while avoiding his drunk father and spiteful brother. One of his teachers, Mr. Ferris, realizes he can't read and connects him with another teacher, Mrs. Cowper, to quickly learn. As Doug spends more time at the library, he realizes several of Audubon's paintings are missing, being sold to various buyers to get out of debt. His quest is to get them back. Mr. Ballard, of the Ballard Paper Mill hosts an annual picnic, and with the hope of winning the Babe Ruth contest, Doug's father takes the family. While wandering over to the horseshoe pit, unknowingly, Doug meets Mr. Ballard himself, who takes him under his wing.

There is so much more to this fabulous story. It needs to be read to be appreciated and probably reread over and over. It is a National Book Award Finalist and well worth the honor. Pick up this book soon.

The Whole Story of Half a Girl, Veera Hiranandani. Sonia is half Jewish and half Indian and she doesn't feel she quite fits either heritage. Her Indian father lost his job and sinks into a deep depression, leaving a shell of the father she grew up with. Her Jewish mother, who doesn't practice the faith, works extra to compensate. Sonia attended the Community school with her best friend, Sam. But with money tight, she is forced to attend the local public school, which is quite different: structure, rules, grades, mean kids. She slowly makes a friend in Alisha, but also makes a friend in Kate, the star cheerleader. She is pulled toward Kate, who invites her to her house with her "cool" parents that are completely different than her own. However, Jess, Kate's best friend, whispers about her, because Sonia's clothes don't quite fit in and bringing her lunch is not cool. Sonia ignores Alisha's advances toward friendship, while also feeling her friendship with Sam slipping away.

Sonia's dad gets a new job and is sent to Hong Kong on business; yet, he never makes it there. He disappears and no one can find him, until her mom, finds him in a mental hospital. He sunk into a deeper depression and needs help. Sonia feels lost, alone and helpless. Her family is unraveling, her friendship with Kate is questionable and her bi-culture heritage is confusing. She struggles with trying to learn who she really is.

How to Speak Dolphin, Ginny Rorby. Four-year old Adam is autistic and proves to be a handful for Lily, his older half-sister who has a hard time making friends because others don't understand him. She cleans up after he makes messes and calms him down in the middle of his unpredictable tirades. Her mom died a couple of years ago and her step-dad, Don, gives her too much responsibility for taking care of him. The story takes place in south west Florida where dolphins are prevalent. And dolphins are exactly what Adam seems to respond to. Nori, a dolphin recovering from cancer, was taken from its own mother and lives in a tank. Don, an oncologist, is called in to help the dolphin and in exchange, Adam gets therapy sessions with Nori. Skipping school one day, for fear of being late once again, Lily meanders to the park, where she meets Zoe, a blind girl her own age. They become friends and set out on a quest to free Nori to her natural habitat. Lily knows it is the right thing to do; yet, she also knows that Adam relates to Nori and  experiences calm. The reader is eager to find out which way her heart will tug her?

This is a touching story of honoring those we have lost and the fear of letting go while finding love and friendship in unexpected places.

A Mango-Shaped Space, Wendy Mass. The ability to see numbers in colors can be a good thing or a bad thing for Mia. It is certainly bad when it interrupts with  her understanding math. Yet, her world is full of precise colors helping her stay connected to her grandfather who passed away. While burying him, a cat meandered his way into her life and Mango came home with her to live. When she finally tells her parents about her unique gift, she is taken to Dr. Jerry who labels her with synesthesia, or when ones senses and colors intertwine. She is invited to attend a workshop hosted by her new doctor and meet others dealing with variations of the same thing, including Adam, a boy she thinks she likes.

She is avoiding Roger and the other group members on finishing their group project and her best friend, Jenna, is preoccupied with her upcoming birthday party and doesn't know what Mia is going through. Beth, her sister, and Zach, her brother, have no sympathy for her . It seems as though Mango is the one friend that continues to be there for her, until one day he is not. Mia's life spirals out of control and her world turns colorless.

Wendy Mass proves herself with each book to be a writer worth reading.  She brings her characters to life, with emotions and feelings that find us rooting for them. I find myself eagerly awaiting her next story.

The Girl Who Threw Butterflies, Mick Cochrane. Molly Williams lost her father in a mysterious car accident and her mom is unable to come out of her grieving rut to give her much attention. She lost interest in playing softball with the girls and decides to try out for the boys baseball team. Her father taught her everything about the American pastime, inluding how to throw the unpredictable and inconsistent, yet mighty effective knuckleball. During tryouts, she grabs the attention of Coach Morales and makes the team, much to the chagrin of her teasing teammates. Lonnie, the one teammate who will throw pitches with her, becomes her personal catcher and friend. Echoes of Molly's father and their close relationship whisper throughout the story, and readers find themselves missing him just as much. This is a sweet story about loss and friendship and remembering and moving on. We, along with her teammates, find ourselves rooting for her and wishing her father were in the stands yelling her name.

Fish in a Tree, Lynda Mullaly Hunt. Ally is dyslexic and in sixth grade. Her seventh teacher in seven years, Mrs. Hall, is expecting a baby and for her shower, Ally proudly presented her with a bright yellow sympathy card, thinking it was a baby shower card. Mrs. Hall was mortified, the principal confused and the kids in stitches laughing at yet, another Ally goof. Only when Mr. Daniel, the new teacher comes to the class, is she finally found unable to read. He admires her creativity and intelligence and with patience, understanding and after school tutoring, he gives her hope and focus. He reminds her that, "If you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life thinking that it's stupid."

With Keisha, the girl that speaks her mind, and Albert, the science geek, they form a friendship and stand together against the class bully, Shay and her sidekick, Jessica. This unusual trio slowly find their way to fit in and maybe, even come to be accepted.

The author of One For the Murphy's, Hunt crafts another treasure, one worth reading aloud to a class at any time of the year.

Rain, Reign, Ann Martin. Rose Weldon is a fifth grade autistic girl that has her own school para pro and is a collector of homonyms. In her notebook of alphabetized homonyms, she leaves blank spaces for new additions; however, if there is not enough space to add a new pair or trio, she starts the entire list over again. Rose lives with her dad, who gets impatient with her perseverations and obsession for following rules. Her mom left years ago, but her adoring uncle takes her to school each day and picks her up. One day, her dad brings home a stray dog that he found and Rose names him Rain/Reign because he was found in the rain. They become inseparable.

Hurricane Susan is approaching and the community begins to prepare. She comes with a vengeance: closing school, knocking out bridges, falling trees, but all survive. In the middle of repairing the damages, Rose's dad lets Rain out but forgets to bring her back in. Rose doesn't understand how he could do that . . . and without her collar for identification. She creates a plan for locating her by identifying all the animal shelters within a several mile radius of home and calling each one. Days and days pass. Finally, a shelter has a dog that fits Rain's description; however, when Rose and her uncle get to the shelter and identify her, they learn that Rain is actually named Olivia due to a microchip planted by her "real" owners. Being the rule follower that she is, she sets out to find Rain's true owners.

The author pulls at the reader's heartstrings with tenderness. Do we want Rose to find Rain's real owner? Aren't we happy that Rain and Rose have one another? Will Rain want her previous owner more than Rose? Will Rain's previous owner see the love between Rose and Rain? The ending brings surprises, tears and smiles. Be prepared to fall in love.

Bluish, Virginia Hamilton. Natalie, or Bluish, as she comes to be called, has cancer. She lives in a wheelchair, wears a hat to cover her hairless head and falls asleep easily. The cancer treatments cause her to have a "bluish" cast to her skin. Dreenie and Tuli, classmates, struggle with how to befriend her because they are both scared and curious of Natalie. But become friends they do. This is a heartwarming tale of what it means to be a friend to someone that most others ignore. This slim book reads quickly and is interspersed with journal entries written by Dreenie.

Counting by 7's, Holly Goldberg Sloan. A wonderful story of Willow Chance and her search for a new home, after her parents are killed in a car accident. She is on her way home after getting ice cream with her school counselor, Dell Duke, her new found friend, Mai and Mai's older brother, Quang-ha when they notice emergency vehicles in her driveway. Willow's world is immediately shattered.

Upon receiving the only perfect test score on the school state test, her teacher assumed she cheated and refers her to the school counselor, Dell Duke. Willow is actually a genius, but her interest in the natural world and counting by sevens comes to an abrupt halt after the death of her parents. Pattie, Mai and Quang-ha Nguyen, allow her to stay with them temporarily. Quang-ha finds her a nuisance, but Pattie and Mae warm to her instantly, as does Dell. Each character, including Jairo, the taxi driver, rally around Willow, forming a quirky and unconventional, family relationship. The day finally arrives; however, when Lenora Cole, the social worker, calls to tell her she has a court date for her to be placed with a foster family. The ending will delight readers, leaving warm fuzzies through and through.

Twerp, Mark Goldblatt. Julian, upon his suspension from sixth grade, takes up his teacher's invitation to keep a writing journal in place of other required writing assignments. Mr. Selkirk, recognizing Julian's writing talent, is hoping that he will share what really happened with Danley and the egg escapade. As the year moves along, Julian records major events in his life: causing an accident by dodging cars, writing a note to Jillian, the hottest girl in class, for his friend, Lonnie, being bested by a faster runner than himself, firecrackers in the abandoned Ponzi lot. We meet his close friends. We go on the humiliating date that he makes with Jillian when she doesn't believe that the note was not "really" from him. We feel the cold shoulder he gets from Lonnie when he finds out about the date. We meet Eduardo, the foster kid, that is so much faster than him. Through it all, he knows that Mr. Selkirk is waiting for the one entry that Julian needs to write. We, as readers, have to wait for it, but it does come and when it comes, it comes with a shudder.