Tweet Layla dreads starting 8th grade, another year, she assumes, of mediocre grades and the feeling of just getting by. Life at home has difficult moments too: her dad’s been gone since she was a baby, her mother juggles single-parenting … Continue reading
Tweet At 11, Jayla is mostly happy with her big extended family and her life at school. But she misses her best friend who moved away, and she worries about her mom’s health. When she sees a video of people … Continue reading
Tweet Twelve-year-old Abbey thinks the worst thing about starting seventh grade is being the new girl (again) when her dad is stationed at an Army base in Tennessee. But then planes fly into the World Trade Center in New York … Continue reading
Tweet Thirteen-year-old Nellie has a lot on her shoulders. Her mother left the family, her dad sometimes gets depressed and stays in bed for days on end, and her younger brothers need someone around to be responsible. She believes if … Continue reading
Tweet Today I’m reviewing a book I loved that’s great for readers aged 9 to 14. It’s called Dan Unmasked, and I have one copy to give away to someone who comments here. Just leave a note telling me if … Continue reading
Tweet Twelve-year-old Cove doesn’t know what she’ll do without her best friend, Nina. Nina is the one who helps her ignore the girls who bark at her and call her Rover, like she’s a dog. Nina has always understood that … Continue reading
Tweet A chance encounter between a hungry child and a New York City office worker led to a life-long relationship that changed both people. Maurice came from a poor family where the adults assumed he would take care of himself, … Continue reading
Tweet When Eric’s grandma leaves her home for an assisted living facility, her house next door to his is sold to a veterinarian, who turns it into a clinic. Dr. Brancusi hires Eric to help out cleaning stalls and caring … Continue reading
