(3) 4-6 Seventh grader Hudson desperately wants to make the basketball team, but can he control his asthma during tryouts? Meanwhile, Hudson also worries that his uncle Vic is a criminal; he's confused about his feelings for Willow Flores; and he starts looking into the father he knows nothing about. Ridge juggles these matters with humor and just enough suspense in this realistic middle-school novel.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) 4-6 In 1980, eleven-year-old Finch struggles to cope with her father's recent death, her mother's depression, bullying from her brother's friend, and her feelings of being different. A friendship with new neighbor Pinky and her Hindu family brings Finch comfort and a better understanding of herself through exposure to another culture. A first-person narrative lends an intimate perspective to a plot-driven, multi-themed historical story.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) 4-6 In his quest for popularity, seventh grader Boris, with his "sidekick" and only friend Adrian, campaigns tirelessly for student council president with one hare-brained scheme after another. Adrian's narration keeps the reader at arm's length and renders the pair more pathetic than sympathetic, but moments of wry humor will appeal to middle-school readers looking for lighthearted laughs.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(3) YA Instead of spending the summer at one of his family's vacation homes, teenage prankster Charlie is stuck helping his mom refurbish a B & B in Rolling Hills--until a "zompire" outbreak turns almost everyone in town into humanoid monsters. Horror-movie fans will appreciate the allusions to classic films in this humorous take on the genre; an open ending paves the way for a sequel.

Reviewer: Barratt Miller

(4) 4-6 When his great-uncle dies, a peculiar curse is passed on to Charlie: he must sleep in water every night or he'll shrivel to death. With his twin, Lacey, Charlie battles this disturbing legacy. The twins' frantic pursuit of a cure introduces kooky, creepy, and downright scary supporting characters, but the storytelling stalls with slapstick and forced thrills.

Reviewer: Bethany Templeton Klem

(3) 4-6 After special surgeries allow him to learn to talk, Ortega the gorilla is raised to function as a human. When his social, emotional, and intellectual skills are similar to that of an eleven-year-old, he is sent to public school. People's reactions to him raise moral questions about animal rights. A fast pace and excellent characterizations make for intriguing science fiction.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(3) YA Ivy is approached by her neighbor (and former friend) Virginia with a story of celestial visitation. Soon Ivy begins to unravel a disturbing web of secrets involving Virginia's family and a religious cult with dangerous plans. Hughes combines character complexity and poetic prose with plenty of dramatic tension to create a cinematic sequence of events in this intriguing page-turner.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) 4-6 Jack Lime, an orphaned, narcoleptic ninth grader, also happens to be Iona High's new "crime fighter, detective, private eye, sleuth, peeper for hire." After this likable Sam-Spade-in-training recounts two of his cases (a missing bicycle and a kidnapped hamster), he dishes the dirt on a case that fooled him--and got him hooked him on the "P.I. gig."

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Bill Slavin. Unfortunately named and dimwitted protagonist Bogbrush sets off atop his extra-small steed on a goofy quest to seek his fortune. The story's humor is very broad, with constant references to Bogbrush's ineptitude. Action, violence, and silliness are all mixed together in the text, frequently interrupted by sidebars and cartoony black-and-white spot art.

Reviewer: Betsy Murray

(4) 4-6 These books examine the different paths taken by their subjects from servitude to independence. Wheatley describes the African American poet's life from slave to celebrated world traveler; Bibb tells of the abuse and oppression Henry faced before escaping to Canada. In both volumes, the first-person narration and invented dialogue can be stilted. Review covers these titles: My Name Is Henry Bibb and My Name Is Phillis Wheatley.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) 4-6 These books examine the different paths taken by their subjects from servitude to independence. Wheatley describes the African American poet's life from slave to celebrated world traveler; Bibb tells of the abuse and oppression Henry faced before escaping to Canada. In both volumes, the first-person narration and invented dialogue can be stilted. Review covers these titles: My Name Is Henry Bibb and My Name Is Phillis Wheatley.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) YA "The Great Francie Freewater, Baker Extraordinaire" enters her celebrity crush's baking contest. Not only doesn't she win first place, she also fears that she may lose her best friend to the new girl at school. Francie is thus forced to reassess her relationships and the reality of achieving her dream. Francie's emotions are heartfelt, if distractingly exaggerated.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(3) YA Translated by Susan Ouriou. Fourteen-year-old Mirabelle lives cloistered with her mentally ill mother in a small apartment. Mira is lonely and friendless until vivacious Catherine joins her art class and the two become inseparable. Cath teaches Mira about living life to the fullest, including spending time with boys. After tragedy strikes, Mira learns self-confidence and independence. The heavy, dark story, translated from the French, is lyrically told.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA Thirteen-year-old skateboarder Frankie, otherwise thoroughly normal, discovers a talent for ESP through his vivid dreams. In the crowded plot, Frankie makes new friends, saves a bird, and overcomes his fear of horses, all the while persevering through the day-to-day pressures of teen life. By the book's conclusion, loose ends are mostly tied up.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear