AS SIMPLE AS IT SEEMS by Sarah Weeks

Verbena "Verbie" has always been different.  She is tiny, and she looks different than the other kids she comes across in school and elsewhere.  It isn't until she learns that she's adopted, that things begin to make sense.

Verbie's adoptive parents love her dearly, but when she is told about her biological parents, Verbie begins to act out.  It's not easy to learn that her mother drank heavily during her pregnancy causing Verbie to suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome.  She was underweight and remained smaller than most of her classmates and her upper lip is strangely smooth.  Verbie also discovers that her father broke a man's neck in a fit of rage and is now in jail.  It's no wonder that Verbie is angry and lashing out at everyone around her.

When a New York City woman and her young son rent the empty house next door to Verbie, she thinks maybe this summer will be different.  Unfortunately, the first interaction with the new neighbors involves the city woman throwing rocks at and threatening Verbie's three-legged dog.  Verbie ducks for cover and decides to steer clear of these vicious people.

Rumor has it that the long empty house is haunted by a previous resident, a little girl who drowned in the nearby lake.  Verbie's first contact with the city boy comes when he stumbles across her checking out an old rowboat stuck in the mucky shoreline.  Verbie is dressed in her white nightgown, dirty and torn from her hike through the woods to the lake.  The young boy mistakes her for the ghost of the little girl, and Verbie doesn't deny his assumption.  The boy introduces himself as Pooch, and together they decide to try to fix up the old boat.  What follows is a heartwarming story about friendship and self-discovery.

Author Sarah Weeks has followed up her extraordinary novel SO B. IT with one equally as good.  AS SIMPLE AS IT SEEMS is perfect for middle grade readers.  Weeks portrays Verbie struggling with the new knowledge of her past and the rollercoaster emotions of feeling different in a way that will have readers eagerly turning pages.

TIME FOR A LIST OF SOME OF THE KIDS' FAVORITE BOOKS

7TH GRADE FAVORITES SO FAR THIS YEAR...
LAWN BOY by Gary Paulsen
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID series by Jeff Kinney
SUMMER OF THE MONKEYS by Wilson Rawls
PERCY JACKSON series by Rick Riordan
SWIM THE FLY by Don Calame
STEPPING UP by Mark Fink
TRIBUTE TO ANOTHER DEAD ROCK STAR by Randy Powell
SKATE by Michael Harmon
BAD GIRLS DON'T DIE by Katie Alender
WINGS by Aprilynne Pike
STORY OF A GIRL by Sara Zarr
GYM CANDY by Carl Deuker
BOOST by Kathy Mackel
TWISTED by Laurie Halse Anderson
CIRQUE DU FREAK series by Darren Shan
BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARE series by Laurie Farie Stolarz
CHRISTY MILLER collection by Robin Jones Gunn
GETTING AIR by Dan Gutman
FIRST BOY by Gary Schmidt
A SONG FOR JEFFREY by Constance M. Foland
REMEMBER ME trilogy by Christopher Pike
DARK BLUE: COLOR ME LONELY by Melody Carlson
                                                    

8th GRADE FAVORITES SO FAR THIS YEAR

THE BATBOY by Mike Lupica

LUSH by Natasha Friend

CARTER FINALLY GETS IT by Brent Crawford

TAMAR by Mal Peet

EDENVILLE OWLS by Robert B. Parker

THE WEIGHT OF THE SKY by Lisa Ann Sandell

PERFECT by Natasha Friend

PARALYZED by Jeff Rud

THE DIARY OF A WIMPY KID series by Jeff Kinney

DESERT BLOOD 10pm/9c by Ronald Cree

RUNNER by Carl Deuker

GOLDEN by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

OUT OF HIS LEAGUE by Pat Flynn

DEMONATA series by Darren Shan

SNAKEHEAD by Anthony Horowitz

RUCKER PARK SETUP by Paul Volponi

WINGS by Aprilynne Pike

COMEBACK by Vicki Grant

ALABAMA MOON by Watt Key

BOSTON JANE trilogy by Jennifer L. Holm

DEAD IS THE NEW BLACK series by Marlene Perez

LAST CHANCE by Lesley Choyce

RESPONSE by Paul Volponi

BULL RIDER by Suzanne Morgan Williams

SKATE by Michael Harmon

CHARLIE BONE series by Jenny Nimmo

THE MIRACLE STEALER by Neil Connelly

It all started when little Daniel disappeared.  Anderson "Andi" and her friend Jeff were told they had to take Danny with them on their walk.  They hiked through the woods to the fairy fort.  The two teens only took their eyes off him for a minute.  Danny was gone. 

A frantic search followed, only to discover Danny had fallen some twenty feet down into an abandoned well.  The rescue effort that followed lasted three days.  Most of the volunteers and townspeople thought little Danny would not survive, but somehow the heartfelt prayers of the faithful worked a miracle and the little boy was rescued and simply treated for cuts and bruises.

After Danny's rescue, strange things began to happen in and around the town of Paradise, Pennsylvania.  Danny's miraculous survival seemed to be contagious.  Many believers began to credit him with healing the sick, communicating with the lost, and even bringing the fish back to the local lake.  He had become the "Miracle Boy."

The problem was that Danny was now several years older, and when he was called upon to "pray" for some miracle cure or recovery, his older sister Andi worried that he didn't truly have any special powers.  What if one day his prayers weren't answered?  Would he understand or would he take the failure to heart and shoulder unbearable guilt?  Why wouldn't people just leave him alone?

Andi has seen enough.  Her mother seems to want to exploit Danny and his miracle cures.  Andi blames her mother for driving away her father.  Anger as well as fear for her brother's safety is driving Andi to devise a cunning and dangerous plan to convince Danny's followers that he is just a normal little boy.  Will she succeed before well-meaning locals and nutcases coming from near and far manage to ruin the life of her innocent little brother?

THE MIRACLE STEALER is the story of faith.  Is faith something that can be proven with facts or is it the feeling that what happens is controlled by that higher authority?  Author Neil Connelly takes readers on a journey with Andi as she struggles to decide if she has faith or if fate depends on her actions alone.  It is a struggle many face, often more than once in life.  Connelly's story will speak to many and perhaps answer the question for some.

THE KID TABLE by Andrea Seigel

Alright, I'll admit it, a book with mac and cheese on the cover grabs my attention.  Sigh...it's a weakness I have grown to accept.  My gluttonous desires aside, here's a review of THE KID TABLE by Andrea Seigel.

The cousins have been sitting at the Kid Table for as long as they can remember.  They've had a lot of fun sitting off to the side of the grownups' table over the years.  The thing is most of the "kids" are bordering on being grownups now themselves.  Ingrid is a senior in high school, and Brianne is in college. Cricket, Dom, Micah, and Autumn are well on their way to adulthood, too.  Only little Katie, not yet in kindergarten, really qualifies as a kid anymore.  Yet, here they all sit at each family celebration.

The story begins with the Bar Mitzvah.  Uncle Kurt is forty-six, but he's decided that converting to the Jewish faith and having a Bar Mitzvah is the next important milestone in his life.  The family has gathered, of course, to show their support.

Somehow Ingrid has become the center of the conversation at the Kid Table.  Brianne, a psychology major, has declared that Ingrid is a psychopath.  She is ticking off a list of behaviors she insists verify her diagnosis.  Ingrid finds it difficult to defend herself as she listens to Brianne recount the sudden and mysterious deaths of so many of Ingrid's beloved pets over the years.  Just because her dog Long John died of old age while asleep at the foot of her bed, doesn't make his death her responsibility.  Or does it?

As these older "kids" find themselves attending family events like the Bar Mitzvah, Thanksgiving, New Year's Brunch, and more, this cast of cousins reveals all their unique and interesting characteristics.  One cousin's anorexia is becoming more apparent, another is most definitely gay, and yet another's changing behavior and dress are crying out for some sort of attention.  As Ingrid tells their story, she battles with her own guilt about possibly being in love with her older cousin's boyfriend.

Author Andrea Seigel brings back many a childhood memory for readers who can recall their own experiences while dining at the Kid Table.  These infrequent holiday get-togethers offer cousins a chance to catch up, cause a little mischief, and also reveal the growing pains and stress of getting older and someday living up to family expectations.  Quirky characters mixed up in sometimes all-to-real situations make THE KID TABLE a memorable and enjoyable read.

DAVID INSIDE OUT by Lee Bantle

High school for David is about running on the track team, hanging out with his friend Eddie, and dating Kick.  Lately, however, he has been feeling strange. 

In track his track performance has been unsteady at best.  When Sean steps forward to offer his help as a pacer, David is pleased, but maybe a bit too pleased.  Being around Sean makes him nervous but in a good way.  He thinks he'd like to be around Sean more than just at track practice.

Then there's Eddie.  They've been friends since elementary school.  Eddie has suddenly decided that it's time to come out as gay.  When he invites David to join his new Gay/Straight Alliance club, David puts his foot down and refuses.

Kick and David have been dating long enough that David realizes it is probably time to make a move.  He knows she is expecting something, but just getting up the nerve to kiss her is more than he can handle at the moment.

David is beginning to wonder just exactly what is going on.  He is finding it more and more difficult to shower and dress in the same locker-room with Sean.  The guy is like a magnet drawing David closer all the time.  Finally, it happens.  They have a moment together that confirms what David has been feeling.  It's Sean he loves not Kick.  But now that David has come to terms with who he is, Sean doesn't seem to be able to do the same.

Author Lee Bantle takes readers into the life of a young teen struggling to understand his sexuality.  Bantle describes David's inner battle to recognize his true self as well as his need to be accepted by those he loves.  The excitement of young love and the fear of rejection have David hiding his true feelings from family and friends.  DAVID INSIDE OUT provides a positive perspective for teens struggling with similar issues whether personally or as a friend.

THE FENCES BETWEEN US: THE DIARY OF PIPER DAVIS by Kirby Larson

THE FENCES BETWEEN US by Kirby Larson is a new book in the Dear America series.  Having already read Larson's HATTIE BIG SKY, I knew she would handle the historical subject matter in a way that would make the reader feel part of the past.  I wasn't disappointed.

Piper Davis lives in Seattle, Washington.  It is 1941, and her older brother has just enlisted in the Navy.  The worst thing she can imagine happens when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor.  Her brother was one of the few lucky survivors from the USS Arizona.  In fact, his heroic actions also saved a friend and fellow crew member.

With her brother still on active duty but safe, Piper focuses on how her life at home is changing because of the war.  Her older sister had been enrolled at the university, but she drops out to go to work in a factory to support the troops.  Residents of Seattle feel the effects of the war as they prepare for "black outs" in case of enemy attacks, plant victory gardens in their backyards, and "do without" as rationing begins. 

Piper's father is dealing with another change brought on by the war.  He is the pastor of the Japanese Baptist church.  Fear and prejudice quickly spread creating hard feelings and hate.  When the government decides that moving the Japanese to incarceration camps is the way to handle the situation, Pastor Davis fights to keep his congregation together.  When he realizes the fight is over and his church members must be relocated, he decides to take Piper and follow them.

Piper hates leaving her sister, her friends, and her school, but what choice does she have.  She and her father move into a rented house near the internment camp.  The Japanese children she has grown up with are forced to live with their families in horrible conditions, but as Piper visits them and eventually begins to attend school at the camp, she is amazed at the resilient attitude of these proud people.  They are determined to survive and even thrive despite the fact that the country they call home has turned its back on them.

Kirby Larson describes the living conditions and treatment of the Japanese in vivid detail.  Using the experiences of an actual Baptist pastor who continued to serve his loyal church members, she keeps true to the historical facts surrounding the incarceration of tens of thousands of Japanese held near Eden and Twin Falls, Idaho.  She explains that as the war raged on in Europe and the Pacific, another battle was waged right here on American soil. 

THE RIVER by Mary Jane Beaufrand

Moving the family to a tiny town in Oregon was supposed to create a safer, simpler life for the Severance family.  Ronnie's Dad was a lawyer in the big city, but nerves and stress have him heavily medicated for depression.  Mom has everyone working to revitalize an old inn she believes will provide income for the family and something a bit less stressful for her husband to do.  Whatever decisions were made by her parents, Ronnie feels left out and totally out of her element in Hoodoo, Oregon.

Ronnie spends most of her free time running.  It occupies her and allows her to spend time along the river, the only attraction in the community that interests her.  When she is not out running or busy helping her mother around the inn, she gets roped into babysitting for a nearby family.  It's not really her thing so she's quite surprised when an odd friendship forms between her and one of the children, a little girl named Karen.

Karen educates Ronnie in the ways of the countryside, especially the river and its wildlife and unpredictable beauty.  Ronnie is amazed at the time she spends with the little girl, and how she comes to appreciate her new surroundings.  Through Karen, Ronnie comes to know some of the locals like Ranger Dave, Gretchen, and Keith Spady.  They are all people she will come to a count on when tragedy strikes.

The day Ronnie discovers little Karen's body in the river, her world is turned upside-down.  The pint-sized adventurer was so accomplished at crossing the river on slippery rocks and skipping stones across its waters that it's hard to believe she met her end there.  Ronnie feels like she failed her small friend when attempts to resuscitate her fail.  Now she is plagued with memories of their short time together and a growing suspicion that her death may not have been an accident.

THE RIVER by Mary Jane Beaufrand is the story of an unusual friendship wrapped up in a mystery.  Filled with frequent flashbacks of Karen's carefree days, Beaufrand weaves the stories of the two girls together.  Other interesting characters and surprise twists will keep readers on their toes as they follow Ronnie's efforts to find justice for her friend.