(4) 4-6 When city girl Poppy, twelve, moves mid–school year to her deceased mother's rural childhood home, she discovers a long-forgotten box of letters written by her mom. Poppy begins a journey hoping to connect with her mother and ends up making friends. A dash of light romance, an endearing protagonist, and a fast-paced plot keep this fluffy story afloat until the trite but happy ending.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(4) 4-6 In Ireland (previously published in paperback as Lucky Me), superstitious thirteen-year-old Meghan travels throughout Ireland to break a curse and finds family instead. In Hollywood, besties Ginger and Payton zip around Hollywood looking for an ailing great-aunt's hidden life savings and making harmless mischief. Like Callaghan's others (Lost in London, etc.), these are breezy though slight romps through well-described landscapes populated by memorable characters. Review covers the following titles: Lost in Hollywood and Lost in Ireland.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(4) 4-6 In Ireland (previously published in paperback as Lucky Me), superstitious thirteen-year-old Meghan travels throughout Ireland to break a curse and finds family instead. In Hollywood, besties Ginger and Payton zip around Hollywood looking for an ailing great-aunt's hidden life savings and making harmless mischief. Like Callaghan's others (Lost in London, etc.), these are breezy though slight romps through well-described landscapes populated by memorable characters. Review covers the following titles: Lost in Hollywood and Lost in Ireland.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 After starting her own accessories-consulting and -lending business, twelve-year-old Tess realizes a family heirloom is missing from her collection. The tween fashionista must recover it before her parents and beloved grandmother notice. The initially breezy chick-lit story is deepened by exploration of some not-so-light topics such as Alzheimer's disease, jealousy, and broken friendships.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 Seventh grader Sadie and her fellow party-planning friends (You're Invited) are back, and this time they're planning a wedding for a high-maintenance woman who fired Sadie's mom as her planner. Besides running their business, they must contend with mean girls, crushes, family issues, school pressures, and an unexpected weather event. A smart yet breezy series about friendship, loyalty, and the stresses of tweendom.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) 4-6 When eighth grader Ella feels her relationship with BFF Skyler falling apart, she creates a summer bucket list for the pair to complete together. Nevertheless, new friends, boys, and life-changing secrets threaten their once-unbreakable bond; the bucket list capers provide a lighter narrative counterpoint. Alternating perspectives offer readers insight into both girls' experiences in this heartfelt exploration of one friendship's growing pains.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 When twelve-year-old Ruby, who lives in LA, finds out her classmates only like her because of her famous parents, she transfers to a remote boarding school in Maine. There she tells people that her parents are dead--including her crush, who actually is an orphan. Despite Ruby's lie, readers will root for her as she establishes friendships and forges an identity on her own terms.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) 4-6 When Jordan spends a week in London, getting trapped overnight in an eighteen-floor department store leads to mystery, adventure, and blackmail. Gwen goes on a scavenger hunt throughout Paris with a cute boy and a family friend to win tickets to see her favorite band. Both books are lively if slight tours of landmarks and culture with a healthy dose of wish-fulfillment. Review covers the following titles: Lost in London and Lost in Paris.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(4) 4-6 When Jordan spends a week in London, getting trapped overnight in an eighteen-floor department store leads to mystery, adventure, and blackmail. Gwen goes on a scavenger hunt throughout Paris with a cute boy and a family friend to win tickets to see her favorite band. Both books are lively if slight tours of landmarks and culture with a healthy dose of wish-fulfillment. Review covers the following titles: Lost in London and Lost in Paris.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) 4-6 Saturday Cooking Club series. Liza is excited to turn thirteen, but Nana is determined to throw her a very un-Liza-like party. Her best friends sympathize, but they're busy with their own issues: Frankie is giving her image an overhaul and Lillian has a crush on a boy. The likable friends lean on one another for support as they navigate family issues, boys, and baking desserts.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) 4-6 Saturday Cooking Club series. Best friends Frankie and Liza partner with new girl Lillian for their immigration project. For hands-on research--and with their hesitant moms in tow--the seventh-grade Brooklynites enroll in a cooking class. With several kitchen mishaps and rotating narration of the girls' perspectives, the authors skillfully use the cooking class to highlight the benefits of diversity--socially and in cuisine.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(4) 4-6 Twelve-year-old Sadie, whose mother is a wedding planner, and her three best friends start a birthday-party-planning business as a way to do something fun together in their seaside resort town as well as earn some money. The parties all have minor mishaps, but the different talents the girls bring to the business get them through unscathed in this overlong but enjoyable series-beginner.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(4) 4-6 Snowboarder Lexi Miller was the "Golden Girl" of elite Mountain Academy until a fall left her sidelined. A year later, she is hoping for an epic comeback, but she's lost her best friend and her competitive edge; a new friend teaches Lexi how much fun snowboarding can be. While the story falls flat at times, it's an easy, light choice for snowed-in winter reading.

Reviewer: Meredith M. Sittman

(4) 4-6 Ashley Project series. The "Ashleys," an elite group of girls who dominate the social stratosphere of Miss Gamble's Prep School in San Francisco, are all about being at the top of the food chain. Part Mean Girls, part Gossip Girl, these novels about the social pressures of tweendom are superficial and familiar but may satisfy middle-school girls looking for candy-like reads. Review covers the following Ashley Project titles: Birthday Vicious and Popularity Takeover.

Reviewer: Meredith M. Sittman

(3) 4-6 Vi challenges Maddie--seventh-grade gossip queen and her lifelong friend--to forgo gossip or lose Vi's friendship. Not only does Maddie realize that a habit is hard to break, but she must figure out what constitutes gossip, how it affects others, and how facts get embellished. Though it addresses a universal middle-school problem, this readable story is ultimately about friendship.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) 4-6 Ashley Project series. The "Ashleys," an elite group of girls who dominate the social stratosphere of Miss Gamble's Prep School in San Francisco, are all about being at the top of the food chain. Part Mean Girls, part Gossip Girl, these novels about the social pressures of tweendom are superficial and familiar but may satisfy middle-school girls looking for candy-like reads. Review covers the following Ashley Project titles: Birthday Vicious and Popularity Takeover.

Reviewer: Meredith M. Sittman