(2) 4-6 After "a bunch of water ruin[s] her life," all that our twelve-year-old protagonist wants to do is get back to normal. But what does normal look like for "Temple Baxter, flood victim"? It doesn't look like living in temporary quarters for weeks, switching schools, and constantly babysitting her three-year-old sister while her parents work and deal with the extensive repairs on their home. When her former private school friends ghost her, she's further unmoored. A natural organizer, Temple lands on the coping strategy of planning a fundraiser. With the help of neighborhood frenemy Jesse and new friend Asha, whose reframing of "flood victim" as "aquatic adventurer" helps Temple find her footing, she recruits local media, some big-name acts, and (just in time) a venue. With a plot that leans on the "plucky kids save the day with a big show" trope, this could read like a heartwarming feature story on the local news. But Faris elevates it with a keen sensitivity to Temple's emotional development as the tween comes to a maturing sense of her place in her family and community. Her desperate insistence that her parents level with her will strike chords of recognition in readers who are also teetering on the brink of agency. Sincere and heartfelt.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Lucy Fleming. Piper's mother does a lot of temporary jobs, so there's always a new adventure around the corner. In Circus, Piper becomes part of a traveling circus's dance routine; next she becomes a "helper bee" at a new school (Charge!). The tame chapter books include inserts with facts (about circuses and school, respectively) and soft grayscale illustrations that underscore Piper's amiable personality. Review covers the following titles: Piper Morgan in Charge and Piper Morgan Joins the Circus.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Lucy Fleming. Piper's mother does a lot of temporary jobs, so there's always a new adventure around the corner. In Circus, Piper becomes part of a traveling circus's dance routine; next she becomes a "helper bee" at a new school (Charge!). The tame chapter books include inserts with facts (about circuses and school, respectively) and soft grayscale illustrations that underscore Piper's amiable personality. Review covers the following titles: Piper Morgan in Charge and Piper Morgan Joins the Circus.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Lucy Fleming. Piper Morgan wants nothing more than a dog of her own, but her mother, who changes jobs and moves them a lot, says only, "We'll see." To make matters worse, Mom's new job at the animal shelter is to get dogs adopted by other people! Sweet grayscale illustrations enliven Piper's third tame outing, which includes pet facts after each chapter.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) 4-6 Mia shakes up Stanton Middle School when she buys chocolate roses from the student council Valentine's sale and gives them anonymously to kids who aren't part of the in-crowd. Wild speculation about crushes and friendships leads to miscommunication and hurt feelings. It's a slight picture of early adolescence, but readers will recognize the uncertainty that new emotions can evoke.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(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