(3) 4-6 Bubblegum Shoes series. Although snooping cost her a best friend and made her a social pariah, seventh grader Maya Mendoza is proud of her sleuthing abilities. But she’s the prime suspect when she’s caught (along with the former BBF and two other girls) breaking into the school’s notorious Contraband Closet, which they find shockingly empty of confiscated items. Maya makes a deal: if the girls haven’t nabbed the thief in a month, the principal “can toss [her] out of this school.” Balancing hard-boiled detective tropes with relatable middle-school situations, this satisfying whodunnit features a likable and believably flawed protagonist.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) YA Gregor Maravilla is determined to excel at Camp Save the World. Through his campaign to fight childhood hunger, he hopes to leave the camp a better activist. Unfortunately, the camp doesn't live up to its altruistic promise, and all bets are off when "The Prize" is announced. Though Gregor's moral dilemma is interesting, the humor and satire can feel forced.

Reviewer: Alia Jones

(3) YA Unreliably narrated in the first-person by Samantha Baker, this is the "true" account of how she and her fellow-fangirl friends came to accidentally kidnap Rupert P., a member of famous boy band The Ruperts. A hysterical dark comedy filled with tons of pop-culture references and a nod to fanfiction--today's teens will have a lot of fun with this one.

Reviewer: Meredith M. Sittman