(2) 4-6 Jeremy's mom tasks him with inviting famous scientists to a symposium on her sea-bound research ship, which is testing out a tool for cleaning up the Great Pacific ­Garbage Patch. He mistakenly sends adult scientist Sidney Miller's invitation to twelve-year-old podcaster Sidney Miller, who needs to fill her summer with educational and interactive experiences so her parents don't haul her off to camp. Jeremy agrees to smuggle the younger Sidney (and her goldfish, Rachel Carson) onto the ship instead of admitting his mistake, and the two commit to keeping her presence a secret from the adults onboard. Gregarious Jeremy, who is more interested in sports than science, and introverted Sidney, who has become entranced with the concept of synchronicity, quickly go from mismatched odd couple to dedicated friends with a shared secret. They eventually get caught, of course, but not before their social media advocacy brings the media coverage Jeremy's mother needs to keep her project funded. Nuanced layers of story take the book beyond its initial quirkiness: Jeremy's reaction to his parents' divorce, Sidney's close relationship with her grandmother, the challenges of sustaining interest in long-term scientific work. The narrative's nonlinear structure, with sections alternating between Jeremy's and Sidney's points of view and flashbacks that develop the characters and reveal how they got to the ship, makes for an engaging read; and the nautical setting is richly developed.

Reviewer: Sarah Rettger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(3) YA Seventeen-year-old Klee, an aspiring artist who loved visiting art museums with his dad, is devastated after his father's suicide and a subsequent move to the suburbs. Narrated in the wake of a mental break that lands Klee in an adolescent psychiatric facility, this thoughtful novel de-stigmatizes mental illness with its sensitive portrait of a memorable young man.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(2) YA On 9/11, sixteen-year-old Brooklynite Kyle stumbles upon a teenage girl with amnesia; despite having enough to worry about, he takes her home with him, trying to help. The mysterious girl's free-verse narration is interspersed, at times effectively, with Kyle's prose. While the conclusion is rushed, the appealing blend of mystery, burgeoning romance, and historical elements makes this a solid contribution to 9/11 YA fiction.

Reviewer: Kazia Berkley-Cramer | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2016

(3) YA Francesca, who blames herself for her younger brother Simon's drowning death four years ago, becomes a mother's helper for four-year-old boy Frankie, who she believes may be Simon's reincarnation. This possibility is ultimately not resolved--Polisner poignantly focuses instead on Francesca's emotional development and her need for connection with others, including her still-grieving parents and the best friend whose boyfriend she covets.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) YA Nick's life falls apart as his best friend, "the Scoot," succumbs to terminal illness and his father deserts the family. With the help of new friend Jaycee, Nick sets out to fulfill the Scoot's last wish, involving Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. Though Jaycee's efficiency and insight seem a tad too idealized, Nick's haplessness and anger are well portrayed.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac