(2) YA Danny is eleven when his older brother Eli, both a best friend and mentor, is killed in Iraq. Now it's the summer after freshman year, and Danny falls in love, makes new friendships, finds himself, and begins to accept Eli's death. There's wisdom aplenty imparted here, but there's humor, too, in this profound yet unpretentious story with a resilient, relatable protagonist.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2012

(4) 4-6 When her lawyer mother decides to leave her job--and, seemingly, her sanity--for a cultish evangelical church, seventh-grader Octavia (who has synesthesia) must cope with her new life. Octavia's voice is unconvincingly naive and oddly sophisticated at the same time. Nevertheless, her chatty narration may draw readers into the dramas of her family and her small, close-knit Vermont town.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) 4-6 Twelve-year-old Vermonter Sarah is having a difficult year in the aftermath of her parents' divorce. She feels unpopular at school, her mother has a new boyfriend, and her father, who moved to California, is starting a new family. Sarah vents about her problems by keeping lists and writing in her journal. The character's circumstances and feelings ring true.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Melissa Sweet & dug Nap. Rupp delivers facts about the atmosphere, precipitation, and weather events in a dry, textbook-like presentation. The information is sound, but there are regrettably few in-depth explanations. The featured experiments (many requiring adult supervision) merely confirm facts found in the text; conversely, the color photos and amusing, simulated children's "journals" add genuine interest. Websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 In this sweet and slightly moralistic story, three children on vacation on an island find a three-headed dragon in a cave. Each head of the dragon, Fafnyr Goldenwings, has an improving tale to tell that applies to each of the children. Although the novel, set in modern times, seems somewhat anachronistic, the old-fashioned tone will appeal to E. Nesbit fans.

Reviewer: Ann A. Flowers