(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ji-Hyuk Kim. Sisters Marigold, Zinnia, and Lily (The Forget-Me-Not Summer) head to Cape Cod again to stay with their aunt. After being cut from a Hollywood blockbuster, Marigold has vowed to become ordinary; aspiring writer Zinnie, in need of material, reads Marigold's diary and writes about the transformation. The ensuing fight threatens to ruin their idyllic summer. An easy recommendation for fans of family stories.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(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) YA Ladybirds series. Betty finds letters from her long-dead mother just in time to navigate her first crush and her feelings about her dad's new girlfriend. The letters--about kisses, heartbreak, love, and moving on--help her through her confusing feelings for both charming jerk Toby and best friend Bill. Betty is a funny, interesting, and well-defined character, and her story has real depth.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) YA Bullied MIT-hopeful Bea creates a mathematical formula to ensure she and her two best guy friends achieve social success senior year. But when Bea's boyfriend ditches her for the "quirky" new girl, she tweaks the formula's plan, rebranding herself as Trixie, the ideal manic pixie dream girl. Predictably but enjoyably, Bea learns that formulas can't control everything in this comedic exploration of stereotyping.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) YA Four female best friends with diverse identities and levels of experience add "have sex" to their senior year to-do lists. Teens will appreciate the honest, funny, and empowering discussions and depictions of sex, as well as the girls' close bond. The conversational tone will immediately draw readers into this memorable, if a bit overlong, coming-of-age comedy.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) 4-6 When twelve-year-old Wren's father dies in a plane accident, her bitter and distant mother moves them three times in the weeks following. Settling in Upper Peninsula Michigan, devastated and lonely Wren returns to birdwatching--a hobby she shared with her dad--which helps her grieve and ultimately leads to new friendships. A quiet and thoughtful look at how complicated grief can be.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Júlia Sardà. A mother recounts a story to her daughter about twin sisters: beautiful, perfect Arabella and sullen, unfavored Henrietta. They're close, despite unequal treatment, until a big fight drives them apart. Henrietta, sent to live with their peculiar great-aunt, is essentially forgotten by their cold parents, but not by Arabella, who sets out to find her. Black-and-white illustrations enhance this quirky, darkly humorous story.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) YA Country music star Bird Barrett headlines her first national tour, which is both exciting and stressful. Some bad press threatens Bird's image, her team pushes her to the point of exhaustion, and there's tension within her trusted circle of confidantes. Bird ultimately explores who she really wants to be in this satisfying conclusion to the Wildflower trilogy. A playlist is appended.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) 4-6 Princess Annie is about to marry Prince Liam when magic spells create trouble. Annie, who's impervious to magic, sets off with Liam to track down a fairy friend for help. Along the way to happily-ever-after, they encounter familiar fairy-tale characters as well as many obstructions. In her fourth book, Annie remains a clever, resourceful, and likable heroine.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(4) 4-6 Fairy-Tale Matchmaker series. Cory, a Tooth Fairy Guild dropout, keeps herself busy with odd jobs, a matchmaking business, and a big secret: she's a descendant of Cupid. Goldilocks wants Cory to find her a soulmate, but things grow complicated when Cory learns Goldilocks's intended is set to wed another. Fans of the first book (The Fairy-Tale Matchmaker) will enjoy this somewhat plodding twist on fairy-tale romances.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) YA Amanda's older brother Jonathan drove drunk, killed a girl, and nearly paralyzed his now-ex-girlfriend Sutton. Amanda has had to deal with the consequences, and now with Jonathan out of prison, she sees the mess he's become as he tries to cope with what he did. An intense, complex look at blame, guilt, regret, and how those feelings affect relationships both old and new.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) 4-6 Sixth grader Olivia feels extremely average, so she's shocked to learn she's a princess. Her long-lost sister Mia (The Princess Diaries) takes her to meet Grandmère and their father, whom Olivia has never met. Olivia receives a crash course in being a royal--everything from press attention to etiquette. This spinoff story will feel delightfully familiar to fans of the original series (or the movies).

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

(4) 4-6 In Rome to help at her great-aunt's pizzeria, which is losing customers to a competitor, Lucy hopes her odd skill of matchmaking couples based on pizza preferences is just the ticket. Charismatic Lucy pulls together a team to revamp the restaurant while also investigating sabotage of a secret recipe. This third Lost outing pairs a lively city tour with a slight mystery.

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

(4) YA Madison isn't much for serious relationships until she starts hanging out with Jesse, a barista in a punk band. Their relationship is hot, if somewhat predictable, and complicated by jealousy and insecurity; Madison is also dealing with family issues and applying to a summer design program. A companion to The Promise of Amazing, this solid romantic read treads comfortably well-worn territory.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) YA Molly's year at boarding school couldn't erase the damage caused by sleeping with her boyfriend's brother. Now she needs to survive the summer back home, which finds her unexpectedly working with her ex's new girlfriend and juggling the brothers once again as she discovers that guilt doesn't outweigh desire. A striking and uneasy look at the many ways relationships can become messy.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) YA Superlatives series. Perpetual flirt and seemingly directionless class clown Sawyer and high-strung, Ivy League–bound Kaye see beyond their labels when they start spending time together. They challenge each other in all the best ways, and suddenly both are reassessing their priorities and their futures--much to the chagrin of Kaye's toxic ex-boyfriend and her demanding mother. Another widely appealing romance from Echols.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) YA Superlatives series. When wild Brody and straight-laced Harper are voted "Perfect Couple That Never Was," they start spending time together to see just what it is that their classmates were thinking. What could be a shallow and clichéd story of opposites attracting instead explores labels and delves deeply into the characters' complicated lives. This entertaining, sexy installment of Echols's Superlatives series can stand alone.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ji-Hyuk Kim. Californian sisters Marigold (twelve), Zinnia (eleven), and Lily (five) spend three weeks on Cape Cod with their great-aunt while their parents travel for work. They worry that a summer with no TV or cell signal will be awful but instead find their own fun, grow closer, and each discover who they are. A sunny choice for fans of The Penderwicks and other family stories.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor