Elise's sophomore year of high school is not going as planned. Over the summer she dedicated herself to becoming popular. She studied popularity and all the latest trends like she would prepare for a final, but when school starts she fails so badly that her social standing drops even lower. She comforts herself by sneaking out of the house for late-night walks. When she stumbles on a secret, under-ground dance club she discovers a group of people who actually like her and a way to get out of her head and enjoy herself. Even more importantly, she discovers a passion for DJing. Soon she's leading a double life: social outcast high-school student by day, popular up-and-coming DJ by night. But she can't keep it up forever, and sparks will fly when the two halves of her life come crashing together.

The characters in this novel are so well drawn and I was completely sucked in by Elise's emotional journey. It captures adolescence and the messy path to self-acceptance perfectly.  I have never been one to frequent discotheques, but I enjoyed learning about this subculture and the world of DJs. Elise's narrative voice brings lightness and humor to a heavy subject.

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Erica's Picks
8th & up
​Tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, family life, friendship, issues fiction, mental illness, romance

“This is my letter to the world, that never wrote to me…” Emily Dickinson
In many ways, Ivy is confused and questioning her place in the world.  Her family’s home where generations of Aberdeens have grown up, is destroyed in a tornado that rips through the town.  Thankfully all six Aberdeens are unhurt and find shelter in a tiny hotel room thanks to the kindness of others.  Ivy’s new twin brothers are a handful and as the middle child, she feels kind of invisible.  All of her hopes and dreams and doubts go into a journal/notebook brilliantly illustrated with her drawings.  A lot is changing and it is all chronicled there.  Including her questioning that she might have a crush on the new girl June. When her journal goes missing and messages start appearing in her locker that reveal that the sender knows her inner most thoughts and secrets, Ivy is in despair.
She is especially fearful about her feelings for June.  But how do you know if what you are feeling is real when you’ve never felt that way before?  She might trust her 16 year old sister Layla with her doubts but overhears what she thinks is disapproval when Layla’s best friend comes out to her.  Who can she trust?
Finding a gay mentor in the owner of the hotel, Robin, feels so right.  Robin is a great support and assures Ivy that it is okay to not be sure. The complex feelings between friends and siblings, misunderstandings and inner dilemmas , trust and family love make this a warm and  emotionally strong story that embraces all the very real characters.   I loved Ivy, her friends and family and you will too.
And you might understand why the Dickinson quote is on the first page.

Tessa's Picks, 5th-6th grade, 5th Summer 2018, Contemporary Fiction, Family life, Friendship, LGBTQ, People of color

Jordan Sun is beginning her junior year at the Kensington-Blaine Boarding School for the Performing arts and once again she does not get cast for the fall musical.  Her low alto 2 voice is jeopardizing her whole life!  A cappella is a real thing at this school; there is more than one group and they have elite status.  Think Glee. Then she gets a mass email. The Sharpshooters have an opening in their group.  Unfortunately it is an all-male group. Is this going to stop Jordan whose voice range is a perfect fit? No. She becomes Julian Zhang. The hair gets cut, baggy clothes bought, tips on how to walk and move from trans kids on-line and voila. Jordan-Julian gets the spot.  The book focuses on Julian and how moving through the world as a male is a revelation to Jordan.
Enter the Sharps.  All seven of them become real people who you are invested in. They are such a diverse group.  Jordan is bisexual and Chinese, and also represented are Japanese, queer, Sikh, Indian, learning disabled, and underrepresented body type. Jordan’s ethnicity and economic status have made her feel like an outsider on campus.  Friendships are formed and Jordan feels part of a group for the first time.  If the Sharps win the Holiday competition, they will be opening for an internationally known group and tour Europe over break.
Family economic trouble looms and all may come crashing down.  Jordan is an engaging character as she struggles to find out who she is and where she is going.   You leave this book wanting to follow all the characters’ stories into the future.
 

​Tessa's Picks, 8th Summer 2018, Character driven, Contemporary fiction, Friendship, People of color, School stories

Maddie and her friends are excited to audition for the eighth grade play Romeo and Juliet.  There is plenty of drama happening on the middle school stage already with crushes, mean girls, cliques and rivalries.  New girl Gemma with her good looks, British accent, and kind, cheery personality is a shoe in for Juliet.  Maddie likes her, a lot, maybe as more than a friend.  When the boy playing Romeo drops out only weeks before opening night, there is only one person who the director sees as a possible replacement.  Is this Maddie dream role or her worst nightmare?  Sprinkled with the Bard’s words, as well as the fun to be had using Shakespearean insults, this story will appeal to theatre geeks everywhere.  



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Tessa' Picks, 4th-7th grade, Character driven, Contemporary Fiction, Friendship, LGBTQ, Romance

 Aven likes to tell people that she lost her arms alligator wrestling in the Everglades or in a freak roller coaster accident or a skydiving trip gone wrong. The truth is that she was born without them.  When her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven moves with them across the country knowing that she’ll have to explain herself over and over again. There she meets Connor, a solitary boy who is dealing with his own disability. They become friends and discover a mystery with big secrets having to do with Aven's past (she is adopted).
Aven is feisty, hilarious, and she can do it all...even without arms.
If you loved Wonder,  you will adore this book.
youtu.be/s2usmrzHi5s Toetalks. Click for an interview with the author and two women who inspire her.

Tessa's Picks, 4th-6th grade, Character driven, Contemporary fiction, Friendship, Humor, Issues fiction.
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What could be better than playing a munchkin in the Wizard of OZ? Well O.K. for me it would be the wicked witch.  But Julia, did I mention that she is really short, is cast to play a munchkin.  Not her idea. It’s her younger brother Randy who is the actor; she has just been coerced into tagging along to watch out for him.  It turns out to be the summer of her life as she becomes best friends with one of the munchkins, Olive, an adult with dwarfism. Olive, the director, and an older neighbor who helps with costumes are all quirky wonderful characters who help Julia figure out who she is.
“On opening night of the show: I lean into the window on the passenger side of the car. I smile at Mom and tell her something I’ve wanted to say all summer. “Thanks, Mom. Thanks for making me try out for this play.” I think I might just have made being a mother totally worthwhile for her. I will try to never forget her face…. Mom’s got tears in her eyes and she’s smiling. It’s an amazing look. I have to remember how powerful it can be to say thank you. Especially to the people you live with. They probably least expect it.”
This book will have you laughing out loud one minute and swiping a tear the next.

Tessa's Picks,  3rd-7th grade, Character driven, Humor, Friendship, Contemporary fiction.

Red is over 200 years old, but she still doesn't understand people. She's been the community's wish tree for a long time and seen all sorts of wishes from the silly to the profound. She's never actually done anything to grant a wish though. Trees are the strong, silent types. Then one day a new girl wishes for a friend. When Red finds out that she's going to be cut down, she decides that for once she's going to do something to make a wish come true.

I love the perspective of a Red Oak as a narrator and all the critters who live in and around her. There's so many delightful details like the naming conventions of all the animals from skunks (named after something sweet) to opossums (named after their biggest fear.) As someone who is fond of jokes that aren't always appreciated by others, I identified with the tree's attempts at humor.

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

Erica's Picks
3rd - 5th Grade
​Tags: Animals, Character Driven, Friendship, People of Color

When Anna reads Secret Garden, she decides she wants to create a magical garden of her own. Her family just moved to a new house with a back yard that looks pretty rough and weedy, but she can already see how it would look with a little help. Luckily there's a girl on her street whose birthday is just one day apart from hers. She can help her get the garden ready. But when school starts and poison ivy attacks, Anna wonders if she's lost her friend and her garden.

I love Anna's imagination and the way she navigates her new friendship. A lot of kids will love the storyline about the lost baby bunny they rescue. It's great for kids learning to read chapter books on their own, but parents would enjoy it as a read aloud as well.

Year of the Garden by Andrea Cheng

Erica's Picks
1st - 3rd Grade
​Tags: character driven, animals, contemporary fiction, friendship, people of color

Detective Gordon is getting on in years but he's still the best detective around. When he discovers a young mouse who steals a single nut out of hunger, he decides that instead of arresting her, he should take her on as an apprentice and give her food and shelter. They work together to solve cases around town. It's a funny book with a lot of heart and it would make a great read aloud. My favorite part is how particular he is with his stamp. It reminds me of when I let kids stamp their library books. 

​Detective Gordon by Ulf Nilsson

Erica's Picks
1st - 3rd Grade
​Tags: Animals, Friendship, Humor, Mystery