The Wednesday Wars
This wonderful work of historical fiction revolves around middle school drama, baseball, and the Vietnam War. You may enjoy sharing this one with the kid in your life (if they’re 10 or so or older). Fans of E. L. Konigsburg will love this funny and poignant book.
More info →Orbiting Jupiter
I adore Gary Schmidt, but haven't read this one yet. (You can listen to Janssen Bradshaw tell me about it on Episode 10 of What Should I Read Next.) Publishers Weekly calls Schmidt's latest "a powerful story about second chances, all the more devastating because not everyone gets one."
More info →Okay for Now
I adore Gary Schmidt, as do two of my kids. Fans of E. L. Konigsburg will love this. From the publisher: "As a fourteen-year-old who just moved to a new town, with no friends and a louse for an older brother, Doug Swieteck has all the stats stacked against him. So begins a coming-of-age masterwork full of equal parts comedy and tragedy from Newbery Honor winner Gary D. Schmidt. As Doug struggles to be more than the 'skinny thug' that his teachers and the police think him to be, he finds an unlikely ally in Lil Spicer—a fiery young lady who 'smelled like daisies would smell if they were growing in a big field under a clearing sky after a rain.' In Lil, Doug finds the strength to endure an abusive father, the suspicions of a whole town, and the return of his oldest brother, forever scarred, from Vietnam. Together, they find a safe haven in the local library, inspiration in learning about the plates of John James Audubon's birds, and a hilarious adventure on a Broadway stage."
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