September/October 2016
— A sixth-grader faces three problems: losing her best friend, being bullied, and missing math homework. She solves them through courage, honesty, and unexpected kindness.
— A young writer explores the paradox of constant transformation and fixed identity, finding that despite daily reinvention, the same eyes witness it all.
— During a rare July rainstorm in California, two friends watch from the window, chase the storm to the grocery store, and discover joy in shared wonder.
— Crossing the Wire, by Will Hobbs; HarperCollins Publishers: New York, 2006; $16.99 When his father died years ago trying to cross the Arizona border, fifteen-year-old Victor Flores dropped out of...
— A grieving girl meets a blind pianist after saving her from a bicycle collision, discovering friendship and music can pierce through darkness.
— A catcher describes the thrill of throwing out a runner stealing second base, celebrating the physical and mental demands of playing behind home plate.
— A girl puzzled by magic's selective protection during a storm discovers through dreams and her sister's unexpected kindness that magic exists in everyday moments and reconnected relationships.
— One for the Murphys, by Lynda Mullaly Hunt; Nancy Paulsen Books: New York, 2012; $16.99 Growing up browsing through Salvation Army bins and snoozing in the basement, twelve-year-old Carley Connors...
— A privileged Southern girl discovers her family's enslaved girl Susan attempting to escape and, after hearing Susan's story, helps her flee north to freedom.
— Night sounds — cricket drone, rain on gutters, distant conversations — become a symphony as the world falls into sleep.