Umbrella Summer

   Yet Mattie's plan comes crashing down one day when her Custodial Wisdom goes all wrong. Quincy Sweet, visiting next door, threatens the plan, too. And Mama doesn't help. But little by little, everything going wrong might begin to show Mattie what's rightabout sharing a part of herself. About doing one small, brave thing. About making a friend she can trust with her secretsa friend who is hound dog true.

* "This outstanding, emotionally resonant effort will appeal to middle-grade readers."—Kirkus, starred review

* "Urban (A Crooked Kind of Perfect) traces a highly self-conscious child's cautious emergence from her shell in this tender novel about new beginnings and "small brave" acts... Urban's understated, borderline naïf narrative gives voice to Mattie's many uncertainties ("Always Mattie has been shy. Always school had made her feel skittish and small") while expressing the quiet yet significant moments in her day-to-day life. Mattie's growing trust of others and her attempts to be "bold and friendly" lead to gratifying rewards for Mattie and poignant moments for readers."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Internal drama, compelling characters, and Matties strong voice propel the story of learning to do "a small brave thing."—Booklist

* "There are many books that offer adventure and twists and unusual story lines. Most of them do not offer young readers such fine writing and real characters. That is hook enough."—School Library Journal, starred review

* "It is her realistic relationship with the matter-of-fact Boris, a most unlikely miracle, that will catch readers, and help pull them toward seeking answers of their own for the story’s very large questions."

—Booklist, starred review 

—Booklist, starred review

"Just as Iris finally embraces the rain, spinning round and round, readers, too, will recognize the circular patterns of love and loss, joy and grief, life and death. A quiet, affecting journey rendered with keen insight."

—Kirkus

"This is a realistic view of grief, with particular emphasis on the agonizing longing to know if a lost loved one is truly out there somewhere. Iris’s stay-at-home dad fills the story with great flavors and textures--from the baby chicks he hatches to his homemade bread, giving the story a cozy touch despite Iris’s impossible quest for answers."

—School Library Journal

* "Arnold’s heroine confronts her emotions honestly (even when she’s putting on a brave face to mask what she really thinks or feels), and her slow, difficult journey to understand the absence left in Sarah’s wake unfolds with heartbreaking believability."

—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Iris' grief for Sarah is unusually well captured, touching on the huge importance of the best friend relationship and the amputation felt after such a loss. This is therefore a tender yet smart story that will resonate with readers who work through their emotions by brain as well as heart."

—Bulletin

* "In a third-person narrative that remains fully in Iris's range of understanding, Arnold explores the range of sorrow, anger and grief Iris undergoes...Her gentle explorations of faith, doubt and making a friend while still keeping Sarah close leave a powerful impression."

—Shelf Awareness, starred review

“Vernick's writing is beautiful, her characters well-rounded and believable, and the coming of age situations and emotions are spot on.”—Kathryn Erskine, author of the National Book Award winner Mockingbird   “Tender and true, anchored by heartbreak and buoyed by love, Water Balloon is a sweet summertime celebration of the unforgettable moments that change everything. ”—Cynthia Leitich Smith, New York Times bestselling-author of Tantalize, Eternal, and Blessed   “A funny, poignant, beautifully written story about family, first love, and the joy and pain of girls friendships, reminiscent of Lynne Rae Perkins All Alone in the Universe. I was really caught up in the world Vernick created; in Marley's own words, ‘it is amazingly, fantastically real. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!”—Joanne Rocklin, author of One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street   “Tweens will relate to this heartfelt story of a girl who is struggling to navigate the many changes in her life that seem to greet her at every turn.”—Lisa Schroeder, author of Its Raining Cupcakes   “Marley Baird is a lovely protagonist with an engaging voice, and readers will wish they could be her best friend and help her cope with all of lifes uncertainty, aggravation, and heartache.  They will recognize their own struggles in Marleys and cheer her on as she finds her way.”—Gina Willner-Pardo, author of  The Hard Kind of Promise   “Water Balloon is breathtakingly luminous. From the start, readers will root for Marley, an unforgettable and authentic heroine; we *know* this girl, our heart breaks with hers, we laugh with her, and we want to be her friend for life. Vernick's lyrical and astonishingly perceptive prose tells this captivating story of friendship, love, and resilience with honesty, grace, and power. This book is the real thing—I want to hug it daily!”—Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, author of 8th Grade Superzero   “Vernick makes a very auspicious fiction debut here with her breezy, briskly paced tale, well-portrayed characters, authentic relationships and keen ear for realistic dialogue. . . . preteen female readers will eat this up and learn a wise and wistful thing or two about friendships, including when and how to walk away and start new ones. . . . a harbinger of more good novels to come from this author.” —Kirkus Reviews

"Put this book on your "must-have" list. It wont stay on the shelves long."—School Library Journal, starred review

"Vernick conveys Marley's uncertain navigation of new experiences and conflicting emotions with sincerity and keen perception."—Publishers Weekly

It takes a new neighbor, who looks as plain as a box of toothpicks but has some surprising secrets of her own, to make Annie realize that her plans for being careful aren't working out as well as she had hoped. And with a lot of help from those around her—and a book about a pig, too—Annie just may find a way to close her umbrella of sadness and step back into the sunshine.

With winsome humor and a dash of small-town charm, Lisa Graff's third novel is a touching look at rising above grief and the healing power of community.

     When Iris meets Boris, an awkward mouth-breather with a know-it-all personality, shes not looking to make a new friend, but it beats eating lunch alone. Then she learns that Boriss very existence is a medical mystery, maybe even a miracle, and Iris starts to wonder why some people get miracles and others dont. And if one miracle is possible, can another one be too? Can she possibly communicate with Sarah again?