‘Dating the Boy Next Door’ by Michelle MacQueen and Ann Maree Craven is a wonderful sequel to the first book in the series. Nari and Avery, the two main characters, are written well, and it is quite nice to see how the way in which they interact with each other has changed since the accident that caused their friend Cooper’s death a couple of years back. While Avery disappeared into a world of popularity and athletics, Nari went on to be who she always was – a sweet, kind girl who has a lot of expectations heaped on her but wants more out of life than that. The thing is, Avery also wants more. He wants out of the town that took his friend and changed his father. While his dad used to be a professional football player and all-around good guy, his drinking has turned him into someone unrecognizable, and Avery is tired of dealing with it. Yet, he has to be there for his mother and younger brother, Nicky.

Nari’s friendship with Nicky, despite his being two years younger, grows while she finds herself separated from the friendship she once had with Avery. Despite being next door neighbors, she has watched him turn into someone he never was, dating the meanest girl in school, and avoiding the past he has tried to blame everyone for ever since losing Cooper.

When they find themselves thrust into situations in which they cannot avoid being together, Avery makes a deal with Nari that he’ll tutor her if she’ll kiss him and make his ex-girlfriend jealous. While Nari finds herself attracted to him, she tries to warn herself against doing anything with him. She knows it will all only end in upset for her. But, predictably (in a good way), she does turn to him for help, and she finds herself falling for him, despite her deep desire not to do so. And Avery, though Nari thinks he’s just trying to win his girlfriend back, is falling for her, too.

Their friendship and the surprises they have in store for each other, from her being in a band to him showing her his soft side even when she doesn’t want to believe it’s there, are perfect fodder for the two of them becoming friends again and finding their way back to the rest of the group that got torn apart on that fateful day when they lost Cooper.

A fantastic follow-up to ‘Dating My Best Friend,’ and featuring cameos by the characters from that book, Peyton and Cam, among others, ‘Dating the Boy Next Door’ delves into the themes of friendships lost and found, empathy, and internal struggles. Both Nari and Avery have issues they need to get past in order to move on with their lives and with each other. Their ability to work through these and find their way back to each other is one of the greatest parts of the book. Even though you think you know what’s coming, the reading journey is all so very worth it.

You can find ‘Dating the Boy Next Door’ by Michelle MacQueen and Ann Maree Craven here.

*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*

‘Lucy and the Love Pact’ by Anna Catherine Field shares two stories, one of Lucy and one of Dean, as they navigate their careers, and eventually their relationship with each other. While Lucy is still somewhat reeling from a catastrophic turn on a modeling TV show she was on, Dean is an up and coming actor on a teen soap. Both of them need help in various areas, from confidence to upping their social media presence, to figuring out who they and what they want outside of the limelight. Dean’s relationship with his family is one of the more important aspects of his life, while Lucy’s lack of a family, including the foster family that had taken her in, factors into her troubles throughout the story.

When they are both given shots, Lucy in terms of redemption on the TV show, and Dean in terms of becoming a larger part of the show he’s on, they both have their issues with moving forward. The best way to move past these issues is for each of them to help the other. While doing so, though, they find themselves interested beyond work – but neither is willing to admit it to the other or even themselves. While trying to hold it all in and keep their friendship first and foremost, they pretty easily find their footing, no doubt due to the attraction growing between them.

Despite the semi-predictability of the plot in terms of the relationship panning out between them, the ups and downs of getting there will keep any lover of young adult romance and swoon-worthy kisses happy. It doesn’t hurt that both characters are supposed to be super good-looking and famous, which only adds to the intrigue and drama surrounding the entire story.

A fun and quick read, ‘Lucy and the Love Pact’ is another enjoyable story by Anna Catherine Field. Another one to check out by her is ‘Bea and the Bad Boy,’ and her other novels should certainly be on any young adult lover’s to-read list.

You can find ‘Lucy and the Love Pact’ by Anna Catherine Field here.

*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*

‘Girl at Heart’ by Kelly Oram is a sweet, entertaining, easy read that any lover of YA romance will adore. Charlie Hastings, the main character, is the only girl on her high school’s baseball team. Her dad, a former baseball player himself, is the only parent in her life since her mother died when she was six, and her best friends are all guys, so she doesn’t know much about being a girl. When she decides she wants to learn how to embrace that part of herself, her whole being is called into question, especially by her best guy friend, Eric, on whom she is harboring a crush.

The unpredictability of the story was refreshing, as it wasn’t abundantly clear how the relationships would pan out. While feeling out of place when her best friends react poorly to the idea of her even considering attending the prom, it hurts her. She can’t understand why the mere thought of her in a dress would be so horrible to them. It hurts even more when Eric asks someone else to prom. All of these things together are enough for her to question who she is, and in doing so, she decides that maybe the team isn’t for her. Yet, she finds a keen sense of understanding in her team captain, Jace, who has been harboring his own crush on Charlie for years. Jace is the stuff book boyfriends are made of – sweet, intelligent, and extremely attractive.

When Charlie confides in Jace about how she feels about always being seen as only the tomboy, he helps her find herself. When he brings his twin sister Leila into the mix, Charlie finds out just how much fun being a girl can be. This makes her friends – especially Eric – upset that she’s changing, but she finds the process cathartic. Needing a push in a different direction is just what Charlie needed, and it satisfies her more than she ever thought possible.

‘Girl at Heart’ has a healthy mix of emotion, from pained to lovestruck, and it encapsulates so much of what people nowadays wish for but don’t necessarily get. Everyone longs for something. This hope is what makes us human. If we would just reach out and try to take it, like Charlie does in this book, maybe we’d all be a little bit happier. If Charlie had only listened to her friends, she might never have found a part of herself that allowed her to learn and grow and gain new perspective. May everyone have such good fortune! A must read!

You can find ‘Girl at Heart’ by Kelly Oram here.

*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*

‘Hey Grandude!’ by Paul McCartney, illustrated by Kathryn Durst, is a fun, colorful, and exciting adventure. The illustrations enhance the story, taking Grandude and the children all over the world. Their travels include a beach, a mountainside, and they even get to go to the Wild West and meet a cowboy. With all of the cartoons and other TV shows and movies showing the excitement of traveling and the magic that can happen when one pretends, kids are bound to enjoy this book. It perfectly showcases the power of the “magic compass” and how anything can be livened up and further enjoyed through a little bit of one’s own magic and imagination.

Spending time with grandparents is meant to be fun, and McCartney tries to make it so in his book. The places they travel and the things they do are exciting and meaningful, adding layers to the story that make it all that much more appealing. Kids will love Durst’s artwork and McCartney’s enjoyable way of sharing the story.

You can find ‘Hey Grandude’ by Paul McCartney here.

*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*

‘The 47 People You’ll Meet in Middle School’ by Kristin Mahoney is an endearing look at an often hard time in young people’s lives. It is at this time when kids are starting to come into their own, learning about themselves and others and how perceptions can make or break one’s reputation. Main character Gus (short for Augusta) is the narrator of the book as she writes to her sister, Louie, about the various types of people she meets during her first year of middle school. From the assistant principal to the janitor to a group of unlikely friends and some mischief makers, there are lots of people out there who make Gus’ first year of middle school more difficult, but sometimes a bit more fun.

At home, her parents’ divorce weighs on her. She feel that it is affecting her personally, since her desire to get contacts seems to be put off due to the costliness of the divorce. Her attempts to make money are not all well-received, and she has to deal with issues at school as well as at home as a result of these attempts. Meanwhile, she finds solace in some new friends who make her realize that despite her best friend having to go to another middle school, all hope is not lost for her to have a semblance of normalcy. She can still enjoy life in middle school among other people.

Gus learns, through a barrage of trials and tribulations thrown her way, that all hope does not need to be lost even if it seems like life is constantly out to get her. There will always be some sort of trouble in one’s path, but it is the way one deals with it that shows true character. This is one of the lessons she learns in the story, and it is a testament to Kristin Mahoney as the author that she is able to show how one’s character can be both a motivating and debilitating characteristic, depending on which character is being discussed. Obviously we are reading the book from Gus’ perspective, but it is still quite telling and inspirational that someone as young as a sixth grader can both show and tell one’s true colors. A fun and entertaining book that comes highly recommended.

You can find ‘The 47 People You’ll Meet in Middle School’ by Kristin Mahoney here.

*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*

‘No Map, Great Trip: A Young Writer’s Road to Page One’ by Paul Fleischman tells the story of the author and how he learned to love writing. While his stories were interesting enough, the book was more of a memoir than a writing guide. Since the book’s subtitle bills it in such a way that makes it seem it will provide more writing direction, this may seem off-putting as one reads. However, there were some pages that did give some interesting ideas for how to further engage with writing and make it a more intimate and engaging experience for those who choose to do it.

It was nice to read about Fleischman’s travels and better understand how his experiences shaped his writing. The life lessons he learned along the way based on those experiences provided interesting perspectives through which to focus his writing and further engage with his craft. Readers of his work have surely enjoyed great books based on his fictionalized accounts of his true life story.

One of the lines that stood out to me in the book was about something Mark Twain once said. According to Fleischman, Twain said that “the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.” The truth of this in terms of writing is overwhelmingly real. When one has an idea, even if just for one particular word, that one word or phrase or chapter can, subjectively, be what makes the writing inspirational or lacking in potential. It is quotes like this that the book provides as a source of inspiration. Every experience can be full of wonder and awe – one just has to look for it and know how to spot it. Once one does, it can be the beginning of something amazing, and this is what Fleischman has done with this book. He has made travel sound fun, and the prospect of writing seem not so difficult. However, the book seemed more geared toward older kids and adults than elementary or middle school aged kids, but it is isn’t quite clear what age it is specifically targeting. Yet, part of the book’s interest lies in the idea that anyone can write so long as they seek and find the inspiration.

On a final note, even though there will be photographs in the final copy of the book, my version was an advance copy and did not include these, so I cannot speak to them.

You can find ‘No Map, Great Trip: A Young Writer’s Road to Page One’ by Paul Fleischman here.

**Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com.**

‘Dating My Best Friend’ by Michelle MacQueen and Ann Maree Craven delves deeply into themes that range from loss and grief to loneliness, heartbreak, kindness, truth, introspection, and more. Peyton Callahan and Cameron Tucker are the main characters who find themselves thrown into an unfathomable situation when one night changes everything. Peyton’s brother Cooper is killed in a devastating accident that hits not only her family and friends, but the whole town harder than anyone could have imagined. Their lives turn upside down and their relationships seem permanently fractured. It doesn’t seem like there is an out to the topsy turvy world their lives have become, so Peyton eventually gives up on finding solace in her the arms of her best friend (who also happens to be her crush). Cam isn’t returning her emails and doesn’t seem interested in seeing her, so why should she bother anymore?

When Cam returns to school, life finds a way to continue to throw curve balls. Despite his return, he feels the same loss he did eighteen months ago when Cooper was killed in the accident. His parents don’t seem to understand him as he hopes they might, and the one person he has always felt most comfortable talking to doesn’t seem to want to have anything to do with him. Peyton doesn’t want to let things be that simple. She wants to get back to what they had, but she doesn’t know how she can ignore eighteen months of him not wanting to see or talk to her. The pain is still too fresh for both of them.

All the while, Peyton focuses on a new app she created called No Body Shame, which she calls No BS. She knows how much it is helping others in her high school to cope with their own issues, and even though she is good at dishing out advice and helping others find their own ways to cope, she realizes she isn’t quite capable of this herself. Cam’s return has thrown her for a loop, and with mean girls getting in the way of what she wishes could just be a happy relationship with him, along with fights among the people she used to call her friends, it doesn’t seem like anything is fixable. But, though cliche, love always finds a way, and so it does in this story, in more ways than one.

MacQueen and Craven each have their own series of books that are well-written and engaging, but their joint work in this young adult contemporary novel is a testament to their ability to cross genres and truly inhabit the minds of their characters. Readers will feel as though they are in the thick of the action, dealing with the trials and tribulations of Peyton, Cam, and their friends and parents. It is a story of devastation and redemption, and will bring both laughter and tears for readers.

You can find ‘Dating My Best Friend’ by Michelle MacQueen and Ann Maree Craven here.

*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*

‘The Cook and the King’ by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by David Roberts, is a cute story that shows how working together, and sometimes working alone with someone by your side, can lead to success. When the King hires Wobbly Bob to be his new cook, he gets more than he bargained for. Wobbly Bob tells the King from the moment he is hired that he is a “bit of a wimp” but would love the job. The King, eager to have someone fill the position, takes Bob on, but soon he finds himself catching the fish, chopping potatoes, frying everything up, and more. Wobbly Bob is too scared to do any of these things. The King, though, takes on the challenge, encouraging Wobbly Bob to let him help. In the end, the final product is made by the King, but he is shown to have enjoyed the process of working with Bob to do the work and make the food, priding Bob (and himself, by extension) on a job well done.

Also author of ‘The Gruffalo,’ Julia Donaldson has a knack for fitting words together and working with her illustrators to make the images spring to life. This book does well with that, and it captures a lot of themes, from kindness and growth to teamwork and independence. Donaldson also uses a nice amount of rhyming and repetition to make the book accessible to young readers.

You can find ‘The Cook and the King’ by Julia Donaldson here.

*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*

‘Stranger Things: Runaway Max’ by Brenna Yovanoff provides an intriguing look into Max’s life before and during her time in Hawkins, Indiana. While trying to find her place once she moves to Hawkins from California, she meets Lucas, Dustin, Mike, and Will, along with some of the other main characters from Stranger Things. She wants to be part of their group, but finds herself guarded and worried about what will happen if she gives in to the temptation of getting to know them and actually starting to believe their stories about all of the crazy things that have been happening in town since Will mysteriously disappeared the year before.

All the while she tries to keep her worry at bay about older stepbrother Billy, who seems bent on making her life as miserable as possible, despite her sometimes thinking he is doing what he does because he cares about her. She learns quickly, though, that his easily provoked, highly angry nature is doing neither her nor him any favors, and his rage seems to easily turn into rampages that she doesn’t want to affect her new friends, as she feels it did her old ones back in California.

Yovanoff brings added insight to the Stranger Things storyline through her writing. Having worked with the writers of the show, readers can be sure they are gaining more nuanced understanding to the inner workings of the characters. Definitely worth reading!

You can find ‘Stranger Things: Runaway Max’ by Brenna Yovanoff here.

*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*

‘Little Penguin’s New Friend’ by Tadgh Bentley is a cute story about the making of a friendship despite misconceptions about the other person. The penguin has heard things about the polar bear that he doesn’t know whether to believe. He wonders whether he’ll be scary, if his roar will be frightening, and if he’ll tell bad jokes. When the polar bear arrives, the penguin learns that he isn’t what he seems. Polar Bear likes to roar, but with laughter, and even though he does tell bad jokes, Penguin doesn’t think they’re so bad. The book shows that even though people are different, there is always something that people can find in each other to get along. However, if one doesn’t look for these similarities, one can find it difficult to connect with others.

A great book for new readers as they learn more sight words, you can find ‘Little Penguin’s New Friend’ by Tadgh Bentley here.

*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*