Ever since Annie Richards' brother died in a freak hockey accident, Annie has been aware of all the dangers that surround her. She never rides her bike without a helmet (or elbow pads, knee pads and ace bandages on each ankle). Her mother worries about Annie's worries, but is too deep in her own grief to help her. Her father barely notices that Annie is even there. Her best friend turns on her when Annie gets upset and runs home at her hamster's funeral and Doug Zimmerman just won't take the hint to get lost. Her only comfort is the very helpful book she found at the neighbor's garage sale, The Everyday Guide to Preventing Illness. It helped her avoid all sorts of dangers like Ebola, Malaria and Salmonella. Then she meets her new neighbor, Mrs. Finch. Mrs. Finch is working through her own grief. Can Gin Rummy, chocolate chip cookies, and Charlotte's Web really help them both back to a sense of normality? Grab a box of tissues and read Umbrella Summer.

Similar books: The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

Reviewed by: caroll

Date read: 9/11/2009

ISBN-10: 0061431877

ISBN-13: 9780061431876

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When Zoey visits a grandmother she's never met, she finds a beautiful china doll. When the doll comes to life, Zoey couldn't be more shocked, especially when the doll turns out to be rather rude! The doll believes she's a princess. How will Zoey cope with the doll's demands when she also has to deal with her family fighting? Will Zoey ever find someone who cares about what she needs?

Reviewed by: emc

Date read: 7/6/2011

ISBN-10: 0375956913

ISBN-13: 9780375956911

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Sophie is a typical 14 year old girl with a huge crush on the handsome boy she is dating named Dylan. She should be the happiest girl in the world, but she's not. After an ugly breakup, she finds true romance and friendship with the most unlikely person in school. Just how will she be able to tell her friends?

Reviewed by: rn

Date read: 7/27/2011

ISBN-10: 0689841140

ISBN-13: 9780689841149

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Twelve year old Lidie moves from warm, sunny Brazil to New York to join her father and brother where they are making a new life on the racetrack. She struggles to adjust to speaking English and navigating a different culture. Lidie's well-intentioned father and brother slowly realize that she isn't the little girl they left behind five years before. Lidie's love of horses gives her strength, and things look up after she befriends a new filly in for training named Wild Girl. Lidie and this horse share many things in common, and their journey is told in parallel form in the book.

Reviewed by: msp

Date read: 8/27/2009

ISBN-10: 0440421772

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Eleven-year-old Zoe doesn't trust anybody. Her father left long ago. Her mother couldn't even take care of herself, much less Zoe. o when her mother dies and Zoe comes to live with her newly-discovered Uncle Henry, she doesn't trust him either. Dr. Henry Royster is a former surgeon and a well-known metal sculptor. When Zoe comes to his farm outside a small town in South Carolina, she finds a fiery temper and quick intelligence to match her own, and someone who appreciates her sarcastic humor without taking offense. Uncle Henry's thorny temper covers a generous and caring heart, but Zoe isn't used to trusting anyone. She prefers roaming the woods around his farm, and reaching out to a feral cat who sleeps under the house. This coming-of-age novel has many eccentric characters, and a few surprises for Zoe and the reader.

Similar books: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Awards nominated: Rebecca Caudill Award Nominee 2012

Reviewed by: donna

Date read: 4/25/2011

ISBN-10: 9781590786277

ISBN-13: 9781590786277

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