Crenshaw
Katherine Applegate
Book summary
A family under financial pressure is at the heart of this story. Jackson’s imaginary cat brings humour and companionship as he faces the possibility that his family’s housing troubles may return.
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Katherine Applegate
A family under financial pressure is at the heart of this story. Jackson’s imaginary cat brings humour and companionship as he faces the possibility that his family’s housing troubles may return.
Mark Victor Hansen
A collection of true childhood stories, written by children and adults recalling their own childhoods. They touch on friendship, choices and qualities including honesty, kindness, forgiveness and perseverance, with cartoon strips featuring the Souper Kids.
Leah Rae Miller
Maddie’s secret interests bring her into Logan’s world of comics, conventions, live-action role-playing and video games. As she enjoys this new connection, her efforts to deny her own interests lead to deeper lies and risk losing him.
Sheri Cobb South
Penny’s plan to steal a basketball playbook is tied to both a sorority initiation and her wish to impress Brandon. Her growing feelings for Woody complicate the betrayal she has agreed to carry out.
Alex Van Tol
Owen and Hannah run a relationship-advice blog for local teenagers. Owen hopes it will bring Kamryn closer to him, but his plan uses fraudulent tactics, which lead to consequences.
David Yoon
This is a contemporary family-and-romance story about Frank negotiating his parents’ expectations, his relationships and his Korean American identity. A serious illness and bereavement also shape the family story.
Michael D. Beil
Expect a secret-agent assignment built around suspicion: Andy must choose between a model student and an antagonistic, angry student as his target. The central tension is whether he can identify the right person before NTRP notices him.
Anne Holm
Expect a tense escape-and-journey story shaped by David’s guarded outlook. New sights and ordinary comforts become striking discoveries, while the threat of being caught shadows his encounters with people who may help him.
A brisk-sounding invention adventure combines railway engineering and business rivalry with threats to Tom and his friends.
Melissa J. Morgan
This is a camp friendship story built around Gaby’s effort to attract attention and a lie that creates a difficult social predicament.
Kristin Butcher
A school investigation drives this story, with Laurel pursuing a cheating scam despite resistance from classmates and her brother.
Stacey Kade
A coming-of-age story about trying to build genuine friendships after relying on an invented social life, with college offering Caroline a chance to start over.
Parker, Daniel
A school experiment meant to defend Samara's character becomes a puzzle involving unusual DNA patterns and undeciphered manuscripts. The story also brings faith, aliens and uncertainty into the discussion.
Judy Katschke
A light party-planning premise turns on Ashley's effort to surprise her sister, with praise for Mary-Kate's test results providing the occasion. The central interest is whether the celebration can be made personal.
Nita Tyndall
This is a story of bereavement complicated by a relationship Corinne has kept secret. Her feelings for Maggie’s ex add another emotional strand as she considers honesty and how to move forward.
Lara Bergen
A friendship-focused story about the gap between who Amanda seemed to be at camp and who she feels she is at home, with a secret complicating new and existing friendships.
Valerie Sherrard
This is a tense friendship-and-mystery story about loyalty, truth and the consequences of agreeing to lie in court. Shana’s choice is made in the context of her belief that Carrie is facing abuse.
Paul McCusker
This blends a family’s observance of Lent with school-life plots, including a Bigfoot search and a spelling bee. Its events run through the season to Easter Sunday.
Gina Ciocca
A school-set romantic story about a reluctant investigator whose attempt to help a friend becomes personally complicated, with an academic cheating scandal also in the mix.
Jessica Barondes
This is a teen social-life story about self-presentation: Lucy has changed how she presents herself and now faces the challenge of sustaining that version of herself at several parties.
A school-set romantic story built around playful exchanges and a difference in what Alisa and Masachika know about their conversations.
Lesley Livingston
A fast-moving fantasy finale combines a strained love story with questions of magical power, danger to Faerie and the effort to restore a theatre company.
Erin Hunter
A Clan faces a crisis while its members try to protect their community. The shifting warrior code adds questions of loyalty and rules to the immediate trouble.
Kendall Adams
Readers are invited to make a romantic choice for Jenna, so the story offers an interactive way into questions of preference and decision-making.
Wren Handman
The central dilemma is whether Caitlin can pursue acting while facing the consequences of lying about her age and hiding her choices from people close to her.
Sarah Glenn Marsh
A ghost investigation doubles as a mystery about a past drowning, with Dare’s public podcast persona at odds with her private scepticism. The book also includes a romantic connection.
Sandra Richmond
This is a hockey team story about a player’s frustration, peer pressure and a shift towards more honest communication. The overview suggests that Steven’s place on the B team becomes less troubling to him.
Jean Slaughter Doty
The book combines learning about horse care and showing with friendship and a look at problems in the competition world.
Sarah Dessen
This is a character-focused story about friendship, honesty and facing a difficult past, with music important to Owen. Its central event is left unspecified, so the story’s exact focus remains uncertain.
Jacqueline Dembar Greene
The story brings together Rebecca’s interest in acting and her concern for her cousin Ana.
Erin Yun
Expect a school-and-basketball story that also follows Pippa's efforts to fit in without feeling ashamed of her family or background.
Lois Lowry, David Morse, Fikret Topalli
A speculative novel about a young person with an unexplained healing ability, set in a community that prizes honesty. Its links to earlier books may matter to readers following the series.
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
This is a compassionate but tense animal-welfare story. Marty’s actions create a sustained conflict between telling the truth, respecting ownership and protecting Shiloh, inviting discussion rather than offering an uncomplicated moral lesson.
Paul Boyce
This is a period mystery adventure built around collaborative problem-solving. Expect several cases, historical technology and questions about honesty, responsibility and justice, with community-minded values prominent in the characters’ world.
Olivia Bennett
A light school-and-fashion adventure built around a concealed identity, an important party dress and the strain of managing two roles. Its main appeal is likely the mix of creativity, social intrigue and suspense.
François Barcelo
This is a story about making something creative while trying to remain loyal to people who matter. It may particularly suit a child interested in writing, imagination or the challenge of improving work over time.
Leslie McFarlane
This is a Halloween mystery built around competition, investigation and adventure.
Sara Shepard
A relationship-focused mystery about secrets, schemes and betrayal, with a strong emotional thread. It may appeal to readers who enjoy friendship tensions and revelations, while fear and mild peril deserve attention.
Calvin Slater
A relationship-focused young-adult story about jealousy, trust, second chances and choices made while school ends and adult plans approach. Its central conflict involves whether revealing concerns helps or harms.
Kasie West
This offers a gentle coming-of-age story about finding a voice, resisting people-pleasing and building trust through friendship and romance. It also brings family relationships, music, social media and a disconnected summer setting into the same narrative.
Jude Watson
This is a brisk, high-stakes heist adventure centred on twins discovering one another. It combines family secrets, friendship, escape and fantastical moonstones, with plot momentum taking priority over detailed character development.
Liz Gallagher
This is a coming-of-age story about a close friendship tested by new romantic attention and changing social status. Its central appeal is Alice’s uncertain effort to understand attraction, belonging and authenticity.
Barry Jonsberg
This is a character-led story about a teenager’s self-image and changing relationships, set alongside Cassie’s disability and her family’s circumstances. Its several viewpoints invite readers to consider how people’s inner lives may differ from what others can see.
Linda Chapman
This is a friendship adventure combining pony-camp activities, a magical pony and a dilemma about whether a friend’s team may cheat. It appears suited to readers who enjoy everyday social problems alongside fantasy.
Wendy Lichtman
A school-based story about Tess using algebra and graphs to think through uncertain relationships and family worries. Its appeal lies in connecting mathematics with everyday decisions, alongside friendship tensions and a suspenseful mystery.
Rosemary Clement-Moore
Expect a supernatural mystery with spring-break travel, stranded characters, unexplained cattle deaths, a stalking predator and an increasing body count. The story also follows Maggie’s psychic abilities and her attempts to understand what is happening.
Andrew Norriss
A lively story about a child whose entrepreneurial idea grows rapidly, testing friendships and responsibilities. It offers an engaging way to think about ambition, persistence and the consequences of taking risks.
Maureen Johnson
A twist-led English manor mystery follows Stevie’s investigation of two 1995 killings. Alongside clues and alternating time periods, it explores friendship, romance, trust and the pressures of senior year.
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