Firegirl by Tony Abbott

Short, compelling novel about a burned girl who touches the lives of her classmates.

A House of Tailors

Small novel by Patricia Reilly Giff about a young German girl in the 1870s who comes to America. She thinks that she is escaping a life of sewing, but in fact finds that she must sew in America as well.

Quick read. I enjoyed it, although it is almost more of a novella.

Ages 10-14, true tween title.

Sand Dollar Summer by Kimberly K. Jones

This first novel is a lovely gem. A quiet story for younger tweens. Lise is 12 years old and her life changes in a moment when her mother (a strong single mom) is injured in a car accident. Lise and her 5 year old brother accompany her mother to an island in Maine.

Never having seen the ocean before, Lise is afraid of the waves and water. She strikes up a friendship with an elderly Native American man.

This summer at the beach novel is an emotional journey for Lise and her family. Hating the island and the sea turns into a new found respect and love for the sea by summer's end after a harrowing experience.

For children ages 10-14.