Jennifer Blecher

Abby is an 11-year old girl that doesn’t quite seem to fit in at school. She thought she had a best friend but then it turned out not to be true and then she starts to have humiliating experiences on the playground with being picked on by mean classmates. If only should could go away to summer camp as she always dreamed. Maybe at camp she could find friends that like her just as she is? Well, with the help of her teacher and parents Abby’s dream comes true. She is going away to camp for three whole weeks! And then she is surprised to find out that the camp is for famous kids!! OMG how will she do this?! She isn’t famous! She’s just a regular girl who doesn’t fit in at a normal school! She freaks out but then once she starts camp she learns that even the famous kids are relatable and she discovers that she can make friends by being herself. This funny and honest and heartwarming story was a pleasure to read and I think will be a good one for those struggling to learn that it’s okay to yourself even when you’d rather be someone else. That’s a lesson to keep on learning no matter your age.… (más)

Face it. Middle school is a war zone. It's a transition from childhood to adulthood where everyone is trying to figure out who they want to be and which group they will ultimately belong to. Throw in a bully, and life can be pure misery. For 12-year old Wren, the transition is especially hard when her best friend Phoebe abandons her the super-cool Daphne. And on top of that, money has become tight in the family when her father changes jobs to a startup. Now Wren and her family have to move into the garage while they rent out their house.

Jennifer Blecher perfectly captures the angst of middle-school in this delightful story. Definitely recommended for middle grade girls!… (más)

Martha's Vineyard is a special place for me, so it's always a treat to read a book set on the island. This book does a great job of capturing some of the magic of different parts and the overall vibe of the Vineyard, but even more than that, this book really was amazing at capturing middle grade angst and some of the issues of growing up.

Cove Bernstein lives with her mother, a free-spirited artist on Martha's Vineyard. She has had some problems fitting in at school, but as long as she has her best friend Nina, everything is fine. But when Nina has to move to NYC and her mother starts dating a new boyfriend, Cove's world starts to fall apart. Not only friendless, Cove becomes the target of a bullying campaign.

This book was beautifully written, with a well-crafted description of life on Martha's Vineyard. And the description of the war zone, known as middle school was perfect. Definitely a high recommendation for middle schoolers.… (más)