Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Uma Krishnaswami

The Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Uma Krishnaswami
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
2011
266p.

Eleven-year-old Dini loves movies, and so when she learns that her family is moving to India for two years, her devastation over leaving her best friend in Maryland is tempered by the possibility of meeting her favorite actress, Dolly Singh.

Hound Dog True by Linda Urban

Hound Dog True by Linda Urban
Harcourt
2011
152p.

Mattie, a shy fifth-grader, wants to hide out at her new school by acting as apprentice to her Uncle Potluck, the custodian, but her plan falls apart when she summons the courage to speak about what matters most and finds a true friend.

Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri

Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri
Candlewick Press
2011
218p.


Twelve-year-old Cole's behavior causes his mother to drive him from Detroit to Philadelphia to live with a father he has never known, but who soon has Cole involved with a group of African-American "cowboys" who rescue horses and use them to steer youths away from drugs and gangs.

Mo Wren, Lost and Found by Tricia Springstubb

Mo Wren, Lost and Found by Tricia Springstubb
Balzer + Bray
2011
248p.


When eleven-year-old Mo's mother dies in an accident and Mo's devastated father deals with the loss by moving the family to a new town and starting a new life as the owner of a sports bar, Mo must leave her much loved neighborhood on Fox Street to live in an apartment above the "cursed" Corky's Tavern.

R My Name Is Rachel by Patricia Reilly Giff

R My Name Is Rachel by Patricia Reilly Giff
Wendy Lamb Books
2011
166p.

Three city siblings, now living on a farm during the Great Depression, must survive on their own when their father takes a construction job miles away.