MY FATHER’S SON, by Terri Fields, Roaring Book Press, $16.95; ages 13 and up.
Kevin is channel-surfing during the evening news when he sees an image that makes him stop. The announcer is talking about the capture of a suspected serial killer. The image on TV is a picture of Kevin’s dad. Kevin knows his dad is not a serial killer. What does he have to do to prove it?
THE GIRL WHO THREW BUTTERFLIES, by Mick Cochrane, Knopf Books for Young Readers, $15.99; ages 9-12.
Molly loves baseball. But girls play softball. Molly decides she is going to try out for baseball. She has a trick pitch her dad taught her before he died, a knuckle ball. Now all she has to do is prove to the coaches, the boys on the team, her mom and practically the whole middle school that she is not “the girl whose dad died;” she is the girl who can play baseball.
THE AMARANTH ENCHANTMENT, by Julie Berry, Bloomsbury, $16.99, ages 12 and up.
When Lucinda was young, her parents left for the royal ball and never returned. Ever since, she has been serving her aunt and uncle in their jewelry shop. On the day a strange woman leaves a very unusual jewel in the shop for repair, Lucinda’s life changes. She discovers the truth about her parents’ death and maybe even wins the heart of the prince.
CAROLINA HARMONY, by Marilyn Taylor McDowell, Delecorte Press, $16.99; ages 9-12.
The summer of 1964 finds 10-year-old Carolina hiding out at Harmony Farm, deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She loves life on the farm and wishes she could stay here forever. But she hasn’t exactly been honest with the Harmonys and is afraid if they learn the truth she’ll be sent away. Carolina learns how to milk cows, gather eggs and drive the tractor, but what she needs to learn the most is how to trust love.
OLIVIA KIDNEY AND THE SECRET BENEATH THE CITY, Ellen Potter, Puffin Books, $7.99; ages 9-12.
Olivia is starting seventh grade at yet another new school. She calls her brother, Christopher, to help calm her nerves. Brotherly advice is good, but advice from a brother who has been dead for a year is weird. Not for Olivia, who can talk to ghosts. Subway tunnels, rats, ghosts, cavemen and snapping turtles are all part of this very fun addition to the Olivia Kidney series.
