The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester by Barbara O'Connor

From the Publisher: "An amazing secret has tumbled off a freight train into Carter, Georgia, and Owen Jester is the only person who knows about it. If he can simply manage to evade his grandfather’s snappish housekeeper, organize his two best friends, and keep his nosy neighbor, Viola, at bay, he just might be in for the summer of a lifetime."

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010, 176 pp.

Clementine: Friend of the Week by Sara Pennypacker

                                       From the publisher: "It's Clementine's turn to be "Friend of the Week"! She gets to be line leader, collect the lunch money, and feed the fish. Even better, the other kids will make her a booklet, full of the things they value about having her in the class. After reading her friend Margaret's booklet, Clementine begins to get nervous and a little jealous --she has to get a great booklet now. Fortunately, she has a lot of astoundishing ideas for getting the kids to write great stuff about her. Unfortunately, just as she's working on the best one, something terrible happens to her beloved kitten Moisturizer. Worst of all, exactly when she needs a friend the most, Margaret lets her down."

Publisher: Hyperion, 2010, 176 pp.

What Happened on Fox Street by Tricia Springstubb

From the Publisher: "Mo lives on Fox Street with her dad and little sister, the Wild Child. Their house is in the middle of the block — right where a heart would be, if the street were a person. Fox Street has everything: a piano player, a fix-it man, the city's best burrito makers, a woman who cuts Mo's hair just right, not to mention a certain boy who wants to teach her how to skateboard. There's even a mean, spooky old lady, if ringing doorbells and running away, or leaving dead mice in mailboxes, is your idea of fun. Summers are Mo's favorite time, because her best friend, Mercedes, comes to stay.

Most important, though, Fox Street is where all Mo's memories of her mother live. The idea of anything changing on Fox Street is unimaginable — until it isn't."
Publisher:  Blazer +  Bray, 2010, 218

The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams by Rhonda Hayter

From the Publisher: "Abbie Adams and her family come from a long line of witches, and she’s having a tough time keeping it a secret from her best friend and the rest of her school, especially the day her little brother morphs into a wolf and tries to eat his teacher. That’s also the day her father brings home a kitten. But when Abbie looks into the kitten’s eyes, she realizes there’s a boy in there! He’s under a spell and soon the whole family bands together to rescue him. They are shocked to realize he’s none other than the young Thomas Edison, and if they don’t save him fast, he’ll never change the world with his inventions."
Publisher: Penguin, 2010, 256 pp.

The Best Horse Ever by Alice DeLaCroix

From the Publisher: "For Abby, it's a dream come true. She's finally going to have her very own horse: Griffin, a beautiful bay. Abby can't wait to ride, brush, and feed him, and doesn't understand how her best friend, Devon, could be afraid of such a wonderful horse. She certainly could not have guessed that Devon would get so mad at her for saying so. Yet when Griffin arrives, he does seem so awfully big and hard to handle. Can Abby learn to manage her horse and her friendship? "
Publisher: Holiday House, 2010, 80 pp.

The Popularity Papers by Amy Ignatow

"Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment
of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Cheng."  The two girls reveal their findings in journal entries that are colorful and interesting.
Publisher: Abrams, 2010, 208 pp.

This Means War by Ellen Wittlinger

Juliet's longtime best  friend, Lowell has suddenly decided it is uncool to be friends with a girl.  Friendless, Juliet meets Patsy who suggests a series of tests to prove girls are far superior to boys.  Set in 1962 during the thirteen days of the Cuban Missile Crisis. 
Publisher, Simon and Schuster, 2010, 211 pp.

Star in the Forest by Laura Resau

From the Publisher: "Zitlally's family is undocumented, and her father has just been arrested for speeding and deported back to Mexico. As her family waits for him to return—they’ve paid a coyote to guide him back across the border—they receive news that he and the coyote’s other charges have been kidnapped and are being held for ransom. Meanwhile, Zitlally and a new friend find a dog in the forest near their trailer park. They name it Star for the star-shaped patch over its eye. As time goes on, Zitlally starts to realize that Star is her father’s “spirit animal,” and that as long as Star is safe, her father will be also. But what will happen to Zitlally’s dad when Star disappears?"  Publisher: Random House, 2010, 160 pp.