See All the Stars by Kit Frick

This is one of those books that has been sitting on my to-be-read shelf since last summer.  I find it harder to read real books because I rely on my kindle to read at night.  But decided during this time when I'm at home, I should focus on reading some of the books I've picked out.  This was a great start.

See All The Stars is the story of Ellory, and her group of three friends.  For three years of high school, they have been inseparable.  Spending all of their time together.   But that was then- in grade 11, now it is grade 12 and they have all gone their separate ways, often going out of their way to avoid each other.  This story alternates between grade 11 and grade 12 year as we slowly start to discover what happened to this friendship. 

I really enjoyed this story, I liked the main character Ellory a lot, I also liked learning about her friends, although I didn't really like them as people all that much.  Ellory and her friends seem like many high school friends, trying to figure out what life is going to be like for them and how they want to move through the world. 
I also really liked the way the author moved between the two time periods.  She gave enough hints in the future to know that something serious happened, but it wasn't until the very end that you learned what actually happened. 

This story does have some mature pieces to it, however I wouldn't hesitate to give it to my grade 7 and 8's. 

Chirp by Kate Messner

A few weeks ago, I read on twitter that Kate Messner had a new book out.  I've not read any other books by her, but know that she is a great author for Junior age students.  This one really appealed to me, so I ordered it quickly.  One of my goals for this time when we are not working in school is to read more of the YA books on my shelf.  So this was the first one I wanted to start with. 

This book is the story of Mia, who is returning to Vermont after being away for a few years.  While she was away, Mia had an accident while training for gymnastics, and that fall took away a lot of her courage and self-confidence.  One of the reasons Mia's family move back is to live close to her Grandma who is trying to turn her cricket farm into a profitable business.  But strange things keep happening at the farm, and Gram thinks someone is out to get her. 

During the summer, Mia meets new friends, attends a few different camps, solves a mystery and learns about challenges women have to overcome in order to be successful. She learns as well that there are some secrets that need to be shared, or they will change how you feel about yourself and the world around you. 

This story was compelling right away.  I liked all the characters and liked how the girls could be both athletic and successful in academic pursuits.  This book couples nicely with Barbara Dee's book Maybe He Just Likes You .  I think this book would be great for students in grade 5-7.  There are a few sensitive topics brought up in the story, but they are handled in a very age appropriate way.  I'd highly recommend reading this book!