Rare Birds by Jeff Miller. Eleven year old Graham Dodds feels if his whole life is spent in one big waiting room in his mind as he waits with his mom in hospital after hospital for her heart to get fixed. And now they are waiting for a heart transplant, and Graham and his new friend Lou are waiting to find the rarest of Florida birds, the endangered Snail Kite. As they wait and watch, Graham keeps trying to believe what his mother always says, “It all happens for a reason.” Although it has lots of heart (no pun intended), the plot was a little jerky, and the intimations of reincarnation and an afterlife as a bird were not for me.

Leeva at Last by Sara Pennypacker. I like Sara Pennypacker’s books, generally speaking, especially the Clementine series for beginning chapter book readers. But Leeva is over-the-top ridiculous, and I’m not sure what to think about it. Leeva Spayce Thornblossom has been trapped inside her house in the tiny town of Nutsmore for all of her eight or nine years of life, captive to the whims and neglect of her parents, the mayor and town treasurer of Nutsmore. Since her parents have taught her nothing and allowed her little or no contact with the outside world, Leeva is not sure how to answer the question, “What are people for?” So she decides to leave her home to find out. As I said, it’s really ridiculous, and the parents are comically evil, but again the story has a good heart.

The Infinite Questions of Dottie Bing by Mollie Burnham. Dottie is a ten year old spoiled kid, and her best friend Sam had to inform the teacher in first grade or kindergarten that she/he was a boy, not a girl. Enough said.

Not an Easy Win by Chrystal Giles. “Nothing’s gone right for Lawrence since he had to move from Charlotte to Larenville, North Carolina, to live with his granny. When Lawrence ends up in one too many fights at his new school, he gets expelled. The fight wasn’t his fault, but since his pop’s been gone, it feels like no one listens to what Lawrence has to say.” Chess is the game that saves Lawrence when he learns to play at the local community center. OK, but not great.

Wild Bird by Diane Zahler. The book began as a dark but readable historical fiction story set in medieval Europe during the black plague years, fourteenth century. It progressed into sexual innuendo and bawdy songs and hinted-at sexual assault. Then, it went on to describe full-fledged child abuse, sexual abuse, and homosexual liaison between an older man and a much younger boy–all in the midst of what is supposed to be a middle grade novel for ages eight to fourteen. Not recommended for any age.

Bea and the New Deal Horse by L.M. Elliott. A well written horse story set during the Great Depression. It’s a bit too horsey for me with detailed descriptions of horse training and horse racing, but your opinion may be different if you’re into horses. And there’s some unnecessary cursing sprinkled here and there throughout the book. Otherwise, it’s a good story, recommended for those who love Black Beauty and all of the books about horses that came after.