Thanks A Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas

 

Brian has a lot of family problems, including his father abandoning him and his younger brother at the same time his mother attempts suicide. Brian also is an awkward 7th grade boy without a lot of friendships to help sustain him. Life is clearly going to be rough for Brian and there are going to be no easy answers. Enter Ezra, a classmate with friends and sporting ability and a slowly emerging crush on Brian. This is the story of what these boys do in the face of many hurdles and awkward moves toward friendship. It's a slow and gentle book with a very middle grade vibe, and I'm sure there are readers who will love to find this book as it might help them through tough times of their own. Recommend this book to young readers who like to read about family dynamics, mental health, and kids exploring their identities. I think this book's sweet spot is 5th-7th grade readers. 

Candace, the Universe, and Everything by Sherri L. Smith

 

I love that this book is about an 8th grade girl as it is hard to find books about 14 year olds in today's publishing environment. I also love the premise of this book--a girl's locker is a portal and birds can fly in and out delivering items from the past to the future. Eighth grade girls from years ago have also experienced the incredible time warp of this mysterious locker, and our current 14 year old, Candace, finds women of two older generations who team up to solve the mystery of the locker. Unfortunately, the book is slow paced and the big time warp reveal at the end is barely explored. It also has a great cover, and Sherri Smith is a wonderful author, so I wish this book well, I just wish it packed more of a punch and that it had fully explored the magical world it introduced.