MMGM: Babymouse #1 Queen of the World by Jennifer Holm

Title: Babymouse Queen of the World! (Babymouse #1)
Authors: Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm
Publisher: Random House Children's Books (Dec. 2005)

Source: Bought from Scholastic Book Clubs

Summary from Goodreads:
It’s the same thing every day for Babymouse. Where is the glamour? The excitement? The adventure? Nothing ever changes, until . . . Babymouse hears about Felicia Furrypaws’s exclusive slumber party. Will Babymouse get invited? Will her best friend, Wilson, forgive her if she misses their monster movie marathon? Find out in Babymouse: Queen of the World, a graphic novel with attitude!

Review:
Like I mentioned in a previous post, I'm adding more graphic novels to my classroom library so I thought I'd do some reading to check out what all the fuss is about regarding Babymouse. After reading it, it looks like I've been missing out!

What a cute graphic novel! I love all the pink and it really fits Babymouse because she's a girly girl all the way through. The graphics are eye-catching and easy to read, even though it doesn't have a lot of words on each page. Babymouse is a fun character because of her wild imagination. This first book follows Babymouse on the quest to get invited to a popular girl's sleepover. She will do ANYTHING to go!

My only complaint is that it might be confusing for some readers to keep up with what's reality in the story and what's going on in her head as a daydream or what she's imagining. She goes in and out of her imagination so frequently that I could see a reader losing track of what's going on in the story. Also, it's target audience is definitely young, preteen girls. I'm not sure I know many boys who'd pick up a pink book about a mouse and read it in front of his friends. More power to the ones who would though!

Looking forward to adding this series to my library!

Rating:

4 out of 5 stars

About the Author: Jennifer L. Holm

Jennifer L. Holm is a NEW YORK TIMES bestselling children's author and the recipient of three Newbery Honors for her novels OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA, PENNY FROM HEAVEN, and TURTLE IN PARADISE. Jennifer collaborates with her brother, Matthew Holm, on two graphic novel series -- the popular Babymouse series and the bestselling Squish series. She is also the author of several other highly praised books, including the Boston Jane trilogy and MIDDLE SCHOOL IS WORSE THAN MEATLOAF. She lives in California with her husband and two children.

Author's website: http://www.jenniferholm.com/

If you would like to find out more about Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday, you can check out Shannon Messenger's blog here.

MMGM: Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute by Jarrett J Krosoczka

Title: Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute (Lunch Lady #1)
Author/Illustrator: Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (July 2009)

Source: Bought from bookstore

Summary from Goodreads:
Serving justice . . . and lunch!

Hector, Terrence, and Dee have always wondered about their school lunch lady. What does she do when she isn’t dishing out the daily special? Where does she live? Does she have a lot of cats at home? Little do they know, Lunch Lady doesn’t just serve sloppy joes—she serves justice! Whatever danger lies ahead, it’s no match for LUNCH LADY!

Review:
I've been wanting to read the Lunch Lady series for awhile now. Just love the idea of a lunch lady with superhero-like powers. Unfortunately, lunch ladies are positioned so low on the totem pole of a school family in a child's eyes because they are usually the person they blame for the "awful" cafeteria meals. The great thing about this series is that the lunch lady is far from a normal, boring person... she's a bad ass!

I love the graphics in this book. It uses minimal colors, but that doesn't mean it's not full of details. It's drawn very well and is easy to read. Some graphic novels are hard to follow and are not as intuitive as others. Lunch Lady is a quick and fun read.

The best thing about the lunch lady character, in my opinion, are her gadgets. Every super hero needs a sidekick who invents super cool gadgets, right? My favorite is her spatula which turns into a mini-helicopter. So cool! Her milk-cam, spork phone and fish stick nunchucks are just a few of her other tools. A lunch lady who fights bad guys?! What more do you need?

I highly recommend Lunch Lady to anyone looking for a good graphic novel for MG readers. Highly entertaining and full of action, even for adults! 

Rating:

5 out of 5 stars

About the Author: Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Jarrett J. Krosoczka has been passionate about storytelling through words and pictures since he was a kid.  He began his professional career by illustrating educational readers for a national publisher while still an undergraduate at Rhode Island School of Design. Then, just six months after graduation, Jarrett received his first contract for a trade book that he authored. Knopf Books for Young Readers published Good Night, Monkey Boy on June 12, 2001 and Jarrett hasn’t stopped or slowed down since. He currently has  authored and illustrated eighteen published books—ten picture books and eight graphic novels. His Lunch Lady series has twice won a Children's Choice Book Award, in the Third to Fourth Grade Book of the Year category, and was nominated for a Will Eisner Comic Industry Award. In the summer of 2013, Jarrett will have his chapter book debut with the publication of Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked. His Punk Farm and Lunch Lady series are both currently in development as feature films. While Jarrett awaits seeing his work adapted for the silver screen, he can be heard on The Book Report with JJK, his new radio segment on Sirius XM's Kids Place Live. Jarrett is happily living out his childhood dream in Northampton, Massachusetts, where he resides with his wife and daughters and their pug, Ralph Macchio.

Author's website: http://www.studiojjk.com/index.html

If you would like to find out more about Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday, you can check out Shannon Messenger's blog here.

MMGM: One Year in Coal Harbor by Polly Horvath

Title: One Year in Coal Harbor
Author: Polly Horvath
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (September 11, 2012)

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley

Summary from Goodreads:
Readers rejoice--Primrose Squarp is back! The wise and curious heroine of the Newbery Honor Book Everything on a Waffle is facing another adventure-filled year in Coal Harbor. Even though her parents, once lost at sea, are home, there's a whole slew of problems and mysteries to keep Primrose--and eager fans--busy. There's Uncle Jack and Kate Bowzer, who may (or may not) be in love. There's Ked, a foster child who becomes Primrose's friend. And there's the new development on the outskirts of town that threatens the Coal Harbor Primrose knows and treasures. Prolific and brilliant Horvath has delivered a masterful sequel to a beloved novel, sure to please old fans and gain new ones.(

Review:
I adored Everything on a Waffle (it was my very first MMGM post!) and was ecstatic to find out there is now a sequel for my beloved book. I didn't think it needed a sequel, just like how I felt with Princess Academy: Palace of Stone, but I was pleasantly surprised with that sequel, so I thought this would be another great addition to Primrose's story. However, I'm sorry to say that I was very disappointed.

SPOILER ALERT for those who haven't read Everything on a Waffle!!! It was nice to revisit all the characters again and get to see Primrose actually interact with her parents. However, everything else just seemed all mashed up together in a gobbly-gook mess. I guess I didn't really need to see what happened to Primrose after her parents returned. I thought everything would be happier, but it just seems like the mundane just continued on.

I was also upset that the little love story at the end of Everything on a Waffle just kind of fizzled between Uncle Jack and Miss Bowzer. Why are they such jerks to each other in this book? Seriously, Uncle Jack, you're going to build a "high-class restaurant" across the street with her restaurant because she doesn't serve high-class clientele?! SERIOUSLY?!

Which leads me to my final point, I just didn't like the characters this time around. It was a little too late for me when Ked finally enters the story. Maybe I went in with too high expectations because I LOVED Everything on a Waffle, but I think this story didn't meet the hype for me.

Rating:

3 out of 5 stars

About the Author: Polly Horvath

Polly Horvath grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She went to college at the Canadian College of Dance in Toronto, studying with the Royal Academy of Dance and later becoming an R.A.D. teacher.
After graduation, she lived in New York City and Montreal before settling  in Metchosin, British Columbia, with her husband, Arnie Keller, and their two daughters, Emily and Rebecca. They have a dog, Andrew, and a horse, Zayda. They live on a hilltop with an assortment of deer, rabbits, two ducks who visit their pond daily—and the occasional cougar and bear.

Polly Horvath has written many books for children that have won awards in both the United States and Canada including a Newbery Honor, National Book Award and The Vicky Metcalf award for her body of work. Her books have been picks of both Rosie O'Donnell and Oprah amd have been translated into over twenty five languages.

Did we mention an occasional bear?

Author's website: http://www.pollyhorvath.com

If you would like to find out more about Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday, you can check out Shannon Messenger's blog here.

MMGM: Princess Academy: Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale

Title: Princess Academy: Palace of Stone
Author: Shannon Hale
Publisher: Bloomsbury (August 21, 2012)

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley

Summary from Goodreads:
Coming down from the mountain to a new life in the city seems a thrill beyond imagining. When Miri and her friends from Mount Eskel set off to help the future princess Britta prepare for her royal wedding, she is happy about her chance to attend school in the capital city. There, Miri befriends students who seem so sophisticated and exciting . . . until she learns that they have some frightening plans. They think that Miri will help them, that she "should "help them. Soon Miri finds herself torn between loyalty to the princess and her new friends' ideas, between an old love and a new crush, and between her small mountain home and the bustling city. Picking up where "Princess Academy "left off, this incredible stand-alone story celebrates the joys of friendship, the delight of romance, and the fate of a beloved fairy tale kingdom.

Review:
Wow. Simply wow. I LOVED this book. I couldn't put it down once I started and I am so excited that the publishing date is finally here because now I can shout from the rooftops about how amazing this book is and people can buy it starting tomorrow!

It's been several years since I've read the first book, Princess Academy. I didn't think I would be able to remember everything when starting this book, but Hale does an exceptional job of catching her readers up and connecting the two books together seamlessly. I don't like it when authors over do it on the reminding readers of what happened in the previous book. I hate it when a TV show takes a commercial break and when you get back to the show, the actors just say the same exact lines over again. Hale does it naturally and effortlessly. I didn't feel like I was forgetting anything even though it's been such a long time.

Miri is such a wonderful character for young girls and boys. She is intelligent, brave and isn't afraid to stand up for what she believes in, but she's also vulnerable and is conflicted by the decision to continue her education at the cost of being away from her family. In Palace of Stone, we find Miri leaving her home at Mount Eskel to go to school at the Queen's Castle, but when she arrives there she discovers there is unrest in the kingdom.

Hale is such a masterful storyteller in the way she explores the complex issues of poverty, revolution, loyalty, friendship and love. She exposes the conflict that Miri feels regarding all these issues in such a honest, real way that I think will resonate with MG/YA readers and even adult ones. I enjoyed the journey with Miri as she tries to figure out what is the right thing to do. I honestly had no idea how the story was going to end, but I was pleasantly surprised with all the action! And the love triangle too!

I can't wait to put this book in the hands of my students this year because I know it will bring up such rich discussions and push them to really think about hard issues that don't often show up in the books that they read. It's also in the September Scholastic Book Order and you know I'm going to push it when I do my "spotlight on recommendations" when the orders go home. :)

Even though I was surprised that Palace of Stone was written as a sequel, because Princess Academy ended and wrapped up so nicely, it is the book that I didn't know I needed or wanted. I am so glad that Hale decided to finally write this because it is an amazing piece of literature. I will preface my next statement by saying that I am no expert in Newbery winners (because I've only read a dozen or so), but I think Palace of Stone should definitely be a contender for the Newbery this year (and not just an honor)! It is THAT good. Go get it, you won't regret it.

Rating:

5 out of 5 stars

And now, the book trailer!


About the Author: Shannon Hale

Shannon Hale is the New York Times best-selling author of six young adult novels, including the Newbery Honor book Princess Academy. Its sequel, Palace of Stone, releases August 2012. She also wrote Austenland and other books for adults. She co-wrote the hit graphic novels Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack with husband Dean Hale. They live with their four small children near Salt Lake City, Utah.
Author's website: http://www.squeetus.com/stage/main.html

If you would like to find out more about Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday, you can check out Shannon Messenger's blog here.

MMGM: Judy Moody and the Bad Luck Charm

It's been awhile since I've blogged. We are finally in our home after a 2+ year journey of ups and downs (and lefts and rights). Praise God that we are finally settling down roots. :)

Title: Judy Moody and the Bad Luck Charm
Author: Megan McDonald
Publisher: Candlewick (August 14, 2012)

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley

Summary from Goodreads:
Will Judy’s lucky penny lead her to the nation’s capital — or to third-grade C-A-L-A-M-I-T-Y? And what do her spelling-bee nemesis and a potbellied pig have to do with it?

The lucky penny in Judy Moody’s pocket sure does seem to be working. She can’t stop winning — at bowling, spelling, the unbeatable Prize Claw, everything! For sure and absolute positive, she’ll ride that wave of good fortune all the way to Washington, D.C. Watch out, District of Cool, here comes Judy Moody, the luckiest kid ever, until . . . oh, no! Her lucky penny just did a belly flop into a porcelain bowl of yucky, blucky UNluck. Has the coin’s magic gone kerflooey?Are some people, like Jessica Finch or Stink, destined to have all the luck, while she, Judy Moody, gets stuck with a yard full of three-not-four leaf clovers, a squealing potbellied pig in an elevator, and a squashed penny with cooties? ROAR!

Review:
Sometimes I get a little embarrassed by my love for middle grade fiction because it often leads me to wander through the kids section. Most of the time, I spend most of my time in the kids section of a bookstore because I love middle grade books. People have asked me why I like reading "kid books" and usually my response is because I love being able to share them with my students. I used to think that there was no restriction on how far down the grades I could go and still enjoy the books. God knows I love picture books. However, since Judy Moody is written more for the younger readers, I think it might be past that mysterious "point" where it's not as interesting for me as an adult.

What I love about the Judy Moody series are the beautiful illustrations. She is a grown-up Junie B. Jones for a lot of my students and has entertained many girl (and boy!) readers in my classes throughout the years.

This eleventh installation of Judy Moody finds her trying to ride out the luck on her good luck charm for as long as possible. This brings her to Washington D.C. and I enjoyed the descriptions of the city for readers that might not have visited there before. Judy is a girl that always stands up for what she believes in and I love her tenacity.

Overall it was an enjoyable story, but I think I'll stick to my higher-level middle grade fiction in the future.

Rating:

3 out of 5 stars

About the Author: Megan McDonald

I had the pleasure of meeting Megan McDonald at the 2001 LA Times Festival of Books. Read more about that experience here.

Pretending to be a pencil sharpener was Megan McDonald’s first experience as a writer. She was 10 years old when she wrote the story for her school newspaper. “Anything can become an idea for a story,” says McDonald. “Even a pencil sharpener!” Megan has since written and published over 60 books for children in 22 languages, including the hilarious Judy Moody adventures, which are largely inspired by her childhood memories of growing up with four older sisters.
     Megan says, “I am lucky to be a writer, because I get to live in my imagination. (And I get to go to work in my pajamas!) I spend my days thinking like a hermit crab or a little blue penguin or a girl who loves bugs. Or pretending I’m a bossy big sister with a little brother named Stink. Or traveling back in history as a young girl who journeys across the Santa Fe Trail in 1848. Or solving a mystery in 17th century Jamestown. I spend my days looking at things upside down, inside-out, sideways, wondering, imagining, questioning everything, always wanting to see the inside.

Author's website: http://meganmcdonald.net/

If you would like to find out more about Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday, you can check out Shannon Messenger's blog here.

MMGM: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Title: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Author: Brian Selznick
Publisher: Scholastic (2007)

Source: Purchased from Scholastic Book Clubs

Summary from Goodreads:
Author-artist Selznick has 284 pencil drawings and actual photos (an old train engine falling from upper story to street below, Harold Lloyd in "Safety Lost" 1923, film stills), bases his story on facts. Automatons could draw pictures, write poems, and sign the maker's name, one by Maillardet neglected in a museum. George Méliès, 1861 magician turned film-maker, son of shoemaker-magnate, built his own camera Kinétographe, had 500+ successes, and was rediscovered in 1926 working at wife's Gare Montparness railroad station toy kiosk.

Fiction: orphan clock-winder 1931 Paris lad Hugo steals to eat and repair robot from father's notebook, until he meets Méliès' pretty god-daughter Isabelle accompanied by helpful film student Etienne (movie Professeur Tabard). An unusual blend of graphic novel and history lesson results.

Award-winning 2011 film expands book stills into color clips, stars Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, and Chloë Grace Moretz, expanded gendarme Sacha Baron Cohen and dog for comic relief, directed by Martin Scorsese for his daughter 11.

Review:
I finally got my hands on this book after years of being curious about it this past fall because the movie was coming out and I fell head over heels in love with it. I inhaled it over the course of a night and just poured over ever single page because the illustrations are just so intricately and beautifully drawn! There are so many gorgeous little details and you can't help but just run your hands over the pages because everything looks so real! It is absolutely stunning.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a story told in mostly pictures with a few short paragraphs here and there. There are lots of inferring going on while reading this story and it was such a different, but incredibly enjoyable reading experience. The story itself is heartwarming and full of adventure.

My favorite illustrations were of the bookstore (of course). For those of you who don't know me very well, I am a tad bit obsessed with beautiful bookshelves. (Check out my "Bookshelf Monday" feature here and my beautiful bookshelves board on Pinterest.) I can't imagine how much time Selznick took to illustrate all the pages of this book because every page is chock-filled with details, right down to each spine of the books. I wanted to LIVE in this book.

In my opinion, being able to accurately draw the human body (especially the face) is one of the hardest things to do, but Selznick does it so effortlessly and it's a true ode to his talent as an artist. Even the details in the eyes are so expressive that you feel like you are looking into the character's soul.

Selznick is an amazing artist and writer. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is so deserving of the Caldecott Award. If you haven't had a chance to read this book, go get it NOW because you are seriously missing out!

The book has a wonderful movie-like feel to it with it's various angles and panning in and out of scenes. I was so happy that it was made into a movie. I will be posting a book-to-movie review later this week on the movie, Hugo.

Rating:

5 out of 5 stars

About the Author: Brian Selznick

Hello there. My name is Brian Selznick and I’m the author and illustrator of The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I was born in 1966 in New Jersey. I have a sister who is a teacher, a brother who is a brain surgeon, and five nephews and one niece. I studied at The Rhode Island School of Design and after I graduated from college I worked at Eeyore’s Books for Children in New York City. I learned all about children’s books from my boss Steve Geck who is now an editor of children’s books at Greenwillow. While I was at Eeyore’s I also painted the windows for holidays and book events.

My first book, The Houdini Box, which I both wrote and illustrated, was published in 1991 while I was still working at the bookstore. Since then, I have illustrated many books for children, including Frindle by Andrew Clements, The Doll People by Ann Martin and Laura Godwin, Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Muñoz Ryan and The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley, which received a 2001 Caldecott Honor.

I have also written a few other books myself, including The Boy of a Thousand Faces, but The Invention of Hugo Cabret is by far the longest and most involved book I’ve ever worked on.

I live in Brooklyn, New York, and San Diego, California.

Author's website: http://theinventionofhugocabret.com/about_brian_bio.htm

If you would like to find out more about Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday, you can check out Shannon Messenger's blog here.

MMGM: So B. It by Sarah Weeks

Title: So B. It
Author: Sarah Weeks
Publisher: HarperTrophy (2004)

Source: Purchased from Scholastic Book Clubs

Summary from Goodreads:
Heidi lives an unconventional lifestyle with her mentally disabled mother and their doting neighbor, Bernadette. A mysterious word in her mother's vocabulary leads Heidi on a cross-country journey in search of the secrets of her past.

Review:
I didn't expect to fall in love with So B. It, but I did from my very first reading with my students back in 2006. Heidi's has a very atypical childhood because she takes care of her mother with a mental disability instead of being taken care of. Her mother only uses a very limited vocabulary of 23 words. All the words make sense except for one, "soof" and it is this very word that sends Heidi on a journey across the country in search for answers about who her mother is and ultimately, who she is.

One of my favorite characters is Heidi's reclusive neighbor, Bernadette, who has her own issues. She ends up being a kind of surrogate mother to Heidi and I appreciate her eagerness to help raise Heidi. It's hard to think about a kid who's in such difficult circumstances being all alone without any support. 

I loved that the chapters were each titled with one of the words that Heidi's mother knows, of course ending with "soof." You can't help but admire Heidi's tenacity and courage to find out the truth about her family and therefore herself. She ends up finding out much more than what she expected, but I think that happens very frequently when one decides to go soul-searching. I have a few other books by Sarah Weeks that I've been waiting to read, especially Pie.

I've had such rich discussions in lit. circles with my students over the years with this book and it pushes them to think deeper and ask some hard questions about life. I highly recommend it!

Rating:

5 out of 5 stars

About the Author: Sarah Weeks

Sarah Weeks has been writing children’s books and songs for the past twenty years. She is a graduate of Hampshire College and NYU and recently became an adjunct faculty member in the prestigious Writing Program at the New School University, in New York City.

Her first YA novel, So B. It, which appeared on the LA Times bestseller list was chosen as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and received the 2004 Parent’s Choice Gold Award. In addition to being an author, Sarah is an accomplished singer/songwriter. She has written for television, stage and screen and a number of her picturebooks include songs which she both writes and sings for the accompanying CD’s. Sarah's titles have sold well over a million copies, including several foreign editions.

Sarah is a tireless promoter, visiting schools throughout the country, serving as author-in-residence and speaking to teachers and librarians at national conferences including IRA, ALA and NCTE. She lives in New York City with her two teenage sons.
Author's website: http://www.sarahweeks.com/

If you would like to find out more about Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays, you can check out Shannon Messenger's blog here.

MMGM: Everything on a Waffle by Polly Harvath

This is my very first Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday post! I'm excited to finally share some of my middle-grade reads with you. (It looks like my "Bookshelf Monday" feature might need to be moved to another day.) You can find out more about MMGM at Shannon Messenger's blog here.

Title: Everything on a Waffle
Author: Polly Harvath
Publisher: Sunburst (2004)

Source: Purchased from Scholastic Book Clubs

Summary from Goodreads:
A Newbery Honor Book By the author of "The Trolls," a National Book Award Finalist.

My name is Primrose Squarp. I am eleven years old. I have hair the color of carrots in apricot glaze (recipe to follow), skin fair and clear where it isn't freckled, and eyes like summer storms.

Readers will know right from the start that the narrator of" Everything on a Waffle" is going to tell her story straight and pull no punches. Primrose's parents have been lost at sea, but she believes without an iota of doubt that they are still alive, somewhere. She moves in with her Uncle Jack, but feels generally friendless. Her only real refuge is a local restaurant called The Girl on the Red Swing, where the owner, Miss Bowzer, serves everything on waffles -- except advice and good sense, which come free of charge and are always reliable.

Food in general plays an important role in Primrose's journey toward peace and understanding (a recipe dictated in her unmistakable voice is appended to each chapter), and readers will eagerly cheer her on through this funny, bittersweet novel.

Review:
Everything on a Waffle is one of my favorite middle grade reads. I didn't expect to fall in love with the way I did when I first read it several years ago. It is definitely a great read for both young kids and adults as well.

Polly Horvath has a way of making what could have been a really sad story into a very light, touching story about a girl who never gives up hope that her parents (who are lost at sea) are still alive. Primrose has to live with her Uncle, a reluctant caretaker and an awful one at that. A series of accidents happen to her that seem ridiculous at times considering what she has already gone through, but you root for her. Despite all odds, you hold onto the hope in Primrose's heart along with her and find yourself believing in what she believes in - that her parents are still alive. Horvath holds you all the way to the very end before giving any answers.

I loved Miss Bowzer's character and wish I could eat at her restaurant, "The Girl on the Red Swing." I do enjoy waffles and might be even brave enough to try something other than butter and maple syrup on then especially if they're made by Miss Bowzer! 

Food + books = wonderful recipe for an enjoyable read! I love that each chapter ends with a recipe that connects to something that happened in that chapter.

This is definitely one of my favorite books to share each year with my reading groups. The chapters are easy to read and I think this would make a wonderful read-aloud with lots of opportunities for rich discussions.

Rating:

5 out of 5 stars

The great news is that a sequel is finally coming out from Random House Children's Books!

Title: Everything on a Waffle
Author: Polly Harvath
Publisher: Random House Children's Books (September 11, 2012)

Summary from Goodreads:
Readers rejoice--Primrose Squarp is back! The wise and curious heroine of the Newbery Honor Book Everything on a Waffle is facing another adventure-filled year in Coal Harbor. Even though her parents, once lost at sea, are home, there's a whole slew of problems and mysteries to keep Primrose--and eager fans--busy. There's Uncle Jack and Kate Bowzer, who may (or may not) be in love. There's Ked, a foster child who becomes Primrose's friend. And there's the new development on the outskirts of town that threatens the Coal Harbor Primrose knows and treasures. Prolific and brilliant Horvath has delivered a masterful sequel to a beloved novel, sure to please old fans and gain new ones.

About the Author: Polly Harvath

Polly Horvath grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She went to college at the Canadian College of Dance in Toronto, studying with the Royal Academy of Dance and later becoming an R.A.D. teacher.
After graduation, she lived in New York City and Montreal before settling  in Metchosin, British Columbia, with her husband, Arnie Keller, and their two daughters, Emily and Rebecca. They have a dog, Andrew, and a horse, Zayda. They live on a hilltop with an assortment of deer, rabbits, two ducks who visit their pond daily—and the occasional cougar and bear.

Polly Horvath has written many books for children that have won awards in both the United States and Canada including a Newbery Honor, National Book Award and The Vicky Metcalf award for her body of work. Her books have been picks of both Rosie O'Donnell and Oprah amd have been translated into over twenty five languages.

Did we mention an occasional bear?

Author's website: http://www.pollyhorvath.com/