Five hilarious, real MG books about going back to school

At the BN Kids Blog Rachel Sarah tagged "five realistic contemporary novels, both new and classic stories [that] will help both reluctant and ravenous readers face the unknown and also feel brave enough to take risks," including:

Counting Thyme, by Melanie Conklin

Here’s another poignant middle grade novel that came out recently, by debut novelist Melanie Conklin, and it’s also about new beginnings.

Eleven-year-old Thyme Owens has to move from San Diego to New York City so her little brother can start a new cancer drug trial. Although this novel deals with a heavy topic (cancer) Conklin doesn’t let this weigh the reader down. It’s a sweet story about fitting into a new school, feeling homesick, falling for a boy, and facing a crisis.

Having moved many times in my life, I really enjoyed this message about starting over and facing challenges. If your soon-to-be-middle-schooler is feeling uneasy this summer, Counting Thyme is a great choice.

Read about another entry on the list.

The Page 69 Test: Counting Thyme.

--Marshal Zeringue