Book picks similar to
Madison Morgan: When Dogs Blog by Pam Torres


middle-grade
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What's Not Said


Valerie Taylor - 2020
    Once again, she postpones her path to freedom—at least, until she pokes around his pajama drawer and discovers his illness is the least of his deceits.But Kassie is no angel, either. As she struggles to justify her own indiscretions, the secret lives she and Mike have led collide head-on, revealing a tangled web of sex, lies, and DNA. Still, mindful of her vows, Kassie commits to helping her husband find an organ donor. In the process, she uncovers a life-changing secret. Problem is, if she reveals it, her own immorality will be exposed, which means she has an impossible decision to make: Whose life will she save—her husband’s or her own?

Shaking Up the House


Yamile Saied Méndez - 2021
    What the Williamses don’t know is that incoming presidents’ families are often pranked by the folks they’re replacing, and Ingrid and Winnie take that tradition very seriously.But when the four girls get wrapped up in an ever-escalating exchange of practical jokes and things spiral out of control, can they avoid an international incident? Or will their battle go down in American history and ruin their friendship forever?

Drop


Katie Everson - 2015
    I know what you’re thinking: druggie, junkie, wreckhead, trashbag. But I’m not sticking needles in my arm or sleeping on the streets, or stealing to feed the habit. I’m not one of those.Carla has just moved to London and starts at yet another new school; she is desperate to fit in. Though she makes a couple of friends, she soon meets the charismatic, good-looking Finn and their whirlwind romance begins. Carla, an A student and gifted artist, lets her schoolwork slip as she enters Finn's world – a world of partying and drugs. Friends tells her that Finn is no good – even his brother, Isaac. But Isaac has an ulterior motive, doesn't he? Is either brother right for Carla?

Claimed (Armstrong Lovers, #1)


Chelsea McDonald - 2019
    It was my time to serve our country, just like my father and my grandfather before me. The pain that throbbed in my chest every night I was away was the stone cold fact that I’d left her behind, not ever having told her how I felt. After twelve years and only a few short visits in-between, I’m finally back for good. I’ve waited long enough and I’m ready to take back the girl I let get away all those years ago.Finding out he was back in town isn’t too shocking, but finding out he’s back permanently - that’s a whole different story. He’s been my unicorn for as long as I can remember and the more I think about seeing him, the more I want to run and hide. Twelve years is a long time to live without someone in your life, we’ve both grown up and I doubt he’ll remember the little girl his brother dumped in middle school. Now that he’s back how do I hide the feelings of desire and heartbreak that he left me with all those years ago.

Charlie Changes Into a Chicken


Sam Copeland - 2019
    The first book in a hilarious new series perfect for fans of David Walliams, Kid Normal and Tom Gates.Charlie McGuffin tries to be an optimist, but in reality he's a bit of a worrier.Some of the things Charlie is worried about:· His brother (who is in hospital)· Their very panicked parents· Unwanted attention from the school bully· The fact that he's started turning into animals!Even though every kid wants a superhero power, Charlie isn't keen on turning into a pigeon in the middle of the school play.But what happens if he does? Will he get sent away for Science to deal with? Will his parents crack under the extra stress?With the help of his three best friends, Charlie needs to find a way of dealing with his crazy new power - and fast!

The Word Game


Steena Holmes - 2015
    So it’s a big step for her when she lets Lyla attend a sleepover at her cousin’s house. Comforted by the knowledge that her sister, Tricia, is the chaperone, Alyson does the one thing she never thought possible: she lets go and trusts that her daughter will be safe.But Alyson’s sense of peace is short lived. When Lyla comes home the next morning, she reveals something that could tear apart not only their family but also the entire community. Now, Alyson and Tricia must confront their painful shared past as they come together to help a little girl who they fear might be harboring terrible secrets similar to their own. Will the sisters be strong enough to face their demons in order to protect the child, even if it means telling their most private truths?

Crooked


Louisa Luna - 2002
    Faced with the absence of her brother, who's serving life in San Quentin, and hardened by her own experiences in lock-up, Mel sturggles to adjust to the harsh realities of life on the outside. She quickly discovers that freeedom is relative...she has no money, no prospects, no guidance. Forced to return to her mother's apartment in Marin County and take a job houling portable toilets, Mel finds herself drinking too much and hanging out with her old gang again. Haunted by glimpses of her own harrowing girlhood and of the mysterious circumstances that put her in prison in the first place, she slowly, bravely begins to forge a potential path toward redemption and escape.

Moon Water


Pam Webber - 2019
    Nettie’s lifelong nemesis is jabbing her with perfectly polished nails, while her hellfire and brimstone preacher refuses to baptize her. Amid this turmoil, a Monacan Indian medicine woman gives her a cryptic message about a coming darkness, a blood moon whose veiled danger threatens Nettie and those she loves. To prepare for the darkness, Nettie and her best friend, Win, make a treacherous journey into the mountains to build a mysterious dreamcatcher of ancient elements.

Cat Girl's Day Off


Kimberly Pauley - 2011
    Her older sister has three Class A Talents, including being a human lie detector. Her mom has laser vision and has one of the highest IQs ever. Her dad’s Talent is so complex even the Bureau of Extra-Sensory Regulation and Management (BERM) hardly knows what to classify him as.And Nat? She can talk to cats.The whole talking-to-cats thing is something she tries very hard to hide, except with her best friends Oscar (a celebrity-addicted gossip hound) and Melly (a wannabe actress). When Oscar shows her a viral Internet video featuring a famous blogger being attacked by her own cat, Nat realizes what’s really going on…and it’s not funny.(okay, yeah, a frou-frou blogger being taken down by a really angry cat named Tiddlywinks, who also happens to be dyed pink? Pretty hilarious.)Nat and her friends are catapulted right into the middle of a celebrity kidnapping mystery that takes them through Ferris Bueller’s Chicago and on and off movie sets. Can she keep her reputation intact? Can she keep Oscar and Melly focused long enough to save the day? And, most importantly, can she keep from embarrassing herself in front of Ian?Find out what happens when the kitty litter hits the fan.

The Gift


Kate Anslinger - 2017
    When she looks into a criminal’s eyes she can see haunting images of victims who have been wronged. One of those visions is the face of Jenny Silva, high school art teacher who has gone missing from the small town of Bridgeton, Massachusetts, where Grace works. When she makes eye contact with the possible suspect, Jenny's tortured face flashes before Grace, leaving an unsettling imprint on her. Grace finds herself making tough decisions to solve a case on her own, where she stumbles across town secrets and gets mixed up in an unlikely love affair. Sometimes a wrong can find a way to be righted all on its own.

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah!


Fiona Rosenbloom - 2005
    But Stacy's well-laid plans soon start to fall apart..Her stressed-out mother forces her to buy a hideous sequined dress that makes her look like the bride of Frankenstein. Her mitzvahs are not going well at all. And then the worst thing in the entire world happens--causing Stacy to utter the words that will wreak complete havoc on her social life ...You are SO not invited to my bat mitzvah!

Pieces of Sky


Trinity Doyle - 2015
    She was in the local swimming club, and loved it; she lived with her parents and her brother, Cam, in the small coastal town she'd known all her life. She had friends, she had goals - she had a life. Now Cam is dead, her parents might as well be - and Lucy can't bear to get back in the pool. All she has to look forward to now is a big pile of going-nowhere.Drawn to Steffi, her wild ex-best-friend who reminds Lucy of her mysterious, unpredictable brother, and music-obsessed Evan, the new boy in town, Lucy starts asking questions. Why did Cam die? Was it an accident or suicide? But as Lucy hunts for answers she discovers much more than she expects. About Cam. About her family. About herself.

Midnight at the Wandering Vineyard


Jamie Raintree - 2019
    They decide to complete the bucket list they created the summer they were 18, the summer that saw their friendship torn apart. But when the man who came between them all those years ago reappears, it challenges their fragile new bond and pushes each woman to confront past hurts and buried truths.

Anchors & Vacancies


Kat Savage - 2016
    It's all the things we all hold onto, all the things we let anchor onto us, and all the things that leave us vacant.

Bluestone


C.E. Johnson - 2015
    Her godfather sent her on a secretive hunt for clues and each discovery unraveled more of the puzzling otherworldly mysteries of her existence. She ultimately uncovers an astounding secret beyond her imagination, she is a blue mage, and her skills will lead her to a formidable ally, an animal bondsmate. However, instead of joy, the revelation of her magical talents has serious repercussions that include bloodshed and dark danger. As she is backed into a corner by vengeful forces intent on her destruction, Emily finds her budding gifts are the only truth that she can rely on. Thirsting for more knowledge and power, she reaches a precipice. She will have to decide whether to remain on Earth or embark on a perilous journey which involves plunging through a portal where travelers must trade in the modern world for swords and spells. This saga chronicles two planets, two times, brought together by pure passion, epic battles, and an ambitious struggle for supremacy filled with sharp steel and wonderful wizardry