Book picks similar to
The Polka Dot Shop by Laurel Remington


middle-grade
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Growing in Love


Paige Powers - 2014
    Breakups, makeups, drama in the halls, it’s all in a school day’s work. Jack is your all-American teenager experiencing the usual woes of his generation. Crazy parties, locker scenes, immaturity, and if that wasn’t enough, he’s got serious girl problems. It just so happens that Jack’s friend, Lidia, is having her own dating issues and the two of them come up with a plan to get back at their exes. Pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend and flaunt their incredible happiness to make their past loves jealous. The plan is brilliant and they put on the performance of their young lives. They have high hopes the ruse will be successful and they’ll be back with their original partners before too long. Things are going good for the new, happy couple. But over the course of the faux relationship, they discover each other's true personas and are drawn together despite the false pretenses. Their affection toward one another becomes something neither one expected; genuine. Growing in Love is a tender, coming-of-age story about forgiveness, loss of innocence; self-discovery; relationships of all kinds–including abusive–and teenage love and romance.

The Secret Apartment


Natalie Fast - 2005
    First of all, her mother got remarried and they moved from their house in Pennsylvania to her new stepfather’s apartment in New York City. Second, her new stepfather has a daughter, which means Jillian now has a stepsister. An evil teenage stepsister who talks on the phone all the time and has a stupid dog. And finally, Jillian is being sent to camp for the summer where she has to endure Peace Circles and sack races. But Jillian gets a break when Mrs. W in the penthouse apartment asks her to catsit for the summer. Mrs. W’s apartment is full of art and art supplies, vintage dresses and hats, and cakes and soda, and most important, it offers a great view of the windows in the building across the street. Watching the neighbors is fun–until Jillian and her new friend Emily see something that doesn’t look right. And it’s up to them to save the day.From the Hardcover edition.

Butterflies


Susanne Gervay - 2000
    Katherine was severely burnt in an accident when she was two years old. Now 17, she lives with her mother and 22 year-old sister. their father left the family when they were very young. Katherine still needs regular skin grafts. this is a moving and well-written tale of emotional and physical damage and Katherine's need to overcome her fears. It is a positive story of individual strength and family love. Whether a person is physically damaged or 'perfectly normal' life still has to be lived and the story of Katherine and her friends relates to all teenagers. Endorsed by Dr Hugh Martin, President of the ANZ Burn Association and Head of Burn Unit, the Children's Hospital, Westmead. ∗ Highly Commended for the Older Readers in the Australian Family therapists' Award for Children's Literature 2002 Ages 12+

In the Shadow of Heroes


Nicholas Bowling - 2019
    The pair follow a trail that leads to Emperor Nero himself, and his crazed determination to possess the Golden Fleece of Greek mythology. This madcap quest will push Cadmus to the edge of the Roman Empire – and reveal unexpected truths about his past …

The Secret Circle of Imaginary Friends


Mike Jeavons - 2013
    Secrets are being kept closely guarded. Destruction to homes and threatening messages are becoming common.For Simon and his friends, being visited by strange creatures calling themselves the imaginary friends is not quite as childish as they thought it might be. The creatures like to keep their lives a mystery, but want to know an awful lot about the people of Hedgely.The Secret Circle of Imaginary Friends is an exciting journey into the unknown, where you never know just who may be watching you.

How to Ditch Your Fairy


Justine Larbalestier - 2008
    Though invisible to the naked eye, a personal fairy - like a specialized good luck charm - is vital to a person's success. It might determine whether you make a sports team, pass a class, or find that perfect outfit. But for fourteen-year-old Charlie, having a parking fairy is worse than having nothing at all - especially when the school bully carts her around like his private parking pass.Enter: The Plan. At first, teaming up with her archenemy, Fiorenze (who has an all-the-boys-like-you fairy), seems like a great idea. But when Charlie unexpectedly gets her heart’s desire, it isn’t at all how she thought it would be, and she’ll have resort to extraordinary measures to set things right.From the author of the award-winning Magic or Madness trilogy, How to Ditch Your Fairy is a delightful story of friendship, fairies, and figuring out how to make your own magic.

Without You


Yesenia Vargas - 2014
    But she never expects to meet someone as perfect as Lucas at the beginning of senior year. But she doesn’t realize how much she might be leaving behind.Lucas is everything Ariana could have ever wanted in a guy, but he can’t be a part of Ariana’s new start, not when his family needs him at home. Or that her dreams might be out of reach anyway...To make matters worse, Ariana’s not sure she can afford to go to UGA herself. Or if she’ll be able to get in. Ariana will have to choose...Because she knows she can’t have it all. Ariana quickly realizes Lucas’s ex would love to see her gone, but she’s ready to fight for what they have. But at what price? Will she have to live with the regret of giving up on her dream school? Or will she sacrifice the guy that’s captured her heart? A Young Adult Contemporary Romance Please note: this book is intended for readers aged 14+ due to some cursing/sexual situations. Previously published as Unending Love.

The Last Martin


Jonathan Friesen - 2011
    One Martin. Martin Boyle already has plenty to worry about. His germaphobic mother keeps him home from school if she hears so much as a sneeze, and his father is always off somewhere reenacting old war battles. Julia, the most beautiful girl in school, won’t even speak to Martin, and the gym teacher is officially out to get him. Which is why Martin really doesn’t need this curse hanging over his head. On a trip to the family cemetery, Martin wanders among the tombstones of his ancestors and discovers a disturbing pattern: when one Martin is born, the previous Martin dies. And—just his luck—Martin’s aunt is about to give birth to a baby boy, who will, according to tradition, be named Martin. Martin must find a way to break the curse, but every clue seems to lead to a dead end. And time is running out.

Spotty Powder and other Splendiferous Secrets


Roald Dahl - 2010
    1 storyteller! No Roald Dahl collection is complete without this splendiferous, surprising treat.

Strays Like Us


Cecilia Galante - 2018
    Toby's in bad shape, and Fred longs to rescue him from the old man with the mile-long mean streak who lives next door. But Margery—the straight-talking woman who is fostering Fred—says going over to their house is against the rules.And since Fred will only be around until her mother comes to grips with her dependence, Fred can't let herself care too deeply. Not about Toby or Margery or Delia, a new classmate whose insistent friendship surprises Fred at every turn. Because the more Fred lets this loveable band of misfits into her heart, the harder it'll be to leave them all behind.In this story of loss and love, acclaimed author Cecilia Galante examines life's difficult choices and how a girl plus the dog she loves can add up to finding family in the most unlikely places.

Wicked Girl


Jeanie Doyle - 2020
    While the 14-year-old mother was tracked down, Jeanie took her little daughter into her own care. But while she tried to help the two of them heal and bond, the terrible truth about the baby's father was revealed...A twist on the standard Cathy Glass books, Wicked Girl offers Jeanie's rare perspective of fostering young women alongside their babies. Will mother and daughter be reunited for good, or will the vulnerable young mother make the heartbreaking decision that they are both better off apart?

A Family Secret: My Shocking True Story of Surviving a Childhood in Hell


Maureen Wood - 2020
    Her abuse, more so than any other, destroyed me. It was the ultimate betrayal.’Abused from the age of eight by her older brother and then her step-father, Maureen Wood quickly became numb to the constant suffering. But Maureen’s world crumbled when her own mother started to abuse her too…A Family Secret is the harrowing true story of how one little girl survived sickening abuse by the people who should have loved her most, and how an innocent baby finally saved her.

All That's Missing


Sarah Sullivan - 2013
    Not literally — he just mixes up the past with the present. Arlo holds on as best he can, fixing himself cornflakes for dinner and paying back the owner of the corner store for the sausages Poppo eats without remembering to pay. But how long before someone finds out that Arlo is taking care of the grandfather he lives with instead of the other way around? When Poppo lands in the hospital and a social worker comes to take charge, Arlo’s fear of foster care sends him alone across three hundred miles. Armed with a name and a town, Arlo finds his only other family member — the grandmother he doesn’t remember ever meeting. But just finding her isn’t enough to make them a family. Unfailingly honest and touched with a dash of magical realism, Sarah Sullivan’s evocative debut novel delves into a family mystery and unearths universal truths about home, trust, friendship, and strength — all the things a boy needs.

Confessions of a Closet Catholic


Sarah Darer Littman - 2005
    So she's decided to give up being Jewish instead.  Eleven-year-old Justine pours her heart out to her teddy bear, "Father Ted," in a homemade closet confessional. But when Justine's beloved Bubbe suffers a stroke, Justine worries that her religious exploration is responsible. Worse, she must suddenly contemplate life without Bubbe. Ultimately, it's Bubbe's quiet understanding of Justine's search for identity that helps Justine to find faith in the most important place of all-within herself.

The Vanishings: Four Kids Face Earth's Last Days Together


Jerry B. Jenkins - 1998
    Those left behind face an uncertain future—especially four kids who now find themselves alone.As the kids search for help and for answers, they are told the truth behind the disappearances. But are they ready to believe it?In this new series based on the best-selling book Left Behind, Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye present the Rapture and Tribulation through the eyes of four young friends—Judd, Vici, Lionel, and Ryan. As the world falls in around them, they band together to find faith and fight the evil forces that threaten their lives.