Book picks similar to
Famous for Thirty Seconds by P.G. Kain


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Cake Pop Crush


Suzanne Nelson - 2013
    They have to find ways to bring in new customers, especial after Perk Up, a big chain coffee and pastry shop, opens across the street. To make a bad matter worse, Dane, the cute new boy at school is the son of Perk Up’s CEO. She should hate him...but he’s really sort of sweet. How’s a girl supposed to deal? Ali begins to create incredible cake pops using her deceased mom’s cookbook.

The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World


E.L. Konigsburg - 2007
    Malo, Florida, a navy town where new faces are the norm. But Amedeo has a secret, a dream: More than anything in the world, he wants to discover something -- a place, a process, even a fossil -- some treasure that no one realizes is there until he finds it. And he would also like to discover a true friend to share these things with. William Wilcox seems like an unlikely candidate for friendship: an aloof boy who is all edges and who owns silence the way other people own words. When Amedeo and William find themselves working together on a house sale for Amedeo's eccentric neighbor, Mrs. Zender, Amedeo has an inkling that both his wishes may come true. For Mrs. Zender's mansion is crammed with memorabilia of her long life, and there is a story to go with every piece. Soon the boys find themselves caught up in one particular story -- a story that links a sketch, a young boy's life, an old man's reminiscence, and a painful secret dating back to the outrages of Nazi Germany. It's a story that will take them to the edge of what they know about heroism and the mystery of the human heart. Two-time Newbery winner E. L. Konigsburg spins a magnificent tale of art, discovery, friendship, history, and truth.

Downriver


Will Hobbs - 1991
    Just some "borrowed" gear from Discovery Unlimited, the outdoor education program Jessie and her new companions have just ditched. Jessie and the others are having the time of their lives floating beneath sheer red walls, exploring unknown caves and dangerous waterfalls, and plunging through the Grand Canyon's roaring rapids. No one, including Troy, who emerges as the group's magnetic and ultimately frightening leader, can forsee the challenges and conflicts.What will be the consequences of their reckless adventure?

Cordially Uninvited


Jennifer Roy - 2012
    For one thing, she can’t tell anyone—not even her best friend. And for another, Claire’s parents are divorced, so she’s not so sure that “happily ever after” even exists.But when Claire gets to England and meets mean-girl Pandora—also a junior bridesmaid—she quickly realizes that whether or not she believes in true love, if she doesn’t take action, Pandora could break up Belle’s relationship! It may be the royal party of the century—but between the mishaps, the mayhem, and an awful social-climbing princess-wannabe, will there still be wedding bells for the happy couple?

The Diamond of Drury Lane


Julia Golding - 2006
    She lives in the Theater Royal on Drury Lane, a place filled with dramatic characters, theatrical spectacles, and now, a secret treasure--which Cat has been asked to protect. Her new friend Pedro, a former slave and gifted violinist, is eager to help, and so is the theater prompter, Jonathan, who is hiding secrets of his own. But when the ruthless gang leader Billy Shepherd learns about the treasure, Cat thinks she's going to lose it for sure. She still doesn't know what the treasure is, so how can she keep it safe from Billy and his gang? Follow Cat into the streets of London, as she faces danger and adventure, racing to be the first to discover the diamond of Drury Lane!

The Teashop Girls


Laura Schaefer - 2008
    Teashop girls are best friends forever. 2. Tea is held every week, no matter what. 3. All tea and scones must be split equally at all times. Annie, Genna, and Zoe have been hanging out at the Steeping Leaf since elementary school. The Teashop Girls do everything together -- at least they used to. With the end of eighth grade approaching, Genna's too busy with theater, Zoe's always at tennis, and Annie feels totally left out. What happened to tea every week, no matter what? When Annie convinces her grandmother to give her a job as a barista at the Leaf, things begin to look up. In between whipping up chai lattes for customers, and attempting to catch the attention of her Barista Boy crush, Annie is finally beginning to feel as grown-up as her best friends. But an eviction notice spells trouble for the Leaf and unless they can turn the business around, the teashop will have to close its doors forever. Fresh, honest, and sweet, Laura Schaefer's debut novel is sure to resonate with readers everywhere.

The Pigman


Paul Zindel - 1968
    Virtually overnight, almost against their will, the two befriended the lonely old man; it wasn't long before they were more comfortable in his house than their own. But now Mr. Pignati is dead. And for John and Lorraine, the only way to find peace is to write down their friend's story - the story of the Pigman.

The Beatrice Letters


Lemony Snicket - 2006
    How I pity these readers. With all due respect, Lemony Snicket

Lenny's Book of Everything


Karen Foxlee - 2018
    I knew when he talked too much about Timothy his imaginary pet eagle. He was scared.'Whatever you do,' I said to Davey on the walk to school, 'Do not tell people about your eagle. Do not tell Miss Schweitzer about your eagle.'He looked crestfallen. His shoulders slumped. He looked to make sure Timothy hadn't fallen off.Lenny, small and sharp, has a younger brother Davey who won't stop growing - and at seven is as tall as a man. Raised by their single mother, who works two jobs and is made almost entirely out of worries, they have food and a roof over their heads, but not much else. The bright spot every week is the arrival of the latest issue of Burrell's Build-It-at-Home Encyclopedia. Through the encyclopedia, Lenny and Davey experience the wonders of the world - beetles, birds, quasars, quartz - and dream about a life of freedom and adventure, visiting places like Saskatchewan and Yellowknife, and the gleaming lakes of the Northwest Territories. But as her brother's health deteriorates, Lenny comes to accept the inevitable truth; Davey will never make it to Great Bear Lake. An outstanding novel about heartbreak and healing by an award-winning author.

The Melting of Maggie Bean


Tricia Rayburn - 2007
    But the past year's been kind of rough, what with her dad losing his job and her loads of schoolwork. Maggie's learned to cope by eating chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate. So much so, that Maggie is dragged by her aunt to weekly Pound Patrollers meetings. No big deal, just utter social devastation. She keeps her mind off PP meetings by "accidentally" running into gorgeous 8th grader Peter Applewood; updating her study spreadsheet--a.k.a, Maggie's Master Multi-Tasker; finding a job for her dad; and secretly practicing for one of the two freshman spots on the synchronized swim team. She's got a long way to go to reach her goals, but when Maggie Bean sets her mind on a goal, nothing--not even a bag of Kit Kats--can stand in her way.

The Last Treasure


Janet S. Anderson - 2003
    That's all Ellsworth thought he wanted. But then the dreams start. Dreams of houses surrounding a beautiful green square. Suddenly a letter arrives, inviting Ellsworth to a home he doesn't remember: the Square in Smith Mills, New York. A home with a hidden treasure only a child can uncover, the last treasure of John Matthew Smith, the family's eccentric patriarch. But there are other things hidden in the Square. Can Ellsworth set these ghosts to rest and uncover the family's last treasure, or will the secrets of the past haunt him forever?

Shakespeare Bats Cleanup


Ron Koertge - 2003
    To get some help, he cops a poetry book from his dad's den - and before Kevin knows it, he's writing in verse about stuff like, Will his jock friends give up on him? What's the deal with girlfriends? Surprisingly enough, after his health improves, he keeps on writing, about the smart-talking Latina girl who thinks poets are cool, and even about his mother, whose death is a still-tender loss. Written in free verse with examples of several poetic forms slipped into the mix, including a sonnet, haiku, pastoral, and even a pantoum, this funny, poignant story by a master of dialogue is an English teacher's dream - sure to hook poetry lovers, baseball fanatics, mono recoverers, and everyone in between.

Seven Perfect Things


Catherine Ryan Hyde - 2021
    One day Abby witnesses a man dump a litter of puppies into the nearby river. Diving in to rescue all seven, she knows she won’t be able to bring them home. Afraid for their fate at the pound, she takes them to an abandoned cabin, where all she can offer is a promise that she’ll be back the next day.To grieving widower Elliot Colvin, life has lost meaning. Looking for solace, he retreats to the hunting cabin he last visited years ago, before his wife’s illness. What he discovers is not at all what he expected: seven puppies and one determined girl with an indomitable heart.As Abby and Elliot’s friendship deepens, Abby imagines how much better her life—and the puppies’ lives—would be if her mother were married to Elliot instead of her father. But when Abby’s father moves the family hundreds of miles away, Abby and her mother must decide how long they’re willing to defer happiness.Seven Perfect Things is a story about joy, where to find it, how to know it when you see it, and the courage it takes to hang on to it once you have it.

Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack!


M.E. Kerr - 1972
    E. Kerr's first novel - hailed by the New York Times as a "timely, compelling" and "brilliantly funny" look at adolescence and friendship It was bad enough that they had to move to Brooklyn. Brooklyn Heights, as Tucker Woolf's dad instructs him to tell everyone after he loses his job. Now his father has suddenly developed an allergy to Tucker's cat, Nader, a nine-month-old calico Tucker found underneath a Chevrolet. Tucker's beloved pet finds a new home with overweight, outrageous Susan "Dinky" Hocker, the only person to answer Tucker's ad. As Tucker starts paying regular visits to Dinky's house to check up on Nader, his life begins to change. Dinky introduces Tucker to her strange cousin, Natalia Line, a compulsive rhymer whom Tucker finds fascinating. And enter P. John Knight, who's fat like Dinky...and now, like Nader. With this odd cast of characters, a little world is created for big kids who need to go on diets. And who also, all of them, need to find out who they are. A story of friendship, self-image, and surviving adolescence, Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack! is also about the terror - and exhilaration - of daring to be yourself.

The Goats


Brock Cole - 1987
    They are the "goats." The kids at camp think it's a great joke, just a harmless old tradition. But the goats don't see it that way. Instead of trying to get back to camp, they decide to call home. But no one can come and get them. So they're on their own, wandering through a small town trying to find clothing, food, and shelter, all while avoiding suspicious adults—especially the police. The boy and the girl find they rather like life on their own. If their parents ever do show up to rescue them, the boy and the girl might be long gone. . . .