Stir It Up!

by Ramin Ganeshram

When not busy working in the families restaurant, thirteen-year-old Anjali Krishnan dreams of becoming a celebrity chef. With the help of a cooking teacher her dreams are within reach. If she can lie to her parents, make it through the audition without compromising her religious beliefs, and not be intimidated by the other contestants. Ganeshram gives readers a much needed minority character but unfortunately the slow plot keeps the story from really taking off.

1 of 5 stars.

The Secret Life of Ms Finkleman

by Ben H. Winters

Mr. Melville's Social Studies class is known for two things: his Special Projects and his floating midterm. The Special Project, to solve a mystery in your own life, starts seventh grader Bethesda Fielding thinking about the mystery of timid Ms. Finkleman. Bethesda's discovery sets in motion a series of events that has the entire school abuzz, a new direction for the Choral Corral, and a change in many a classmates personalities. The arrival of the floating midterm brings its own set of challenges which can bring many plans to a crashing halt. Winters does a fine job creating believable and relatable characters. Although the plot is slightly predictable there are enough little zig-zags from the expected path to provide continued interest in a comfortable read.

3 of 5 Stars - Recommended.