In this cumulative story, five children share the satisfaction of building a sand castle–and the even greater pleasure of knocking it down. It all begins with Jen digging by herself. Then a boy with a bucket asks, “Can I help?” Soon the two are joined by others, each making a special contribution. By the end, Jen has four new friends who look forward to sharing more fun at the beach.

Thirteen-year-old Karen Nomura loves New Jersey and knows exactly how she’ll spend the summer there: hanging out with friends and painting. But her grandmother comes for a visit from Japan and insists that Karen return with her for the summer. When she first arrives in Japan, Karen feels awkward and angry. She doesn’t understand the language, customs–or her grandmother. While Karen’s inevitable change of heart may be predictable, details about Japanese culture and Japanese-American relocation camps, as well as a realistic and likable main character, make this coming-of-age novel a …

Hollywood actor Dayne Matthews and Katy Hart are married and living in Bloomington, Ind., where Dayne has found a solution to his on-camera love scenes-he wants Katy to star in his next film. Katy wins the part and is cast opposite her super-star husband. The story of a small town girl’s dream come true is too much for the press to resist, and in an effort to appease them, the couple agrees to a 12. It seems like the perfect compromise but by the time they finish filming the movie, …

For Hutch, shortstop has always been home. It’s where his father once played professionally, before injuries relegated him to watching games on TV instead of playing them. And it’s where Hutch himself has always played and starred. Until now. The arrival of Darryl “D-Will” Williams, the top shortstop prospect from Florida since A-Rod, means Hutch is displaced, in more ways than one. Second base feels like second fiddle, and when he sees his father giving fielding tips to D-Will-the same father who can’t be bothered to show up to watch …

As the final days of summer heat up, so does a sibling showdown over a high-stakes lemonade stand business. Jessie and Evan Treski compete to see who will make $100 first off of their respective lemonade stands. Full of surprisingly accessible and savvy marketing tips for running a stand (or making money at any business) and with clever mathematical visuals woven in, this sensitively characterized novel subtly explores how war can escalate beyond anyone’s intent.

Zach visits his grandparents every summer at their cottage by the lake. He is looking forward to fishing with Gramps and eating Gram’s cooking. Gramps calls their first idyllic day a “Memory Box Day.” Zach learns that this is a day for young and old to start gathering photos, stories, and souvenirs to store in a special box to remember their times together. As Zach’s time with his grandparents unfolds, he learns the true reason for the memory box; it is especially for Gramps who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. …

A little girl can’t help but wonder why she and her Mom are growing plants in their garden that are so different from the pretty flowers their neighbors have. Mom says they are growing something better than flowers, but the little girl is not convinced until they harvest the vegetables they have grown, and something unexpected happens …

Annie Richards knows there are a million things to look out for—bicycle accidents, food poisoning, chicken pox, smallpox, typhoid fever, runaway zoo animals, and poison oak. That’s why being careful is so important, even if it does mean giving up some of her favorite things, like bike races with her best friend, Rebecca, and hot dogs on the Fourth of July. Everyone keeps telling Annie not to worry so much, that she’s just fine. But they thought her brother, Jared, was just fine too, and Jared died.

Wesley, who has no friends or interest in sports, plants a special seed in his backyard to create a unique summer project–his own civilization. He uses the plants that grow to make new foods and clothes, and, before long, he’s even making insect repellent and musical instruments. Wesley also devises his own number system and language, and his once scornful schoolmates now clamor to join him in Weslandia.