Jake Pitney lives with his mom and dad near the beach on the Florida Keys. It's 1935 and Jake is 13 years old. Jake is looking for a way to make some money when he gets a chance to work for Sharkey, a fisherman in the town. Jake, along with the rest of the kids, in town had seen Sharkey as a grouch and impossible to like. However, Jake and Sharkey grew to respect and even like each other. Sharkey was different, that was for sure. He lived in an old railroad car and took responsibility for protecting young turtles when they hatched out from eggs on the beach. He had also bought an old mule named Jewel and her dog companion named Ruby. Sharkey and his mischievous animals became a part of Jake's young life.

Jake acquired another new friend when Mara, a girl with waist length silky hair, moved in with her Aunt Edith. Mara was from Pennsylvania and, at the loss of her parents, had been taken in by her aunt. Among her first acquaintances in Florida were Jake along with Sharkey and his pets. Sharkey had taught Jake how to fish well enough to win a fishing contest. Jake, in turn, had decided to teach Mara how to fish. He told the girl from Pennsylvania he would help her turn into a "conch", which is what people from the Florida Keys called themselves.

That summer, along with fishing, the kids lived an adventurous life trying to help Sharkey keep his animals from roaming off and getting into trouble. Jewel and Ruby improved their questionable reputations with the townspeople when the two animals drove off a panther that was threatening Mara and Star, Jake's little sister. Life was reasonably tranquil until hurricane season hit.

Inhabitants of the Keys knew that in a dangerous hurricane, the sea could possibly rise over the homes in the town. The only way to get to safety was on the train that crossed a bridge from the small island to the mainland. Naturally, everyone wanted to stay with their homes until it was obvious that the hurricane would wipe them out if they did not abandon everything at the last minute. When a hurricane threatened, would they make it to safety or would they have waited just a bit too long? You need to read "Blown Away" by Joan Hiatt Harlow to find out if they all made it - Jake and his family, Mara and her Aunt Edith, Sharkey, and, of course, Jewel and Ruby.

A brother and sister just don't seem to be able
to get along with each other

Megin is a seventh grader and Greg is in ninth grade. To each other they are "Megamouth" and "Grosso." Megin keeps a sloppy room and Greg is super organized. Megin is athletic and a good hockey player. Greg is just not much of an athlete. When Greg constantly complains Megin's room will draw cockroaches because of food remnants she leaves in her messy room, Megin catches a large roach away from their house and slips it under his door. Greg refuses to sleep in his room until their father does something or calls an exterminator. Megin finds a long brown hair in her toothbrush and she just knows Greg had to put it there. She badgers her dad to do something about it.

The poor father, who sells appliances at Sears, is at a loss as to how to keep the two siblings from feuding and disrupting family life. There is also a mother and a much younger little brother that has to put up with Greg and Megin's constant bickering. Their feud carries over to school and to activities outside the home. It takes a near tragedy in their lives to finally get the two kids to rethink their treatment of each other.

The book's author is Jerry Spinelli who wrote "Maniac Magee," one of the most popular kids' books. If you like to read about kids engaging in far-out and hilarious behavior, this is one you will enjoy.

A girl who aspires to be a creative writer narrates
the events in her real life

Cassie Baldwin, who is twelve-years-old, has just gone through the separation of her parents. She and her siblings have had to move from a large, comfortable home to a small apartment in a poor section of town. Her mother has had to return to full-time work in order to pay the bills. Her father has moved out-of-state. Cassie, along with her fifteen-year-old sister, Miranda, are responsible for taking care of their younger brother, Jackson, while their mother works long hours. The two sisters need to keep food in the house and prepare meals when their mother is tied up at work. Unfortunately, from Cassie's perspective, Miranda shirks many of her responsibilities and expects Cassie to cover for her.

We hear about the school experiences of the two sisters. Cassie is in middle school and is experiencing troubles especially with her English teacher, Mr. Mullaney. That's supposed to be her best subject, but Cassie isn't sure just what is expected of her. Miranda is in high school and very much into boys and social life. Little Jackson has just started first grade and Cassie thinks he is not learning to read as well as he should be. What can she do to help him?

If you would like to read Cassie's story, you need to read "Just another Day in my Insanely Real Life" by Barbara Dee. You will experience how a bright and witty seventh grader tries to deal with her stressful young life.