Orbiting Jupiter

Jack's new foster brother is Joseph.  Here's what he knows about Joseph:  he's thirteen years old, he's been in juvie, he tried to kill a teacher, and he has a daughter he's never met.

This information does not dissuade Jack or his parents, and they accept Joseph into their family and their daily routine of farm life in Maine.  Joseph is skittish after his experiences.  He's been abused by his father and has suffered untold punishments in reform school.  He doesn't like to be touched, and he keeps his back to the wall.

The first sign that Joseph is beginning to thaw is the quick relationship he develops with Rosie the cow who instantly loves him and prefers him over anyone else when it comes to milking.

Jack stands by his new foster brother even when things get difficult, and he becomes the first person to have Joseph's back.

Joseph's main goal is to meet his daughter, Jupiter, and though it seems impossible, Jack's family eventually agrees to help in this quest.

Gary Schmidt's new book is smaller and quieter than his previous stories, but it is full of nuance and emotion.  This is a heartbreaking book about a boy who is misjudged and abused at almost every turn and the possibilities of hope.

Stitching Snow

Essie has been eking out an existence on the frozen mining colony of Thanda.  She survives among the rough miners by repairing and improving drones and other equipment for the mines, but even that is not enough to protect her.  She earns extra money by cage fighting, and it doesn't hurt that the skills she's learned in those fights helps her keep any men with ideas at a distance.  Her only friends are the seven drones she's upgraded to think and work independently and Petey, the soft hearted bar owner.

Her life changes when a shuttle crash lands near her home.  She saves the pilot, a handsome off-worlder who says is looking for treasure.  The damaged ship is a more challenging puzzle for Essie than anything in the mines, so she volunteers to help him repair his ship.

A chance moment reveals Essie's secret to Dane, and she soon realizes she is the treasure he is seeking.  Eight years ago, Princess Snow disappeared from her home on Windsong.  Everyone believed she was kidnapped, and unbeknownst to her, her disappearance sparked a war that has lasted these eight years.

But Essie has more secrets than just her identity.  She wasn't kidnapped; she ran away.  Now Dane has kidnapped her for real and they are hurtling through space and back to her deadly home on Windsong.

But this will not be a straight forward journey for Essie or Dane.  As secrets come to light, the two will grow closer, and there will be no easy decisions.

The time has finally come for Essie to face the truth about her past, her future, and the gentle awakening of her heart.

R.C. Lewis's book is a sci-fi version of Snow White that is fast paced and engrossing.  But be warned, the Evil Queen in Disney's version of the story has nothing on Essie's father and step-mother in this story.  Highly recommended!

Nest

Chip's life on Cape Cod is full of ocean waves, bird watching, and her mother's beautiful dancing.  Everything falls apart one day when Chip's mother starts developing strange symptoms.  One of her legs drags behind her and she begins falling down stairs.  The doctors aren't sure what's wrong yet, but even the symptoms are devastating for a dancer.

As the disease progresses and her mother falls further into her depression, Chirp finds solace in bird watching, and she finds an unlikely companion.  She has always avoided the family of rough boys next door.  They are often cruel and sometimes violent, so it is with reluctance that she begins to trust Joey, the youngest boy.  He is in her class at school and seems to be gentler than the older boys.  The more time she spends with Joey the more she realizes how terrible his home life is, and the two form a mutual understanding.

When Chirp's life takes a terrible turn, Joey is the only person she can turn to for comfort.

Esther Ehrlich's book is a gentle story of surviving the pain of childhood, especially when that pain is caused by adults and is out of your control.  It is also a beautiful story about friendship and trust.