Nurtured in her grandmother Louisa’s teashop, The Steeping Leaf, Annie and best friends Zoe and Genna have been the “teashop girls” since kindergarten. As eighth grade rolls to a close, Annie laments the new directions Zoe and Genna are moving in, even as Annie’s love for everything connected with the shop remains steadfast, bolstered by her new job as barista. When competition from the coffee chain across the street places the business in financial jeopardy, Annie makes it her mission to save the shop’s unique and historic place in the community. Schaefer’s first tween novel is filled with down-to-earth good values, conflict, budding romantic yearnings and some wonderful side notes on the benefits of tea, its history and global uses. Annie’s distinct relationship with her grandmother parallels her equally special connection with her peers as she faces change and maturity. The drama of keeping The Steeping Leaf open will keep sprouting teens hopeful. Despite a convenient ending, a satisfying story. (Fiction. 8-12)
