TOUCH BLUE

When the Hamiltons and their five children moved off Bethsaida Island, the state of Maine said the school had too few children to make it viable and gave the residents until summer to come up with a solution. Reverend Beal suggested a win/win proposition: Island families could take in foster children. Eleven-year-old Tess Brooks hopes her family’s child will be like Anne of Green Gables…but, despite his red hair, 13-year-old Aaron is a sullen, quiet boy who misses the mother he was taken from seven years previously. Tess fears that if Aaron doesn’t acclimate, her family—lobsterman dad, teacher mother and Monopoly-mad little sister—will have to move away from everything she loves. But will her secret plan to make Aaron feel at home backfire? Lord’s sophomore effort about a Maine island girl with a big heart who pays a bit too much attention to her superstitions and doesn’t always make the best decisions will not disappoint fans of her Newbery Honor–winning Rules. Realistic characters, humor and a charming setting make this a great choice for collections of all sizes. (Fiction. 9-12)