While the mystery is the driving force behind the narrative, it is Braden’s unfolding story that will captivate readers. conviction
again for the first time since he disappeared and broke her heart, just as she’s looking forward to going off to college. Many teens will identify with the abundance of relationship drama on offer here, even as it unfolds at length among all of the main characters. The dialogue-driven narrative’s straightforwardness serves the time-jump plot device well, helping to keep the audience grounded. In the end, there are few surprises in this coming-ofage novel, but readers looking for a light but meaningful summer romance will engage with it effortlessly. (Romance. 13-18)
THE FRUITS WE EAT
Gibbons, Gail Illus. by the author Holiday House (32 pp.) $17.95 | $17.95 e-book | May 1, 2015 978-0-8234-3204-2 978-0-8234-3348-3 e-book
Braden’s father is known for his aggressive stance on his evangelical radio show, but what plays well on the airwaves can be horribly destructive at home. The anger and abuse that drove Braden’s older brother, Trey, away have driven Braden to be the perfect son. But in spite of his stellar talent on the pitcher’s mound, his exemplary performance in school, and his strong faith in God, Braden fears he will never be enough. When Braden is called to testify on behalf of the defense, he must decide if the truth is worth risking his entire world. While the mystery of what really happened on the foggy stretch of highway is the driving force behind the narrative, it is Braden’s unfolding story that will captivate readers. His father’s incarceration forces Braden to admit that the father he loves is also the monster he fears. There are no easy answers. Love is both beautiful and cruel. God is both loving and mysterious. And family is both comforting and suffocating. Both hopeful and devastatingly real. (Fiction. 14 & up)
...AND NICK
The prolific Gibbons tackles fruits—how they grow, their parts, and what portions we eat. Beginning with facts about perennial and annual fruits and how many servings children should aim for each day, the book then looks at how fruits can grow on plants, bushes, vines, and trees. Good vocabulary is introduced and defined along the way— botanist, pollination, cultivated. The middle of the book is taken up by individual looks at 13 different kinds of fruits that show cutaway views labeled with parts, the whole plant/bush/vine/tree, and some of the popular varieties—for grapes, golden muscat, red flame, and concord. This is followed by a discussion of growing seasons and climates, large farms versus backyard ones, harvesting fruit and getting it to market, and some other fruits that were not featured in the text, including star fruits, apricots, and persimmons. A final page lists more fruit facts and two websites (one for the United States, one for Canada) about food guidelines. The text sometimes gets lost in Gibbons’ busy and full pages, and while her illustrations are detailed and specific for each type of fruit, the watercolors won’t make mouths water. This lacks the information of other nonfiction titles and the pizzazz of April Pulley Sayre’s Go, Go, Grapes! (2012), but it may be just the ticket before a school trip to a farm. (Informational picture book. 4-8)
CONVICTION
Gilbert, Kelly Loy Disney-Hyperion (352 pp.) $17.99 | $9.99 e-book | May 19, 2015 978-1-4231-9738-6 978-1-4847-1943-5 e-book
Gore, Emily Illus. by Gore, Leonid Atheneum (40 pp.) $17.99 | $12.99 e-book | Jun. 16, 2015 978-1-4169-5506-1 978-1-4814-2623-7 e-book In a mouse family of four nearly identical brothers, Nick always seems to be
trying to catch up. When Mommy gives them shirts of different colors so she can tell them apart, Mick, Vick, and Rick have very specific reasons for their color choices. Nick gets the one that’s left over. Nick also likes his brothers’ tasty food selections, but he alone is willing to try a plain green salad. Mick, Vick, and Rick all know what they want to be when they grow up, but Nick is keeping his options open. He rides his bike and runs as fast as he can, lagging behind the others in each activity. Even when they pick flowers for Mommy, he is left with a “small green sprout.” He has been cheerful about most things, but this time he is really disappointed and sad. The next day he finds that his sprout has developed into a beautiful, unusual flower. The father-daughter creative team’s little mouse family is warm and sweet. Nick’s brothers may lead him but they don’t tease him (much), and Mommy is loving, patient, and accepting. She understands that, like the flower, Nick is a late bloomer. The lively acrylic illustrations are rendered in soft, clear colors on a lightly textured background and move speedily across doublepage spreads. Treacle and honey are assiduously avoided, leaving gentle reassurance for self-doubting little readers. Charming, encouraging, and delightful. Go, Nick! (Picture book. 3-8)
When 16-year-old Braden Raynor’s father is arrested for a hit-and-run accident that leaves a police officer dead, every hidden secret is dragged into the light. 98
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15 march 2015
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children ’s
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teen
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kirkus.com
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