Science and story blend in this earnest series entry.Middle schooler Brubeck "Bru" Ferrell wants two things this summer: for her mom to marry her longtime girlfriend, Ginger, and for her school's Science Squad team to purchase new, sophisticated acoustic monitoring equipment to study local bats. The former seems as though it should be simple: Despite her mom's reluctance to commit to marriage, Bru is positive that Ginger is the perfect fit for their family. The latter presents more of a challenge: Bru's two best friends, Laura and TaKwon, are the only other people equally invested in their Science Squad's project, which involves recording bat calls to contribute to a bat-conservation organization, so the chance of raising enough money for a quality ultrasonic recording device seems increasingly slim. On top of this, navigation of the trio's friendship is getting steadily more complicated and confusing, causing additional tensions. While the book's resolution is a deus ex machina, readers invested in Bru's story will likely be happy with it. Told in journal entries that intersperse sidebars of bat facts, the narrative is friendly, accessible, and informative. The black-and-white digital illustrations are contemporary and appealing. Bru is white, and her community is multiethnic: Ginger is of Kenyan descent, TaKwon is brown, both Laura and the Science Squad's teacher are Asian, and there are other secondary characters of color.Sweet, optimistic, and engaging. (additional facts, glossary, index) (Fiction. 8-12)

Gr 3-5 Many youngsters may think of science as something that's done in school or in laboratories; with its emphasis on citizen science, this series does much to dispel this notion. Brubeck Farrell has just finished her sixth grade as a member of her school's Science Squad. Over the summer, she and her friends T.K. and Laura are tracking bats in their Wisconsin hometown and encountering problems with old, outdated bat detection equipment. They'd like to buy new devices, but their fundraising efforts are a comedy of errorsand Brubeck fears that Laura is losing interest in the project as a result. Brubeck also wants to convince her mother to marry Ginger, her long-term girlfriend, an endeavor that isn't seeing much more success. But when Ginger shows an interest in the bat project, it turns out she might be the one to solve both of Brubeck's problems. The text is peppered with information on bat populations and the challenges scientists (professional and citizen alike) face in identifying them. Back matter includes information on echolocation, bat detection, and conservation. But the real standout is the relationship between Brubeck and Ginger, which is a well-drawn portrait of a stepparent becoming involved in her stepchild's interests. VERDICT A skillful blend of realistic middle grade fiction and scientific facts; a recommended addition to school libraries and classrooms. Katherine Barr, Cameron Village Regional Library, Raleigh, NC