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 Honorwinning Rules . Realistic characters, humor and a charming setting make this a great choice for collections of all sizes. (Fiction. 9-12)

Gr 4-7 Tess Brooks, 11, believes in luck, wishes, and superstitions. When the state of Maine threatens to close her Bethsaida Island school because there aren't enough students, she and her family will be forced to move to the mainland, and Tess loves her island life. Reverend Beal comes up with an idea to expand the school population, and the Brooks family does its part by taking in a 13-year-old foster child. Tess doesn't give up hope even though Aaron is unhappy on the island and longs to return to his mother. Tess grows significantly throughout the novel as she learns that things don't always go according to a plan, but that they still have the capability of working out. Each chapter opens with a different saying that is used in the context of the story, which keeps readers guessing about its significance. They will feel an enormous amount of hope as they read Tess and Aaron's story. It delivers the message that everything happens for a reason, and that sometimes all you need to do is believe. Rebecca Webster, Warren County Middle School, Front Royal, VA

As she did in the Newbery Honor%E2%80%93winning Rules, Lord introduces a plucky, articulate girl from coastal Maine. When Tess's best friend's family moves away and there are no longer enough students to keep her island school open, her family is among those that offer to take in foster children to boost enrollment. Awaiting the arrival of Aaron, her teenage foster brother, Tess%E2%80%94an avid collector of good-luck talismans%E2%80%94is thrilled to find a piece of blue sea glass, since blue is especially lucky: ""Touch blue and your wish will come true."" Lord interlaces themes of loss, luck, superstition, family, and belonging, but at the heart of this tightly woven story is Tess's longing to help Aaron overcome his hurt and anger at having been taken from his alcoholic mother (years before) and shuffled among foster homes, and to make him feel like he's part of her close-knit family. His mother's unannounced appearance (at Tess's bold, clandestine invitation) at a talent show in which Aaron plays the trumpet adds tension and pathos to the finale of this stirring novel. Ages 9%E2%80%9312. (Aug.)

After the state threatens to close its school, Maine islanders take in foster kids to increase enrollment; Tess's family fosters thirteen-year-old Aaron, who's not exactly eager about it. Tess is well versed in axioms about luck, and each chapter opens with a different one. Her narration gives readers a real feeling for island life, while her sense of humor keeps things light.

Eleven-year-old Tess doesn't want to leave her island home, but her family will have to move to the mainland if the state of Maine closes their small schoolhouse for lack of students. To increase their numbers, several families take in foster children, and so 13-year-old musician Aaron, who has bounced around since his grandmother's death because his mother is an alcoholic, comes to stay with Tess' family. Tess pins all her hopes on Aaron, but he is not at all what she expected: he doesn't like reading, he throws up on her dad's lobster boat, and he'd rather stay in his room than play Monopoly. Each chapter title is a folk saying that superstitious Tess follows as she wishes and schemes a way for Aaron to love island life. Aaron's relationship with his foster family, particularly with impulsive Tess, develops believably. The tight-knit community and lobster-catching details make for a warm, colorful environment. This is a feel-good story about letting go of your expectations and accepting the good things already in front of you.