Girl Wonders — Karen Salmansohn

At 12 1/2, Alexandra has more questions than she has answers: "Free to be me...or does being me have a price? And if so, how much should I charge?" and "Will my dad and I ever be able to communicate? Am I talking in a voice only elves can hear?" Luckily, with some help from her cabaret-lounge-singer mother (really, she sings on top of pianos) and an all-too-honest Very Best Friend, this plucky heroine is perfectly poised for teendom.

An entertaining, right-on-target read for every preteen girl interested in friends, family, crushes, and cliques. Narrative voice is inspiring and informative about such topics as Double-Mom Theory and the mating habits of Tungara frogs.