It Only Looks Easy — Pamela Curtis Swallow

In books, when you read something like “everything is great,” you just know that something terrible is about to happen. But in real life, you can miss the warnings. And then, wham, slam, sneak attack. Everything is out of control.

Before the first day of seventh grade is over, Kat Randall's year is nearly ruined. When her beloved dog, Cheddar, is run over by a woman with Alzheimer's disease, Kat reacts impulsively, leaving school on a "borrowed" bike to get to the veterinary hospital.

Kat often does the wrong thing for the right reason, but now she has gone from being a person you can count on to someone you probably shouldn't. Suddenly she is looked at differently -- by kids in school, the principal, and even the police. If "one of the best years" of her life starts out like this, what's next?

You'll root for Kat as she finds out that It Only Looks Easy.