Too Cool for This School — Kristen Tracy

Lane Cisco loves, loves, loves her life at Rio Chama Middle School -- until her offbeat cousin comes for an extended visit and turns everything upside down. With her individual sense of style and nonconformist attitude, Angelina "Mint" Taraval is everything Lane isn't. And instead of branding her a loser the way Lane and her friends expect, people actually want to hang out with her. Including the boys Lane and her best friend, Ava, like.

When Ava comes up with a plan to ruin Mint, Lane feels stuck. She doesn't want to be mean . . . but she doesn't really want to stick up for her weird cousin either. Why can't things go back to the way they were before Mint arrived?

Kristen Tracy has written a terrific novel about friendship, family, fitting in, and finding out who you are when no one's looking.