Between Us and the Moon

Gr 9 Up—Sarah has always been fine with living in the shadow of her sister, Scarlett, who has a larger-than-life persona. Between tracking the Comet Jolie and her boyfriend, Tucker, Sarah hardly notices that it is not exactly normal to be over-obsessed with science and to make handy lists for everything in one's life. She didn't even realize that Tucker has been spending less time with her. When he breaks up with her for one of the most popular girls in school, life seems unbearable. Sarah welcomes the opportunity to go with her family to Cape Cod and spend the summer with her Aunt Nancy. Here, she is determined to finally grow up, be more like her sisiter, and make her own choices. At the beach, while Sarah is channeling her "inner Scarlett," she meets Andrew, a gorgeous college boy. Soon, one little lie grows into a cacophony of problems. By the end of the summer, the protagonist is teetering between finding herself and falling in love. Maizel's writing is clear and concise, and has enough witty humor to keep pages turning. Readers will relate to Sarah and how her bad decisions lead to consequences that keep piling up around her.