They Never Came Back- Cooney

A case of mistaken identity or is she really a long-lost cousin who either truly doesn't recognize him or is trying to hide in plain sight?  Tommy is sure she is Murielle, his cousin.  It's been a long time since he last saw her but this girl is a dead ringer for her.

Cathy Ferris signed up for an accelerated language course this summer.  Even though it means car-pooling with Spencer and his mom, Mrs. Tartaglia, she made the commitment and is working hard along with seven other Latin students.  How could Tommy have just walked up to her like that at lunch?  Now instead of worrying about tonight's homework assignments these super students will be researching the unsolved case of Murielle and her embezzling parents.  

When You Reach Me-Stead

Miranda and Sal have been best friends since they were babies. They have always walked back and forth to school together, past the crazy man on the corner, and avoiding the group of older boys who were always hanging out along the way. Things change when one of the boys punches Sal in the stomach for no apparent reason. Sal avoids Miranda and starts spending a lot of time alone. What should she do?

Miranda begins hanging out with a different set of friends but that is not the only thing that changes. The apartment key that Miranda and her mom have kept hidden in the same hiding place for years is stolen. Then Miranda starts finding notes in random places that are addressed to her and contain weird messages. All of this adds up to a very interesting read. I enjoyed the book but I'm a little puzzled by one event in the story. (If you read it, the thing I am referring to is on page 161. ) Talk to me so you can help me figure it out!

Mrs. G.