The Red Blazer Girls by Michael D. Bill

Beil, Michael. (2009). The Red Blazer Girls. Alfred A. Knopf: New York. ISBN 978-0-375-84814-8

Sophie, Margaret, and Rebecca are three seventh-grade girls who attend St. Veronica’s, an all-girl Catholic school on the Upper East of Manhatten. When our narrator, Sophie, spots a mysterious face in the window of the school church during English class, the girls decide to investigate. But instead of solving that mystery, they discover another that involves the loss of an ancient piece of jewelry: The Ring of Rocamadour. They must solve tricky riddles, puzzles, and math problems to reclaim the prize, but with danger and intrigue around every corner, the girls decide they need help. They find it in their childhood friend, the very cute Rafael and the new girl Leigh Ann, who might be just too pretty for her own good. Quirky characters, hilarious situations, and characters with a pitch perfect middle school voice make the Red Blazer Girls one you will want to share with a friend. The first of a series, this book is for ages ten and up.

Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love by Lauren Tarshis

Tarshis, L. (2009). Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love. Dial: New York. ISBN 978-0-80377-3321-3

Emma-Jean Lazarus is back. In a follow up to Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree, this story finds Emma-Jean and her seventh-grade friends in the midst of spring fever and its aftereffects, most notably “love”. Normally pragmatic Emma-Jean can’t stop thinking about Will Keeler and wondering whether she should ask him to the Spring Fling—against the advice of her girlfriends. And what happens when Emma-Jean’s friend, the normally shy Colleen, finds a secret admirer note in her locker? Everyone seems to be acting out of character in this humorous account of girls, their crushes, and how friendship can often save the day. Grades 4 -8.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Kelly

Kelly, Jacqueline. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. Henry Holt, May 2009. ISBN 978-0-8050-8841-0. Ages 9-13.

Calpurnia Tate is the only girl in a family of seven children living outside Lockhart, Texas in 1899. Against her mother's wishes that she become a proper, marriagiable young lady, twelve-year-old Calpurnia has ambitions to become a scientist and answer the many questions she poses in the notebook her oldest brother, Harry, gives to her.
Calpurnia finds a kindred spirit in her Granddaddy, who spends his retirement studying Central Texas wildlife and flora when he's not trying to distill pecans into some sort of drinkable whisky. Calpurnia learns about the Scientific Method, reads The Origin of Species, and becomes acquainted with Dickens under her grandfather's tutelage.
The book takes a little while to get going, with a serious lack of dialogue for several chapters. Soon, though, Calpurnia's character begins to blossom and it's easy enough for the reader to become engrossed in Calpurnia's life. The book is episodic, with the characters driving the book more than a strong plot. It's an easy book to come back to and enjoy in several sittings without losing pace with the action. I would have appreciated a little more development of Granddaddy and some of the other secondary characters, but overall I thought this was a nice debut novel.

Den of Thieves

Golding, Julia. Den of Thieves. Roaring Brook, May 2009. ISBN 978-1-59643-444-8. Ages 10-14.

Third volume of the Cat Royal Adventure series. Mr. Sheridan has decided to close the Drury Lane theater, meaning that Cat is now homeless. After a harrowing spell of living on the streets of London and being taken hostage by an evil bookseller, Cat is "saved" by Sheridan and sent on a spy mission to Paris during the French Revolution. Familiar characters from the previous books play pivotal parts and add to the drama and intrigue, including Johnny, Pedro, Billy "Boil" Shepherd, and the Avon royal family. As usual, Cat uses her wits and luck to save the day while writing of her adventures in the style of the theater.