Summer books: 7 great titles for middle-grade and young adults

"Nightbird" by Alice Hoffman (Random House/Wendy Lamb Books, $17)

For Twig Fowler, "being unusual is not unusual," but that doesn't mean it's easy. Twig and her orchard-owning, pie-making mom are isolated because of a truly unusual family secret. Bound to a witch's curse, the Fowlers find the secret to be as constant a presence as the delicious scent of fresh-baked pies made with the orchard's heirloom pink apples. The story becomes spellbinding as the arrival of new neighbors stirs the possibility of friendship and a dangerous revelation.

"The Penderwicks in Spring" by Jeanne Birdsall (Alfred A. Knopf, $17)

Destined to be another classic, this utterly engaging new volume in Jeanne Birdsall's beloved series focuses on the younger members of the Penderwick clan. While toddler Lydia twirls around in crowns and tutus and Ben pursues his passion for digging up rocks, Batty mourns the death of her adored Hound, celebrates the return of a hero neighbor, longs for more time with her music-loving mentore, Jeffrey, launches a dog-walking business, learns a disturbing secret and discovers something very special about herself. "The Penderwicks," the first in the series, won a National Book Award in 2005.

"Off the Page" by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer (Delacorte Press, $20)

For a book that takes readers to worlds within worlds, "Off the Page" is tops. This companion volume to the mother-and-daughter authors' "Between the Lines" keeps the cleverness coming as the ultimate fantasy of book-loving teen Delilah comes true: Her hero — a fairy tale prince, no less — moves out of his book and into Delilah's world. The ensuing events are by turns surprising, laugh-out-loud funny and poignant as Delilah and her hero learn that real love can require sacrifices.

"Shadow of the Wolf" by Tim Hall (Scholastic/ David Fickling Books, $19)

"Anything Could Happen" by Will Walton (Scholastic/Push, $18)

When a gay teen finds himself falling for his straight best friend, is the object of a girl's serious crush and is also dealing with bullying by the son of his father's business partner, the intersection between friendship and attraction becomes a hazardous crossing. But 15-year-old Tretch demonstrates that honesty, trust — and some awesome dance moves — can carry him beyond angst to becoming his true self and a boon to others.

"The Truth About My Success" by Dyan Sheldon (Candlewick Press, $17)

Despite the first-person singular title, this story is a tale of two teens from two extremely different sides of the Hollywood tracks. Here, a spoiled movie star and her humble look-alike learn a great deal when they exchange real-life and on-screen roles. It takes more than 80 pages to really get into what makes teens tick, but then the plot moves along toward a truly satisfying conclusion.

"All We Have Is Now" by Lisa Schroeder (Scholastic/Point, $18, on sale July 28)