The Whole Thing Together by Ann Brashares

This book has taken me months to finish. I'm not sure why. It just did. I read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares years ago, so when I saw this on our shelves, I decided to read it. I love the concept behind the story. Two families are split by a bitter divorce. There are children from the first marriage and one child on each side that is not related. One of the agreements after the divorce included sharing the vacation house. This means that during the summer and on weekends, the families rotate out of the house, but the shared children stay. That just leaves Sasha (girl) and Ray (boy) to share a room even though they have never met in over 16 years. If it sounds complicated, it is. The names are confusing, but there is a chart in the front of the book to help. As the story unfolds, Sasha and Ray's connection becomes very clear. Their lives are completely intertwined even though they have never met. There is no doubt they will meet; it's just a matter of when and what will happen when they finally do.

Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Twin brothers Josh and Jordan Bell are two middle school star basketball players, whose father was a popular and talented "baller" overseas that lost an opportunity to play for the L.A. Lakers due to an injury. In this free verse, fast-paced novel, the audience is taken through a period of these boys' lives of basketball, family, girlfriends, school, and traumatic life events. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and became deeply attached to this family, mourning at the end and longing for a different ending. The rhythmic sound of each page made this a page turner that I finished in just two hours. 

#5 Mrs. Staples