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In the Key of Nira Ghani by Natahsa Deen - ADVISABLE

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In the Key of Nira Ghani by Natahsa Deen , 304 pages.  Running Press Teens, April 2019.  $18. Language: PG-13 (22 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G BUYING ADVISORY:  MS, HS - ADVISABLE AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE Nira is barely making it through high school, with only Emily as her friend and Georgia, her pocket trumpet, as solace.  But things are changing – Noah, the local BMOC, and McKenzie, Nira’s chief tormentor, are horning in on the duo for some reason.  Even Farrah, her rich, stuck-up cousin, seems to be hanging around more. Between rocky friendships and the weight of her family’s expectations, Nira turns more to her music, but there is a chance for disaster. I like Nira quite a lot. Nira’s story is similar to many other previous stories about kids whose parents don’t want to leave any room for them to grow up and away and friendships that can – sometimes in good ways and sometimes away from each other. Who I don’t like is the jazz band teacher at her school – he is cal

The Three Rules of Everyday Magic by Amanda Rawson Hill - OPTIONAL

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The Three Rules of Everyday Magic by Amanda Rawson Hill , 190 pages. Boyds Mills Press (Highlights), 2018. $17.95 Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: G BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – OPTIONAL AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE For Kate, nothing has been right since Christmas—before her father left, before her Grammy stopped remembering things, and before friendships became complicated. With everything falling apart, Kate feels helpless. But then Grammy starts teaching her about everyday magic. Maybe, just maybe, everything will be okay. I love how Hill is able to capture the difficulty of life and the challenge of trying to figure out how to deal with everything that happens. Every challenge we face adds up, and sometimes it takes a while to know how to move forward. As Kate learns and teaches us, though, it is okay to hope and it is okay to change. Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen