Mrs. B is reading…Reasons to be Happy

Reasons To Be Happy by Katrina Kittle
Looking at the cover of this book, I was expecting a light, fluffy chick-lit story. I had no idea it would have such an impact on me!

Hannah was a happy girl. So much so that she kept a list of all of the things that made her happy. She was even excited to start her 8th grade year in a new school. How quickly things change!

Hannah was always okay with being the plain-jane, ordinary daughter of two of Hollywood’s most glamourous stars. But on the first day at her new school, she unintentionally became part of the mean-girls clique. This led her to doubt everything about herself, including the things that made her the most happy, like her artwork and running. Suddenly she felt ugly. She was afraid that she’d never be able to live up to her parents expectations. Worst of all, her mom got sick.

Hannah had to find a way to deal with it all. She thought she had found a secret remedy, but was it really helping or only making things worse? What happened to the girl she used to be and how could she get her back?

Reasons To Be Happy was touching and inspiring. It made me smile and it made me cry. It took me back to when I was in middle school. I wish this book had been around for me then. If you’ve ever worried about fitting in, follow Hannah on her journey and she just may inspire you too.

My reasons to be happy:
-Learning something about myself when I least expect it
-Knowing that our library has the perfect book for just the right person waiting to read Hannah's story

Short and Sweet Summer Summary…Red Kayak

Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings

This is a book I have been wanting to read for a long time, but I kept forgetting to bring it home with me. Well, I finally remembered, and I’m glad I did! This book turned out to be as good as I had hoped.

Brady Parks is celebrated as a hero after the dramatic rescue of his young neighbor. But soon, a tragedy and a secret change everything. As Brady pieces things together, he realizes that he must make some tough decisions.

“…I knew that once I said something, I could never take it back. And that everything -- and everyone -- would be changed by it.”

This is a suspenseful story of deception and lies and deciding between what is easy and what your heart tells you is the right thing to do.