Wish (Various)

Wanted: One amazing forever home for one amazing sixth grader. "My name is Gaby, and I'm looking for a home where I can invite my best friend over and have a warm breakfast a couple of times a week. Having the newest cell phone or fancy clothes isn't important, but I'd like to have a cat that I can talk to when I'm home alone." Gaby Ramirez Howard loves volunteering at the local animal shelter. She plays with the kittens, helps to obedience train the dogs, and writes adoption advertisements so that the strays who live there can find their forever homes: places where they'll be loved and cared for, no matter what. Gaby has been feeling like a bit of a stray herself, lately. Her mother has recently been deported to Honduras and Gaby is stuck living with her inattentive dad. She's confident that her mom will come home soon so that they can adopt Gaby's favorite shelter cat together. When the cat's original owners turn up at the shelter, however, Gaby worries that her plans for the perfect family are about to fall apart.

Sheyda is a behind-the-scenes girl. She loves helping out in the kitchen of Doughlicious, the donut shop run by the parents of her best friend, Kiri. And Sheyda loves designing stage sets while Kiri performs in the spotlight. Then lights, camera... surprise! Tween heartthrob Cabe Sadler is filming his next big movie in Doughlicious! Kiri is sure this will lead to stardom, and perhaps a date with Cabe. But somehow, it's Sheyda who gets picked for a small role in the film. To make matters worse, Cabe seems spoiled and rude. Too bad he's so cute. Can Sheyda overcome her stage fright, get to know the real Cabe, and find her own kind of stardom?

J. J. Howard, author of Pugs and Kisses and Pugs in a Blanket, delivers more puppy love and friendship mix-ups. Emma's pug, Cupid, has a hidden talent: He is a master at matchmaking! Her pet seems to have a nose for spotting which two people belong together. With the big school dance coming up, Emma decides to use Cupid's powers to find her best friend, Hallie, a date. But as Emma tries to navigate crushes and secrets, she finds that things are a lot more complicated than they seem. And what if Cupid also has a surprising match in mind... for Emma herself?

Dacey Culpepper Biel comes from a long line of pie bakers. Her family's shop, Pies N' Prattle, is legendary in her small Texas town. But Dacey didn't inherit a gift for baking. Her pies always end up as messy or burnt disasters. Even worse? Business has been slow lately, and Dacey wishes she could do something to help. Then opportunity knocks: A popular TV show wants to feature the shop! But that means Dacey will have to spend time with Chayton Freedel, her arch-rival and the cute son of the show's host. And when clues arise about a long-hidden family recipe, life at the shop may never be the same. With a sprinkling of luck and some Southern charm, will Dacey be able to find the recipe, work alongside Chayton... and save her family's legacy?

Allie Velasco wants to be a trailblazer. A trendsetter. A winner. No better feeling exists in the world than stepping to the top of a winner's podium and hoisting a trophy high in the air. At least, that's what Allie thinks . . . she's never actually won anything before. Everyone in her family is special in some way-her younger sister is a rising TV star; her brother is a soccer prodigy; her great-grandfather is a Congressional Medal of Honor winner. With a family like this, Allie knows she has to make her mark or risk being left behind. She's determined to add a shiny medal, blue ribbon, or beautiful trophy to her family's award shelf. When a prestigious school contest is announced, Allie has the perfect opportunity to take first-at last. There's just one small snag . . . her biggest competition is also her ex-best friend, Sara. Can Allie take top prize and win back a friend-or is she destined to lose it all?

Cecilia Murray has been wishing for a dog for as long as she can remember. And when a cute pug named Potato is brought in to Orphan Paws, the shelter where she volunteers, she knows he is the dog she's been waiting for. There's just one problem: Eric Chung-a popular, arrogant boy from school-adopts Potato first. What's worse, he hopes to train the little tater to become a show-dog superstar. Cecilia knows that Potato is not cut out for a life of sparkly collars and snobby judges, so she sets out to sabotage Eric's plans. But the more time Cecilia spends with Potato and Eric, the more she questions everything she thought she knew about dog shows... and a certain cute show-dog trainer. Can Cecilia save Potato-while also listening to her heart?

An unexpected turn of events introduces a "latte" trouble in this story of first crushes, friendship, and everyone's favorite fall treat! Nadine and Daniel have been best friends pretty much since birth. While she has her music rehearsals and he has his snowboarding, the two of them always make time to meet up at the Snug Mug, where Daniel works, for their catch-ups over pumpkin spice lattes. But their daily routine is shaken up when a new girl, Kiya, starts at their school. Daniel falls head over heels for Kiya the second he sees her. Which would be fine... if Nadine hadn't recently realized she might be falling for Daniel herself. Nadine knows she has to find the courage to tell Daniel how she feels, but what if she's already lost her chance?

Ana Ramos may not have a dog of her own, but she does get to walk her neighbor's adorable pug, Osito. One day, at the park, Osito befriends another pug, Pancake, whose owner just happens to be a cute new boy named Calvin. When Calvin assumes that Osito belongs to Ana, she doesn't correct him. No big deal, right? Ana doesn't realize the trouble she has unleashed until Calvin shows up at her school. Calvin suggests setting up play dates for the two pugs, and Ana can't bring herself to admit that Osito isn't hers. In fact, her fibs keep multiplying! Will Ana fess up and figure out how she feels about Calvin before her white lies catch up to her?

Twelve-year-old Grace is desperate for a puppy. All she wants is someone to love - and to love her back. Someone who won't disappear on her like her dad did. Someone who'll make her new stepfather's house feel like home. Christmas morning, Grace springs out of bed hopeful that her dreams are about to come true. But the present that awaits her isn't soft and furry. It doesn't have padded paws. And instead of a dark, wet nose, there's a flat, pink nose instead. It's not a puppy at all - it's a PIG. Grace tries to make the best of the situation. She names the pig Bernard and dutifully learns how to care for him. But spending time with him is nothing like being with a dog. Bernard is awful at playing fetch and walking on a leash - in fact, he's all around terrible at doing the things Grace dreamed of doing with a pet. But when a good friend lands in the hospital, Grace discovers that Bernard might have a special talent for making sick people feel better and that his calling might be as a certified therapy animal. Grace loves the idea of visiting patients with Bernard and bringing a smile to their faces during an otherwise tough time. But can Grace convince her skeptical family to get on board? Or will she and Bernard both end up out in the cold?

When anxiety threatens to derail a homeschooled girl's attempt to make new friends, she finds support in an unlikely source... a herd of adorable alpacas! To some kids, Amelia's life sounds like the ultimate fantasy. She and her brothers are homeschooled by their adventurous parents, and the family travels around the country in an RV, scaling mountains, rappelling down canyons, and skiing down double black diamond slopes. There's just one problem - Amelia didn't inherit the family's daredevil gene. She's terrified of heights and would give anything to be reading instead of careening down a mountain. She's also desperate for the chance to attend a regular school and make real friends. So when her parents decide to temporarily move to Colorado, Amelia's delighted by the chance to settle down. However, starting at a conventional school is much harder than Amelia imagined, and her anxiety makes meeting new friends extra challenging. Everything about her feels wrong, from her clothes to her hobbies to her complete lack of pop culture knowledge. So when Amelia's given the chance to volunteer at an alpaca ranch, she's delighted by the chance to do something she's good at - take care of animals. And soon, the alpacas and their owners start to feel like real friends. But when a cruel classmate's prank puts the alpacas in mortal peril, Amelia will have to summon strength she never knew she possessed to save the only place that's ever felt like home.

Printz Honor-winner and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Carolyn Mackler brings honesty and charm to this middle-grade debut tracing the friendship of two girls. Meet Hannah. Her name is a palindrome. Her birthday is on New Year's. Her mom died when she was little. She wishes she had a cat. She's medium height and a little gawky. She's being raised by her dad and stepmom, and just found out they're having a baby. Now she'll never get a real mom. And to top it off, Emme, the new neighbor, is taking over her best friend's bedroom...and her identity. Meet Emme. Her name is a palindrome. Her birthday is on New Year's. She has two moms, which recently has been feeling like one mom too many. She's so short that last week she was mistaken for a kindergartner. She loves her enormous orange cat. She used to be an optimist (harder these days). At least there's Hannah. Maybe they'll become friends? But while Hannah and Emme are alike in so many ways, they're different in all the wrong ways. Is this the perfect friendship, or a recipe for disaster?

Sometimes friends, school, and boys can be a recipe for disaster! Alicia Ramirez has always loved baking. Her family owns Say It With Flour, the small bakery in town. And Ali's specialties are cake pops: delicious confections on a stick. But Ali's sweet life turns sour when a sleek coffee shop opens across the street, giving her bakery a run for its money. Worst of all, the owner's son, Dane McGuire, likes to bake, too. He's the new kid in Ali's school . . . and happens to be annoyingly cute. When Dane and Ali engage in a bake-off to prove who is the cake-pop master, it's Ali's chance to save Say It With Flour. But will she be able to rise to occasion . . . and ignore what her heart might be telling her?

Tis the season... for heartbreak? Emery Mason is not a fan of the holidays. She's so over the tinsel, the shopping, and all the other trappings of the season. Unfortunately, this year, Em is forced to work - as an elf! - at her parents' Santa photo booth at the mall. There, Em meets Alejandro Perez, who works at the hot cocoa shop next door and is always full of holiday spirit. Alex is cute, but he's nothing like Em's real crush - the brooding and artistic Sawyer Kade. But the more time Em spends with Alex, the more she realizes that she may not be the Grinch she always thought she was. Soon, a blizzard, a Secret Santa surprise, and a family disagreement throw Em's world upside down. Can Em embrace the magic of the holidays and find the perfect boy to kiss under the mistletoe?

Malie's mom manages an ice cream parlor, but Malie's real love is ballet. She dreams of landing the lead in an upcoming production of Cinderella and dancing onstage while her boyfriend, Ethan, cheers from the audience. But Malie's mom is less than supportive. Then cute new boy Alonzo arrives from Italy. His true love is ice cream-gelato, to be exact. Alonzo offers a Malie a deal: If she lets him help out at the parlor, she can take dance lessons from his mom, a famed ballerina. As Malie pirouettes between the parlor and the ballet studio, things start to spin out of control. Does she have feelings for Alonzo? What about Ethan? And if she doesn't get a role in Cinderella, can she find her happily ever after?

When Lise Santos stumbles into a bakery's midnight taste test, she meets a supercute boy. He's as sweet as the macarons they share, and Lise is totally smitten. She's pretty sure he is, too - but they never get a chance to exchange names. Now Lise has to find him again... When Lise finally discovers who her mystery guy is, he's not at all what she expected - and suddenly they don't get along anymore! Things become even more complicated when her friend Viv starts to express interest in him. Now Lise's head and heart are all in a jumble. Can she gather the courage to admit her true feelings... or is this a recipe for total disaster?

Pugs and Kisses meets The Baby-sitters Club in this story of three friends, adorable pugs, and a dog-walking business! The best part of Kat's day is getting to walk her neighbor's irresistible pug, Meatball. So when her parents insist she start an extracurricular this year, she makes her own, by turning her hobby into a business: a dog-walking business, that is. She and her best friends, Taz and Lucy-as well as the cute new boy, Declan-try to get Four Paws Dog Walking into shape. But wrangling puppies and pleasing customers turns out to be harder than they thought! Can Kat keep taking care of the dogs she loves without hurting her friendships?

Bria Muller is stuck on her aunt and uncle's dairy farm for the summer, and she is not happy about it. Milking cows alongside her cousins Wren and Luke? No thanks. The one thing she's good at is mixing up milkshakes in the creamery. Instead of their usual vanilla, she starts crafting towering, over-the-top shakes like the ones she loved sipping back home in Chicago. Wren, and most of the customers, aren't impressed. Everyone seems to think Bria is just a snobby city girl. There is one person who appreciates the sweet, cold treats: Gabe, her cousins' cute friend who helps out on the farm. But with the family business in danger of being sold, can Bria's shakes make a difference... and will she ever fit into country life?

When Sam comes home one day to find two mystery pugs left on her porch, she's sure it's destiny. She's always wanted a dog of her own, even though her parents say that their catering business keeps the family too busy for a pet-let alone two! But Sam has to take in the sweet, abandoned pups... at least until their real owners turn up. Only, she's not quite prepared for how hard it is to wrangle two frisky dogs, especially when she sneaks them into the parties her parents cater. Thankfully, cute new boy in town, Jai, whose dad works at the same events, is on hand to help when the pugs start wreaking havoc. Sam and Jai are also determined to find just where the pugs came from, and they start posting about the pups online. But if they solve the mystery, and the dogs' owner does come forward, will Sam have to give up the pugs she's fallen in love with?

Award-winning author Angela Cervantes returns to the fan favorite animal shelter featured in Gaby, Lost and Found, with a heartfelt novel about friendship and finding your voice. Can Lety find her voice before it's too late? Lety Muñoz's first language is Spanish, and she likes to take her time putting her words together. She loves volunteering at the animal shelter because the dogs and cats there don't care if she can't always find the right words. When the shelter needs a volunteer to write animal profiles, Lety jumps at the chance. But classmate Hunter also wants to write profiles-so he devises a competition to determine the official shelter scribe. Whoever gets their animals adopted the fastest wins. Lety agrees, but she's worried that if the shelter finds out about the contest, they'll kick her out of the volunteer program. Then she'll never be able to adopt Spike, her favorite dog at the shelter! A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2019 A New York Public Library Best Book of 2019 A 2020 Pura Belpre Honor Award Book