A House Called Awful End by Philip Ardagh

"When Eddie Dickens was eleven years old, both his parents caught some awful disease that made them turn yellow, go a bit crinkly around the edges, and smell of old hot water bottles." So starts this book, the first in the Eddie Dickens Trilogy. Eddie's Mad Uncle Jack and Even Madder Aunt Maud take Eddie to their home, Awful End. A madcap series of zany adventures begins, with zany characters abounding throughout the pages of this quick read (alright, I didn't actually read this book, I listened to it on audio CD in my car, but that's considered reading, too!).

You'll love this book if you liked A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (for the offbeat humor, use of vocabulary definitions, and frequently absurd happenings). And if you really liked this book, continue on with the series!

Drita My Homegirl by Jenny Lombard

When ten-year-old Drita and her family, refugees from Kosovo, move to New York City, Drita is teased about not speaking English well, but after Maxie, a popular student, is forced by their teacher to learn about Kosovo as a punishment for teasing Drita, the two girls soon bond.

The theme is a perennial favorite of middle school literature: that despite our differences, we truly are more alike than we may have originally have thought. This book, the first by the author, was a quick and enjoyable read. I particularly liked the format, with Drita and Maxie telling their side of the story in alternating chapers.

If you liked this book, you'll also like Defining 'Normal' by Julie Anne Peters (for the theme) and Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen (for the alternating chapters format).