Mallory's favorite genre is contemporary realistic fiction. She adores reading about girls like her and what they're going through. Mallory is also obsessed with soccer. Therefore, Mallory adores Nancy Rue's Lucy series. There are four books in the series all revolving around Lucy, a feisty middle schooler who not only plays soccer, but also is trying to maneuver her way through family issues, friends and frenemies, school and faith. Nancy Rue has an authentic voice for middle schoolers, truly reaching them where they are. She tackles real problems with honesty and grace. Not only has Mallory gobbled up every word in the series, but she's reading them all over again. 

Max would rather read a Sports Illustrated than a book any day. It's not that he's not a good reader. He is. A very good reader. So much so, that SI Kids bores him, and he delves deep into the talented writing staff week after week of Sports Illustrated. But there are articles in SI that aren't meant for twelve year olds, plus there's something inside me that longs for my son to experience the magic of books, especially the world, places and characters that fiction introduces us to.

When Max was grudgingly searching for a new title for his summer reading, I suggested The New Recruit by Jill Williamson. Knowing Jill, because we're represented by the same literary agent, I had downloaded her YA Christian spy story on my Kindle a few months back. I'd only had a chance to read the first two chapters. The main character, Spencer, is forced to choose between military school and a Christian spy organization and he never seems to put down his basketball. It was worth a shot. It turns out it was a three pointer. Max loved reading on my Kindle, plowed through the book in just a couple of days, and just spent his own money to buy the second book in the series, Project Gemini. He gave The New Recruit five out of five stars. I honestly haven't seem him enjoy a book so much since he read Tim Tebow's Through My Eyes.