Ivy in the Shadows by Chris Woodworth (review)

Twelve-year-old Ivy is none too pleased with her mother as of late: recently divorced, Mom has landed a job as a waitress (putting Ivy in charge of her little brother JJ for the first time), befriended their church's single pastor, and agreed to provide room and board for Caleb, the son of traveling missionaries. In addition to the turmoil brought by her mother's new job and Caleb's presence in her home, Ivy is also struggling with her best friend, Ellen, who's beginning to chase the popular crowd at Ivy's expense. When Ivy's mom's best friend, "Aunt" Maureen, swoops in to help care for Ivy, JJ, and Caleb while Ivy's mom works, Ivy is both relieved and angry at Maureen for usurping Ivy's newly found familial authority. This is pleasantly meaty stuff for a middle-grade novel, and Woodworth's characters are wonderfully and credibly complex, especially the adults. Kids going through their own friendship woes will sympathize with Ivy as she wrestles with her relationships with Caleb and Ellen; in a refreshing and realistic twist, Ellen doesn't see the error of her ways but in fact chooses mean popular girl Alexa over Ivy. Readers who gravitate towards family drama and friendship stories will find plenty to appreciate here.