Milo: sticky notes and brain freeze by Alan Silberberg 275 pages

The new kid in town is a common theme for middle grade chapter books. Milo's mom died and nothing is bright and happy any more. Milo struggles with his anxieties about himself and his family. He has a crush on a classmate that looks hopeless, but he begins to make new friends. There are Wimpy Kid like drawings and an honesty that readers will recognize. Especially poignant is the slow forming friendship with his elderly neighbor, Sylvia Poole who warns him not to forget his memories of mom. Milo will stay with readers long after the book is finished.