Calli Be Gold

It%E2%80%99s hard not to fall in love with 11-year-old Calli Gold, who is forced into the role of quiet observer in her very busy, boisterous, and achievement-oriented family. Her sister is on the ice-skating team, her brother is a basketball star, and the family calendar is filled with everyone%E2%80%99s activities except Calli%E2%80%99s (%E2%80%9CLight yellow is the color of my Post-its. There are only two of them on the Calendar.... One is for a dentist appointment and the other is for a haircut%E2%80%9D). She is shuttled around between her siblings%E2%80%99 engagements, occasionally forced to try yet another after-school activity that ultimately disappoints both her and her family. Things change, however, when she meets second-grader Noah Zullo, who has a similarly detail-oriented perspective on the world and is in dire need of a friend. The pressures of modern family life come through loud in clear in Hurwitz%E2%80%99s debut novel, which should speak to children who, like Calli, know what it%E2%80%99s like to be a normal, even average, member of a family that values success above all else. Ages 8%E2%80%9312. (Apr.)