Secrets, Lies and My Sister Kate

This British import is suffused with family secrets, beginning with the geography-obsessed narrator's real name—she goes by Mini, but hates her given name (“The snows on Mount Kilimanjaro, which, as you may know, is a very high triple volcano in Tanzania, could melt away entirely, but I will still not like my name”), which isn't revealed until the end. Mini, 12, and her older sister, Kate, play a fantasy travel game together, envisioning themselves in far-flung locales, and Kate attempts to protect Mini from her tempestuous arguments with their parents, even as Mini tries to figure out what the fights are about. Unpopular at school and feeling left out of the loop at home, Mini finally learns that her parents have mishandled a situation regarding her sister's adoption, after Kate runs away. Mini's ability to track down her missing sister lacks credibility, but she is a spirited and charismatic heroine, and her devotion to her sister fuels the book's emotional core. While the story drags in spots, readers will be drawn into this portrait of an unraveling family. Ages 8–12. (Mar.)