Eleven by Lauren MyracleEleven follows a year in the life of 11-year-old Winnie. Starting with her birthday party in March, Winnie's story begins with a rocky start. Winnie learns the importance of including everyone and treating everyone the same. Specifically, Winnie watches the other girls in her class treat Dinah poorly because she dresses differently and acts, according to the some, "babyish." The summer before Winnie starts 6th grade initiates some of the changes she will endure. The first big change takes her by surprise. Her best friend Amanda who always wants to do the same things as Winnie begins to get a bit more interested in guys and a bit less interested in the stories and plays that Winnie loves to create. In addition to that, the new girl in school, Gail, intends to become the queen bee, pushing out Winnie and Dinah from activities and plans. It soon becomes apparent that Gail wants to be Amanda's best friend and plans to leave Winnie behind. Winnie uncovers that truth that you may find your true friends in unexpected places when you aren't even looking for them.
With each chapter representing a month in Winnie's 11th year, Myracle's story is funny and truly reflects real life. Read about her summer vacation to the beach, the cat emergency on Halloween, the Chinese Jump Rope competition, and the incredibly rare blizzard in Georgia. Give this title a shot and, if you like it, keep a lookout for the other books in the series, "The Winnie Years."