Peeled, by Joan Bauer

Okay, I know it seems as if I have read nothing but books by Joan Bauer.  Well, it is true that the last three books I read were all by her, and I also had to return them all to the library at the same time.  But I promise you diverse reads in the future!  Anyway, Peeled should especially appeal to those who aspire to be a journalist, but anyone who reads it should enjoy it. I would even recommend it to the later middle school grades (7th & 8th); in most bookstores and libraries the book is kept in the teen section.  Let me tell you: if you want to be a journalist, be like Hildy Biddle.  Only write about events if you know for a fact that they are true.  Hildy lives in a small town where much of the local economy is based on family-owned orchards.  There are farmers' markets every weekend, and on the surface it would seem to be a pleasant little town in upstate New York.  Then strange things begin happening in the neighborhood, and Hildy, along with her team at the high school paper, work to uncover the truth while competing with the bigger town newspaper.  News (fictional or otherwise) travels fast, and as the story unfolds, Hildy learns what it really means to be a reporter and stays true to her passion.  Bauer has yet again created a strong and likable female protagonist, and I absolutely enjoyed reading this book.