THE QUESTION OF MIRACLES, by Elana K. Arnold

The story: Iris feels like her new home and life in Oregon are as grey and overcast as the sky. Witness to her best friend's death, the 6th grader just can't let go--she visits a psychic, tries to get a recording of her friend's ghost voice, and even wonders about the possibility of a miracle to bring her friend back to life. She would never have guessed that a geeky kid named Boris would help her move on--not to the other side like Sarah, but into another life...one that's not quite so grey.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence G; Sexual content G; Nudity G; substance abuse G; magic & the occult (mostly questions about the existence of ghosts) PG; GLBT content G; adult themes (grief, depression) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: I liked this book all right, but I did think Iris's inability to start healing (even a year after her friend's death) got tiresome after a while. This book will appeal to kids who are themselves dealing with grief, but Iris doesn't find any magic fixes--although she does start to open up by the end of the story, and the prognosis seems good that she'll find normality again at some point (although it'll be a different norm than before).