Inside Hudson Pickle

Gr 5–7—A serviceable coming-of-age story about family, bullying, sports, and crushes in middle school. When Hudson's uncle Vic's apartment catches fire, Hudson's mom invites Vic to live with them. Hudson is adjusting after being cut from an AAA hockey team and trying to salvage his friendships after being a jerk the year prior. Hudson has trouble talking about his feelings, especially since his mother avoids discussing family issues—mainly, who Hudson's father is and where he lives. When Hudson's teacher assigns the students a presentation about their future career choices, Hudson has to decide what he should pursue, which leads him on an emotional roller coaster, with his uncle along for the ride. The narrative tackles a variety of topics: asthma, a fire investigation, amateur sleuthing, and Hudson's attempts to figure out why words never come out right when he talks to his basketball practice teammate Willow. Readers will enjoy this fast-paced book about awkward middle school adventures, the mysteries of genetics, and one boy's efforts to cope with dark family secrets. While the characters are not particularly memorable, the journey is.