Nothing but Trouble

Sixth-grader Maggie feels out of place in Odawahaka, a small Pennsylvania town with a decrepit, slated-for-closure middle school. She's a nerd who focuses her smarts on "hacking," an elaborate form of pranking that her late father, whom she never met, learned in school at MIT. The Hacker's Bible -- her dad's collection of notebooks containing all his hacking expertise -- is a secret between Maggie and her dad (whose encouraging voice she hears in her head) until Lena, equally nerdy and a little bit nosy, moves to town, and a conflicted Maggie shares this once-private part of her life. "The Mouse," a persona created by Maggie and now shared by Lena, claims responsibility for their amusing hacks and eventually runs for class president, with overwhelming student support (and possibly that of Mrs. Dornbusch, a homeroom teacher who claims not to care). Maggie's family life, which includes a mother who struggles with alcoholism and a grandfather whose health is declining, adds depth to the shenanigans, not least because of Maggie's slowness to realize she's not the only intelligent one in her house. This series starter, full of unapologetic girl power and complete with appended activities based on Maggie's interest in physics and Lena's in Dadaism, might especially appeal to lonely studious-and-creative types, with its reassurance that they're not as alone as they may think. shoshana flax

Sixth grader Maggie enjoys "hacking," a form of pranking her late father learned at MIT. When equally nerdy Lena moves to town, Maggie shares this once-private part of her life. Maggie's mother struggles with alcoholism and her grandfather's health is declining, adding depth to the shenanigans. Full of unapologetic girl power, the book also includes appended activities based on the girls' interests in physics and Dadaism.