13 Gifts

Wendy Mass’s most recent novel, 13 Gifts, brings back the mysterious Angelina D’Angelo from 11 Birthdays and Finally. Characters from those two awesome books – Amanda, Leo, Rory, David, Jake, and Emily are also in this story. Tara Brennan has always been pushed to make friends by her mother, who spends most of her time working on research. She makes a huge mistake when trying to fit in and gets caught stealing her principal’s goat. As punishment, her parents send her to the place they grew up – Willow Falls – while they continue her mom’s research in Madagascar. Tara has to stay with her mom’s sister, Uncle, and her young cousin, Emily. On the train ride there, she loses her mom’s ipod , her phone, and all of her money. Once there, she immediately makes friends with the kids her age. She makes another huge mistake when she tries to sell her uncle’s rare comic to a strange woman (Angelina) with a duck-shaped birthmark on her face. Angelina calls her out and forces her to strike a deal – Angelina won’t tell if Tara can collect 13 unusual items – she will even pay her the $200 she lost on her train ride. Will Tara be able to fulfill her end of the bargain? Will Amanda, Leo, or Rory shed light on the mystifying Angelina? What secrets does Willow Falls hold about Tara’s parents’ past? Read 13 Gifts to find out. You won’t be disappointed! Watch Scholastic's book trailer below.