Lost & Found by Anne Schraff (Bluford High Series)

Darcy has a lot on her mind: a mother exhausted by the demands of her job, a beloved grandmother slipping away as the result of a stroke, an absentee father suddenly reappearing after five years, a sister caught up with the wrong crowd, a crush on a shy-guy classmate, and her own sense of loneliness. Schraff packs the novel’s brief 133 pages chock full of tension and challenges. But the high drama along with the urban setting and realistic situations are what keep our students turning the pages of Lost and Found and all of the Bluford series books. This high interest series is written between a third and fifth grade reading level, but features teenage characters dealing with real life issues such as family, friendship, school, depression, violence, loss, and romance. Students that are looking for a rapid-paced, realistic, accessible read that they can complete relatively quickly will become fast fans of the series. All titles would be ideal for independent reading time or a fiction study.--Anne Lotito Schuh

Schraff, Anne. Lost and Found. New York: Scholastic, 2002.