At my library, we constantly keep our eyes open for new first chapter books to add to the collection. This absolutely makes the list, and Wendy Maas has truly outdone herself with something so informative and enjoyable.

Jolene has recently lost her best friend and neighbor after she moved away. As Jolene learns she has too much that she doesn’t use, her parents suggest a swap-meet (I haven’t heard people doing that for awhile, so I remain hopeful they might make a comeback). Along the way she manages to put together a swap meet with the help of her parents, gets to know her neighbors, and make a few friends too. Throughout the book you learn about recycling, reusing, and upcycling in an enjoyable format. At the end there is further information.