If Jack's in Love by Stephen Wetta

Jack is an average 12-year-old: caught in the awkward stage between childhood and adulthood, struggling to find his place, spending most of his time thinking about his first crush. But his circumstances are anything but typical. It’s the ’60s in the South, his family is considered town trash, he’s a bit of a brain — and his brother is a murder suspect. So he has the dubious honour of being both an outcast and the top of his class. You will fall in love with Jack’s endearing voice as he recounts the summer he fell in love and ultimately grew up.

If Jack's in Love, Stephen Wetta, $29.

— J.F.