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Solving Zoe

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About The Book


Zoe Bennett feels lost at her fancy private school.

She's not the star drama queen like her sister, or a brainiac math genius like her brother. Luckily her best friend, Dara, is just as content as Zoe is to stay in the shadows -- or is she? When Dara gets a part in the school musical, Zoe feels abandoned. What's worse, Zoe's practically being stalked by the weird new kid, Lucas. Then Lucas accidentally drops his notebook and Zoe finds it's written in symbols and numbers -- it's complete gibberish. Yet she sees her name in there, plain as day. Now Lucas is telling her she's a natural code-reading genius -- or some kind of mental freak.

As Zoe's daydreaming lands her in trouble at school, anonymous notes start to appear in students' lockers, and Zoe is the number one suspect. Solving word puzzles may come easily to her, but now there's more at stake -- will Zoe be able to solve her way out of this?

With plenty of wit and insight, Barbara Dee has created this fresh, funny story of a girl who discovers that fitting in sometimes means standing out.

About The Author

Carolyn Simpson
Barbara Dee

Barbara Dee is the author of fourteen middle grade novels including Unstuck, Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet, Violets Are BlueMy Life in the Fish TankMaybe He Just Likes You, Everything I Know About YouHalfway Normal, and Star-Crossed. Her books have earned several starred reviews and have been named to many best-of lists, including The Washington Post’s Best Children’s Books, the ALA Notable Children’s Books, the ALA Rise: A Feminist Book Project List, the NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, and the ALA Rainbow List Top Ten. Barbara lives with her family, including a naughty cat named Luna and a sweet rescue hound named Ripley, in Westchester County, New York.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Aladdin (April 6, 2010)
  • Length: 256 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781416991595
  • Ages: 9 - 13
  • Lexile ® 640 The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®

Raves and Reviews

"Solving Zoe is funny, fast-paced, smart, and totally absorbing, with a twist of intrigue that will keep you reading past bedtime. Barbara Dee's a terrific writer." -- Frances O'Roark Dowell

"...this vivid middle-school novel offers readers plenty to think about." -- Booklist

"Zoe's reactions are believable, and readers will follow along as she gains confidence and tries to figure out what she wants and where her passion lies." -- School Library Journal

A Girls Life magazine Top 100 Must Read!

Awards and Honors

  • Bank Street Best Books of the Year

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More books from this author: Barbara Dee