Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles

Wes is ready for 6th grade. He has the style, the friends....what he's not prepared for are the challenges of a teacher who wants his students to think about how they fit into the world around theme and a neighborhood that is about to change drastically. A real estate developer wants to buy out the Kensington Oaks and turn it into upscale condos and shops, just minutes from downtown. Wes' mom is the head of the neighborhood association and a leader of the opposition, but the grownups are tempted by the money that selling their homes will bring. They have no unified plan until Wes begins talking to his teacher about community resources, gentrification, and eventually discovers the forgotten history of the neighborhood that might result in being designated for historic preservation.

 

Chirp by Kate Messner

 

When Mia moves to Vermont the summer between 7th and 8th grade, the challenge is more than just starting a new school. She's recovering from a broken arm after a fall from the balance beam in gymnastics and the last thing she wants to do is start up with a new gymnastics team, or any organized activity for that matter. What she really wants to do is help her grandmother keep her cricket farm in business. Strange accidents have convinced Gram that someone is sabotaging the business, but Mia's parents worry that Gram isn't thinking clearly after suffering a stroke. Her parents force Mia to choose some summer activities. She chooses a STEM program that encourages inventions and new businesses. She also choose an unusual gym program that uses an obstacle course like the one on the popular TV show, American Ninja Warriors. With new skills and new friends, can Mia save the cricket farm by the end of the summer?