Honey - by Sarah Weeks

This is a very fun and sweet book, that has absolutely nothing to do with honey.  However, it does involve a dog, a beauty salon, tuna noodle casserole, an annoying 6-year-old girl, a wonderful teacher, a grumpy teacher, and some dandelions. Oh, and a dead mom.  Yeah, there's that.  Don't worry, though. It's a happy story, but some characters have to deal with a few issues along the way. You know, kind of like life itself.

Really, this is the story of young teen Melody, and her quest to find something she didn't even know she had lost.  Through the story, we meet her friends and family, a delightful stylist named Bee Bee, and her grandpa.  Lots of bad cooks, which strangely becomes a plot line. It's a swiftly-moving tale of growing up, learning secrets that your dad never knew when to tell you, and finding delight where you least expect it.

The strangest thing: This book got me interested in nail polish.  Really.  Nail polish.  Read it and you'll understand.