Tess, Terrorists and the Tiara by Terry Baldwin

From Amazon - Tess has never been able to compete with her “perfect” older sister, but now she must—if she wants to inherit her grandmother’s priceless tiara. The two girls have been invited to their grandparent’s lake house for the summer to help take care of Grandma who’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The sister who earns the most “helpful points” wins the former beauty queen’s crown.

It’s not easy for Tess, who seems to always get things wrong despite best intentions. But when a secretive family of Muslims moves in nearby and Grandma disappears, Tess learns a lesson about prejudice, fear, and the real value of doing good—a lesson that may be worth even more than the tiara.

What a fun young adult read! Tess and her sister spend the summer at Gradma's and whoever gets the most helpful points gets to keep Grandma's tiara she won back in the day.  Tess is full of energy and has a very active imagination.  She watches the neighbors and her imagination goes wild. 

Baldwin has created very likable characters, easily imagined and approachable.  The pages just flew by, entranced with the story with it's subtle messages,such as don't judge a book by it's cover.  If you're looking for a good, clean read for your middle grader, pick up Tess, Terrorists and the Tiara by Terry Baldwin.  A gem of a read!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.