Amy McDougall, Master Matchmaker

Amy McDougall, thirteen, is worried about her dad, Travis, a gay man who adopted her several years before. Travis wants a boyfriend but can’t seem to find one. Amy tries to set him up on a computer dating site without success. Even her very smart BFF, Grace Kwan, can’t help. Amy suspects her handsome Spanish teacher is also single and gay, so she decides to make a match. After much maneuvering, Travis and Enrique are seriously dating. But that’s not enough to prove her matchmaking prowess, so Amy sets up Grace’s mother and even sets up Grace with very cool Denry, who is perfect for her. But everything isn’t all Amy hoped for with Enrique in their life, and she tells Enrique just how she feels saying the complaints are Travis’s, stirring up trouble.

Gary Pedler has written a story that many middle-grade readers will relate to. Amy is a spunky character readers will root for, and the rest of the characters are well-rounded and interesting. There is trouble at every turn, created by Amy, making for a fun page-turner of a story. The writing is lively and the voice of Amy is spot on.