Most Popular Books by Laura Dower

Maddie has the red, white, and blues this Fourth of July! The Fourth of July is super special in Far Hills. Everyone goes to the carnival, parade, and fireworks display—including all of Madison''s BFFs. Even her crush, Hart, is going. But Maddie''s excitement deflates when she learns she will have to spend the holiday week at Gramma Helen''s house on Lake Michigan. Maddie adores her gramma, but missing out on all the fun back home has her feeling the blues. When she meets a new boy at the lake, she feels fireworks—even though it''s not yet the Fourth of July! Maybe this summer won''t be so bad after all.

Madison and her friends have big plans for the summer-but everything is about to change. After agreeing to baby-sit for the neighbor''s quiet kids down the block, Madison soon finds out that they''re not so quiet after all. Will Madison and her BFFs turn down the heat themselves-or will lifeguard-in-training Hart save the summer?

Madison is tired of all the secrets—why can''t everyone just keep it real? Madison''s not sure if her imagination is working overtime. Everyone—including her mom—is acting different! When Maddie checks out a new feature on TweenBlurt.com, she finds out her keypal, Bigwheels, has been keeping things from her. And then Hart sends a mean email about Madison—is he keeping secrets too? The truth is not always obvious, and Maddie isn''t sure how to get the answers she wants. When her mom tells her a secret about Poison Ivy''s family, Maddie knows it''s serious news, and she''s tempted to share it—especially when Ivy is acting mean. But some information is not ours to share . . .

Maddie would be excited for the overnight field trip in the woods—if only she''d been camping before! Madison is feeling like an outsider. Far Hills Junior High''s seventh grade is headed on an overnight camping field trip. Maddie has been on sleepovers before, but never to sleep-away camp—and it is a whole different world. There are going to be activities like climbing the tower and even a talent show. Plus, there''s one big challenge for Madison: no laptops! Luckily Maddie has a new journal, her best friends, and determination to make it through this adventure in the woods.

Madison and her friends are going to a pop concert! When Madison and her friends win front-row tickets to see their favorite pop singer, Nikki, in concert, they can''t believe their luck. Nikki just seems so perfect! All the magazines say so. Going to the mall to find the right outfit for the big night should be fun, but Madison''s friend Aimee just doesn''t seem like herself these days. She''s not eating, and she''s grumpy all the time. Getting zits and wearing the coolest outfit doesn''t seem important when Aimee''s health is at risk. Can Madison remind her friend that feeling good on the inside is what makes you look that way on the outside?

When Far Hills Junior High puts on a play, can Madison survive the drama? The seventh grade gets stage fever when Far Hills Junior High decides to perform the musical The Wiz. Since Madison doesn''t sing or dance, stage manager seems like the perfect role for her—until she begins to feel left out from all the cast action. Worst of all, her two best friends are partnering up with their nemesis, Ivy, both in and out of rehearsal. The play is bringing out the worst in her enemies and her friends, and Madison isn''t sure where she fits in anymore. How can she be the glue keeping the play together when she herself feels so unglued?

Can Maddie follow her heart this Valentine''s Day? Far Hills Junior High is having its Valentine''s dance, and Valentine''s Day fever has taken over the seventh grade! Madison can''t stop thinking about what to wear and whether she''ll go to the dance with a date. Her two BFFs seem to have this dance thing all wrapped up—they know exactly whom they''re going with. Madison''s crush, Hart, is giving her mixed signals and an anonymous secret admirer is sending her emails and putting sweet notes in her locker. Could her admirer be Hart, as she secretly hopes? When her good friend Drew asks her to the dance, Madison panics. There is so much Maddie doesn''t know about boys, Valentine''s Day, secret admirers, and everything in between. Why can''t the signs be easier to read?

No one likes a snow-it-all A giant winter storm hits Far Hills and school is canceled! Madison and her friends try to fill their snowy days while waiting for a chance to hit the local lake for some skating. While helping her mom in the attic, Madison finds boxes filled with old memories—from both her mom''s and her own early years. In the boxes, Madison discovers some surprising truths about herself and her friends—including a sealed letter from second grade that she wrote with her best-friend-turned-archenemy, Poison Ivy!

Will Christmas break be a total bust? The Christmas season is looking up for Madison. Her dad''s promised her a big ski trip, she''s performing in the big Winter Jubilee concert, and all her friends will be around during the break. Madison feels full of cheer with all that she has to look forward to. Then her two BFFs start avoiding her, and her dad cancels the trip. Maddie''s super-fun Christmas plans are falling apart. Then a chance volunteer opportunity at the local retirement home pairs her with an older woman who never has visitors. As Madison puts more effort into visiting Mrs. Romano at the home, she realizes how giving to others can fill you with cheer in return.

Being stuck at home with the flu is bad, but being heartsick is worse! Ugh! Maddie and her BFFs Fiona and Aimee all have the flu and need to stay home from school. Maddie is so sick that Gramma Helen has to fly in from Chicago to take care of her while her mom works. Trapped in bed, Maddie''s only interaction with the outside world is through her computer and her bedroom window. When she spies a cute boy next door, she wonders how she never noticed him before. The boy is Josh Turner—a ninth grader—and Maddie certainly notices him now. Josh seems to be flirting with her, and Maddie is falling hard. It seems her long-held crush on Hart has faded. Is it possible that Maddie has had a change of heart?

Everything great about being a girl is packed into this fun and informative book.

Maddie''s ski vacation is shaping up to be a disaster—can she catch a break? A surprise ski trip with her dad is just what Maddie''s winter vacation needs. And when Dad says she can bring along her BFF Aimee and her pug, Phinnie, it''s guaranteed to be the best week ever. But things keep going wrong: First the group gets a flat tire, and then there''s snow in their hotel room. It seems like Maddie has the most terrible luck ever—and to make matters worse, she and Aimee can''t stop fighting. Can a ski class full of cute boys turn this vacation around?

Madison Finn is back online, and she''s spilling all the details on her new friend, old flame, and very unexpected crush Madison, Aimee, Fiona, and the gang are ready for a new school year, but Madison knows that nothing is ever what you expect— especially when it comes to matters of the heart. Regardless of how prepared she is, the eighth grade is going to bring a bunch of awkward new experiences and some major surprises, including a new love interest—and a very confusing love triangle! Perfect for fans of the Dork Diaries, Back Online is the newest novel in the hugely popular From the Files of Madison Finn series.

Madison must balance a confusing class election with thoughts of her first crush Madison Finn couldn''t be happier when she''s picked to work on Far Hills Junior High''s election website. She can''t wait to focus on the website instead of her parents'' divorce and her first-ever crush. When her best friend Aimee decides to give their nemesis, Poison Ivy, some competition for class president, Madison knows the election will get heated. But Madison never thought that a cyber crasher would mess with the site''s candidate profiles. Worst of all, everyone thinks Madison is to blame. Now that she''s in the hot seat, she''d better fix it—fast!

Madison can''t reverse her parents'' divorce, but helping animals in need is a great distraction Holidays can be extra hard when your parents are divorced, and Madison is facing her first Thanksgiving since the "big D." She''s used to having a full house, but when her relatives from Chicago can''t make it, she feels like there''s nothing to be thankful for this year. "Trying to be fair and square is impossible when you feel like part of a triangle," she points out. There has to be a way to get in the holiday spirit, and a volunteer job at the local animal shelter is just the distraction Madison needs!

Trouble is spelled E-G-G at Far Hills Junior High! When Madison hears about a computer contest with big prizes, she is super excited. After all, the cyber savvy seventh-grader loves playing on her computer. But when Fiona and Madison take on Chet and Egg in a little game of double dare, things start to get out of hand. Soon, computer disks are flying and Madison doesn''t know what to do. Will she lose her friendship with Egg and the contest?

When Madison''s friends become the victims of online gossip, Maddie must find the culprit—before she''s blamed for telling secrets Madison seems to be out of the loop these days. News travels so fast around school and online, and Madison is the last to know anything. A new online bulletin board called The Wall has captured the attention of Maddie and her friends. On The Wall, anonymous postings about people keep popping up—and they can be pretty mean. When secrets told in confidence appear on the site under a fake screen name that looks like Madison''s, she finds herself in the hot seat. Who could be so deceptive and hurtful? Maddie is determined to find the culprit and give her a taste of her own medicine.

Madison''s dad is getting remarried, but it''s Maddie who has cold feet! Madison''s dad has dropped some big news: He and Stephanie are getting married. In Texas. In two weeks! Maddie''s head is spinning as the plans and the guest list for the big day keep growing. She''s not sure how she feels about being in the wedding, much less about having a stepmother. There''s a lot to stress about, like finding the perfect dress and reading a poem at the ceremony. And there''s a lot to think about, like what life will be like after her dad gets married. Maddie should be happy for him, but she''s totally confused. Good thing she has her BFFs and the Files of Madison Finn to get through the trip! To Have and to Hold takes place after the Files of Madison Finn, Book 15: Off the Wall and before the Files of Madison Finn, Book 16: Three''s a Crowd.

Forget ghosts—this Halloween, seventh grade is frightening enough For Madison and her friends, the Halloween season is full of activity. There are ghost stories in English class, a big costume dance, and a scary-story contest on Madison''s favorite website. No wonder everyone has Halloween fever! But Madison still needs to find a costume to wear that doesn''t seem too babyish. And what if she looks stupid dancing in front of everyone? No matter what, this Halloween will be one to remember.

Maddie has turned super sleuth! Every week, Madison can''t wait for her favorite show, Crime Time—she loves mysteries and knows she would make a great detective. So when her flute teacher''s priceless sheet music goes missing, Maddie decides to solve the case. As she collects the clues and compiles the list of suspects, Maddie realizes that the thief could be anyone! But soon, playing detective starts to get in the way of Maddie''s friendships, and snooping around takes her to places she doesn''t belong. Is there even a real crime to be solved, or is this just Maddie''s overactive imagination running wild?