Ryan, P. E.  In Mike We Trust.  HarperTeen, 2009.  978-0-06-085813-1.  $16.99.  Grades 7 to 10.

Garth is scrawny, short, and closeted.  Out only to his mother (who prefers he keep it that way) and his best friend Lisa, Garth is excited when his unconventional Uncle Mike comes for a visit.  It quickly becomes apparent to Garth that his late father’s identical twin couldn’t be more different from his dad.  Mike helps Garth to discover his strength, to go on his first date, and to help his mother come to terms with who her son is.  Along the way, Mike also entwines Garth in a less-than-honest moneymaking scheme, and Garth must learn that family, trust, and honesty don’t always mean the same thing to different people.  -John Andrews