Ashley Templeton Is Ruining My Life

It's clear that this is not the seventh grade that Kyle Reedy had planned. He can deal with the yeti-sized Ross Wilkie, who harasses Kyle like it's his job. Kyle can accept the fact that he made a mistake in filling out the form for his school's required community service. (Yes, he'd planned to be stocking shelves in the food pantry, which sounded pretty easy, and instead he discovered he'd be on scooper duty at the local greyhound rescue.) But the part that he can't handle, the part that is absolutely wrong, is what happens in band. Kyle, who loves making music more than anything else, learns on the first day that the coveted seat in his band's first clarinet section, a seat that should be his, a seat that was destined to be his, has been given to someone else. Her. Ashley Templeton. And he's pretty sure that every single problem he's having is all her fault. [Middle Grade: Ages 8-12] "Ashley Templeton is Ruining My Life is one of the funniest books I have ever read. Kate Aspengren nails the voice of a likeable middle-school boy and his friends as she tells a story that is charming, delightful, hilarious, moving, and deeply satisfying. I loved it!" -Kelly Dwyer, author of two novels and two children's books, including Self-Portrait with Ghosts and The Dream Tree "Kate Aspengren is a gifted writer who clearly hasn't forgotten a thing about either the joy or the turmoil of adolescence. Ashley Templeton Is Ruining My Life is a funny, sweet story, with great characters and a lot of heart." -Bart Yates, author of Leave Myself Behind "Kate Aspengren's writing is crisp, clear, and flavored with a dry wit." -Maggie Conroy, author of Maria Mitchell's Discovery "This novel is filled with laughs and irresistible characters. I loved them all-even Ashley Templeton." -Mary Vermillion, author of Seminal Murder