Connect the Stars by Marisa De Los Santos and David Teague

Aaron can remember everything he ever heard or saw.  Audrey can always tell when someone is lying. These sound like cool superpowers, but they actually cause a lot of problems for the two tweens in their respective middle schools. Both Aaron's and Audrey's parents decide they need a break from everyday life and send them to a six week survival camp in the Arizona desert.  On the trek, the two join a host of other quirky kids, each with their hangups and strengths.  As they trudge through punishing heat and become much too familiar with the local cacti, they help each other find new and more constructive ways of looking at the world.  De Los Santos adds a mystery element that helps move the plot along, but this is really a book about becoming okay with what and who you are. It was a nice story and I enjoyed it.  It was maybe not 100% realistic, but it was positive and upbeat, and the message was good: keep on growing up and believe that things will get better.  341p.