Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman / Meg Wolitzer 294 p.

Twelve year old Duncan Dorfman is struggling to fit into a new school in a new town. He has a secret talent with his fingertips of his left hand he can determine letters. His single mother doesn't want him to share with anyone this secret talent. She struggles to provide for him and lands a job with at the local discount store. When he reveals his supernatural talent, Carl Slater grabs him for the Junior Scrabble team. Being able to pick high point letters and good letters Carl figures will give his team just the advantage to win the national Youth Scrabble Tournament. The narrative intertwines the stories of three tournament teams as they work towards the tournament. Once they meet face-to-face they form alliances. Duncan is consumed with misgivings. He wants to win on his and Carl’s efforts alone—and, Carl wants to win. The novel is filled with Scrabble words. A great choice for Scrabble players and those who don’t play will by the end of the book. 2012 Notable Children's Books