Then he meets Posey, the brash new girl from next door, and an eccentric man named Banjo, who’s off on a bodacious adventure of his own. What follows is a summer of taking chances, becoming braver, and making friends — and maybe Walter can learn who he wants to be without the brother he always wanted to be like. “Halfway to Harmony,” by award-winning author Barbara O’Connor of Asheville, is an utterly charming story about change and growing up. This is a heartfelt middle-grade novel about a boy whose life is upended after the loss of his older brother — timeless, classic, and whimsical. Hardcover, 240 pages, $16.99; e-book, $7.99 (prices may vary by retailer).