Shooting Kabul ( 252 Pages)

This is a short, easy read, and is very current. Students will learn many words from the Afghanistan language. But the Afghani words do not detract from the enjoyment of the read! Noor, Fadi, and Miriam are two sisters and one brother. They live in Kabul with their mother and father until Their father sat the children and his wife, Zafooda, down and told them they needed to leave Afghanistan because the Taliban has made life very dangerous. And so the next night they prepare to leave in a truck that is packed with others hoping to escape. Fadi is given the responsibility of holding Miriam's hand as they run after father. Noor has her hands full with their mother, who has not been well. As Fadi and Miriam are about to climb onto the truck, Miriam drops her Barbie and pulls away to retrieve it. At that exact moment, the Taliban screech into the square where the truck is idling, and the driver shouts that he's getting the truck out of there. Miriam is left behind.  The entire family is heartsick about the little six year old alone in a war zone. However, they continue to head towards San Francisco, California in America where father's brother and family live. The rest of the book deals with the various family members trying to find Miriam. They do!:-)

Echo (587 Pages)

Pam Munoz Ryan, author of well known Esperanza Rising, has written a gem. The book consists of 4 parts with different characters, times, and places in each story. And yet.... they are all connected in a way, and the reader needs to figure out how! There is magic, mystery, family love, and music. Everything comes together in the final section. My friend read it and said I had to get it and read it immediately! I did, and I loved it as much as she did.

Carry On (517 Pages)

I enjoyed Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor and Park, and also Fan Girl. So, in spite of the fact that I usually avoid books having anything to do with zombies and/or vampires, I decided to give this book a try. Rowell has the ability to draw the reader into the book and make her characters believable! The book certainly hints at being "Harry Potteresque" yet it stands on its own. Simon is supposedly the most powerful magician to ever be, or so the head of school believes. He rooms with Baz at Watford School, an elite school for perfecting Magicians' skills.  Baz is a vampire, and slips away to find various warm blooded animals to feast upon! Simon stays alert around Baz, but is never in danger of becoming a "meal" for his roommate. Readers will discover much about Simon and his missing family life as they read this book. It's a fun read, and an easy read, so the pages fly by. Your students will enjoy it!

The Patron Saint of Butterflies (292 Pages)

A first novel for Cecilia Galante, this book mirrors the communes we have heard about where brain washing techniques have been used to control the members. Agnes and Honey have been best friends ever since they were babies. However, Agnes has become so immersed in religion, striving to be a saint as dictated by the leader of the commune, Emmanuel. As the book progresses, the reader is presented with Honey's point of view that something is not right about the whole set up at Mount Blessing. When Nana Pete, Agnes and Benny's grandmother, arrives at the commune, she learns something so frightening to her, that she decides to "kidnap" the three children. Nana Pete's son and daughter in law (Agnes & Benny's Mother and Father) have changed their names and believe Emmanuel is as close to being Jesus as is possible. They go along with everything he says and does. This is another book that "teaches" about the importance of standing up for what you believe. I believe this is one of the most important lessons we can teach our children!

The Secret Language of Sisters ( 336 Pages)

This is the first YA book written by Luanne Rice, and I believe it should be required reading for all high school students. It includes themes around family, love, and friendship. Ruth Ann McCabe (known as Roo) and her sister Mathilda ( known as Tilly) are best friends and tell each other all of their secrets. Roo is the oldest, a junior in high school, and Tilly is a freshman in the same high school. Roo is an extraordinary photographer. They live on the coast of  Connecticut, just north of the Connecticut River. Roo takes pictures of nature in the area: marshes, woods, the water of Long Island Sound. With her boy friend of many years, she has also taken pictures of the night sky. One day, the light was just perfect, and Roo was taking pictures on her way to pick up Tilly. She was late, and Tilly was impatient. "Where ARE you?" Tilly texted Roo. "5 minutes"  Roo texted back. And that was the last Tilly heard from Roo. This book will have readers on the edge of their seats. It not only is a beautiful story about sisters, but also an important lesson about the dangers of driving and texting!