If I Ever Get Out of Here ( 356 Pages )

Eric Gansworth has written many books for adults, but this is his first Young Adult book. It is a story that examines families and their values, rich vs poor, the haves vs have nots, bullying, and friendship. It is the story of a Native American, Lewis Blake, and his life on the Tuscarora reservation in upstate New York. This Gansworth knows well, as it is where he grew up. Lewis, who has never had a friend, meets George Haddenfield, an army brat, who befriends him. Lewis is unsure of how much about himself he can safely expose. So these two friends discover how different they may be on the outside, and how alike they may be on the inside. This is a very different story from Sherman Alexie's novel, The Absolutely True Story of a Part Time Indian, yet it paints a picture that is true to middle school and all of its peculiarities, a story that instructs the reader about life on a reservation, and a story that raises the question about when is it OK to lie. All of this is woven around Paul McCartney and The Beatles as well as Paul McCartney and Wings. I enjoyed this book immensely.

Russian Roulette, The story of an assasin (372 Pages)

This is the final Alex Rider book in the series by Anthony Horowitz. I've read most of them and really liked most of them. Even while realizing that there is no way a fourteen year old could become an working part of the British MI6, each book is gripping and the reader can't help but "root" for Alex, as he develops his espionage skills. So here comes the last book and it focuses, not on Alex, but on Yassen Gregorovich. a trained assasin and the mortal enemy of Alex. They may be mortal enemies, however, as the reader begins to realize, these two are mirror images of one another. This brings the reader to the question, "When a child experiences dramatic loss of lives in his family, what makes him decide to accept the path of good or evil?" The only thing I'd add to this text is that the reader should first read Stormbreaker, the first book in the Alex Rider series. This is a great example of circular organization, and I wonder if Horowitz had this in mind as he built the series.....hmmm.

Rose Under Fire ( 346+ Pages)

For those people who read Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, you will know that she writes for older Young Adults, or at least for those students with excellent comprehension skills. Her newest book, Rose under Fire, like Code Name Verity, is also based on World War II and it is a nail-biting, action packed, novel that deals with the grim facts of the Nazi regime. I strongly recommend that students read the 4 extra pages before the Acknowledgements at the end of the book. This is the part that explains what is true and what is not. Wein has attempted to do what those prisoners screamed while walking to the gas chambers as well as those survivors, "Tell the world!" How important it is for our students to know what happens when a people believe that they are a pure race and others are not even human! This book is a must read for students studying WW II. It is grim. It is a story of friendships and family and gutsy behavior laced with hope and humor.  It is a story of refusal to give up, and what that necessarily entails. It is laces with poetry, and I definitely would add this to the growing list of new novels about WW II for young adults. And, there is not a single Jewish character in the book, yet another reason for reading it.

Code of Silence ( 333 Pages +)

When is it OK to lie? In this book, Tim Shoemacker presents the reader  with this question and tests it via multiple scenarios. Cooper, Gordy and Hiro have been friends for years. Gordy and Cooper are cousins, and Hiro is a friend to both of them. She is a young lady who wants to be a member of the police force in her town. This is the same police force that her dad belonged to before he was killed. But the one place in this book that becomes an integral part of the book is a local diner called Frank 'n Steins. Frank is one of the owners. He loves kids and knows everyone by name. This is the place the kids come for incredible milk shakes and fries. It is the dream place for many teens who just want a place to hang out. One night, while the three teens (eighth graders) were there, and Frank was cleaning up the place as they finished their shakes and fries,  people wearing masks came in, beat up Frank. The three kids hid as they witnessed the horror taking place. They saw Frank bloodied and beaten down on the floor. They heard the robbers discussing going upstairs to open the safe where Frank kept his money. He didn't believe in banks. While the robbers were upstairs breaking into the safe, the three kids got out grabbing the keys sticking in the door and the hard drive that kept track of everyone entering the building, the hard drive that had the three teens' faces on it. Cooper tries to catch up on his bike with Hiro and Gordy who are racing away on their bikes. He falls, avoiding a car coming out of Dunkin' Doughnuts and knows that at least one of the robbers has spotted him. The teens meet up and Cooper pressures the other two to agree to a Code of Silence which in turn leads to lies necessary to be told in order to keep their secret. This book is one that opens up the question of when is it necessary/OK to lie? When is it important to trust adults to protect teens and do the right thing? At the end of the book there are author's notes as well as a page of 10 questions for readers to consider. It looks as though there may be a follow-up to this book called Back Before Dark.