Ready Player One (372 Pages)

Ernest Cline has written a book that certainly will appeal to any boy or girl interested in technology. Publishers Weekly calls this book "An adrenaline shot of uncut geekdom...the perfect lovable/unlikely hero." The setting of this books takes place somewhere in the United States in 2044. Wade Watts is a young teen, whose mother has died. He has been "living" with his aunt who treats him horribly. They live in a trailer which is stacked on top of many other trailers. The trailer park is called The Stacks. Because his environment is so miserable, he spends most of his time in an abandoned trailer where he has rigged a computer to allow him to go on line to Oasis, a site developed by an adult geek, James Halliday, who has died. Oasis allows Wade to escape reality and play the game Halliday invented. The game offers players the chance to win and become multi-billionaires. Every player wants "to get the egg" which is the winning object. One thing I enjoyed while reading this book is the reference to 1980"s  minutia. TV shows, Songs, Magazines etc. It's a fun read. Science fiction/Fiction/Adventure/Mystery!

The Keeper (428 Pages)

This is the sequel to Baldacci's first YA book (The Finisher). In this book Vega Jane and her best friend, Delph, attempt to escape from Wormwood going into The Quag (a place no one has ever gone before) a dangerous place full of horrible monsters who will constantly test her ability to stay alive. All she wants to know is the truth. Is Wormwood the prison she believes it is? Are there people in Wormwood who control the thinking and behavior of the residents. Vega is a fighter who never gives up, and she and Delph will be tested over and over in this final book.

The Finisher (497 Pages)

This is David Baldacci's first YA book. It's an interesting read, partially because he made up vocabulary to match the imaginary setting. Also because his main character is a young girl named Vega Jane, a feisty young lady who believes that Wormwood, where she lives holds some disturbing secrets. She works alongside Quentin who teachers her his craft of finishing the metal work other workers started. Suddenly, Quentin disappears. Vega knows he was chased, and the strange thing is that no one ever leaves Wormwood. Baldacci weaves a story that grips the reader from start to finish. Any student who enjoyed the Harry Potter series, will find this book a wonderful read- if a bit of a challenge.

the truth about forever (374 Pages)

Sarah Dessen has a knack about writing books that hook readers with believable characters that often remind them of themselves! In this book, Dessen creates a young girl, Macy, who has a summer job she hates. But she's doing it for her boyfriend, who is a complete jerk, in my opinion! But her mother believes it will look good on her resume. After all, she's working the desk at the local library. Then she meets Wish Catering- and more important, she meets Wes! Macy gets very involved working for The Wish, and simultaneously finds herself falling for Wes. This is a wonderful read. My daughter didn't want it to end, and neither did I. But isn't that what happens when you read a book that grabs hold of you and doesn't let go?

Stella by Starlight (320 Pages)

I think I've read every book Sharon Draper has written, so when I saw this, I grabbed it. There was no disappointment as has been true with all of her other writes. I've enjoyed them all! Stella lives in North Carolina  during the time of segregation. She is shocked one night when her little brother wakes her up to come with him to see something. Reluctantly she gets out of bed and is surprised to see a meeting of the Klan.  She makes her brother be absolutely quiet as she observes the proceedings. Then they quickly return home and wake up their parents. The Klan has not been active in their area for years, but Stella is sure she recognizes one of the horses. What happens in this book is that some of the men begin to stand up for their beliefs. There are three of them, and they all go to register to vote. They had to argue to convince the registrar to allow it, but they won. And then the Klan took revenge. This is a book that is important one that teaches about a difficult part of our history. Thanks, Sharon Draper...again!

Every Thing Every Thing ( 306 Pages)

This is Nicola Yoon's first YA book, and I hope it won't be her last! Here is her premise: What if for as long as you can remember, you have been told that you are desperately sick.  Your home, your bedroom, your clothes are all set to accommodate your illness. The air system in your home is set to exchange the air on a regular basis, the entrance is made to accommodate those who are entering by assuring they are not carrying anything dangerous like virus, infection etc. One day a new family moves in next door. That family consists of a mother, father, a daughter and a very handsome boy. Madeline has only seen two other people for her whole life: her mother, who is a doctor, and her nurse, Carla. So when she sees Olly, something interesting develops. Eventually they begin to text each other. And one day, Carla breaks every rule in the book and allows Olly to enter the home while the mother is away. This occurs several times and one night, Maddy overhears Olly's dad yelling at Olly and Olly's mother. She runs to her window and sees the drunken father hit Olly. This breaks her heart, and she runs outside to his side to be sure he is OK. Her mother is furious and says that she could have compromised her own life! After several weeks, her mom allows everything to return to normal in the house. So, eventually Maddy realizes that since nothing happened, she needs to be free to live a normal life. She secretly gets an airplane ticket for both of them to go to Hawaii. She has a hotel reserved, and she realizes that she is living. And then she gets seriously sick. Her mother comes to rescue her, brings her home, and Maddy tries to end all contact with him. And then she gets a letter from the doctor who cared for her in Hawaii, and her life changes forever. Your students will ADORE this book.

Circling Jupiter (183 Pages)

I LOVE Gary Schmidt! Whenever I see his name in the new book section of bookstores, I grab it. His earlier book, Wednesday Wars is one of my all time favorites. This book is a close second. It is a bit of a tear jerker, but there is a happy ending. Joseph is a foster child who comes to live with Jack and his family. He was given some yellow pills with a promise of making him feel better, but instead the pills made him immediately become violent. When a teacher comes into the boy's bathroom to look for him, he flies at her attempting to strangle her. This resulted in his being incarcerated in a juvenile detention center.  Upon his release, he shows up with his social worker at Jack's home, a farm where he learns to milk a cow...eventually. But Joseph has some unusual phobias. He doesn't like anyone behind him- ever. He doesn't like to be touched- ever. It turns out that although he is barely fourteen years old, he is the father of a baby girl. His girlfriend,  Madeline Joyce, had complications during delivery, and died. The baby is named Jupiter, who Madeline and he both decided was their favorite planet. This is a short book, but it is powerful, and will be adored by your students- boys and girls!

Cinder (387 Pages)

My friend, Katie, wanted me to read this ages ago, but I hesitated. I don't know why. This is a great read. I want to read the sequel. This novel is a take on the old Cinderella story we all grew up knowing, but with a twist. There is a mean step mother, and two step sisters (only one of them is mean). There is no fairy godmother, no pumpkin, no mice etc. BUT, there is a prince. Cinder is a cyborg, she has an android, she is a very accomplished mechanic. The prince is told she's the best mechanic in the country and brings his broken android to her to fix. And so they meet....Suddenly, Cinder finds herself swept into an inter-galactic struggle involving impossible attraction. She is faced with everything that makes this such a good read: loyalty, duty, freedom, and betrayal. It's a very good read!

Edgewater by Courtney Sheimel (317 Pages)

Another first for me! Courtney Sheimel has written a winner. I read it in one day, didn't want it to end, and spent the last hour of reading in tears. How was I to know that I'd be crying over a relationship with a horse? This about a girl from an upper class family, a girl with a presumably never ending trust fund, a girl who never wanted for anything, a girl who suddenly finds out that the trust fund has vanished! Lorrie is responsible, but finds out that she must leave her private boarding school, return to her home, and try to figure out what in the world is going on with her crazy aunt, who has been the person governing the use of her trust fund. And just as she is starting to deal with everything, she stands at a gas station paying for gas and a coke, when she finds she doesn't have enough money for that and her card is refused, just at that moment she meets Charlie. Charlie is standing behind her and he offers to pay for her fill-up and coke. She agrees only when he says it can be a loan. They fall in love, only to find out family secrets BOTH of them have. It's a great read, and yes, it is a chick flick book! I loved it.

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen (417 Pages)

I have enjoyed all of Dessen's books, and this is no exception. Peyton is Sydney's older brother, and he has long been their mother's favorite, the golden boy of the family. He has cast a shadow over Sydney who thinks of herself as invisible. She is the good child, over looked by her mother and father as they attempt to deal with Peyton's misbehavior. But when Peyton drives drunk one evening and crashes into a young boy, paralyzing him for life, things become even more dark for Sydney. Their mother has always made excuses for Peyton's drug bust, his breaking and entering arrests and now as unbelievable as it seems, she appears to take Peyton's side as he is sentenced to jail time. And the she pops into Seaside Pizza one afternoon and she meets Mac, son of the pizzeria's owner. She also meets Layla, Mac's younger sister and they become good friend's. I really loved this book and felt a connection with Sydney that made much of the book seem so real to me. Your students will enjoy it also!

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (383 Pages)

Aveyard is a new author for me. This book is a really good read covering several genres: Dystopian, Science fiction, and What If. Here is a society divided by two distinctive groups. Reds are the inferior group, who do the "grunt" work and fight for the realm. Silvers are the aristocracy, upper class, superior group. The interesting thing is that the division is based on blood. Silvers' blood is silver, and they have unbelievable "talents". Reds' blood is red! Mare Barow, the heroine, suddenly discovers that she is a cross of both. While her blood is red, she has a talent that she is unaware of until it is brought out during a moment of terror. For those students who enjoyed earlier dystopian novels, this will be a winner, and judging by the ending, it is the first in a series!

Panther by David Owen (230 Pages)

Derrick lives in a suburb South of London. His sister is depressed, and he feels her depression is having a negative effect on the entire family. One evening he hears on the radio that a panther has escaped and is roaming through his neighborhood. He is convinced that the panther is connected somehow to his sister's emotional state, and that if he catches it, everything will be OK. I'm not sure how much of then panther story is imaginary, but for the rest of the story, he plans how he will deal with the panther problem. It's an interesting story, but I don't think it is as good as It's Kind of a Funny Story which I reviewed earlier.

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini (444Pages)

This is a first read of author Vizzini for me, and it was very interesting. I'm interested in mental health and of course, even more so as it applies to teens. Craig is a bright, ambitious young man who is studying hard to get into this exclusive high School. It's important to him because he feels then he'll be able to get into a really good college. He takes the test and he aces it! Then he finds out that his best friend and best friend's girl friend also got in, with very little to no studying. The school is called Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School. How's that for a name? One night, after attending the school for a while, he feels really depressed.  This feeling doesn't go away. His parents arrange for him to see a psychiatrist, and he does. However, the feelings don't go away. Add to feelings of depression the fact that he can't eat without throwing up. His sister knows things are serious, but his parents are reluctant to admit it. One night, he simply goes out the door of his home and walks a few blocks to the psychiatric hospital and checks himself in. He tells them that he feels like killing himself. There is no room in the adolescent wing, so he is put in with adults. How things turn around for him, how he discovers his niche, how he befriends the others in his unit, and how he meets someone and falls in love is what this story is about. It is a must read. I loved it.

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares (242 Pages)

Ann Brasheres is well known for her series Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants which I enjoyed, as did my middle school students. So I HAD to pick up this book written by her! This is a fantasy book, but it's also realistic. Is there such a thing as realistic fiction? If so, this book fits the bill! Fantasy, mystery, young love, science fiction, family, values....this book has it all! Your students will really love it, as I did!

The Improbable theory of Ana & Zak by Brian Katcher (326 Pages0

Ana Watson is a good girl. She always does what her over-protective parents expect of her. She is the star of her school's quiz bowl team. Zak Duquette is a bright under-achiever. He hands in a final essay for his health class that is completely copied from Wikipedia. His teacher,  Mrs. Brinkham , has a deal to offer him. If Zak agrees to join the quiz bowl team, his grade on the essay will be erased. He agrees. Then he finds out that the state competition is to take place the same weekend that his annual Wahingcon Sci-fi convention is scheduled. Of course he has also complicated everything by talking non-stop about the convention to Ana's little brother, Clayton. What happens during that weekend is what this book is about. It is a delightful story of two teens and their hilarious versions of he said/ she said. It's a fun read.

No Such Person by Caroline Cooney (246 Pages)

It's been a long time since I've read a Caroline Cooney book, but she is such a master of craft, that I couldn't resist her latest book. It is the story of a family who owns a summer cottage on a river. Two sisters, Lander (the perfect one) and Miranda the younger sister ( who feels she is not as bright, pretty, etc. as her older sister. Lander begins dating this dashing, handsome young man and it looks like the perfect summer romance is forming. However, Miranda is concerned and tries to warn her sister that something about him doesn't seem so good.  Out for an evening of dinner and a romantic cruise around the river, the young man disappears saying he is going after something and will be right back. But he isn't right back and before she knows what is happening, Lander is under arrest for premeditated murder. To say Cooney has not lost her ability to create a page turner is an understatement. The reader feels Lander's desperation as she is in prison, praying for something to break, and her nightmare to end. This is an easy, fast paced read. Really good!

H2O by Virginia Bergin (327 Pages)

What if all of a sudden, rain became poison? Anyone touched by the rain would die.  Drinkable water would quickly run out. The book  is set in England, and Ruby is experiencing this assault on water. She lives with her mom, her baby step brother and her step father (whom she really dislikes). The poison rain is a world-wide occurrence.  As all of her neighbors are dying, and then Ruby's mother and baby brother die, Ruby is left with her step father who makes every effort to protect her with rules that become increasingly difficult for Ruby to obey. She finally leaves home in search of her father  and brother who live in London. Her travel is frightening and constantly testing her ability to survive. The book is fast paced, and in spite of  the reader's knowledge that it is fantasy, there is enough potential truth to cause the reader to think,"What if?"

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (278 Pages)

Obviously, there has been much talk about this book, including some saying To Kill a Mocking Bird wasn't written by Harper Lee.  This book is a prequel to that book, and the writing is different. However, I'm assuming there was a significant age difference between the time she wrote each. This book was written the the 1950's and does a effective job of depicting the time period. I was not blown away by the book, but I can't say I didn't like it. Yes, Scout returns to Maycomb as a 26 year old, and as could be expected finds much has changed. Yes, Atticus seems uncomfortably different than the one we knew and loved in Mockingbird. Much of the book brings to question the role of family when what we thought were the values that the Finch family held true, is questioned. It is very interesting to see Scout as an adult, yet I don't see it as a teaching tool as much as Mocking Bird has been. Mocking Bird has many messages for the reader, while Watchman doesn't seem to have as many "teachable messages."

Uncaged by John Sanford & Michele Cook (407 Pages)

Although this certainly was not written as a Young Adult book, it will appeal to many of today's teens. Shay Remby arrives in Hollywood looking for her brother Odin. Odin is a young computer genius, but he has hooked himself up with a group of radical animal rights activists.The group has hit a research lab in Eugene, Oregon known as the Singular Corporation. The raid was a disaster a girl was shot, Odin was able to escape with a post operated dog and some encrypted flash drives. This book is a real page turner, and your kids will enjoy it. Some of the language is a bit rough. Odin gets in touch with Shay and they are both working to put Singular out of business, with the help of an adult who has a reputation of protecting "runaways."

Blind (394 Pages)

There are so many things about this book that I disliked, and   much that I liked.  Hats off to Rachel DeWoskin for tackling the problem of writing a book about this disability. I know the author spoke with some  "knowledgeable" people about issues concerning blindness, but I was horrified over some of the things Emma did that were just accepted. Not in my house! 1) I don't like blind people feeling people's faces. It is invasive and doesn't give good information anyway. 2) A pet dog posing as a guide dog?  Give me a break. Totally unacceptable! 3) The idea of "blackness." A blind person does not "see" black. A blind person doesn't see. Period. My daughter, who is blind,  explained it very well by asking a room of students to close their eyes; then she asked them what they see with their back! Finally, why in the world was it necessary to include a friend's suicide? Because she was gay? Because her parents found out? If this was an attempt to provide a unifying theme for the teens, it fell flat for me.
 OK, so I did like the fact that the book dealt with Emma  having a problem dealing with her newly blinded self. At fifteen, everything concerning the body is a problem. I liked the fact that the book included a positive message about psychological therapy. I liked the fact that the book showed how friendships can change and still remain solid. That's it, folks.

H2O (327 Pages)

Virginia Bergin is a Brit who has written for TV, online, and various corporate projects. This is the first YA book of hers that I've read. I don't know if she's written more, but this one is a fascinating science fiction book. Suppose an asteroid was shot to pieces by NASA. Suppose all of the particles of the asteroid invade the air around earth. And suppose that these particles are carried about in rain drops. And if you can handle all of that, suppose the raindrops become deadly poisonous so that if one touches your skin, you die. This book lets readers know, without a doubt, the importance of water in their lives. They can't take a bath or shower. They can't drink any water. The main character is a teen named Ruby Morris. She lives with her mom, step father and and baby step brother. Her dad and brother live in London. Ruby had never been close to her step father- that it until her mom and baby brother die. Her experience from that point on is so interesting as she and the reader learn about necessary adaptations needed for survival. I think both girls and boys will enjoy this read. But it is weird! It is terrifying. And I didn't like the ending....

Vanishing Girls (357 Pages)

This novel by Lauren Oliver is special and the plot twist even had me fooled! I've read three books by this YA author, and really liked two of them. I didn't enjoy Panic and was concerned that it might put stupid ideas into high school students' minds. However, I loved Before I Fall and really enjoyed Vanishing Girls. In this book two sisters, Nick and Dara, find their close relationship slipping away. Nick is older and more grounded than Dara who becomes a hellion constantly testing the waters. Nick feels obligated to protect Dara, but she is shunned at every attempt. Your girls will enjoy this read.

The Distance Between Lost and Found ( 292 Pages)

This is the first book I've read by author Kathryn Holmes; it is a winner that will appeal to most boys and girls. This book is about survival, faith, friendship, and ownership. The main character Hallelujah, has been plagued by a rumor spreading bully, Luke-the minister's son. Throughout her school year, she keeps silent all the while being tortured by the rumor Luke continues to spread. And does he enjoy her misery! She is grounded by her parents and shunned by her "friends". Finally, she goes on a church retreat hiking in the Smokey Mountains where she meets a new girl, Rachel. Rachel doesn't buy into the rumor(s) and tries to befriend Halle. While on the trip, however, Halle, Rachel and Jonah become separated from the rest of the group. With little on them to aid in survival, the three teens try desperately to cope. In the wilderness they find themselves going in circles as they try to reunite with the group. Days pass, and they have run out of health bars and water. This book will be inspirational to both boys and girls, as they learn about survival and the importance of "owning" your self esteem.

The Scorpio Races ( 404 Pages-paperback)

Maggie Stiefvater has written a Printz 2012 Honor novel that intrigued me through out. It is part fantasy, but with enough reality to make it believable. It is a story about horse races that occur every November on an imaginary island called Thisby. But don't get hooked on the imaginary island bit; Stiefvater has created a believable  world. This idea of creating a world never hit me until I read her acceptance speech for the Printz Honor award.  This would be a terrific assignment for students because it is so much more than setting! This book includes a young girl (Puck Connolly) and boy (Sean Kendrick) who gradually fall in love with each other and with their horses. Both have been orphaned, but Puck has two brothers. In addition to the development of  these two characters, there is also the conflict that the older brother has about staying on the island. He keeps saying he can't take it any more.  I can not end this review without telling about the horses in the Scorpio Race. They are water horses, and I believe they are part of an old Irish, Scottish, or Welsh fairy tale. They're called capall uisce pronounced " CAPple ISHka "- something I could never say correctly and ended just gliding over the name. These were not ordinary horses. They came from the waters surrounding the island, and they were fierce. They were meat eaters so animals and humans were not safe near them, and yet men rode them in the race every November. Men riders that is, until Puck decided to enter the race and became the first female to ride on a horse that was not a water horse. She rode in order to save her family's home. There are, of course two characters that are so mean, the reader can't help but hate them. There is also a wonderful handsome, wealthy man from California- there to purchase a horse. I was so surprised at the way this book grabbed me, and grab me it did!

Althea & Oliver ( 364 Pages)

This is the first book I've read from author  Cristina Moracho. She has written about a real illness called Kleine-Levin Syndrome. Althea Carter and Oliver McKinley are boyfriend/girlfriend and finishing their junior year of high school. The disease Oliver has succumbed to means that he falls into a deep sleep which might last for weeks or months. Then, with encouragement from his mother, Oliver enters a program at a hospital in NewYork City  which is studying other teens with this illness. There are no promises for "cure", yet there are adults who are collecting psychological  data, pharmacological data, and historical data. Oliver falls into a deep sleep at the hospital just before Althea arrives. The result of their "split" is interesting and makes for a wonderful read. This is another example of an author taking a real medical situation and creating a novel around it. Perhaps some of your students might be interested in doing the same thing!

the rules of survival (259 Pages)

The only thing better than finding forgotten money in a pocket, is finding a new book you forgot about for years. When there still was a Borders bookstore, I bought a paperback book that looked "interesting!" the rules of survival by Nancy Werlin, was discovered as I was cleaning and purging. I am so glad I rediscovered this National Book Award Finalist! It is a terrific read and screams for class discussion. Gee, I wish I was still a middle school ELA teacher! But this could be read as a book club read as well. My copy is in paperback and includes bonus material of possible discussion questions- lesson plans ready and waiting! Matt is the protective big brother of his two sisters. His mother is mentally ill/unbalanced, and is constantly varying her behaviors so that the children never know what to expect. PLEASE look into this book as a possibility for your classroom. It is sad, but offers hope at the end, and your students will LOVE it...(Boys & Girls!!)

Girl On Line ( 344 pages)

Zoe Sugg has written a WONDERFUL new YA book! Your Girls will inhale it. So, yes, it is a literary chick flick, but so delightful you will adore it.  It takes place mostly in England, but some of it is set in New York City. Penny has created a blog where she is able to anonymously post her feelings and everything that matters to her  without the fear of being castigated by her "frienemies"! The book is all about family, friendship, coming of age, jealousy, awkwardness, self-doubt, and everything most teenage girls experience. (Just in case I didn't cover it all!) This one is a winner, folks. Grab it and read it before your students get hold of it or you will not see for months- if ever!

Somebody Up There Hates You ( 238 Pages)

Hollis Seamon has written a novel that rivals The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. In this book, a seventeen year old boy meets a fifteen year old girl in a hospice unit. They both have cancer and they both want to make as much of their remaining days as possible. Richard Casey, the seventeen year old, is very funny, a bit of a big mouth, and a general pain in the ass to the nursing staff. He is the only child of a young mother who gave birth to him when she was sixteen. His grandmother had the same experience. In addition to mom and grandmother, Richard also has a talented uncle, Phil, who drives his mother crazy, but provides Richard with great fun.  While in the hospice, Richard meets Sylvie who comes from a family of old money and social status- just the opposite of Richard's family. This book explains much about hospice policies and the experience of living (or dying ) in a hospice. Your student will adore this read.

Grasshopper Jungle ( 388 Pages)

This is the MOST ridiculous book I've ever read. Author Andrew Smith claims to have written numerous short stories and articles. This is apparently his 7th novel. I won't be gracing Mr.Smith with any more of my reads. Are you getting my reaction? Perhaps a horny teenage boy might enjoy this read. However, I'm not able to fit either of those characteristics! Told in 7th grade Austin's voice, the book deals primarily with Austin and his best friend, Robbie. Robbie is gay, and Austin isn't sure if he's gay or not. He loves Robbie, but he also love Shann, his girlfriend. Anyway, Austin and Robbie are skateboarders who skate in this alley behind an almost deserted shopping center. Austin has a part-time job working on Saturdays for Shann's step-father in a consignment shop. This store and the adjoining liquor store are two of the stores still open on one side of the alley. On the other side is a pizza restaurant. Johnny McKeon owns both the liquor store and the consignment shop, where he keeps his office. One night Austin takes the key (hidden above the office door) and goes into the office. There are all kinds of strange bottled things around the office: a bottle holding a two headed baby, a bottle holding what looks like a blue sponge or a blue brain, and bottles holding other body parts. Austin just has to show Robbie what he found. While they are in there, three bullies break in through a hole in the wall between the shop and the liquor store. Robbie and Austin hide under Johnny's desk. The boys think they hear someone in the shop and so they leave, but as they leave, they take the bottle carrying the blue sponge/brain. It breaks in the alley and Robbie later cuts himself on the glass. He bleeds and leaves part of his name in blood on the pavement. It turns out that what was in that bottle was the remnant of an experiment of Johnny's older brother's business. This experiment created horny, 6 foot tall praying mantises who like to do only 2 things: eating and fucking. There is so much of that in the book and this constitutes the end of the world and the end of rest of the book....

The Midnight Dress (277 Pages)

Author Karen Foxlee is an Australian and a new author to me. The setting for this book is a small town in Australia. Rose Lovell arrived in this town with her father with whom she has been traveling around the country ever since her mother committed suicide. Now she is fifteen; she has never had a best friend; she has never had a home. And then she lands in Leonora, Australia where Rose meets Pearl Kelly, another 15 year old in Leonora. Pearl convinces Rose that she needs to join her (and the other young, high school ladies in the town in the annual harvest festival. She will need a dress as it is a competitive event in which one of the girls is crowned queen and two of the girls become princesses in the court. This is not the kind of thing Rose cares about, and she certainly doesn't have money to but a new gown. Pearl convinces her to go to a woman in the town who has made dresses for many of the town's women....however, there is talk about this woman being strange. Rose goes to the woman, Edie, and it is then that the reader learns about Edie's family as Edie teaches Rose how to sew. This is a very different read from most American YA authors. It is a mystery that involves betrayal, friendship, murder, and coming of age for two young girls.

Fallout (258+ Pages)

I think I've read almost every YA book Todd Strasser has written. The Wave and Give a Boy a Gun are two of my all time favorite YA books, not just for the read itself, but for the terrific discussion both books This book is no exception. It not only deals with the question, "Why War?" but also took me back to my days in the early 60's when The Cuban Missile Crisis occurred and scared everyone in the United States. What Strasser has done in this book is to fictionalize a historical event ( The Cuban Missile Crisis ) and has varied his plot structure with pre-bomb and post-bomb chapters. The story is told in the voice of Scott, a middle school student. Scott's father is one of the few people in his town to build a bomb shelter in their back year. He is ridiculed by most adults who hear about it. The shelter is built to offer shelter to four people Scott, his brother Edward, his mother and his father. There is food and water for the four of them to last for two weeks, when the radiation levels should be low enough for them to survive above ground. The book opens with Scott being roughly shaken awake by his father as the country is under attack. The text is frightening, as it moves forward in time. Strasser adds an author's note at the end of the book, and in three and a half pages explains what happened to him and his younger brother when his own father had a bomb shelter built in their back yard. This book offers so many questions for students to ask about appropriate ethics, about family values, about friendship, and about "Why War?"

Golden Boy ( 340 Pages +)

For any of you who are attempting/considering teaching a unit on tolerance or prejudice,thisis a book you should definitely consider! Author Tara Sullivan has researched the situation in Tanzania, and therefore the facts that are interwoven with the fiction. Habo is a 13 year old boy who was born to a very poor family. He has two brothers and one sister. Habo is an albino, and I learned so much about the albanism. Because he was born an albino, his father deserted the family. Eventually his family is kicked out of their home, because of the severe drought, they are unable to farm and therefore, cannot pay their rent. They run to the mother's sister's home which is located in Mwanza where there are poachers anxious to capture an albino. These horrible men then cut up the albino and sell body part for huge sums of money, as it is thought that an albino will bring luck to the family who has some aobino parts in their home. On the way to their aunt's. The man who drove the family to Mwanza, is evil, and he eventually comes back to capture Habo. Habo escapes and makes his way to,  Dar es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania.There his luck changes as albinos are protected there. The book is an exciting, fast paced read. Students should be told not to worry about correctly pronouncing the names or expressions (although the is a glossary in the back of the book). It is a heart-warming, powerful read, and was named by Yalsa as one of the top ten young adult books in 2014 .

Being Henry David (304 Pages)

Another debut of a YA author's book, and it is a delight. So many opportunities for discussion, and for reader response; this could also make a great book club selection.  Cal Armistead has written a coming of age book in which a 17year old boy has lost his memory following an automobile accident in which he was the driver and his little sister was the passenger. He remembers nothing: not his name, not his address, not his telephone number, not what he is good at, none of his talents. It's a bummer. He finds himself suddenly sitting on the floor of Penn Station in New York City. He has been robbed, and all he has is the clothes on his back, the book Walden, and $10 in his pocket. Quickly exposed to homeless life in The Big Apple, he meets a brother and sister(Jack and Nessa) who seem to know the ropes, but following their daily routine, leaves him absolutely sure this is not where he belongs. He gets some money from Jack and buys a train ticket to Concord, Massachusetts. This destination has been sparked by his reading of Walden and his belief in Henry David Thoreau's ideas. He takes the name of Hank Davidson and starts out "camping" at Walden Pond in Concord. The reader is then taken on the journey with Hank to recall his past. It's a fun read, and will strike a chord with those students who have ever struggled with being honest, resisting impulses, and facing the consequences of their own actions. "Hank" has a photographic memory and is able to quote passages of Walden, frequently throughout the book . This is a winner!