I Swear (279 Pages)

In his first published YA book, author/actor Lane Davis has written a book that virtually any person who has attended or is attending high school (or middle school) will be able to identify with.  It is, unfortunately, all too familiar to me, to the point that I could identify with the characters who were identical to people I knew when I was in school. Macie, one of the main characters, is that girl who needs to be the center of attention, and the controller of those people around her. She controls their thoughts, their actions, and their social lives. Her minions feel threatened by her, however, at the same time, relish any positive attention she deems to bestow upon them. It takes real guts to stand up for what is right when people are against you. In this book there is Macie's group who turn against one girl (Leslie) and they continue to bully her which results in her committing suicide. Once one of the girls becomes fed up with Macie's power trip, others follow. Who is first? And, what happened to push her into doing "the right thing"?

Cherub Book 1: The Recruit (338Pages +4)

Well, here is another series from Great Britain! Those of you who know me, know how much I love Brit authors! Robert Muchamore has written a book of fiction that rings so true, that the reader is sitting on the edge of his/her seat. The premise is that adults never realize that children are listening. CHERUB is an organization formed just after World War II. During that war, children in France were used to gather information from Germans occupying their country. A British spy Charles Henderson, thought the idea was so good that he returned to England and set up this secret organization called CHERUB. The first book centers on James, a basically good kid, who always is at the wrong place at the wrong time and constantly getting in trouble. He is recruited as a potential spy working for CHERUB- IF he passes the tests. James is brilliant, but has never been challenged to show his potential. Boys will especially like this book. I'm off to read #2 now;-)

The Final Four (244 Pages)

What a great time to read this book! As March Madness grips this country for all of the basketball enthusiasts, Paul Volponi's latest book fits the bill. What has happened to me as I've become a YA addict, is that I've developed "favorite" authors. These are the authors for whom I buy their texts as soon as I see a new one surface. So it is with Paul Volponi. The Final Four presents the reader with the excitement of the final four college basketball games and the tension that accompanies each game. There are four major characters we are introduced to as team members of the two battling college teams. One of the teams is Michigan State (the Spartans) while the other team is The Trojans of Troy, Alabama. Volponi gives us the background of these four students, and I found myself rooting for several of them. At the same time, I was a little turned off by one particular student whose attitude of bravado was over the top, as far as I was concerned. Accompanying each chapter is a quote from a famous basketball player or coach.Volponi has written a wonderful book that will be adored by boys, but that also raises some interesting questions about the role of the NCAA!

The White Bicycle (187 Pages + Author Notes)

This is the third book in Beverly Brenna's series.  The first title, Wild Orchid, and the second title Waiting for No One, are also about a girl named Taylor. I found this book interesting because it deals with a young girl coping with Asperger's Syndrome, a condition predominated by boys. This title won the Printz Award Honor Book and in it, Taylor believes she has gotten a job in Southern France caring for Martin Phoenix, a young boy with Cerebral Palsy. She believes she will make money, andwill also be able to use this job on her resume as proof of her independence. In fact, the job has been arranged by Taylor's mother and her new boyfriend, Alan Phoenix. Martin's older brother, Luke, is in on the scam and believes both Alan and her mother should have told Taylor the truth. They concocted the story because her mother felt Taylor, who at this point is 19 years old, would never agree to go to France with her. Taylor's mother is very protective of her daughter to the point of being over-bearing. So this becomes a story about  the importance of "letting go" in addition to the idea of a girl with Asberger's Syndrome. I was quite impressed with Brenna's ability to develop Taylor's voice, which is clearly her own not only in tone, but also in the Asberger's way of expression.

Shadow Lands (328 Pages)

Here comes a new Trilogy! Kate Brian has written an eerie novel about a family of three: Rory Miller, her sister- Darcy, and their Dad. A substitute teacher in their high school is known to the kids as Steven Nell. He teaches Math, and appears to be a good teacher and very nice. However, he isn't nice, and in fact is known to the FBI as Roger Krauss. The FBI is called in after Rory is almost attacked by Nell/ Krauss while cutting through a wooded area on her way home. The FBI informs her and her family that he has attacked and killed 14 young girls, and escaped being caught every time. Rory was to be #15! They insist that Rory, her sister, and her father go into the witness protection program. They do so, much to Darcy's chagrin. But Nell finds them. What happens next is really terrifying! This is a read both boys and girls will enjoy.

Out of the Easy (346 Pages)

Those of you who enjoyed Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys may enjoy her latest book. "The Easy" mentioned in the title is, of course, New Orleans. The book is set here in the 1950's, and New Orleans is a wild and wicked place. Josie Moraine is a delightful 17 year old, who has a mother that should never have been allowed to bear a child. Josie's mother is a prostitute, but that isn't what makes her so terrible. She is absolutely amoral to the point of stealing from her daughter! Josie has lived by herself in the back upstairs of a book shop since she was very young. She leaves every morning to go clean the brothel, run by a madam (Willie) who actually looks out for her and is more of a mother than her own could ever be. One morning, Josie finds something under her mother's bed, and although she usually reports and brings anything she finds to Willie, this time she doesn't. The reason why involves the mob, the police, and her decision. This is a mystery, and it is about the decisions we make, and the decisions we don't make. AND, despite the setting- there is NO sex in the book! I always have told my students that the decisions you make to do something,  and the decisions you make not to do something, both effect your life!

Personal Effects (341 Pages)

E.M. Kokie has written his first novel that covers the relationships in a very complicated family. Matt Foster had always looked up to his older brother, T. J who was killed in the Iran war. There are many flashbacks Matt experiences as he tries to maintain memories of his brother. However, Matt's father never allowed the kids to mourn (or see him mourn) their mother's death, and within days of the father and son hearing of T.J's death, his father has removed every picture of T.J. from the walls and shelves of their house, including a bag of his personal items and the American flag from his coffin. Matt searches and searches for all of this, but Matt's dad threatens him to leave everything alone. In the meantime, Matt is involved in a very violent fight at school when one of his classmates comes to school with a Tee shirt stating to bring the soldiers home...but not in boxes, and then the listing of all local soldiers' names, including T.J. Matt gets suspended from school for a week.  Then one day, the army comes once again to the house with three foot lockers of T.J's personal effects. His father instructs them to put the boxes in T.J's old bedroom. Matt is determined to look through them before they too disappear. While his father is at work, Matt opens the 3 foot lockers and discovers a bag of letters. He closes everything up, makes sure the room appears totally undisturbed, and goes downstairs to his bedroom where he reads and rereads the letters. Then he makes a decision to secretly take a trip to see the woman that wrote so many letters to T.J. And that trip and what Matt discovers turns the entire book around. This is a very special read.