LIA AND BECKETT'S ABRACADABRA by Amy Noelle Parks

 

Lia and Beckett's Abracadabra by Amy Noelle Parks

Realistic Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Magicians

2022; 296 pages

Description

Kirkus Reviews starred (May 15, 2022)

Two teens from rival families fall for each other during a stage-magic competition. Seventeen-year-old Lia Sawyer has just dumped her latest short-lived boyfriend when her eccentric Grandma Matilda, who has been missing, invites her and her older sister, Emma, to compete in a summerlong contest in Mirror Lake, Wisconsin, a lakefront resort town known for its magic shows and as the headquarters of the Society of American Conjurers. Her first day there, Lia has a meet-cute with Beckett Blackwell, the handsome, college-bound grandson of Henry Blackwell, a legendary local magician who’s also Matilda’s first husband and former stage partner. Despite their instant chemistry, the two must balance their attraction with their individual desires to win. The romance sizzles with slow-burn longing. The story also explores the sexist nature of the male-dominated magic industry that historically relegated women to being glamorously outfitted assistants in ways that will be interesting even to those unfamiliar with the culture of this community. Lia is a clever and delightful protagonist, and Beckett is a brooding and selfless love interest. The author crafts captivating descriptions of the various magic acts and ensures that even the supporting characters have fleshed-out storylines. Most characters are White; Beckett’s mother is from India. An enchanting enemies-to-lovers romance. (Romance. 12-18)

My Comments

Fun romance! An interesting look into the magic industry and magic tricks.  Appropriate for middle schoolers as well a good bet for high schoolers looking for a light read.

PERSEPOLIS by Marjane Satrapi

 

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Graphic Novel, Autobiography, Iran, Iranian Revolution 1979, High School

2000-2003

Description

 Persepolis is the story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna, facing the trials of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming--both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland. It is the chronicle of a girlhood and adolescence at once outrageous and familiar, a young life entwined with the history of her country yet filled with the universal trials and joys of growing up.

Edgy, searingly observant, and candid, often heartbreaking but threaded throughout with raw humor and hard-earned wisdom, Persepolis is "a dazzling singular achievement" (Salon) from one of the most highly regarded, uniquely talented graphic artists at work today. (The publisher)

My Comments

A powerful and engaging historical perspective on the Islamic Revolution. A classic.

THE GILDED ONES by Namina Forma

 The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Fantasy, Human Rights, Women's Issues, Women Soldiers, Mythical Creatures, High School

418 pages

Description

Booklist starred (December 1, 2020 (Vol. 117, No. 7))

Grades 7-10. Deka lives in a society where women are intended to be pure and serve those around them. So when she bleeds impure gold during the coming-of-age ritual for girls at age 16, her life’s presumed purpose—the care and keeping of a husband and family—is destroyed. Left to decide between death or dedicating herself to the protection of Otera from the ghastly deathshrieks, Deka joins the ranks of girls deemed impure, known as the alaki. Soon she realizes that even among them she’s different, leading Deka to question who and what she is, and what she’s fighting for. The world building here takes some time to get used to, but Deka’s entrancing character development is so wrapped up in these systems that they are quickly understood. The action and intensity are relentless as Forna builds not only Deka’s character but also those of a kick-butt posse of fellow alaki, whose histories speak to various ways Otera’s patriarchy has weighed women down. While elements of action and social justice are strong, there is also mystery, as readers journey to understand just what is at stake in the heat of the war. At the close of the first of what is rumored to be a trilogy, readers will find themselves awestruck with satisfying revelation, leaving both a clean ending and desire for more.

My Comments

Fast paced plot with lots of suspense and twists and turns. I enjoyed seeing how Deka comes into her power. There are a lot of ethical dilemmas in this book, but good triumphs! The torture scenes lead me to recommend it for grade 8-12 depending on the reader.

DRY by Neal Shusterman

 

Dry by Neal Shusterman

Realistic Fiction, Horror, Survival, High School

390 pages

Description

Horn Book Magazine (November/December, 2018)

A major drought in Southern California has been going on long enough for people to adjust, with everyone conserving as much water as possible. But one day Alyssa turns on the faucet in her suburban home, and nothing comes out. Suddenly, with this new stage of the drought (which the media calls the Tap-Out), everyone is scrambling, and Alyssa’s neighborhood becomes more dangerous. Alyssa’s neighbor Kelton McCracken, a “weirdo” teen who lives with his family of doomsday preppers, has always wanted to have a reason to interact with Alyssa, but the Tap-Out creates a scenario he could never have imagined. As people become increasingly desperate for water and institutions begin to break down, the thread between selfishness and survival begins unraveling as ethical dilemmas present themselves around sharing water, selling water, and deciding who is worthy of saving. Alyssa, her brother Garrett, and Kelton wind up on a road trip to survive, picking up strangers along the way who may or may not be allies. Throughout this compulsively readable and unnerving tale, the authors present a dystopia that is all-too-close to our current world, leading readers to realize just how tenuous our societal norms are and raising important questions about how we will handle the crises we have created. christina l. dobbs

My Comments
I immediately stocked up on water after reading this book. It makes you think. What if....This was an addictive read that has stayed with me. I will never forget it. Powerful is an understatement. There are some extremely disturbing gun violence episodes that lead me to recommend it to high school students, not middle school. That said, I think it's one of my top picks this year.

LET THE SKY FALL by Shannon Messenger

Let the Sky Fall (Skyfall Trilogy, Book 1) by Shannon Messenger

Fiction, Supernatural, Romance

404 pages

Description
Booklist (April 15, 2013 (Online))

Grades 7-12. When Vane Weston was seven years old, a category-five tornado killed his parents but inexplicably spared his life. Ten years later, he lives in California’s blistering hot Coachella Valley with his foster parents, normal teen angst, and childhood memories of a dark-haired girl. In Messenger’s refreshingly clean paranormal debut, the alternating voices of Vane and Audra, the dark-haired girl, narrate the rising action. Audra is a sylph, an air elemental, and she finally reappears in Vane’s life with astounding news: the world is in danger, Vane is the only one who can save it, and he is not human at all—he is also a sylph. With barely a week to master skills most sylphs need a lifetime to grasp (if he is to successfully fight off his unknown enemies), Vane responds to Audra’s hardened guardian ways with a mixture of rebellion against and attraction to the girl who secretly has been watching over him since the tornado. While the romance may be predictable, unusual paranormal entities and strong writing should interest genre readers in search of a fresh new series.

My Comments
I love this book! Not sure why the reviews say that it's slow. I totally disagree. This is a great choice for middle schoolers who are looking for more of a high school read that's also appropriate for middle school.

A RIP THROUGH TIME by Kelley Armstrong

A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong

 Time Travel, Mystery and Detective Story, High School

Description

Booklist (March 1, 2022 (Vol. 118, No. 13))

Popular fantasy novelist Armstrong (the Darkest Powers series; the Rockton novels; Tales of the Otherworld) launches a new series with this time-travel mystery. Mallory, an American homicide cop, is in Scotland, visiting her grandmother. After she’s viciously assaulted, she awakens feeling . . . different. Turns out she’s now 150 years in the past, in another woman’s body. The woman whose body she now inhabits works as an assistant to an undertaker who doubles as a medical examiner, and soon Mallory finds herself on the trail of a murderer. But how to solve the bigger mystery and find the time-traveler’s way back home? Readers who enjoy a good time-travel mystery might notice similarities to Julie McElwain’s A Murder in Time (2016) and its sequels (in which a modern-day FBI agent finds herself catapulted back to the mid-1800s), but Armstrong’s fans can be assured that this is no imitation: Armstrong has her own voice, and this is a promising start to a new series.

My Comments
Great page turner for grades 8 and up.

TRULY DEVIOUS by Maureen Johnson

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Mystery and Detective Story, Murder Investigation, True Crime, Puzzles, Boarding Schools, Young Adult

Trilogy: Truly Devious, The Vanishing Stair, The Hand on the Wall

420 Pages

Description

School Library Journal (October 1, 2017)

Gr 8 Up-Stevie Bell is a dyed-in-the-wool true-crime buff. And what better place to deepen her understanding than at Ellingham Academy, the Vermont private school founded in the 1930s by wealthy eccentric Albert Ellingham? Partly because the custom courses of study are tailored to students' passion-writing, engineering, film, math-but also because the school was the scene of a notorious crime not long after it opened: Albert Ellingham's wife and daughter were kidnapped, ostensibly for ransom, and a student was killed. His wife's body was found eventually, but his daughter, Alice, never was. Stevie plans to solve the case. But when a classmate is killed, everything changes. There is a lot to love here. Stevie is a smart, relatable, self-aware protagonist. The cast is racially diverse and includes teens on various parts of the gender, sexuality, and neurotypical spectrums. The setting is fully realized, and the adults are as well characterized as the students. Johnson excellently sets up both mysteries as well as Ellingham's love of puzzles, riddles, and secret passageways, but very little is resolved at the end of this series launch. VERDICT Fans of puzzles, boarding school stories, and true crime will tear through this book and love every minute, but those who are easily frustrated by cliff-hangers may want to wait until more books in the series are available.-Stephanie Klose, Library Journal © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

My Comments
It's a page-turner filled with puzzles. I tore through all three as quickly as possible. There is suggested romance, but nothing overt. Give to mature 7th-8th graders and high school students.

 

Patron Saint of Nothing by Randy Ribay

Patron Saint of Nothing by Randy Ribay

Philippines, Drug Traffick, Murder, Cousins

323 pages
Ages 14+
Lexile 840L

Description

When seventeen-year-old Jay Reguero learns his Filipino cousin and former best friend, Jun, was murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, he flies to the Philippines to learn more.

Booklist starred (May 1, 2019 (Vol. 115, No. 17))

Grades 10-12. After finding out about his cousin Jun’s violent death, Jay Reguero travels from America to the Philippines to uncover how such a gentle person met such a grim end. He finds that the place that he remembers—the place of his birth—has changed in the face of a sweeping drug war initiated by President Rodrigo Duterte, a war that Jun’s father, Tito Maning, enthusiastically endorses. Jay digs into the circumstances of Jun’s death, while navigating the sinuous history between family members, including the schism created by his own father's decision to raise his children in America. Jay’s investigations are an intriguing setup for what is actually a deep, nuanced, and painfully real family drama. Jay himself is a relatable character for biracial readers straddling two different cultures. This dynamic comes into play both when he tries to convey his feelings to his American friends and when he travels abroad and is treated like an outsider by other Filipinos despite looking the same. Ribay’s focus, however, is on showing the current-day war on drugs ravaging Filipino society, characterized by extrajudicial vigilante killings endorsed by the highest levels of government. By deftly weaving key details into Jay’s quest for the truth, Ribay provides a much-needed window for young people of the West to better understand the Filipino history of colonization, occupation, and revolution.

My Comments
Powerful read. It is in a sense, a coming-of-age story in which Jay begins to understand the complexity of another culture and with that understanding, compassion.

 

RECKLESS by Cornelia Funke (Reckless series, Book 1)

 Reckless by Cornelia Funke

Fantasy, Fairy Tales, a bit of horror elements

346 pages

Description

Translation of: Steinernes fleisch.;"Inspired by a tale discovered and explored with Lionel Wigram." Enter the magical world behind the Mirrors. Jacob Reckless has always been careful to keep the enchanted world behind the mirror secret from his brother. Until one day, Will follows him, unaware of the mortal danger awaiting him: attacked by a group of Goyl stone skinned humans who are conquering the world behind the Mirrors Will turns to jade, their most sacred stone. Jacob desperately tries to save him, but only the fairies have the power to stop the Petrifying Flesh. Together with Will's girlfriend Clara and the shape-shifting Fox, Jacob begins a perilous journey.

My Comments

A 'no put down book!' Love, love this. Good for middle-high school. A bit dark at times, but not over the top. Funke incorporates traditional fairy tales brilliantly into a page turner. She never disappoints. Highly recommended!

THE WALK ON (Series: The Triple Threat Book 1) by John Feinstein

 

The Walk On by John Feinstein
Series: The Triple Threat Book 1)

Realistic Fiction, Sports, Perseverance, Conduct of Life

359 pages

Description
Alex Myers, a student athlete who tries to take on the sports establishment in his new town, is a triple-threat athlete, great at football, basketball, and baseball. But he'll have to fight for a spot on the varsity team. Alex is a quarterback, but from the first day of football practice, it's clear that that position is very much filled by the coach's son, Matt. Alex has the better arm, but Matt has more experience and the coach's loyalty. But just as his star is rising, Alex gets blindsided, the state has started drug testing, and Alex's test come back positive for steroids. Alex know that's not right. But he doesn't know if it's a mistake or if someone wants to make sure he can't play.

My Comments
Great page turner not only for football fans. This is a sure bet for a wide range of kids. Not a difficult read even though the number of pages may seem daunting for some readers. Middle to high school.

LEGENDBORN by Tracy Deonn

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Fantasy, Paranormal, Demons, African American
Grades 8 and up

501 pages

Description

School Library Journal starred (July 1, 2020)

Gr 8 Up-In Deonn's rich and explosive debut, readers are introduced to a meticulously-built world of magic with roots in Arthurian legend and traditions of the African American South. After her mother's death, Bree enters an Early College program, despite still processing her grief. It's not long before she's pulled into a secret society, and is pushed by circumstance into dangerous tournaments to go from Page to Squire all while watching her back for the demons who would kill her. This book discusses pertinent topics such as institutional racism, intergenerational trauma, and feminism with grace and a natural, unforced style. Readers will delight in a delicious love triangle that promises to get more delectable with a sequel. Though heavy at times with exposition, the novel provides plenty of scenes rife with action and emotion. Deonn pulls off a surprise ending that will urge readers to start from the beginning, to collect the clues laid along the way. VERDICT A promising series debut perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare's City of Bones and Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys. This book underscores the movement for more inclusive versions of traditional Western narratives, and will be a favorite of contemporary fantasy readers. Highly recommended.-Abby Hargreaves, DC P.L. © Copyright 2020. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

My Comments

Great story plot! I love the Arthurian Legend twist.

THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES by Suzanne Collins

 

Science Fiction, Survival, Action, Violence, High School
517 pages.

Suzanne Collins

https://twitter.com/hungergamesnet

Description

Kirkus Reviews starred (June 15, 2020)

An origin story for both President Snow and the Hunger Games as we know them. 

Coriolanus Snow has the right family name, a prestigious address, talent, and 

charisma—but unless he wins a prize to pay for university, it’s all for nothing, as 

his family’s wealth came from the now obliterated District 13. He must succeed 

in his final project of being a mentor in the Hunger Games, but his District 12 girl

 tribute assignment at first feels damning. However, Lucy Gray Baird is vibrant 

and wild, a singer and performer with star power; she’s perfect for Coriolanus, who 

has been tasked with boosting the grim, lackluster games that, early in the shift from 

mock war to sporting spectacle, are even more brutal and unpredictable. Coriolanus 

is pulled between Mengelian Dr. Gaul’s twisted mentorship and connections with 

sympathetic foils Lucy Gray (which veers romantic) and compassionate classmate 

Sejanus. Conflicted Coriolanus thinks of himself as a good person in an impossible 

situation but also as exceptional—a belief with a high price. Collins humanizes him 

as superficially heroic and emotionally relatable while also using him for a vehicle for philosophical questions. Though readers know how he will eventually answer the 

questions explicitly asked of him, the central question is why, resulting in both a 

tense, character-driven piece and a cautionary tale. There is some mention of 

diversity in skin tone; Coriolanus and Lucy Gray seem to be white. The twists and 

heartbreaks captivate despite tragic inevitabilities. (Science fiction. 12-adult)

My Comments Despite some reviews, I think this prequel is as good, if not better than the Hunger Games trilogy. Collins delves into serious, relevant philosophical questions about human behavior and choices. It would be excellent for 8th through high school sociopolitical discussions related to Machiavelli ideology. This book is best for older and mature readers. On my favorite list. Waiting for the next one!

GOOD ENOUGH by Paula Yoo

 

Realistic Fiction, Middle & High School, Asian Americans, Achievement, Families, Humor, Romance, Violin

322 pages.

Description
Kirkus Reviews (January 1, 2008) Patti knows that the only thing harder than calculus, or maybe mastering the cadenza from the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor, is being a PKD, a Perfect Korean Daughter. The PKD achieves great grades, shines at extracurriculars and is devoted to her church but never complains or brags. Most important, the PKD never questions her parents' pushing her to get into Harvard, Yale and Princeton and become a doctor or a lawyer. Though witty, linguistically gifted Patti has a number of academic talents, her greatest joy is playing the violin. She knows she's not supposed to rock the Harvard/Yale/Princeton boat but, encouraged by her violin teacher, she applies to Juilliard. Now her dilemma is not her SAT scores or her grades, but how to hide her desire to attend music school from her academically oriented parents. The Clash, a jam session and a new boy at school encourage Patti to break from her PKD shell and see her social life and violin studies in new ways. Teens living through the pressure of college applications and questioning their futures will sympathize with Patti in this enjoyable, funny but not superficial read, which bears many similarities to Alex Flinn's Diva (2006). (Fiction. YA)

My Comments A little romance, music, and a lot of effort put into studying. I like the way this story shows the perspective of a high school student who studies hard, is intelligent, has goals, but who also begins to question what path she truly wants to follow regardless of family pressure. She also shows sensitivy and maturity as she begins to understand why her parents push her so hard. A good choice for both middle and high school students.

THE 57 BUS by Dashka Slater

 

Narrative Nonfiction, African American, Bullying, LGBTQIA, Prejudice and Racism, True Crime

High School

Grades 7-12

305 Pages

Description

Horn Book Magazine (January/February, 2018)

“It was late afternoon on Monday, November 4, 2013. Sasha was napping on the 57 bus in Oakland, California, when Richard, egged on by friends, set their gauzy skirt on fire. (Sasha is genderqueer and prefers the pronoun they.) Sasha survived, but sustained third-degree burns on their calves and thighs. The incident was captured on video cameras installed in the bus, and the next day Richard was arrested for a hate crime and processed in the justice system. From the start, the deck was stacked against Richard, an African American teenager with a criminal history, who had now committed a horrific crime that grabbed media attention, caused national outrage, and fomented local protests. Slater goes beyond the headlines to tell the very human stories behind these individuals and their families (although it's clear she did not have as much personal access to Richard as she did to Sasha). It's a powerful story of class and race (Sasha is white), gender and identity, justice and mercy, love and hate. Using interviews, court documents, and news accounts, Slater has crafted a compelling true-crime story with ramifications for our most vulnerable youth.” - jonathan hunt

My Comments

Grades 7-12

Informative and enlightening about both gender, identity, and the criminal justice system. It illuminates cultural differences and obstacles, but also shows how people can transcend stereotyping and dehumanizing groups of people who are not our own. This title is on my school's 8th grade ELA reading list. Great choice.

A CERTAIN OCTOBER by Angela Johnson

 

Realistic Fiction, Autism, Death, Friendships, High Schools

158 pages.

Description

From Follett

After a terrible accident, Scotty feels responsible for the death of someone she hardly knew and struggles with her own reality while her friends and family deal with their own troubles, but the prospect of a boy and a dance add positive possibility back into Scotty's life.

From the Publisher

Three-time Coretta Scott King Award-winner Angela Johnson writes a wrenching, honest book about surviving the unimaginable and finding a way to go on.

Scotty compares herself to tofu: no flavor unless you add something. And it's true that Scotty's friends, Misha and Falcone, and her brother, Keone, make life delicious. But when a terrible accident occurs, Scotty feels responsible for the loss of someone she hardly knew, and the world goes wrong. She cannot tell what is a dream and what is real. Her friends are having a hard time getting through to her and her family is preoccupied with their own trauma. But the prospect of a boy, a dance, and the possibility that everything can fall back into place soon help Scotty realize that she is capable of adding her own flavor to life.

With artfully spare prose, acclaimed and award-winning author Angela Johnson explores the ramifications of unexpected death in this compelling coming-of-age story.

My Comments

Poetic and tender. I was a little confused at first with the scene and time shifts, but fell right into the story once I understood the structure. I would be aware that some readers may have the same trouble, but pointing it out may be sufficient. I would recommend this to more mature middle school students as well as high school students. A great book to have on your book lists! Angela Johnson is pure talent!

DREAMLAND by Sarah Dessen

Realistic Fiction, Dating and Relationships, Abuse, Friendship, Families

250 pages
Alert: high school content

Booklist starred (November 1, 2000 (Vol. 97, No. 5))Gr. 8-10. Caitlin's life changes the day her sister runs away with her boyfriend instead of heading off to Yale. Cass has been the perfect child in the family, and now that she's gone, Caitlin feels her world spinning out of control. Knowing she can't take her sister's place, Caitlin follows a different, more dangerous path, one that leads her to the magnetic Rogerson Briscoe. Dessen writes with utter realism as she describes Caitlin's descent, first into drugs, then into sex, and finally into a relationship that turns violent, as she becomes Rogerson's punching bag. It's a tribute to Dessen that even though she has plotted the story carefully and shown Caitlin's disintegration inch by inch, she doesn't telegraph Rogerson's ultimate abuse. Readers will be as blindsided by the first punch as Caitlin is. Nor does Dessen offer an easy out; Caitlin is institutionalized after a breakdown and must work her way back to normalcy. It's not only the plot that's vivid; the characters are also intensely real, with each of the supporting characters as strong and indispensable as the leads. The subtext of dreams that pervades the story adds an emotional dimension that is as affecting as the action. Another pitch-perfect offering from Dessen.

My Comments

Sarah Dessen has been a favorite of mature middle-high school readers for years. She is excellent at portraying how situations develop, hard choices, and difficult secrets that young people may keep from their parents and friends. A powerful page-turner, but not recommended for most of my middle school population.

THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR

Romance, Immigration, Emigration, Poetry, Middle-High School



My Comments
A favorite! 5 Stars! This is more than romance and heartbreak; it portrays people who fight for their dreams in the face of obstacles completely out of their control, the importance of enduring self belief and love. This is high school, but appropriate for mature middle schoolers. The message is positive, the characters human and inspiring.

"Natasha is a girl who believes in science and facts. Daniel has always been a good son and good student. But when he sees Natasha he forgets all that and believes there is something extraordinary in store for both of them"--OCLC.

From the Publisher

Natasha: I'm a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I'm definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won't be my story.

Daniel:I've always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents' high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store--for both of us.

The Universe:Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

***

A 2016 National Book AwardFinalist
A New York Times Notable Book
A BuzzFeed Best YA Book of the Year
A POPSUGAR Best Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A Booklist Editor's Choice
A New York Public Library Best Book for Teens
An Amazon Best Book of the Year

"Beautifully crafted."--People Magazine

"A book that is very much about the many factors that affect falling in love, as much as it is about the very act itself . . . fans of Yoon's first novel, Everything Everything, will find much to love--if not, more--in what is easily an even stronger follow up." --Entertainment Weekly
"Transcends the limits of YA as a human story about falling in love and seeking out our futures."--POPSUGAR.com

★"An exhilarating, hopeful novel exploring identity, family, the love of science and the science of love, dark matter and interconnectedness--is about seeing and being seen and the possibility of love... and it shines."--Shelf Awareness, starred review 

★"Moving and suspenseful." --Publishers Weekly, starred review 

★ "Fans of Eleanor & Park and The Fault in Our Stars are destined to fall for Daniel and Natasha." --The Horn Book, starred review

★ "Lyrical and sweeping, full of hope, heartbreak, fate. . . and the universal beating of the human heart." --Booklist, starred review

★"Profound . . . both deeply moving and satisfying."--Kirkus, starred review

THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas

Realistic Fiction, Police Shooting, Racism, Conduct of Life, Friendship, Family

2018. 473 pages.

Multiple Awards including the Coretta Scott King and Printz Awards

Summary

"Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does--or does not--say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life." (Follett)

My Comments

I listened to the audio book. Excellent narration. I was riveted to the story and frequently cried throughout. A passionate, important book with characters who are courageous with strong values of loyalty, family, friendship, and justice. A remarkable book.

SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIEN AGENDA by Becky Albertalli

Realistic Fiction, Gays, Friendship, Secrecy, Schools

Hornbook Review 2015
"Sixteen-year-old Simon loves emailing Blue, an anonymous boy from school. But when another student sees the correspondence, the blossoming romance is threatened. Set in Georgia, this realistic coming-out story features a cast of unique, believable characters. Simon's humorous narrative alternates with his emails with Blue as Simon wonders, 'Don't you think everyone should have to come out? Why is straight the default?'"

My Comments
The beginning hooks you and sets the tone for Simon's anxiety at being exposed by another student. It also shows a high school boy who has close friends, is loyal, and has courage. This book shows the complexities of high school life and will speak to kids trying to navigate the social scene and family life.
 

BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver

Grades 9-12 mature content.  Fiction: Death, Interpersonal relations, Popularity, Conduct, High School, BullyingLoved this book! Lauren Oliver explores the topics of bullying, insecurity, friendship, and courage in a realistic portrayal of the high school experience. I began reading it with trepidation because I thought it was going to be a teenage angst, groundhog day story, but I was completely wrong. This is one to recommend to high school students.

"Grades 9-12. If you could relive your last day, what would you do differently? This is what Samantha asks herself when, after a fatal accident driving from a party on Friday, she wakes in her bed to find she must repeat the entire day again. And again. As Samantha lives through multiple Fridays, desperate to prevent her death, she is struck by how even the most insignificant acts, like running late for school instead of being on time, can change everything. Suddenly she is noticing uncomfortable things—about her friends, about herself—she has never noticed before. It’s the ultimate learning experience, and it takes Samantha seven times—not to save her own life but to leave with one she can be proud of. Oliver, in a pitch-perfect teen voice, explores the power we have to affect the people around us in this intensely believable first novel. Samantha grows from an entitled, popular, yet insecure girl to one with the compassion and guts to make the right decisions. This is a compelling book with a powerful message that will strike a chord with many teens." Booklist (October 15, 2009 (Vol. 106, No.4))