The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick

Summary: Rodman Philbrick is one of my favorite YA/Children’s authors.  Freak the Mighty has been a can’t-miss go-to book for me when it comes to reluctant readers for years, so I was excited to see a Philbrick title on this year’s Sunshine State Young Readers list. It’s another winner. The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg is definitely a must-read.

Twelve-year-old Homer and his older brother, Harold are orphans being raised by their mean uncle, Squinton Leach in a small town in Maine.  Squint gives them as little as possible while making them both work hard to keep his farm running.  When Homer gets caught eating from the pigs’ scraps, Harold stands up to Squint to protect him and finds himself sold into the army and sent away to fight in the Civil War.

Homer is determined to find Harold and save him from the war.  Harold’s enlistment wasn’t even legal – he isn’t old enough to sign up, and the draft hasn’t officially started yet.  So Homer steals away into the night and his adventures begin.  Along the way, Homer will meet up with bounty-hunters, a kindly abolitionist Quaker, a pair of con-men, and a travelling medicine show.  He goes from being an orphan on the run to “The Amazing Pig Boy” to a suspected spy. But along the way, he never forgets his brother and uses his wits and a lot of luck to keep moving on his quest.

Homer’s journey takes him to the Battle of Gettysburg, but will he be too late to save Harold? 

Themes:
Family
Choices
Freedom
Honesty
War

Age Appropriateness:
11 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: mild

Note:  I have created a novel guide for The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg. It is available on Amazon.com.  Information is below.

Novel Unit for The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg ISBN-13: 978-1478204985
This novel unit contains everything you need to teach the novel The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick.
Includes vocabulary, comprehension and discussion questions for each chapter, vocabulary practice exercises, pre, during, and post reading activities, and essay topics. Also contains tests, additional activity and research activities, a list of suggested further reading (both fiction & nonfiction), and a listing of the 6-12 Common Core Anchor Standards of Language Arts covered in the novel.

Wonderland by Joanna Nadin

Summary: Wonderland by Joanna Nadin left me feeling unsettled, listless, and full of “what if” wonderings. I haven’t read a book that had such an impact on me in a long time.  Although I figured out the twist in the story before it was revealed, it didn’t lessen the impact.  In fact, it was a relief to know I was right.

Jude wants nothing more than to escape the small town where she has grown up, the school where she doesn’t fit in, and the home that is haunted by the ghost of her mother and by her father’s misery. Her only chance is the Lab in London, a prestigious acting school.  But Jude isn’t confident enough to try. 

Until Stella returns.  Stella, Jude’s childhood best friend; the girl who can do and say anything, who is cooler than cool and a force of nature. Stella’s return pushes Jude to try for her goals. But Stella’s influence isn’t all positive.  Soon Jude and Stella are doing all the things that Jude never had the courage to do before; taking on the popular girls at school, flirting with the cutest boys, drinking, smoking,  and more drinking. 

Will Jude have the strength to walk away from Stella?  Is it even possible for Jude to exist without her?  Is Stella all that makes Jude truly alive?

From the prologue, which sets up the novel’s ending, I was hooked.  Why are she & Stella sitting in a car getting ready to roll it off a cliff and into the sea?  Jumping into the first chapter, set three months before the prologue, I was drawn into Jude’s world.  It is not a pretty place.  There are no fairy tales in this story – just a harsh reality that made me sad for Jude  but also hopeful that she can be more than she was, without Stella’s destructive guidance.

Themes:
Choices
Growing Up
Courage
Mental Illness

Age Appropriateness:
15 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: moderate
Nudity/Adult Content: moderate
Violence: moderate

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

Summary: A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford takes paranormal romance in a new direction and I love it.  This is a book that I read and wished I had written myself because there is so much potential for continuing the story of these characters and the world they inhabit. And, to my great joy, it is a series!

Eden is a normal teenage girl, if being ignored by everyone and pondering suicide is normal.  Standing on the beach considering her options, she meets Az.  He sees her like no one else does, and she is immediately drawn into his world. 

Az is attracted to her from the moment he sees her; he is even more intrigued when she is unimpressed by his opening line. It takes almost no time at all until the pair become inseparable, shadowed by Az’s friend Gabe.

But Az & Gabe have a secret. A secret that truly is a matter of life or death for Leah.  And the only way for Eden & Az to truly be together will take Eden in a direction she was already headed.  But can she still love Az after he pushes her over the edge?  Can she trust anyone? And why, even in a world where some suicides have seemingly eternal life, is she different in a terrifying way?

Wow.  Really, wow.  It was so hard to write a good summery of this book without giving away the awesome twists and surprises within! My paragraphs do not do it justice – but I don’t want to ruin it.  I must get the next in the series!

Themes:
Death
Grief
Love
Courage
Betrayal

Age Appropriateness:
14 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: mild
Nudity/Adult Content: mild
Violence: moderate

Dark Souls by Paula Morris

Summary: Dark Souls by Paula Morris (author of Ruined) is another great addition to my collection of mysterious and slightly creepy teen novels.

Miranda and her family, including her older brother Rob, are visiting York, England during winter break.  For their parents, it is a working vacation; their mother is conducting a musical performance at the local cathedral while their father is presenting at a historical conference.  But there is another motive for this family vacation; getting Rob & Miranda away from home and the bad memories of a fatal accident that loom over them there.

Miranda is glad for the chance to get away from the stares, the whispers, and the guilt.  Wandering the streets of York is new and exciting – and becomes even more so when she meets Nick, a boy about her age who knows all the secrets of the town.  Even better, Nick & Miranda have something in common – they can both see ghosts, and York is full of them.

One of these ghosts lives just across the street from where Miranda is staying.  She is fascinated with this handsome face that peers out to window and seems to reach out to her, trying to tell her a secret.

Rob also finds a distraction. Sally’s family owns a local pub.  She doesn’t know that Rob is still reeling from a tragedy.  He likes that she just sees him – no past baggage involved.  When somebody targets Sally’s family pub, he is determined to help at any cost.

Miranda and Rob have to overcome their individual issues to save Sally’s family business and themselves in this fast-moving and suspenseful novel.  I loved Ruined and I think Dark Souls  is just as good, possible better.  A worthy lazy summer read! (Or a great by-the-fire winter one!)

Themes:
Family
Death
Grief
Courage

Age Appropriateness:
12 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: mild
Violence: mild

The Siren Song by Anne Ursu

What do you get when you mix Rick Riordan with Lemony Snicket? Anne Ursu’s wonderful but sadly overlooked Cronus Chronicles Series! Mythology in the modern world with witty asides and laugh-out-loud wordplay makes this series fun and engaging, perfect for advanced readers.

Summary: The Siren Song is the second book in the Cronus Chronicles series by Anne Ursu.  In the first book, The Shadow Thieves, Charlotte & her cousin, Zee, find themselves travelling to the Underworld to save humanity from a demigod, Philonecron, who wants to rule the world and is building an army of shadows to accomplish his goal. 

In The Siren Song, the pair have returned safely home, but not to a heroes’ welcome.  After all, they can’t just tell everyone that the Greek gods are real.  So Charlotte is grounded – “ultramegagrounded,” actually, while Zee’s parents are treating him as if he might break. 

You would think that being under the constant watch of her parents would guarantee Charlotte some peace and quiet.  Unfortunately, Philonecron wants revenge on the mortal children who stopped his plans for world domination, and he has found the perfect way to get it – ask his grandfather, Poseidon, for help. 

And so, Charlotte finds herself fighting against the (second) most powerful god of the Greek pantheon on his own turf.  But she also finds allies, including a giant squid who used to be a British gentleman.  The one ally she needs most, Zee, is dealing with his own problems, including being kidnapped.  Can these two mere mortals defeat Poseidon and his minions, or are they and those they love doomed?

Themes:
Family
Friendship
Courage

Age Appropriateness:
10 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: mild

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Summary: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is one of the 2012-2013 Sunshine State Books in Florida.  I originally read it when it first came out in hardback, as I am a huge fan of Gaiman’s work.  I picked it up again to re-read after the Sunshine State book list came out, and loved it just as much the second time around.

On a dark misty night, a man moves soundlessly through a house leaving a trail of death behind him.  A man, a woman, a little girl; all left motionless in his wake.  But somehow, by some twist of fate, a baby escapes and ends up in a nearby graveyard, where the resident ghosts take on the task of raising him and keeping him safe.

Thus begins the story of Nobody Owens, an orphan raised within the safety of the graveyard by the deceased, with help from his guardian, Silas, who is neither living nor dead. Nobody’s education consists of more than reading and writing; he must also learn to Fade, disappearing from the sight of the living.  His friends range from colonial children to a young witch, and his teachers have centuries of knowledge to share.  Unfortunately, none of it is from the current century.

Despite their best efforts, his ghostly parents and protectors cannot keep him safe forever.  Nobody longs to see the world outside the graveyard, even if it means drawing the attention of the man who killed his family; the man who is still looking to kill him as well.

The Graveyard Book is full of action and introspection.  Nobody is a character that I quickly became attached to, even when he was acting childish (he is, after all, a child) and making the wrong choices.  The end of the book is satisfying, but also makes me wonder… the perfect combination for me as a reader.

Themes:
Family
Friendship
Coming-of-Age
Safety

Age Appropriateness:
12 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: moderate

Bloggers note:  I have created a novel guide for The Graveyard Book which includes comprehension and extension/discussion questions, vocabulary, test questions, essay prompts, and other activities.  It can be purchased on Amazon  or through CreateSpace.

The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson

Summary: The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson really struck a chord with me for a couple of reasons: I could truly see such a situation happening in the real world, and I have seen how quickly my students this past year got caught up in every passing cause du jour (Kony 2012, anyone?). That said, this is a book I would recommend to many of my students, because it has a great plot, a strong lead character, and a great message.


Asha Jamison and her best friend Carey want to raise money to pay for a trip to London when they graduate from high school. To make matters more complicated, they need to do it without their parents’ knowledge, because they know they’ll never be allowed to go and the money will go toward college instead. What are a couple of girls to do?

The pair gets an idea that mixes their love of coffee with their frustration at a society that forces them to check a single box to define who they are. How can a girl like Asha choose ONE box to sum up her family when she’s part Irish, part Hispanic, and part Indian? In that moment, the Latte Rebellion is born: T-shirts are a great way to make money, and there are lots of other people at their school who don’t fit into the either/or category. T-shirts to celebrate all the different shades of brown that come from the mixing of cultures – a quick and low effort money maker!

But their cause spreads faster than they had ever imagined! Latte Rebellion chapters spring up all over the nation, in high schools and colleges. More web sites pop up supporting the cause, and with the attention comes violence and backlash. Can friendship survive the fallout of a viral phenomenon? Can Asha’s grades survive the time that the Rebellion is sucking up? And will she be able to finish her senior year, or will the Latte Rebellion get her expelled?

A great story about what happens when a great idea gains a life of its own, and how one girl steps up to take her own life back in the aftermath. Asha is a great character who is stands up for what she believes in, even when the consequences could truly crush her dreams.

Themes:
Individuality
Choices
Friendship
Coming-of-Age

Age Appropriateness:
13 and up


Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: mild
Nudity/Adult Content: mild
Violence: mild

The Storm Runners series by Roland Smith

Summary: Storm Runners by Roland Smith is a trilogy of books about a boy named Chase Masters who, along with his father, is a storm runner. They travel across the country to areas where natural disasters have hit (or are expected to) and help rebuild in the aftermath (for a fee, of course.)


Chase’s life changed when his mother & sister dies in an accident. Not too long after, his father was struck by lightning, giving him a new focus on life – storm running. But when they pull into the winter home of the Rossi Brothers Circus in Florida just ahead of Hurricane Emily, they have no idea the new challenges that they will face. Besides the usual high winds and flooding, there will be escaped exotic animals, a pregnant elephant, and a flirtatious news anchor.

The trilogy flows beautifully, with all three books forming a complete story that is broken nicely into each of the books. In each separate offering, Chase & his father face a big challenge that must be overcome (survived). In the process, they become part of a different sort of family, a family they are willing to risk everything for.

The series:
Storm Runners
Storm Runners: The Surge
Storm Runners: Eruption

Themes:
Courage
Survival
Friendship
Family

Age Appropriateness:
11 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: moderate

Delirium by Lauran Oliver

Dystopia – it’s what’s hot. There is so much YA dystopian lit out right now that it almost seems unavoidable. I know – I’ve read a lot of it. And I’ve loved much of it, but I’ve been a fan of dystopian lit since I read Brave New World in high school. So now the question when I read another entry into the genre is this: what makes this title different?


Summary: Delirium by Lauren Oliver asks the question: What if love were curable? Would you choose to live without it?

Lena has always lived in fear of it; love killed her mother and made her an orphan. If not for her aunt & uncle taking her in, she and her older sister would have ended up working in a state-run orphanage with no chance of ever making a good pair. Amor deliria nervosa is the most dangerous of diseases and all adults are surgically cured to prevent its spread.

Lena has looked forward to her procedure for years; looked forward to the time when the sadness of the past will fade away and she will lead a comfortable life, paired with an acceptable man to spend the rest of her life with. Living without love means living without pain and sadness, living in a safe, protected world where she can fit in.

With only days left until she will be forever free from fear of the disease, Lena meets Alex. He is different – he makes her feel things she has been warned against feeling. He has infected her with the delirium. Will she reject all she has been taught to keep the happiness she has found with Alex? Will she fall victim to love, the deadliest disease of all?

Although Delirium feels slightly like some of the other dystopian books I've read (the Uglies series was the first that popped into my mind), it is different enough to be intriguing and manages to stay unpredictable in its twists and turns.  I was rooting for Lena and Alex, even though I knew their story probably wouldn't end well. 

Themes:
Coming-of-Age
Being Yourself
Freedom
Love

Age Appropriateness:
14 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: mild
Nudity/Adult Content: mild
Violence: moderate

Populazzi by Elise Allen

Summary: Populazzi by Elise Allen looks at one of the essential questions of teen-dom: If you could start fresh and become someone else – someone popular – would you? The result is a novel that veers from funny to sad and is occasionally cringe-inducing. As a reader who was able to empathize with Cara, the main character, I often found her choices and the situations she created for herself to be painful to read – just like the mistakes of a real teen.


Cara has never been popular – she and her best friend, Claudia, have always rested comfortably near the bottom of the popularity scale. But now, at the beginning of her junior year of high school, Cara’s family moves. Faced with starting at a new school where no one knows her, she follows Claudia’s advice and tries to change her standing. Claudia has created an approach she calls “The Ladder,” and, in order to become popular, Cara must begin the climb up its slippery rungs. Each rung is a relationship and Cara must repeatedly reinvent herself to become the perfect girlfriend for the guy on the next rung up in order to achieve the ultimate goal – become the Supreme Populazzi , the most popular girl in school.

As anyone can tell you, you don’t climb to the top without stepping on a few people on the way. Will Cara’s quest to become the best (liked) cause her to lose all her (true) friends, the trust of her parents, and her shot at her first choice college? Who knew being popular could make you so miserable?

Themes:
Coming-of-Age
Being Yourself
Peer Pressure
Friendship



Age Appropriateness:
14 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: mild
Nudity/Adult Content: moderate
Violence: none

Radiance & Shimmer by Alyson Noel

Summary: Alyson Noel made waves with her series The Immortals and now has a new series focused on Riley Bloom. The first two books, Radiance and Shimmer are well-written and beautifully paced with a main character who is likable in spite of her flaws, making the entire book relatable and enjoyable.


After an accident kills everyone in her family except for her sister, Ever, Riley Bloom hung around on Earth for a while. But she has finally moved on and crossed the bridge to Here, joining her parents and her dog, Buttercup. Although she still harbors some bitterness about her short life, Riley is anxious to see what the Here (where the time is always Now) holds for her.

When she’s finally given her assignment, she finds that she will be a Soul Catcher, returning to Earth with her mentor, Bodhi, to convince other souls who are clinging to Earth that it is time to cross the bridge into Here and leave their old life behind.

In Radiance, Riley & Bodhi head for an old English castle that has been haunted by a young boy for centuries. He has resisted the efforts of many Soul Catchers to convince him to move on, but Riley is not going to give up easily.

Shimmer follows Riley & Bodhi on a well-earned vacation that turns into a challenge that could trap both Riley & Bodhi, along with the ever-present Buttercup, in the twisted fantasy world of a young girl who was murdered during a slave revolt in the 1700’s. Can Riley help Rebecca forgive those she blames for her death or will Riley end up like the rest of Rebecca’s victims, trapped in her own worst memories for eternity?

I’m looking forward to reading more Riley Bloom books. Despite the main character’s circumstances, the books manage to avoid wallowing in self-pity and instead show a young girl who, despite her untimely end, is continuing to grow and mature in her outlook. Beautiful images and imagery with a beautiful message written in a way that will make the reader root for Riley.

Themes:
Coming-of-Age
Acceptance
Letting Go

Age Appropriateness:
12 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: mild

School of Fear by Gitty Daneshvari

Summary: Four children, each with a crippling phobia:


Garrison is afraid of water. This is made more unfortunate by the fact that he lives in Florida, where everyone goes to the beach or has a pool.

Madeleine is afraid of bugs and spiders. She is constantly surrounded by a cloud of pesticide and stays covered with a layer of mosquito netting.

Lulu is claustrophobic. She won’t even ride in an elevator.

Theodore is afraid of dying – not just of his own death, but of the death of anyone he cares about or even knows. His family has to check in with him regularly to confirm their status as still living.

The four have never met before this summer, but now will be united by the scariest event of their lives; a summer at the School of Fear. It’s an unusual school with unusual methods. Each student will conquer his or her fear in six weeks. And the headmistress of the school, a past-her-prime beauty queen, will use whatever methods are necessary to make sure they all make satisfactory progress.

Throw in a quirky, elderly caretaker, a depressed bulldog, and an attorney with questionable motives and you have a fun, fast-paced book for kids and adults. The humor reminds me of Lemony Snicket; wry and dryly funny with plenty of sarcasm.

School of Fear by Gitty Danashvari is a great read for a dull, rainy day with plot twists that will keep the reader guessing.

Themes:
Courage
Friendship


Age Appropriateness:
10 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: mild

Alibi Junior High by Greg Logsted

Summary: Cody has lived a life that many kids would think is really cool; travelling the world as his dad’s partner in undercover CIA operations. He speaks multiple languages, can defend himself whether armed or unarmed, and knows how to handle himself under pressure. Then everything changes….


The danger surrounding Cody & his dad gets to be too much and Cody is sent to stay with his Aunt Jenny, who he hardly knows,  in a small town in Connecticut. Cody may know how to blend in and survive in many situations, but Junior High isn’t one of them. He’s never had a normal friendship with anyone his age, never had a crush on a girl, never had to follow a class schedule. In short, he’s never been prepared to lead a “normal life.”

After some missteps, Cody starts to make friends and even becomes a sort of mentor within his school, his love of and talent for martial arts serving as a tool to help him overcome the "new kid" stigma.

Just as he starts to feel like he is getting the hang of being a suburban teen, he begins to fear that his father’s problems have followed him – he is sure he is being watched. With the help of a disabled vet, Cody has to face this challenge to save the life he has come to enjoy and to protect the people he has come to love.

Alibi Junior High is a 2011-2012 Sunshine State Book. I really wish I had read it sooner. I truly enjoyed it. It was sometimes funny and sometimes tense, striking the balance between the two in a way that made me want to keep reading about Cody even after the story was over.

Themes:
Courage
Responsibility
Family
What is normal?

Age Appropriateness:
11 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: mild
Violence: moderate

Drought by Pam Bachorz

Dystopian fiction is a big seller right now, and Drought by Pam Bachorz is a worthy addition to the shelves of dystopian fans looking for another read to sate their need. The premise is unlike any other novels I can remember recently, coming closest to Haddix’s Running Out Of Time. Drought, however, adds a level of suspense that kept me turning the pages and wondering how the story would end.


Summary: Ruby has lived all her life as part of the Congregation, gathering Water for Darwin West under the cruel and watchful eyes of his Overseers. Despite the passing of over a century, she and the others still live as if the year was 1812, the year they all came to the wilderness hoping for freedom, only to become slaves.

Ruby’s mother is the Reverend for the Congregation. She has always taught Ruby to be patient and accept her suffering. But Ruby isn’t content to accept the way her life is. She dreams of freedom and happiness. But her dream isn’t possible, because Ruby has a secret; it is her blood which makes Water so special. Without it, her community will die. So Ruby continues to sacrifice and keep her secret.

When a new Overseer, Ford, comes to the community, Ruby is drawn to him. He is different from the others; Ruby can see his kindness. When Ford asks her to run away with him, to leave and live a normal life, Ruby is faced with a terrible choice: reject love and freedom to keep her people alive or condemn them to death for her own chance at happiness.

Themes:
Survival
Courage
Responsibility
Family
Freedom



Age Appropriateness:
12 and up



Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: mild
Violence: moderate

Killer Pizza: The Slice by Greg Taylor

Summary: Toby, Annabel & Strobe are back and facing a new kind of danger in Killer Pizza: The Slice. Just when they thought they had the basic of their new monster hunting/pizza making jobs down, they get a different kind of assignment; they have to protect instead of kill!


Calanthe is a gorgeous 14-year old monster who is defecting, and it is up to the teen trio to protect her from her people, who want to use her as a sacrifice for their next holiday. They also have to introduce her to their world: high school. It’s time for a crash course in teen slang, high school survival, and fitting in, all while preparing for a monstrous invasion by Calanthe’s relatives.

Strobe gets a chance to strike out on a mission without his partners this time, working recon with some more senior MCO’s. Toby continues surprising himself and his partners with his courage and cooking skills. Readers get a look at Annabel’s family life as she makes sacrifices to ensure Calanthe’s safety in Hidden Hills.

The final showdown is awesome and full of action – but there are plenty of thrills and surprises throughout the book. If you liked Killer Pizza, then this follow up is sure to satisfy!

Themes:
Friendship
Courage
Responsibility



Age Appropriateness:
11 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: moderate

Bruiser by Neal Shusterman

Neal Shusterman is one of my favorite YA authors, and I have recommended his books to many of my students, from reluctant readers (who devour his Dark Fusion series) to my gifted readers (for whom his novel Unwind is a mind-bending read). Bruiser has been sitting in my pile of books to be read for a while, & I wish I had read it sooner. Wow! I loved it! I will be adding this to my recommendations for students, from the reluctant readers to those who need a challenge, as it is a great story that any student will become engrossed in, and it has Neal’s trademark twists and unexpected turns which will leave the reader thinking long after they have finished the story.


Summary: Tennyson and Bronte are twins living a comfortable, if not exactly happy, life with their parents, college professors whose marriage is in a dull and quiet stasis caused by unforgiven past wrongs and continuing mistakes. When Bronte starts dating the school outcast, a boy named Brewster (called Bruiser by most), Tennyson is determined to split them up. He is convinced that Bruiser is bad news, and he goes to great lengths to try and scare Bruiser away...until he gets to know both Brewster and himself better.

Bronte has always had a soft spot for the abandoned, orphaned, unloved creatures she comes across. Brewster is no exception. She is determined to get past Brewster’s protective shell and truly get to know the boy hiding beneath that untouchable exterior. Tennyson’s initial bullying and interference only increases her determination. There is more to Brewster than anyone else at school realizes…but she is determined to help him make friends and be accepted.

As the twins weave themselves more into Brewster’s life, they discover the reason he stays removed from the world and avoids making friends. When Brewster’s whole world falls apart, how far will Bronte and Tennyson go to help their new friend? Is their help only causing Brewster more pain? And what do you do when you realize that you’ve allowed someone else to take on your burdens – do you keep living the easy life or do you step up and take responsibility?

Told from the perspectives of Tennyson, Bronte and Brewster himself, Bruiser kept me riveted. I couldn’t wait to see how it would end, but also dreaded reaching the end because it would be over. This is a book I will definitely be re-reading!

Themes:
Bullying
Friendship
Love
Selflessness
Responsibility


Age Appropriateness:
12 and up


Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: mild
Violence: mild

Bitter Melon by Cara Chow

Summary: Growing up is hard enough. Growing up to meet the expectations placed on you by an overbearing mother is almost unbearable. Cara Chow’s Bitter Melon expresses this conflict beautifully with a main character who is both likeable and frustrating, just like any teen girl.


Frances has always worked hard to make her mother proud. She knows how hard her mother works to make sure she can attend a good private school and become a doctor some day. Then they can both lead a better life; the kind of life her mother gave up when she chose to raise her daughter alone in American instead of returning to her homeland of China. But no matter how hard she tries, she always seems to fall short.

At the beginning of her senior year, someone makes a mistake on Frances’ schedule, putting her in speech instead of calculus. Although she knows she should switch, she finds that she is good at public speaking and that it gives her a feeling she hasn’t had before; a confidence in herself. Although she still tried to make her mother proud, she also begins to work more toward her own happiness. But is Frances strong enough to choose her own path, even if it will mean standing up to her mother?

This coming-of-age story mixes in a dose of Asian culture to a universal tale of learning to be your own person.

Themes:
Independence
Success
Family
Growing Up



Age Appropriateness:
13 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: mild

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Summary: The recent trend in young adult fiction, paranormal romance, is one that has, in some ways, become a little overdone. So it was with minimal expectations that I picked up Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. Wow, was I ever surprised! Paranormalcy is a gripping multi-layered story and I can’t wait to pick up the next book in the series!


Evie has spent most of her life living in and working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, an unusual example of international cooperation that is held together by one thing: the desire to use Evie and her ability to capture and protect paranormal creatures ranging from vampires and werewolves to mermaids (like her best friend). Evie can see through glamours, so no paranormal creature can hide its true nature from her. She sees vampires as the walking corpses they are, for example. And she’s content to live her life this way.

But something is coming after paranormal creatures and they are dying in a way the IPCA cannot explain. And Evie is having strange dreams filled with a prophecy she doesn’t understand. She fears that her abilities may be linked to the deaths, but how could that be? Is she truly the one in the faerie prophecy; the one who bring destruction to all paranormal creatures?

Add to the mix a faerie ex-boyfriend who can’t let go and a mysterious prisoner who is suspected of being part of the plot against the paranormal community and you have a dangerous and confusing love triangle – what is a girl to choose? And can she save the paranormals and have a romance at the same time?

Fun, full of action, and with a hint of romance! If you like Ally Carter mixed with some werewolves and other creatures of the night, you'll like Paranormalcy.

Themes:
Acceptance
Persistence
Courage

Age Appropriateness:
13 and up


Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: mild
Nudity/Adult Content: very mild
Violence: moderate