A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life

Author: Dana Reinhardt

Publisher: New York: Wendy Lamb Books 2006
ISBN- 978-0-3857-4698-4
pages: 228
Author's website

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Contemporary
Media Type: Audiobook/book

Grade level: 8-12

Reader's annotation: Simone is a typical junior in high school, thinking about college, not sure her best friends new boyfriend is right for her, wishing she had a boyfriend of her own, putting up with her younger brother who seems to be the perfect freshman, and now, meeting her birth mother. Life is fine, why would her parents want her to meet her birth mother so much? And why right now?

Summary: Simone grew up in a liberal family, with a mother who was a lawyer for the ACLU, who attended many a rally or signature gathering booth over the years. She is starting her junior year in high school ready to start looking at colleges and putting up with her younger brothers presence in school with her. How does he manage to become so popular so quickly she wonders? Her own confidence is not so strong but she has a very good friend who supports her, encourages her and keeps her going. It all is very typical except for the fact that Simone is adopted. This has been obvious - she is dark and the rest of the family is blond and blue-eyed, though she knows nothing about her birth mother or past, she wants it that way and has refused opportunities to learn about her past from her parents. Then that changes, her birth mother wants to meet her and her parents are actually pressuring her to do so now! Finally she relents and makes the call, and surprisingly it isn’t as bad as she thought it would be. She actually likes this woman and wants to know more about this part of her family. On top of that, the boy she likes is interested in her after all and things are looking promising. Then Simone’s life is turned upside-down when she learns something about her birth mother that is hard to accept. How Simone deals with this new twist is endearing and hopeful and makes one hope that all teens have the support system she has and uses.

Evaluation: Although some of the characters may be a bit contrived and not make “realistic” choices, Simone’s character is very real, and we really care about her and what happens to her. The author captures the culture of the area and a lifestyle that others from the east coast will recognize.

Something, Maybe

Author: Elizabeth Scott

Publisher: New York: Simon Pulse 2009
ISBN- 978-1-4169-7865-7
pages: 217
Author's website

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Chick Lit
Topics: Coming of Age, Romance, Contemporary life
Media Type: Book


Grade level: 9-up

Reader's annotation: After spending years trying to be invisible to everyone in school so as to avoid the comments about her parents and their swinging lifestyle, she now wants to be noticed by a certain boy.

Summary: Hannah is a very independent high school student, she has to be since she doesn’t feel she can really count on either of her parents. As the book opens she has, a mother she avoids when possible, an estranged celebrity father, a best girlfriend, two boys in her life, and an after school job taking drive-thru orders at the local burger joint. She works with these two boys, one whom is a friend and she is comfortable with, the other who is her crush and Mr. Mcdreamy. While her girlfriend is giving her advice on the next moves to make to further along a possible relationship, Hannah is dealing with her mother and her job talking to men while scantily dressed. Her mom’s big claim to fame is having been the girlfriend of a Hugh Hefner type person and Hannah is the result of this relationship. Her father is not someone she wants to have anything to do with, but he isn’t used to being told no. Unfortunately for Hannah she isn’t ready to say no strongly enough, but that changes when she is realizes what is really important to her, which helps her to define herself and gives her the courage to do what she really wants to do, not just sit back and watch. The story is somewhat predictable but would be enjoyable for many teen girls.

Evaluation: I found this book to be somewhat empty in the first half, though the second half became more interesting. The conversations and characters seemed to be so shallow they didn’t really hold my interest. The book was a quick read and just as quickly forgotten, the characters not really sticking in my memory. A good book for the beach maybe or for a stress release but not something that you can really sink your teeth into.

How to Build a House

Author: Dana Reinhardt

Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books 2008
ISBN-978-0375844539
pages: 240

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Contemporary Life
Topics: family, romance, divorce, blended families
Media Type: Book

Grade level: 9+

Reader's annotation: Harper, 17-year-old girl “runs away” from her tumultuous life in LA to Tennessee where she participates in a summer teen volunteer program building houses for tornado victims and rebuilds herself in preparation for returning home and her changed life.

Summary: This is two stories told simultaneously - Home: Harper’s life in LA from the day she met her ex-stepmother at the age of 6 until the days before she left for - Here: in Tennessee participating in a summer teen volunteer program building a house for a family whose house was destroyed in the tornado that hit their town shortly after the Katrina disaster. We hear the story of how she grew up with her blended family, her dad , step-mom, two step-sisters and much younger brother. We hear about how her friend since 12, Gabriel, turns into a friend “with benefits” in the last year, though Harper doesn’t actually see what the benefit does for her except confuse her and leave her empty. At the same time we are experiencing her summer life, meeting interesting new people and gaining confidence as she actually builds a house and learns the skills that go along with that. Then there is Teddy, the oldest son of the recipient family who is out there building right along with everyone else. Now Harper sees what real caring and a true boyfriend can be. As the house turns from a pile of rubble and wood into a livable building, so does Harper's life as she rebuilds her own psyche in preparation for returning to LA.

Evaluation: A story of self-discovery, beginning with a lost confused teenage girl struggling with the divorce of her dad and stepmom, loss of her best friend and step-sister, and uncertainty of a boy “friend with benefits”, to a self confident high school senior ready to face life on her terms. This is a very good coming of age story that teens will enjoy. With the variety of characters in the story, every teen is sure to connect with one of them.

On the Jellicoe Road

Author: Melina Marchetta

Publisher: Bolinda Audio Books 2006
ISBN- 978-1740938563
length: 9 hr. 5 min.
Author's website

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Contemporary life
Topics: Coming of age, abandonment, romance, mystery
Media Type: Audiobook, read by Rebecca Macauley

Grade level: 9+

Reader's annotation: This summer brings clarity and belonging as Taylor finally decides that the questions of her past need to be explained . As head of her boarding school house she negotiates their turf with the Cadets and the Townies while finding her past and future place in the world.

Summary: It is the summer before her last year of high school at the boarding school on the Jellicoe Road, where Taylor Markham has been since her mother abandoned her down the road six years ago. We hear her story as she pieces it together, first with memories and then with facts. This story is not linear, we get bits and pieces from the past and present, and some of it really happened, some of it is a dream, and some of it is speculation. The summer turf wars are in full swing with the Cadets at the military camp down the road and the townies, some of whom are connected with the school. All want to claim their share of the clubhouse and river crossings. Taylor is the head of the school group, a tough and angry negotiator. But as the talks continue the friendships start to build until the lines of division are completely blurred. Then Hannah disappears and forces Taylor to look at her past and try to figure out some of the questions she has about where she came from and what happened to her mother. Does Jonah, one of the enemy Cadets, have some answers for her? We listened to the audio version of this, read with an Australian accent which really put you into Taylor’s head. Some of the writing is almost a stream of consciousness. This is a fascinating and confusing book that I think I will have to reread this summer.

Evaluation: Told in first person, this is a very complex book. There is no background information so the story unfolds as Taylor herself figures things out. This makes it challenging reading but the reader becomes so invested in her search for the truth that one will find they can’t put down the book. Excellent coming of age story that shows how we are all flawed but worthwhile people.

Slam

Author: Nick Hornby

Publisher: New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons 2007
ISBN-978-0399250484
pages: 370
Author's blog

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Contemporary Life
Topics: teen pregnancy, skateboarding
Media Type: Book

Grade level: 9-Adult

Reader's annotation: Sam is a happy teen, skateboarding through life until he finds out his ex-girlfriend is pregnant with his child. He turns to Tony Hawk, his idol, for advice.

Summary: Sam is 16, skateboarding is his life and Tony Hawk is his idol; he has read Hawk's biography 40 or 50 times. Now he finds out he is soon to be a father. At 16, this was not something that was in the plan. He seems to be reliving his parents life. His mother was pregnant at 16 and his father left soon after and the last thing he wants to do is repeat that. He goes to Tony Hawk for answers, talking to the poster of him on his bedroom wall and listening to the answers he hears back. Sometimes Tony Hawk also takes Sam into the future to “see” what is in store for him. These events are often quite funny. We do see Sam come to terms with his life and move forward towards adulthood.

Evaluation: A cautionary tale for older boys, especially those considering sexual relations with a girlfriend. Nick Hornby approaches the topic of teen pregnancy from the boys side of things in this funny sometimes serious insight into the male psyche.

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl

Author: Barry Lyga

Publisher: Boston: Houghton Mifflin 2006
ISBN-9780618723928
pages: 320
Author's website

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Contemporary life
Topics: graphic novels, bullying, individuality
Media Type: Book

Grade level: 9-Adult

Reader's annotation: Hoping to remain invisible so as not to get bullied in school, our storyteller lives for his graphic novel that he is drawing and writing. Then he meets Kyra aka Goth Girl who not only wants to talk to him but gives him the support he needs to stand up for himself.

Summary: Written in first person, our narrator spends much of his time at school trying to be inconspicuous so as to keep from getting bullied. At the same time he is a straight A student in all of the top level classes. While trying to ignore the jock who is punching him in the shoulder over and over, he attracts the attention of Kyra (aka Goth Girl) who gives him the nickname of Fanboy. This is his first real friend since he moved to this town 6 years ago. His only other friend is Cal who can’t be seen with him in public for fear of alienating his jock friends, but they share a love of comics and graphic novels. Fanboy is working on his own graphic novel, Schemata. He is anxiously awaiting the convention where he will show twenty of his best pages to his favorite writer/artist Bendis. He and Cal have been planning this for months, that is until Cal’s lacrosse team wins and gets to go to the playoffs. He still has Kyra, that is until he has a fight with her too. It will all be worth it when Bendis sees his work.

Evaluation: A good choice for those interested in graphic novels or comics and for anyone who has been bullied or feels alone and invisible at school. Lyga touches on issues of suicide, family dysfunction and violent fantasies. He captures the “voice” of teens in both of the main characters.

About a Boy

Author - book: Nick Hornby
Screenplay: Peter Hodges
Directors: Chris & Paul Weitz

Publisher: Universal City CA: Universal 2002
ISBN-978-0783268644
Rating: PG-13

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Realistic fiction
Media Type: Movie

Grade level: 7-Adult

Reader's annotation: Self-absorbed, cool, playboy bachelor Will lives his life on his own terms. Then Marcus is there, trying to include himself into Will’s life whether he likes it or not. Every man is an island, or is he?

Summary: Independently wealthy Will Lightman lives his self-centered life in units of time. One unit for a haircut, another for dinner, two units for a movie. There is no future plan but to go on this way, no real responsibilities to anyone but himself. He likes the companionship of a girlfriend but as soon as the girl thinks there is some kind of future, he bails out. Then he dates a single mom who breaks it off first! Will now realizes this is his gold mine - single moms who don’t want to commit. But how can he find them? He attends a single parent support group but then realizes they expect him to be a single parent, so he makes up a child. That gets him a date with her friend’s son Marcus in tow. But the date ends with the discovery of Marcus’s mom’s attempted suicide. Marcus liked Will and decided that he better have more people in his life than just his mom, just in case she wasn’t there anymore. Marcus’s tenacity and determination coupled with his charm and openness about the bullying that is going on in school hook Will into caring, even though he tries not to. As the story develops more people come into their circle and before he knows it Will feels responsible.

Evaluation: This is one of my favorite feel good movies. It is funny and heartwarming without being sappy and kids relate to the difficulties Marcus has with his mother and with school. They laugh at his geekiness and enjoy Will's attempts staying independent and failing. The movie has a great soundtrack as well as a very good cast.

The Graveyard Book

Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: Dave McKean
Publisher: Harper Collins, New York
Year: 2008
ISBN- 978-0060530921
pages: 312
Author's website

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Fantasy
Topics: paranormal, family
Media Type: Book

Grade level: 6-adult

Reader's annotation: A normal boy is raised by ghosts in a graveyard protected from the man from who murdered his family.

Summary: After his parents are coldly murdered in the night, the toddler wanders outside, up the road, and into the graveyard. There he is protected by the dead who are buried there and looked after by Silas - someone who lives both in the world of the dead and the living. Bod, short for Nobody, Owens is a sweet innocent boy who is open and caring. He makes a friend when he is 5, a girl named Scarlett whose parents think he is an imaginary friend. At this point the reader realizes that Bod has abilities that are a little out of the ordinary. When Silas has to go away for a while Miss Lupescu comes and takes care of him. Bod doesn’t appreciate what she is teaching him until he makes the mistake of trusting the wrong characters who visit the graveyard. However, Miss Lupescu comes to the rescue and Bod learns his lesson. There are several interesting characters in Bod’s life to keep him occupied but the knowledge that a man is out there who wants to kill him weighs on Bod’s mind. When Scarlett returns as a 15-year-old she brings danger as well as a chance for retribution.
After I read the book I listened to the audio version which is read by Neil Gaiman and it was even more engaging the second time around. The CD has great music at the beginning and end of each CD by Bela Fleck.

Evaluation: Winner of the 2008 Newbery Award this book definitely deserves it. Story is engaging and charming with memorable characters. Although the story is built on some creepy events it doesn't feel like a horror story.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Author: Sherman Alexie

Publisher: Prince Frederick MD: Recorded Books 2008
ISBN- 9781428182974
length: 5 CDs
Author's website

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Media Type: Audiobook, read by Sherman Alexie

Grade level: 7-Adult

Reader's annotation: How does a geeky teenage Spokane Indian get off the reservation? He goes to the all-white school where he finds his place among the outsiders.

Summary: “I was born with water on the brain.” These are the opening words of the book. We then hear about all the other quirks and anomalies Junior (Arnold) had growing up on the Spokane Indian reservation. The Indians were poor and there wasn’t much to do, so fun often involved getting into trouble. When one of Arnold’s teachers encourages him to transfer to the better high school off the reservation, he decides it may be his only way to escape the cycle of poverty and does it immediately before he can change his mind. Being the only Indian in an all-white school makes him a curiosity at first but he eventually finds a place and makes some friends. He definitely has two lives, school and “the res” that do not intersect at all. They become difficult to juggle when the alcoholic, self-destructive behavior of some family members result in some deaths. But it doesn’t bring him down and he is stronger for living through the difficulties. Listening to the tape meant missing the cartoons that are in the book but hearing the author tell the story makes up for it.

Evaluation: Alexie reads his story with a mix of seriousness and sarcasm that had us laughing at some of the most difficult moments. Wonderful coming of age story that impresses one on the author’s ability to keep his own life priorities in place while strong surrounding influences could bring him down.

Annie on My Mind

Author: Nancy Garden

Publisher: New York: Random House/Listening Library 2008
ISBN-978-0739367452
6 CD’s
Read by Rebecca Lowman
Author's website

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Romance
Topics: GLBT
Media Type: unabridged audiobook

Grade level: 9th - adult

Reader's annotation: After Liza and Annie discover each other and their love for each other, they discover how love can end up hurting and healing.

Summary: Liza a senior at private school Foster Academy, and lives in Brooklyn Heights with her parents and younger brother. President of the student council, she hopes to get into MIT. Annie lives uptown in the Bronx with her immigrant father and grandmother. She wants go back to CA as soon as she finishes high school, hopefully to UC Berkeley.
But when they meet at the Metropolitan Museum these differences only make them more interested in each other and romance blossoms. By Christmas they have acknowledged their feelings and have exchanged rings. They continue to see each other throughout the winter and into spring getting only so close but keeping their relationship from getting physical. Then over spring break Liza offers to feed the cat belonging to two teachers’ who live nearby while they are gone. Liza and Annie discover they can spend all day there “playing house”, and their relationship goes beyond platonic. When they discover that the teachers are gay themselves this gives both of them strength and validation. However, when judgmental people discover their love, both their lives are turned upside down. Now Liza is at MIT trying to write to Annie and decide if she can get beyond what happened.
Originally written in 1982, it was rereleased in 2007. Audiobook includes an interview with the author discussing what it was like to grow up gay in the ’50’s, what her experiences have been, the process of writing the book, reactions to it and how times have changed, (or not changed).

Evaluation: Somewhat dated now, this gentle love story holds universal truths that will never be outdated. A good portrayal of teenage angst that could be centered around any love story but is sensitively told about two teenage girls in NYC. A beautiful love story told with concern and compassion, we feel their isolation and wish they had more support.

Whirligig

Author: Paul Fleischman

Publisher: New York: H. Holt 1999
ISBN-978-0805055825
pages: 133
Author's website

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Issues
Media Type: Book

Grade level: 7+

Reader's annotation: After causing the death of a young woman in a car accident, Brent travels to the four corners of the United States at the request of her mother, building memorial Whirligigs for her, and finds forgiveness and direction.

Summary: Arrogant, wealthy and privileged Brent leaves a party drunk after feeling humiliated when the girl of his choice turns him down. Completely self absorbed he thinks ending it all is the best solution. He only succeeds in ending it all for an innocent young women when he lets his car go out of control. As retribution, the woman’s mother asks Brent to go to each of the four corners of the US and build a whirligig as a memorial to her daughter. Brent, anxious to get away from Chicago and his parents, agrees to go. Starting outside of Seattle, armed with some materials and a how-to book, Brent’s journey is one of self-discovery, humbleness, and growth. His self imposed isolation gives him time to think about what is really important in his life. When he does choose to interact with others he finds new meaning in his life. Interspersed throughout his story is the story of the people that are affected by the whirligigs he builds.

Evaluation: Excellent story showing the interconnectedness of the world and how the actions of one person can change lives. One message for readers is that even really bad mistakes can be redeemed.
Awards: BBYA,

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

Author: Mark Haddon

Publisher: New York: Doubleday 2003
ISBN- 978-0385509459
pages: 226
Author's website

Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Contemporary life
Topics: mystery, autism, divorce
Media Type: Book

Grade level: 9+

Reader's annotation: Even though the gifted but autistic Christopher is afraid to interact with others, he is motivated to push himself out of his comfort level to find out who murdered the next door neighbors dog. When he discovers information about his mother his world really takes a turn.

Summary: Christopher lives with his dad and goes to a special school for autistic children where he gets special math lessons because he is beyond all the other students. There are lots of quirky things we learn about his life such as how the color of the cars he sees from the bus will affect what kind of day her will have. Then there is the murder of the neighbors dog and Chris just has to find out what happened. It takes a lot of effort on his part to convince himself he should actually approach another person and ask some questions. Then he discovers some things about his supposedly dead mother and he needs his courage even more now.

Evaluation: Excellent story and insight into the world of an autistic person. Told in first person by someone with autism you understand why someone might act the way they do. The self-discovery aspect of the story is appropriate for teens and and the learning aspect is valuable for tolerance and understanding.

Whitbread Award

Stargirl

Author: Jerry Spinelli

Publisher: New York: Knopf/Random House 2000
ISBN-978-0679986375
pages: 186
Author's website

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Topics: friendship, individuality, romance
Media Type: Book

Grade level: 6+

Reader's annotation: He noticed her the first day of school, her long skirt, ukulele and sunflower bag. Stargirl changes Mica High and Leo’s life forever.

Summary: Leo can’t keep his eyes off her when he sees her in the cafeteria and he is terrified she’ll single him out with a birthday serenade. Somehow she seems to know things about people, like when their birthday is. It takes a little bit but eventually the whole school warms to her and is positively affected by her energetic personality. By the winter Stargirl and Leo are inseparable. But then Stargirl goes too far and is shunned by her classmates and eventually Leo wants her to conform as well. Stargirl makes a go of it but finally realizes it isn’t her and so she reverts and Leo can’t handle it. The choice is between the group and being true to oneself. Everyone has to make their own choice and then live with it.

Evaluation: A bittersweet story about first love, conformity, popularity and individuality, the reader roots for Stargirl no matter what happens. A great story for anyone who has felt out of place or wants a different perspective on the same old things in life.

Sequel - Love, Stargirl

Love, Stargirl

Author: Jerry Spinelli

Publisher: New York: Knopf 2007
ISBN- 978-0375813757
pages: 288
Author's website

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Realistic fiction
Topics: diaries, friendship, individuality
Media Type: Book

Grade level: 7-Adult

Reader's annotation: Stargirl writes “the longest letter ever” to Leo as she recounts her life in Pennsylvania with an odd collection of townspeople and kids.

Summary: Stargirl misses Leo and still loves him. She starts a letter to him which turns into her journal for the year. Back to homeschooling she starts a project mapping out the path of the sunrise for a year which we follow throughout the book. In the meantime she hangs out with six-year-old Dootsie and becomes a mentor for grumpy, difficult Alvina and regularly visits agoraphobic Betty Lou and then she meets the mysterious Perry and his harem of girls. Their brief romance only makes her appreciate and miss Leo more but she resolves herself to let things be and know that whatever happens in the future happens.

Evaluation: Although this is a sequel to Stargirl, this is her story and a completely new one. A kind of modern day Pollyanna, Stargirl collects an eccentric group of people around her with whom she feels a certain responsibility for their well-being. Her methods are completely unconventional but that makes it all the more charming.

Sequel to Stargirl

Here Lies the Librarian

Author: Richard Peck

Publisher: Dial Books 2006
ISBN-978-0803730809
pages: 160

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical fiction
Topics: coming of age, humorous
Media Type: Book

Grade level: 6+

Reader's annotation: Back when cars were pretty scarce, a teen and her older brother are living on their own trying to keep the family garage going in a small mid-Western town. But everything changes when the librarians’ car breaks down.

Summary: The almost gruesome opening, a tornado torn-up cemetery, introduces us to the two main characters Jake and PeeWee (Eleanor), living on their own since their parent’s death, and the fact that after the town librarian fell down dead on the job, she has never been replaced. It is a simpler time, especially in small rural towns with one room school houses and just a few cars. Jake runs the garage left by their parents and PeeWee would rather help out there than look like a girl and go to school. But then one day a car full of library students from the city, who are out for a drive, have a need for the services of the garage. The attention Jake and PeeWee get from Irene does not go unnoticed and soon they are anxiously awaiting another visit. As their friendship develops Irene becomes a mentor to PeeWee and an encourager to Jake . The librarians manage to shake up the town with their modern ideas of what a library should include as well as their involvement in the first drag car race of the times.

Evaluation: I little bit of history and a lot of old-fashioned fun keep this story from just feeling dated. The tie-in the the first drag races at the end adds to the relevance. It is a time in American history we don’t read about much, but the main character’s search for her identity is timeless. Peck plays with language so there are quite witty conversations which add to the enjoyment of the book.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Based on the book by Ann Brashares
Publisher: Warner Home Video 2008
Rating: PG-13
ASIN: B001ASQ9OM

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Topics: coming of age, romance
Media Type: Movie

Grade level: 9+

Reader's annotation: Four girls miraculously fit into the same pair of jeans which gives them a connection over the summer while they are scattered around the world. Each one has a turn with the jeans and passes along their journal when they send it on to the next friend.

Summary: This is a story about friendship and growing up. Four best friends will be spending their summer in very different places doing very different things. They discover this pair of jeans at a thrift store that fits all of them even though they have different body types and sizes. They decide to each take a turn with the pants and keep a journal that they will send along to the next friend. The pants are sent from Tibby (staying at home) to Bridget (in Baja California, Mexico at Soccer camp) to Carmen (with her father in North Carolina) to Lena (visiting her grandparents in Greece). All the girls learn valuable, different lessons that they share with each other as they take the next steps to becoming independent young women.

Evaluation: This is a fun coming of age story that most girls will really enjoy. The filming is beautiful, especially the scenes in Greece. The acting is very good and the story is very well adapted to film.

Luna

Author: Julie Anne Peters

Publisher: New York: Little Brown 2004
ISBN- 978-0316733694
pages: 256
Author's website

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Topics: GLBT, family, coming of age
Media Type: Book

Grade level: 8-adult

Reader's annotation: Regan’s life has always been difficult, but now that her brother wants to be a woman in public, it is harder than ever for her to have her own identity.

Summary: Regan is used to Liam, her brother by day, waking her up as he becomes the she that is inside by transforming herself into Luna. The siblings have rooms downstairs and Liam has rigged it to give them maximum privacy. Mom is wrapped up in work and dad is trying desperately to have that picture perfect family life that seems to be just outside his grasp. Wishing his son would go out for sports he pressures him into going to try outs while Regan tries to keep the peace between them. Now Liam isn’t satisfied with keeping Luna a secret and only for the middle of the night. Luna wants to go out in public and needs Regan’s help for this. The deceptions that she must concoct to make this happen start to really take a toll on her but she can’t let her brother down. As this plays out they both realize what is really important in life and how other people can surprise you both in a good way and in a bad way but trusting in yourself will take you a long way.

Evaluation: Uplifting book about a girl who watches her brother who is really a girl trapped in the body of a boy make the transition into his/her own. A story about identity and confidence, and what makes things work with other people. Great book for any teen to read as it will give a perspective that isn’t widely known.

My Sister's Keeper

Author: Jodi Picoult

Publisher: NewYork: Atria 2004
ISBN- 978-0743454520
pages: 432
Author's website

Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Contemporary life
Topics: issues, siblings, coming of age, emancipation
Media Type: Book

Grade level: 8-adult

Reader's annotation: Conceived to become a bone marrow donor for her leukemia-stricken sister Anna decides that she has had enough and it is time for her to take a stand and take control of her own life.

Summary: The story takes place when Anna is a teenager, but through flashbacks and memories from all the characters involved in this dilemma we get a complete picture of all the issues and a bigger story about family, loyalty, love and responsibility - to ourselves and to others. Anna was conceived to help her sister Kate, who was diagnosed with leukemia when quite young, it seems certain she will die without this drastic measure taken. It was just supposed to be for the use of some stem cells and then when that didn’t work the doctors started on more aggressive measures. By the time Anna is thirteen, she is ready to hire her own lawyer to take control of her life. Kate seems to understand but her mother is devastated with this turn of events and does whatever she can to stop her. Their brother is no help and he has problems of his own and the father tries to stay calm and supportive of everyone. A riveting story that includes several surprise twists.

Evaluation: Picoult writes books about ethical dilemmas and this one is full of them. Told from several viewpoints this book makes the reader think about right and wrong and what is morally correct. Good book to start a discussion about a variety of issues including loyalty and responsibility versus free will and personal needs.

The Amber Spyglass

Author: Philip Pullman

Publisher: New York: Knopf/Random House 2000
ISBN-978-0679879268
pages: 518
Author's website

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Fantasy
Topics: parallel worlds, romance
Media Type: Books

Grade level: 7-Adult

Reader's annotation: Will and Lyra have been separated but they find each other and defeat the evil powers that threaten the existence of any life form at all.

Summary: This book picks up right where we left our characters at the end of The Subtle Knife. Will and Lyra are separated for quite a while each focusing on their own tasks. Will is joined by two angels that will help him to complete his mission. Lyra is being held by her mother in a cave, now trying desperately to protect her as her motherly instincts finally kick in. Convinced that Lyra will be killed if she doesn’t keep watch over her, Mrs. Coulter keeps her drugged and hidden. But as it is in Will's destiny to help Lyra, he does manage to rescue her and together find the courage and direction to do what needs to be done. They are joined by some tiny people who fly that protect them by attacking unseen. There is also an extensive side story with the scientist from Oxford who is in a world of very strange creatures. Here she actually finds the “dust” and figures out, through the use of an amber spyglass, what exactly is going on with dust. The final showdown is expected but the resolution is not what I expected.

Evaluation: The epic conclusion to the series, bringing all the previous series's characters as well as quite a few new ones together for the final power struggle that will determine the fate of all the universes. If you haven’t read The Subtle Knife you will be lost in this book. Pullman continues to paint a rich picture of his world that completely absorbs the reader.

Series: His Dark Materials - book 3

The Endless Steppe

Author: Esther Rudomin Hautzig

Publisher: New York: Harper & Row 1968
ISBN-978-0694056088
pages: 243

Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Biography
Topics: WWII, coming of age
Media Type: Book

Grade level: 5-Adult

Reader's annotation: During WWII Esther and her family were removed from their comfortable house in Poland and exiled to the harsh Asian Steppes until the war ended. Esther recounts the way they make do and find some creative ways to survive.

Summary: This is Esther’s autobiography of the period when her family was forced out of their home in Poland to live an exiled life on the Russian Siberian Steppe during WWII. Life is pretty grim there, first in the crowded barracks filling their days with the back-breaking work at the gypsum mine, and eventually in their own dirt floored hut, farming potatoes to keep from starving to death. Esther eventually goes to school, makes some friends and even becomes entrepreneurial with her knitting business. Though she has been separated from her father for several years, she is afraid to leave this place and go back to the unknown destruction of Poland after the war is over.

Evaluation: The reader will be impressed with her ability to stay so positive in such poverty and find the beauty in life that keeps her going. Girls will enjoy the compassion to the human spirit that is brought out in them when they read her story and will keep her in their minds afterwards.