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Nothing to Lose by Alex Flinn Michael Days runs away with a carnival
after killing his stepfather. When Michael returns to Miami, his mother is on trial for the murder. With
the help of his childhood friend, Julian Karpe and Julian’s attorney stepmother, Michael confesses. The
book is organized in alternating “This Year,” “Last Year,” chapters that explain the abuse, the mother’s
victim behavior, and Michael’s relationship with an independent older girl who teaches him about personal responsibility.
Ironically, Michael’s decisions inspire the girl to return to her own dysfunctional family. The mother is released,
and the killing is ruled a justifiable homicide. Michael goes free, but mother and son need new individual lives and a new
relationship with each other. 33 Snowfish by Adam Rapp Custis, who is about 10, runs from the law with Curl, a 15 year old prostitute, and Boobie,
a 17 years old boy who murdered his parents and plans to sell his baby brother. As the trio runs and hides from the law, Curl
deteriorates from addiction. While trying to save Curl’s life, Custis encounters Seldom, a black man with a small farm,
who forces Custis to clean up the yard after Custis tries to steal Seldom’s chicken. Seldom then
discovers Custis and the baby alone in the van, takes them in, and offers them a new life that Custis struggles to understand
and accept. Leaning
the Game by KevinWaltman Practicing for his senior season on the local court, Nate Gilman, whose family is one of the most affluent
in town, helps the team rob a college fraternity. The team, dominated by a bully team member promising to fence the goods,
swears secrecy. Throughout the story, Nate wrestles with the secret. His brother, who killed a young friend in a shooting
accident five years before and is estranged from the family, pressures him to tell. Jackson, his friend and team member, who
refused to participate, tells him to make a decision and live with it. Lorrie, his girlfriend, demands that he keep the secret
to protect his image.
Keesha’s House by Helen Frost
Seven teenagers don’t
have much in common except trouble. They find Keesha’s House. Keesha doesn’t own the house.
It belongs to Joe, a man who grew up with trouble too. That’s why he shares his house with down on their luck young
people. That’s why he understands Keesha inviting more and more people to live there. Some just visit. Others stay a
little while, and a few make it home. They discover that a house can protect a person from rain, wind, and snow. But a house
can’t shelter anyone from life storms like drinking, unwanted pregnancy, abuse, and abandonment. Only families can give
a little shelter from those storms.
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
In four parts, Bobby tells about his
journey to fatherhood with “then” (before the baby) and “now” (with his new daughter) chapters. After
the baby’s mother, Nia, slips into an irreversible coma, Bobby keeps his daughter even though the couple agreed to put
her up for adoption. Both sets of grandparents oppose his decision. Bobby’s divorced mother does little to support him.
Exhausted and discouraged, Bobby struggles to meet his obligations. He moves in with his father briefly but that doesn’t
work out either. Bobby has some tough choices to make.
Lucas:
A Story of Love and Hate by Kevin Brooks
Sixteen
year old Caitlin McCann lives on Hale Island. Like the rest of the world, the island has some bad people, some good people
and some who let others make their choices for them. But good or bad, the island residents don’t see many strangers.
When a strange, almost enchanted, young man shows up during Caitlin’s 15th summer, Caitlin thinks he is probably
the most fascinating person she has ever met. Others disagree. Will she side with the popular, wild group, the one her older
brother chooses, and drive the stranger off the island? Will she join the goody-goodies and get lost in some cause that allows
her to forget he even exists? Or will she seek a very dangerous path and befriend this mysterious and mystical boy called
Lucas? Her decision changes her life, her home and her island – forever. What Erika Wants by Bruce Clements Fifteen
year old Erika lives with her father. Mom left for Arizona five years ago. Now Mom is back and she wants Erika back. Erika
doesn’t know what to do. Her older sister Karen says that Erika owes Mom. Erik’s dad wonders whey she even considers
her mom her mom. But, Erika has lots of people to help her decide what to do besides her fighting family. The court appoints
an attorney for her. Carrie, Erika’s best friend, says that court appointed lawyers are losers. Carries
should know. She has been in the court system for quite a while. Bernie, Carrie’s boyfriend, wants
to give Erika presents and some pills to smooth out her feelings a little. The drama teacher wants Erika to star in his play.
Erika has acted for her family and friends all her life. And the play’s leading man is somebody she wants to get to
know a little better. Erika would like to tell everybody “yes.” Then everyone will be happy. But how happy will
Erika be if what everyone else wants isn’t What Erika Wants? Bucking the Sarge by Christopher Curtis Luther
Farrell lives in Flint, Michigan. His mother, the Sarge, owns most of it. She is the toughest loan shark, slum landlord, and
government scam artist around. She has enough and clout to give Luther anything he wants. But, that sweet life comes with
a price. Luther is in charge of a group home for old, mentally disabled men. He has been changing their diapers since her
was in third grade. He uses his driver’s license only to drive the home’s van. He also evicts people from his
mother’s houses-rats and all. His money and credit cards are for business emergencies, and his education fund comes
right from his hourly wage. He could win first place in the school Science Competition for the third year in a row. Colleges
would want him then. His only obstacle is that beautiful, brilliant Shayla Dawn, the mortician’s daughter.
Breaking Point by Alex Flinn Paul is fifteen. Most of his life, he has been homeschooled. .His
family traveled around because Paul’s father is in the service. Learning at home was just easier than being the new
kid in school – constantly. Now his dad is gone. He left the family to start a new life. Mom has to get a job, and she
finds one in a private school in Miami – Brickell Christian. The big job perk is that Paul can attend. The school is
bursting with rich kids. Paul is not only the new poor kid, but also a 6’1, skinny computer nerd. The first person to
say hello looks just about as nerdy as he does. Then, life gets interesting. The most popular boy in school, the leader of
the pack, the guy who doesn’t seem to have to follow school rules-that guy wants to get to know Paul. So Paul finds
Charlie Good. Charlie is smart, handsome, rich and all the kids do what he says. He is what Paul wants to be. But Charlie
Good is going to charge for the ticket. The price is going to be high – so high that is might drive Paul to the Breaking
Point. Naughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman Sephy Hadley, a dark-skinned cross, and Calllum McGregor, a light
skinned naught, become friends when Callum’s mother does domestic work for the Hadleys. After Mrs. McGregor loses her
job, Sephy and Callum maintain contact, and Sephy tutors him for the entrance exams into a previously all-cross school. Sephy’s
father is a high government official. Callum’s older brother and father, like other naughts, hold low-level jobs and
work for a terrorist group. Callum encounters prejudice at school and Sephy is beaten up and ostracized because of their friendship.
Eventually, Callum joins the terrorists and he is assigned to kidnap Sephy, but discovers he loves her. Then, things get very
complicated and Sephy and Callum must stand up for what they feel is right, or many other people will be hurt. Firmament by Tim Bowler
Two years ago, Luke Stanton's father died. Something died in Luke too. Luke doesn't like to think about his father
as part of the wonderful Firmament. He thinks just about his father not being there. Now Luke is fourteen. He lies to his
mother, hates her boyfriend, makes trouble in school, and ignores his music-the gift of genius from his father. Instead of
using his hands to play the piano, he uses them to climb trees where he can sit for hous and shut off the world. Luke has
some new friends too. He hangs with the local troublemakers, the town gang. They want Luke to use his hands to climb into
an old lady's house. They lady is rich, isolated and new in town - an easy mark. He agrees. But when he climbs into that
house, he climbs into a world more complicated than he could have imagined. He finds a small blind girl who cries and haunts
him. The lady stalks him. Luke wants to protect them, but if he doesn't deliver to the gang, Luke is the one who is going
to need protection. What can he do? The answer is in his hands, and suddenly, with his father, he too is part of the Firmament.
Booktalk on Anthem by Ayn Rand:
Two years ago, Luke Stanton's father died. Something
died in Luke too. Luke doesn't like to think about his father as part of the wonderful Firmament. He thinks just about
his father not being there. Now Luke is fourteen. He lies to his mother, hates her boyfriend, makes trouble in school, and
ignores his music-the gift of genius from his father. Instead of using his hands to play the piano, he uses them to climb
trees where he can sit for hous and shut off the world. Luke has some new friends too. He hangs with the local troublemakers,
the town gang. They want Luke to use his hands to climb into an old lady's house. They lady is rich, isolated and new
in town - an easy mark. He agrees. But when he climbs into that house, he climbs into a world more complicated than he could
have imagined. He finds a small blind girl who cries and haunts him. The lady stalks him. Luke wants to protect them, but
if he doesn't deliver to the gang, Luke is the one who is going to need protection. What can he do? The answer is in his
hands, and suddenly, with his father, he too is part of the Firmament.
Booktalk on Anthem by Ayn Rand:
How many of you have read The Giver, by Lois Lowry?
Well, this book is very similar in that it’s about the future. A future where everyone’s job is predetermined
and no one can have an interesting thought. This young man is very different than the other workers in
the society where he lives..he is taller, smarter, and has a little different skin. Even though he is smart
and the elders recognize this, they also realize this might cause trouble so he is given the job of “streetsweeper.”
At night, while the other workers are watching movies, he steals away to the sewers and performs experiments on old
broken equipment. He makes electricity and studies human anatomy. He realizes he must get away from the society in order to
live so he runs away….someone follows him, a woman, and they run away in the forest until they find an abandoned house
full of books. And if you want to find out what happens next you’ll have to read Anthem, but it’s
only 104 pages!
Booktalk on The Outsiders by SE Hinton:
This book is about cliques, gangs and family. Ponyboy, from the poor side of town, is
being raised by his older brothers after his parents die. They are called greasers because they live in
a shack, cause a little trouble and drop out of school…However, Ponyboy is very smart and his brothers work hard to
keep him in school. One day, as he’s walking home along, he’s attacked by a Soc – or, a kid from a rich
family…He and his friend Johnny decide to meet the Soc’s later on to rumble, or fight. When they meet up, Johnny
ends up killing a Soc and he and Ponyboy go on the run. Of course, this never works out. They’re only 14, they can’t
hide forever. The boys get into a situation where they can redeem themselves but it ends up in a death – if you want
to see what happens you’ll have to read this book that was written by a girl when she was 16 years old!
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Susie
Salmon is a normal 14 year old girl….except that she’s dead! She tells the story of her death from heaven and
it’s quite a story. Susie is abducted, abused and murdered but that’s not really the story. The story is about
how her family deals with her disappearance and death. She tells about the police finding her bones in a field and how her
older sister figures out who killed Susie. In fact, her sister is quite heroic in bringing the murderer to justice. Susie’s
Mom goes off the deep end from the guilt and her little brother is too young to understand why Susie is no longer with the
family. Susie also gives a glimpse into her version of heaven and the friends she meets there.
Martyn Pig by Kevin Brooks
Martyn is
a kid growing up in England and he doesn’t get along very well with his father. His mom has died and his father is a
raging drunk. Although Martyn doesn’t spend much time at home, he has an argument with his father one day and his father
accidentally ends up dead! Martyn is sure the police will blame him for the crime so he and his friends
decide to hide the body, which never works very well! Life in the Fat Lane
by Cheryl Bennett Lara is popular, pretty, thin and has everything going for her.
She has great friends and a great boyfriend but parents who are a little self involved. After being named Homecoming Queen,
Lara starts to gain weight for no apparent reason, although later it’s determined that a medical condition is causing
the weight gain. Lara’s life changes drastically because of it. People treat her differently, her parents divorce, and
she’s forced to move to another school. Lara soon learns that it’s what’s on the inside
that matters. But, does Lara’s boyfriend agree? Stuck in Neutral
by Terry Truman Shawn thinks his dad is planning to kill him. He can’t tell
anyone though, because he’s not able to move any muscle in his body voluntarily – he’s a paralyzed teenager,
chained to his wheelchair, locked inside his own head. Although Shawn has thoughts and feelings just like any other teenager,
he can’t express himself because he can’t communicate. Although he appears to be a vegetable,
he’s not! However, Shawn’s dad thinks he’s miserable and wants to help him, by killing him…The ending
is an ambiguous page turner. If you want to find out what happens, you’ll have to read the book. Mercy, Unbound by Kim Antieau Mercy is a
normal teenager until she decides she’s an angel. She even feels the wings starting to sprout out her back. However,
angels don’t eat so Mercy doesn’t either. Of course, Mercy becomes very thin. While trying to convince her to
eat her parents have to come to terms with the fact that not only is Mercy going off the deep end, she also has an eating
disorder. It’s not until Mercy enters treatment that she finally gets the help she desperately needs. But, is it too
late? Author Patricia Cornwell If you are looking for well written books that test your reading level, consider reading any mystery by Patricia
Cornwell. Cornwell writes about a forensic anthropologist named Kay Scarpetta. Scarpetta helps her friends solve murders by
using her knowledge and cunning sense as the state medical examiner. The characterization of Scarpetta is outstanding:
she's a flawed human being who makes mistakes, not an everyday hero. Watch her bulldoze her way through her relationships
with her niece, colleagues, and partner. You won't be sorry.
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