The Hit, by Melvin Burgess Chicken House, ISBN: 978 0 545 55699 6 Adam and Lizzie were at the concert that started it all — the one where Jimmy Earle died onstage. After taking the drug Death, Jimmy lived one amazing week, but in true Death fashion, he died after his seven days were up. The … [Read more...]
The F***-It List
You've heard of bucket lists... The F***-It List, by Julie Halpern Feiwel & Friends, ISBN: 978 1 250 02565 4 Alex had a crap summer both grieving her dad's death and being mad at her bff Becca, but she's pretty much ready to forgive and make up now that school's back in. She looks for … [Read more...]
Why DO We Fight?
I'm reading the last book of the Divergent trilogy, in which we learn about the war that is hinted at earlier, and how factions came to be. And in the news, Russia's activities in the Ukraine are reminiscent of how more than one conflict in history began. With all this in the ether, seems like a … [Read more...]
After the War
There are many, many excellent books written about the war experience, about the Holocaust, and even about the children of the Kindertransport - but what about the aftermath of the war? Two new novels for teens introduce something we don't always hear about - what happened after the treaties were … [Read more...]
That’s What She Said…
... but it's not necessarily the truth. Oddrey and the New Kid, by Dave Whamond OwlKids, ISBN: 978 1 92697 390 6 I didn't love the first Oddrey book all that much - but I'm quite enjoying her this time around! Oddrey is used to being the interesting, fun kid in every bunch, and quite … [Read more...]
When Gravity Brings You Down
Today, a sweet and quiet book on dealing with Heavy Things: Whimsy's Heavy Things, by Julie Kraulis Tundra Books, ISBN: 978 1 77049 403 9 Whimsy is encumbered by some "heavy things" that she needs to deal with, and she tries a few things through this book before she figures out that … [Read more...]
Building a Bully
What makes a bully? A set of instructions is interspersed with writings of the victim in this unusual book on a hot topic. The Bully Book, by Eric Kahn Gale Harper, ISBN: 978 0 062 12513 2 Designed as a found notebook with two sets of pages intermingled, The Bully Book tells the story of a … [Read more...]
Stuff That Heroes Are Made Of
A boy wrestling with OCD and family troubles discovers his inner strength in this touching and quirky teen book. The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B, by Teresa Toten Doubleday, ISBN: 978 0 385 67834 6 Adam has been in one-on-one therapy , but is also joining a group for teens with OCD. The first … [Read more...]
Zero Tolerance
Zero tolerance policies have been adopted in a lot of places to combat problems with violence, drugs, or bullying. It's a pretty black-and-white stance, though it's been successful in plenty of cases. But what about when it falls into the grey area? Zero Tolerance, by Claudia Mills Farrar, … [Read more...]
Kiss of Death?
What if you kissed someone... and they died? Who I Kissed, by Janet Gurtler Sourcebooks Fire, ISBN: 978 1 402 27054 3 Sam really, really liked Zee - so when her crush kissed someone else right after having a moment with her, she may have sort of kissed another guy just to show she didn't … [Read more...]