BLOOD BROTHERS, by S.A. Harazin Posted by Mrs. Schauer

BLOOD BROTHERS, by S.A. Harazin

AR: Yes

Interest Level: Upper Grades

Clay is a seventeen year old loner who has grown up in poverty but dreams of being a doctor. His best friend Joey is wealthy, popular, valedictorian and an athlete. One night after his shift working at the hospital, Clay goes to Joey's house and finds him in the garage, completely wasted. He's hallucinating and tries to attack Clay with a garden hoe. Clay pushes him off in self defense and Joey hits his head, and winds up in a coma. What follows is an investigation into what happened...and who is to blame.

SHUG, by Jenny Han Posted by Mrs. Schauer

SHUG, by Jenny Han
AR: Yes
Interest Level: Middle/Upper Grades

Twelve year old Shug is confused about how much everything is changing now that she's starting middle school. She realizes she's in love with her best friend (since Kinder) Mark--only he never wants to spend any time with her anymore. Even worse, he's decided he has a crush on her big sister! All her friends are changing, and are totally focused on boys. Her parents fight a lot, her dad is gone a lot, and her mom drinks a lot. This book reminded me a little of ARE YOU THERE GOD IT'S ME MARGARET, which is still one of my favorite books of all time...

November Blues, by Sharon Draper Posted by Mrs. Schauer

NOVEMBER BLUES, by Sharon Draper
AR: Yes
Interest Level: Upper Grades

I finally had the chance to read this book, after being told by several people that it was one of the best books they'd ever read. I didn't realize that it's actually a sequel to another book, called THE BATTLE OF JERICO--which, by the way, I want to read...but it's always checked out! (I think Tori A has it now....) November Nelson feels as if her life is over when her boyfriend Josh is killed in a hazing stunt that went wrong. A few months after his death, November realizes she's pregnant with Josh's baby. her plans for college fly out the window--but she decides she wants to keep the baby no matter what, because she knows in her heart it's the right thing to do--and what Josh would want of her. This is a great book...I highly recommend it!

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen Posted by Mrs. Schauer

JUST LISTEN, by Sarah Dessen
AR: Yes
Interest Level: Upper Grades
Vocabulary Quiz Available

I can definitely see why this is one of the more popular books in our library. It is about Anabelle, a beautiful seventeen year old model, who has, on the surface, a perfect life. Under the surface, though, she's dealing with some major stuff. She's been cast our by her best friend, her sister is suffering from a serious eating disorder that's affecting her whole family, and modeling has become a burden to her, instead of the fun it used to be. I don't want to tell too much about the book...but as I said, I can definitely understand why it's been checked out so often.

Beige, by Cecil Castellucci Posted by Mrs. Schauer

BEIGE

AR: Yes

Interest Level: Upper Grades

I fell in love with this book from the first page. It's the story of Katy a "normal" teenager from Canada who has to go stay with her dad in LA while her mom goes to Peru on an arceological dig. Her father's name is Rat and he's a member of a washed up band named SUCK--the main thing they are famous for is for never making it big. Get ready to be taken into the minds of some very well-developed characters as Katy's experience in LA unfolds. READ THIS BOOK!

I'd Tell You I Love You but Then I'd Have to Kill You Posted by Mrs. Schauer

I'D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU BUT THEN I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU
AR: Yes
Interest Level: Middle/Upper Grades

There's much more than meets the eye when it comes to the Gallagher Academy for Girls, where Cammie Morgan attends, and her mother is the headmistress. Here, incredibly gifted girls are trained...to be spies. It's assumed that Cammie will follow in the footsteps of her parents, who were both spies until her father's mysterious death on a mission. Trouble ensues when Cammie falls for Josh, a local boy who can never know her destiny or what the school really does.

Being, by Kevin Brooks Posted by Mrs. Schauer

BEING, by Kevin Brooks

AR: Yes

Interest Level: Upper Grades

Sixteen year old Robert Smith thinks he's suffering from stomach ulcers, but when he goes in for an endoscopy,t he doctors discover that he's been wired with all kinds of advanced technological implants. Suddenly, Robert finds himself on the run from a government agent named Ryan, and in a desperate attempt to find out who or what he is. This book is a roller coaster ride of a thriller.

Shark Girl, posted by Mrs. Schauer

SHARK GIRL, by Kelly Bingham
AR: Yes
Interest Level: High School

This novel in verse tells the story of fifteen year old Jane, who is attacked by a shark in the waters of California. The book is broken into three sections. The first delves into her recovery process in the hospital, the second deals with Jane's fear of returning to her high school--she worries about how people will react to her and how she'll manage with only one arm. The final part describes how Jane comes to accept the reality of her situation.

For those of you out there that enjoyed CRANK, BURNED, and WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW, this novel in verse might be just what you're looking for...