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In Someday This Pain Will be Useful to You, Peter Cameron superbly captures the disconnected feelings and wry observations of a young man.  James is an 18-year-old New Yorker who doesn’t connect with anyone in his life.  The novel focuses on a few days in the summer of his 18th year as he struggles with his future – college at Brown and the life his parents expect of him or an escape to the Midwest where he would buy a house in a small town and live a quiet, sheltered life. James’ great fear is of an existence that doesn’t “touch or overlap with anyoneRead More →

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Before I Die by Jenny Downham is sharp, poignant, sometimes funny and sometimes heartbreaking story about 16-year old Tessa, a young woman living in London under the heavy veil of terminal lukemia. With just months left to live she makes a list on the wall behind her bed of the things she must experience before her life ends.  Sex, drugs, learning to drive and falling in love are just some of the things she must do to really live life.  While she’s free of the constraints of normal life to pursue her list, she is also constantly dogged by pain, exhaustion, sickness and her deteriorating condition. While the premise has theRead More →

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 Wake 17-year-old Janie has a secret. She enters people’s dreams. She doesn’t want to, but she can’t stop it.  And it’s really annoying when it happens when she is at school, or work, and especially when it is a nightmare.  Things get complicated when she befriends Cabel. Some of his dreams are about her.  And some of his dreams are frightening.  When they end up in a dream together, they learn each other’s secrets.  Can they help each other? This was a quick, enjoyable read.   Due to some language and mature situations it is recommended for older teens and adults. http://www.lisamcmann.com/ Posted by MichelleRead More →

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The Other Half of Me by Emily Franklin.  Jenny is a teenager with some typical teenage problems.  She is struggling to fit in with her athletic family.  She wants them to be more supportive of her interests.  She is jealous of her twin sisters’ close relationship and also feels that nobody understands her.  In her family of 6, she feels lonely. Jenny loves to paint.  The big art show is coming up and she wants to paint something good enough to get into the show. She has a crush on Tate, and now he seems to like her too.  Jenny also has some problems that are far from typical.   Her dadRead More →

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In: Middle Grade Reviews, Reaching Reluctant Readers, Sci Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews
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The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1 is a fantastic sci-fi book for all ages.  Excellent for reluctant readers! Johnny Turnbull, aka JT, and his little sister Ketheria never knew their parents.  Years before they were born, their parents agreed to leave Earth to make a long trip through space to work on the far-off rings of Orbis.  After a malfunction killed all of the adults on the ship, the computer raised the embryos that the adults had brought on board.  When these children, no older than twelve, arrive on Orbis they discover that they must work off their parent’s debts by being virtual slaves for theRead More →

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Spanking Shakespeare is one of the funniest books I have ever read.  The main character, Shakespeare, is a senior in high school and writing his senior project.  It’s hilarious!!!  Clever!!! Intelligent!!!  When you start reading it you won’t be able to stop. Not appropriate for young readers, but enjoyable for older teens and adults. Posted by MichelleRead More →

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Harmless, a book that is anything but, raises some eyebrows. Do you buy it for your child? Do you put it on the shelf as a librarian? Can it be used in the classroom? As an 8th grade Language Arts teacher I saw many heart-wrenching situations that my students wound up in, many situations that I think we as educators don’t always catch or know how to deal with. I grew up in a pretty stable environment, a fact I am thankful for, but a stable environment is not always par for the course. What I love about Harmless is that it is told fromRead More →

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Sonya Sones’ What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know is an easily accessible story of a lovable nerd experiencing his first relationship and its accompanying issues. It tells the story of Robin Murphy, an awkward artist who happens to land a popular girlfriend. When she is dropped by her friends for dating ‘the’ Murphy, they must make a stand together or lose what they have fought to gain. Written in accessible verse, What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know is a poignant coming-of-age tale. Sones’ narrator Murphy is the anti-hero whose quirks and insecurities are instantly endearing and lovable. As an imperfect Prince Charming, Murphy’s journey from timid boyRead More →

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Evolution, Me, & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande attacks the controversial arguments surrounding religion in schools from a new perspective. Mena, Brande’s protagonist, starts the school year having been kicked out of her church group. When none of her former friends will speak to her, Mena finds refuge in science class with a charismatic teacher and cute new lab partner. When the class begins the unit on evolution, however, Mena finds herself in a difficult position between her old and new friends. Tackling a number of controversial subjects, this book tells a compelling story of a young girl figuring out what she believesRead More →