No Safe Place by Deborah Ellis

Abdul is 15. He has no family left and he fled Iraq looking for a better life. Four months later he is homeless and hungry, living on the coast of France, and looking for a way to get to England. He makes it aboard the rickety boat of an unscrupulous smuggler along with a few other migrant teens. After a struggle with the smuggler the teens take over the boat and must work together to get themselves to England. Interspersed with the present-day action are flashbacks telling each story. Rosalia is a Roma girl, sold into the sex trade, with no safe place to go. Cheslav has fled a Russian military boarding school. Abdul has a horror story of his own from war-torn Iraq. The true dilemma of this book is that even if the young people get to England they are not safe there and not wanted there. There are no easy answers in this book but it sheds light on world issues that many teens probably know nothing about.

Burned by Ellen Hopkins

Ellen Hopkins writes books about teens with big problems. In Burned, Pattyn's biggest problem is her abusive, alcoholic, strict Mormon father. When Pattyn is caught fooling around with a non-Mormon boyfriend he sends her to live with her aunt in rural Nevada. There she is free to question her religion, learn to drive, herd some cattle, and fall in love with an older man. Unfortunately, her happiness can only last for the summer and when she returns to her oppressive home things come to a head. For most of the book I thought it had less drama than a typical Ellen Hopkins book, but then I got to the ending. I don't want to spoil things for you, but get ready. It's not a feel-good book. This is definitely for high school readers who like books dealing with teen issues.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

The heroine of this fantasy/adventure/mystery/romance is Katsa, a young woman "graced" with the gift of fighting. Gracelings like Katsa are easily identified by their eyes that are two different colors. In the first chapter of the book, Katsa encounters another Graceling fighter named Po who becomes an important character in the book. After rescuing an old man from an unexplained kidnapping and renouncing her own king and kingdom, Katsa sets off with Po to discover who kidnapped Po's grandfather. What they find is another Graceling who has fooled the entire kingdom and must be defeated. There's plenty of action and adventure here, but also a pretty mature love story and a well-developed fantasy kingdom. Recommended for fantasy fans 8th grade and up.

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

This book is hard to classify—it's a historical romance about a 15-year-old girl growing up in the wake of World War II. It's also a mystery and a courtroom drama. Evie grows up quickly when she travels to Palm Beach with her beautiful mother and her stepfather, Joe. While there Evie meets Peter, a young soldier who just happened to know Joe from his days in the war. Evie is smitten with Peter and doesn't see what is going on between Peter and her mother. She also is not aware of the hostility between Joe and Peter and she doesn't understand why the Graysons, a Jewish couple they become friends with, are run out of Palm Springs because of their religion. Most importantly, Evie is not on the sailboat when three people go out boating and only two return. When one person goes on trial for murder Evie must decide how to proceed. Should she protect her family or tell all that she knows? This is a book to curl up with and enjoy the 1940s setting as well as the mystery as it unfolds. Best for high school readers.

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

Amanda has a pretty bad birthday the first time she turns 11. She doesn't make the gymnastics team, her mom gets fired, and her birthday party is a bust. The worst part is that she's been in a year-long fight with her former best friend Leo, and they are having separate birthday parties for the first time in their lives. She wakes up the next day only to discover that it is her birthday again and nothing has changed. On her third 11th birthday she makes a few changes and on a subsequent birthday she finds out that Leo is in the same boat she is in. They both are trapped in their 11th birthdays. They end their feud and start to work together to figure out how to make time move forward for them again. It's a fantastic premise for a book—kids love to imagine these kind of impossible scenarios. It's also fun to track the changes they make and the ideas they have for getting out of their predicament. At times these two kids speak with an emotional maturity far beyond their years, but they were otherwise believable characters. This is a sure winner for 10 and 11 year old readers.

Quick Reads

Amulet Book One: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kubuishi
This glossy, full color graphic novel is a favorite of some of my fourth grade boys and now I know why. The story is pretty simple—a mother and two children move into the old family home and are lured into a strange world with demons, robots, and their long lost great uncle. It's a dark story—their father dies in the opening scenes and their mother is eaten by a horrible monster. The rest of the book is pure action—they follow the direction of an amulet and are thrown into one adventure after another. It had too much action and not enough character development for me, but I don't see that bothering kids at all.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
This book has a great cover and a great premise but I didn't love it quite as much as I wanted to. It's about a strange sixth grader named Dwight and his origami finger puppet of Yoda that gives out advice to other sixth grade students. Each chapter is a "case file" told by various students about how Origami Yoda helped them, predicted the future, or otherwise changed their lives. The main narrator is compiling the stories to help him decide whether or not to take Origami Yoda's advice about a cool girl named Sara. The book is very appealing with lots of little cartoons, doodles, lists and other features to break up the text and make it easier to read. Dwight is a strange character who was a little over-the-top for me. He does every gross thing a sixth grade boy can do and he seems completely clueless, but he's obviously also wise enough to give some good advice through his Yoda puppet. As an adult reader I wanted more insight into him—I wanted to see some character growth or at least some explanation of what made him such an enigma. It's still an enjoyable book and guys especially will love it (4th-6th grade).

Babymouse: The Musical by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm
This is the first Babymouse book that I have read. Babymouse tries out for the school musical but instead of getting the lead she is cast as an understudy. I enjoyed all the references to popular musicals (The Phantom of the Opera, Grease, My Fair Lady and more) but I think those references would go right over most elementary school students' heads. Kids will enjoy the plot and root for Babymouse to get her chance to perform on stage.

Love that Dog by Sharon Creech

I'm probably the last person to read this book but I'm glad I did. It's a short, free verse story about a boy is a good writer but doesn't quite want to admit it to himself or his teacher. Jack's teacher, Ms. Stretchberry, exposes him to a variety of poetry that he doesn't always understand, but she encourages him time and time again to try writing in different styles. When he happens on a poem by Walter Dean Myers that he actually relates to he writes his own poem in a similar style and dreams of meeting Walter Dean Myers in person. I think kids from 4th-6th grades would appreciate this book best in the classroom where a teacher could expose students to the poets that Jack's teacher is reading to his class. It's a deceptively simple book with lots of teachable moments.

After by Amy Efaw

What would you think of a person who left a newborn baby to die in a trashcan? Would you believe her if she told you she didn't even know she was pregnant? Would you see her as a cold-blooded murderer? Devon Davenport is this girl—fifteen years old, a star soccer player, a girl with big ambitions, and a girl who hides from her friends and her mother as well as from herself. The author begins on the day that Devon gives birth and takes the reader through the next couple of weeks as she goes from the hospital to the juvenile detention center to a court hearing. It's part psychological drama and part courtroom drama, and somehow Amy Efaw puts the reader on Devon's side and you find yourself willing her to speak up, remember, and open herself up to the people who care about her. This was a gripping story—but definitely for high school readers.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Auden West (named after the poet W.H. Auden) is a studious girl poised between the end of high school and the beginning of college. She goes to a coastal town to spend the summer with her not-very-attentive professor father, his young new wife, and their screaming newborn baby. While juggling family responsibilities and disappointments, super-responsible Auden meets some local teens and for the first time starts to have some normal teenage fun--including going bowling, having a food fight, and learning to ride a bike. She finds a kindred spirit in Eli, a fellow night owl, and they go on quests to have the fun Auden never had as a child. Elia and Auden both have issues to work through and they find a solid friendship in each other. Dessen writes with depth and empathy and this is a story that thoughtful girls in both middle and high school will enjoy.

Big Nate in a Class by Himself by Lincoln Peirce

You can't help but compare this book to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. It's a heavily-illustrated cartoonish story of an middle schooler for whom nothing is going right. Big Nate, who is a 6th grader, receives a fortune in a fortune cookie that says "You will surpass all others." As his day goes on and he gets in trouble in every class in school he wonders how in the world he is going to surpass anyone. Although it wasn't all that memorable for me as an adult reader, it was quick and fun and probably best for kids 6th grade and younger.

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Melody is the smartest kid in her class but no one knows it. She has cerebral palsy and has very little control of her body, and because of her physical disability people assume that she is mentally handicapped as well. She has spent most of her time in special education classes learning the alphabet over and over. Her parents and a special neighbor realize that there is more to Melody than meets the eye but they don't know how to let her communicate. Finally, when she is in fifth grade she gets a special computer that speaks for her and allows her to show who she really is inside. No one can believe it when she earns a spot on the school's quiz bowl team, but will that be enough to earn the acceptance of so-called "normal" kids? This is an important book for all ages—it should be read by elementary school students as well as young adults and adults. It shows a hopeful, determined character who carries on in spite of great difficulties and almost insurmountable odds.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I am not reading any other reviews or opinions of this book until after I write this post. I was anxiously awaiting this book and it did not disappoint me. I mainly read these books because of the characters—I am invested in Katniss, Peeta, and Gale and how they deal with the horrible, fascinating, and cruel world they are thrown into. The book begins in District 13 where most of the characters we've come to know (well, the ones that aren't dead) are starting a new life. (Except for Peeta who is being held captive in the capitol and is clearly being brainwashed and possibly tortured.) The rebellion is in full force and seems to be pretty successful. All the rebels need is their symbolic Mockingjay dressed in her costume and acting in inspiring commercials for the war (called propos). But Katniss has become angry and bitter. All she wants is to rescue Peeta and to kill President Snow. But she cooperates and of course disobeys orders and jumps right into the most dangerous situations possible. Several times I thought I knew where the action was going. Every time Suzanne Collins completely fooled me. Like the other books it is high on action and futuristic technology but we never lose sight of the humanity of the characters that we love. I won't say anything about the ending except to say that I was satisfied. Not happy, but it was fitting and perhaps all we could really hope for.

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

Three teenagers meet in a mental hospital. All have tried to commit suicide and all have deep secrets that they are reluctant to share. As they get to to know each other, Connor, Vanessa and Tony bond deeply and see the good in each other. Their problems are many--including sexual abuse, drug addiction, cutting, and of course, failed suicide attempts. Their friendship evolves as they go through different levels of therapy, and they seem to be improving when they are all chosen to go on a challenging wilderness adventure. What happens there is heartbreaking. This is a very mature book, and it will be enjoyed by readers who like reading about teen problems and complex friendships.

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga

Don has a pretty miserable life. He is bullied at school, is not happy at home where he hates his step father and is at odds with his pregnant mother, and he only has one friend at school. When that friend starts hanging out with the jocks, Don is even more alone. The one thing that Don is passionate about is the graphic novel that he has been working on for years. His dream is to attend a comic book convention and get the attention of his idol, Bendis. A late-night text message from Kyra (AKA Goth Girl) begins a new chapter in his life. Goth Girl loves Fanboy's comic, but turns out to be a troubled person and there is nothing predictable about their relationship. Comic book fans and disenfranchised teens will relate to Don/Fanboy.

After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick

Jordan Sonnenblick has done it again. Another great middle school story that makes you laugh, makes you cry, and makes you want to keep on reading. It's the follow-up to Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie but it's really not necessary to read the first book to enjoy this one. The focus here is on Jeffrey, who has survived childhood leukemia and is now in eighth grade. Jeffrey walks with a limp and has some learning problems related to his cancer medications. His big problem is that he has to pass the state math test in order to go on to high school. His best (and only) friend, also a cancer survivor, takes on the task of tutoring him. The best part of the new school year is that there's a cute new girl in school who wants to be friends with Jeffrey. This book follows Jeffrey and his two friends through eighth grade as they help each other become the best that they can be. It's hard to describe how enjoyable a Jordan Sonnenblick book can be--you just have to read one to understand. A great read for all middle school kids.