With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Emoni is a teen mother who is raising her daughter while living with her abuela. Emoni works a part-time job, takes care of her daughter, and dreams of being a chef with her own restaurant. She's a patient mother, a devoted granddaughter, and a little bit afraid to dream too much for herself. When a culinary arts class opens up at her school with the opportunity to study cooking in Spain, the reader knows she needs to make the most of the opportunity. Of course, obstacles appear and Emoni does not have smooth sailing. A new boy, Malachi, moves in and takes an interest in her. He is almost too good to be true, but Emoni deserves a good relationship with someone who cares about her. It's a hopeful story, and one that's in high demand at my school right now. Elizabeth Acevedo is definitely an author to watch.

Trouble by Non Pratt

Hannah is a risk-taking girl who has relationships with numerous boys and finds herself pregnant. She knows the father of her baby but she's not telling anyone who it is (including you, the reader). Aaron is the new kid in school who has a deep dark secret of his own that he is running from. For some reason, Aaron is drawn to Hannah and wants to help her, so he offers to pretend to be the father of her child. It's a relationship that works for a time, but the two teenagers can't keep their lies hidden for long. The heart of this book is their friendship that endures even while both of their darkest secrets get exposed to the world. Hannah is a complex character who makes some really poor decisions. I had trouble liking her but I did enjoy learning more about her and seeing her face up to her problems. This is definitely a high school book for mature readers.

Me, Him, Them and It by Caela Carter

Evelyn has some serious problems. In her efforts to annoy her distant and difficult parents, she starts to party and be a "bad girl." When she gets involved with a guy she doesn't care about and becomes pregnant she doesn't know where to turn. All she knows is that she can't possibly terminate her pregnancy. But who can she trust? Where can she go? The father of the baby has checked out. Her best friend is angry at her. Her parents idea of supporting her is to send her to live with an aunt in Chicago. Evelyn is mixed up and self-centered and smart, and her journey through adult decisions is both frustrating and fascinating. I kept wanting to read just to find out what (and when) she would finally decide to do. This is definitely a book for high school and up, and is recommended for readers of realistic fiction who like stories about emotional growth.

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Imagine you are a teenage girl with problems of your own (including the heartbreak that your father passed away last year) and your grieving mother decides to adopt a baby. Then imagine that the pregnant teenager carrying this baby moves in with your family while waiting for the baby to be born. This is what happens to Jill and she's not very nice to anyone—her mom, her boyfriend, Dylan, or Mandy, the unwanted pregnant teenager. The book alternates between Mandy and Jill's perspectives and readers see that both have good reasons for why they are the way they are. The question is, will they be able to overcome their own problems and make their new life together work? This is actually a kind of quiet book that delves into the minds of these two girls. Sara Zarr is a good writer and this is definitely worth reading.