Stand Up for Something

Mena, the main character in Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande, is starting high school. Instead of anticipation, she is feeling dread. After a letter she writes leads to everyone she has ever known and cared about, including her church, being sued, she is left without friends or a church. Even her parents aren't very cordial to her. Things start to look up when she gets to her biology class where her assigned lab partner is someone she's never met before--a chance to start fresh. Plus the teacher makes biology fun and compelling. But when the members of her former church youth group decide to take a stand against the teaching of evolution, Mena has to decide whether or not to take sides publicly.

I really liked this young adult book and would recommend it for middle and high school. It would be a great discussion book about standing up for what you believe in, thinking for yourself and telling the truth no matter what the cost.

Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature, by Robin Brande, 978-0-440-24030-3

Made me think of:
What Would Emma Do? by Eileen Cook

Special Kids

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork is about a boy with Asperger's Syndrome. An extremely high functioning boy with autism who goes to work at his father's law office over the summer. Marcelo had hoped to work with the ponies at his private school for kids with special needs but his father wants him to face the "real world" before his last year of high school so it's off to the mail room for Marcelo. Forced to leave the sheltered world of school and home, Marcelo finds himself confronted with more than just navigating the public transportation system and learning how the copy machine works. Instead he finds himself embroiled in moral dilemmas and personal relationships.

Marcelo is an extremely compelling character and his story is an unusual one in the world of teen literature. He may not be able to comfortably look people in the eye but his special interest in theology has given him a way to analyze situations that would be unusual for any teen but one that seems especially remarkable for a person who is unused to interacting with people. Recommended for mature middle school, high school and adults who work with children.

Made me think of:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time--another story about a boy on the autism spectrum

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork, 978-0-545-05474-4

Mental Abuse, but Funny

Liam is Mr. Popularity. To his father, that is an insult. Because why be popular when you could be smart and successful? So even though Liam is good looking, friendly, a snappy dresser and a big help with his mother's retail business, he thinks of himself as a screwup. Hence the book's title: King of the Screwups by K. L. Going. After screwing up one too many times for his father, Liam is about to be shipped off to live with his repressive grandparents in Arizona. But then fate in the form of his cross-dressing, glam band rocker, radio dj uncle comes to the rescue. At first Liam doesn't feel very rescued. His uncle lives in an unkempt trailer in a small town. He doesn't like vegetables--a problem since Liam's a vegetarian. And he's not thrilled to have his nephew foisted on him. Even though this is a story about Liam gaining self-respect and understanding, it never feels formulaic. Liam has a unique voice and all the supporting characters are well drawn and interesting. As the reader, you know why Liam is Mr. Popularity and you never stop hoping he'll figure it out too.

King of the Screwups, a novel by K. L. Going, 978-0-15-206258-3

Riding Along

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen is the story of Auden's summer after high school graduation. Auden has always been a very focused student and she comes to spend some time with her father and his new wife and baby at the beach with college text books in tow, planning to do a lot of prep work for the coming year. Slowly Auden finds herself being tugged into town life in this small beach community and starts on a quest to live all the experiences she missed in a childhood devoted to scholarship. At first she is just along for the ride but soon she is planning her own new route into adulthood. A Sarah Dessen book that I would recommend to adults as well as teens.

Couldn't Put It Down

Blade: Playing Dead by Tim Bowler, that is. Blade is a street kid with a history that is slowly but not completely revealed as the story moves along. Some time in his past, he did something that has caused him to lay low and not call attention to himself. But now his past is catching up to him. As he narrates his tale, you are drawn to him even when he refuses to paint himself in a flattering light. And even if he were completely unappealing the nonstop action would propel you through the story. I don't think I've ever finished a book feeling quite so breathless. Or with quite so many questions. I hear there will be a sequel. That is a very good thing.
Blade: Playing Dead, by Tim Bowler, 978-0-399-52186-3, coming May 2009

Reminded me of:
Alex Rider books by Anthony Horowitz somewhat but I can't think of another book off the top of my head with the same gritty, urban feel to it.

Sister Love

Lauren Myracle's Peace, Love & Baby Ducks is all about sisters, specifically sisters Carly and Anna. Almost all of their interactions are dependent on Carly being the big sister and Anna the younger. But then Carly comes back from a summer work study project to discover that not only is Anna about to start high school, but she's developed in a way that Carly never has. And suddenly she's getting attention at school because of Anna, instead of the other way around. As they redefine their relationship, both girls do some growing up and learn to see from the other's perspective. But this is really Carly's story. It's Carly whose friendships grow and develop during the story and Carly who has the aha! moments about her relationship with her parents. Although there is a little romance and a lot about friendship, this is ultimately a story about family. Recommended for middle and high school.
Peace, Love & Baby Ducks, by Lauren Myacle, 978-0-525-47743-3, available May 2009
Made me think of:
Mare's War by Tanita Davis (another sister story)
Let It Snow by Lauren Myracle, John Green and Maureen Johnson (this one is more about the romances but friendship and family are important too)
books by Sarah Dessen

Fairy Tales

Who doesn't like fairy tales? I can't think of anyone who does so it's no wonder there are lots of updated fairy tales out there. But it's fun to read a totally new fairy tale too. And that's what Patricia Wrede's Thirteenth Child is. As any reader of fairy tales can tell you, the seventh son of a seventh son is born to be a powerful magician. But did you know that the thirteenth child is supposed to be bad luck, a bringer of misery, someone to be avoided? At least that's the case in the world Eff and Lan are born into--Eff, the unlucky thirteenth, and Lan, her twin, the seventh son of a seventh son. But in Wrede's western style fairy tale, there is more than one kind of magic. When Eff's family moves out to the edge of the frontier, she meets a few people who challenge her ideas about the working of magic and mainstream magical traditions. She also learns to believe in herself and saves a whole community while she's at it. It looks like the beginning of a new series called Frontier Magic. I can't wait for more!
Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede, 978-0-545-03342-8, on sale in April 2009

Made me think of:
Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale--a graphic novel that also features the melding of fairy tales and cowboy westerns
Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede--another girl trying to make a place for herself outside the conventions of fairy tale world