The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

This is a story of a junior in high school who loved to run and she was quite good at it. Then, through an accident, she loses part of her leg and running is no longer an option. This story picks up her tale as she is recovering in the hospital and tells of her recovery process, both physically and mentally and her adjustments easing back into a life that was centered on her running, which she can no longer do. The stress of recovery, the social implications, the familial stress all weigh heavily on this girl, but with her best friend pulling her up and her own sheer will, she discovers that her will to run came from her determination, which can be repurposed. She also discovers that people should be recognized for who they are, not their disability, as she befriends a girl with CP who helps her figure out math. It is a relatively simple, heartwarming tale of perseverance and friendship.  It reminded me a LOT of Shark Girl, which I liked as well. 

Grades 4-8

Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiance by Veronica Roth

This series captivated me. I loved the series and the exhilarating pace and constant action and thoughts about humanity. It is another dystopian novel in which the society has tried to put people into neat little boxes, which we all know don't fit real people. On a large scale, these books explore what makes us human as well as how much leaders and people with power can manipulate our perceptions based on the information we are fed.

The first two books follow Tris as she discovers herself, the meaning of strength and love through all kinds of tests, violence and tribulations as she makes her way through her city, which takes place in the ruins of Chicago. Initially it is about survival and fitting in and then she learns she is different. The serums that the leaders use to control the population don't work properly on her and she discovers she is Divergent. Divergent people are frowned upon and she must hide it if she is to remain alive. Through the support of her trainer and her friends, she manages to survive and eventually flourish. Her trainer, Four, sees strength in her she never new was possible and she sees his heart hidden behind all of his tough exterior. They fall passionately in love, creating the scenes that are inappropriate for younger audiences. Their passion is, at times, raw and fairly sensual and when she has to face her fears, one of hers is the depth of this love and it's not appropriate.

The last book breaks the trend a bit, as it point of view is through two perspectives, Tris and Four as they manage to escape the walls of the city and discover the larger picture. Again the book is about leadership and strength and what makes evil and human and Tris and Four try to save their old world and find a home in their new world. There were moments the words captured human struggles so clearly, it took my breath away.

Grades 7 or 8 (depending on the student) and up

Liar & Spy By Rebecca Stead

This is a story that tries to honestly deal with the idea of bullying...what it really looks like and how the victim feels, without making it melodramatic. This kid, Georges, had the deck stacked against him because of his name (after Seurat) but he had some pretty strong familial support and a good friend until the summer before the book starts hits. During that summer, his dad lost his job, meaning his mom has to pick up many extra shifts, making her pretty out of the picture and his dad trying to pick up the pieces. Because of the loss of income, they have to sell their house and move into an apartment. Also during that summer, his best friend went off to camp and came back cooler. School started and his friend Jason sat with the cool kids, the same ones that tease Georges consistently. All of this is the backstory. Once they move, it is mostly Georges and his dad, eating out, unpacking. Georges meets a kid in his building and they begin a spy club. The other kid, Safer, lives in another apartment and is homeschooled. Safer tells Georges about Mr. X who wears all black and is generally suspicious. This is a story about how they begin to forge a friendship through the act of spying and Georges begins to figure out life without his mom around and managing the bullies at school, and both Safer and Georges finally face what really scares them. This story has a genuine voice that seems to capture the voice of a middle schooler. 

A NY Times bestseller. grades 5-8

Goblin’s Secrets by William Alexander

This is a book about an orphan, Rownie, who lives with a “person” named Graba and several other orphans. Overall it’s a tale of Rownie finding a home and saving their town from forces beyond anyone’s control. 

It’s definitely fantasy and it was interesting, but I had a hard time figuring out what the characters were. The description and the depth of the characters was definitely lacking and made it hard to understand what characters were doing, why they were doing it and how...Like Graba, she’s like a witch but she has robot legs and somehow she is bigger than she should be, but is also just like a person somehow. But towards the end, her character morphed a bit and became even more evil. It was one of the weirdest books and I found that I didn’t always understand what was motivating the characters. Some of their movements puzzled me and seemed random. Overall I hated reading this book...sorry!

Reading level 4-7 

The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

Western Asia seems to be a theme this summer, as this book takes place in Afghanistan in an unspecified time, but one where the Taliban ruled and their very strict interpretation of the Koran made it impossible for women to have any freedom, let alone rights. This book is about one well educated, once prosperous family who stayed in Afghanistan because they loved their country, but slowly, over time, saw almost everything they loved about Afghanistan and most of their possesions stolen away by the Taliban and their rules. In this story, the father is, one day, taken by the police without explanation. Without him, the family has no way to earn money, let alone walk to the market unaccompanied. The responsibility of earning money falls onto the shoulders of the middle daughter, Parvana. They chop off her hair and she becomes their long lost cousin visiting from parts afar and she is sent out to the market to continue reading letters for people at the market, the job her father did to support the family. This desperate change was extremely dangerous, for if anyone discovered she was a girl, she would be beaten and most likely killed and her family would endure unknown punishments. However, if she didn’t, her family would starve to death. To find out more about her adventures in the marketplace and the friends she discovers, read this book. It’s worth it, although the ending is slightly anticlimactic. 

One of the things I liked about this book, was the author’s ability to make the reader feel the love for the country, despite the ruling party. It’s a deep seated love that might be difficult for some people to comprehend but explains why people who could leave, stayed. Grades 5-8 Easy read but a complex tale

Zebra Forest by Adina Rishe Gewirtz

Annie, the main character, is more grown up than her eleven years of life tell. She has only vague memories of her mother and father and her grandmother only hints that her dad was murdered by "an angry man". In addition, she has spent her life lying to social workers and teachers to protect her grandmother and brother. Life for Annie isn’t easy; they are poor and her grandmother isn’t always feeling well and can spend days in her room in bed. This leaves the running of the house and caring for her younger brother in Annie’s hands. When she and her brother Rew have free time, they spend it in the trees in the backyard-a mixture of birch and chocolate they call the Zebra Forest-and Annie tells stories. Stories about their father as a pirate are the favorite, but he also stars as a secret agent or a pilot. Summer would have passed by just like that, except that the nearby prison has a jailbreak and their world is shattered. 

This is a well told tale, although the emotional upheaval doesn’t seem as deep or traumatic as I think it must have been for Annie and the huge coincidence seems too big to be on accident. We get a better sense of Rew’s pain as he grapples with his new reality, but as Annie is the narrator, it seems like we should get to see her pain more closely and we don't. Perhaps it is glossed over a bit because it is, after all, a children’s book? Grades 6-8 (easy read but content a bit much for younger readers?)

Boys without Names By Kashmira Sheth

India is a country with possibility and danger. Recently I read about how farmers throughout India are going bankrupt and killing themselves because they borrowed money for seeds (made by Monsanto so they are not self seeding and must be bought every year) but their crops didn't meet expectations so they owe money, more than they can make, and have no options. The story begins by telling the tale of how Gopal's family cope. The family of Gopal deals with that tragedy by leaving their village in the middle of the night and going to the big city of Mumbai, chasing the dreams a big city can offer. Things are not what they hoped and they are separated. Gopal’s naiveté gets him trapped in slave labor with several other boys who are so guarded, it seems impossible to find any happiness or companionship. 

This is a story that is a bit disjointed...has a lot to say about India today but half the book is the set up--the explanation of the family, the situation, the setting--and the other half is Gopal’s experience as a slave laborer. Liked it because it’s a story that should be told, but would have liked a more focused story. Grades 4-7