Young Adult/Contemporary/
Breaking Boxes
A. M. Jenkins
Delacorte 0385325134
When Charlie Calmont is sent to in school suspension for fighting with rich and popular Brandon Chase he has no reason to suspect that a friendship will grow and that his life will change. Brandon seems to have it all, nice house, nice clothes, a silver Corvette, and two parents but he wants to hang out with Charlie who lives in a cheap apartment with his older brother Trent who works double shifts at a bookstore to make ends meet. Charlie slowly lets his barriers down, letting new people into his life then he tells Brandon something he thought was obvious and his world comes crashing down.
A very good read.
Young
Adult/Contemporary/Problem/Crime
Swallowing Stones
Joyce McDonald
Delacorte 0385323093
On his seventeenth birthday, the 4th of July, Michael MacKenzie has it all, a cool girlfriend, a buddy who hooks him up with the school slut, a good job as lifeguard at the pool, and the respect and affection of all who know him. He also has an antique Winchester rifle that he received for his birthday from his grandfather. As he shoots it into the sky amidst the sounds of revelry and firecrackers he doesn't realize that he has just ended the life of another human being and drastically changed the lives of many.
Sensitive and thought provoking, we grow to know the people beneath the images they project. Fans of Caroline B. Cooney's Driver's Ed will especially enjoy this.
Young Adult/Historical/20th
Century
Honor Bright
Randall Beth Platt
Delacorte 038532216X
In the waning months of World War II, twins Howie and Teddy go to stay with their Grandmother at an Oregon beach. Howie, alway popular, soon makes friends with other teens in town but Teddy, far more solitary, builds a refuge for herself in the attic. She slowly comes to know the grandmother that has been estranged from her family since a tragedy had left her fatherless and scarred as a child. She meets her twin brother's friends and forges a unique relationship with a popular boy.
The World War II flavor will appeal to readers of historical fiction and Teddy is a character who will lock herself into the reader's memory.
Young
Adult/Historical/Adventure
Den of the White Fox
Lensey Namioka
Harcourt Brace 0152012834
Intrepid ronin Matsuzo and Zenta venture into a valley reputed to be haunted by a white fox in this tale set in feudal Japan. The two young Samurai are taken in by an impoverished and orphaned brother and sister who are trying to eke out a living while an oppressive occupation force makes life more difficult. When their young host, Jiro, is suspected of theft the two ronin run afoul the white fox as they try to exonerate him. Always a fascinating series, this new tale of Matsuzo and Zenta is a welcome addition.
Literary Fiction
A Crime in the Neighborhood
Suzanne Berne
Algonquin 1565121651
Starting out like a work of popular fiction, two stunning but unrelated events throw 10 year old Marsha into a summer of rumination. Her father runs off with her Aunt Ada and a neighbor boy she knows is molested and murdered in the woods behind the local mall. After that nothing much really happens plotwise. In exquisitely crafted prose we see Marsha pointing a finger of accusation at a neighbor. What Berne does so incredibly well is capture the essence of the early 1970s. The sounds of the suburban Washington D.C. neighborhood, the feel of the summer air, and glimpses of minute details bring the setting into sharp focus. If you like beautifully crafted sentences you will enjoy A Crime in the Neighborhood but if a strong plot is your pleasure you make look for other genres. This is not to say it does not have a plot just that the plot is the least of the elements in it.
Young
Adult/Contemporary/Coming of Age
Spider Boy
Ralph Fletcher
Clarion Books 0395776066
Moving to a new town Bobby finds a new friend and an enemy who killes his beloved taratula in this affecting tale for the youngest end of YA.
Young
Adult/Nonfiction/Photo-Essay
Dashing Through the Snow
Sherry Shahan
Millbrook 0761302085
A brief, highly visual account of Alaska's Jr. Iditarod where teens and their dog teams race through extreme conditions.
Young Adult/Diary
My Name is Seepeetza
Shirley Sterling
Groundwood 0888992904
A confusing recounting in diary form of a young girl's experiences in a Canadian Indian boarding school in the 1950s.
Young Adult/Fantasy/Fairy
Tales
Ella Enchanted
Levine, Gail Carson
HarperCollins 0060275103
Resourceful Ella makes the best of things even considering that she is under an extremely unfortunate curse, has an uncaring father, unlikeable step-sisters, and an almost evil step-mom in this enchanting take on the Cinderella story. A delightful read.
Young
Adult/Historical/Western
Soldier Boy
Brian Burks
Harcourt Brace 0152012192
A homeless teen pursued by a criminal fight promoter flees Chicago only to find himself in the Army of the West, helping to steal land promised the Indians and going to war against them under Custer's command.
Young Adult/Contemporary
SeedFolks
Paul Fleischman
HarperCollins 0060274719
A nine year old Vietnamese girl planting a few seeds in a vacant lot to honor her dead father brings an inner city community together as they create a community garden on a dumping site.
Young Adult/Contemporary
Johnny Chesthair
Chris Lynch
HarperCollins 006027414X
A group of misfits forms a modern He-Man club.