So Not the Drama- Paula Chase

Shop Indie Bookstores
 
So Not the Drama is a light easy read that still talks about some serious issues.  Mina is entering high school along with 3 best friends (1 girl, 2 boys) and is very concerned with becoming one of the “popular” crowd.  Throughout the novel Mina deals with keeping up her friendships, forming new ones, [...]

The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins

Shop Indie Bookstores
The Hunger Games had been on my reserve list at the library for several weeks before it finally came.  It was worth the wait.  I would not classify myself as being a lover of sci-fi or fantasy, but I really liked this book.  In this book 24 teens are forced to compete to the [...]

Max- James Patterson (Maximum Ride Novel #5)

Shop Indie Bookstores
 
After becoming pretty interested in the first four books in this series I was very excited to get my hands on Max the fifth installment.  I was under the impression that this was the final book- I cannot remember if there was a specific reason that I believed that but- I was wrong.  The [...]

Ghostgirl- Tonya Hurley

Shop Indie Bookstores
I do not usually comment on the “cover appeal” of a book, but as soon as I received this book in the mail I was instantly intrigued because of how cool the cover is.  The white background in the middle of the cover shown above is really clear plastic with a black silhouette on it. [...]

Tears of A Tiger- Sharon Draper

Shop Indie Bookstores
 
Written in 1994 Tears of A Tiger will still resonate with students now, 15 years later.  This story deals with the aftermath of a drunk driving accident that kills a high school student.  The relationships between friends, children and parents, teachers, and counselors are all discussed through transcripts of discussions, newspaper articles, diary entries, [...]

Jellicoe Road- Melina Marchetta

Shop Indie Bookstores
This Printz winner took me a while to get into. I’d say I was a third, to half of the way into it before I really became intrigued, but then I didn’t put it down.  There are numerous interesting characters whom I loved, but at the same time had some difficulty keeping everything [...]

Dead is the New Black- Marlene Perez

Shop Indie Bookstores
 
I do not usually pick up books about vampires, but this one jumped out at me from the shelf in the library and I figured I’d give it a try. It is the first in a newer series, and is relatively light with some dark moments, and looks at a different type of [...]

The Chocolate War- Robert Cormier

Shop Indie Bookstores

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier is a story about a boy at an all boys Catholic high school who decides to rebel against a school tradition.  He also gets involved with a secret high school society.  The book addresses friendship, bullying, and teacher student relationships.  I enjoyed this book, and I think that [...]

Being Nikki- Meg Cabot (ARC)

Shop Indie Bookstores

Being Nikki is being released today!  The second book in Cabot’s “Airhead” series, Being Nikki continues the story of Em/Nikki and her friends.  As this is an ARC that was sent to be by Cabot and her publisher, I had not already read the first book in the series, Airhead.  I would highly recommend [...]

Kit’s Wilderness- David Almond

Shop Indie Bookstores
Kit’s Wilderness is a novel that is very realistic but includes fantastical elements.  Kit is a 13 year old boy whose family has recently moved back to the town in which is grandfather grew up.  Part of the story revolves around Kit’s grandfather’s declining health and mental state.  I identified with this aspect [...]