Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos

Joey Pigza has ADHD and his condition causes him a lot of trouble at home and at school.  With the help of his mom and some caring teachers, Joey tries to get control of his life.  But, is he too late?

This is a remarkable book written from the perspective of a boy who is powerless over his impulses.  Very disturbing at times, this book is also full of hope.  Appropriate for all tweens.

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg
by Rodman Philbrick

Trying to rescue his older brother from the Civil War, Homer P. Figg goes on a whopping adventure joining a traveling circus; riding in a train, a boat, and a hot-air balloon; making a number of friends; and narrowly escaping some very dangerous situations.  This is a funny book with an endearing protagonist who tells a dubious tale of courage and love with a realistic voice.  A must-read! 

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Title:   Rules
Author:  Cynthia Lord
Publication Date: 2006

Told from the perspective of a young girl named Catherine, this is a touching story of courage, acceptance, and friendship.  Catherine's younger brother is Autistic and she feels embarrased of him because of the way people stare when they are together.  Her fear of being judged causes her to deny her friendship with a boy who sits in a wheelchair.  Interestng discussions.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Title: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Author: Grace Lin
Publication Date: 2009

Another must-read book!  Minli is a poor farmer's daughter who dreams of changing her family's fortune by meeting the fabled Old Man of the Moon!  The likelihood that she'll succeed on her mission is slim, unless you believe in magic, and faith, and courage, and thankfulness!  I certainly am thankful that I came across this Newbery Honor book!

A classic: Bridge to Terabithia

Title:  A Bridge to Terabithia
Author: Katherine Paterson
Publication Date: 1977

An oldie, but a goodie!  I'd never read A Bridge to Terabithia before, but when I finally did, I loved it!  I always thought it was about a magical place, but it was really about love and loss, family and friendship, boys and girls.  Newbery Award Medal.

The Liberation of Gabriel King

Title: The Liberation of Gabriel King

Author: K. L. Going

Publication Date: 2005

A Michael L. Printz honor book, The Liberation of Gabriel King is a must-read book set in Alabama during the Civil Rights movement.  Gabriel King and his best friend Frita are an interesting pair.  He is white and timid; she is Black and spunky.  The summer before entering fifth grade they decide to overcome their fears.  They make a list of the things that scare them the most and set about to face their fears.  Well-written in a realistic Southern drawl, the story is touching and inspiring!

Operation Redwood

Title: Operation Redwood

Author: S. Terrell French

Publication Date: 2009

Julian Carter-Li is an interesting character.  He is brave, smart, and very independant.  His dad died on a motorcycle and his mom is very busy photographing China, leaving Julian alone to stay with his rich and estranged uncle.  When Julian learns that his uncle's powerful San Francisco firm plans to log a grove of Giant Redwoods, Julian does what he can to save them.  Set in California, this book has garnered the Green Earth Book Award, and the John and Patricia Beatty Award which "honors the author of a distinguished book for children or young adults that best promotes an awareness of California and its people."

Joseph

Title: Joseph
Author: Sheila P. Moses
Publication Date: October 2008
ISBN 13: 978-1416917526

Joseph is a 14-year -old boy living with his drug addicted mom in a homeless shelter.  With his dad off fighting in Iraq, and the recent death of his grandfather, his mom's addiction is taking them to new lows.  Joseph tries to deal with his conflicting emotions.  He can't deny the effects of his mom's choices, but he can't bear to face the truth, either.  Friends, healthy activities, and his extended family all help to build his resiliency.  Still, Joseph can't choose a better life for himself.  What's a boy to do?  Survive on his own?  Or let his mom's addiction pull him down forever?  A Coretta Scott King Honor book and National Book Award Finalist.

Shake Rattle & Turn That Noise Down!

Title: Shake Rattle & Turn That Noise Down--How Elvis Shook Up Music, Me and Mom
Author: Mark Alan Stamaty
Publication Date: January 2010
ISBN 13: 978-0375846854

A very quick and funny read.  This memoir reveals one boys' love of rock and roll music and how that love helped him succeed as a cartoonist, helped him outperform his fears, and helped him to meet the President Bill Clinton.

Told in a graphic novel format, this book chronicles the true story of a boy who uses his love of Elvis, and rock & roll music, to help him overcome fear and shyness.  His interest in Elvis music also helps to propel him from local fame to national celebration.  A very entertaining book, that not only reveals Elvis' role along a continuum of transformational figures in the history of rock, but also delivers the information in a dynamic and current manner.  An excellent choice for any library serving tweens or teens!  An ALA Notable Book.

Boy, Girl Die in Gangland Killings

Title: Yummy: the Last Days of a Southside Shorty
Author: G. Neri
Illustrator: Randy DuBurke
ISBN 13: 978-1584302674

This realistically illustrated novel tells the true story of Robert Sandifer, AKA Yummy.  Yummy lived in the south side of Chicago, an urban area terrorized by gangs and drugs.  At a very young age, Yummy set out to prove himself as a "tough shorty."  He began committing crimes for a tough local gang.  It wasn't long before he was going in and out of jail just like his drug addicted mom.  His father was serving a lifetime sentence in prison, and everyone had reason to believe that soon, Yummy would be too.

Then a terrible and heart-breaking thing happened.  11-year-old Yummy killed an innocent 14-year-old girl in his neighborhood.  Police didn't find him for days.  When they finally did, they found him shot to death by the gang he served. 

In a graphic novel with haunting illustrations that are true to life, Neri succeeds in telling a very disturbing but necessary story.  Told through the eyes of a young male protagonist, this story poses questions that might easily facilitate important classroom discussions.  Appropriate to young teens, Yummy explores consequence in the context of circumstance and delineates the tragic and conflated influences that have led to these, and many other senseless deaths like them.  An ALA Notable Book and a Coretta Scott King Honor book.

Surviving the Nightmare of Hurricane Katrina

Title: Ninth Ward

Author: Jewell Parker Rhodes
Publication Date: August, 2010
ISBN 13: 978-0316043076

Lanesha lives with her Mama Ya-Ya, a wise old midwife steeped in eclectic spirituality, in the ninth ward of New Orleans.  When clairvoyant Mama Ya-Ya foresees a great storm, Lanesha begins to prepare herself for survival.  It will take all her strength and "fortitude" to survive Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.  Is love enough to buoy Lanesha?

A poignant, and encouraging story.  Lanesha has been raised from birth by Mama Ya-Ya because when her young mother died in childbirth, her "uptown" family refused to acknowledge her.  The sadness of this rejection sticks with Lanesha and is symbolized by the languishing ghost of her pregnant mom.  For all of Lanesha's young life, this sadness has been opposed by the love and devotion shown to her by Mama Ya-Ya.  Mama Ya-Ya's love becomes a bulwark of spiritual strength for Lanesha and ultimately saves her from the "star-crossed" fate of more tragic literary characters.  At times frightening and wrenching, Rhodes' prose is beautifully written with multiple layers of meaning.  This book is essential to any library serving young teens.  A Coretta Scott King Honor book and an ALA Notable book.

Troll's Eye View--A Book of Villainous Tales

Title: Troll's Eye View: A Book of Villainous Tales
Edited by: Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
Publication Date: April 2009
ISBN 13: 978-0142416730

This collection of stories is sure to make you laugh (can you picture Jack buzzing around like a fly until the giant falls down his own beanstalk?), and really creep you out (who ever thought eating a flower could turn a normal boy into a blood-thirsty werewolf?)!  With 15 stories from notable authors like Jane Yolen, Neil Gaiman, Garth Nix, and Nancy Farmer, it's no wonder this book is sure to please!  An ALA Notable selection.

One Crazy Summer

Title: One Crazy Summer

Author: Rita Williams-Garcia
Pub Date: January 2010

ISBN-13: 978-0060760885

One Crazy Summer is, by far, one of the best new books that I've read in a long time.  The summer of 1968 is a turbulent one for Delphine, an eleven-year-old girl who travels from the safety of her loving Brooklyn home to Oakland, CA to visit the mother who abandoned her years before.  With a backdrop of the Black Panthers Revolution, she lives through major transitions in her emotion, mental and physical states.  She gets her first boyfriend, rides a skateboard and a cable car, and learns a lot about what it means to be. 

Rita Williams-Garcia captures an authentic young female perspective through Delphine and her two younger sisters.  The girls' characters are well-developed, and their voices are both believable and unique.  Williams-Garcia also succeeds in portraying the effects of abandonment.  Delphine, for instance, is forced to accept a tremendous amount of responsibility in her mother's absence.  Ostensibly mature, she suppresses many of the age-appropriate behaviors other kids experience.  She longs for acceptance and encouragement from adults, but has little need for friends or peers.  With Delphine, Williams-Garcia has created a very important literary character.  One that can teach us the importance of friendship and surrender.  This book is essential to any public or school library collection!  Winner of the Coretta Scott King award, a Newbery Honor book, and an ALA Notable book.

Murder and a Spooky Abandoned Theme Park

Title: Closed for the Season
Author: Mary Downing Hahn
Pub Date: June 2009
ISBN-13: 9780547084510


Closed for the Season is a fast-paced and incredibly gripping book by Mary Downing Hahn!  When Logan finds out that someone was murdered in the big creepy house his parents just bought, he finds himself in the middle of a very dangerous ordeal.  With the help of his new neighbor Arthur, Logan tracks clues through an abandoned theme park trying to uncover the truth about the murder.   But just as he's tracking the killer, the killer is also tracking Logan.  And this killer will stop at nothing to keep the secrets buried in the park from being revealed.  Winner of the Edgar Allan Award.