Book Talk Swap & Share
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My Life Next Door, By Huntley Fitzpatrick
- Family
- Friendship
- First romance
Barnes and Noble
The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?School Library Journal
Summer romance fun with substance describes not only this novel but also its scrumptious male lead. More than just a handsome face attached to a football player's physique, Jase Garrett is thoughtful, able, and kind. His eight-kid, boisterous, loving family has fascinated 17-year-old Samantha Reed since she was seven. She watches her neighbors from afar until the summer evening Jase climbs onto her roof with an offer to rescue her—and he does. With their unkempt yard, noise, and mess, the Garretts have always been a thorn in the side of Samantha's perfectionist mother so it's no surprise that as Samantha falls under Jase's spell and enters the wonderful and wacky world of the Garrett clan, she doesn't tell her mother, who is busy with her own bid to win reelection to the Connecticut state senate and is enthralled with a gung-ho new political advisor. Samantha juggles lifeguarding at the tennis club with waitressing, but she still has plenty of time to discover with Jase what all those love songs are about, including the decisions about whether or not to act on their heady chemistry. Mr. Garrett's struggling hardware store means Jase needs a football scholarship. It also means that when tragedy strikes, everything about Samantha's nearly perfect relationship becomes uncertain. The characters are dynamic and realistic. Strong narrative pacing adds to the whole sun-kissed package, which is on par with authors such as Sarah Dessen and Deb Caletti.—Suzanne Gordon, Peachtree Ridge High School, Suwanee, GAEleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell
Grades 9 and up
"Eleanor & Park reminded me not just what it's like to be young and in love with a girl, but also what it's like to be young and in love with a book."-John Green, The New York Times Book Review
School Library Journal
In this novel set in the 1980s, teenagers Eleanor and Park are outsiders; Eleanor, because she's new to the neighborhood, and Park, because he's half Asian. Although initially wary of each other, they quickly bond over their love of comics and 1980s alternative music. Eleanor's home life is difficult; her stepfather physically abuses her mother and emotionally abuses Eleanor and her siblings. At school, she is the victim of bullying, which escalates into defacement of her textbooks, her clothes, and crude displays on her locker. Although Park's mother, a Korean immigrant, is initially resistant to the strange girl due to her odd fashion choices, his father invites Eleanor to seek temporary refuge with them from her unstable home life. When Eleanor's stepfather's behavior grows even more menacing, Park assists in her escape, even though it means that they might not see each other again. Crude language is realistic.
The Young Elites, by Marie Lu
- Fantasy
- Anti-hero
School Library Journal
Adelina Amouteru is amalfetto, a girl who was left with unique physical imperfections after surviving a blood fever in her childhood. The illness swept through cities, killing adults and leaving the young scarred.Malfettos exist in the margins of society, hidden away by shamed families and provoking reactions of fascination or revulsion in polite society.
Adelina escapes a monstrous father, an appointment at a fiery stake, and a variety of other threats in this mesmerizing novel. She realizes that she is one of the malfettos who was left with a physical mark but also a supernatural power. Connected with others like herself but set apart by her love and dedication to her imperiled sister, Adelina must navigate a world where danger and treachery lurk behind masks, in elegant courts, and in catacombs.
While the main character in Lu’s book shows courage and loyalty, she is a flawed individual who is not in control of powers that can harm, and even kill, those she is closest to. The secret society Adelina is accepted into—the Young Elites—is by no means a safe haven for her; she is expected to hone her powers as well as blindly accept the violent tactics the guerilla group employs. The teen faces both physical and psychological challenges in the alternately glittering and gritty setting of Kenettra. The choices she makes are never simple, but the constant danger makes her journey a completely immersive experience.
QB 1
Grades 6 and up
Sources
"Bookverdict.com." QB1 -. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2015.
Burns, Elizabeth. "Review: My Life Next Door." A Chair A Fireplace A Tea Cozy. N.p., 18 Jan. 2013. Web. 03 Nov. 2015.
"Pick of the Day: Eleanor & Park." School Library Journal. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2015.
Salge, Erin B. "Feisty Females in Secret Societies | New Fiction for Young Adults." School Library Journal. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2015.
Alison Madison
I am passionate about...
- Books - hand-held and digital
- Reading YA Literature
- Instructional and Educational Technology
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- Helping high school students discover all of the above
I Believe that School Libraries are Innovative and Irreplaceable.
Twitter: @akmadison