If you loved this, you'll like:
Key, Watt. Alabama Moon. FSG, 2006.
Klass, David. You Don't Know Me. Square Fish, 2010.
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Twelve-year old Foster knows Dax, his mother's boyfriend, is dangerous. Foster lives with his mom on their farm in Alabama. Since Foster's father died, the farm has fallen to disrepair. One afternoon a stranger walks down their road and their life changes forever. Gary is walking to Texas and stops for some water from their hose. He ends up sleeping in the barn and offering to do some small repairs around the farm. Soon, Gary and Foster are working side-by-side completing projects. Foster grows close to Gary as their relationship depends. Dax however does not take well to Gary's presence. After a few standoffs between the men, a brutal fight ensues. Gary frees Foster and his mom from the clutches of Dax but at the price of his own freedom. At times violent, often gritty, and always honest, Fourmile is a compelling story of loss, grief and connection. Fourmile will appear to older readers who don't mind a dark tale.
If you loved this, you'll like: Key, Watt. Alabama Moon. FSG, 2006. Klass, David. You Don't Know Me. Square Fish, 2010.
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Fern's parents are so busy with the family business, they have little time for her. Her father, always trying to promote their restaurant, is involved with thinking up PR that usually embarrasses the whole family, and her mother copes by going off to mediate. Her older sister is doing a gap year while all of her friends have gone away to college, so she is pretty miserable, and Fern's brother is struggling with coming out. Then there is the surprise baby, Charlie, who at three is the center of everything. Where does Fern fit in? Does anyone even care? Fortunately, she has a clam best friend, Ran, who assures her constantly that "All will be well." But then a terrible tragedy strikes the whole family and things go from bad to horrible. Plus, Fern is sure she is responsible for what happened. Things will never be the same, but can they at least get better?
If you loved this, you'll like: Columbis, Audrey. Getting Near to Baby. Scholastic, 1999. Knowles, Jo. Pearl. Henry Holt, 2011. Martin, Ann. A Corner of the Universe. Scholastic, 1999. McKay, Hilary. Caddy's World. McElderry, 2012. Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia. HarperCollis, 1977. Donovan Curtis is the ultimate troublemaker. When one of his pranks goes too far and leads to the destruction of the middle school gymnasium, Donovan faces possible expulsion and must meet with the superintendent. Through a series of mix-ups, Donovan's name ends up on a list of gifted students who will be attending the Academy of Scholastic Distinction (ASD), a special school for the gifted and talented. In order to escape punishment, Donovan decides to go to ASD and hide out from the superintendent, who can't remember his name.
It doesn't take a genius to see that Donovan isn't talented or gifted, and soon the teachers and students begin to question whether or not Donovan belongs at ASD. As time goes on, however, he bonds with his fellow students, bringing excitement and "normalcy" into their lives. Laugh-out-loud hilarious, Ungifted is full of entertaining scenes that are perfectly balanced with strong messages of tolerance and acceptance of others. An enjoyable read for both reluctant readers and avid readers alike. If you loved this, you'll like: Gantos, Jack. Dead End in Norvelt. FSG, 2011. Sachar, Louis. Holes. Scholastic, 1999. Schmidt, Gary D. The Wednesday Wars. Clarion, 2007. 12 year-old Victoria is a no-nonsense prissy girl who sets ridiculously high standards for herself and for everyone around her. Lawrence is her one friend, yet she treats him very poorly, always criticizing him and telling him how he should eat, dress, and behave. When Lawrence goes missing, Victoria is the only one who seems to care; in fact, she is the only one who seems to notice. Clues soon point Victoria towards The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls and this determined 12 year-old girl shows her bravery and sense of friendship in her relentless quest to figure out the truth behind her friend's disappearance.
If you loved this, you'll like: Dickens, Charles. Oliver Twist. Carey, Lea and Blanchard, 1837. Gaiman, Neil. Coraline. HarperCollins, 2002. Rich, Susan, editor. Half-Minute Horrors. HarperCollins, 2009. Stewart, Trenton Lee. The Mysterious Benedict Society (series). Little, Brown. 2007. Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World by Sy Montgomery7/20/2013 In this engaging and informative biography, we learn about Dr. Temple Grandin, a scientist who has worked for years in the livestock industry developing cruelty-free methods for handling animals. When Grandin was younger her parents felt that something wasn't quite "right" with their child; she didn't laugh, she didn't hug her parents and she didn't speak. In 1950, when Temple was three, she was diagnosed with autism. Grandin's mother refused to send Temple to an institution, which was common at the time. Grandin went on to attend school and eventually earn a doctorate degree. Due to her autism, loud noises were extremely uncomfortable and words were often unclear. While Temple had some significant struggles as a child, she also had many gifts. Grandin uses her gifts to improve the treatment and experiences of livestock. Montgomery writes about both Grandin's life and achievements and autism with clarity, sensitivity and respect.
If you loved this, you'll like: Baskin, Nora Raleigh. Anything But Typical. S & S, 2009. Fleming, Candice. Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart. Schwartz & Wade, 2011. Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Doubleday, 2003. Keller, Helen. The Story of My Life. Doubleday, 1954. Lord, Cynthia. Rules. Scholastic Press, 2006. Stork, Francisco X. Marcelo in the Real World. Arthur A. Levine, 2009. To unify the divided people in the kingdom of Carthya, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a plan to create an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four boys are taken from orphanages to compete for the role, including a feisty, defiant boy named Sage. Taken to Conner's sumptuous palace, they are trained to fight, to ride, to behave like a prince. Each of the boys realizes that the penalty for losing the contest will be death, so no one can be trusted. Layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that is both shocking and dangerous.
The second book in this trilogy, The Runaway King, is already out. If you loved this, you'll like: Moran, Katy. Bloodline. Candlewick, 2009. Morris, Gerald. The Squire's Tale. Houghton Mifflin, 1998. Pierce, Tamora. Terrier. Random, 2006. Spradlin, Michael. Keeper of the Grail. Putnam, 2008. Ten year-old August Pullman is attending school for the very first time. For most children, this would be a slightly scary thing, but Auggie's fears about school are compounded by the fact that he suffers from severe facial deformities that horrify most people. His mother has home schooled him but both of his parents feel that it would be better for Auggie to face the real world which includes school. As Auggie begins fifth grade at Beecher Prep in NYC, his sister Via (Olivia) is starting high school. Told in eight parts by Auggie and five other characters, Wonder is a meditation on how we should treat other people regardless of their appearance. While the reader cannot help being sympathetic towards Auggie and his plight, we also share the difficulties in navigating the social hierarchies of both middle school and high school, the pain of losing your best friend to popularity, the joy of first love, and the loss of a beloved family member or pet. Follow Auggie as he tries like any ordinary kit to just get through fifth grade in one piece and maybe carry up a few hearts along the way.
If you loved this, you'll like: Abbot, Tony. Firegirl. Little, Brown, 2006. Baskin, Nora Raleigh. Anything but Typical. S & S, 2009. Draper, Sharon M. Out of My Mind. Atheneum, 2010. Erskine, Kathryn. Mockingbird. Philomel, 2010. Hunt, Lynda Mullaly. One for the Murphys. Nancy Paulsen, 2012. Telgemeier, Raina. Smile. Graphic, 2010. Middle-schooler Jamie Grimm has two great loves: stand-up comedy and his Uncle Frankie. Jamie takes his humor very seriously, studies the legends of comedy religiously and tries out his routines on the customers are his Uncle's diner. Jamie would try them out at home, but he's recently moved in with his humor-challenged relatives and his older cousin Stevie, who happens to be the school bully. Despite being in a wheelchair, Jamie has friends who care for him, an uncle who looks out for him and he recently caught the eye of the Cool Girl in school. So why throw all that away on some silly comedy contest to crown The Planet's Funniest Kid Comic? What if he freezes during a routine? What if no one laughs? What if the judges go easy on him? Will Jamie ever share the secret of his troubled past instead of hiding behind his comedy act? Find out what happens to our optimistic hero in this heartfelt story.
If you loved this, you'll like: Cotler, Steve. Cheesie Mack Is Not a Genius or Anything. Random, 2011. Gutman, Dan. The Genius Files: Mission Unstopable. HarperCollins, 2011. Korman, Gordon. Schooled. Hyperion, 2007. Rylander, Chris. The Fourth Stall. Walden Pond Press, 2011. Yee, Lisa. Warp Speed. Arthur A. Levine, 2011. Stella is a girl who likes things done in an orderly manner and who always looks for the best in people. Life has dealt her a pretty bad hand, yet she still manages to approach everything from a positive perspective. Hoping to spend a lovely summer at her Great Aunt Louise's beach house on Cape Cod while her mother sorts herself out, Stella has no idea just how different her summer will end up being. Enter Louise's new foster child, Angel, a troubled young girl who could not be more opposite to Stella. Almost immediately after being thrust together, these young girls must unite to cope with an unexpected tragedy.
If you loved this, you'll like: Gennri, Jennifer. My Mixed-Up Berry Blue Summer. Houghton Mifflin, 2012. Horvath, Polly. One Year in Cold Harbor. Schwartz & Wade, 2012. Lord, Cynthia. Touch Blue. Scholastic Press, 2010. O'Connor, Sheila. Keeping Safe the Stars, Putnam, 2012. The Nazis have invaded Norway and people are forced to take sides; you are either for the Resistance or for the Norwegian Nazi party. Fourteen-year-old Espen soon makes his allegiance to the Resistance and his help is needed immediately and often. His responsibilities are quickly increased and so is the danger. Not all of Espen's friends make the same choice and loyalties are severely tested. Under these circumstances, a boy soon becomes a man and as Espen grows into his new role, he is forced to make adult decisions that will change his life forever.
If you loved this, you'll like: Harnett, Sonya. The Midnight Zoo. Candlewick, 2011. Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. Houghton Mifflin, 1989. Morpurgo, Michael. An Elephant in the Garden. Feiwel & Friends, 2011. Van Steenwyk, Elizabeth. A Traitor Among Us. Eerdmaans, 1998. |