The Ghost and the Goth

by Stacey Kade
Gr 8 Up-Alona Dare was the most popular girl in her high school class, or at least she was until she was run over by a school bus. Returning to the scene of her death as a ghost, she anticipates overwhelming grief at her untimely death. To her surprise, her classmates quickly move on. Not only that, but weird outcast Will Killian can see and hear her. Alona, used to getting her own way, haunts Will until he agrees to help her figure out how to progress from ghosthood to the big white light that she keeps expecting. Will has problems of his own; namely that every ghost in Groundsboro High, including a seething black mass of energy, now knows that he can see them, and they all want him to carry out their last wishes. Will and Alona have to work together to get the ghosts to stop tormenting Will, and to figure out exactly what Alona has to do in order to move on from this world. Their new relationship is full of surprises as they each experience a side of the other that neither expected. This tale of friendship from unexpected corners shows how two people can grow tremendously over time. The tale is absorbing, and Kade successfully portrays a typical present-day high school. This novel will appeal to fans of romances and ghost stories alike.

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The fat boy chronicles : inspired by a true story

by Diane Lang
As efforts to combat childhood obesity continue to make headlines, Lang and Buchanan delve into their experiences as teachers to tell the story of Jimmy, a not-so-slim high-school freshman. In his English-class journal, Jimmy records his efforts to make friends and escape bullying over the course of his first year in a new town. Although some of his old and new friends face more dramatic problems, such as abusive parents, Jimmy's day-to-day struggles are compelling. A self-acknowledged good kid who loves video games and finds inspiration at church youth group, Jimmy has a refreshingly down-to-earth point of view. His honest, likable voice makes his effort to lose weight, his faith, and his growing social confidence believable. Throughout, Lang and Buchanan manage to work in words of wisdom about healthy eating and exercise. Whether or not they struggle with their own weight, many readers will both relate to and learn from Jimmy.--



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Time You Let Me In: 25 Poets Under 25

by Naomi Shihab
Moderation can wait--plenty of time for that later, says acclaimed poet and anthologist Nye. She knows how to reach teens, and this lively collection by young contemporary writers is rooted in the strong, emotional particulars of family, friendship, childhood memories, school, dislocation, war, and more; interestingly, there is almost no talk of sex or romance. The spare lines are passionate, wry, irreverent, and eloquent about meaning found in daily-life scenarios. One poet describes a meditative moment with her cat that destroys all my knitting to teach me about impermanence. Another prays for a soldier, a kindergarten best friend who has returned from Baghdad. In several selections, immigrants remember their arrival in the U.S. In a brief, appended biography, one poet describes her draw to poetry: Unresolved, uncomfortable, and sometimes repulsive moments of memory can be made somehow graceful through writing. Teens will connect with the passionate, unmoderated feelings that are given clarity and shape in each poem.
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A wealth of information awaits college-bound students in this interesting book. There's even information for those who may want to consider alternatives to the college route. The authors clearly indicate that their aim is to answer questions that seventh- to tenth-grade students have about their futures. Topics addressed include the differences between two-year and four-year colleges, the different kinds of colleges and universities (i.e. research universities, liberal arts colleges, etc), financial aid, grants and scholarships, college life, college administration, application processes, and much more. A chapter devoted to choices other than college such as technical schools, apprenticeships, government training programs like the Job Corps, and the military One of the assets of this book is its very readable text. Readers can open the book to any page and find information presented clearly and succinctly. The format is attractive with lots of charts, sidebars and white space. Useful, concrete aids include a sample chart to use when comparing colleges, a list of books that are frequently found on suggested reading lists, and a list of important study skills to hone now. This a great resource.

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Mockingjay

by Suzanne Collins

The final book in the very popular Hunger Games series has arrived amd will be available for check out at the end of this month. Place your reserve now!

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.
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Med head : my knock-down, drag-out, drugged-up battle with my brain

by James Patterson and Hal Friedman
A first-person voice gets inside the head of Cory, who we met as a four-year-old recently prescribed Ritalin. It is the beginning of a grueling 13-year saga that is as much a struggle against Tourette's as it is an endless war drug cocktails wage inside his body. His condition is alarming: OCD impulses create violent tics that sometimes knock him over or compel him to grab the steering wheels of moving cars. Soon the happy child becomes a slave to capricious masters by the names of Paxil, Risperdal, Klonopin, and more. Patterson's infamously choppy chapters actually reinforce the twitching and lurching physicality of Cody's existence, though the lack of dialogue and overall swiftness do prevent him from becoming a fully fleshed out. It's hard to deny the power of this story, though, or its ultimate inspirational effect.

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Welcome to the jungle: everything you ever wanted to know about bi-polar but were too freaked out to ask

by Hilary Smith
Bipolar is currently the most commonly diagnosed emotional/psychiatric condition and diagnosis tends to come when one is in one's late teens or early 20s. And yet almost nothing has been written about it from eye level and a young person's perspective. Welcome to the Jungle fills that gap with its upfront, empowering approach to the challenges of being diagnosed bipolar. Both humorous and immensely honest, it offers a true "in the trenches" perspective young readers will trust.

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