Panic by Sharon M. Draper

Sharon Draper is an edgy writer to me. Panic is a perfect example of her willingness to hug the wicked curves life throws at us with a ultra-bright light. The inside cover reads, "Diamond knows not to talk to strangers. But just once couldn't hurt. ................Right?"

Main character/ dancer extraordinaire Diamond indeed talks to a stranger and of course experiences a brutal, unforgettable series of gruesome days in her life as he brutally rapes and sells her body repeatedly. Her friends and family hold vigils and talk alot, but all they can do is wait and hope. Diamond does find the opening she needs, but the damage done is undeniable at the very best. This is an ugly read, and it is very, very important. For girls and boys who have gone through experiences in some ways similar to Diamond's, this book may trigger with its graphicness but it also may comfort, offering connections that often stay silenced.

Kudos to Draper for relentless commitment to surviving the wickedness of living in our world and for telling a story that is often silenced.

As Fast As Words Could Fly by Pamela M. Tuck

Civil rights, family historical fiction, and the '60's often catch my attention. Tuck aptly connects the brutality of the life as an African-American teen in hate-filled Greenville, NC with the hope of playing a role actively. Main character Mason (who happens to be the author's father) engages with the civil-rights movement through writing and being one of the first students to integrate a previously all-white school. His writing and typing skills so well developed, he becomes the school representative to the local typing tournament. I applaud the author for naming some pretty ugly examples that her father had to live through by going to school where he was hated for the color of his skin. I greater applaud her for telling such an important and unique story. This one was completely new to me, and I loved it. I can see using it with young learners and older, all who are focusing on civil rights in the U.S.

I'll be honest: I have no idea what integrating a school feels like, to actually summons the courage to walk in those halls and into classrooms with such bravery, presence, intent. I know what terror feels like from some experiences in my own life; I can only imagine the intersections between our very different experiences. I have great respect for the people who have indeed walked through their own fear, and this story represents one such example. Thank you, Ms. Tuck, for telling us the story of these very important set of moments in history.

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

***OOPS! Andie posted Alysa's blog entry out of sheer excitement, but she wasn't ready. Here is the finished entry:

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith was a book that I found truly surprising and a fresh look on the realities of fame. I had read her other book The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and thought it was well written and the love story that everyone wishes they could stumble upon. When I found out that she had written this new book, I was overjoyed and for good reason.

Graham Larkin is the teen heartthrob celebrity who is the talk of hollywood- and the world- and Ellie O'Neill is just a small town girl living in the middle of nowhere Maine with an unfinished past. So why would these two ever meet or have anything in common? One day Graham accidently sends Ellie an email from his very large, very empty, and very lonely house,  asking her to watch his pet pig Wilbur. Ellie, having no idea that this is The Graham Larkin, responds, beginning to find comfort and a change of pace in her life while emailing this mysterious guy that she only knows as G. Graham becomes closer to "E" than he has with anyone since he became famous and wants more than anything to meet her, so when the oppertunity to film his upcoming movie in her small town is offered, he jumps at the idea. Now the only question is will their connection stay strong when Graham's hollywood life is combined with Ellie's small town world?

I thought this book was well written and had amazing character development. Ellie must confront her past and learn to trust herself. I highly recommend this book and think that it is truly the perfect summer read. 

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

Matthew kicks butt in the integrity zone; it just takes he and his sister a little time to figure out how to really get away from his psychotic mother, where are their advocates, and how can they survive, all before they get killed by her.

Nancy Werlin is an accomplished author but this is a first-time read for me. A mystery writer, she wrote The Double Helix among a handful of others and has earned a nice kitty of awards. The Rules of Survival models writing craft thoughtfully. The text reads like the letter Matt writes to his youngest sister. Because she is so young, she seemed to have forgotten the dangerous side of her mother at the time of his writing it. But Matthew cannot forget, and neither can his couple of years younger sister Callie. Once identifying why their father really left his marriage to their mother and experiencing her heavy hand in parenting (or whatever you want to call that ongoing sword slash), Matthew and Callie  craft ways to get away from their mother. It is not by any means easy, and the mother fiercely fights to maintain her ownership of them as she maneuvers her disturbed and violent life. Matt does indeed succeed, but the ending is a somber one. This is a rich but heartbreaking read, definitely worth it. I can imagine plenty of teens resonating with this book. That sad truth makes me want to shout the title to the world....The Rules of Survival!

Little Bird by Germano Zullo

Looking for a lovely book about supporting those around you-- and not just the ones who look and sound like you?

Seeking a book that is both sparing and dramatic? Centering and deep? Useful with all ages?

 Little Bird is your book.

Mercury by Hope Larson

Hope Larson won an Eisner Award for this graphic novel and I can see why. This twisty little tale combines the lives of two teen girls, one current day and one living in 1859 and a remarkable mystery that ties them together despite such differences in time. The comic industry's equivalent to the Oscar Awards, Eisner Awards is give for creative achievement in comic books. Creative this one is.

First things first: true confessions. I am not a big comic-book reader. Sure, I read the comics in the paper, returning to a few most days. But I have not grown a tremendous following for comics and more, for graphic novels. If they were more like Mercury, I might.

Historical fiction tied together with mystical realism, the author offers us readers stellar comic illustrations and a storyline that keeps you hoping throughout. I would love some recommendations from folks about similar next reads: what do you recommend I search out? And what is that necklace all about anyway?

Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen

Teen-aged sports these days must be wicked difficult. To participate and successfully steer clear of all of the awful things lurking out there in America simply confronts the integrity of each player head on. The fall of adult athletes who used to be heroes to young people in this country is remarkable and frightening; Alex Rodriguez (accused at this date) and Lance Armstrong (confirmed and still returning his earnings from what I know) are only the beginning of a rapidly growing list. Leverage names some of those challenges-- steroids and bullying absolutely a part of this book, offering a voice to experiences that are often unnamed in the media except in teen literature.

Danny is a high-school gymnast who appears gifted enough to possibly have a chance at a college scholarship. Kurt, a similarly gifted athlete, becomes a football player at the same school after switching schools mid-year by way of a new foster mother. The way these boy's lives intersect shines light on the frequently-quiet, outside-of-cliques' friendship that occurred when I was in school, and I celebrate still occurs nowadays. On Kurt's first day of football, he is offered money (poor boy from poverty, according to the clueless coach's view) and steroids (again said clueless coach demonstrates his win-at-all-costs ethics). Kurt accepts, knowing that he is new to the school and not knowing rules or consequences of either. Over time, Kurt asks Danny to teach him how to do a back handspring, something giant lumbering Kurt indeed learns. Eventually Kurt and another friend ask Danny to stand with him as they confront the awful actions from three leaders on the football team.

This book kept me holding tightly to it. I loved the story, appreciated the rhythm and timing of the text, and really connected with the sports theme central to the novel. With superb cover art, Leverage is a keeper, and I look forward to seeing where Cohen leads next in his writing.