When My Sister Started Kissing

Frost, Helen. When My Sister Started Kissing. 2017. 193p. ISBN 978-0-374-30303-7. Available at FIC FRO on the library shelves.

When Claire and Abigail’s mother died, the family was heartbroken. Spending every summer at a cabin on the lake, the sisters saw comforting reminders of their mother everywhere. Now that it is summer again, they dread returning to the lake. Their father has remarried, and his new wife is pregnant with their half-brother. Worse, all signs of their mother, from her old easel to her favorite chair to the board games and her books have disappeared from the cabin.

For Claire, however, all of these changes are nothing compared to what is happening with her sister Abigail, who insists on being called Abi. This summer, Abi is boy crazy, and her secrets mean that Claire must cover for her. Unsure of herself, Claire can’t help but wonder why Abi would act this way. As the summer progresses, and as Abi’s affections seem to be divided between two different boys, Claire decides she can’t make excuses for her anymore. But as their family seems to be drifting apart, the lake imparts lessons that just because things are changing doesn’t mean that they will not remain meaningful.

Written in verse, this short book features three points of view, that of Claire, Abi, and of the lake itself observing the sisters. A coming of age novel, readers interested in family relationships will appreciate the dynamics that are at play between two sisters struggling with new feelings and emotions.

Every Exquisite Thing

Quick, Matthew. Every Exquisite Thing. 2016. 288p. 296 mins. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Seventeen-year-old Nanette O’Hare’s life is unremarkable. Along with her friend Shannon, Nanette is the star of the varsity soccer team at her high school, and has scored more goals than all of the other players put together. In school, she is an average student, with no ideas on what her future will look like. During her junior year, her English teacher gives her his own personal copy of an old out-of-print book called The Bugglegum Reaper. In this book, the main character, Wrigley, rebels against society and bullies and rages about quitting, though it’s never made clear what he wants to quit. Nanette takes to the book and it instantly becomes her own personal bible.

When her English teacher mentions that the author lives in the same South New Jersey town they do, Nanette endeavors to meet him. A recluse, the author never allowed another run of his book to be printed and has chosen to prevent his work from circulating. He and Nanette strike an unlikely friendship. A few months later he introduces her to Alex, a poetic high schooler who also loves The Bubblegum Reaper. Soon the two of them are not exactly dating, but they are experiencing thoughtful conversations and moments.

Nanette can see that Alex is troubled, however, and when he decides to defend a middle schooler named Oliver just like Wrigley did in The Bubblegum Reaper, the law catches up with him and he is sent to Reform School. Nanette cannot contact him there. Troubled by this and by other experiences, Nanette soon discovers that to be true to oneself can be very expensive emotionally. As she burns bridges and experiences a meltdown of her relationships, Nanette feels even more lost than before. Can she muster within herself the courage to discover what she really wants and force the world to accept her as she really is?

As You Like It

Shakespeare, William. As You Like It. 2014. 120p. 148 mins. Available at 822.34 on the library shelves and as an eBook on Overdrive.

The Duchy is in turmoil after the Frederick has overthrown his older brother and taken his place as Duke. He has removed all of the previous occupant’s friends, except for his daughter, Rosalind. Frederick’s niece is allowed to stay at court since she is best friend with Frederick’s own daughter, Celia. The two of them flee court, however, and find refuge in the Arden forest with Touchstone, the court foul.

Meanwhile, Orlando had fallen in love with Rosalind at first sight back at court, but is treated very poorly by his brother Oliver. He also decides to leave his estate (really his brother’s), and arrives in the Arden forest. Rosalind and Celia have disguised themselves, one as a boy named Ganymede, the other as a poor woman.

Orlando rejoins the overthrown Duke’s entourage in the forest, and he is soon writing poems to Rosalind on the forest’s trees. Rosalind as Ganymede joins Orlando and helps him “act out” his desires for Rosalind with him and counsels him on the proper way to do so. And as the shepherdess Phoebe falls in love with Ganymede, they all find themselves hopelessly lost in a love polygon.

Ganymede decides to resolve this situation by untying all of the intrigues, and soon all main characters are married to their love. An announcement is made that Frederick has renounced the throne and is joining a religious order, and they all return to court.

A light and lively comedy, As You Like It is famous for one of Shakespeare’s most well known speeches, “all the world’s a stage,” and also features the sentence “too much of a good thing.”

Dear Future Boyfriend

O'keefe Aptowicz, Cristin. Dear Future Boyfriend. 2011. 120p. ISBN 9781935904717. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

Focused on loneliness and the hope of one day attracting the person you’re really attracted to, this collection of urban poems explores the meanings of one-way relationships and the heartbreak that comes from being alone. Filled with social commentary on dating, love, and relationships, this short compendium of poems provides the weary soul with tools to deal with a condition that afflicts everyone at some point in their lives. Fans of poetry will appreciate O’Keefe Aptowicz’s take on love, breakups, and other teen stories.

Ask Me How I Got Here

Heppermann, Christine. Ask Me How I Got Here. 2016. 225p. ISBN 978-0-06-238795-0. Available at FIC HEP on the library shelves

Addie runs for her Catholic school’s cross-country team, and she is really good. In fact, Addie has always been running forward, with the future in sight. A running scholarship to a University. A beautiful life and a dedicated boyfriend. But all of this falls apart when she discovers that she is pregnant. Suddenly, her whole world changes and a hard decision must be made. Addie has an abortion, but the consequences of her decision affects the rest of her school year, including her desire to run. Can she reconnect with herself?

Told in verse, Addie walks the reader through her experience, from meeting her new boyfriend to the abortion itself. The end of her relationship with Nick, and the blooming of another relation with Juliana, who is also a survivor, opens the door to new experiences and to a rediscovery of self. Fans of poetry and tragedies will enjoy this fast read.

Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers

Franco, Besty, ed. Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers. 2008. 144p. ISBN 978-0-7636-3437-7. Available at 811 FAL on the library shelves.

Coming from all parts of the world and in varied personal, social, and educational situations, all of these poems have in common are the theme of love and the fact that they were written by teenagers. Love runs through the gauntlet of emotions, and includes angst, depression, and hope. Love can be about other people, objects, or ideas. And each teen, in their own way, share what love means to them.

A short yet very powerful read, this collection will have poems for everyone. Keep coming back, you will always read something new.

Tips & Tricks for Analyzing Structure and Evaluating Ideas

Athans, Sandra K. and Robin W. Parente. Tips & Tricks for Analyzing Structure and Evaluating Ideas. 2015. 64p. ISBN 978-1-4777-7535-6. Available at 428.4 ATH on the library shelves.

With the Common Core Standards now in place in many states, the emphasis on reading has switched from focusing on literature to concentrate on informational texts. Students are now being asked to recognize varied reading structures such as headlines, chapter headings, and other clues offered by the text. They also must analyze the content and ideas in the text to derive both meaning and understanding of specific information.

This book provides the reader with specific techniques and advice on how to successfully read both informational and literature texts. Three scientific articles are examined, along with poems by Robert Frost and Edgar Allan Poe and demonstrate these techniques. From looking at the headings and the pictures included with a text to reflecting on your understanding of what you just read, the suggestions provided by the authors better prepare the reader for school and career readiness.

This is a great way for readers to refresh their reading techniques as well as acquire new ones and examine how reflecting on their own reading skills can help them become better readers.

Other books in this series include:

• Tips & Tricks for Comparing and Contrasting Text
• Tips & Tricks for Analyzing Ideas, Events, and Individuals
• Tips & Tricks for Evaluating an Argument and its Claims
• Tips & Tricks for Analyzing Structure and Evaluating Ideas
• Tips & Tricks for Analyzing Text and Citing Evidence
• Tips & Tricks for Determining Point of View and Purpose
• Tips & Tricks for Evaluating Multimedia Content
• Tips & Tricks for Summarizing Text

Angel Island: Gateway to Cold Mountain

Freedman, Russell. Angel Island: Gateway to Cold Mountain. 2013. 81p. ISBN 978-0-547-90378-1. 979.4 FRE on the library shelves.

Most Americans are familiar with Ellis Island, the gateway through which most immigrants entered the United States in the first decades of the 20th century. Angel Island, in San Francisco Bay, was the receiving station for immigrants coming from Asia. But unlike Europeans arriving on the East Coast who spent at most a few days before being allowed in the country, Chinese, Japanese, and other Asians could spend months in detention, awaiting a decision on whether they would be allowed in. Restrictions on Chinese immigration prevented many from entering.

While on Angel Island, they carved poems in the walls of the detention center, leaving evidence of their stay. Threatened with demolition, the immigration station was ultimately saved and turned into a state park and the station itself was conserved just as it looked in the 1940s.

A thorough history of the misery of Angel Island, along with gorgeous photos and poems, this book is an inspiring look at a slice of American history too often ignored in the history books.

Girls Standing on Lawns

Kalman, Maira and Daniel Handler. Girls Standing on Lawns. 2014. 64p. ISBN 978-0-8707-908-1. FIC KAL on the library shelves.

This delightful short book is a collaboration between Maira Kalman, a children’s book author and artist, and Daniel Handler, who writes under the name Lemony Snicket. This book features forty black and white photographs from the Modern Museum of Art in New York City, along with short poetic entries describing some of the photos. Kalman herself painted twenty scenes to accompany the photographs.

Each of the photographs was taken by an unknown person, and Kalman and Handler meditate on why the photos might have been taken, who might have taken them, and what they represent. The themes of memory and childhood are explored, and readers are asked to imagine the lives of these children.

Kissing Tennessee and Other Stories from the Stardust Dance

Appelt, Kathi. Kissing Tennessee and Other Stories from the Stardust Dance. 2000. 118p. ISBN 978-1-415-53656-8. SC APP on the library shelves.

Kissing Tennessee tells a story from the perspective of different 8th graders attending the Stardust Dance, the formal dance on the last night of the school year. From conflicted teenagers dealing with major issues to the lighter who’s attracted to who, these well-written stories read quickly and demonstrate that one never knows what others are thinking.

In Dance with Me, Tim Hernandez really wants to dance with Lucy, but he’s too afraid to ask her. Rachel’s Sister, Mary, recounts how she and her sister escaped from her fundamentalist and abusive father and how she now enjoys looking beautiful. Russ Mills dances with Brooke but wishes he was getting Just a Kiss, Annie P. In Starbears, Cub Tanner is attracted to Trent, and he must ask himself The Question. Becca wonders how she became the victim of an assault in The Right Word, while Peggy Lee and Tennessee share a kiss in Kissing Tennessee. And at Midnight, the janitor will begin cleaning the cafeteria as the new graduates will go home and start their summer vacation.