Kiss of Broken Glass

Kuderick, Madeleine. Kiss of Broken Glass. 2014. 224p. ISBN 0062306561. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.

Fifteen-year-old Kenna has been brought by the police to the psychiatric ward of the hospital where she will be hospitalized for the next 72 hours. Discovered cutting herself in the girls’ bathroom at school, she finds herself in a sterile and hostile environment with others like her who are experiencing life traumas. Only, Kenna’s not sure she should even be here. That little kiss of the blade on her wrist was nothing, and she’s got the scars to prove to her friends that she belong in the cutter’s club.

Now that she’s locked up, however, Kenna must take a good look at her life and decide whether she even needs help. After all, unlike some of the other girls in her group, she hasn’t been molested. She doesn’t have a very dysfunctional family. She doesn’t do drugs or alcohol. She cuts because it provides her with a high and relieves the tension. She cuts because she didn’t have a reason to cut.

Other teens are here too. Donya, who is also a cutter, is experiencing  her fifth trip to the ward. Skylar, who’s anorexic and a cutter. Jag, who punched his stepfather in the face and sports cigarette burns on his arm. Each has a problem, and each can teach a lesson to Kenna. If only she’ll listen instead of seeking the next opportunity to cut herself …

Written in verse, this novel reads quickly and packs a powerful emotional punch as the reader sees all of Kenna’s thoughts and feelings towards her cutting.

If you liked this book, consider reading Thirteen Reasons Why, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, We Were Liars, If I Stay, Zoe Letting Go, Black Box, or The Vanishing Season. All of these books feature a tragedy and a voyage of self-discovery as the central element of the plot.

Don’t Even Think About It

Mlynosky, Sarah. Don’t Even Think About It. 2014. 336p. ISBN 0385737386. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

Life changes irrevocably for a group of New York City high school sophomores when their homeroom reports for the flu shot and they suddenly begin to suffer an unintended side effect. They begin to hear thoughts. Not only their own, but those of others. All of their secrets, nervous habits, and feelings. Unfortunately, so can the others.

At once, Mackenzie, Olivia, Jordana, Pi, and the other students in 10B know everyone else’s business. Everyone knows that Mackenzie cheated on Cooper with Bennett, who lives in her building. They know that Olivia is afraid they’re all watching her. That Tess’s mother thinks she’s fat. That most boys think about sex all the time, and most girls do too.

Mackenzie is deadly afraid Cooper will find out. Olivia does not want to give her public speaking speech. Pi is looking forward to eavesdropping on other people’s thoughts, becoming extraordinary and showing her mother what she missed by abandoning her and her father. Everyone has their reasons for enjoying this newfound ability, but everyone also has reasons to resent it.

When Cooper is finally affected, he can’t believe no one told him about Mackenzie, even though they all knew. What seemed a cool ability at first becomes a liability. A group of disparate individuals now must grow together, since they have no secrets. If you could hear everyone’s thoughts, would you keep this power? The Espies (ESPies, as they name themselves) now face this difficult choice. What will they choose?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44DbVTq4occ

The Great Greene Heist

Johnson, Varian. The Great Greene Heist. 2014. 226p. ISBN 978-0-545-52552-7. FIC JOH on the library shelves.

Jackson always has a plan. Responsible, allegedly, for most of the great events of his middle school, such as the midday PDA and the Blitz at the Fitz, Jackson has always been involved in his school life as an instigator. But when he got caught, he swore off any more plots.

But when Kevin Sinclair, the richest kid at school, joins the election for student council president against Gaby, the girl Jackson likes, the gloves come off. Especially since Kevin is already acting like he won. Discovering a plot involving a thrown election and a sizeable sum exchanging hands between Kevin’s father and Dr. Kelsey, the principal, Jackson and his friends must do everything they can to steal the election back and ensure that Gaby will be the rightful winner. If they fail, all of the after school clubs will lose their fundings, and it will be a miserable school year.

What follows is a hilarious caper where Jackson, Charlie, Hashemi and Bradley attempt the greatest con of all to fool Kevin and Dr. Kelsey and defeat their evil plans. Will they succeed, or will Kevin become president?

In another vein but just as mysterious and filled with action, consider reading Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes.

The War to End All Wars: World War I

Freedman, Russell. The War to End All Wars: World War I. 2010. 176p. ISBN 978-0-547-02686-2. 940.3 FRE on the library shelves and available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

The assassination of the Hapsburg Archduke Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austria-Hungary, marks the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the most modern and horrific war the world had seen, the war to end all wars.

The growth in power, prestige, and population of Germany had been accompanied by a desire to alter the world order in the German Empire’s favor. France and Russia, on either side of Germany and feeling threatened by an expansionist policy, signed treaties binding them to one another. Germany, meanwhile, felt encircled by its enemies, bottled up by the British navy, and left out of the great colonization game. Austria-Hungary was already a failed state heading for decay, while the Ottoman empire had already begun its long collapse. Great Britain was watching the German naval buildup with a worried eye to its own supremacy on the seas.

The escalation that followed the death of Ferdinand, from Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war against Serbia to the entrance of all major participants within a few weeks led to four years of bloodshed and destruction unsurpassed in the history of the world until World War II. Ready for a “civilized” war with horse charges, soldiers were shocked when they encountered the deadly combination of barb wires and machine guns. What was supposed to be a war of movement ended up as a stalemate on the Western front, with major offensives eating through hundred of thousands of men for minimal gains.

The apparition of the submarine, the tank, poison gas, and the airplane, as well as the overwhelming use of artillery, made the First World War deadly. Women entered the workforce. Revolutions swept away some of the old monarchies, and new countries arose in their stead. The world was forever changed, and the First World War directly led to the Second as grievances caused the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party.

Beautifully and succinctly presented, Freedman condenses four years of horrific war into a short history of the War, providing amazing illustrations and exploring the causes and the consequences of the war. You will not be able to put this book down! And if you enjoy this book, take a look at Women Heroes of World War I, a great history of sixteen women who actively participated in the war.

Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady

Meyer, L.A. Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady. 2004. 488p. ISBN 0-15-205115-5. FIC MEY on the library shelves.

As an orphan Mary “Jacky” Faber headed out to sea as a ship’s boy on the HMS Dolphin. But during an extended cruise Jacky’s gender was finally discovered, and she was forced to land in Boston. There she was enrolled at the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls.

Now that school is in session, Jacky’s experiencing the toughest battle of her life: living among pampered and educated young ladies. Her previous life as a sailor and as an orphan did not prepare her for the obstacles and anger she has to face on a daily basis, and, to top it all off, she really misses Jaimy Fletcher, who remained on board the Dolphin.

Jacky’s off to a poor start, as her classes are harder than she expected, and she is criticized for everything by her teachers, from her manner of speech to the way she behaves at the table. Worse yet, every time she leaves the school to explore the city and find a little entertainment she lands in trouble. And, of course, how can she possibly explain her blue anchor tattoo that all members of the Brotherhood got during their cruise in Bloody Jack?

With the old puritan priest on the lookout for any sign of witchcraft, and with Jacky’s reputation already tarnished from her life on a ship, she will need more than luck to survive becoming a lady, but in the meantime Boston may never see an uneventful day again!

Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary “Jacky” Faber, Ship’s Boy

Meyer, L.A. Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary “Jacky” Faber, Ship’s Boy. 2002. 278p. ISBN 0-15-216731-5. FIC MEY on the library shelves and available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Following the death of her parents, little Mary Faber lived underneath the Blackfriar bridge in London’s Cheapside where she learned to deceive and steal in order to survive with other orphaned children in the Charlie Rooster’s gang. But when Charlie is stabbed and killed, the gang falls apart and Mary realizes it’s time to leave before life becomes too dangerous.

She heads down to the dock, and quickly finds employment aboard one of his Majesty’s Royal Navy ship, the HMS Dolphin. To secure her position, however, she has to lie and pretend to be a boy, which for a 12 year old girl is no small feat.

On board ship, she meets James Fletcher, another ship’s boy destined to be an officer. They strike a quick friendship, and, along with the other boys on board, form the Brotherhood. Now going by the name Jacky, she becomes a skilled sailor and participates in several naval engagements. But as time passes, Jacky’s hiding of her gender is becoming more and more of an issue. She will need to use all of her wits to avoid discovery, for once she is revealed as a girl, she will surely be put ashore. At the same time, she’s in love with Jaimy but, as a boy, can’t express those feelings.

Follow Jacky’s high-seas adventures as she attempts to remain one step ahead of everyone in this swash-buckling and riotous book. Jacky's adventures continue in The Curse of the Blue Tattoo. For a more serious look at a girl alone aboard a ship in the early 1800s, read The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.

Cited! Identifying Credible Information Online

Gerber, Larry. Cited! Identifying Credible Information Online. 2011. 48p. ISBN 978-1-4358-9430-3. 001.42 GER on the library shelves.

With the prevalence of information available on the internet, most students assume that running a simple Google search will lead to results that are credible, reliable, and valid. Too often, however, students click on the first or second link of a search, and do not take time to ask themselves how good this information is.

This book is designed to provide you with a clear understanding of the criteria you need to use to determine whether or not a source is credible. Issues such as misinformation, propaganda and phony facts are explored. Rules on how to use information, including citing, are also included.

The skills you gain from reading this book will help you throughout your middle school and high school career, and even beyond, as you become a better consumer of information.

Hush Hush

Fitzpatrick, Becca. Hush Hush. 2009. 319p. ISBN 1416989412. FIC FIT on the library shelves.

Nora Grey is a typical high school student. She’s got good grades, spends a lot of time with her best friend Vee, and lives in a house in the rural area of town. Her father died a year ago, killed by a stray bullet. She’s not interested in romance nor in any of the male students at her school.

But when she’s assigned to work with Patch in biology class, something begins to draw her close to him. His eyes are crystal clear, and it’s as if he can see in her soul. Patch is bad news however, for following their first contact she’s attacked on her way home, her house is broken into, and she’s sure she is being followed. And wherever she goes, Patch is there. Who is Patch, and what does he want with her? Why is he always mocking her, and why, despite all that, is she still attracted to him?

When a terrifying encounter leaves Nora stranded in Portland, she must rely on Patch to come and get her. Patch is not what he seems, but Nora has trouble admitting that to herself. Can she trust him with her life, or is he out to kill her?

Nora's story continues in Crescendo. For a lighter tale of the paranormal, consider Paranormalcy, where Evie fight off faeries and other paranormal creatures while falling madly in love with Lend.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Speare, Elizabeth. The Witch of Blackbird Pond. 1978. 256p. ISBN 0440995779. Available as an ebook and an audiobook on Overdrive.

When Katherine Tyler’s grandfather, Sir Francis Tyler, died, she was forced to leave Barbados. Her grandfather, who had been taking care of her since the death of her parents years earlier, left the estate in shambles and with mounting bills. Kit was able to settle all debts, but she had to sell everything. One of the men owed money informed her he would forgive the debt if she married him.

To escape she makes her way to a new community, cold, dreary and puritan New England. She’s never met her mother’s sister, but they exchanged many letters over the years, and aunt Rachel has two daughters near Kit’s age. Arriving in Connecticut Colony in the late 1600s, she finds an unwelcoming community, one used to strict control of thoughts and stricter enforcement of compliance with the rules.

A free spirit, Kit begins to chafe under the rules. Running to hide  in one of the meadows by the river, she comes across Hannah, a Quaker who has been exiled out of the village. They soon become friends, but Kit’s uncle forbids her to go. Kit continues to visit, however, and reconnects with beautiful Nat, who was one of the sailors on the Dolphin, the ship that took her here. She’s also pursued by the richest man in town, and as winter begins to oppress the land Kit feels the full weight of solitude.

When children become sick and begin to die, Hannah is accused of witchcraft. Kit risks her own life and saves her from being caught, getting her aboard the Dolphin. Faced with suspicion and fear since her arrival, Kit is the one who becomes accused of witchcraft, and the penalty is death. Will anyone come to Kit’s defense?

If you liked this book you will enjoy The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place.

Peace, Love and Baby Ducks

Myracle, Lauren. Peace, Love and Baby Ducks. 2009. 292 p. ISBN 978-0-525-47743-3. FIC MYR on the library shelves.

Carly spent the summer as a camp counselor in rural Tennessee, and she discovered her true inner self. When she returns to her home in Atlanta, however, everything has changed. She has trouble relating to her rich friends and family, and her sister Anna has physically changed as well. She’s now taller, and she sports cleavage where there wasn’t any at the end of the school year. Plus, Anna has spent the entire summer hanging out with Carly’s friends, and now Carly’s feeling threatened in her relationships with them.

Insecure in this new relationship with her sister, Carly must navigate the choppy waters of family life. When a new love interest moves into Carly’s life, Anna becomes a rival. Can the two sisters ever get along again?

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.

If I Stay

Forman, Gayle. If I Stay. 2009. 201p. ISBN 0525421033. FIC FOR on the library shelves.

Mia has always loved music. When she picked up the cello as a young child, her parents thought it was a phase. Punk rockers to the core, her parents exposed her to all kinds of music, but they never thought she would prefer classical. When it became clear that she really loved the cello, her parents provided her with tutors, but Mia quickly exceeded their skill levels. Now with a college professor, Mia has applied to Julliard, and she’s certain she got in.

Here lies the problem. Mia is in love with Adam, who’s in a band out here in Oregon, and his band has finally taken off. They have a recording deal, and they go on tour throughout the Northwest. Going to Julliard would mean leaving everything she loves, but the music, behind. It will be, however, the greatest opportunity she will have to improve her skills on the cello.

Facing this dilemma, Mia, her brother, and her parents get in the car one February morning and head out for a drive through the wonderful snow that fell overnight. Her parents’ car is crushed by a truck, and her parents are killed immediately. Mia walks out of the accident, but then discovers that her body is still laying in the cold snow, Beethoven still playing in the background.

Stuck between life and death, Mia can only observe her body and the reactions of people who surround her. Now the dilemma is simple. Should she fight to live, or is it okay for her to go?

If you liked this book, consider reading Thirteen Reasons Why, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, We Were Liars, Zoe Letting Go, Black Box, The Vanishing Season, or Kiss of Broken Glass. All of these books feature a tragedy and a voyage of self-discovery as the central element of the plot.

Liz Emerson, in Falling into Place, suffers a similar fate to Mia but she herself caused the accident on purpose, and her life is viewed in snapshots and recalled in moments dated before her wreck.

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.

Every Body’s Talking: What We Say Without Words.

Jackson, Donna M. with Carol Kinsey Goman, PhD. Every Body’s Talking: What We Say Without Words. 2014. 64p. ISBN 978-1-4677-0858-6. 153.6 JAC on the library shelves.

Our bodies are always communicating information to others, whether we want them to or not. This book is a great exploration of some of the ways in which our bodies talk to us, from movements of the eyebrows or feet, to how the eyes communicate. Learn what others are really saying with their postures and movements, and detect their lies. Read about gestures we take for granted but which mean completely different things in other countries. And discover how you can fake your body into appearing more confident than you actually are.

Sections within this book include: Louder than words; Here’s looking at you; Bodies in motion; spotting lies; multicultural moves; and fake it … until you become it. A fast read, it also features a glossary, an index, and a bibliography.

Zom-B Clans

Shan, Darren. Zom-B Clans. 2014. 168p. Book 8 of the Zom-B series. ISBN 978-0-316-21429-2. FIC SHA on the library shelves.

In Zom-B Mission, B and the Angels were sent to New Kirkham to escort a group of humans out of London to this compound’s relative safety. Unfortunately, upon their arrival the compound was attacked by the Ku Klux Klan.

Being a bully and a racist when alive, B is not about to let others bully because of race. The Angels come to the protection of the population, and B comes face to face with Owl Man and his dog. Owl man exerts some form of mind control on B, and manages to escape with a convoy of prisoners, including Vinyl, one of B’s best human friends.

Desperate, B chases the convoy down and manages, with Rage’s help, to capture Dan Dan, whom the Angels will exchange for Vinyl and the other humans taken prisoners at New Kirkham.

Back in London, Dr. Oystein informs the Angels of the deadly virus and counter virus agents developed by himself and Owl Man years ago that are now in each other’s possession. Simply put, Mr. Dowling possesses a virus that can eliminate all humans, while Dr. Oystein possesses a virus that can eliminate all zombies. The unleashing of one would immediately result in the unleashing of the other. Thus, at the moment, the Angels and Mr. Dowling and his mutants are at a standstill.

B accompanies the party assigned to Dr. Oystein to trade Dan Dan, but gets captured in the exchange when Rage goes rogue and takes Dan Dan on his offer of riches. B is about to be shot when someone intervenes. Taking off his white hood, B’s father pleads to save B from death...

This story continues in Zom-B Family.

Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow. 2005. 216p. ISBN 0439353793. Winner of the Newbery Honor (2006), Sibert Honor (2006), YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (Top Ten) (2006). Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

How does a generation grow up to become part of the Nazi machine? In this provocative book, the path of several youths are followed from the late 1920s to the end of the Second World War and beyond. What first started as clean good fun playing outdoors and marching soon became paramilitary exercises and complete obedience to youth leaders, and unquestioning faith in Adolf Hitler.

Using propaganda, the Hitler Youths slowly turned a whole generation into Nazi fanatics ready to sacrifice themselves for the glory and power of the Third Reich. These children fought in the war, manning anti-aircraft weapons. Older children even fought at the front in Normandy and in Russia.

For some, even the end of the war never changed their opinion of Hitler and of Germany. Others, though underwent a change of heart and came to realize they were part of a brutal machine that eliminated millions of people, including their friends and family.

A chilling reminder of what great evil can accomplish, this book is a cautionary tale to ensure that such events never again occur.

We Were Liars

Lockart, E. We Were Liars. 2014. 240p. ISBN 978-0385741262. Available as an eBook on Overdrive. This book has been nominated for the New Hampshire Flume award in 2015!

The Sinclair families spend every summer on the Beechwood Island, their idyllic vacation spot near Martha’s Vineyard. A rich and powerful family, the Sinclairs are beautiful. They are privileged. They are damaged. But most of all, they are liars!

In the 15th summer of Cadence’s life, something went horribly wrong. She had an accident, and lost her memory. Every summer she has spent on Beechwood with her cousins, Johnny, Mirren, and Johnny’s friend Gat. All the same age, they are known as the liars, and spent countless hours hanging out together. Cadence’s feelings for Gat grew until she fell in love with him, but it’s a difficult relationship since Gat is not only not a Sinclair, but he’s Indian, and grandfather Harris, the patriarch of the family, doesn’t like him.

After her memory loss, Cadence starts having headaches and physical pains. She changes her hair color and gives all of her possessions away. Summer 16, she spends in Europe with her estranged father, sending emails and messages to the liars on Beechwood but receiving nothing back.

So when she returns to the island summer 17, she is surprised that Clairmont, her grandfather’s ancient Victorian house, has been rebuilt in a modern Japanese style. Her cousins are happy to see her, but each of them now have issues and nothing is the same. They don’t come up to the main residence for family meals. They are slobs, and Mirren is always sick. Worse of all, they don’t or can’t talk to Cadence about what has happened summer 15. How did Cadence lose her memory? Did Gat and her have a fallout? Was she attacked? Why are all family members acting so differently from two summers ago?

Told from an unreliable protagonist, the surprising twists keep on coming, and the tragedy, when it strikes, will leave the reader breathless and shocked.

If you liked this book, consider reading Thirteen Reasons Why, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, If I Stay, Zoe Letting Go, Black Box, The Vanishing Season, or Kiss of Broken Glass. All of these books feature a tragedy and a voyage of self-discovery as the central element of the plot.

Official web site: http://wewereliarsbook.tumblr.com/