Patrice is an excellent role model for girls who are tempted to be somebody that they are not in order to fit in. She is definitely "standing against the wind" throughout much of the book, but when it comes down to it, Patrice discovers the confidence and inner strength necessary to achieve her goals.

Highly recommended for gr. 7-10.

Excellent book. It's a sequel to Peeps, but you do not have to have read the first book to understand or appreciate what is going on. Bizarre and disturbing things are happening in New York City. Moz, Zahler, Pearl, Minerva, and Alana Ray form a band. Every time Minerva sings, spells seem to be cast and events set into motion that will either destroy or save the world.

Recommended for gr. 9-12.

Kyra ("Goth Girl") and Donnie ("Fanboy") strike up a friendship that ultimately gives Donnie the courage to show his graphic novel to his favorite writer/illustrator, as well as stand up to the bullies and come out of his shell.

Recommended for grades 9-12.

Set during the Holocaust, this is a story of an average German family who is hiding a Jewish man in their basement. It is narrated by Death, who is not like the stereotypical depiction at all (black robe, scythe, gloomy demeanor). Instead, Death weeps for all of the exterminated souls as he tenderly carries them away. 

It's an excellent book, but rather long. Arguably, one of my all-time favorites.

Highly recommended for grades 9-12.

It is the summer of 1970, and Jean is experiencing Camp Courage for the first time. This summer camp, sponsored by the Jaycees and supporters of Jerry Louis’ yearly telethons, is for children with disabilities of every sort. Even though Jean has cerebral palsy, she has always attended regular school and felt very much a part of the “normal” world. At “Camp Crip,” as her bunkmate Sara calls it, Jean starts to wonder about where she fits in and what “normal” actually is.

Recommended for gr. 9-12. 

Alyssa Reed (aka Blister) is having a hard time adjusting to 7th grade. Her best friend, Jonah, has abandoned her in favor of trying to get in with the cool crowd, and her divorced parents seem to be bent on introducing new people into her life and letting her down. Her unconventional grandma, Daisy G., is the only constant in her life. When Jonah gets arrested for shoplifting, Blister knows that he could not possibly have pulled it off. In her attempts to prove Jonah’s innocence, Blister learns that people can surprise you with their goodness, and that judging a book by its cover isn’t always the right thing to do.

Recommended for gr. 7-10. 

Charlotte’s job of spraying perfume on people at Bloomingdale’s doesn’t require her to pay too much attention to what she is doing. That’s why she is able to spend so much time people-watching. Unfortunately, one of the people that she ends up watching is her best friend Brianna’s boyfriend, Bryant, and he is flirting with another girl. Charlotte has not liked Bryant since the sixth-grade and she can’t wait to break the news to Brianna. However, Bryant is a smooth talker, and he somehow convinces Brianna that Charlotte is simply trying to break them up. Charlotte’s mission becomes clear: to catch Bryant in the act of cheating on Brianna. Will Bryant’s best friend, Colton, stand in her way or become her ally?

Recommended as a fluff read for gr. 7-10.

If I did not have a family member who suffers from severe anxiety attacks, I might not have found Samantha to be a credible character. However, having seen firsthand what an anxiety attack looks like and how a person with severe anxiety thinks, feels, and behaves, I found Samantha's story to be bang-on. At times, I wanted to shake some sense into her, but in this book, as well as real life, people with anxiety disorders have to make a conscious decision to be well all on their own. 

The author's note at the end of the book gives readers a brief description of the difference between normal anxiety and anxiety disorders, and lists some organizations and websites for people who wish to learn more about anxiety disorders or mental illness.

Highly recommended for grades 9-12.

When an asteroid crashes into the moon, everything changes for 16-year old Miranda. Supermarkets run out of food, schools are closed, electricity becomes a thing of the past, and gas prices skyrocket to over $10/gallon. Just when things seem to be at their worst, something always happens to make the day before seem like a walk in the park. Miranda is plucky, though, and she has her two brothers and her mother to help her survive. Through Miranda's diary entries, we get a real sense of the one thing that is needed in situations like this: hope.

Highly recommended for grades 7-12.

I loved this new novel by the author of Speak. Tyler is a former geek who has become more popular because he pulled a graffiti prank last year and had to spend his summer doing community service landscaping. He is now tall and muscular and cute. He even attracts the attention of his father's boss's daughter, Bethany, the girl of his dreams. When Tyler's new "bad boy" reputation leads to false accusations, his morals, perceptions, and conceptions of the truth are challenged. As his life seems to spiral downward, Tyler chooses to live his life with integrity and self-respect, becoming the man that he decides he needs to be.

Highly recommended for grades 9-12.