House of Dreams: The Life of L.M. Montgomery

House of Dream: The Life
of L.M. Montgomery
by Liz Rosenberg

From the publisher:
"An affecting biography of the author of Anne of Green Gables is the first for young readers to include revelations about her last days and to encompass the complexity of a brilliant and sometimes troubled life.

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Maud who adored stories. When she was fourteen years old, Maud wrote in her journal, "I love books. I hope when I grow up to be able to have lots of them." Not only did Maud grow up to own lots of books, she wrote twenty-four of them herself as L. M. Montgomery, the world-renowned author of Anne of Green Gables. For many years, not a great deal was known about Maud’s personal life. Her childhood was spent with strict, undemonstrative grandparents, and her reflections on writing, her lifelong struggles with anxiety and depression, her "year of mad passion," and her difficult married life remained locked away, buried deep within her unpublished personal journals. Through this revealing and deeply moving biography, kindred spirits of all ages who, like Maud, never gave up "the substance of things hoped for" will be captivated anew by the words of this remarkable woman. "

I can't say that I enjoyed reading this book because it was very painful through a lot of it, but it was highly interesting. Why do artistic brilliance and mental illness generally seem to walk hand in hand? I've always wondered that. What a sad, sad life our Maud had. I'm glad she had dreams that she could write about. I will always be thankful for her amazing books and wish that her life could have had the happy endings she wrote about. 

Even though this was an interesting and enthralling read (I read it in a day), I wasn't thrilled with the writing. It lacked cohesion, jumping around and then going back. Many stories were repeated in different sections of the book. The author kept pointing out Anne's similarities to Maud and yet almost wholly ignored the much more pronounced similarities of Emily of New Moon to Maud. I can't remember the source, but I do remember hearing that Maud herself said that Emily was much more autobiographical than Anne, although she used situations from her own life in the Anne books.

This book is marketed as "for young readers", yet there are some serious life issues brought up that might make young readers feel ..... not necessarily disappointed, but maybe just saddened that her life is so different that what we all imagined from reading her books. I'm not sure how well this will circulate once the avid L.M. Montgomery fans get through it, but I still think it is worth it having it available to those readers. 

Areas of concern:
*Abandonment
*A couple of swear words
*Mentions of sex and passion (nothing terribly graphic)
*Much discussion of mental illness
*A family member infects his wife with a venereal disease.
*Drug misuse (not blatant, just ignorant)
*Possible suicide
*My biggest concern is that some readers will wish they hadn't read it because they would rather have the picture they have built in their minds of this much loved author.

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 10+
School Library Journal - Grades 6+

Stupid Fast

Stupid Fast
by Geoff Herbach

From the publisher:
"I, Felton Reinstein, am Stupid Fast. Seriously. The upper classmen used to call me Squirrel Nut, because I was little and jumpy. Then, during sophomore year, I got tall and huge and so fast the gym teachers in their tight shorts fell all over themselves. During summer, three things happened all at once. First, the pee-smelling jocks in my grade got me to work out for football, even though I had no intention of playing. Second, on my paper route the most beautiful girl I have ever seen moved in and played piano at 6 a.m. Third, my mom, who never drinks, had some wine, slept in her car, stopped weeding the garden, then took my TV and put it in her room and decided she wouldn’t get out of bed.

Listen, I have not had much success in my life. But suddenly I’m riding around in a jock’s pick-up truck? Suddenly I’m invited to go on walks with beautiful girls? So, it’s understandable that when my little brother stopped playing piano and began to dress like a pirate I didn’t pay much attention. That I didn’t want to deal with my mom coming apart."

This is an amazing story with wonderful characters and heart-wrenching issues. It would be wonderful for reluctant boy readers and yet, I cannot recommend it because of the horrible language - serious cussing and hard profanity. It is 311 pages and I marked 262 objectionable words or phrases - and that was not counting the gross vulgarities from the boys in the locker room and such. Not to mention the use of the word "retard" or "retarded" over and over again. We are very conscious of that word in our school and I was appalled at the constant use of it in this book. Do I need to go on another rant? Yes, that might be the way teenagers talk today, but why do that speak that way? Because that is what books like this and other media outlets are teaching them is normal or even cool. Why ruin this amazing story with language like that? It didn't get the point across any better. I understand that in moments of great stress or anxiety, some words may occur, but having them just be a part of speech for a 15 and 13 year old? No, no and no! It just makes me sad because this book could have been extraordinary. 

Areas of concern:
*Aforementioned bad language on practically every page.
*Vulgarities from teenage boys.
*A family dealing with severe mental illness.
*A small boy finds a parent after they committed suicide.
*Father issues (I don't want to give too much away)
*A teenager tries to kill another teenager and there are literally no consequences.

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 7+
(*Mrs. Duke strongly disagrees with those recommended ages!)

Love, Life and the List

Love, Life and the List
by Kasie West

From the publisher,
"Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings Abby isn’t going to take any chances.

Which is where the list comes in.

Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being. But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems… and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself.

This is the first in a set of three standalone books with crossover characters."

I love this author (Kasie West) for middle school students who love romance and like to read up in age. The characters are always upper high school, but she avoids things like bad teenage behavior and graphic making out. They are fun and frothy to read, with romance, humor and heart. That being said, I have noticed that almost all of her contemporary books remind me of other author's books. This one reminded me of Morgan Matson's Since You've Been Gone, which I loved. Kasie and I have had a little slump lately, and although this one wasn't my favorite, it was definitely a step above some of her others that I have read lately. 
Things I liked:
*The main character was snarky and funny.
*A loving, supportive, albeit slightly dysfunctional family unit.
*Cooper and Abby and their friendship.
*The main character experienced a lot of growth throughout the book.
*Deep emotions towards the end that were written so well I felt every emotion right along with Abby.

Things I didn't like:
*Abby and Cooper were amazing as best friends, but I didn't feel any chemistry between them.
*Cooper could be a real jerk. 
*The list played an important role and then just sort of petered out.
*I didn't love the ending and was actually rooting for it to end a completely different way. 

Suggested Ages:

Kirkus Reviews - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 7+

Every Last Word

Every Last Word
by Tamara Ireland Stone

From the publisher:
"If you could read my mind, you wouldn't be smiling.

Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off.

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear. "

This book is an interesting, educational, and heartrending look at a young woman with Pure Obsessional OCD. The main character Samantha, or Sam as she prefers to be called, just wants to be normal. She hides her mental illness from everyone except her family and her amazing psychiatrist, Shrink Sue. It is very hard to hide, but she has worked out many strategies to help with that. For instance, she is obsessed with the number 3, so she can’t stop and park her car unless the odometer lands on a 3. She uses the excuse that her parents won’t let her drive anyone because she just got her license. When she can’t get out of driving someone, she pretends to miss a turn so she can keep driving until she hits the 3. It was very interesting to see some of her coping strategies – she had many of them. I also loved that she had an incredibly supportive family at the beginning. However, farther into the book there was a dichotomy between how the parents were portrayed in the beginning and how they acted throughout the rest of the book. Sam starts driving other people all the time, she leaves the house late at night to go swimming (she’s really not going swimming), and they suddenly don’t question those behaviors. 

She has an incredibly toxic group of friends who are the mean/popular girls in the school. (Query: Why do mean and popular so often go together? You would think the nice girls would be the popular girls.) She is so frightened that they will find out about her mental illness that it actually adds to her mental illness. Why does she stay with them? She feels like she doesn’t have anywhere else to go. That is until she makes a new friend who introduces her to “Poet’s Corner” – a group of kids who meet in a secret room and read poetry they have written to each other. After they read, they have glue sticks thrown at them and they proceed to glue their poem to the walls of the room. The new friend tells her this room and these people will change her life. They do.

There are many things I loved about this book. However, I would have loved it even more if not for the bad language, the making out, and loss of virginity. One of the many passages that bothered me:
“Then I blush, remembering how he kissed me in the water that night. How I wrapped my legs around his waist in the deep end, both of us clothed but kind of acting like we weren’t.”

If those things don’t bother you the way they bother me, then I definitely recommend Every Last Word. One of my 8th grade girls made me read it because she loved it so much, and wouldn’t talk to me until I finished (it took a while)…… actually, she wouldn’t talk to me unless she was asking if I had read it yet – which question was posed over and over again. 

There are many poems in this book, the one that captures the whole essence of the book (and was written in 3’s) is titled, Every Last Word.

These walls heard
me when no
one else could.

They gave my
words a home,
kept them safe.

Cheered, cried, listened
Changed my life
for the better.

It wasn’t enough.
But they heard
every last word.

Areas of concern:
*It was interesting that there were little to no uses of mild cuss words, but there were many uses of the “s” word and at least 5 of the “f” word.
*Quite a bit of sexual content as far as talking about hooking up and making out. A lot of intense kissing scenes described. “Kurt wasn’t a very good kisser. All tongue, jabbing into my mouth over and over again, circling way too fast.” The loss of virginity scene wasn’t terribly graphic, but still disturbing. 
*There is some bullying that never gets addressed and seems to just be expected.

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 8+

All Fall Down (Embassy Row, #1)

All Fall Down
by Ally Carter

From the publisher:
"A new series of global proportions -- from master of intrigue, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter.

Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:

1. She is not crazy.
2. Her mother was murdered.
3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay.

As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believes her -- so there's no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door, who is keeping his eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands.

Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can't control Grace -- no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do. Her past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down."

I was torn on this book, there were things I loved and things that kind of turned me off. The Embassy Row concept was really fun and very interesting. I wonder how realistic it was? Living in a foreign country surrounded by other embassies would be a unique way to grow up. However, I had a hard time really liking the main character, even though I appreciated the pain and mental anguish she was in. And I really didn't like the ending. But the book kept me enthralled and I did enjoy reading it. Although I had a hard time liking the main character, Grace, I liked the kids who befriended her. I bet all of their personalities will be even more fleshed out in upcoming books. And I'm still not sure whether I trust one of the adult figures. I think middle schoolers and above will like this and I will recommend it to them. I'm interested to see what happens in coming books.  This author already has a huge following in my library because of her Gallagher Girls series and her Heist Society series (which are awesome!).  This one should be popular. Areas of concern: *I don't remember any bad language. *There are some scary moments where the main character feels like her life is in danger. *Intense flashbacks to her mother's death. *A romance is hinted at. Suggested Ages: Booklist - Grades 7-10 Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+

I'll Be There

I'll Be There
by Holly Goldberg Sloan

From the publisher:
"Emily Bell believes in destiny. To her, being forced to sing a solo in the church choir--despite her average voice--is fate: because it's while she's singing that she first sees Sam. At first sight, they are connected.


Sam Border wishes he could escape, but there's nowhere for him to run. He and his little brother, Riddle, have spent their entire lives constantly uprooted by their unstable father. That is, until Sam sees Emily. That's when everything changes.


As Sam and Riddle are welcomed into the Bells' lives, they witness the warmth and protection of a family for the first time. But when tragedy strikes, they're left fighting for survival in the desolate wilderness, and wondering if they'll ever find a place where they can belong. Beautifully written and emotionally profound, I'll Be There is a gripping story that explores the complexities of teenage passions, friendships, and loyalties."

I was obsessed with this book once I got into it and could not put it down. The writing seemed a little bit off at the beginning, but once I got sucked into the story I didn't care, and now I can't even remember why the writing bothered me at the beginning. And, I might add, I have had the song I'll Be There stuck in my head for 2 days now. Luckily it's a great song! I think it is very cool that it plays an integral part in the story and wasn't just a random title for the book.

This is one of those books that has it all. Pathos, romance, humor, wilderness survival, high school drama and spine-tingling suspense. My feelings were all over the place with this one. My heart broke for Sam and Riddle on just about every page. I was so furious with their father that I desperately wanted a fatal accident to befall him. I wanted to hug Tom and Debbie Bell for their kind and wise parenting. I was very nervous about the oily Bobby Ellis, yet he made me laugh over and over again. (Kind of envisioning a Carrieprom king scene for a brief moment.) 

One thing I loved about this book is that it begins with a story about how everything is connected and how minor incidents can change the course of major life events. Then the book ends with different paragraphs about very secondary characters and how their lives were changed by the minor interactions they had with our main characters. That was really interesting. It makes you think about what minor incidents have changed the course of your own life. 

My one drawback was that there were very few instances where we were able to see Sam and Emily's connection. We were told there was a deep connection, but had very little to go on to see that for ourselves. However, that was a minor quibble. I definitely recommend this book and I think it will have a huge readership at our library. 

Areas of concern: (This was a really clean read for a young adult novel with intense situations. I was impressed.)
*About 4 or 5 uses of the *d* word. 
*An incredibly abusive and neglectful father.
*Intense survival scenes.
*Talk of going to the Motel 6 after prom, but the main character leaves after this is mentioned.
*A few mild kisses.
*A best friend tells the main character that she needs to hook up with a guy.
*A stalker who ingratiates himself into the main character's life.

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 7+
(Booklist puts this one at grades 9-12.  There are definitely intense situations, so sensitive middle schoolers may need to stay away from it.)

Wish Girl

Wish Girl
by Nikki Loftin

From the publisher:
"A dying girl gives a boy the strength to live in this lyrical novel that will break your heart and lift your spirit 

Peter Stone’s parents and siblings are extroverts, musicians, and yellers—and the louder they get, the less Peter talks, or even moves, until he practically fits his last name. When his family moves to the Texas Hill Country, though, Peter finds a tranquil, natural valley where he can, at last, hear himself think.

There, he meets a girl his age: Annie Blythe. Annie tells Peter she’s a “wish girl.” But Annie isn’t just any wish girl; she’s a “Make-A-Wish Girl.” And in two weeks she will begin a dangerous treatment to try and stop her cancer from spreading. Left alone, the disease will kill her. But the treatment may cause serious, lasting damage to her brain.

Annie and Peter hatch a plan to escape into the valley, which they begin to think is magical. But the pair soon discovers that the valley—and life—may have other plans for them. And sometimes wishes come true in ways they would never expect. "

This book has some wonderful moments. I really liked both of the main characters - they are what is best in this story. They have a lot of conflict, pain and heartbreak to deal with. I enjoyed the time they spent together and the relationship they had. However, I didn't care for any of the secondary characters. I wanted to punch Peter's family and arrest the bullies, so I felt like the ending was either very unrealistic, or a lot was left unresolved. What happens when school starts in the fall? Won't Peter and the bullies be going to the same school? 
Anyway, I do think this one would make a good read-aloud or book group book because it deals with some issues that could lead to important discussions. Terminal illness, bullying, dysfunctional families, running away, suicidal thoughts... 
Bottom line - I liked it but I didn't love it.

Areas of concern:
The above mentioned issues.

Suggested Ages:
Kirkus Reviews - Ages 8-12
School Library Journal - Grades 4-7

Almost

Almost
by Anne Eliot

From the publisher:
"At a freshman party she doesn't remember, Jess Jordan was almost raped.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite. Three years later, Jess has managed to make everyone believe she's better. Over it. Because she is.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite.

Unfortunately, until Jess proves she's back to normal activities, her parents won't discuss college. So, she lands a summer internship and strikes a deal with hockey jock, Gray Porter: He gets $8,000. She gets a fake boyfriend and a social life.

Jess has no idea Gray signed on for reasons other than money. She also never expects to fall in love. But Gray’s amazingly hot, holds her hand all the time, and makes her forget that he’s simply doing his job. It’s like having a real boyfriend.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite.

Gray Porter is hiding secrets of his own. About Jess Jordan. About why he’s driven to protect her, why he won't cash her checks, or deny her anything she asks. "

I think this could be a powerful book for some teenagers, perhaps those who love reading things like A Child Called "It". Would I have let my daughters read this in middle school? Emphatically no. 
Despite the plot of an "almost" rape, in some ways the book seemed almost immature. However, talk of the love interest having too much blood flow to certain parts of his anatomy definitely put it into the mature category for me, along with the memories of the "almost" rape. Add to that the bad language on almost every page of the book (profanity, cussing, vulgarities), and I would be very careful about letting your tweens to early teens read it. It does touch on some important issues, and that is why I think it could be powerful for the right reader. As far as the plot and characters go, there were some plot points and characters I really enjoyed, and some that drove me crazy. I don't think teenagers will care that much about the deficiencies, though. So, although I don't recommend this book to all readers, I think there are some that would really like it.

Splintered

Splintered
by A.G. Howard

From the publisher:
"This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence.

Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own."


What an imaginative, beautifully told story! It wasn't perfect, but it held me enthralled through a good deal of it. The cover is gorgeous and so perfect for the story. Splintered started out so strongly that I couldn't put it down. It sang to me, it enchanted me...clear up until about the half-way point, then it sort of slowed down. The descriptions of all the different landscapes and creatures in Wonderland were necessary, but kind of confusing and distracting from the plot. I would love to see this as a movie so I didn't have to struggle so hard to imagine them in my head. I'm still not sure I completely understood what went on in Wonderland. The end picked up and was very exciting.

The plot was fascinating and full of a dream-like quality. Alyssa was a wonderful main character. She was strong and loyal, funny and loving, yet she could also make stupid decisions and be kind of annoying. I don't like my main characters to be perfect little angels, I like them to have a bit of snark. Her parents and their situation were amazingly interesting, in fact the first part and all the set-up were my favorite part of the book. I also shared Alyssa's feelings about Morpheus - I hated him - I loved him - I hated him - I loved him. Jeb I just loved. He was so sweet and protective of her. I'm a little nervous to see where the author is going to take the three of them. I also loved the plot twists. Did. Not. See. Them. Coming.

For me, the first and last lines of the book perfectly show the mystical enchantment of Splintered .

First line of the book:

 "I’ve been collecting bugs since I was ten; it’s the only way I can stop their whispers."

Last line of the book:

"I smile, then give him a kiss he’ll never forget, to replace all the ones he'll never remember."

Now, does this belong in the hands of a 6th grader? This is one of those books that I would like to have in a section that was inaccessible to the 6th graders. Unfortunately we don't have a section like that. I know some 6th graders who will read it and love it, but I don't necessarily agree with them reading it. Kind of in line the The Mortal Instruments series. However, I really liked it.

Areas of concern:
Not much bad language at all. I remember one *a* word.
A lot of violence.
Intense situations where loved ones are in grave danger.
Very intense kissing with 2 different boys/men.
Suggested Ages:
Library Media Connection - Grades 7-12
School Library Journal - Grades 8+
**Appended on April 14, 2015.  Yikes, I just read the review for the 3rd book of this trilogy and it said, "more gory than Gorey--and filled with unsettling sadism and borderline erotica".   I ordered it for the library before I read that because you can't have the first 2 books in a trilogy and not have the 3rd, but be careful about letting your middle schooler start this series! ***

Small As An Elephant

Small As An Elephant
by Jennifer R. Jacobson

From the publisher:
"Jack’s mom is gone, leaving him all alone on a campsite in Maine. Can he find his way back to Boston before the authorities realize what happened?

Ever since Jack can remember, his mom has been unpredictable, sometimes loving and fun, other times caught in a whirlwind of energy and "spinning" wildly until it’s over. But Jack never thought his mom would take off during the night and leave him at a campground in Acadia National Park, with no way to reach her and barely enough money for food. Any other kid would report his mom gone, but Jack knows by now that he needs to figure things out for himself - starting with how to get from the backwoods of Maine to his home in Boston before DSS catches on. With nothing but a small toy elephant to keep him company, Jack begins the long journey south, a journey that will test his wits and his loyalties - and his trust that he may be part of a larger herd after all."

I enjoyed this one. It was at times exciting, heartbreaking, and sweet. I very much cared what happened to Jack, I was disgusted with, yet sympathetic to his mentally-ill mother, and I loved getting a mini-tour of Maine. It was interesting to see the different characters who tried to help him. The only thing that I felt didn't come through enough was what and who exactly was Big Jack? I wish we could have delved a little deeper into who he was and why he was so concerned. I'm glad I read this sa I enjoyed this one. It was at times exciting, heartbreaking, and sweet. I very much cared what happened to Jack, I was disgusted with, yet sympathetic to his mentally-ill mother, and I loved getting a mini-tour of Maine. It was interesting to see the different characters who tried to help him. The only thing that I felt didn't come through enough was what and who exactly was Big Jack? I wish we could have delved a little deeper into who he was and why he was so concerned. All in all, though, I'm glad I read this sad but uplifting little book.  Suggested Ages: Kirkus Reviews - Ages 10-14 School Library Journal - Grades 5-8

Good Night, Mr. Tom

Good Night, Mr. Tom
by Michelle Magorian

From the publisher:
"London is poised on the brink of World War II. Timid, scrawny Willie Beech -- the abused child of a single mother -- is evacuated to the English countryside. At first, he is terrified of everything, of the country sounds and sights, even of Mr. Tom, the gruff, kindly old man who has taken him in. But gradually Willie forgets the hate and despair of his past. He learns to love a world he never knew existed, a world of friendship and affection in which harsh words and daily beatings have no place. Then a telegram comes. Willie must return to his mother in London. When weeks pass by with no word from Willie, Mr. Tom sets out for London to look for the young boy he has come to love as a son."

I discovered this book when I saw it listed in the BBC's 100 Favorite Books list.  It had been sitting on one of our school's library shelves for years and had rarely been checked out.  How sad that makes me now, because this book is beautiful.  I have so many students who read  A Child Called It  and ask for other books like it.  I try to get them to check out this one because it deals with a lot of the same issues, but in a more hopeful way.  Unfortunately the stigma of historical fiction and an older book always talks them out of it, because while this book is both heart-breaking and disturbing, it is also lovely and uplifting.  I highly recommend this book for middle school and up.  It's the kind of book that makes you feel truly grateful for the blessings in your own life, and you just want to hug the book when you finish it.

Areas of concern:  There are some very disturbing allusions to and scenes of abuse. 
Two boys have a frank (but pretty tasteful) discussion about sex.

Memories of Summer

Memories of Summerby Ruth White

From the publisher:
"It’s 1955 when 13-year-old Lyric moves with her father and older sister, Summer, from a small Virginia town to the big industrial city of Flint, Michigan. Summer has always been a little odd, but shortly after the move, things take a turn for the worse when she starts talking to imaginary people and having frightening episodes of paranoia. When she slips out of reality and into the depths of schizophrenia, the devoted Lyric can no longer reach her.

Lyric loves her sister but is torn between taking constant care of Summer and enjoying her own youth. Soon a decision will have to be made that will affect their lives forever."

This book was simply.....amazing! Did I like it? Can you like something that rips your heart out? That makes you cry so much you have to take your contacts out? This author really speaks to me. Her writing grips me. Her words stay with me. I am a better person for having read this. I don't think I will ever look at mental illness the same way again. Now I will think of the families in the background, struggling to hold on to that person they love, even though it's not the same person anymore. There is a part towards the end that is so powerful, where Lyric (the little sister who is the voice of the book) goes through so many emotions - embarrassment, humiliation, anger - before she remembers the love she has for this sister who took care of her and always loved her.  This book was by Newbery Honor Winner, Ruth White, and it is based on her real-life experiences with her own sister, so it feels very real.  I highly recommend this book to adults and teenagers, but I'm not sure about children because of the incredible sadness and the disturbing images of mental illness. 

Suggested ages:
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+
School Library Journal - Grades 7+

Shift

Shift
by Em Bailey

From the publisher:
Olive Corbett is not crazy. Not anymore.
She obediently takes her meds and stays under the radar at school. After “the incident,” Olive just wants to avoid any more trouble, so she knows the smartest thing is to stay clear of the new girl who is rumored to have quite the creepy past.
But there’s no avoiding Miranda Vaile. As mousy Miranda edges her way into the popular group, right up to the side of queen bee Katie – and pushes the others right out – only Olive seems to notice that something strange is going on. Something almost . . . parasitic. Either Olive is losing her grip on reality, or Miranda Vaile is stealing Katie’s life.
But who would ever believe crazy Olive, the girl who has a habit of letting her imagination run away with her? And what if Olive is the next target?
A chilling psychological thriller that tears through themes of identity, loss, and toxic friendship, Shift will leave readers guessing until the final pages.

Shift started out pretty well, but about halfway through the main character started to do things that were so implausible that it was almost ridiculous. Even the author seemed to know it was ridiculous, but she had no other way of furthering the plot. For instance,
"The thing that always bothered me about scary movies was how stupid the victims always seem, and how they never act on their instincts. They might say something like 'I've got a bad feeling about this', while they dither about opening the cellar door... But I did it anyway."
Yes, the main character did many stupid and irrational things that I found very irritating. However, I did care about the characters enough to be annoyed when they did those stupid things, so I guess that's saying something.
Teens might be a little confused by the British-isms in the book (Australian, actually), but I kind of enjoyed them. 

Areas of concern:  There are about 15 instances of bad language (not the big one), the main character tried to commit suicide before the beginning of the book, and there was a lot of bad teenage behavior like sneaking out at night, shoplifting, underage kids getting into clubs, drug use (minimal)...

Suggested ages:
School Library Journal - Grades 8+
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+
*Mrs. Duke definitely recommends older teens.*