Author: Cherie Priest
Published: 2018 Denise and her mom and stepdad have just bought a house in New Orleans. The house is old, dirty, and falling apart. The dream is to fix it up and open up a bed and breakfast in the neighborhood. But with all the mold, the plumbing and electric issues, the holes in the walls, and the filth, Denise thinks her mom's dream will never come true. Denise meets her neighbor Terry, who thinks the house is haunted. While exploring the house, Terry starts recording to see if he can catch any ghost activity. Denise and Terry discover the old attic and find a hand-drawn comic called Lucida Might and the House of Horrors. They research the author and discover that he mysteriously died in a house in New Orleans. Furthermore, when Terry plays back the tape that he recorded their exploration on, they discover voices saying strange things. When things start to go dangerously wrong with the house, Denise is worried the ghosts are trying to keep them away. But why? Who is haunting the house? Who is the creator of this comic? Why does the comic include pictures of their house? The Agony House was a great paranormal mystery that kept me interested until the very end. I loved trying to find the connections between the comic book, the ghosts, and the house. Fans of Priest's I Am Princess X will love The Agony House that has the same mysterious vibe told in both prose and comics.
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Author: Shannon Hitchcock
Published: 2018 It is 1977, and Allie Drake is starting 7th grade at a new school. She has two goals on her first day of school: to make a friend and to join the newspaper staff. She does both. Sam Johnson is the kind of girl that everyone loves. She is the star of the basketball team, but she is also welcome in any friend group at her middle school. When Allie meets Sam, she thinks that Sam is different from anyone else she has ever met before. Soon she starts having feelings for Sam, and she thinks that Sam may feel the same way. But Sam's mom is extremely religious and thinks that gay people are sinning; it's 1977, and a lot of people agree with Sam's mom. Allie thinks it would just be easier if she liked boys. Maybe it's that simple and she can just change... Or not. One True Way is a great middle level book that talks about issues surrounding gay rights from the 70's that are still relevant today. Allie and Sam are two fantastic characters that are dealing with issues that many readers today might be experiencing or may be interested in learning about. Author: Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Published: 2012 Lida and her family are Ukrainian. They are not Jewish, but they are in just as much danger during World War II because the Nazis consider them Russian enemies. Lida and her sister are separated, and Lida worries that something terrible is going to happen to her. Lida and a bunch of other children are forced onto a crowded train. They ride days with hardly any food and just a bucket in the corner for their bathroom. Soon they arrive at a work camp. They are warned by another prisoner that they need to be useful or they will be killed. Lida, who is nine at the start of the book, lies about her age to appear older. This saves her life, as those who are younger are brought to the "hospital" where they do not leave again. At the camp, Ukrainian people are treated like they are not even human. They are given watered down, disgusting soup for meals. They are forced to work in unsafe conditions in tattered, dirty clothing. Lida eventually gets a job creating bombs for the Nazis. Lida has a hard time dealing with the fact that these bombs are going to kill good people, but they are under watch so they can't mess with the bombs to make them less dangerous. But Lida is used to living under impossible conditions... Making Bombs for Hitler is a heartbreaking look at the Holocaust and the children who were affected by it. Lida is a survivor, and she does all she can to try to survive so she can find her sister. Author: Cherie Priest
Published: 2015 In fifth grade, May and Libby became best friends and created the character Princess X. Libby did all the artwork, and May wrote all the stories. They kept all their creations together in Libby's home. Then, the unthinkable happens and Libby and her mom are killed when their car goes off a bridge. At first, Libby's body wasn't found. May thought she was still alive, until her body was discovered days later, unrecognizable but in Libby's clothes and with her ID in her pocket. When May tries to get back their stories, she finds that Libby's dad got rid of everything. Years pass. May hasn't written any stories about Princess X since Libby's death. But then May sees a picture of Princess X in a store window. She is absolutely amazed. Then she starts seeing Princess X's picture more and more. She finally finds a website and discovers that someone has created a webcomic about May and Libby's character Princess X. While some might say that someone just found their old stories and continued them, May believes that Libby is still alive and is out there somewhere creating this webcomic because there are certain things included that only Libby would know. With the help of a technology expert named Trick, May discovers that there is way more to the webcomic than meets the eye. I Am Princess X kind of blew me away. I wasn't expecting such a great thriller! Those who love figuring out puzzles will enjoy this read. Author: Susan Hood
Published: 2018 Lifeboat 12 takes place during World War II. The Nazis are bombing London, and it is no longer safe. Ken is thirteen-years-old, and his dad and his stepmother have put his name in the drawing to be picked to get on a big ship that will bring him and other kids ages 5-15 to safety in Canada. He is one of the lucky ones chosen, so he has to leave his family for this opportunity to escape the bombings. On the ship, life is very different than it was in London. They no longer have to ration food and instead are given nine course meals, good places to sleep, and the freedom to do what they want. For the first five days, the crew is worried about being attacked, but after the fifth day with no incidents, they start to relax and enjoy themselves. Then, the danger hits. They are torpedoed, and the ship full of children is sinking. Ken gets a spot on lifeboat 12, but will they survive? Lifeboat 12 is based on a true story. The novel, written in verse, tells a story that many do not know about World War II. It is heartbreaking to think about not only the separation of families, but also the horrifying ordeal many went through and didn't survive. Author: Samira Ahmed
Published: 2018 Maya was born here, but her family is from India. They are also Muslim. Maya's parents would love nothing more than for her to go to college close to home, meet her future husband, and get married and have kids. She has even picked out an older Muslim boy for Maya named Kareem. But Maya doesn't want that life. She wants to go to film school in New York after graduation, and she wants to maybe think about crushing on this boy she has known since elementary school who happens to be white. When a terrorist attacks a government building, suddenly Maya and her family are being treated by certain people as if they are the terrorists just because they are Muslim. Maya has never experienced the fear she now has in her everyday life. Her parents take away any of the freedom she did have, saying that it's for her safety that she needs to stay home. We also get to take a look at the man who committed the horrible crime. Love Hate and Other Filters looks at really tough issues in our world that are so important for people to know about and recognize. Author: Barbara Binns
Published: 2018 T'Shawn wants to be a diver, but there is no way his mom can afford to pay to have him on this great private team that he wants to join. Ever since his dad passed away from cancer, T'Shawn's family has had it rough. His brother got involved in a gang and is currently serving time in prison. His mom struggles to make ends meet with the endless hospital bills. At least they no longer are living in a homeless shelter. When T'Shawn is offered a diving scholarship to be on the elite private team, he is overjoyed. When T'Shawn's brother, Lamont, is released early from prison, on the other hand, he is quite upset. T'Shawn is scared of his brother, especially because of their last encounter. Suddenly he is sharing a bunk bed with him. When more crimes are being committed in the neighborhood, people blame Lamont. T'Shawn used to be one of the first ones to want him gone, but maybe he has changed this time... Courage deals with lots of tough issues that are important to talk about, such as police brutality, racism, gangs, and drugs. This is a fantastic book with a great story. Author: Tommy Greenwald
Published: 2018 At the start of the book, a young boy named Teddy is being admitted to the hospital in a coma with a possible brain bleed. We know Teddy was an incoming freshman at summer football practice, and he was injured during practice. In the text messages between football team members and the posts from fellow students on a social media page for Teddy, we start to understand what actually happened at the practice when Teddy was injured. Will, the team captain is quickly messaging all the members of the football team. Ethan, another incoming freshman, is having lots of conversation with the school therapist. Camille, the coach's daughter, is trying to keep the peace between people who are trying to stir up drama. What did actually happen to Teddy at practice? Will Teddy ever recover? This is a great book with an intense story that looks at real issues in sports today. I loved the format of the book, most of it is written in verse and text messages, social media posts, and interviews were scattered throughout the rest. Author: Kaitlin Ward
Published: 2018 When Eliza's friends drag her to Drowners Swamp, she is not very happy. The ground is unstable, and everyone knows you are just not supposed to go there. Supposedly people have disappeared and fallen through sinkholes and into the earth. When her friends make her go first, Eliza steps in the wrong spot, and she falls into a sinkhole. Mud starts to sink in, and she does the only thing she can think of to survive--she goes through a hole and finds herself stuck in a big underground tunnel, completely cut off from her friends. The only way out is to go deeper into the tunnel. Eliza is worried she will never get out. But soon, Eliza will have more to worry about as she discovers that she is not alone under there. She finds an underground colony, surviving underground living off giant insects. They take her in and tell her she needs to give up on any plans to be rescued because they have tried and tried for years, and there is no escape. But Eliza thinks that maybe they're wrong.... This was a very book in the science fiction, mystery, and adventure genres that will keep kids interested until the very end! Author: Crystal Chan
Published: 2018 The keeper of a small zoo in Makersville, Indiana decided to open up all the cages and then kill himself. Ronney lives in Makersville, and with wild animals on the loose, things are getting out of hand. The news shows up overnight, along with gun control supporters and guns rights advocates. People are shooting the animals to keep the town safe, but others don't agree with this method. Ronney is also dealing with his family's problems. His dad attempted to commit suicide a few months ago but failed. He walks around the house depressed, ignoring his family. Ronney is angry at his dad for giving up on his family and can't understand why he would do something like that. Meanwhile, Ronney's world is turned upside down when his best friend betrays him by dating the girl of Ronney's dreams. If that isn't enough, Ronney also has a young kid following him around and saying that Ronney stole a pair of his pants. This book takes a look at a lot of different issues in the world. Ronney is dealing with a lot of different problems all at once. When will it become too much? |
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