We Are All Made of Molecules, Susin Nielsen

Title: We Are All Made of Molecules
Author: Susin Nielsen
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Year: 2015
Pages: 256
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Themes: Blended Families, Popularity, Peer Pressure, LGBTQ+
Age Range: 7th Grade and Above

Summary: 
Stewart always wanted a sister. So when his father announces that they would be moving in with his girlfriend and her 14-year-old daughter, Stewart is hopeful that it will help take away some of the sadness he's been feeling since his mother's death the year before. Ashley, on the other hand, is NOT HAPPY about the new living arrangements her mother springs on her. She just wants to return to the perfect family life she had before her father told them he was gay and moved into the guest house. Stewart and Ashley could not be more different. Stewart is a genius in everything but social skills. School isn't really Ashley's thing, but she is the most popular girl in school. How will these two seemingly incompatible teenagers coexist under the same roof, both at home and at school?

Review:
This book got one of my infrequent 5-star reviews. I am very stingy with my 5-star reviews. A book has to really be so well-written or so powerful that it deserves to be set apart from even other good books. I loved everything about this story. The Stewart that Nielsen created is possibly one of the most engaging, likable characters I have ever read. I wanted to hug him, high-five him, I wanted to put him in my pocket and take him home with me. He isn't perfect, which makes him all the more believable, but his sense of fairness, his loyalty, and his overall integrity made me wish he was a real person that we could clone and send out into the world to show the rest of us poor slobs how we should behave towards each other.

I did not love Ashley at first, but then, you're not supposed to. She makes the biggest changes in the book, and that's good, because the person she was at the beginning of the story was an entitled, mean-spirited brat. But as you read, you discover that much of her attitude is designed to cover-up her feelings of intellectual inadequacy, and her deep fear that if anyone at school knew her true self they would crucify her. She bought in 100% to the ridiculous notion that exists in teenage culture that popularity is everything, and that you need to achieve it at all costs. The consequences of that drive for the top started catching up with her, however, and she was forced to confront the fact that maybe there are more important things in life than being at the top of the social pecking order.

The story is told alternately from Stewart's and Ashley's perspectives, and while this has become a fairly standard practice in this case it really does add value to the story. Aside from the odd couple nature of the relationship between the two almost-step-siblings, the book deals with sexual assault (not graphic, and really and "almost" assault), teenage drinking, bullying, and coming out. It is a beautiful, emotionally impactful telling of two families becoming one.

Usually, I try not to use phrases like "full of heart" because they've become so cliche, but I have to for this book. It is full of heart, and if you can come away from reading it without feeling connected to these characters, and proud of the changes they make, then maybe you yourself have no heart!

One, Sarah Crossan

Title: One
Author: Sarah Crossan
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Year: 2015
Pages: 400
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Themes: Identity, First Love, Sisterhood, Coming of Age
Age Range: 7th Grade and Above

Summary:
Grace and Tippi are conjoined twins, attached at the waist. Defying the odds, they have made it to their teenage years mostly healthy and pretty happy. After being homeschooled their entire lives, Tippi and Grace transition to a traditional high school. Despite the curious looks and unkind words from many of the students, they manage to find Yasmeen and Jon, who quickly become their first and best friends. But their world is turned upside down when their mother loses her job, and suddenly they are struggling to pay for the girls' expensive medical care. And then a health crisis forces them to make the decision they've been avoiding their while life-whether to undergo separation surgery.

Review:
I really enjoyed this novel, told in a loose free verse. Grace is the narrator, which I thought was an interesting choice. This story certainly lends itself to alternating perspectives, but I think that Crossan made a good decision to focus only on one of the twins. This allowed her to show how Grace developed her sense of self and identity, both because of and in spite of her sister. Adolescence is a turbulent time for most of us, but having to manage hormones and crushes and the need for space while simultaneously being literally attached to another person heightened the angst and emotional impact.

To be honest, while I know that novel told in verse are a thing right now, that would be my only real criticism of this book. Not because I don't like novels in verse-I do. But for this story it felt unnecesary. When I think of novels in verse, I think of powerful poetry from authors like Jacqueline Woodson (Brown Girl Dreaming) or Thanhha Lai (Inside Out and Back Again), where the format adds to the beauty and impact of the language. I'm not sure the use of poetry in the case of One actually added much to the story, and it occasionally felt a little choppy. However, the story on its own is engaging enough that the format is really only a minor criticism. I think that reluctant readers, even boys, would find a story about conjoined twins interesting enough to give it a chance, though I suspect some male readers may find it girly. Given the subject matter, there are surely paired informational readings that could be found to make it part of a larger unit of study, but if nothing else it would make a good addition to any classroom library.

Teacher Resources
Bloomsbury Kids Reading Guide
Centre for Literacy in Primary Education Teaching Sequence

Henrietta Hornbuckle's Circus of Life

Title: Henrietta Hornbuckle's Circus of Life
Author: Michael de Guzman
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Year: 2011
Pages: 160
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Themes: Family, Change, Overcoming Loss, Coming of Age
Age Range: 3rd-5th Grade

Summary: 
Henrietta and her parents are clowns in a travelling clown circus. Henrietta thinks her life is perfect. Instead of going to school, she gets her education from the other clown in her troop. And instead of soccer practice or swim lessons, she gets to perform every night with her beloved father in their two person act. Henrietta wants nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with the circus, but changes are coming. Attendance at their shows is getting smaller, and some of the clowns are leaving to find real jobs in the real world. Then, tragedy strikes. Her father is killed by a hit and run driver. How will she and her mother survive the loss of her father, and will Henrietta be able to survive the loss of her beloved circus life?

Review:
Poor clowns! They get a lot of bad press these days. Seems like every time you turn around there is another creepy clown photo or tv show or movie. You don't see too many people wanting to be clowns in the 21st century. But Henrietta and her travelling clown troop brought back those old feelings of wanting to run away with the circus-live in a tent, travel the world, make friends with the acrobats and lion tamers. The troop that Henrietta and her family belong to is one big, happy family, and you can completely understand why Henrietta wants to spend the rest of her life surrounded by the people she loves best.

The story is a simple one, but full of heart. You feel Henrietta's joy at working with her father, her deep fear of losing the circus, her distrust of her aunt (her mother's sister, who was not well pleased when Henrietta's mother ran away with her father), and her deep sorrow at the loss of her father. The first person perspective allows the reader to get immersed in Henrietta's inner life. The unique setting should engage elementary age readers, and there is enough emotional depth that you could have some decent discussions with students. It would make a decent addition to a classroom library, and could be used for novel study as well, depending on the themes being studied.

I'll Give You the Sun, Jandy Nelson

Title: I'll Give You the Sun
Author: Jandy Nelson
Publisher: Dial Books
Year: 2014
Pages: 371
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Themes: LGBTQ+, First Love, Art, Sibling Rivalry
Age Range: 8th Grade and Up

Summary:

Jude and Noah are twins. They have always been close, like two sides of the same coin. Noah is shy and isolated, spending all of his time drawing and dreaming of life as an artist. Jude, the outgoing daredevil, is equally protective of and a little frustrated by her gentle brother. Part of this story is told from the 13 year old Noah's perspective, the other part from the 16 year old Jude's. By the time Jude is telling her part of the story, the twins' family has been torn apart, and Noah and Jude are both struggling to survive some both the death of their mother, and personal tragedies that neither will share, driving them farther and farther apart. Can they ever find a way to bring their stories back together?

Review:

In preparation for my new job as a high school literacy coach, I have been spending a lot of time reading YA literature this summer. I have read some fabulous books, and some not so fabulous-everything from gritty realistic fiction about growing up black in America to fantasy novels dripping with magic and folklore. But I think I'll Give You the Sun takes the prize for best-written, most creative YA novel I've read in 2016.

Both Noah and Jude are fully drawn, fully realized characters, with rich inner lives that are the driving force behind the action of the story. My heart ached for both of them at different points in the narrative. They were both dealing with circumstances that were not of their making, though often their own choices contributed to the drama they were wrestling with. Noah's feelings for the boy next door were achingly tender and raw. Jude's desire to break away from her parents and blaze her own path are so familiar. Both of them find themselves in vulnerable situations, and while Noah loses his art in the process, Jude finds hers. There is a strange push-and-pull between them, with one gaining strength while the others weakens. It is beautiful and heartbreaking and I could not stop reading.

Art and artists are central to this story. It ends up exploring the very nature of art. What is it for? Is it worth making? What happens when you lose it? What are you willing to give up to make it? I realize that art classes don't generally do novel studies, but I couldn't help but think that high school art students, ones who are really serious about their art, would find a lot to relate to in this book.

There are some adult themes here that would be lost on less mature readers. Sexual assault, extramarital affairs, and parental death are all major plotlines. But they are handled with skill by an author who is not looking to sensationalize, but to create a world for her characters that the reader can empathize with. I think this book is an excellent addition to any high school library or literature class.

Teacher Resources:

Jandy Nelson's Website
Penguin Discussion Guide
The Nudge Discussion Questions
Lit Lovers Reading Guide

Putting Make-Up on the Fat Boy, by Bil Wright

Title: Putting Make-Up on the Fat Boy
Author: Bil Wright
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Year: 2011
Pages: 219
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Themes: Acceptance, LGBTQ+
Age Range: 7th-12th Grade

Summary: from Goodreads

Carlos Duarte knows that he's fabulous. He's got a better sense of style than half the fashionistas in New York City, and he can definitely apply makeup like nobody's business. He may only be in high school, but when he lands the job of his dreams--makeup artist at the FeatureFace counter in Macy's--he's sure that he's finally on his way to great things. 
But the makeup artist world is competitive and cutthroat, and for Carlos to reach his dreams, he'll have to believe in himself more than ever. 

Review:

I've read a lot of LGBTQ+ themed literature for youth, and I find that they sometimes go out of their way to show that not all gay men are flouncy, flamboyant, or feminine. And while this is certainly true, there are also gay men that proudly all of those things. I understand the desire to bust stereotypes, but where is a young, flamboyant gay youth who loves fashion and drama to go for a fictional character that looks like them?

Well, one place they can go is this entertaining exploration of one young gay man's journey through his first job and his first love. It would have been easy for Wright to create a caricature of a flamboyant young gay man, and Carlos does have many qualities that have become tropes when writing gay characters. He loves fashion and make-up, he eschews friendships with boys to hang out with girls and women, and he is not afraid to wear thigh-high women's boots if they make him look fierce. But Carlos is more than just a pretty, well-made up face. He also deals with bullying from his sister's boyfriend and her co-workers, he vies for his mother's acceptance, and he navigates the tough neighborhood where he lives with grace and humor. Living in poverty is not easy for anyone, and for a young man with big dreams and expensive tastes, it's even less so. While Carlos is conflicted about his relationships with his mother and sister, he loves and deeply cares for them to the point that he is willing to stand up to some scary situations to help them.

He's also navigating the world of high school, and dealing with his first major crush. But he demonstrates an almost single-minded dedication to getting himself launched in the world of make-up. When he gets a job at a high-end Macy's counter, he is beside himself with joy. And when he accidentally ends up with one of daytime television's biggest stars as a client, he can't believe his luck. But he soon learns that in the real world, especially in the competitive make-up game, there are just as many people wanting to tear you down as build you up.

While some of the events are fairly unrealistic, Carlos himself feels pretty real. He can be selfish and self-centered, his moods can change in an instant, and he feels awkward and lonely more often than not. I've known young gay men like Carlos. I've watched some of them grow into confident young men, and some have continued to flounder as they reach young adulthood. The ones that make it have a quality that Carlos has in spades-a fundamental belief in themselves, and an acknowledgement of their own self-worth. May we create a world where all of the young Carloses out there in the world can feel the same. 

Title: Eleanor & Park
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Year: 2013
Pages: 328
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Themes: First Love, Acceptance, Domestic Violence
Age Range: 9th Grade and Up

Summary:
Park is a half-Korean teenager living in Omaha, Nebraska. He loves comic books, punk rock, and trying to stay under the radar of his judgmental peers. When the new girl, Eleanor, sits next to him on the bus, he is mortified by her crazy red hair, her outlandish clothes, and her obvious misfit status. As they ride to and from school every day, Park discovers that while Eleanor may be a misfit in general, she is the perfect fit for him. Eleanor, for her part, is just trying to get through each day the best she can, managing the "mean girls" at her new school, and staying as far away from her abusive step-father, Richie, as possible. She can't believe someone as "cool" as Park would want anything to do with her, but as their relationship progresses, she finds a level of acceptance and love that she never thought possible.

Review:
I realize I am late to the party on this one, but I loved pretty much everything about this book. I recognized a bit of myself in both Eleanor and Park. How many of us ever feel like we truly fit in when we're teenagers? Rowell has given us two characters who perfectly embody the sense if awkwardness and uncertainty that come with trying to navigate the world of first loves while simultaneously figuring out who you really are.

Set in the 1980s, Rowell uses the more restrictive social norms of the time to highlight just how challenging coming of age can be. I wish I could say that the relative ease with which Richie abuses his family is something that could only have happened 30 years ago, but the truth is that much of what Eleanor experiences is all too true for many young people today. She is equal parts strength and vulnerability, pretending not to care what other people think about her, while secretly cringing inside at every slight. It takes Park a long time to tear down the walls that she has built around herself, but his gentleness and patience are completely endearing, to Eleanor and the reader.

This would make a decent pairing with Romeo and Juliet, as it is reference quite a bit in the book, and Eleanor and Park's romance has qualities similar to that of the titular characters of Shakespeare's most beloved tragedy. It has a relatively low lexile level, so struggling high school readers may find it more accessible than other titles in a similar theme. There are references to sex and teenage drinking, but nothing graphic by any means. It would make a great addition to any middle or high school library, but there is so much fodder for discussion that I think it would work best in literature circles or guided reading.

Teacher Resources:
Macmillan Reading Group Questions
Book Rags Unit Plan

Title: Eleanor & Park
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Year: 2013
Pages: 328
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Themes: First Love, Acceptance, Domestic Violence
Age Range: 9th Grade and Up

Summary:
Park is a half-Korean teenager living in Omaha, Nebraska. He loves comic books, punk rock, and trying to stay under the radar of his judgmental peers. When the new girl, Eleanor, sits next to him on the bus, he is mortified by her crazy red hair, her outlandish clothes, and her obvious misfit status. As they ride to and from school every day, Park discovers that while Eleanor may be a misfit in general, she is the perfect fit for him. Eleanor, for her part, is just trying to get through each day the best she can, managing the "mean girls" at her new school, and staying as far away from her abusive step-father, Richie, as possible. She can't believe someone as "cool" as Park would want anything to do with her, but as their relationship progresses, she finds a level of acceptance and love that she never thought possible.

Review:
I realize I am late to the party on this one, but I loved pretty much everything about this book. I recognized a bit of myself in both Eleanor and Park. How many of us ever feel like we truly fit in when we're teenagers? Rowell has given us two characters who perfectly embody the sense if awkwardness and uncertainty that come with trying to navigate the world of first loves while simultaneously figuring out who you really are.

Set in the 1980s, Rowell uses the more restrictive social norms of the time to highlight just how challenging coming of age can be. I wish I could say that the relative ease with which Richie abuses his family is something that could only have happened 30 years ago, but the truth is that much of what Eleanor experiences is all too true for many young people today. She is equal parts strength and vulnerability, pretending not to care what other people think about her, while secretly cringing inside at every slight. It takes Park a long time to tear down the walls that she has built around herself, but his gentleness and patience are completely endearing, to Eleanor and the reader.

This would make a decent pairing with Romeo and Juliet, as it is reference quite a bit in the book, and Eleanor and Park's romance has qualities similar to that of the titular characters of Shakespeare's most beloved tragedy. It has a relatively low lexile level, so struggling high school readers may find it more accessible than other titles in a similar theme. There are references to sex and teenage drinking, but nothing graphic by any means. It would make a great addition to any middle or high school library, but there is so much fodder for discussion that I think it would work best in literature circles or guided reading.

Teacher Resources:
Macmillan Reading Group Questions
Book Rags Unit Plan

Title: Eleanor & Park
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Year: 2013
Pages: 328
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Themes: First Love, Acceptance, Domestic Violence
Age Range: 9th Grade and Up

Summary:
Park is a half-Korean teenager living in Omaha, Nebraska. He loves comic books, punk rock, and trying to stay under the radar of his judgmental peers. When the new girl, Eleanor, sits next to him on the bus, he is mortified by her crazy red hair, her outlandish clothes, and her obvious misfit status. As they ride to and from school every day, Park discovers that while Eleanor may be a misfit in general, she is the perfect fit for him. Eleanor, for her part, is just trying to get through each day the best she can, managing the "mean girls" at her new school, and staying as far away from her abusive step-father, Richie, as possible. She can't believe someone as "cool" as Park would want anything to do with her, but as their relationship progresses, she finds a level of acceptance and love that she never thought possible.

Review:
I realize I am late to the party on this one, but I loved pretty much everything about this book. I recognized a bit of myself in both Eleanor and Park. How many of us ever feel like we truly fit in when we're teenagers? Rowell has given us two characters who perfectly embody the sense if awkwardness and uncertainty that come with trying to navigate the world of first loves while simultaneously figuring out who you really are.

Set in the 1980s, Rowell uses the more restrictive social norms of the time to highlight just how challenging coming of age can be. I wish I could say that the relative ease with which Richie abuses his family is something that could only have happened 30 years ago, but the truth is that much of what Eleanor experiences is all too true for many young people today. She is equal parts strength and vulnerability, pretending not to care what other people think about her, while secretly cringing inside at every slight. It takes Park a long time to tear down the walls that she has built around herself, but his gentleness and patience are completely endearing, to Eleanor and the reader.

This would make a decent pairing with Romeo and Juliet, as it is reference quite a bit in the book, and Eleanor and Park's romance has qualities similar to that of the titular characters of Shakespeare's most beloved tragedy. It has a relatively low lexile level, so struggling high school readers may find it more accessible than other titles in a similar theme. There are references to sex and teenage drinking, but nothing graphic by any means. It would make a great addition to any middle or high school library, but there is so much fodder for discussion that I think it would work best in literature circles or guided reading.

Teacher Resources:
Macmillan Reading Group Questions
Book Rags Unit Plan

The Crossover, Kwame Alexander

Title: The Crossover
Author: Kwame Alexander
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Year: 2014
Pages: 237
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse
Themes: Sports, Family, Growing Up, First Love, Dealing with Loss
Age Range: 3rd-8th Grade

Summary: from Booklist (mostly)

The Bell twins are stars on the basketball court and comrades in life. While there are some differences—Josh shaves his head and Jordan loves his locks—both twins adhere to the Bell basketball rules: In this game of life, your family is the court, and the ball is your heart. With a former professional basketball player dad and an assistant principal mom, there is an intensely strong home front supporting sports and education in equal measures. When life intervenes in the form of a hot new girl, the balance shifts and growing apart proves painful.

When their father dies unexpectedly towards the end of the book, Jordan and Josh are forced to examine their relationship, and realize that while they may have their differences, nothing more important than family.

Review:
Novels written in verse are big right now. I have a good friend who thinks that they are the kind of books that teachers like but don't really appeal to students. I suppose, depending on the book, that may be true. Books like Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson and Words with Wings by Nikki Grimes may appeal to a more mature reader, and may not have the widespread appeal of a graphic novel like Raina Telgemeier's Smile or genre mash-ups like Big Nate or Captain Underpants. But I think that any reader will enjoy The Crossover. Mature readers will find the format appealing, less able readers will be sucked in by the subject matter, and reluctant readers won't be scared away by the amount of print on a page. Just an importantly, the style and subject matter should appeal to Africa American students, who don't often find their lives and culture represented in children's literature.

The style is not a gimmick. The book reads like a rap song, which in less deft hands could distract from the emotional impact of the story. But this book is full of heart, and it gave me one of my biggest cries of the reading year. Josh and Jordan as character ring entirely true-I have nephews that are just like them in many ways. Their relationship with their father, and ultimately with each other, reveal deeper truths about love and family, and the tumultuous time in life when children start to separate their identity from that of their parents. The books reads very much like a traditional coming of age story, focusing in social relationships and first romances, until tragedy strikes Jordan and Josh's family. Sparking conversation about the themes and structures of this books should be easy, making it perfect for use in guided reading, book clubs, or literature circles. The Crossover definitely deserves the the medals it received as the Newbery and Coretta Scott King Award winner for 2015.

The Impossible Knife of Memory, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Title: The Impossible Knife of Memory
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Year: 2010
Pages: 391
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Themes: War, Family, PTSD, Suicide
Age Range: 9th-12th Grade

Summary: 
Hailey Kincain and her father Andy have been on the road for the last five years, trying to outrun Andy's post-traumatic stress disorder, Andy, a Gulf War veteran, has had trouble reintegrating into society since he came home from Iraq. Now that Hailey is in high school,  he's decided that it's time to stop moving, and they return to their hometown so Hailey can go to proper school.  While Hailey desperately wants a normal life, every day brings the constant fear that her father will fall victim to the demons that he's carried around with him since his time in the war. When she meets Finn, a hot boy from school who actually seems to like her, she dares to hope that maybe things are turning in her favor. But being home doesn't seem to be helping her dad recover from his PTSD, and when he starts using drugs and alcohol as a way to cope, Hailey worries that his terrible memories from the war will finally push him over the edge.

Review:
This young adult novel is a beautiful, heartbreaking, harrowing tale of the consequences of war on the people who fight it; consequences that affect not just them but everyone who loves and cares about them. Hailey-smart, mature for her age, forced to grow up before anyone should have to-is the caretaker of her little family. She spends so much time worrying about and caring for her father and his emotional symptoms that she really has no normal teen-age experience. She's constantly vigilant, attuned to every nuance of her father's behavior, prepared to do whatever it takes to keep him safe from himself. What she has to learn, and what Finn helps to teach her, is that her wanting him to be safe is not enough; he has to be willing to ask for and accept help to recover from his PTSD.

I think this novel will speak volumes to any young person who has personal experience with family members who have mental illness, especially PTSD. Hailey feels responsible for her father in a way no teenager should feel responsible for a parent. This is a fairly common theme in young adult literature, especially books that deal with issues of substance abuse, addiction, or mental illness-a theme which Anderson handles with her usual finesse. Anderson is a master at getting the reader to put themselves in the shoes of her characters, and she handles difficult subject matter with dignity and heart. You feel empathy, rather than sympathy, for Hailey, and for her father. Anderson portrays Andy in a way that shows how mental illness affects those living with it, and those living with those living with it, in a way that is non-judgmental and non-stereotypical.

There is a ton of fodder for discussion in this novel-but there are also a ton of possible triggers for people who have experiences like those in the book. If this book is used in a classroom setting, it's important to be clear with students and parents what the topic and themes are, and to make sure that students for whom these issues are raw and emotionally challenging have support. But I wouldn't dissuade anyone from using this book in class-I think it is very important to our culture for everyone, young and old, to understand the harm that is visited on soldiers and their families when they are sent off to war.

Two Boys Kissing, by David Levithan

Title: Two Boys Kissing
Author: David Leviathan
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Year: 2013
Pages: 196
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Magical Realism
Themes: LGBT, Acceptance, Love, Family, AIDS
Age Range: 8th through 12th Grade

Summary: from Goodreads

New York Times  bestselling author David Levithan tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS. 

While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites—all while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each other

Review:
I'm pretty sure I haven't read a David Levithan novel that I didn't like. Two Boys Kissing is a beautifully crafted story about what it means to be a young, gay man in America. The main characters, Harry and Craig, are at different places in their coming out. Harry's family knows and accepts him; Craig's family has no idea that he is gay, though he is out to all of his friends. When they decide to attempt to break the world's record for longest kiss, they know that the ensuing attention may make things difficult for Craig, but they and their friends are determined to make it happen. Choosing the front lawn of the high school as their base of operations only adds to the  likelihood that Craig's family will find out.

While they are preparing for, and then spending hours and hours kissing, we meet a cast of other young gay men. Ryan and Avery are falling in love, Neil and Peter are falling out of love, and Cooper has been looking for love through online hook-up sites. Each young man is struggling in his own way to be true to himself, and preserve his relationship with those around him. I think this is a fairly universal adolescent experience, regardless of a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, but the process is intensified (and often more dangerous) for queer youth.

My favorite part of the book, and the one that spoke the most to me as an adult reader, was the chorus of gay male "ghosts" that narrate much of the book. These nameless men are the cultural ancestors of the present-day boys in the story, and they carry much of the history of hatred and fear that characterized living as a queer person in America before the last decade or so. They are the ghosts of those lost to AIDS, and to hate crimes. In their present ghostly state, they can only observe the changes that have happened in regards to the acceptance and recognition of gay relationships since their time, and send all of their love and positive energy out to these young people who represent the reason they were fighting all those years ago. They don't go so far as to say that "the kiss" makes it all worth it-all of the sickness and death and violence and indifference-but each touch, each kiss, each loving moment shared between any of these boys is a marvel to them.

The novel presents an opportunity to talk about the issues facing gay youth today, and to explore the AIDS epidemic and the complete lack of response from the government that allowed it to go on so long without adequate funding for research and treatment. I could see this book being used in a sexuality education class as a jumping off point for discussions of healthy relationships, gender identity, and hook-up culture. Regardless, I think that any culturally responsive school library should include this, and many other exceptional LGBT titles, so that queer youth have a place to read stories about people like them, and so that non-queer youth can learn to have empathy for those walking a different path than they are.

Chained, Lynne Kelly

Title:  Chained
Author: Lynne Kelly
Publisher:  Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux
Year: 2012
Pages: 248
Genre:  Realistic Fiction
Themes: Friendship, Child Labor, Animal Cruelty, Freedom
Age Range: 4th-6th Grade

Summary: from Goodreads

After ten-year-old Hastin’s family borrows money to pay for his sister’s hospital bill, he leaves his village in northern India to take a job as an elephant keeper and work off the debt. He thinks it will be an adventure, but he isn’t prepared for the cruel circus owner. The crowds that come to the circus see a lively animal who plays soccer and balances on milk bottles, but Hastin sees Nandita, a sweet elephant and his best friend, who is chained when she’s not performing and hurt with a hook until she learns tricks perfectly. Hastin protects Nandita as best as he can, knowing that the only way they will both survive is if he can find a way for them to escape.

Review:
In the spirit of Water for Elephants and The One and Only Ivan, Chained portrays a tender, loving relationship between a wild animal and its caretaker.  Hastin and Nandita have a bond that transcends species, rooted in their shared desire to be reunited with their families.  Set in India, Chained provides young readers with a window into another culture, and into the plight of children living in societies where they are often manipulated and exploited for someone else's financial gain.

When Hastin's sister falls ill, his mother is forced to work as an indentured servant in the home of the wealthy business owner who paid the hefty hospital bill.  When Hastin sees the deplorable conditions in which he is living, he hatches a scheme to make his own money, freeing his mother from the cruelty of her "employer".  But Hastin gains his mother's freedom at the cost of his own, when he is duped into becoming an elephant keeper at a small circus in another part of the country.  Separated from everything he knows, he is forced to participate in the capture and training of a sweet baby elephant that he calls Nandita.  Some of the most emotional parts of the book are when Nandita is captured, and her family group tries to find her.  Luckily for Hastin and Nandita both, the circus cook is also a retired elephant trainer, who helps Hastin take good care of the young elephant despite her cruel treatment at the hands of the current trainer.  Neither Hastin nor Nandita could have survived their captivity without the care of the cook.

Regardless of the treatment he receives, or the length of his servitude, Hastin never loses hope that he will find a way to free himself from bondage and rejoin his family.  When the circus owner keeps adding time to his period of service, Hastin realizes that if he does not take matters into his own hands he will never be free.  Hastin is brave and compassionate, and selflessly refuses to leave the circus unless he can find a way to free Nandita as well.  His connection to the young elephant is a beautiful example for children of the power of loyalty and devotion.

I think that this novel would make a good addition to any elementary unit with a focus on the lives of children around the world, child labor, or animals.  There are many cross-curricular connections that could be made, with geography and ecosystems and environmental justice.  I plan to use this book next year as part of a "One Book, One School" program in my district, and I hope that the 4th graders who will be reading it find it as satisfying as I did.

Wild Things, Clay Carmichael

Title:  Wild Things
Author:  Clay Carmichael
Publisher:  Front Street
Year:  2009
Pages:  241
Genre:  Realistic Fiction
Themes:  Love, Courage, Family, Mental Illness, Grief
Age Range:  5th-8th Grade

Summary:
Zoe learned to take care of herself at a very young age.  Her father left before she was born, and her mentally ill mother went through a series of boyfriends over the years.  Their treatment of Zoe went from benign neglect to outright hostility, causing Zoe to realize early in life that it's best to rely on no one but yourself.  When her mother takes her own life, Zoe is send to live with her father's brother, her uncle Dr. Henry Royston.  Formerly a surgeon, Henry now lives in the middle of nowhere, creating stormy, muscular sculptures and volunteering at the local clinic.  Henry and Zoe find that they have many things in common: grief, a mercurial personality, and walls they've constructed to keep the rest of the world at bay.  But when Zoe sees a miraculous white deer in the woods, and meets the young feral boy that takes care of her, she is thrown into a local secret that forces her to let her guard down and take a chance on asking for the help that she never thought she's need.

Review:
I adored this book!  From the very beginning, Zoe was a character that I could sink my teeth into. Fiery, temperamental, wise and naive at the same time, she is an excellent example of quality character development.  In fact, all of the characters are well-written and interesting, with qualities that will endear them to any reader.  One of the most interesting character in the book is a feral cat, which Zoe names C'Mere, who represents the wild spirit that both Zoe and her uncle Henry possess. The cat is slowly tamed by Zoe, and that experience directly mirrors how Zoe and her uncle tame each other through patient care and attention.

There are many references to Zoe's past, including some of the men that were a part of her mother's life, for whatever brief period of time they were able to stay.  It would have been easy for Carmichael to turn these characters into your typical stereotype of the nefarious "stepfather", but his treatment of them is actually much more nuanced.  Zoe's irresponsible, mentally ill mother is also treated with some compassion in the story, despite the damage that her condition and lack of adequate treatment did to Zoe.  I found myself feeling sympathy for all of them, a feeling that was only intensified from knowing of children in similar situations.

There are many, many things to talk about with this book, including use of the cat as a metaphor for Zoe, suicide and mental illness, what it means to be vulnerable and open to love, and standing up for what you believe in. The story is told in the first person, with short interludes where the cat is the narrator, making the narrative structure something interesting.  And, as stated at the beginning, this book would make a great study of author's craft in regards to characterization.

Teacher Resources: 
Rebecca Caudill Book Guide
California Young Readers Award Guide
Clay Carmichael's Website

Miss Brooks' Story Nook, by Barbara Bottner

Title:  Miss Brooks' Story Nook
Author:  Barbara Bottner
Illustrator: Michael Emberley
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Year: 2014
Pages: 40
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Themes: Reading, Imagination, Bullying
Age Range: Kindergarten through 3rd Grade

Summary: from Goodreads

Missy loves her librarian, Miss Brooks. And she loves to go to Miss Brooks’ before-school story time. But to get to Story Nook, she has to pass Billy Toomey’s house—and she does not love Billy Toomey.  Billy always tries to steal her hat and jeers, “I’m going to get you!” It’s vexing. Then one rainy (and hatless) day, Miss Brooks changes story hour to storytelling hour. She teaches the kids about characters and plot and action and satisfying conclusions and encourages them to make up their own tales. 

And that’s when Missy has a brainstorm. She sees a way to use her made-up story to deal with her real-life bully. 

Review:
Barbara Bottner is the author of some really high-quality books for primary grade readers, including Bootsie Barker Bites and Marsha Makes Me Sick.  She has a knack for writing fully rounded characters, mostly little girls, who are not just sugar and spice and everything nice.  Girls who have their flaws, but who learn and grow throughout Ms. Bottner's imaginative stories.

I found this book at a small bookstore in Lelan, Michigan, and was immediately enamored.  I think that part of the reason that I  love this charming picture book is because I was Missy when I was a child.  I loved stories, books, and teachers with a passion that bordered on reverence.  I was also the kid that was likely to get picked on in my rough-and-tumble blue collar neighborhood.  Of course, I am also Miss Brooks.  I see one of the major goals of my role as literacy coach at an elementary school as fostering a love of stories, both reading and writing them, in the students at my school.

The story of Missy and her annoying neighbor Billy is one that should resonate with lots of children. I appreciate that Missy finds a way to solve her Billy problem using her imagination to come up with a story that definitely makes him think twice about giving her a hard time again!  I think that we do a disservice to children when we don't acknowledge the agency they have over their relationships with peers.  While adults must obviously get involved when there is real physical danger to children or repeated patterns of abuse, we must also teach children how to navigate their own conflicts in a way that is assertive but not aggressive.

What makes this a good book for use in the classroom aside from the massage about bullying is the way that it guides young readers through the creative process behind story writing.  Miss Brooks continually asks Missy questions to guide her storytelling, and offers her suggestions about what readers want in a story, such as a satisfying ending.  Without getting too technical about the writing process, Missy learns that all it takes for a good story is an idea and her imagination.  The story also gives teachers a chance to teach their students the importance of writing for an audience.  Not every child in Missy's class appreciates the scarier parts of her story, but all along the way there is an acknowledgement that authors tell/write stories for readers to read-they are not squiggles on a page disconnected from context.  It is the interaction of the written word and the reader's interpretation where the magic happens!

Apparently this is actually the second book about Miss Brooks.  The first is Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I Don't), and I suspect, though I haven't seen a copy of the first book, that they would work as a pair to introduce both reading for pleasure and writing.

Teacher Resources
Barbara Bottner's Website
Miss Brooks' Story Nook Book Trailer

The Danger Box, by Blue Balliett

Title:  The Danger Box
Author: Blue Balliett
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year:  2010
Pages: 320
Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Mystery
Themes:  Friendship, Family, Science
Age Range: 4th-7th Grade

Summary:
 Zoomy, now twelve, was found on the doorsteps of his grandparents as an infant, with a note explaining that he is their run-away 19 year old's son.  The immediately take him in and raise him as their own, no questions asked.  Zoomy's childhood in bucolic Three Oaks, Michigan is not free from problems however.  Zoomy has pathological myopia, rendering him legally if not completely blind.  He also has symptoms reminiscent of Tourette's Sydrom or Autism Spectrum Disorder, including an obsession with tiny plant and insects and a penchant for list-making.  These conditions make it difficult for Zoomy to make a friend, but he finally finds one in Lorol, a girl his age who's mother is working at a local summer camp.  His life has never been better, but it is all threatened when his father reappears in town, bringing a mysterious box with him.  Concerned that the box may be part of a crime, Zoomy's grandparents open it to discover an old notebook.  Antique store owners that they are, they take the box, but give Zoomy the old notebook.  What Zoomy reads in the notebook leads him to an amazing discovery, and also brings danger to his small home town.

Review:
Balliett takes on a completely different vibe with this novel.  Her fourth mystery for the 9-12 year old set, The Danger Box is not set in the usual urban landscape of Hyde Park in Chicago, but in the lovely rural countryside of southwestern Michigan, just an couple of hours outside the city.  I can attest to the loveliness of the scenery there-I recently drove right past the exit for Three Oaks on my way back from a visit to Traverse City, Michigan.

What is the same, of course, is Balliett's high quality storytelling.  Balliett takes a real life mystery-on of Charles Darwin's missing notebooks-and uses it as the back story for her fictional story.  In the process of discovering whether the notebook was authentic, Zoomy and Lorol provide the reader with tons of interesting information about Darwin's life and work, making this novel a perfect tie in to a life sciences unit of study.  In the process, Zoomy's fears about his father coming back into his life, and his observations about the different way in which he sees the world, provide good fodder for discussions about family structures, what makes a family, and how people perceive the world differently.  And as always, Balliett's writing style shows an ease and flow that are a study in author's craft.  I highly recommend this book as an addition to any reading program, whether it be independent reading, guided reading, literature circles, whatever!

Teacher Resources:
Scholastic Discussion Guide
Blue Balliett's Website

The Rules of Survival, Nancy Werlin

Title:  The Rules of Survival
Author: Nancy Werlin
Publisher: Dial
Year: 2006
Pages: 272
Genre:  Realistic Fiction
Themes:  Overcoming Obstacles, Family, Child Abuse
Age Range:  7th Grade and Up

Summary:
Matt and his sisters are used to living with their physically and emotionally abusive mother.  They spend their days constantly on the alert for their mother's moods, trying to gauge how whether they are in for a peaceful or tumultuous day.  One sweltering night, after their mother has locked them in the house while she goes on a date, Matt and his middle sister sneak out to get a Popsicle.  While at the convenience store, Matt witnesses a man stand up to a father who is physically bullying his son, and he creates a fantasy where the man rescues him and his sisters from their miserable life.  Imagine Matt's surprise when the man ends up actually dating his mother.  However, when the inevitable break-up happens, Matt holds on to hope that the man, named Murdoch, will still be the hero he hopes for.  As his mother's obsessive behavior towards Murdoch escalates, will Matt be able to protect his sisters from the toxic tornado that she creates?

Review:
This book totally sucked me in!  Written as a long letter from Matt to his youngest sister, explaining things that she may have been too young to understand, the book is at times heartwrenching, heartbreaking, and heart stopping.  Matt and his sisters live in a state of constant fear, with the kind of hyper-alertness that is common among the abused, similar to what soldiers and people living in war-torn countries experience.  It is not always easy to read.  Matt's honest portrayal of the abuse that they suffer at the hands of the person who is supposed to care for them is sometimes raw, and sometimes disturbing in its dispassion.  Werlin does a great job of showing, through Matt, how noramlized the emotional and physical abuse becomes when that is all that you know.

There are lots of triggers in this book for youth who may have experienced similar experiences, but there are also many things to discuss, both in the writing style and the themes presented in the story.  I don't think that the subject matter should be avoided, but if you want to use it in a school setting it should be read with adult supervision and discussion.  If it is part of a classroom library, there may be kids who seek it out as a cathartic experience, but I'd keep an eye on who was reading it and how they respond to it.  I firmly believe that kids self-select the books that they are ready for, and put down or ignore the ones they aren't, and this novel certainly has an emotional impact that will engage readers in a very visceral way.

Teacher Resources:
Rhode Island Teen Book Awards Discussion Guide
Discussion Guide from Nancy Werlin

Sold, by Patricia McCormick

Title:  Sold
Author:  Patricia McCormick
Publisher:  Disney-Hyperion
Year: 2006
Pages:  263
Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse
Theme:  Child Sexual Slavery
Age Range:  9th through 12th Grade

Summary: from Goodreads

Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut on a mountain in Nepal. Though she is desperately poor, her life is full of simple pleasures, like playing hopscotch with her best friend from school, and having her mother brush her hair by the light of an oil lamp. But when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all that remains of the family’s crops, Lakshmi’s stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family.

He introduces her to a glamorous stranger who tells her she will find her a job as a maid in the city. Glad to be able to help, Lakshmi journeys to India and arrives at “Happiness House” full of hope. But she soon learns the unthinkable truth: she has been sold into prostitution.

An old woman named Mumtaz rules the brothel with cruelty and cunning. She tells Lakshmi that she is trapped there until she can pay off her family’s debt—then cheats Lakshmi of her meager earnings so that she can never leave.

Lakshmi’s life becomes a nightmare from which she cannot escape. Still, she lives by her mother’s words— Simply to endure is to triumph—and gradually, she forms friendships with the other girls that enable her to survive in this terrifying new world. Then the day comes when she must make a decision—will she risk everything for a chance to reclaim her life?

Review:
The issue of modern day slavery is something that has been more and more on my mind in the last year or so.  A good friend of mine is working with an organization called Destiny Rescue, which rescues children in sexual slavery from brothels in Thailand, India, and Cambodia.  They also rescue children trapped in bonded labor situations, where they are working to pay of their family's debts in grueling, often dangerous situations. In fact, there will be several reviews of books dealing with indentured child labor or modern day slavery on this blog in the coming weeks-in one of those synchronous twists of the universe I've come into contact with the issue in my personal, religious, and professional life.  My friend came and presented about her own rescue trip to Thailand to my youth group, and I subsequently presented a workshop on the topic at a youth conference.  Social justice has always been a passion of mine, but the international slave trade and the way that it affects people in the developing world and right here in the United States is something that has a particular draw for me at the moment.

I've long thought that one form of "doing" social justice is raising awareness of issues through the use of high-quality literature.  While I am not in a position to go to Thailand myself, nor do I possess the wealth to donate gobs of money to organizations like my friends, I can and will read and share books on social justice topics with my students, the youth I work with, and any adults I can.  And since literature is my thing, I actively seek out fictional narratives with the emotional impact that may change people's hearts and minds, or that will help them take steps towards becoming involved themselves in the global justice movement in whatever way they can.

This book is a great example of the kind of high-quality social justice literature that I look for.  Sold is a genre bending novel, told in verse.  The verse is presented as a series of vignettes that show various aspects of Lakshmi's story.  We follow Lakshmi from her small village to the big city, from farm to brothel, and eventually to freedom.  Along the way we feel her sorrow, her fear, the numbness she must develop to deal with life as a sex slave, and eventually her hope.  McCormick does not shy away from descriptions of the sex trade, and more immature readers may find that difficult.  But the book is rich with opportunities for awareness and discussion.  It is clear from the narrative the combination of forces that lead families to send their young girls away into bonded labor or sexual slavery-poverty, lack of education, lack of national infrastructure, police and government corruption.  All of these have major implications on our fast-growing global economy, and our students-the future leaders of our society-should have an understanding of the inequality that results from lack of opportunity.  I would highly recommend this book to as a part of a larger unit that looks at issues of poverty.  I was very moved by it, and I think that students would be as well.

Teacher Resources:
Allen and Unwin Unit
CPalms Human Trafficking Unit
Global Literature Unit

The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, by Neil Gaiman

Title:  The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish
Author:  Neil Gaiman
Illustrator:  Dave McKean
Publisher:  Harper Collins
Year:  1998 
Pages: 64
Genre:  Realistic (?) Fiction
Themes:  General Silliness
Age Range:  1st through 5th Grade

Summary:
The narrator of this silly story desperately wants his best friend's two goldfish.  So desperately, in fact, that he trades his father for them.  (His father wasn't that interesting anyway-all he ever did was read the newspaper.)  His little sister tries to tell him that it's a bad idea, but he doesn't listen.  When his mother comes home, she is understandably furious, and sends him on a journey to retrieve poor old dad.  Of course, Dad's now been traded to a string of friends for a variety of interesting items.  Finally, the narrator tracks down his father, sitting in a chicken coop-reading the paper!

Review:
Full disclosure:  Neil Gaiman could probably transpose the phone book and I would love it.  I have yet to meet one of his books-children's or adult-that I didn't want to gobble up with a spoon.  It is therefore no surprise that I adored this charming picture book.

The story is simple enough.  What brings it to life is the interplay between the narrator and his younger sister. She is dryly hilarious in a way no small person probably ever is in real life, but authenticity is not exactly what this story is going for.  There were a couple of points that I found laugh-out-loud funny, and you don't often find that in a picture book meant for children.

McKean's illustrations are darkly engaging, and they fit perfectly with the mood that Gaiman creates with his storytelling.  As always with Gaiman's books, there is a certain level of darkness present, but unlike some of his longer fiction for children it is not scary.  As an anglophile, the fact that the book is littered with British turns of phrase only added to the appeal, and provide good opportunities for conversation with kids about the difference in language.  The story structure is fairly straightforward, and there isn't a ton of depth there to mine for good discussion, but it is a funny story that I think kids would like, and could certainly be used for working on sequencing, plot structure, or examining how the illustrations enhance comprehension.  Overall, a solid choice as a read aloud for elementary age kids.

Teacher Resources:
Diana Wagner Lesson Plan (scroll down)
TeachingBooks.net Resources
Oh, Boy, Fourth Grade Writing Unit for The Day I Swapped My Dad...

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, Jordan Sonnenblick

Title:  Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
Author:  Jordan Sonnenblick
Publisher:  Scholastic
Year:  2004
Genre:  Realistic Fiction
Themes:  Coming of Age, Cancer, Family
Age Range:  5th through 8th Grade

Summary:  from Goodreads

Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother's illness and his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece.

Review:
Middle school is hard enough without having a brother with leukemia.  Jeffrey was already trying to negotiate the murky waters of boy-girl relationships when he finds out his brother is sick.  Suddenly, the life of the entire family revolves around hospital visits, side-effects, and medical bills.  Steven's mother takes on the bulk of the work, leaving Steven and his father alone to fend for themselves when his brother goes for treatment.  Sonnenblick always does an excellent job writing realistic middle school characters, and while Steven is certainly a sympathetic character, he is not without his moments of self-doubt and selfishness.

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie is not the only time that Sonnenblick has tackled the subject of childhood cancers.  In his 2010 release After Ever After he comes at it from the point of view of the best friend of the patient.  Both novels  he shows a sensitivity to the subject that I can only assume means that he has had similar experiences with a loved one with cancer.  One of the great things about both books is that they do not give the topic the "Lifetime movie" treatment.  There is nothing saccharine or schmaltzy about his treatment of the subject-all of the characters, including the ones with cancer, are written as three-dimensional people with flaws and strengths alike.  While there are certainly "awww" moments, especially towards the end, but Sonnenblick treats all of his characters like what they should read as, real people with real emotions and real issues.

There are some great opportunities for discussion with this book, making it good for guided reading or middle school book clubs.  Sonnenblick himself is such a prolific, high quality writer that I think he'd make a good author study.  He taught middle school English before he began writing full time, and if you get a chance to hear him speak, as I did at a reading conference in Illinois a few years ago, you should do it.  Especially if you are someone who has a love of teaching writing.  The man knows his stuff!

Teacher Resources:
TeachingBooks.net Lesson Plans
Discussion Questions and Read Alike List
Author Interview

Okay for Now, Gary D. Schmidt

Title:  Okay for Now
Author:  Gary D. Schmidt
Publisher:  Clarion Books
Year:  2011
Pages:  360
Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction
Themes:  Child Abuse, the Effects of War, Dealing with Loss, Learning Disabilities
Age Range:  5th-8th Grade

Summary:  from Goodreads

Okay For Now, his latest novel, explores another seemingly improbable alliance, this one between new outsider in town Doug Swieteck and Lil Spicer, the savvy spitfire daughter of his deli owner boss. With her challenging assistance, Doug discovers new sides of himself. Along the way, he also readjusts his relationship with his abusive father, his school peers, and his older brother, a newly returned war victim of Vietnam.

Review:
Gary Schmidt is well known for his Newbery honor books, Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boys and The Wednesday Wars.   His books explore the unlikely friendships that can develop when seemingly incompatible people find common ground.  He returns to the world of The Wednesday Wars for this novel, making bad boy Doug Swietack the focus of Okay for Now.

Things in Doug's life are pretty tough-an abusive father, a bully of a brother, and another off fighting in Viet Nam.  His one bright spot at home is his mother, who does everything she can to mitigate his father's rages, but who is just as likely to fall prey to them.  Things aren't much better at school.  He never learned to read, and his teachers decide before they even meet him that he is probably the same kind of trouble maker his older brothers were.  Things don't improve when his father loses his job and moves the family to a new town looking for work.  When stores start getting robbed, the entire town assumes it must be one of the Swietacks, and sentiment turns against them pretty quickly.

Doug is saved by a quirky cast of characters who help him discover new parts of himself.  Lil Spicer, the boss's daughter, pushes him to be a better person than his father or brothers; an elderly librarian who encourages his drawing talent, and a reclusive writer who helps him discover the power of words.  This is not always an easy story to read, because Schmidt does not shy away from describing, though not in great detail, the father's alcoholism and rough treatment of the family.  Doug doesn't always make the best choices, but he strives to be a better person throughout the book, and mostly he succeeds.  In this way I think that a lot of students, especially those who have also been misjudged or who have faced similar situations at home or school, will really be able to relate to Doug.  There is also plenty of meat here for discussion, making it good to use for guided reading or as a book club selection for upper elementary or middle school kids.