Larry and the Meaning of Life by Janet Tashjian

Tashjian, Janet. Larry and the Meaning of Life. Henry Holt and Company, 2008. New York, NY.
ISBN 13: 978-0-8050-7735-3. Hard Cover, $16.95.

Annotation:
Josh Swenson is a young boy who has lost his motivation to change the world and now has trouble motivating himself to get up off the couch. Once he hooks up with the mystical guru Gus, Josh finds not only his motivation, he finds the meaning of life.

Book Talk:
What is the meaning of life? After an exhausting run for president and a wild goose chase across the country to find an old girlfriend named Janine, Josh comes home and finds himself unmotivated. He spends his days on the couch, in front of the television, wondering about the meaning of life.
Then, Josh hooks up with a wacky guru named Gus at Walden Pond. Josh’s life is about to take a turn towards the weird. Josh’s old girlfriend Janine appears as one of Gus’ disciples. Add in some land mines, paint by number sets, a kidney donation, and a wild tourist running around with a video camera and Josh finds that he isn’t sure about his own reality anymore, much less the meaning of life. Is Gus a charlatan, or is he a great guru who is going to help Josh discover the meaning of life?

Author Web Site: www.janettashjian.com

The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante

Galante, Cecilia. The Patron Saint of Butterflies. Bloomsbury USA. 2008. New York, New York.
ISBN 13: 978-1-9990-249-4. Hardback, $16.99

Awards:
Oprah’s Kids Reading List
2008 Book Sense Pick
2009 Thumbs Up Book Award from the Michigan Library Association
Nominee, 2008 border’s Original Voices Book Awards
Rhode Island Teen Book Award

Annotation:
Agnes and Honey are two young girls growing up inside of a religious commune. When Nana Pete takes the girls away from the commune, the girls struggle to adapt to life on the outside.

Book Talk:“When everything you’ve ever known turns out to be a lie, how do you find the truth?”
Agnes and Honey are two young friends growing up in a religious commune in Connecticut, under the spiritual guidance of Emmanuel. The girls live a plain life, with no choices, and in constant fear of having to visit the Room of Requirement.
Then one day, Nana Pete comes to visit Agnes. When Agnes’ brother Benny gets his hand caught in the front door and loses two of his fingers. Emmanuel decides that he can heal Benny himself and sews Benny’s fingers back on his hand.
Appalled at the turn of events, Nana Pete snatches Benny, Agnes, and Honey and flees the commune in the middle of the night. As the web of lies that surrounded their life in the commune begins to unravel, the girls are left wondering: is there is a place that will be safe, and where no one will ever hurt them again?

Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim

Karim, Sheba. Skunk Girl. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2009. New York, NY
ISBN 13: 978-374-37011-4. Hardback, $16.95.

Annotation:
Nina Kahn is a young Afghani American struggling to adapt to life as an American Teenager while still honoring her strict Afghani cultural standards.

Book Talk:
Afghani-American teenagers struggle to find a balance between their cultures. The Afghani side strives to excel in school, remain pure, and honor their parents. The American side wants to go to parties, have dates with boys, and wear the latest fashions. Find out how Nina Kahn navigates the twists and turn of her life in Skunk Girl.

Author Web Site: http://shebakarim.com/

Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers

Myers, Walter Dean. Sunrise Over Fallujah. Scholastic Books, 2008. New York, NY.
ISBN 13: 978-0-439-91624-0, Hard Cover, $17.99.

Book Awards:
Publisher’s Weekly *Starred Review*
Kirkus Reviews *Starred Review*
School Library Journal *Starred Review*
Horn Book *Starred Review*

Annotation:
The Civilian Affairs Unit has been assigned to be one of the first units into Iraq. Robin “Birdy” Perry tells the story of the Civilian Affairs Unit in the months after the invasion of Iraq, and the capture of Baghdad.

Book Talk:
The time is 2003, and Birdy Perry is a new Army recruit. His company has been sent to Kuwait to be among the first troops into Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The troops invade the capital, Baghdad very quickly, and everyone declares the war to be over.
But if the war is over, why are soldiers still dying? Why are the Iraqis so hostile to the Americans who saved them from Saddam Hussein? Is winning the war the same as surviving the war?
In a country filled with stark contrasts, in a war filled with questions, sometimes you just need to stop and watch the Sunrise Over Fallujah.

Author Website: www.walterdeanmyers.net

Notes From the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonenblick

Sonnenblick, Jordan. Notes From the Midnight Driver. Scholastic, Inc. 2006. New York, NY.
ISBN 13: 978-0-439-75781-2. Softcover, $6.99.

Book Awards:
Association of Jewish Libraries Notable Books
South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominee (2008-2009)
Texas Lone Star Book (2007-2008)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2008)

Annotation:
Alex Gregory kills a lawn gnome while driving drunk, and then is arrested by the police. As his punishment, the judge sentences him to do community service in a nursing home.

Book Talk:
Alex Gregory is angry. His parents have recently divorced, and his Dad has moved out of the house and in with Alex’s old third grade teacher. Alex’s mom has gone out on her first date with a new guy. So, Alex decides that he is going to take matters into his own hands, and let his Dad know exactly how angry he is about everything that has happened to their family. So, Alex drinks all of the alcohol that his Mom keeps in her house, takes her car keys, and attempts to drive over to his Dad’s house. Before he makes it to his Dad, Alex is involved in an accident which involves the untimely demise of Mrs. Wilson’s new lawn gnome and his mother’s car.
As a result of his midnight drive, Alex is sentenced to do community service with a crotchety old man in the nursing home. Every other week, Alex writes a note to the judge who sentenced him to do the community service. Alex and his crotchety old man, the judge, and Alex’s parents grow up and take responsibilities for their actions, which are detailed in the Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick.

Author website:
www.jordansonnenblick.com

Inside Out by Terry Trueman

Trueman, Terry. Inside Out. Harper Collins, 2003. New York, NY.

ISBN 13: 9780064473767. Paperback.

Awards:
2006 IRA Teacher’s Choice, YA
2006 Kentucky Bluegrass Master List
Atlanta Parent Top Ten Teen Reads
2004 Best Book for Young Adults
VOYA Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers 2003

Annotation:
Zach, a 16 year old boy is caught in the middle of a hold up at a coffee shop when things go terribly wrong.

Book Talk:
The voices echo in his head: “Wasteoid. Loser. Time to die. Die. Die. Die.”
Zach hears these voices inside his head all of the time. He has schizophrenia, and as long as he takes his medication on time, he can ignore the voices. One day he is caught in the middle of a hold up at the coffee shop and is taken as a hostage. As the time ticks by, the voices in Zach’s head speak louder and louder, threatening Zach with death. Their captors are nervous teenagers, desperate to do whatever it takes to get out alive.
Will Zach be able to survive the dangers inside his head, as well as those outside? Find out in Inside Out by Terry Trueman.

Author Website: www.terrytrueman.com

Scat by Carl Hiaasen

Hiaasen, Carl. Scat. Knopf. 2009. New York, NY.
ISBN 978-0-375-83486-8. Hardcover, $16.99.

Awards:
Starred Review, School Library Journal, Jan. 2009.
2009- Kid’s Indie Next List- “Inspired Recommendations for kids from Indie Booksellers”
2009- Skipping Stone Honor Award

Annotation
Mrs. Starch disappears on a field trip to the Black Vine Swamp. The school says that she has had a family emergency and will be out of town for a while. Nick and Marta work to find out the truth about what happened to Mrs. Starch.

Booktalk:
Nick and Marta have the misfortune to have Mrs. Starch for Biology this year at school. She is the meanest, toughest teacher at Truman High School. She picks mercilessly on any student in her class who does not quickly volunteer an answer to her questions.
As we join the story, the children are roaming through the Black Vine Swamp with their groups when they hear a loud, piercing shriek, and then begin to smell smoke. The students follow their teachers back to the boardwalk….
“After assembling at the boardwalk the three teams merged to form a long, single line. At the very end of it was Mrs. Starch, who burped the air horn to make the students turn around and pay attention.
“Listen up people!” she said. “A small wildfire has sprung up on the far edge of the swamp – Pretty common for this time of year. It’ll probably burn out when it reaches the Cypress muck, but there’s no sense taking any chances. That’s why we’re cutting short our field trip and heading back to school. Straight back to school.”
Marta groaned and leaned against Nick. “What if she makes us go to her class? I’m going to be sick again, all over the place.”
“Pray for a flat tire on the way home,” Nick said.
He was disappointed because he’d hoped for another opportunity to see a panther, or whatever it was that had darted into the cypress shadows. However, a wildfire was nothing to fool with. If a strong wind kicked up, the blaze would race across the land faster than any human could possibly run.
“Please stay in line behind Mr. Neal and Miss Moffitt,” Mrs. Starch said. “I’ll be coming along in a minute – Libby dropped her medicine, so I’m going back to find it.” She clapped so loudly that it sounded like a paper bag popping. “Now get your fannies in gear! Move!”
At the time, nobody questioned Mrs. Starch’s decision to go back. Libby Marshall had frequent asthma attacks, and she always carried an inhaler. The haze from the fire would make it harder to her to breathe.
“Quickly and quietly,” urged Miss Moffitt as the kids began streaming towards the bus.
Nick was walking behind Marta, who was behind Graham, who was behind Mickey Maris, who was behind Rachel, who was behind Hector, the star of the soccer team. The students were in such a rush that they were stepping on each other’s heels. Nick lost one of his sneakers when he was overrun by the next boy in line, an algebra ace named Gene, who stepped around him and kept going.
When Nick knelt to retrieve his shoe, he glanced back down the curving boardwalk just in time to see Mrs. Starch, in her straw hat and dragonfly glasses, marching alone into the smoky swamp.
He had no idea she wouldn’t be coming out.” Pgs. 35-36

author website: www.carlhiaasen.com