Pearson, Mary E. The Miles Between.

Pearson, Mary E. The Miles Between.
Henry Holt 2009 266p 16.99 978-0-8050-8828-1 jr/sr

It’s not fair! But what if life could be fair even for just one special day? Travel with Destiny on her magical birthday when she finds friends, comes to terms with her past and learns that everything is going to be OK after all. Destiny Faraday is a lonely girl who has been consigned to life in boarding school. Apparently her parents have deserted her but we don’t know why. Changing schools frequently, she wakes up on her 17th birthday knowing that she will spend it alone at her new school. Because Des has learned to keep her distance from other people she feels friendless. Today her life is about to change. Finding a pale pink convertible with the keys inside, parked outside her school, Des convinces another student, Sean, to drive it. Mira sees them leaving and wants to go too. Mira then grabs Aidan and the four play hooky. They plan to go to the town that Destiny calls home.Luckily there is plenty of money in the glove compartment so they can enjoy the day without worry. Destiny does have twinges of conscious about this but is driven by a need to see her home.
There is clearly some mystery surrounding Destiny’s life and until the story is revealed we can only guess what it is. During this journey, Des is able to come to terms with family issues that she has refused to deal with. Returning to school everything works out in the most amazing way.
This is a lovely story that engages the emotions of the reader and we see Destiny’s life both from her perspective and that of the people who care for her. Spadaro, Trish

Elkeles, Simone Perfect Chemistry
Walker & Co 2009 360p 9.99 9780802798220 hs

Alex Fuentes is a gang member. Brittany Ellis is a blonde cheerleader from a wealthy family. Two teenagers from different worlds are about to collide and crossover boundaries into an unknown destiny of love and discovery. What transpires is a perfect chemistry that will have everyone questioning their values, feelings and reevaluating of their lives. A must read! Brittany appears to be the perfect golden girl head cheerleader, blonde wind blown hair, blue eyes, good grades and dating the captain of the football team. What no one knows is that Brittany leads a secret life full of family problems and is dealing with the care of a beloved sister that suffers from cerebral palsy.

Alejandro “Alex” fuentes is a gang member, owns a motorcycle, and acts like he is the man to be feared on campus. The truth; Alex fears for his two younger brothers and is hoping to be able to keep them from joining the gang. He is going to make sure they have a future even if it means he will have to sacrifice himself.

Then comes the day when school starts and in chemistry class the perfect girl has to sit next to the “mean” gang member. Mrs. Peterson the chemistry teacher is a teacher to be reckoned with and what she says goes. The project should have been simple but life is not simple and love is fickle. When Brittany and Alex sit next to each other and must interact with each other sparks always fly. But are these sparks the beginning of something else. The crossover is not easy and leaving the gang is not like getting out of a club. The choices these two teens face is full of questions, uncertainties, strange friendships, violence and even death.
Teens will love this book!!! MD

All We Know of Heaven by Jacquelyn Mitchard.

All we know of heaven by Jacquelyn Mitchard.
HarperCollins, 2008, 311p, $16.99, 978-0-06-134578-4.

We all heard the story of the two best friends who were in a car accident: one was in a coma, the other girl died soon after the accident. The girls looked very much alike and due to that, as well as to the injuries, their identities were reversed. The family who buried who they thought was their daughter grieved. They later found out that their daughter was actually the one who survived as was in the coma. The other family had to accept that the girl who was in the coma, who was brain damaged and disfigured, with whom the mother stayed in the hospital around the clock to comfort and watch, was actually their daughter’s best frThis is only in the first part of the book. The rest tells what happens to all the people involved, the boyfriend, the fellow cheerleaders, the parents, brothers and sisters. The author writes a novel about how they grieved, raged, romanced, reacted to tabloids, and continued with life. It is especially the story of Maureen, the one who survived. The author has done her research on how people who are brain damaged can sometimes recover and how their lives can be changed forever. This fictionalized version of this true incident explores what happens to all the people involved. Mitchard in her acknowledgments in the back of the book, points out that only the premise really occurred; the rest is a work of fiction. The story is sometimes sad but also very inspiring. The cover will pull readers right to it; probably girls more than boys. It is a real page turner. I couldn’t put it down.

High Interest-Short reads for teens

Ryan, Darlene. Responsible.
Orca, 2007. 100p. $8.95 978-155143-685-2
Realistic Fiction

Nick finally stands up to bullying by an obnoxious classmate when a girl who’s been tormented is likely to be sexually assaulted.
New to the area, Nick tries to stay as invisible to his classmates as he is to his father. Only when a girl he’s seen bullied by an obnoxious classmate is threatened sexually does he step in heroically. In only 100 pages, we get a readable story that illustrates how tough it can be to do the right thing despite facing other challenges.
While Nick gets beaten up pretty badly, his recognition of what’s right mimics his father’s return of found money. Characters are more believable than you might expect from such a short book, and readers will be anxious to finish it.
This is another in the Orca series of high interest, short, readable titles for teens. Students search these out! SG

A coming-of-age novel

Mitchell, David. Black Swan Green.
Random House, 2006, 294p $13.95 978-0-8129-7401-0
Historical

Full of cultural references to historical events such as the Falkland War, pop culture icons, and slang of Britain in 1982, Mitchell enters the mind of a 13-year-old boy. Jason is a closet poet, bullied by his classmates, wonders about love and what is important in life. The growth of the character from beginning to end of the novel is tremendous, and the reader will feel that they have witnessed the process of becoming “adult” by traveling with Jason through his adolescence.
This book will appeal to adults who reflect on their own growing up as well as perceptive high school students. Jason meets a fascinating set of adults, from an elderly female recluse to a lady who critiques his poetry and serves as a mirror to Jason’s intimate thoughts. His schoolteachers are sometimes perceptive about growing boys’ minds and at other times clueless to the angst of teenage boys. Jason stammers when feeling inadequate which is often the case when he is around his classmates but realizes that he can control his stammering by being in control of events. The impending divorce that hovers at the edge of the plot finally becomes permanent at the end of the novel. Understanding his parents as adults frees him from being the “perfect” son. He even comes to a truce with his sister who calls him “Thing”. He experiences his first smoke, his first shoplifting incident, and first kiss with all the angst associated with each event. A strong look at secrets, ethics, and reputations reveal that not all is as it seems. Handwritten notes and newspaper headlines are interspersed within the text. Outstanding imagery and writing are found within its pages.
It is strongly recommended for high school libraries where coming-of-age novels are needed. The imagery used by Mitchell is a pleasure to read. Readers will avidly turn the pages to watch Jason turn from an insecure adolescent into a self-assured young man. LMN