Grimes, Nikki. Garvey’s Choice.

Grimes, Nikki.  Garvey’s Choice.  Boyd’s Mills/Word Song  2016  105p  $16.95  ISBN 978-1-62979-740-3 elem/ms  Realistic fiction  E-BN   

Despite his father’s expectations, Garvey chooses to become a soloist in the school chorus rather than pursue sports.    Nikki Grimes tells a powerfully emotional story in verse that describes how Garvey discovers what is important to him.  Garvey’s father wants him to pursue sports and become an athlete, but Garvey’s interests are in astronomy and reading.  When Garvey joins the school chorus, he becomes a soloist.  Music gives Garvey the language he needs to reach his father, and offers Garvey a path to self-acceptance. Powerful, lyrical language makes this a memorable novel.

Summary: Despite his father’s expectations, Garvey chooses to become a soloist in the school chorus rather than pursue sports.          

Coming of age-Fiction, Stories in verse-Fiction                                              —Hilary Welliver

Hostetter, Joyce Moyer. Aim.

Hostetter, Joyce Moyer.  Aim.  Boyd’s Mills/Calkins Creek  2016       287p    $17.95  ISBN 978-1-62979-673-4     ms/hs  Historical fiction  VG-BN           

Growing up in Hickory, North Carolina, fourteen-year-old Junior Bledsoe has his insufferable paternal grandfather moving in with his family. Junior’s father and grandfather do not get along, but Junior has no idea why. Then, Junior suddenly loses his father, whose heart has given out. As if that’s not enough to deal with, Junior is struggling in school and with family and friends, and he is battling anger issues, all while World War II is raging overseas and threatening the United States.

In this heartwarming coming-of-age historical novel, readers will be entranced by the plot. The story is totally appealing to young readers who are in the midst of adolescence and transitioning into young adulthood. Although the setting is the World War II era, readers will understand and feel empathy for Junior, who is struggling with his emotions and his determination to find the truth about his father’s death and the reason for his cantankerous grandfather’s behavior.

In this prequel to Blue and Comfort, Joyce Moyer Hostetter has created a novel that will appeal to and engage its intended readership. Although it is a prequel, it also does well as a stand-alone book.
           

Summary: Growing up in Hickory, North Carolina, fourteen-year-old Junior Bledsoe has two problems: his insufferable paternal grandfather has moved in, and he suddenly loses his father. As if that’s not enough to deal with, he is struggling in school, with family and friends, and he is battling anger issues, all while World War II is raging overseas and threatening the United States.          

World War II-Fiction, Coming-of-age-Fiction                                                —Virginia McGarvey

Wills, Aurelia. Someone I Wanted To Be.

Wills, Aurelia.  Someone I Wanted To Be.           Candlewick Press     2016    324p    $17.99 ISBN 978-0-7636-8156-2      hs        Realistic fiction  VG-BN          

Leah Lobermier wants to become a doctor but finds it difficult to focus on achieving good grades when she is mercilessly teased by her classmates at school about her weight and must deal with her alcoholic mother at home.  Kristy and Corinne, “frenemies” at best, are with Leah the night when the girls convince a handsome older man to buy them beer.  Leah gets the man’s phone number and calls him, pretending to be coy and confident Kristy.  The relationship quickly grows out of control and becomes an unhealthy one that blossoms through talking and texting.  How can Leah put a stop to things before she -- or Kristy -- is seriously hurt?

With well-drawn, complex characters and a powerful sense of place, Wills inexorably draws readers into Leah’s dilemma.  Teen readers will identify with the authentic issues of self-image, bullying, and coming of age.  Unvarnished, believable, and compelling, the climax is simultaneously poignant and promising.  

Summary:  An insecure teen impersonates someone else as her life spirals dangerously out of control.       

Coming-of-age-Fiction, Bullying-Fiction                                                                    —Hilary Welliver

The Zorki Chronicles.

Lowenburg, Bill.  The Zorki Chronicles.  Amazon  2013  464p  $16.99  ISBN 978-1-49227-474-2  hs/adult  Conflict  VG-BN 

Miles is a disenfranchised high-school senior.  On his own most of the time, as his workaholic father travels on business and his mother has passed away, Miles rebels by walking away from sports, even though he excels at baseball.  When that fails to capture his father’s attention, Miles ditches classes and instead fills his time with taking photographs with a vintage Russian camera, the Zorki, that he picked up on eBay.

From this point on, the book becomes a page-turning political thriller.   “Cowgirl” Connie, a woefully under-qualified presidential candidate, wins the election, and the United States is soon fighting a war on multiple fronts while personal liberties are vanishing.  Each chapter features three news headlines that set the time, place, and tone.  It is clearly a world defined by fear, and yet Miles continues to pursue his ideals of respect and integrity while living for his art.  Cognizant that he cannot be an agent for change, Miles instead records the issues with his Zorki.  Inevitably, Miles’ photographs become an issue.

This is a compelling coming-of-age story with a strong, authentic voice.           

Summary: Miles searches for self-identity after walking away from sports.  He finds inspiration through the viewfinder of his camera.

Coming of age-Fiction                                       --Hilary Welliver

Coriell, Shelley. Good Bye, Rebel Blue.

Coriell, Shelley.  Good Bye, Rebel Blue.  Amulet see Abrams.  2013      307p  ISBN 978-1-4197-0930-2  ms/hs  VG-BN      Realistic fiction

Even though Rebel Blue is a misfit, she tries to find herself with such endearing charm and perseverance that she will win over all young-adult readers who are lucky enough to find this book.  It all begins when Rebel is sent to detention where she meets Kennedy Green, a do-gooder who has the conversation of a lifetime with Rebel.  Instructed to write their bucket lists, both girls complete the job but toss their lists into the trash in a rebellious moment.  That night, Kennedy dies when her car spins out of control and falls off a cliff.  Rebel is tortured by the memories of their last conversation, and as fate will have it, she is haunted so much that she reaches out to Kennedy by taking on the responsibility of completing all of the goals on Kennedy’s list.  Along her journey, which is fraught with introspection and self-doubt, she fights with her aunt, uncle and cousin, befriends the disturbed pie-baker/fellow student named Macey, begins a new relationship with the overachieving Nate, and forges ahead to try to fit in.  What she learns along the way is of value for all teenage readers, who will likely make connections with many of the characters and conflicts in the story.  The idea of a bucket list is not unique; however, Shelley Coriell’s take on the concept is refreshingly creative.

Summary: Rebecca Blue has lost her mother and almost loses herself when she takes on the bucket list of a girl she met in detention.  A feel-good book for girls of all personalities and types, this novel has it all: a stellar plot, characters that suffer through the timeless problems of the teenage years with warmth, and a strong voice in orphan Rebel Blue that clearly conveys the novel’s message.                 

Orphans-Fiction, Coming of age-Fiction                      --Martha Squaresky

Harvey, Sarah N. Three Little Words.

Harvey, Sarah N.  Three Little Words.     Orca  218p  $12.95      978-1-4598-0065-6 2012  hs    E-BN        Realistic Fiction    

Sid (short for Siddhartha)has spent virtually his entire life in the loving and supportive foster care of Caleb and Megan, and he considers them to be his mom and dad.  A bit of an introvert, Sid is also very empathic, making him a real asset in a home where foster children come and go.  But his normal life is shattered when a strange man arrives on the island with Sid’s half-brother Wain (short for Gawain). Sid, by choice and obligation, reconnects with his birth family, learning all kinds of things about himself and a variety of “three-word” phrases.   

This is an absolute gem of a book about what defines a family, as well as friendship, love, tolerance, and much more.  There are four relationships that swirl around each other in this story about one artistic, introverted teen’s life -- that with his “parents”, that with his best friend Chloe, that with Fariza (a newly arrived foster child from a very violent home), and finally that with his birth family, and especially Wain.  The story arcs twirl around each other like a DNA helix, showing how all of them work together to allow Sid to cope with such radical change, and making for a very moving read.  The author has chosen three-word chapter titles, each of which captures the emotions and foibles of Sid’s existence from moment to moment, carrying the reader through the book.  My assumption is that they are the premise upon which the title is based.  One could also create a poem using the chapter titles that would probably be representative of all of our lives at one time or another.

There are places in the book where the f-bomb and other such words appear, but they are in context and the book would be less “true” without them.  As a coming-of-age book, this is a winner.              

Family–Fiction, Foster Care–Fiction                   --Lynn Fisher