Choyce, Lesley. Scam.

Choyce, Lesley.  Scam.  Saddleback  2016  113p  $9.95  ISBN 978-1-4598-1174-4   ms/hs  High-Low  Conflict  VG-BN 

Josh has dealt with the drug problems of his mother. He protected her and hid the truth from social workers. Now she has died of an overdose and he will be sent to a group home. On the way to his mother’s funeral, Josh meets Lindsay. They seem to hit it off until he discovers that she has stolen his wallet. He chases her down and explains his situation. She convinces him to go to the funeral.  They become friends of a sort. She steals out of boredom and to get attention, but she also helps Josh deal with living in the group home.  When Lindsey’s brother dies, he helps her.
Written for teens at a low reading level (3.2), this high-interest short novel works great for reluctant readers or those with other reading problems. 

Summary: Josh meets a girl named Lindsay. Each of them has issues. Josh’s mother just died of a drug overdose, and Lindsay steals for fun.  As they get to know each other, they help each other with their problems.

Drugs-Fiction, Kleptomania-Fiction, Friendship-Fiction

--Joan Theal     

Linda Oatman High. That Selfie Girl. (Gravel Road series)

Linda Oatman High.  That Selfie Girl.  (Gravel Road series)  Saddleback  2015 191p  $10.95  ISBN 978-1-68021-060-6  ms/hs      High/Low    E-BN

Simply stated, the summary does not tell the reader just how good this book is.  Author Linda Oatman High tells a frightening story about a young girl who is vain.  She lets that vanity lead to her death.  When she is driving and veers to avoid a squirrel, she crashes the car and dies.  But her life on earth can’t be over, can it?  Macy knows of a plot to carry out a school shooting, and she must notify someone that her friend Ryan is going to hurt others, and then himself.  To emphasize the idea that constant posts are appearing on Twitter, Oatman High entitles each chapter with a hash tag, which is is simultaneously clever and disconcerting.  Some chapters are short, such as “#DeadPeopleHaveFeelingsToo”, in which Macy reveals a secondary theme in just thirteen words presented in a shopping-list format.  Readers will be on edge as they follow Macy’s journey up to heaven, where she meets Samuel, her guide.  He helps her navigate her journey successfully, providing answers to her “#AfterLifeFAQ’s” (“frequently asked questions”), perhaps the most interesting interpretation of life in heaven ever, and “#OneMoreQuestion”, a chapter in which Macy tries to ascertain whether or not she can let people at her school know about the impending shooting.  As if this weren’t enough to entice young readers to continue, Macy meets a recently deceased young man, and the two hit it off immediately.  This extra love relationship is what lures reluctant readers to continue their journey through That Selfie Girl, adding a bit of spice to a book that already features multiple themes, many examples of figurative language, and wonderful characters.  The less-skilled reader will not even know he/she is reading a Hi/Lo book; readers of all abilities will find themselves engrossed in the content, format, and poetry of this book.   

Summary: When Macy Elaine Rain posts a selfie, her car veers out of control and she dies.  In prose/poetry format, she tells the story of life in heaven and how it impacts those remaining on earth.

Afterlife-Fiction, Vanity-Fiction                     --Martha Squaresky

Deported. (Port City High)

Freeman, Shannon.  Deported.  (Port City High)  Saddleback  2014  200p  $9.95  ISBN 978-1-62250-039-0  ms/jr  A  

The summer had been so wonderful and everything just felt right. Then school began, and as everyone got into a routine little things began to fall out of place. Marisa’s brother who was in 8th grade befriended a new boy who seemed to be okay on the surface.  Then trouble broke out, and although her brother was not involved, he was caught near the site of the incident and was carted off to jail.  He was released, but he still had to go to court as an accused.  The day of trial, things went from bad to worse, and when her father was called as a witness he was led by the prosecutor to lose his temper and was found in contempt of the law.  The bigger problem was that her father was just days from becoming an American citizen, but now that opportunity was gradually disappearing.

Summary: Marisa thought life was going okay for her and her family, but then her younger brother got into trouble and the effect it had on her family was quite devastating.         

Immigration-Fiction                                   --Magna Diaz

High School High. (Port City High)

Freeman, Shannon.  High School High.  (Port City High)  Saddleback  2014      200p  $9.95  ISBN 978-1-62250-037-6  ms/hs  High/Low  A

High School High has a very appealing cover and a tired tried-and-true formula: three good friends embark on their freshman year of high school.  Will the pressures and stresses of their new environment bring the girls closer together, or will it tear them apart?

Saddleback’s intended readership is high-low readers, so the text is colloquial and  conversational.  Dialogue is slangy and laced with “teen speak,” to make it appear more authentic.  Nonetheless, the text would benefit from more stringent copy editing; it was riddled with grammatical errors and read like an uncorrected proof.  The slim volume only offers enough space to tell a very brief story.  This results in a truncated plot, riddled with clichés, and a large cast suffering from underdeveloped, stereotyped, shallow characterization.  Brandi, a cheerleader, dates an older football player who pressures her to have sex before she is ready.  Marisa shares more classes with Brandi’s ex-boyfriend than with her girlfriends, and the two soon share a guilty kiss (resulting in inevitable drama).  Shane wants to start high school on a fresh page and drops her pot habit, only to become addicted to prescription drugs.

This is the first volume in the series Port City High. 

Summary: Inseparable since middle school, four friends tackle the challenges of their freshman year of high school.  Will the stress of high school break up their friendship, or bring them closer together?

High school-Fiction, Friendship-Fiction           --Hilary Welliver    

Straight Punch.

Polak, Monique.  Straight Punch.  Orca    2014  249p  $12.95  ISBN 978-1-4598-0391-6  ms/hs     High/Low, Conflict      VG

Tessa McPhail tags to express herself, but graffiti is illegal, and after she is caught too many times she is sent to New Directions, an unusual alternative school on Montreal’s bad side.  At New Directions, students spend half the day learning to box in order to learn to channel their aggression in a controlled and disciplined manner.  At first this is very difficult for Tessa, who was caught in a hockey riot several years back and traumatized by the violence.  Gradually, however, with the support of her eclectic and troubled classmates, including a fellow tagger who goes by the moniker Pretty Boy, she gains more confidence in herself and learns to enjoy the boxing lessons.  This realization about boxing, however, comes just in time for everything and everyone in Tessa’s life to turn against New Directions: her boyfriend doesn’t want her there, her mother worries about her being there, and the neighborhood the school is in wants to see it closed down because it is judged that the students may introduce a criminal element to the neighborhood.  Tessa’s struggles are interesting, but the supporting characters are also intriguing: flamboyant Pretty Boy’s older brothers used him to break and enter, Jasmine’s aunt is gambling away the inheritance left her by her parents, Randy has a learning disability, Whisky is an alcoholic, and Di is pregnant.  The characters are very real, and readers will find the story engaging.  They may also be inspired to take up boxing.              

School-Fiction, Self-Esteem-Fiction       --Bethany Geleskie