Much of the story is told from the perspective of Arielle who, along with her mother, must deal with an abusive stepfather, and Kofi, who must be the adult to his irresponsible parents while dealing with a growing addiction to prescription drugs given to him for an injury to his arm.  Added to seeing how they all deal with major issues in their lives is the mystery of who is committing thefts of money and electronic devices, and who keeps pulling the fire alarm in the middle of winter!  Lots of action leading up to a dramatic ending!

Fire from the Rock

(Originally posted by Ms. Moeller)

Fire from the Rock is a historical fiction novel that weaves a fantastic story and supplies information about the fight to desegregate American schools. This is the story of the Little Rock Nine. The main character, Sylvia Patterson, is a typical high school student concerned with friends, boys, and music. She is also a strong willed girl who needs to make difficult choices. Although this book is fiction, the incidents are based on reality. Sylvia is chosen to be one of the few black students to go to the all white Central High School. Her choice is not an easy one as many white people in the community are against desegregation.

Violet is full of heart and all the qualities that make people human.  Knowing how hard it can be for three girls to be “best friends,” I enjoyed reading to see how the author tells the story of these four friends.  Great book for girls who enjoy reading about girls!

Looks

Meghan and Aimee both have weight issues although no one would compare the two. Aimee is anorexic although no one seems to be helping her.   Meghan is overweight although no one seems to see her. These two are not friends, in fact in many ways they are opposites, but they are brought together by one girl who has done mean things to both girls.  Although the cover would lead the reader to believe that this is a book about weight, it is more.  A variety of issues such as popularity, family dysfunction, cliques, and school in general are covered in this book.

Boost

Savvy and Callie are sisters and like many sisters are a bit competitive with each other. Although they’re somewhat competitive with each other, they are more competitive in their given sports. Callie is a cheerleader and Savvy is a basketball player. As the title would suggest, this is a book about steroids and sports. It is not, however, the typical book about steroids in sports. When drugs (steroids) are found in Savvy’s locker, many people are asking questions. The answers to these questions are probably not what the reader will expect. Boost takes a new look at steroids and the reasons young athletes use them while engaging the reader in a story about the competitive spirit, friendships, and family.

Shift is a good name for this novel for three reasons: 1) It involves two teenagers who bike across the United States. 2) It shifts from bike trip (present) to college (future). 3) One of the characters could be considered “Shifty.” When Chris and Win graduate from college they decide to take bike (pedal) across the United States. Along this bike trip, Win leaves Chris. Chris continues on his own and returns in time for his first day of college. Suddenly the FBI is talking to Chris about Win’s location. Win has not been in contact with anyone, and his family is worried. Shift is a mystery in the sense that the reader must read and figure out what happened to Win and how Chris is involved. It is also a story of friendship, family, and most importantly adventure. The book also follows the teenagers bike adventure across the United States.

Black Box by Julie Schumacher

Elena’s sister, Dora, has been hospitalized for depression after swallowing a bottle of pills. As one would expect this is difficult for the family especially Elena. The attention is focused on Dora and her recovery and not on Elena. Often Elena, who is new to her school, feels as though no one is listening to her until she meets Jimmy. It seems as though the two have quite a bit in common. When Dora comes home from the hospital Elena tries to take care of her and help even though her parents don’t listen to her. This book has emotional ties to keep the reader involved. It is also full of twists and turns. Reluctant readers will especially like this book because it is a quick read and keeps the reader engaged.

The book is divided into sections based on DeShawn’s age until he reaches 18, and his life becomes more and more complex and challenging.  I had to keep reading to see what would happen to DeShawn, all while feeling the hopelessness of his living situation, which was the author’s purpose in writing this book.  I think students who enjoy reading our “street lit” books will like this one, even though the dialogue and language didn’t seem very authentic–”school-safe” maybe but not authentic.

The author says we as a country need to do something soon about the problems of inner-city youth and families, and gives information and data to support his message. It’s a hard topic to read about and harder still to experience.

There are many heroes in this story, most very surprising so I can’t tell you who they are here.  I can say that very-scary Biology teacher, Mrs. Bunny Starch, takes her class, including good guys Nick and Marta, to the Black Vine Swamp and ends up disappearing very mysteriously.  While on the field trip, Nick is on the lookout for a panther, but then the trip is cut short by a wildfire of mysterious origin that scares them all back to the buses. And where is Duane Scrod, Jr., aka “Smoke,” whose last class interaction with Mrs. Starch ended badly!

So many great characters in this story, and lots of good side stories to keep you reading and wondering how it’s all going to turn out.  Hoot, Flush, Scat…what will come next?

Chapter alternate between Mitch and Spencer telling the story each from their perspective.  Tensions between Mitch’s mother and grandparents cause him to want to live next door with his mother, but when Spencer’s family move in, he comes up with ways to scare them into leaving.  Then we read about Spencer’s reactions to those tactics.

There’s no big dramatic action here but we can really get into the boys’ heads to experience the pain and confusion they are both feeling.  Read Olive’s Ocean for more by this author.