In GENTLE'S HOLLER, Kerry Madden introduces young readers to Olivia (better known as Livy Two) Weems, a twelve-year-old with a passion for books and music. Livy has eight siblings of various ages and temperaments, a sweet mama, and a starry-eyed daddy. Money's tight - Daddy's music fills the heart and...

When Madeline's father was trapped in an avalanche, his daughter was miles and miles away. She was safe at home, yet she felt an inexplicable urge to pray for his safekeeping. Because he survived the ordeal, she becomes convinced that she saved her father's life and develops an unusual obsession...

In 1946, ten year old Dorrie enters a new school year with pep in her step. She is made all the more giddy at the prospect of the Sweet Semester, a tradition established by her teacher in which her students bake up a little something. Dorrie plans to make something...

The Cantors were once a happy family, but now they are drifting apart. The mother and older daughter, Jilly, match, with their gleaming smiles and shiny blond hair. The father is often out of town on business, sending her postcards from other cities. The youngest daughter, Elisa, would rather be...

Swans and tempests and camouflage, oh my! The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It (previously titled My Big Birkett) by Lisa Shanahan is a delicious blend of comedy and drama brought to life by a cast of outrageous characters, save one, who is trying her best to...

Making the transition from middle school to high school is never easy. Four life-long friends are about to take that step together: Mina, the girl who is genuinely nice to everyone and can't wait to be in high school; JZ, the jock and ladies' man; Lizzie, the hopeful actress; and...

Making the transition from middle school to high school is never easy. Four life-long friends are about to take that step together: Mina, the girl who is genuinely nice to everyone and can't wait to be in high school; JZ, the jock and ladies' man; Lizzie, the hopeful actress; and...

Meet Sunshine and Rayne McDonald, twin sisters who have identical features but totally different personalities. Sunny likes the spotlight; Rayne prefers the nightlife. While perky Sunny wears trendy clothes and wants to star in the school musical, sarcastic Rayne dresses in black and wants to become a vampire. ...

A Room on Lorelai Street is a story of a young woman trying to make it from one day to the next and attempting to rise above her less-than-stellar unbringing. Zoe once had a family consisting of a mother, a father, a younger brother and herself. By...

Just Like That explores the story of a teenage girl named Hanna. After breaking up with her boyfriend, she thinks she'll have a quiet moment to herself, sitting near the frozen-over lake late at night. She sees a slightly older couple, who urge her to come with them to be...

Never Mind the Goldbergs by Matthue Roth is an engrossing novel about a girl named Hava. Hailing from New York, Hava is a high school student that is both an Orthodox Jew and, in her own words, a little punk rock. She also happens to be an actress, though not...

Set in modern day Florida, Nothing to Lose by Alex Flinn follows a teenage boy whose mother has been accused of killing her abusive husband. For two years, Michael attempted to protect his mother and repeatedly tried to get her to leave his stepfather. She refused to leave, even as...

Gingerbread tells the story of a girl whose parents divorced when she was young. She has only one memory of her father: meeting him in an airport, where he gave her gingerbread and bough her a doll. She promptly named the doll Gingerbread and has carried it around ever since....

"(M)aybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what were capable of when we least expect it." My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult is a heartwrenching story told by a multitude of amazing characters. The plot revolves around a family whose youngest...

I devoured "Playing in Traffic" in one sitting. I enjoyed it just as much if not more than Gail Giles' previous release, "Dead Girls Don't Write Letters." Once again, Giles has written a novel about the relationships of teenagers and their families which is thought-provoking without being preachy. ...