I am the Messenger

Inkheart

Cracker by Cynthia Kadahota

Willie's family moves into an apartment that does not allow dogs. Cracker, the German Shepherd enters a military dog training school . Rick works with Cracker and they head off to Vietnam. The horrors they face in Vietnam bring them closer together. It is a page turner from the get-go. I hate to say it's historical fiction but it really does describe the horrors of the war, and you feel like you're right there with them. Well-researched with an author's note about authenticity in the back. Middle-school.

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.

At our recent KU Book Review, a reviewer wrote about this book, saying once she got into it she couldn't put it down. I agree. I felt like I had to keep plugging away because it was the Printz Award winner. I'm glad I did. Taylor Markham's mother abandoned her at a gas station when she was 11. Since that time she has been living at Jellicoe School and her life is a mystery to her. The students have annual territory wars with the Townies and military school cadets. Taylor knows she has to figure out how her life is interwoven with another story of teenagers from the past who lost their parents in a tragic car accident along Jellicoe Road. Taylor and Griggs, the leaders of the Cadets have a history and must once again join forces to unravel the mystery. Senior High.

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

Amanda and Leo, born on the same day, have celebrated their birthdays together for 10 years. But Amanda was hurt by a comment made by Leo and plans to spend her 11th birthday without Leo. Both are caught in a time loop and repeat their 11th birthday - until they figure out what they have to do to resolve the issue. Wendy Mass will visit Kutztown for Teen Library Day, Oct. 22. Grades 4-6

Wintergirls

Lia's former best friend Cassie, dies alone in a hotel room. Her last 33 calls are to Lia. And Lia does not answer. This is a gut-wrenching noel about cutting and self-starvation. Lia narrates this story that also deals with stepmother/parents issues. Anderson's writing is accentuated with blank pages, struck through entries, and repetition to capture the isolation and motivations of the anorexic. This is not the standard problem novel.

The Calder Game