Not quite fitting in

Lexile: 670

What does it feel like to be without a home?

Lucas reminded me of a toned down What Happened to Lani Garver? Essentially, Lucas is the story of a loner boy whose differences set him aside from the small community he wanders into. He is befriended by local girl Caitlin, and the two develop a close, but short-lived, friendship. On the surface, Lucas seems to lack the often overwhelming drama of Lani Garver, but give it a chance. Attempted rape and murder, as well as mob violence and family problems, fit into the picture to spice up the story. Kevin Brooks once again manages to write a great novel.

Kevin Brooks is also the author of Martyn Pig.

Lexile: 750

Akhil Vyas has just transferred in to the local school, and boy is he weird. He refuses to sit in chairs, and has scars on his body that he will not explain. Two not-so-popular students, Omar and Becky, befriend Akhil as a means to try and uncover his secret. In doing so, they get themselves in a lot more trouble than they bargained for when they attempt to stop a fellow classmate from being destructive and violent. The Pack is a quick read with a few twists and turns that will keep you interested throughout.

Lexile: NL

OCD. It stands for obsessive compulsive disorder. And Devon is completely content with his disorder. He doesn't mind eating things in fours or memorizing his class schedule like a madman. He does, however, get annoyed at things that aren't hung straight, at the cafeteria in his school (because it is gross and dirty), and at psychologists. So when his parents move and he is in a brand new school, Devon has to adapt to his new surroundings. That means a new shrink, and new people at his school to not be friends with. Devon eventually comes out of his shell when he meets a girl outside who eats ice cream for lunch everyday. Along with his new shrink (who Devon is actually getting to know), his slacker-friend, and his psuedo-girlfriend, things, not people, start getting crazy.

ACCELERATED READER
Reading level : 4.2    Lexile: 680

Hautman mixes fantasy and reality in Sweetblood when 16 year old Lucy merges her obsession for vampire culture with her own life. Being a diabetic, Lucy feels as though she's never quite fit in. The more she gets involved online and in person with some “real” vampires, the more her life goes in a downward spiral of irresponsibility. Sweetblood puts an intriguing spin on your typical vampire novel.

Pete Hautman is also the author of the science-fiction novel Mr. Was.

ACCELERATED READER
Reading level : 5.1    Lexile: 720

Once again, I find myself amazed at Carol Plum-Ucci's writing. Lani Garver is a bit more slow-paced than The Body of Christopher Creed, but that takes nothing away from the beauty of this book. This novel is all about coping. Coping with an eating disorder, her mother's alcoholic tendencies, and her leukemia (which is in remission), Claire finds solace in Lani Garver, the newest member of their small town. Lani is unlike anyone Claire's met before, and she isn't the only one in town who has noticed.

Sometimes you meet people because of coincidences- in time, location, situation. Sometimes you meet people because you were destined to meet them, and you are destined never to forget them. This is the case with Claire and Lani. He is her angel, her remedy, her new found source of friendship, truth, and happiness. What Claire is able to see in Lani is exactly what gets him into trouble with the local boys. Tragedy follows, as it often does when someone *just so special* comes along. In the wake of the tragedy, hearts and minds are opened to possibilities and people who are long gone.

Carol Plum-Ucci also wrote The She.

ACCELERATED READER
Reading level : 5.7    Lexile: 820

Stuck in Neutral is a remarkable book. Narrated by 14 year old Shawn, Stuck in Neutral is not the average coming of age story. Shawn has cerebral palsy and has no control of his body…at all! Even though Shawn can't write, the story is told from his point of view, as if he could. He's trying to just be a teenager, but that's hard when you can't speak, can't write, can't even go to the bathroom by yourself. Shawn's got one more problem- he‘s pretty sure his dad wants to kill him. Read it, you won't regret it.

Lexile: 710

Terry Trueman has a knack for finding the voice of a boy who's just not quite right. In Stuck in Neutral he aptly communicated the woes of a boy with cerebral palsy. In Inside Out, Trueman takes things one step farther to give voice to a schizophrenic 16 year old boy.

Inside Out is a quick read that is occassionally amusing and funny, with a plot that is an attempt to bring a bit of sympathy and understanding about schizophrenia to a younger generation. However, Inside Out fails where Stuck in Neutral succeeded. Rather than focus on the disease and let the plot meander, Inside Out uses a convoluted plot-line (a coffee-shop hostage situation) to try and flesh out the characteristics and mannerisms of a schizophrenic.

While not a bad read (obviously I took the time to finish it) Inside Out does not provide the same emotional ties to the characters that Stuck in Neutral did. Maybe because Trueman set the bar so high with his previous novel, Inside Out seems a bit disappointing, however it is far from a failure.

ACCELERATED READER
Reading level : 4.1    Lexile:670

“I don’t see pretty, just a whole lotta black.” “You blacker than midnight!”

These are just a few of the insults Maleeka Madison has had to endure growing up.

Her mom makes all of her clothes because sewing seems to be the only thing that helps her mother deal with Maleeka’s father being dead. Her skin is darker than all the rest of the black children and because of this, this tease her. Maleeka tries desperately to cling to friendships that will probably end up with her being hurt, but she can’t stand it being anyway else. Now, a new teacher is at McClenton Middle School…Ms. Saunders: A highly successful business professional, with a horrible white scar running down her face, that wants to give something back, and teaching is how she wants to do it.

The Skin I’m In is a great story on how a middle school child copes with self-esteem issues and peer pressure while learning some other important life lessons along the way.