Anna and the Swallow Man
by Gavriel Savit

As this book begins, Anna is a 7 year old Jewish girl living in Poland with her father in 1939. One day her father leaves her with a gentile pharmacist and never returns. When the pharmacist refuses to shelter her, Anna meets and follows the "Swallow Man” who allows her to accompany him as he wanders around Poland during World War II to avoid capture. He teaches her numerous survival lessons during the war. The writing was incredible.

Elle and Coach
by Stefany Shaheen

This book will be of interest to both young adult and adult readers. It’s a fabulous book to read aloud as a family, especially if your life has been impacted by anyone with type 1 diabetes and/or you love dogs. This book chronicles Elle’s life during her diabetes diagnosis and subsequent lessons on how to manage her glucose levels. Ultimately she gets a service dog named Coach who makes a tremendous positive impact upon Elle, her family, and her dramatically improved glucose regulation.

I Woke Up Dead at the Mall
by Judy Sheehan

Sarah wakes up dead at the Mall of America and soon learns that she has been murdered by poisoning! The Mall is portrayed somewhat like purgatory because the ghosts stuck there learn how to move on between life and whatever you believe as an afterlife. She develops feelings for another resident ghost named Nick, who ultimately helps Sarah save her father from her fate.

Whisper to Me
by Nick Lake

Cass is a teenage girl living with her father after her mother’s sudden death which she witnessed, resulting in serious mental/emotional trauma. While taking a walk, Cass finds a severed foot on the beach. The police suspect that this foot belonged to a victim of the “Houdini Killer” who has killed many women over the years; the Houdini Killer targets females who are involved in the sex trade. Soon after finding this foot, she begins hearing a voice that tells her to do things and threatens her if she refuses. After she was institutionalized and drugged for hearing the voice and, a doctor who runs a therapy group helps her learn how to deal with the voice without meds.  Then her bipolar friend, whom she met at the institution, goes missing. With the help of her boyfriend, Cass tries to save Paris. This entire story is told from Cass’ point of view via e-mail format; it is an apology note to her summer boyfriend. Themes include human connection, grief, mental illness, and first love.