A Different Pond
Bao Phi
illustrated by Thi Bui

—Jen

Penguin Problems
Jory John and Lane Smith

We all have bad days, right? Sometimes, though, we need to take a step back and listen to ourselves. Little Penguin finds lots to complain about in the world around him. Mr. Walrus gives a gentle reminder of the beauty in the world, and that we are all exactly where we need to be.

Wolf in the Snow
Matthew Cordell  

In this almost wordless picture book, a child and a wolf pup get lost in the snow. They find each other before they are found by their loved ones. The story shows the bond parents have with their children.

 

—Pam

Genuine Fraud
W. Lockhart

What I really like about this book was the author’s writing style; it was kind of like a spy action movie in book form so her writing style captured the essence of watching an intense spy movie. The scene starts with Jule on a seemingly normal vacation in Mexico. However, she is actually on the run from her past. This book is written in a strange chronological order with most of the book told in flashbacks.

Girl In Pieces
Kathleen Glasgow

Charlie Davis is institutionalized after she attempts to commit suicide. She hasn’t had the best life--a dead father, an abusive mother, and a friend who also attempted suicide--which had driven her onto the streets. Charlie attempts to regain control of her life while in the hospital, but just as she’s starting to get better, she must leave because no one can pay for her to stay anymore. Her mother picks her up but stays around just long enough to give her some money tell her to go south to stay with an old friend. Charlie begins a new life but will she be able to stay clean or will she fall back into her old habits, especially with a love interest who doesn’t have the best reputation? I think this book would be great for people who are fans of Ellen Hopkins.

This is Where it Ends
Marieke Nijkamp

This book starts by giving brief glimpses into the minds of the characters as they start their first day of a new semester at school. Most of the characters are inside the school auditorium listening to an annual speech when someone barges into the auditorium and opens fire. The shooter has a vendetta against the school and its students, as well as personal ties to the main characters. The entirety of the book only spans 54 minutes but also manages to fully develop all the characters through flashbacks. I was at the edge of my seat for most of this book, wondering which of the characters would die and what the shooter would do next.