Jabba The Puppett

Angleberger, T. (2013). The surprise attack of Jabba the Puppett: An Origami Yoda book. New York: Abrams.

The 7th graders at McQuarrie Middle School are very upset with their principal.  She has decided to replace art, music and band with classes that will hopefully increase standardized test scores.  The students decide to fail the test in order to botch the principals plans.

The students end up getting support from their parents against the Fun Time Classes.  Students 8-13 would enjoy this book.  Students in Texas could definitely relate to rebelling against standarized tests.  I really enjoyed the

drawings on each page as well as the origami instructions at the end of the book.

If I Stay

Forman, G. (2009). If I stay: A novel. New York: Dutton Books. 

Mia is a gifted musician.  Her first love is music, but she then meets Eric.  The two begin a whirlwhind romance.  Things turn tragic when Mia and her family get into a horrible car accident.  Mia's parents and little brother are killed.  Mia is in a state of limbo, she can see both her family and everything that is going on around her body in the living world.  She struggles on deciding whether to stay with her family or go back to the living world.  In the end, she musters all of her strength to squeeze Adam's hand. She has made her choice.  This book would be good for students 13 and up.  Readers who enjoy a good love story will enjoy this
book.

Janis Joplin: Rise up Singing

Angel, A. (2010). Janis Joplin: Rise up singing. NY: Amulet.

Rise up singing chronicles the life of Janis Joplin from her childhood in Texas to her death at only 27 years old.  Janis grew up in a very conservative town in Texas. Janis was creative, outspoken, and enjoyed dressing differently than the rest of her classmates.  As a result, she was not very well liked.  She had a hard time socially in school. Eventually, Janis moved to California where her singing career took off.  She also started drinking heavily and experimenting with drugs.  Her low self esteem and depression, contributed to her constant drinking and drug use. She tried to get clean once, but it didn't last long. Janis found success in her singing career but her success was unfortunately cut short as a result of an overdose.  The book is filled with bright vivid 60s inspired art work, 
album covers, and pictures.  These will attract any reader to the book.
The book also touches on subjects like drug abuse, sexuality, the Vietnam War, and Woodstalk.  Teen readers will not only learn about Janis' life, but will get a little bit of history as well.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. NY: Little Brown.

Junior lives on a reservation with his family. Life on the rez is wrought with poverty and alcoholism. One day in class, he notices that he has the same textbook that his mother had several years ago.  He decides that in order to get a better education, he must attend school off the reservation. It is quite a sacrifice for his family to get him to school, but they agree to send him.  In his new surroundings, Junior realizes the differences in the lives of the white people and his people. He struggles at first, but then makes friends and begins flourishing.  The differences in the races stood out to me the most in this book. The Indians on the rez are all poor, having to scrimp for the simple things such as food.  Several times, Junior and his family went without food.   Poverty and race are a big theme is this story. Although Junior is proud of his race, he sees how he must leave the reservation in order to make a better life for himself and escape the cycle of poverty and early death in his reservation.

Speak

Anderson, L. H. (1999). Speak. NY: Penguin

It's the first day of high school for Melinda.  Her friends won't speak to her, the other students laugh at her. She is holding in a secret she wishes she could tell her former friend Rachel.  Melinda's lips are swollen and bitten from trying to hold in her secret. Jane doesn't speak much in class or to other people socially. She spends much time in a janitor's supply closet.  Her grades suffer and she eventually begins skipping school in an effort to avoid contact with people.  One day, a boy she calls "IT" sneaks up behind her, calling her fresh meat. He makes her nauseous and she runs away.  Later, Melinda has a flashback of a party. First she is having a good time dancing with a boy, then he is forcing himself upon her. The boy is IT, Andy, and Melinda soon learns that she is not his only victim. This gives her confidence to tell her secret to an adult.
I would recommend this book for readers 13 and up.  Teenagers will relate to the theme of being
alone with no one to turn to.

The Surrender Tree

Engle, M. (2008). The surrender tree. NY: Holt

This story chronicles the life of Rosa who lives in Cuba during the war

between Cuba and Spain.  The book is a collection of poems. Rosa is a healer, but some consider her a witch because of her gift to heal with natural remedies.  Rosa and her husband Jose build hospitals in caves and huts Cubans have freed their slaves, but Spain does not accept it. The slaves and peasants are put into concentration camps, those that are not in the camps are killed. Rosa and Jose live in constant fear of being caught by the slave hunter, even in between wars.  Eventually, the USA becomes involved and takes control of Cuba.  The end of the story reveals that the main characters are the authors great grand parents.  She is retelling the stories that she heard from her great grandmother as a child. This book could be used in a World History or Geography class. Students may find the personal stories more interesting than

textbooks.  Hope and resilience are two important themes in this story.  The 

reader will see how the Cubans fought and didn't give up hope for freedom.

Monster

Myers, W. D. (1999). Monster. NY: Harper 

Steven Harmon is a 16 year old on trial for murder. The story is told from Steve's point of view.  It switches between a movie screenplay and his journal writings.  Being incarcerated terrifies him daily.  The dangers of jail are detailed in the book.  The book not only details jail life, but also the trial process. Steven is called a Monster by the prosecutor. He is accused of killing the store owner, he was just the lookout but is being charged with the murder.  In the end he is found innocent, but when he goes to hug his attorney, she turns away for him.  He never knows why. 

His relationship with his father is also changed as a result of the trial.
I would recommend this book for ages 13 and older.