Something Like Hope

Something Like Hope by Shawn Goodman. Published by Delacorte Press, 2011.

Shavonne wants to believe things can get better. She wants to believe she can get her baby back from foster care. She wants to get help.

For now, none of this seems attainable. She is locked up in a juvenile detention facility. She stole a sandwich and assaulted one of the few guards who have shown her any kindness and a transfer to an adult prison seems imminent. She blames her social worker for many problems but most of all, Shavonne blames herself.

A new guard named Cyrus sparks a little curiosity about geese, nature, and life. Mr. Delpopolo is a new counselor and he seems pretty genuine in his willingness to help Shavonne. Something about him gets through to her. He seems good at his job, doesn’t play any games but is also kind of sad and discouraged.

A disaster on a routine medical visit results in the emergence of Shavonne as an unexpected hero, but not everyone is happy about that. She has made some serious and powerful enemies. Shavonne wants to turn her life around but she doesn’t know how. Can Mr. Delpopolo and Cyrus help her?

This realistic fiction about a young woman trying to turn her life around is recommended for grades 8 and up.

Visit author Shawn Goodman's website

How to Save a Life

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr. Published by Little, Brown and Company, 2011.

Jill’s father death was traumatic. She misses him and finds her usually dependable mother changing in some bizarre ways. For one thing, her mother has a sudden desire to adopt a baby and has contacted Mandy, an unwed teen mother. Jill’s mother refused to make any of these arrangements through proper legal channels and Jill’s gut instincts tell her Mandy is hiding something.

Mandy’s arrival puts more pressure on the relationship between Jill and her mother. Jill tries to share her concerns with her friends but each person has a different viewpoint about Mandy and the situation. Mandy has even formed friendships with Jill’s friends, putting an additional strain on Jill.

A blow-up in the obstetrician’s office results in a cascade of other problems. Jill finds herself bewildered about how to help her mother when many of Jill’s worries about Mandy seem to be coming true.

One thing Jill knows- she and her mother cannot take any more heartbreak.

This realistic fiction is recommended for grades 8 and up. 

Visit author Sara Zarr's website

The Sweetness of Salt

The Sweetness of Salt by Cecilia Galante. Published by Bloomsbury, 2011.

Class Valedictorian Julia is approaching her summer with mixed feelings. She has an internship lined up at the courthouse, a pre-law scholarship for a great college and everything seems to be coming together. So why isn’t she excited?

Family arguments always ensue whenever her sister Sophie comes for a visit. Graduation day is the usual anticipated disaster and by the end of the day Sophie has fled back to her home in Vermont, but not before she dropped a few bombshells. For one thing, she is opening a bakery, giving her car to Julia and invited her to come for a visit. And if that didn’t cause enough chaos, Sophie yells about an awful family secret.

Julia has a crush on next neighbor Milo but realizes her feelings aren’t reciprocated. Timing seems perfect for a visit to Sophie. Of course, Julia’s parents don’t agree, but Julia knows they aren’t telling her the truth. Sophie has volatile relationships with her entire family, so Julia knows this is going to be a challenging visit. In fact, it is going to change her life.

This realistic fiction is recommended for grades 8 and up. 

Visit author Cecilia Galante's website