The Sweetheart of Prosper County by Jill Alexander

Simple and elegant this book is perfect.  Perspective is told by Austin Gray, nearly 15, she has decided that next Christmas, she would like to be in the town parade as the FFA's Sweetheart.  Her motivation for the idea is her arch enemy, the town bully, Dean Ottmer.  She joins FFA and raises a Bantam rooster, named Charles Dickens.  This is a story about confronting fears, changing and growing and being open to possibilities.  This book is a must have.  It is sweet, with a hint of romance possibilities and plenty of humor and warmth.  It's small town charm is perfect, ringing true with honesty and authenticity.

Lord Sunday: The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix

The final book in the series, Arthur is more a denizen and less human, and has he struggles to get back his humanity, he is captured by the most powerful Lord Sunday.  Everything is coming apart.  Is this the end or the beginning? You'll just have to read the book to find out.  You won't be disapointed.
Great for grades 6-12.  published 2010

Superior Saturday: The Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix

This is the 6th installment of the series.  The story is a blend of two worlds, Earth and The House.  Arthur is our hero of the story, having successfully gathered five of the wills and keys.  But the stakes are even more dangerous.  And Superior Saturday is coveting Lord Sunday's incredible gardens.  With the help of Suzy, one of Piper's Children, he must sneak in guise as a rat till he can take on the form of a Piper's Child himself.  The problem is that under the influence of the keys, he's losing his human nature and becoming more like the superior being's of the house.  The author does an amazing job of fleshing forth the complexity of the duality of this opposite nature.  Arthur no long is just trying to claim the keys but now working towards saving The House. It's a strange little world that Nix has created, but he makes it work and the world is so different it haunts you long after you put the book down.  This series is great for grades 6-12.  My high school students are reading these books.  The books was copyrighted in 2008 and is timeless.

Gone by Michael Grant

This is book one in the series and is popular with my high school students.  Set in a small isolated town, one minute life is normal and the next all adults are gone. Some of the teens have unique talents and abilities that manifest themselves after the event.  Chaos starts to ensue and a division between the kids become more pronounced.  The bullies start controlling the town.  The big question is what happened to all the adults?  Who's going to take care of the little ones?  And is this connected to the nuclear reactor down the road?  Cut off from the main world by a strange force field, that cuts off all communications and traps the young from setting off beyond, the mystery drives the story on.  I look forward to reading the next book in the series.  I would say for high school students.

The Magician of Hoad by Margaret Mahy

This is an epic story about a young boy who grows into becoming a young man.  He has a special talent of sensing if people are lying or telling the truth and he also can make things happen.  He becomes the King's Magician, not by choice but by force.  The king wants peace but there are others who would like to have war again.  The King's youngest son and the magician have a special connection.  Beautifully written.  Definitely for high school and adult.  No Wizards, no dragons, no elves.... just people with a few who can do extra special things.  What also is gripping is the political dynamics that are taking place.  Really good story and well written. Very visual story.

100 cupbards by N. D. Wilson: Book 1

This is a book for 4-7th grade for sure.  A young boy's parents are held hostage in a foreign country and he is sent to a obscure uncle to live with.  Very nice family with a cousin who is a bit on the bossy side and also has a penchant for adventure.  The boy's room is in the attic and he discovers a wall with strange doors. He also keeps getting odd postcards and letters from one of the cupboards.  Each cupboard is it's own world.  He also finds out some secrets about himself and one other family member.  He also has to fight a witch. 

I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading it's sequal.  A friend's daughter read it in a day. 

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Amazing contemporary story about a boy who gets a package of audio tapes from a girl who had committed suicide.  She shares on the tape to Thirteen people how they effected her.  The tapes are to be passed to the next person.  Readers follow Clay as he listens to the tape and is guided to the places that Hannah talks about on the tape.  Very powerful story.  A good book for Young Adults.  It is a serious story and there are some rough things that do take place.  It is poignant and should be part of any high school  library.

Lady Friday by Garth Nix: The Keys to the Kingdom Series

I think what I appreciate most about this dark series is that it takes you to this crazy world and you can't predict how it will spin out.  Garth Nix is quite the story teller, he takes us into this dark world with these incredible challenges to capture the keys of the kingdom.  This time Arthur's adversary is Doctor Lady Friday who kidnaps elderly from Earth to steal their memories and put them in an eternal coma.  Arthur battles to save the day.

Sir Thursday by Garth Nix: Keys to the Kingdom Serires

This is the fourth book in the series.  Our central character, Arthur is back inside the house with all his friends.  This time he's been drafted in to Sir Thursday's army.  The adventure continues.  If you like funky out of the world stories, such as Alice in Wonderland, Or Wizard of Oz, then this series will take you to a crazy world where our rules really don't apply.  A whole different dimension, takes you to nothing you have experienced before. I would recommend this book to middle school and high school students especially to boys who like abstract worlds.  

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Mia is a young girl who has a great family, a cool boyfriend and loyal BFF's.  She plays cello beautifully and is destined to become a great cellists.  But then when she and her family go on errands, a car crashes into them and only she is left.  But she is in a comma in the hospital with the ability to drift like a ghost and hear what her family and friends as they talk to her unknowing for sure if she can hear them or not.  Story is also told in flashbacks from time to time. Really great story and up for a California Young Readers Medal Award.

Cracker by Cynthia Kadohata

I love dogs. I had the best German Shepherd growing up and this story reminded me of that dog. The author did her research well, which is later explained in the back of the book.  It is told in two view points, the dogs and his owners in alternanting voice depending on the situation. 

The story starts with Willie and his family having to downsize to an apartment and having to find a new home for Cracker, their German Shepherd.    The Vietnam war is going on and the army needs dogs to find traps and the enemy.  This the story of how they train the dogs, and the work that they do. 

I thought the story started a bit slow and awkward but once the dog was drafted to the army the story became alive, I was in to the story.  Staying up late to finish the book.  I would recommend it.

Impact by James C. Dekker

Orca Soundings published this book. Good book.  The story is about family who's brother is murdered by some fellow high school students.  Takes you through the trial and how the event affects the family.  Great for EL and reluctant readers.  Especially boys.

Wave Waqrrior by Lesley Choyce

Orca Soundings is the publisher of this book.  Created for EL High School students, I wished they had these when I was teaching ESL at the High School.  As a library media teacher, I think these books work for the older teens. 

Wave Warrior is about surfing and not quiting.  Great story about a teen and a mentor who once a famous surfer in his day.  The boy comes from a nice family but is the only one interested in surfing.  He meets a man who is on a road trip to catch the waves on the east coast.  The veteran surfer teaches the teen, Ben, how to surf.  There's a cute surfer girl that befriends Ben.  Good story, works well for EL teens and for reluctant reader boys.

Picture This by Norah McClintock

Orca Soundings did great publishing some books for the High School EL students.  This is the story of a boy who learns about photography and is being followed by gang members.  There is a mystery about why someone would want his camera and would want to kill him.  The story and writing worked well.  I can see teens who are EL students enjoying this book.