Cameron Smith, a disaffected sixteen-year-old diagnosed with mad cow disease, sets off on a road trip with a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf he meets in the hospital in an attempt to find a cure.

Liz says:

“Holy Cow! It’s hard even to comprehend how to describe this masterpiece. Crazy, epic, fun, funny, tragic, ironic are just a few words that come to mind. This is for a reader who likes a long book that goes off in wild tangents. For those who decide to sink their teeth into this treasure, you will not be disappointed .”

When her sixteen-year-old sister is hospitalized for depression and her parents want to keep it a secret, fourteen-year-old Elena tries to cope with her own anxiety and feelings of guilt that she is determined to conceal from outsiders.

Liz says:

“Told with extraordinary directness, this is the story of the impact of Depression on an entire family. With a true economy of words, Schumacher deftly portrays each multi-dimensional character allowing for complicated emotions and relationships.”

Marcelo Sandoval, a seventeen-year-old boy on the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum, faces new challenges, including romance and injustice, when he goes to work for his father in the mailroom of a corporate law firm.

Liz says:

“Having attended a special school for his whole life, Marcelo’s father decides that Marcelo should go to public school for his senior year of high school. Marcelo loves his school and is especially attached to a program there that allows him to work with horses. He makes a “deal” with his mom that if he goes to work at his father’s law firm for the summer and gives an honest try at working in the “real world” he can then choose which school he will go to. Over the course of the summer, Marcelo experiences many challenges and encounters injustice and dishonesty. Marcelo’s unflinching goodness and unique sense of the world make this a powerful story with the lasting effect of new understanding and empathy.” (Received 5 starred reviews).

While traveling to each corner of the country to build a whirligig in memory of the girl whose death he caused, sixteen-year-old Brian finds forgiveness and atonement.

Liz says:

“This is an unforgettable book that will touch your heart and really make you think about the power of forgiveness and redemption even in the face of great tragedy.”

In 1990, thirteen-year-old John “Spud” Milton, a prepubescent choirboy, keeps a diary of his first year at an elite, boys-only boarding school in South Africa, as he deals with bizarre housemates, wild crushes, and embarrassing parents.

Liz says:

“This hilariously irreverent book offers an uproariously funny look at post-Apartheid South Africa through the eyes of one of the most lovable characters ever created.”

Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family’s struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

When sixteen-year-old Jason Bock and his friends create their own religion to worship the town’s water tower, what started out as a joke begins to take on a power of its own.

Liz says:

“This is a thought-provoking read for teens interested in the role of religion in their lives and others. This is an exceptionally well-written and intelligent book.”

The story of how Vahan Kenderian survived the Turkish massacre of the Armenians in 1915.

Liz says:

“This is a gripping, brutal look at the Armenian Genocide that is not for the feint of heart. Vahan, who is based on the author’s uncle, is an amazing character who endures the deepest levels of deprivation but survives both physically and mentally. Ultimately, this is a story of survival.”

In England in 1995, fifteen-year-old Tamar, grief-stricken by the death of her grandfather, slowly begins to uncover the secrets of his life in the Dutch resistance and the climactic events that forever cast a shadow on his life and that of his family.

Liz says:

“Tamar is a story of espionage, betrayal, and love. Even when the action is somewhat predictable the results are not. This is a tremendous example of historical fiction, mystery and intrigue. The novel is told from 2 perspectives and switches between 1944 and 1995. This is not for someone who wants a fast, easy read. If you’re willing to give it the time it deserves, you will be justly rewarded by this exceptional book.”