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.”

Jason, a twelve-year-old autistic boy who wants to become a writer, relates what his life is like as he tries to make sense of his world.

Liz says:

“This slice of life story about Jason takes us into the mind of a child with Autism as he experiences the day to day challenges of growing up. Jason’s story both illuminates his differences from and his similarities with ‘neurotypicals’. This is a beautifully crafted story with so much to tell, making it anything but typical.”

After her mother leaves home suddenly, thirteen-year-old Sal and her grandparents take a car trip retracing her mother’s route. Along the way, Sal recounts the story of her friend Phoebe, whose mother also left.

Liz says:

“This is a must read for 5th and 6th grade girls. As Sal travels cross country to find her mom, she discovers the truth about why her mom left. Readers will find themselves crying on one page and laughing on the next. Creech is at her best in this Newbery Award winning book.”

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.”

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.”

Twelve-year–old Mitch and his mother are spending the summer with his grandparents at Bird Lake after his parents separate, and ten-year-old Spencer and his family have returned to the lake where Spencer’s little brother drowned long ago, and as the boys become friends and spend time together, each of them begins to heal.

Liz says:

“True to form, Henkes delivers a thoughtful story of loss, forgiveness and hopefulness.”

Philip, an adolescent white boy who is blinded in a torpedo attack at sea during World War II, acquires a new type of vision, courage, and love when he is stranded on a tiny Caribbean island with Timothy, a kind, elderly black man.

Liz says:

“This is one of the best survival stories and one of the best historical fiction books for young readers. This is an unforgettable read – a classic!”

Presents an historical fiction written in first-person format that follows Emma, the slave of Pierce Butler, through a series of events in her life as her master hosts the largest slave auction in American history in Savannah, Georgia in 1859 in order to pay off his mounting gambling debts.

Liz says:

“Master storyteller, Julius Lester, takes a real moment in history and brings it to life in this compelling book told through dialogue and reflections (interludes). Prepare to cry!”