Son - Lois Lowry

Cover art from goodreads.com

Lowry, Lois. Son. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2012. $17.99. Hardback. (393 p.). ISBN:9780547887203.
Recommended for ages 12+.

In the society Claire lives children are assigned their lifelong careers at the age of 12. Claire is chosen to be a birthmother. This is not the most prestigious position but still important as she will be responsible for bringing three new lives into the community. These "products" are then cared for at the nursery until the gathering day when they will be given to their assigned parents. But something goes wrong as Claire delivers her first "product". Claire is reassigned but can't stop thinking about her "product". Contact with the "product" is not allowed. Claire's "product" does not behave as the others and things turn from bad to worse. The two become separated  Just how much is Claire willing to give up to be reunited with her Son?

This is the final book in The Giver quartet, yet it can certainly stand on its own. If you have read any of The Giver series, this book combines all these characters you have come to care about. If not, this book can still be appreciated and will leave you longing to read the others.


Awards/Honors
Margaret A. Edwards Award - 2007
ALA Notable Children's Book Older Readers - 2013

Other titles in The Giver Quartet:

Book #1

Book #2

Book #3

An interview with author Lois Lowry 

Teen Talk with Justin

When speaking of dystopian novels...
What I like best about these books is they show lives of people who don't fit in with the new society because I can kinda relate to the characters.

Justin C., age 15

Justin is currently reading...

From the Heroes of Olympus series:

For the full interview with Justin and other teens visit the Teen Talk Page.

Shards & Ashes - edited by Melissa Marr & Kelley Armstrong

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Marr, Melissa and Kelly Armstrong. Shards and Ashes. New York: HarperCollins, 2013. $9.49. eBook. (385p) ISBN:9780349001367.
Also available in Hardback ($17.99) and Paperback ($9.99)
Recommended for ages 14+.

Shards & Ashes contains nine short dystopian stories from some of today's most popular Young Adult authors. Veronica Roth (Divergent), Kami Garcia (Beautiful Creatures), Beth Revis (Across the Universe), Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely) and others present short stories of 30-40 pages in which a world of destruction is portrayed. Each story is creative and thought-provoking.  The characters are discovering their own strengths and struggling against the zealous rules and regulations enforced upon them. Danger awaits around every corner and survival is uncertain. Some of the stories contain love, some contain heartache. All contain unexpected twists sure to keep the pages turning.

Awards/Honors
None yet as this book was just released Feb. 19, 2013.

Enclave - Ann Aguirre

Cover art from indiebound.org

Aguirre, Ann. Enclave. NewYork: Square Fish, 2011. $9.99. Paperback. (261p) ISBN:9780312551377.

Recommended for ages 14+.

Deuce has just become a huntress. A position she has coveted since childhood. She is now easily identifiable by the six scars on her arms. She lives within a cave deep underground known as the enclave. She demonstrates her braveness as she scouts the tunnels outside the enclave. She displays her skills as she slaughters the hideous monsters referred to as freaks. Yet it doesn't take her long to realize that she doesn't possess one of the most important traits of a huntress...she is not heartless. She has always believed that all the rules and regulations set forth by the elders were for her own good. Yet Deuce and her partner, Fade, have uncovered some information that is vital to the survival of the enclave and elders refuse to acknowledge the danger. And odd things are happening within the enclave. Things that are making her question the motivations of the elders. She has a choice to make. If she just stands by the people of the enclave may all perish. But standing up for what she believes in may result in her being exiled from the Enclave.

Awards/Honors
RITA Winner for Young Adult Romance - 2012
YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers - 2012
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults - 2012

The next book in this trilogy:

Cover art from indiebound.org

The final book releases soon:

The Adoration of Jenna Fox - Mary E. Pearson

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Pearson, Mary E. The Adoration of Jenna Fox. New York: Henry Holt & Comapny, 2008. $16.95. Hardback (265p) ISBN:9780805076684.
Recommended for ages 12+.

Jenna Fox wakes from a comma after two years but remembers very little. What she does know is there are secrets being kept from her.

"I used to be someone. Someone named Jenna Fox. That's what they tell me. But I am more than a name. More than they tell me." (p.3)

As her memories return Jenna finds the world isn't as simple as she once thought it to be. The miracles of modern science have saved Jenna's life. But in return this same science has taken something away. Something big. Something no one wants to talk about. Is there any hope for Jenna to live a normal life again?

Awards/Honors
IRA Young Adult Choice - 2008
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year - 2008
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults - 2009

Other Books in the Jenna Fox Chronicles

Book Trailer

Teen Talk with Devon

When speaking about dystopian novels...
"I like how the author describes what they imagine a possible world could be like in the future. It often gets me thinking of things I can do to help preserve the Earth for as long as we can." 

~ Devon B., age 12

Devon recommends...

Cover art from indiebound.org

"You should just read what makes you happy or what makes you think."

For the full interview with Devon and other teens visit the Teen Talk Page.

Wither - Lauren DeStefano

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DeStefano, Lauren. Wither. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011. $17.99. Hardback (358p) ISBN: 9781442409057.

Recommended for ages 14+.

What if you were born with a known expiration date? In Wither all members of the last two generation have known their life expectancy. Men live to be twenty-five and women perish at the age of twenty. In a world such as this to maintain the population young girls are frequently kidnapped and forced into marriage. Sixteen-year-old Rhine wishes nothing more than to avoid this fate and remain with her twin brother. Yet fate has a different outcome in mind.

When Rhine makes a poor choice she soon finds herself one of rich Linden's four wives. Rhine is full of anger and hatred. She begins to plans her escape. But as she does secrets are revealed. Secrets which make her feel less animosity towards the husband who truly loves her over all others. Rhine only has four years of her life lefts and now she must choose. Escape means the possibility of reuniting with her brother, whom she misses more than words can describe. Staying means a life of wealth and privilege, but as more and more secrets are revealed she realizes it does not guarantee safety.

Awards/Honors

Indie Spring Kids' Next List - Spring 2011
NPR Young Adult Fiction Finalist - 2012
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults - 2012

Other titles in the Chemical Garden Trilogy

A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle

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The Murry’s father is missing and in terrible danger but the only way to find him is to circumvent time and space traveling to unheard of places. Saving Mr. Murry will require a bit of magic, a touch of luck, and a whole lot of courage. All this and so much more is found within the pages of A Wrinkle in Time.

L’Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. New York: Square Fish, 1962. $6.99. Paperback (232p) ISBN: 9780312367541.
Recommended for ages 10-14.

Haven’t we all longed at one time or another to be more like someone else? What if we were all the same? Would we be happier then?

This is something hot-headed Meg Murry is struggling with. She has never felt graceful enough, smart enough, or pretty enough. To make matters worse, the disappearance of her father a few years back has left the town gossiping about her family.

Meanwhile an unseen dark force, IT, is taking over the universe. The planet of Camazotz has already been taken over.

“…on Camazotz individuals have been done away with. Camazotz is ONE mind. It’s IT. And that’s why everyone is so happy and efficient.”(p.157)

Mr. Murry is trapped here, attempting to solely fight IT. With the help of three magical ladies Meg, along with her brother and a friend, travel through space and time to the planet of Camazotz to save their father. But the force, IT, is strong.

Will Meg be able to embrace her differences and save her family? To find out you too will need to travel through A Wrinkle in Time.

Awards/Honors
Newbery Metal - 1963
Sequoyah Children's Book Award - 1963
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award - 1965
Margaret A. Edwards Award - 1998

A Wrinkle in Time is the first book of L'Engle's Time Quintet. 

Book 2: A Wind in the Door, 1973

Book 3: A Swiftly Tilting Planet, 1978

Book 4: Many Waters, 1986

Book 5: An Acceptable Time, 1989

“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”

~ Madeleine L’Engle

Disney a movie based on this title

Teen Talk with Courtney

"I love to read books placed in the future, love stories, fantasy."

~ Courtney F., age 17

Courtney recommends:

"They're captivating and I could not put them down. They have a tint of love but not too much."

For the full interview with Courtney and other teens visit the Teen Talk Page.

Under the Never Sky - Veronica Rossi

Cover art from indiebound.org

Rossi, Veronica. Under the Never Sky. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2012. $17.99. Hardback. ISBN 9780062072030.
Recommended for ages 14+.

"They called the world beyond the walls of the Pod 'the Death Shop.' A million ways to die out there. Aria never thought she'd get so close."

Aria is nice and safe inside the Pod, a place completely separate from the outside world meant to keep out disease and germs. Inside the Pod... a place where life is carefully regulated so people can live hundreds of years. Inside the Pod... where all living is digital to maximize enjoyment while minimizing risk. Inside the Pod... where all wear computers in their eyes used for everything from communicating to traveling to tasting food. Oh yes, Aria is nice and safe inside the Pod, until one day she takes a risk that doesn't pay off and is cast out of the pod.

Outside the Pod... where the very air could kill her. Outside the Pod... where cannibals roam and violent storms destroy all in sight without warning. Outside the Pod... where life consists of danger and risk. Outside the Pod... where one handsome hunter is seeking answers of his own. Outside the Pod... where love can truly be found. Outside the Pod... where the carefully hidden secrets of the Pod begin to unravel. Outside the Pod... where life can truly begin.

Awards/Honors
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults - 2013
NPR Young Adult Fiction Finalist - 2012
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year List - 2012

Next title in this series

Morning Glories: For a Better Future - Nick Spencer

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Spencer, Nick and Joe Eisma. Morning Glories: For a Better Future (Vol. 1). Berkeley, CA: Image Comic, 2011. $9.99 Paperback (192 p) ISBN: 9781607063070.
Recommended for ages 14+.


Six teens from all different parts of the country are brought together as they gain acceptance into one of the most prestigious prep schools. This is an opportunity of a lifetime. Or is it? It doesn't take long to figure out that something is amiss. The teens soon discover that their admittance isn't only due to their academic achievements All six teens share the same birthday. What is the relevance of this discovery? When the teachers they admire try to drown them, escape becomes a top priority. But there is no way out of the tightly guarded Morning Glory Academy. Or is there? Home is not an option as none of their parents remember them. Who can they turn to? The secrets within these grounds are older than can be imaged. Things turn from strange to bizarre. Violence erupts. Betrayal happens. Is there any hope of survival?


So many questions, and only one place to discover the answers...within the pages of Morning Glories.

Awards
Eisner Award nominee  for Best New Series - 2011
Eisner Award nominee  for Best Continuing Series - 2011

Image from Comic Vine

The Maze Runner - James Dashner

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Dashner, James. The Maze Runner. New York: Delacorte Press, 2009. $16.99. Hardback (384 p.) ISBN: 9780385737944.
Recommended for 12+.

What if you woke up one day in the center of an elaborate maze? What if you had no memories of your past to help guide you? What if every night the maze changed? Would there be any chance of finding the outside world?

This is the exact fate of a large group of boys who have been living inside the maze for almost two years. Each day a group of runners scout out the maze seeking clues for an exit. Each night they come back to the safety of their camp before the maze doors close around them to keep the terrifying Grievers, part monster and part machine, out. Every day is the same without any clues until the day a girl arrives. This girl carries an important message stating she will be the last to come and everything is about to change. The meaning of her message is unclear and she loses consciousness before she can explain. Only one boy can understand her but his thoughts are jumbled nonsense. Will they be able to decipher the clue and discover the secret to the maze in time?

Awards/Honors
VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror - 2009
Indie Booksellers Kids' Next List - Winter 2009
YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers - 2011
NPR Young Adult Fiction Finalist - 2012

Two teens share their thoughts on The Maze Runner



The rest of the series:

 Visit the official Maze Runner website for news games, and more!

American Born Chinese - Gene Luen Yang

Yang, Gene Luen. American Born Chinese. New York: First Second, 2006. $19.95. Hardcover. ISBN: 9781415688786.
Recommended for Grades 6 and up.

Do you enjoy graphic novels? Do you like funny stories with lots of action? Then American Born Chinese is for you!

This quick paced novel includes three separate tales. The first is the Chinese folklore of a monkey king who wishes to be powerful and in control of his destiny. The second is about a middle school Chinese boy who often finds himself the butt of his school mates' racial jokes. The third tale uses cultural stereotypes as one boy attempts to fit in at high school only to have his cousin from China come visit and embarrass him in front of his new friends. In the end these three stories are weaved together for a startling conclusion. A mixture of fantasy and realism, packed full of humor and action, American Born Chinese will not disappoint!


Awards/Honors
Young People's Literature National Book Award Finalist - 2006
Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album - 2007
Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year - 2007
ALA Michael L. Printz Award Winner - 2007
NPR Young Adult Fiction Finalist - 2012

Picture from The New York Times

Teen Talk with Rebekah

"I have read the Hunger Games. I like the adventure and the strategy. And the Danger." ~ Rebekah S., age 14

Rebekah is currently reading...

Cover art from indiebound.com

For the full interview with Rebekah and other teens visit the Teen Talk Page.

Upstate - Kalisha Buckhanon

Cover art from Goodreads.com

Buckhanon, Kalisha. Upstate. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2005. $19.95 Hardback (247p) ISBN:9780312332686.

Recommended for ages 14+.

Upstate is told through letters. The letters of seventeen-year-old Antonio from jail, the boy who has been accused of a violent crime that could potentially lead to a lifetime behind bars. And the letters of sixteen-year-old Natasha from her home in the Harlem hood, the girl who loves Antonio and promises to stick by him no matter what. The letters tell of the passionate relationship these two share and provide background into life in the hood.  Though the couple’s writing the reader is given an intimate view into the hopes and dreams of both Antonio and Natasha. These letters cover a span of nine years and detail the growth of each character. The result is a heartbreaking and utterly unforgettable tale.

Awards/Honors

ALA Alex Award Winner - 2006
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults - 2006
Audie Award Winner Literary Fiction - 2006
YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults Hard Knock Life - 2010

Here is an excerpt from the audiobook:

Airhead - Meg Cabot

Cover art from megcabot.com

"I honestly don't think you have a right to complain. You went into my surgery a grievously injured girl and came out a supermodel! Millions of girls would die -- literally -- to be in your shoes right now!" (p.165)


Cabot, Meg. Airhead. New York: Point, 2008. $16.99 Hardback (340p) ISBN:9780545040525.
Recommended for ages 12-16.


Em Watts is a brainy, t-shirt and jeans wearing, video game-loving seventeen year old girl. She has little interest in the latest trends, preferring to spend her spare time gaming with her best friend, Christopher – the boy she secretly has a crush on. All this changes when a freak accident causes Em’s brain to wind up in supermodel Nikki Howard’s body. To all except her immediate family Em Watts is dead. Now instead of studying and gaming, Em is busy modeling for magazine covers and signing autographs as Nikki Howard. She has all the clothes, shoes, and accessories a girl could want but she no longer has Christopher in her life. She can’t disclose her secret so her only choice is to convince Christopher that Nikki Howard is not just another pretty Airhead.


Awards/Honors
YALSA Popular Paperback nominee - 2010

The rest of the Airhead series:

Watersmeet- Ellen Jensen Abbott

Cover art from indiebound.org

Abbott, Ellen Jensen. Watersmeet. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2009.  $8.99 Paperback (341p) ISBN:978076145997. Recommended for ages 12 and up.

Her only hope of survival lies in Watersmeet but getting there will mean overcoming her own deeply engraved prejudices and trusting those whom she once despised.

With her dark hair and green eyes, Abisina has been an outcast since birth. Never allowed to talk or merely make eye contact with the blonde, blue-eyed, fair skinned villagers. Only her mother's (Sina) status as the village's sole healer has kept Abisina alive for this long, living in Vranille behind tall walls to keep out the beasts - the dwarfs, the centaurs. When the annual Ritual takes place this year not even Sina's status can keep her daughter safe within the village. With her mother's prized necklace Abisina sets off to find her father at Watersmeet. Getting there will require trusting those she previously had intolerance for. Getting there will mean confronting her deepest fears. Getting there will require Abisina to look deep into herself and discover her own power. In this dark world full of hatred and violence there lies a land full of love and acceptance. Will Abisina find it in time?


Awards/Honors
IRA Young Adult Award Notable Book
YALSA Teens' Top Ten Nominee
Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Award - 2011

This is a trilogy. The next title is The Centaur's Daughter.

Cover art from indiebound.org

The last book is currently being called The Keeper and will be released fall 2013. 

Visit the author's blog for up-to-date information on this series.

Teen Talk with Wendy

"I love to read! It's like I go to another land and relax."              

~ Wendy L., age 16       

Wendy recommends The Golden Compass Trilogy by Philip Pullman.

"It's amazingly catchy and it's well written."

Cover art from goodreads.com

For the full interview with Wendy and other teens visit the Teen Talk Page.

The Frenzy - Francesca Lia Block

Cover art from Goodreads.com

“At some point in everyone’s life they ask the question, “Who am I?”

Four years ago when I turned thirteen I asked the question, “What am I?”

I had changed.

But I didn’t know how or why, or what I had become.” (p.1)

Block, Francesca Lia. The Frenzy. New York: HarperTeen, 2010.  $16.99 Hardback (258p) ISBN:9780061926662.

Recommended for ages 12 and up.

Liv is living in a small town where different is not accepted. It’s bad enough that she has to hide her interracial relationship with her boyfriend, Corey, and a secret for her best friend, Pace. Now she also must hide who she truly is. But who is she? Or maybe the question is what is she? This is the question she has been asking herself the last four years since the frenzy took hold. The frenzy occurs anytime Liv begins to lose her temper. In these times a great anger overtakes her and she becomes someone she cannot recognize. As Liv tries to keep her emotions under control, her father, the chief of police, is trying to solve a string of murders that have taken place behind her home. Are these events connected? As Liv draws closer to the truth, a mysterious woman is watching her from afar. What does this woman know? As Liv begins to unravel her true identity, both Pace and Corey seem to grow more distant. Can her relationship with Corey and her friendship with Pace survive The Frenzy? 


Awards/Honors
Margaret A. Edwards Award Winner - 2005

Hear Francesca Lia Block read the first chapter of this book.

Silver Kiss - Annette Curtis Klause

Cover art from indiebound.org

A figure detached from the shadows. Her mouth dried. Mother of two found dead, she thought. It moved toward her. Stepped into the moonlight on the side closest to her, and briefly she thought to run. Then she saw his face. (p.12)


Klause, Annette Curtis. The Silver Kiss. New York: Delacorte Press, 1990. $8.99 Paperback (198p) ISBN:9780385734226.
Recommended for ages 12+.

Dangerous vampires, forbidden love, and an unraveling mystery all allow for The Silver Kiss to be read at a breath-taking pace. Just be sure to leave all the lights on.

Zoe has never felt so isolated and unsure in her life. Her mother is dying. Her best friend is moving. Her dad is always either at the hospital with her mother or working. Women of the town are turning up dead with throats slashed, drained of blood. This is not a good time to be out alone after dark but that is exactly where Zoe finds herself. That is until she meets Simon. Who is this mysterious, gorgeous guy? And why is he so infatuated with Zoe? This pale, dark eyed boy with silver hair hides an ancient, deadly secret. Zoe senses that she should stay away from him but her heart won’t allow it. Besides, Simon desperately needs Zoe’s help. It’s just that helping him might also cost Zoe her life.

Awards/Honors
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults - 1991
Sequoyah Young Adult Award Winner - 1993
Young Hoosier Young Adult Book Award Nominee - 1993-1994
YALSA Popular Paperbacks for YA Changing Dimensions - 1999
YALSA Popular Paperbacks for YA Death and Dying - 2009

Almost Perfect - Brian Katcher

Cover art from indiebound.org

Katcher, Brian. Almost Perfect. New York: Delacorte Press, 2009. $9.99 Paperback (368p) ISBN: 9780385736657.

Recommended for ages 14 & up.

Logan Witherspoon has just begun his senior year at high school. Life should be exciting and full of promise. But his cheating long-term girlfriend has dumped him, and his friends are tired of hearing about it. His sister is away at college and his mother is always working to make ends meet.  Logan is feeling depressed and alone. That is until a new girl enters his biology class. Sage Hendricks is everything Logan every wanted in a girl – funny, witty, and cute. The two awkwardly get to know one another and soon discover they have feelings for each other. Everything falls apart when Sage confides in Logan her deepest secret - that she is physically a boy. Logan is enraged and storms off. What will his friends and family think if Sage’s secret is made public? It doesn’t take long for confusion to set in as Logan realizes that he deeply misses Sage’s friendship. Yet in order for their friendship to succeed Logan must accept Sage for who she is and come to terms with Almost Perfect.

Awards/Honors
ALA Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award - 2011
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults - 2010
ALA Rainbow Book List -2010
YALSA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults - 2013

Divergent - Veronica Roth

Cover art from indiebound.org

Roth, Veronica. Divergent. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2011.  $17.99 Hardback (487p) ISBN:9780062024022

The most important day in sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior’s live has arrived. She will decide which fraction she will spend the rest of her life in. She can pick from the selfless Abnegations, the peaceful Amities, the honest Candors, the brave Dauntless, or the intelligent Erudite. In a world where fraction always comes before family this is the toughest decision Beatrice Prior will ever make. Remaining with her Abnegation family goes against her very nature but acceptance is not guaranteed in any of the other fractions. A wrong choice could leave her fractionless, the very worst fate of all. To complicate matters more, Beatrice has a big secret. A secret that if revealed could cost her life. And as Beatrice soon discovers, a secret that might just save the lives of all those she loves.

Awards/Honors
Goodreads Favorite Book of 2011
Goodreads Best YA Fantasy & Science Fiction - 2011
Named one of NPR's Top 5 YA Novel - 2011
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults - 2012
NPR Young Adult Fiction Finalist - 2012


Veronica Roth talks about her book, Divergent, and the characters:

Next book in the trilogy:

Cover art from indiebound.org

Final book (still untitled) releasing Fall 2013:

"Cover" art from librarything.com

Movie tie-in:
Divergent is also being made into a movie, set to release in March 2014. Catch up on what's being said about this as well as see photos and more at Tumblr. 

To countdown the movie The Faction Four has 365 entertaining challenges, one for each day until the movie is released beginning on March 21, 2012. 

Website:
Serious Divergent fans will enjoy all the updates and extra on the Divergent Fans site. There is lots of behind-the-scenes info here as well.

Things Not Seen - Andrew Clements

Cover art from indiebound.org

Clements, Andrew. Things Not Seen. New York: Puffin Books, 2002. $6.99 Paperback (251p) ISBN: 9780142400760.

Recommended for ages 10-14.

Have you ever felt as if you were invisible? As the only child of two working parents fifteen-year-old Bobby Phillips has felt this way plenty of times. When he wakes up one morning truly invisible he realizes exactly what this word means. While his family attempts to figure out how this happened, Bobby is forced to keep his situation a secret and stay secluded. At first skipping school and being invisible is fun but the loneliness soon gets to him so Bobby sneaks out one day to the library. Here he finally finds someone he can talk to. Alicia is blind and to her Bobby seems perfectly normal. The pair become quick friends and Bobby ends up sharing his secret with her. Perhaps together they can discover how to make Bobby visible again. But they must hurry as time is running out. The police have shown up at Bobby’s home, questioning his absence from school and they are not buying his mom’s story. Will Bobby be able to reverse his condition before his parents are sent to jail? Or will he remain unseen for the rest of his life?

Awards/Honors
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults List - 2003
ALA Schneider Family Book Award for Teen - 2004
Young Hoosier Middle Grade Book Nominee - 2004-2005

Other titles in this series 

Cover art from indiebound.org

Cover art from indiebound.org

Listen to one teen's thoughts on this title: