OLIVETTI by Allie Millington

 

OLIVETTI by Allie Millington is a heart-warming book about family, love, and the power of words. The story is told by a young boy named Ernest and a typewriter named Olivetti. 

Ernest Brindle is quiet and prefers to be alone. He loves words and his Oxford English Dictionaries. When everyone else is busy, he climbs to the roof and enjoys reading about words and definitions. 

Olivetti is an antique typewriter that has lived with the Brindle family for years. Mostly used by the mother, Beatrice, Olivetti has been proud to record the stories she calls her Tapestries. Through the years the children have also typed stories and nonsense on the old machine.

One day Beatrice takes Olivetti to a nearby pawn shop and trades him for the sum of $126. Olivetti is put on a shelf, and Beatrice disappears.

When the family realizes that Beatrice is gone, they set to work finding her. Ernest feels especially guilty about his mother's disappearance. If he had behaved better and communicated with her, maybe she would not have left. When Ernest discovers Olivetti has been pawned, he also discovers the typewriter has the ability to communicate. With the help of Olivetti and a new friend named Quinn, Ernest embarks on a quest to find his mother.

THE REDEMPTION OF DAYA KEANE by Gia Gordon

 

Daya lives in Escondido, Arizona. It isn't a big place, so everyone knows everyone. Most people attend Grace Redeemer megachurch, a place Daya knows is not friendly to people like her. Daya's mother would love to have Daya start going to church so the huge congregation could "pray the gay away" for her wayward daughter.

Daya does consider trying the church because her longtime crush Beckett Wild goes there. She knows Beckett is dating Cason, but that doesn't mean Daya can't dream about hooking up with this colorful girl. When Beckett chooses Daya as a partner for a class project, Daya can't believe her luck.

They work together in the library until they decide to work from home. Alone at Daya's house, which is against her mother's rules, Beckett and Daya kiss. It seems Beckett's relationship with Cason may be just a cover for her true feelings. 

News around the school is about the upcoming prom and the Pure Prom being hosted by the Grace Redeemer congregation. Daya has a plan to attend the Pure Prom with B'Rad who promises to keep Cason busy so Daya can have time with Beckett. Will things go as planned or will reckless decisions foil their plans?

Author Gia Gordon deftly deals with life as a queer teen in an ultra-religious community. She takes readers into Daya's and Beckett's world as they try to satisfy parents but still try to be true to themselves. Life isn't easy and doesn't come with a perfect ending. Instead, readers will feel the frustration and pressure for these determined teens.

FERRIS by Kate DiCamillo

 

 

Fans of Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux, and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane will want to check out FERRIS. It's cast of quirky characters hooked me right from the beginning.

Ferris was born on the midway of the local fair hence her nickname. Her best friend is Charisse, her grandmother. When she needs comfort, she heads to Charisse's room where they chat and read together for hours. One afternoon Charisse tells Ferris she is seeing a ghost. The ghost has a message for Charisse. It seems that lighting candles in the chandelier in the dining room would help the ghost find peace. 

Ferris sets about making the chandelier lighting happen. It involves cooperation from her uncle who is currently in the basement painting a history of the world, her friend Billy Jackson, and the purchase of forty candles. All the while Ferris must keep an eye on her little sister Pinky who threatens to terrorize everyone and everything. Getting everyone to cooperate and racing against time due to Charisse's ill health create a challenge only Ferris seems able to conquer.

Ferris's story is a tale of family, friends, and love.

 

GIRL FORGOTTEN by April Henry

 

Piper Gray is a fan of true crime podcasts. She especially likes Dead, Deader, Deadest. When she moves in with her dad and stepmother, starting at a new school seems pretty intimidating until she learns about something called the Senior Passion Project required for all seniors. Piper also learns about an almost 20 year old murder mystery in her new community. That seems like the perfect topic for her own podcast.

With the help of her Creative Writing teacher and a student named Jonas, Piper begins her project. Trips to the library to read about the cold case and interviews with anyone who might remember what happened years ago, give Piper the information she needs to investigate the murder of Firview teen Layla Trello. 

With each podcast episode Piper feels like she is getting closer to finding some answers. Unfortunately, someone else thinks she might be getting too close. Threatening DMs and Facebook comments should have Piper taking a step back, but instead she is determined to find the answers not even the police were able to find years ago.

Author April Henry uses her unique storytelling style to follow Piper's quest to solve Layla's mystery. Incorporating podcast transcripts, news articles, and recorded interviews, Henry makes GIRL FORGOTTEN a true crime page turner. Fans will enjoy the suspense and readers new to Henry's stories will be heading to the library or bookstore for more.

ROAD HOME by Rex Ogle

 

Rex Ogle's FREE LUNCH and PUNCHING BAG are spectacular autobiographical accounts of Ogle's childhood. Now I'm recommending ROAD HOME in which Ogle tells the rocky road he traveled when he came out to his father.

After living for years with an abusive mother and stepfather, Rex has been living with his father. He's about to start college when he decides it is time to be honest with his family. He has lived through years of confusion and is ready to admit he is gay. This news is not what his father wants to here. Rex is told he has 24 hours to retract this news, or he is going to be kicked out.

Rex realizes he must be true to himself. He packs his bags and drives away in his truck, leaving life with his father, stepmother, and siblings behind. He heads for New Orleans hoping to be able to stay with a guy he recently met.

Russell is quite a bit older than Rex, but he welcomes Rex into his home. He shows Rex the sights and tells him he can stay. Russell also introduces Rex into the world of what it means to be a gay male. 

Looking for a job and trying to figure out how he can continue his plans to attend college all turn out to be dead ends. The longer Rex stays with Russell the more uncomfortable the situation becomes. When he decides to leave, he is faced with being homeless and living on the streets.

Author Rex Ogle bares his soul as he recounts a time in his life that shaped him into the person he is today. ROAD HOME relates Ogle's story in personal, gritty, unvarnished prose. 

MICHIGAN VS. THE BOYS by Carrie S. Allen

 

Michigan Manning loves playing hockey so when her school announces they are eliminating the girls' hockey program, she is determined to continue playing. While some of her female teammates decide to take up other sports, play for club teams, or even transfer to other schools, Michigan decides to try out for the boys' team.

Her father congratulates her when she makes the team, her mother doesn't approve, and her little brother thinks it is awesome that his sister will be playing with the guys. When the boys see her name on the roster, most are not happy. She is going to have an uphill battle proving that she deserves to be part of their team.

Michigan takes it in stride when she is told her "locker room" will be the janitor's closet. Changing with the mop buckets, spiders, and a door that doesn't lock are just the beginning of her problems. Someone pours Gatorade in her gym bag, one of the players runs by and flashes her, and she is punched and kicked by players threatening her if she doesn't quit the team.

The hazing escalates when Michigan turns out to be the high scorer for the team and gets noticed by the press and college scouts attending the games. After an incident at a weekend party, Michigan must decide whether to report the abuse or keep quiet.

Author Carrie S. Allen takes readers right into the action of high school hockey in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Not a usual sport for YA novels, the rough, tough sport of hockey gets even rougher and tougher when a girl demonstrates the courage to join in the action.

THE YEAR OF THE BUTTERED CAT by Susan Haas with Lexi Haas

 

Lexi has a form of cerebral palsy that doesn't allow her to control her movements or speak. THE YEAR OF THE BUTTERED CAT is a book Lexi wrote with her mother. Her story alternates between the year she was 6 years old and the year she was 13. 

In the early years it was discovered that although Lexi was compromised physically, she was extremely smart. She learned to read before age 1 and with the help of her mother and a homeschooling program, Lexi advanced well beyond her peers. 

Her parents researched ways to improve Lexi's physical abilities. They discovered a procedure which would implant electrodes in her brain that could be programmed to help her control her movements. Young Lexi underwent the surgery once and found some relief. At age 13 Lexi made the decision to undergo the surgery a second time with the hope of improving even more.

Her story includes a countdown to this second surgery. With the help of her parents and siblings, she is active on social media and helps encourage others with disabilities caused by the same health complication that caused her condition.

Readers who fell in love with Melody in author Sharon. M. Draper's OUT OF MY MIND will want to read Lexi's story.