SLIDING ON THE EDGE by C. Lee McKenzie

Shawna Stone has never really known the real story about the dad she never knew.  All she can remember is moving from place to place as her mother switched from one creepy boyfriend to another.  Lately, home has been Las Vegas.  Her mother has the gambling bug and spends her nights partying and drinking, and her days sleeping it off.

It isn't a complete surprise when Shawna discovers a note, a bus ticket, and $100.  According to the note, Shawna is to take the bus to Sacramento, California, and call someone named Kay Stone.  The note says the woman is her grandmother, and Shawna will be staying with because her mother has decided to head off with her latest boyfriend.

The temptation to stay in Vegas and use the $100 to survive until she finds a job is Shawna's first thought.  Reality sinks in when she remembers the rent is due today, and she knows their landlord won't be happy with a measly 100 bucks.  There's nothing to do but head to the bus station.

After she arrives in California, Shawna can't believe she will be living out in the middle of nowhere on her grandmother's horse farm.  As they bounce along the entrance road, she sees not only horses, but also a flea-bitten dog and a small herd of naked sheep.  It doesn't take long to find out living here will mean daily chores and more rules than she can possibly keep track of.  Returning to Vegas is all Shawna can think about.

SLIDING ON THE EDGE is the story of a young girl struggling with countless issues as she lives with her 60 year old grandmother who has demons of her own.  Together they must find a way to co-exist and maybe even discover the love and trust they have both lost.  Told in alternating chapters that overlap more and more as they begin to connect, this novel is filled with feelings of both pain and hope that given time life can turn around.

VIOLA IN REEL LIFE by Adriana Trigiani

VIOLA IN REEL LIFE tells the story of a year in a boarding school in South Bend, Indiana. 

Viola is used to New York City living.  Her parents are documentary film makers, and she plans to follow in their film footsteps.  Usually if her parents' work takes them away from home for any extended period, she would be placed in the care of her grandmother, but since her actress grandmother has a previous commitment, this time different plans are made for the young teen.

The idea of leaving New York and heading to the Midwest for a year at an all-girl boarding school has Viola steaming mad.  How could they?  They keep telling her things like how her mother spent a year at The Perfect Academy for Young Women, and that it will be a year she'll remember for a lifetime.  Who cares?  Viola doesn't want to leave her friends behind, and she certainly doesn't want to miss her freshmen year of high school at LaGuardia Arts. 

No matter how much she objects, Viola finds herself being driven halfway across the country and moved in with three other freshmen roommates.  She is feeling just like her bland, beige bedspread as she watches the rest of the girls settle in.  Sure that none the others are here against their will, she reluctantly embarks on what she believes will be the worst year of her life.

Much to Viola's surprise, loneliness drives her to rely on her roommates and gradually open up to them.  Her interest in film making earns her the respect of her classmates when she is volunteered to create the video scenery for the annual Founders' Day celebration.  Once she experiences success, she becomes determined to make her mark at The Perfect Academy.

Author Adriana Trigiani is well-known for her adult novels.  In VIOLA IN REEL LIFE, she uses her talent as a fresh new voice in young adult fiction.  Trigiani takes readers into Viola's life as she learns to adjust to life away from home and family.  Her plot includes Viola's interest in film, the problems her roommates are facing, a touch of romance, and even an interesting ghostly presence.  Though this novel is rather tame in comparison to some of the latest teen offerings, it should capture readers and perhaps have them wanting to hear more from Viola in the future.

SLEEPING FRESHMEN NEVER LIE by David Lubar

SLEEPING FRESHMEN NEVER LIE by David Lubar is another book that, although it has been on my classroom shelf for years, I've never taken the time to read it.  Well, I finally took the time, and now I'm highly recommending it.

Lubar has humorously included all the dread and tension associated with starting high school.  Main character, Scott, is not looking forward to bus rides, gym class, and the assorted encounters with upperclassmen he has grown up hearing about from previous high school newbies.  He learns quickly to never fall asleep on the morning bus ride to school and to take cover behind any more awkward, taller, or simply any other freshman available.  Avoiding attacks and letting some other poor sap feel the pain, makes surviving the first fateful year of high school easier.

To complicate matters Scott is a bit of a nerd.  His major form of recreation is reading which would make him a target for taunting even if he wasn't a freshman.  He isn't able to benefit much from sibling advice since his older brother never got it together enough to graduate.  Bobby may have been popular with the ladies, but as far as useful advice about dealing with teachers, stacks of homework, and bullies, he is a waste.

The other factor creating a challenge this year is the fact that Scott's mother has announced that she is pregnant.  Scott would have thought two sons was plenty for any parent, but judging by the excitement exhibited by his parents, this new addition to the family is cause for celebration.

As Scott journeys through the perils of his freshman year, he exercises his writing talents in a diary to his yet unborn sibling.  In it he gives advice for living in this crazy world that is both hilarious and poignant.  He occasionally seeks help from family and friends, but often relies on the diary and sharing his thoughts with his future kid brother/sister as a way to relieve the stress and confusion of the most difficult year of his life to date.

Author David Lubar's great talent for entertainment is evident in SLEEPING FRESHMEN NEVER LIE from the very first chapter.  Scott's experiences are perfect examples of the horrors many face as freshmen making this a book that has a little something for everyone.  An added feature I appreciated was Lubar's constant references to well-known kid and young adult literature.  Making Scott an avid reader and writer added a quirky, yet inspiring aspect to his story.  I'm glad I randomly grabbed this one off the shelf.

ONCE WAS LOST by Sara Zarr

Faith is what gets many through the tough times.  Samara "Sam" has been raised surrounded by faith and believing in miracles, but lately a number of things have her doubting those beliefs.

Sam is a PK (preacher's kid) and held up to expectations she is beginning to resent.  Her father spends 60-70 hours a week doing church business.  He's a great guy, and she knows he's a terrific help to the members of his congregation, but his dedication to them often leaves Sam and her mother without his support. 

Her mother doesn't handle this well.  For years she has been a secret alcoholic.  For years she has managed a delicate balancing act that has fooled her husband and the members of the church, but the gig is up.  Sam and her father have checked her into rehab.  Though Sam has been covering for her at home and even out in the community, she misses her mother terribly.

Then a tragedy hits the community.  A thirteen year old is kidnapped in broad daylight.  The girl is a member of Sam's father's church so he is called to provide spiritual support for the family.  Since Sam's mother is currently unavailable, she finds herself either alone or pawned off on her best friend's family. 

All of this comes at a time in Sam's life when she is seriously questioning her faith.  How can God let these things happen?  How has He let her mother's life spiral out of control?  How can He let her father get so involved in everyone's life and so uninvolved in hers?  How can He let an innocent thirteen year old disappear on a bright sunny afternoon?

Author Sara Zarr explores the idea of losing faith in ONCE WAS LOST.  "Lost" has many meanings in this novel from the literal to the spiritual.  Most of her characters are fighting a battle to find their way along some personal journey.  Life is a confusing enough, but when events and relationships leave Sam and others with questions about a greater purpose, they struggle to cling to the idea of miracles or whatever helps them make sense of their world.

ALABAMA MOON by Watt Key

Here's one for all you survival fans who enjoy the "roughing it" stories of author's like Gary Paulsen and Will Hobbs.  ALABAMA MOON has a living off the land plot combined with a whole lot more.

Ten year old Moon Blake has lived in the forest with his father since he was just a baby.  He has grown up hearing Pap explain the reason they live their isolated existence is because they can live without the interference of the government.  Not knowing exactly what that means doesn't really bother Moon.  All he knows is his life is full of activity and adventure.  They hunt and fish and raise vegetables that they sell on their rare trips to a nearby country store.  Moon can read and write, and he's learned tons about animals and the outdoors from an impressive library Pap has stored away in their underground home.

Everything begins to change when a rich lawyer buys up the land Moon and Pap live on.  Surveyors show up and soon a huge lodge is under construction too close for comfort.  Pap's plan has always been to move to Alaska where he says there are lots of government haters, but an unfortunate fall leaves Pap with a badly broken leg.  Even though Moon tries his best to care for Pap's injury, the leg becomes infected and there is nothing Moon can do.  He buries his father next to the grave they dug for his mother years ago.

Moon's life changes even further when he is picked up by the local constable.  He is delivered to a boys' home where he gets his first taste of the real world.  Being cooped up in buildings and tied down by rules makes Moon restless and homesick.  It isn't long before he has a plan to escape.  He and two other boys successfully make their way into the forest where Moon's survival skills are put to the test.  Can he return to the life he loves or will he find that companionship and some of the comforts of society are too important to ignore?

Author Watt Key takes readers on an incredible journey with Moon and his friends.  The wild boy will have readers rooting for him as he battles the law, his memories, and nature.  ALABAMA MOON is a great book for guys, especially reluctant readers.

Watch: “It’s Kind Of A Funny Story” Trailer - Entertainment News - Pedestrian TV

Can't wait for this movie based on Ned Vizzini's book IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY.  It's out in select theaters September 24.

Take a look at the trailer.

Watch: “It’s Kind Of A Funny Story” Trailer - Entertainment News - Pedestrian TV

THE SECOND TRIAL by Rosemarie Boll

Danny McMillan loves his dad so coming to terms with the fact that the man is on trial for physically and emotionally abusing Danny's mom is taking its toll.  Danny's mom thinks it is important for Danny to attend the sentencing hearing in hopes that he can come to terms with the reality of this horrible situation. 

As Danny sits in court and listens to details of his life he never knew existed, anger and fear begin to build.  Although, he loves his mother, he still can't believe that the father who spent time with him and taught him everything he knows is capable of the abuse being described in the courtroom.  When the final sentence calls for his father to be held just a short time in prison instead of the seven years requested by the prosecuting attorney, Danny sees it as a second chance for his family.  That means there is hope that his father can return home, his mother can forgive and forget, and they can pick up with life as it was before all this drama.

The hopes that Danny has are destroyed soon after the trial when several strangers begin meeting with his mother.  He quickly learns that these people believe the only way his mother will be safe from his abusive father is for them to leave everything and everyone behind to start a new life.  He has never heard of the NIVA (New Identities for Victims of Abuse), but it now takes over his life.  He and his mother and younger sister will be given new names and identities, and they will be forced to relocate and begin a new life.  The whole idea fills Danny with rage.  How can they say his father will never change?  Now it will be up to Danny to find a way to reunite the family or come to terms with his new reality.

THE SECOND TRIAL is the story of a family torn apart by one abusive individual.  Author Rosemarie Boll deftly describes the years of abuse Danny's mother suffered in silence.  Her prose begins to explain the mystery of why abused women continue to live in physical and emotional turmoil instead of packing up and leaving it behind.  Boll uses her own professional knowledge of similar circumstances to illustrate the fear, the anger, and the eventual acceptance of how life is changed for families like Danny's.  Readers should appreciate the honest, straight-forward approach in which this novel is presented.