ORCHARDS by Holly Thompson

The summer after eighth grade Kana Goldberg was sent to visit relatives in Japan. Half Japanese/American and half Jewish/American, Kana was prepared to be uncomfortable to say the least. The recent suicide of a classmate had all the parents sending their daughters somewhere for the summer.

Kana found herself sharing a room with one cousin and helping work in the family's citrus orchard with another cousin. Kana was given plenty of chores to do while being supervised by her critical grandmother. Learning the ins and outs of the local and family customs kept Kana busy since she was also struggling to brush off her rusty language skills.

All the business was intended to help Kana keep her mind occupied and off the tragedy she had left behind at home. As time passed, she realized she did think less about what had happened, but she still had to deal with the fact that she may not have been at fault for the bullying that caused Ruth's suicide, but rather the fact that she hadn't done anything to stop it.

Kana summer in Japan helps her recognize and appreciate what is important about family and friends and what it means to take responsibility when it comes to relationships. Author Holly Thompson paints a beautiful portrait of the Japanese countryside and the family orchard as she tells Kana's story in verse.

INTO THE HURRICANE by Neil Connelly

The lighthouse on Shackles Island holds significance for both Eli and Max. Eli watched helplessly as his sister jumped to her death from the railing of the lighthouse. Max's finally memories of her father include time shared while standing at the railing of the same lighthouse. Now both teens are headed for that memorable location hoping to make peace with their pasts.

There's one major complication and her name is Celeste. Hurricane Celeste is bearing down on Shackles Island. Residents have been ordered to evacuate immediately. The bridge will be shut down in several hours which means Eli and Max must hurry. 

When the two teens' paths cross at the lighthouse, both are still determined to complete their personal missions despite the storm. The storm, however, has other ideas. Forced from the lighthouse, Eli and Max run into a notorious family of no goods from the island complicating matters even further. Now Eli and Max find themselves having to recover their belongings and escape the clutches of these delinquents. The teens also become responsible for not only themselves but also a frightened little girl clutching a stuffed toy.

Author Neil Connelly takes readers on an emotional and action packed journey complete with hurricane force winds, driving rain, crashing surf, and even an albino alligator. Eli and Max help each other survive both physically and emotionally as Hurricane Celeste tries to destroy Shackles Island.

TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN by John Green

Aza describes her world as “an ever-tightening spiral.” Her OCD behavior has her constantly fearing the worst. She obsessively changes a bandage covering a cracked callus on her thumb. She is convinced it will become infected and kill her or she’ll end up in the hospital where she’s given antibiotics which will result in a fatal case of C. Diff.

Her mental frailty combined with the loss of her father has Aza spending time with her therapist and counting on her best friend Daisy for support. She doesn’t need anything else to complicate her life, but along comes Davis and his younger brother. Their billionaire father has disappeared, and Aza becomes involved in the hunt to find Mr. Russell Pickett.

Can she overcome her psychological fears enough to follow the clues and handle the budding romantic feelings she has for Davis Pickett? Is she too wrapped up in her own problems to sympathize with her friend when she breaks up with her boy friend? Can she find a way to cope with losing her father without increasing her mother’s stress?

Popular author John Green has finally returned to his fans with TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN. It is definitely a book to read and savor, and then reread again.

LONG WAY DOWN by Jason Reynolds

Author Jason Reynolds writes a frightening tale of revenge called LONG WAY DOWN.

Young Will is mourning the loss of his brother Shawn. He's pretty sure he knows who's responsible, and one of the laws of his world is get revenge no matter what. Will wants to follow the rules, but his conscience has him questioning if he is capable.

Written in verse and in the unique setting of an elevator ride down seven floors, Jason Reynolds takes readers into the mind of a teen trying to come to terms with the loss of a loved one and how he might justify getting even. Ghosts of Will's past haunt his thoughts and may eventually influence his decision either right or wrong.                                       

SLIDER by Pete Hautman

Have you ever watched an eating contest? I will never forget watching a televised contest in which the contestants had to eat mayonnaise. Oh my! That was totally gross! 

SLIDER by Pete Hautman involves eating contests, but fortunately mayonnaise is not on the menu.

David has come to the conclusion that his sole talent is eating. His older sister is basically perfect. Away at college, her grades are stellar and to his knowledge she has never done anything wrong. His brother, Mal, is autistic, but that's a word his family doesn't like to use. David feels stuck in the middle and totally ignored.

Fascinated by eating contests, David attempts to purchase a famous half a hot dog that was the downfall of one of his heroes. The "Gurge" lost a hot dog eating contest by half a dog, and when David sees it for sale on BuyBuy.com, he has to bid. When his bid mistakenly goes from $20 to $2000 and he realizes that's the amount now charged to his mother's credit card, he has to find a way to pay her back. What better way than winning the Pigorino's Pizza eating contest with a grand prize of $5000?

Author Pete Hautman takes readers on a humorous journey into the world of championship eating contests. From sliders to pizzas, David learns not only how to eat large volumes of food at break-neck speed, but he also learns the meaning of family and friendship. Perfect for middle grade readers.

SOLO by Kwame Alexander with Mary Rand Hess

Author Kwame Alexander has captured the hearts of readers with his books CROSSOVER and BOOKED. Now he has partnered with Mary Rand Hess to create another story that is sure to increase his fan base.

SOLO is the story of Blade Morrison. He is the son of rock and roll sensation Rutherford Morrison. Blade lives a life of privilege in Hollywood. His world revolves around music and a girl named Chapel. Despite outward appearances, Blade is struggling.

Although his father's music has provided the best of everything for his family, tragedy has struck. Blade's mother, Sunny, died years ago, and his father never truly recovered. In between concerts and tours, the famous musician has dealt with multiple stints in rehab for drug and alcohol abuse. Blade's world begins to crumble when Chapel's parents forbid contact with Blade because of his father's destructive behavior.

To further complicate Blade's chaotic life, he learns that he was adopted as an infant. Angry because his parents kept this a secret, he vows to find his biological mother. His search takes him to Ghana and the most unlikely of adventures.

Alexander and Hess use verse to paint a stunning picture of Blade's struggle to understand his true self and how he fits into the world. Despite his life of wealth and privilege, his story is not always pleasant and the those around him are not always helpful. His determination and resilience make for an inspirational read.

PRISONER OF WAR: A Novel of World War II by Michael Spradlin

                                                       

Henry "Tree" Forrest is fifteen years old. In order to avoid another beating from his vicious father, he decides to enlist in the Marines. He barely makes it through boot camp and finds himself fighting beside grown men in the Philippines.

Henry's height earns him the nickname Tree, and his courage and bravery earn him the respect of the men in his unit. When the tide of the war turns after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Tree experiences the true evils of war. The Japanese constant air and ground attacks force the allied soldiers to retreat and surrender.

Tree and his fellow soldiers become prisoners of war. The conditions are horrendous. The defeated and exhausted men are marched from the shores of the South China Sea into the interior of the island. Denied food and water and medical treatment, many men don't survive.

Once at Camp O'Donnell, Tree suffers beatings he could never have imagined from his father. With the constant encouragement of a veteran soldier named Gunny, Tree digs deep to find the strength to withstand the beatings and the miserable conditions for years.

Author Michael Spradlin has explored the world of war in his previous novel THE EMENY ABOVE. This new release takes readers into the mind of a young boy as he experiences unbelievable horrors. Written in a voice and pace that will definitely hold the attention of even the most reluctant of readers, PRISONER OF WAR is perfect for a library or classroom collection.