TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST by Sonya Sones

It is a fact, Colette lies.  In fact, she lies all the time.  Maybe it's because her mother is a famous actress and once people find out, they don't have any interest in Colette, or maybe it's just because adding embellishments to real life makes it more exciting.  Whatever the reason, just remember, it's better not to believe a word Colette says.

When the story starts, Colette and her little brother Will, are headed off for a summer on location for their mother's latest movie.  The original plans were a trip to Paris where Colette expected to hangout with friends, and her brother had hoped to climb the Eiffel Tower, but plans change.  Colette's mother wants them to be with her so they are headed north to a sleepy town where Colette will spend the summer babysitting for Will while they wait around to spend time with their mother whenever she can spare a minute or two.

Fifteen year old Colette doesn't mind spending time with her little brother.  He is smart as a whip, and his cute smile and little lisp make him endearing to everyone he meets.  The problem is that Colette meets Connor, and when you've met the most gorgeous boy on the planet, having your little brother tagging along can really complicate things.  Telling a harmless fib once in a while seems perfectly innocent if it means getting some time alone with Connor.  But, when Colette becomes the victim of someone else's lies, she comes to the conclusion that honesty is the best policy.

Fans of Sonya Sones will be flocking to bookstores and libraries for this new novel.  Written in verse like her other best sellers, TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST is a quick read I found difficult to put down.  Although the plot is fairly predictable and a tad goofy at times, I was drawn in by Colette and little Will and wanted to know that things all worked out for them.  I'm sure there will be a waiting list for this one in my classroom.

QUARANTINE: THE LONERS by Lex Thomas

This new series by writing team Lex Hrabe and Thomas Voorhies is being compared to THE HUNGER GAMES and LORD OF THE FLIES.  I'm sure that alone will be attractive enough for many readers.

McKinley High is like most high schools.  A busy place teaming with students representing high schoolers everywhere.  When a huge explosion rocks one of the wings of the massive, three story school, it becomes anything but normal.

Within minutes of the explosion, all the adults die.  Their deaths are painful and gory as a mysterious virus attacks their bodies causing convulsions as they vomit up their own organs.  The school is quickly quarantined confining all the students to any areas not destroyed by the explosion.  In a few short weeks the school becomes a community of teens surviving on food and other supplies dropped through a containment dome.  They soon create little communities identifying each other by wild hair dye colors.  There are the popular kids, the pretty girls, the skaters, the freaks, and more.  As each group fends for themselves and attempts to protect their possessions, a year quickly passes.

Not given much information from the outside, the students do learn that the deadly virus gradually neutralizes as students reach the age of eighteen.  A testing station is set up by those on the outside that verifies the absence of the virus in older students so they are allowed to "graduate" and return to the outside world.  Two brothers, David and Will, are hoping to survive until they can return to their former lives, but life inside the school is a cutthroat situation.

QUARANTINE: THE LONERS is filled with non-stop action in a world teen readers will find frighteningly familiar.  Fans will be glad to know #2, QUARANTINE: THE SAINTS is already available.

PERSEPOLIS: THE STORY OF A CHILDHOOD by Marjane Satrapi

My local library is one of 125 libraries across the nation awarded a grant for a program titled Let's Talk About It: Muslim Journeys.  PERSEPOLIS is one of the books participants will be reading and discussing. 

PERSEPOLIS by Marjane Satrapi is a memoir written as a graphic novel.  It explains Satrapi's childhood growing up in Iran.  Beginning in 1980 when Satrapi learns she must begin wearing "the veil," she recounts her country's history and the Revolution and its impact on her life as a young Islamic girl. 

Satrapi recalls her early faith in god, views that sometimes oppose those of her parents, and her gradual political involvement and eventual disillusionment.  The story is at times brutal, while at the same time, Satrapi's humor shines.

The graphic format presents the rather complicated history of a country extremely different from our own, but the simplicity may make the subject more relatable for readers who might not make this particular topic a first pick.  I will be eagerly awaiting word on the discussion it inspires during the Muslim Journeys library program.

FORGIVE ME, LEONARD PEACOCK by Matthew Quick

Leonard Peacock has plans for his eighteenth birthday.  They involve a haircut, an antique P-38 Nazi handgun, and the real show stopper - a murder/suicide.

Leonard's mother spends most of her time in the city knee-deep in her fashion design business.  Left to his own devices, Leonard can be found at school, watching old movies with an old neighbor named Walt, or hanging around the train station doing what he refers to as research.  His research consists of observing the adult world trying to figure out if any adults are truly happy.

Loneliness combined with a childhood secret are driving Leonard to desperate measures.  Asher Beal was once Leonard's best friend, but now Leonard has decided that Asher must die.  He plans to use his grandfather's old WWII weapon to first kill Asher and then kill himself, but first he has four presents to deliver.  One to his old movie buddy, one to his guidance counselor, one to his favorite teacher Herr Silverman, and one to a church girl he met in the train station.  It may seem strange that he is the one delivering presents considering this is all scheduled to take place on his eighteenth birthday, but that's part of the ironic plan.  No one, not even his mother, remembers Leonard's birthday.  Although, after he finishes his plan, maybe they will.

Matthew Quick, author of SORT OF LIKE A ROCK STAR, BOY 21, and THE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, has done it again.  FORGIVE ME, LEONARD PEACOCK is the powerful story of a depressed teen desperate to be noticed and remembered in a world that often seems to be filled with the cold and heartless.  Sometimes reaching into the future to grab hopefully at the better things ahead is the only way to carry on.

OPENLY STRAIGHT by Bill Konigsberg

Knowing you are gay and making that clear to the world at a fairly early age should make things easier, right?  Well, it worked for Rafe for a while, but lately he has been secretly wondering what life would be like without the label.

Rafe came out as gay in eighth grade.  His family and his best friend Claire Olivia accepted and embraced his openness.  He didn't particularly have any problems at all.  His mother leaped into his gayness by becoming active in the Boulder PFLAG, and Rafe became known as the gay kid in the community.  Life was good for Rafe.

But inside, Rafe was curious what it would be like to just be one of the guys so he came up with a plan.  He decided to apply to an all-boys boarding school near Boston and keep his life choice a secret.  No one there or back in hometown Boulder was to know his plan.  He would just blend in and live like one of the guys.

Rafe was actually surprised at how easy it all worked, at least at first.  He was accepted and even welcomed for his running speed on the soccer field.  He became a friend of jock and oddball alike.  He was appreciated for his intellect and humor.  However, one fellow student, the amazingly attractive and thoughtful Ben, might turn out to be more than just one of the guys. 

Will Rafe be able to keep his secret?  His writing journal gives him a place to confront his conflicting thoughts, but can it keep him from revealing who he truly is?

OPENLY STRAIGHT by Bill Konigsberg provides a unique look at a well-adjusted gay teen determined to experience life from a new perspective.  A perfect read for questioning teens or anyone looking for a bright main character surrounded by quirky characters and witty dialogue.

EXTREMITIES by David Lubar

I scored this ARC at ALA in Chicago in July!  Thirteen great horror stories perfect for YA readers who have grown up addicted to David Lubar's stories.

In EXTREMITIES Lubar journeys into the dark and dangerous meant for the more mature reader.  With titles like Running Out of Air, Patterns of Fear, Blood Magic, Morph, and Evil Twin, readers are in for a terrifying treat.  Shape-shifters, revenge killings, a haunted house, and a ghost ship are just a few of the creepy scenarios awaiting those brave enough to turn the pages.  The cover boasts the following: Tales of Death, Murder, and Revenge.

I found EXTREMITIES was a case of "you can't just read one."  Once I started, it kept me up late into the night.  I have plans to use some of the selections as inspiration for my students' future creative writing assignments. 

SECOND IMPACT by David Klass & Perri Klass

This book is not going to gather any dust on my classroom shelf.  I predict it will be a popular read with the 9th and 10th grade guys and even some of the girls.

After reading several reviews prior to ordering the book, I was a little worried, but I don't have the common complaint of the other reviewers.  The book is written as blog post entries, and other reviewers (both recreational and professional) have criticized this format.  Personally, I was not bothered by this aspect of the book at all.  Since the blog posts and occasional emails alternate between the two main characters, to me, it just read like alternating chapters.  I enjoy books written using alternating voices so I didn't find this to be a problem at all.

SECOND IMPACT is about a New Jersey high school football team out to win the state championship.  Jerry is the star quarterback grateful to be back on the team after a drunk driving accident that had him on probation and doing community service work to regain the trust of the school and the right to rejoin his team.  He wants to make his senior year one to remember.

Carla is the star journalist for the high school newspaper.  She also uses her writing talents on a newly created school blog.  Recently, she convinced Jerry to begin posting his view of the football season on the blog.  He is nervous at first, but he finds it challenging and rewarding.

The blogging gets a bit complicated when Jerry and then his friend Danny receive some hard hits on the playing field.  Their injuries bring up the danger of playing football, especially the studies being done related to head trauma.  Carla decides to do some in depth investigating into the dangers of football brain injuries, but many, including Jerry, believe she is overstepping the bounds of responsible journalism.

Written by accomplished YA author David Klass and his sister Perri Klass, a pediatrician, SECOND IMPACT combines the fast-paced action of high school football with facts about the risks behind the nation's favorite sport.  Teen readers should find the book entertaining as well as thought-provoking.  I'm glad I purchased it for my classroom.