Frankie is a teen who loves astronomy, she does well in school and has had an amazing best friend, Harriet, since primary school. When Frankie notices Benjamin, he notices her back. Although he's athletic and a "guy's guy" kind of dude, he's very nice and charming. When the pair walk home from school one day, things get heated and Frankie's first sexual experience ends in humiliation when it coincides with her period. It's not something she should be humiliated about, but the current culture dictates that this is somehow abnormal and should be locked away where no one can talk or hear about it. Benjamin tells her it's no big deal, he seems genuinely concerned for her welfare more than he's grossed out. This makes Frankie fall for him even more. Then things start to change at school. There are whispers, accusations and gossip that spirals out of control and Frankie finds that she's been reduced to a meme. She starts to get targeted by strangers online, the abuse, the humiliation, it's all too much. Frankie is desperate to find out who created it, she keeps it from her parents and tries to weather the storm on her own. Blood Moon is a timely, powerful YA story that frankly all teens should get their hands on. It brings a topic to the forefront that is always taboo, Cuthew does not hold back, and she shouldn't. Frankie is a great character with flaws just like everyone else and how she endures the abuse is admiral. And the abuse, man oh man it is harsh, just like real online trolling can be. In a time of cancel culture, slut shaming, sexting and the very real dangers of online over indulgence, Blood Moon is a necessary read.
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Addie is autistic, she knows the kinds of things that can affect and make her feel uncomfortable: bright lights, lots of noise, even holding hands or being hugged can all be too much for her. Her sister, Keedie, is also autistic and the two share an unbreakable bond. Keedie is in university, she's been acting strange to Addie lately, something Addie can't quite figure out but she has a feeling something isn't right. Addie is obsessed with sharks, she loves taking books on them out from the library, she knows everything there is to know about them. When one of her friends decides that Addie should like dolphins instead, Addie tries to understand, she tries to become the person that the people around her want her to be but it's hard, she starts to think she's like a glove that doesn't fit anywhere. Her teacher is a walking nightmare, unsympathetic, mean and impatient with someone who needs understanding and love. Addie also has a deep sense of empathy and justice, so whens she discovers that witches were executed in her Scottish village centuries ago, she campaigns to have the local council erect a memorial for them. The townspeople are not impressed, their town is a good town, they don't want a memorial based on something terrible that happened. Addie is determined, though, she starts to feel like those witches, wrongly labelled, a misfit of sorts, someone who is always on the outside looking in. Addie's dream of getting a memorial raised encounters many roadblocks, and with her sister's increasingly withdrawn behaviour and mean classmates rearing their head, the tenuous hold that Addie has on her stability starts to crumble. I recommend A Kind Of Spark to anyone hoping to gain insight into the world of Autism, it's a powerful story with a lot of punch, heartbreaking and real. Addie's life pops off the page at a feverish pace, don't miss it! Great for ages 9+ Louis has never had luck with pets, they all seem to croak after a little while. When his father brings home a sick, baby donkey, he's determined to nurse it back to health. Everyone around Louis tells him constantly not to get attached to the donkey, that it won't survive. Louie decides to name it Winslow and despite it's constant braying and barking, loves it more than anything else. What follows is a heart warming tale about friendship, loyalty and standing up for what you believe in. Louie's bond with Winslow is very touching and reminiscent of Charlotte's Web and many other great novels with animal connections. I recommend this story for ages 8+, a short, sweet novel with a lot of heart. Lucas is driving with his parents when his father loses control and goes off the road. Both of his parents dead, Lucas climbs out of the wreckage to see a wolf standing in the middle of the road. He's sent to live with his Nan, an ageing lawyer who lives far from his home. Sent to a new school and coping with trauma, Lucas becomes obsessed with the image of the wolf. Then he hears it, news stories about a wolf killing farmers' sheep. Lucas' Nan doesn't believe it, neither does his friend Deb, whose father is a farmer, someone that is convinced the wolf is real. Coping with dangerous bullies and forced to go to anger management therapy, Lucas feels that his mind is slipping, that he's losing control of his sanity. As the hunt for the wolf intensifies, Lucas decides to take matters into his own hands. I really loved this novel, Lucas is a dark, complicated character with a lot of guts. Lambert's writing is poetic and brooding, pounding away at you until you are completely absorbed into the story. It's a nice shot in the arm for anyone looking for a book to really grab you by the collar and give you a shake. I recommend it for ages 11+. When Christine first meets Moon, she's intimidated. Christine has heard stories that Moon will beat you up for no reason. Then Moon moves in next door to Christine and she quickly becomes best friends with her. Moon is daring, mischievous and art simply pours out from her. These are all the things Christine isn't. Christine's parents are relatively conservative and aren't too sure they like the influence Moon is having on her. Moon often tells Christine about the star creatures that talk to her and that she is from another planet and will be joining them soon. Christine brushes this off as Moon is always creating, always thinking of things that "regular" people don't think about. Then, something disastrous happens and Christine has to summon all of the courage that Moon has instilled in her to carry on and be a great friend. This is a lovely graphic novel about friendship, heartache, anxiety and pain. This is exactly the kind of graphic novel I'm looking for to fill the shelves at Glenthorne High School as I know it will be extremely popular.
Gene Luen Yang is a bestselling graphic novelist and a teacher at Bishop O'Dowd Catholic School. He's struggling to come up with a new graphic novel idea after his best selling work "American Born Chinese." After hearing a buzz around school surrounding O'Dowd's basketball team, The Dragons, he decides to talk to the coach to see if there's a story there. The issue is that Gene is not a sports guy, he's a comic book guy. When he was young he was nicknamed "Stick" by his classmates because he was so skinny. He's always shied away from competitive sports because it's not the world he feels comfortable in. However, once he becomes immersed in the world of The Dragons, he finds himself fascinated with the players' back story and the competition that surrounds them. Dragon Hoops is not only a whirlwind history of basketball, it's a fascinating glimpse into the real lives of these players and coaches. Yang covers the anxiety, fears and even racist attitudes that the players face on a daily basis. I love dhow he slowly grew more and more excited about each upcoming game, much to the confusion of his family. It's a wonderful graphic novel for fans of basketball, comics and true stories told with an honest voice. I recommend it for ages 11+! Five years ago student Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh, then Sal, consumed with guilt, killed himself. Everyone knows this, the police, the townsfolk, even Sal's family. One person, however, doesn't quite believe it, Pippa Fitz-Amobi is doing her EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) on the murder, despite the fact that everyone tells her it's not a good idea to snoop around where the police have already gone. To start, she's told not to contact the family of Sal Singh so what does she do? Immediately meet's Sal's brother for an interview. Once little pieces start to fall into place, Pippa realises that she's on to something, that things aren't what they seem in her idyllic little town. Unfortunately, this means that Pippa herself starts to get embroiled in the conspiracy, in that she becomes a target, putting herself and those she loves in danger. I really devoured this novel, as a huge Serial podcast fan, this novel hooked me from the start. Holly Jackson has created in Pippa a long-lasting and authentic detective character, a role model for teens and someone you'd want to have on your side if things went south. The novel is sprinkled with Pippa's notes, ideas and interviews. It's a glimpse into her genius brain and how it works. Pippa herself creates a "murder board" which she hides under her bed so her parents don't see it. It's a board filled with notes, pictures and string to connect everything together, I loved the idea of it and could picture it in my head. I also loved how those around Pippa think she's becoming a little too obsessed with the murder, with her school work falling behind, her relationships being strained and her own mental state fraying at the ends. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is a top-notch murder mystery with amazing characters and twist after twist that will keep you guessing until the last page, I cannot wait to discuss this book with our students at Glenthorne High School! Meat Market has been shortlisted for the YA Book Prize, You can hear Juno's interview with one of our students at Glenthorne High School by clicking here. It's the story of Jana, a teen from a council estate in London. When she's at a theme park she's scouted by a model agency and signed almost immediately because she's "got the look." Her friends are freaking out, her boyfriend supportive but somewhat wary and her parents aren't having any of it, although they are very supportive throughout the novel and I was happy to see this family dynamic rather than a one dimensional cardboard set of parents that just scream at the main character whenever they get a chance. Jana herself isn't too sure, it's a big time commitment and she is genuinely worried about her school work. However, she soon gets sucked into a whirlwind of casting agents, shoots and catwalks. She's whisked to New York, Dubai, MIlan, all over the world and seemingly overnight finds herself, as a teen, on billboards all over the world. People are copying her hair style, going into hairdressers and asking for "The Jana". It's all a dream, and it all becomes too much. Jana very quickly sees the dark side of the modelling industry, the pressure not to eat and the loneliness, the pressure to get to the shoot at five am when she's expected to go to parties all night. Drugs, sexism and the idea that she is just a mannequin to be posed however they want and then discarded. Her relationships begin to strain, her mental state becomes frazzled and then something happens that shatters her to her core. Meat Market is impossible to put down, Dawson has created a character in Jana that cuts to the bone, she is real, funny, stubborn and smart just to name a few. You will find yourself cheering her on every step of the way and getting angry at those who deliberately try to keep her down. This could have been a book on any industry in my opinion, Dawson is such an expert writer that truth pours off the page, really loved this one and I can see hundreds of students in my library that will really want to get their hands on it. Sam is fifteen and is pretty normal. In fact, he's pretty proud of the fact that he's not special in his own brain. However, when his parents suddenly become very wealthy and move to a new home in London, he's put in a new school for the "Gifted & Talented." Every student at this school seems to be on a rocket-ship trajectory to something amazing. Sam, on the other hand, doesn't think he fits in, doesn't want to fit in, even. He's struggling to find where he belongs and constantly pines for going back to the way things were before he was labelled "gifted". Meanwhile, his mum is trying to find herself with pottery and yoga and rhythmic drumming and many, many more things. It's exhausting for Sam as he doesn't feel like he's living up to his siblings. Then something happens, Sam gets thrust into the school production of The Tempest. At first he's doing it out of ironic spite, but then he gets into it, the camaraderie, the tension, pouring your guts out on the stage. Sam starts to dig it, and begins to feel like maybe he's found his place. It's rare that I laugh out loud when reading a book, especially YA. I genuinely laughed hard while reading this, Sam's dry humour and awkward bad luck hits you in the guts on almost every page. It's the perfect read for anyone looking for a heartfelt story about trying to find your place, trying to figure out what you want to be and for anyone who wants a good laugh. You will see yourself in Sam and his family no matter what your situation is, I really recommend it, check it out! Lex is burning alive. At least that's how she feels inside. Her soon to be step-father, John, is a monster, but nobody else really sees it that way. Since being with John, Lex's mother has undergone what can only be described as a lobotomy, she's placid, meek and anxiety ridden. Lex's step-sister Iris is young and innocent and caught up in the angry whirl-wind that is John's behaviour. Sometimes he's sweet, sometimes he's not. When Lex's mother and John get into it and the swearing starts and things get thrown around, that's when Lex's monster comes out. She becomes the furious thing, trashing the house, damaging property, running away. John thinks Lex needs to be medicated, and he's got a doctor friend who can do just that. Desperate, Lex turns to the only person who has ever got her, Kass, her soon to be step brother, whom she also has had an undying crush on for years. Kass is in university in Manchester, he's also desperate not to become like his father, although sometimes his behaviour says otherwise. As the wedding looms, and the situation at home starts to collapse, Lex starts to do even more outrageous things to get her mother's attention to what she's become. Furious Thing is one of the best YA I've read in a while. Lex isn't just living with a monster, John is written as a complex character with sides that allow Lex to see why her mother loves him. Lex is also a deeply complicated, flawed person, someone I wish I knew when I went to high school. Someone who goes with her gut, is desperate to feel something in this life and to show others what it's like to love and hurt. I think this is a beautiful story about life and love and abuse and deciding you aren't going to take it any more. Highly recommend it for ages 14+. |
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