Review:Cannot put down, because I want kept wanting to know what happens next. Chase packed a lot of life into 20 years. His dad was with him all the time and really understood him. Sometimes the best parenting can't save your child / teen / young adult from poor decisions. It is also helpful for anyone going through grief over the loss of a loved one in a tragic event like this, because you can sense the father's anger, his attempt to understand. You can also sense that, as he rights, he is makin... Read more

Review:"Orbiting Jupiter", by Gary D. Schmidt is a heart-wrenching story of a young man trying to find his way in an unkind world of abuse, teenage love, foster care, and against all odds. So masterfully written I couldn't put it down.

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Read more

Review:I cannot recommend this book too highly. Levithan succeeds in brilliantly reflecting both the thoughts and feelings of a young generation of boys with varied gay experience with his own Greek chorus of older AIDS era experiences. This is about as close to a tour de force as you're going to get. Bravo. Read more

Review:These books are never easy, as the situation that surrounds them is filled with hurt and longing. However, they also work wonders and make the complicated concept of loss and death so much easier for children to understand. My daughter lost her father at only 6 months old, so she doesnt remember him. As she is getting older (5 now) she asks more questions and is starting to experience the void. It is hard, but this book makes it easier and more approachable to talk about. Thank you for helping m... Read more

Review:I was very disappointed and would not give a child such vague waffle. I suggest the author reads "The Thibetan Book of the Dead" or some of George King's brilliant teachings on life after death. As a child I was fortunate to be surrounded by people who were equally as keen to apply their intelligence to life as they were to death. As it is such a vital subject that affects us all, why do we continue to deal in child-like analogies. There are enough excellent books around that tell us oth... Read more

Review:McGary never disappoints me. I love her previous series. This was different and I still fell in love with the story line and the characters. I wish there was more on Oz and Emily. I'd love to hear how they work things out long distance. I was definitely hooked on this book. Read more

Review:I read this book as a assignment for reading class and I loved it, the overall plot was very sad but relieving toward the end. I recommend the book to any one that has a liking in YA (young adult) books. I did like that it had such a complex plot to it, when I turned the page I didn't know if it would be sad or happy. If you are someone sensitive to sadder stories and don't sit well with death (especially young children) I don't record their book to you. Other than that it was a book worthy of 5... Read more

Review:I finished this book yesterday. I had tears flowing down my cheeks. It was just a book I had picked up at the library or the thrift store. Or so I thought. I was wrong. It is a tear-jerker but it is also a really well-written book. It is about a 16-year old girl dying of leukemia and trying to do all the things she's never done but wants to - before she dies. It is a YA book, I think, but it is one of those that crosses genres and age groups. It is real. It is open. It is a book I will never for... Read more

Review:Purchased for 6th grade Pre-AP ELAR class. My daughter loves it and says it is amazing! The book is written well and does the subject matter justice (I have a history degree with a specialization in this period of history). Read more

Review:Eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman could talk up a storm, had a generous heart, did well in school, and had a fantastic throwing arm. But he was also gullible and took fright easily, running and screaming like a madman when spooked, especially by snakes. His parents, former slaves who had escaped to Canada, often took comfort in the fact that Elijah was born into freedom rather than slavery given his "fragile" nature, as they called it. In fact, Elijah was the first child born into freedom in Bux... Read more