A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend

A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend
Author: Emily Horner
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 166
Release: 2010-06-10
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1101427493

For months, Cass has heard her best friend, Julia, whisper about a secret project. When Julia dies in a car accident, her drama friends decide to bring the project?a musical called Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad?to fruition. But Cass isn't a drama person. She can?t take a summer of painting sets, and she won?t spend long hours with Heather, the girl who made her miserable all through middle school and has somehow landed the leading role. So Cass takes off. In alternating chapters, she spends the first part of summer on a cross-country bike trip and the rest swallowing her pride, making props, and?of all things?falling for Heather. This is a story of the breadth of love. Of the depth of friendship. And of the most hilarious musical one quiet suburb has ever seen.

The Friend (National Book Award Winner)

The Friend (National Book Award Winner)
Author: Sigrid Nunez
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2018-02-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 073521946X

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES’S 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING NAOMI WATTS “A beautiful book . . . a world of insight into death, grief, art, and love.” —Wall Street Journal “A penetrating, moving meditation on loss, comfort, memory . . . Nunez has a wry, withering wit.” —NPR “Dry, allusive and charming . . . the comedy here writes itself.” —The New York Times The New York Times bestselling story of love, friendship, grief, healing, and the magical bond between a woman and her dog. When a woman unexpectedly loses her lifelong best friend and mentor, she finds herself burdened with the unwanted dog he has left behind. Her own battle against grief is intensified by the mute suffering of the dog, a huge Great Dane traumatized by the inexplicable disappearance of its master, and by the threat of eviction: dogs are prohibited in her apartment building. While others worry that grief has made her a victim of magical thinking, the woman refuses to be separated from the dog except for brief periods of time. Isolated from the rest of the world, increasingly obsessed with the dog's care, determined to read its mind and fathom its heart, she comes dangerously close to unraveling. But while troubles abound, rich and surprising rewards lie in store for both of them. Elegiac and searching, The Friend is both a meditation on loss and a celebration of human-canine devotion.

Teens and the New Religious Landscape

Teens and the New Religious Landscape
Author: Jacob Stratman
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 243
Release: 2018-08-28
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1476630992

How are teenagers' religious experiences shown in today's young adult literature? How do authors use religious texts and beliefs to add depth to characters, settings and plots? How does YA fiction place itself in the larger conversation regarding religion? Modern YA fiction does not shy away from the dilemmas and anxieties teenagers face today. While many stories end with the protagonist in a state of flux if not despair, some authors choose redemption or reconciliation. This collection of new essays explores these issues and more, with a focus on stories in which characters respond to a new (often shifting) religious landscape, in both realistic and fantastic worlds.

That Second Chance

That Second Chance
Author: Meghan Quinn
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2019
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9781542092845

It only took one rowdy night with his brothers to flip Griffin's world upside down. One unlucky encounter saddled them with a family curse and the promise of doomed relationships. Word spread quickly, and rumors about that night made them the most eligible yet untouchable bachelors in Port Snow, Maine. Then Ren Winters, the new girl in town, crashed into his life. Her thirst for a fresh start gave Griffin hope that maybe, just maybe, he could have one, too. Everyone wishes for that second chance ... -- adapted from back cover

Sharing Sam

Sharing Sam
Author: Katherine Applegate
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Total Pages: 160
Release: 2013-04-24
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0307832090

From the author of the New York Times Bestseller Crenshaw How can you take the guy your best friend loves . . . when your best friend’s going to die? Alison Chapman has always believed she’d fall in love hard. And she does—with Sam Cody, a new guy with a gorgeous face and brooding eyes, a guy who’s impossible to resist. When Sam asks her to the Valentine’s Day dance, Alison is elated . . . until she finds out that her best friend, Isabella Cates-Lopez, has fallen for Sam, too . . . until she finds out that Isabella is dying. Now Alison wants Isabella’s last days to be her happiest ever—even if she and Sam have to hide their love. Even if, by sharing Sam, Alison risks losing him forever.

And the Trees Crept In

And the Trees Crept In
Author: Dawn Kurtagich
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2016-09-06
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0316298697

When Silla and Nori arrive at their aunt's home, it's immediately clear that the "blood manor" is cursed. The creaking of the house and the stillness of the woods surrounding them would be enough of a sign, but there are secrets too--the questions that Silla can't ignore: Who is the beautiful boy that's appeared from the woods? Who is the man that her little sister sees, but no one else? And why does it seem that, ever since they arrived, the trees have been creeping closer? Filled with just as many twists and turns as The Dead House, and with achingly beautiful, chilling language that delivers haunting scenes, AND THE TREES CREPT IN is the perfect follow-up novel for master horror writer Dawn Kurtagich.

Empress of the World

Empress of the World
Author: Sara Ryan
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2003-05-26
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1101118393

Nicola Lancaster is spending her summer at the Siegel Institute, a hothouse of smart, intense teenagers. She soon falls in with Katrina (Manic Computer Chick), Isaac (Nice-Guy-Despite-Himself), Kevin (Inarticulate Composer) . . . and Battle, a beautiful blond dancer. The two become friends--and then, startlingly, more than friends. What do you do when you think you're attracted to guys, and then you meet a girl who steals your heart? A trailblazing debut, reissued with an introduction by acclaimed author David Levithan, and copious back matter, including three graphic novel stories by Sara Ryan (and artists Steve Leiber, Dylan Meconis, and Natalie Nourigat) about the characters.

Damselfly

Damselfly
Author: Chandra Prasad
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 229
Release: 2018-03-27
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0545907934

After crash-landing on a deserted tropical island, a group of private-school teens must rely on their wits and one another to survive. Their survival is in their own hands . . . Samantha Mishra opens her eyes and discovers she’s alone and injured in the thick of a jungle. She has no idea where she is, or what happened to the plane taking her and the rest of the Drake Rosemont fencing team across the Pacific for a tournament. Once Sam connects with her best friend, Mel, and they find the others, they set up shelter and hope for rescue. But as the days pass, the teens realize they're on their own, stranded on an island with a mysterious presence that taunts and threatens them. Soon Sam and her companions discover they need to survive more than the jungle . . . they need to survive each other. This taut novel, with a setting evocative of Lord of the Flies, is by turns cinematic and intimate, and always thought-provoking. Praise for Damselfly “Prasad’s [YA] debut is a compelling modern-day adventure . . . An entertaining choice.” —School Library Journal “Ethics balance on a knife’s edge as the characters make difficult choices and adapt to their new reality . . . A compulsive read.” —Booklist “Who are we when we are only accountable to ourselves? This bold, deft novel exposes how fragile the world we inhabit really is and what it might take for us to survive.” —Neela Vaswani, co-author of Same Sun Here “Prasad breathes fresh life into this fusion of Lost, Prep, Gossip Girl, and William Golding’s classic.” —Jake Halpern, author of Fame Junkies and Dormia

The Boy in the Black Suit

The Boy in the Black Suit
Author: Jason Reynolds
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2015-01-06
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1442459522

A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book Just when seventeen-year-old Matt thinks he can’t handle one more piece of terrible news, he meets a girl who’s dealt with a lot more—and who just might be able to clue him in on how to rise up when life keeps knocking him down—in this “vivid, satisfying, and ultimately upbeat tale of grief, redemption, and grace” (Kirkus Reviews) from the Coretta Scott King – John Steptoe Award–winning author of When I Was the Greatest. Matt wears a black suit every day. No, not because his mom died—although she did, and it sucks. But he wears the suit for his gig at the local funeral home, which pays way better than the Cluck Bucket, and he needs the income since his dad can’t handle the bills (or anything, really) on his own. So while Dad’s snagging bottles of whiskey, Matt’s snagging fifteen bucks an hour. Not bad. But everything else? Not good. Then Matt meets Lovey. Crazy name, and she’s been through more crazy stuff than he can imagine. Yet Lovey never cries. She’s tough. Really tough. Tough in the way Matt wishes he could be. Which is maybe why he’s drawn to her, and definitely why he can’t seem to shake her. Because there’s nothing more hopeful than finding a person who understands your loneliness—and who can maybe even help take it away.

Between the Lines

Between the Lines
Author: Michael Anthony
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 287
Release: 2016-09-23
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1475829159

Michael Anthony, 20-year reading workshop practitioner at the secondary level, and Joan Kaywell, acclaimed author and advocate for young adult literature in learning, present Between the Lines, a creative paradigm shift for the English Language Arts workshop classroom. In contrast to the traditional sustained silent reading and individual conferencing model, an impractical commitment for most teachers, BtL invites collaborative engagement and active inquiry among students as well as on-demand writing and integrated YA literature, all designed to support existing middle and secondary level ELA classroom curriculum instruction and national academic learning standards while empowering English educators toward improved student literacy achievement and the creation of lifelong readers. The classroom activities, with student-friendly names like Book Chat Check and Pop Goes the Question, promote animated discussions in social learning contexts and produce writings supported by textual evidence from student selected texts. Clear step by step directions for facilitation and authentic models of resulting student writing are shared along with a standards-based lesson plan suitable for grades 6-12. Ongoing teacher/student journal conversations validate independent reader thought processes and provoke differentiated learning experiences. The book includes Common Core State Standards-based strategies for responding to students meaningfully and for inviting extensions beyond the book, motivating increasingly complex and connective writings. Sample dialogue journal entries are shared along with insightful commentary and practical analysis. Everything needed for implementing Between the Lines is contained within these pages, including a user friendly appendix filled with fully reproduceable classroom workshop materials, tips for reducing the teacher reading and writing loads, and suggestions for building an enviable classroom library stocked with award-winning adolescent literature.