The Program by Suzanne Young

The Program by Suzanne Young 

Set in the near future where suicide is an international epidemic, one breakdown can send a teen to The Program.  An institution where memories are erased with the hopes of helping them get better, Sloane and her friends know better. 

Sloane, James and Miller are inseparable, until Miller begins having problems and then James.  Sloane is trying to hold herself together, but her well-meaning parents, decide the risk is too great and send her into The Program.  Over-medicated and confused, Sloane is determined to remember her memories from Before.


I picked up this book to read numerous times, but everytime I did I would soon place it back on the shelf thinking, 'not another dystopian book.' I am glad I gave in to my dystopian side and decided to read The Program.  I really liked it.  I felt like the future-side of this story was very present.  At first I had a hard time believing that suicide was "catching," like the flu - but then as I fell into the story, the idea was easy to embrace. 

When Sloane was admitted to The Program, I wondered how memories were taken.  I figured it out before it was exposed by the Roger, but I do wonder if I were in middle school if I would have figured it out so quickly.  Though Sloane was over-medicated most of the time, her spirit was still spunky and she was determined to remember her Before.  The Before, with her boyfriend James.  

Sloane and James are typical teenagers in love, it just happens to be they don't remember each other.  I appreciated the idea that who we are meant to meet, care about and love will be destined to come into our lives. 

There will be a sequel to The Program.  I generally don't read sequel's, but I may give this one a chance.  Written for older teens, there is mild language and romance scenes.

**The Program will be our Twitter Talk book of the month for February.

Blackbox by Julie Schumacher

Blackbox
by Julie Schumacher



Elena and her sister Dora have always been close.
So when Dora is hospitalized for depression, Elena is shocked she didn't see the signs.  She is positive Dora will snap out of it quickly and life will go back to normal.

But there is nothing normal about her life after this moment.
Suddenly she finds herself seeing a therapist, her parents don't want to listen to her and she is talking to the neighborhood bad boy, Jimmy.  To make matters worse, even when her sister comes home, she still isn't right...

Jimmy insists she tells her parents what her sister is doing, or not doing - but Elena is positive she can be the one to save her.  But can she?


Even though this book is a few years old, it's message is timely for any family that may have someone suffering depression.  The relationship between the sisters was realistic, teasing, compassion and using childhood games to try to bring them back together. The parents are so focused on Dora that often Elena gets disregarded, unintentionally.  Jimmy is a good addition of character to the plot.  Though I found his bad-boy image rather amusing, he brought an authentic voice to the story.

Depression, no matter the age, can be serious. This story reminds the reader how important communication, openness and understanding are to those involved.  I would recommend this realistic fiction book to middle grades and up.  The characters are in high school.

Swagger

Swagger by Carl Deuker

Jonas was happy with his life.
He lived in California with his mom and dad.
He was the star of their basketball team.
There was even talk of a scholarship.

But then Jonas and his family move to Seattle for a job and Jonas has to start all over again.  He will be starting a new school his Senior year.  He has to try out for the team.  And he has to make new friends.  Luckily, he becomes friends with his neighbor Levi.  Levi also plays basketball, but his grades aren't that great...the guys on the team call him Double-D, short for Dumb-Dumb.  Mr. Hartwell, the assistant coach, begins tutoring him.  Unknown to anyone else, this is when trouble begins for Levi.  With no one to confide in, he begins acting more aggressive and angy on and off the court. 

Can Jonas figure out what is going on with his friend and play ball well enough to get his scholarship?


____________________________________________________

I picked up this book because I am a fan of Carl Deuker.  His book, Runner, is a staple in my booktalks.  I was easily engaged in Swagger from the beginning.  Jonas had a strong voice and the reader understood that Hartwell wasn't to be trusted from the first time Jonas and Levi met him.  Geared towards basketball and boys, I am sure that anyone that enjoys basketball will plunge into the story. 

That said, I was slightly disappointed in the development of Levi.  You discover by the end of the story that his character and events have a major influence on Jonas's life.  Maybe the topic of abuse in the story could have been fleshed out more, without being explicit. Jonas has to make a decision regarding Levi, friendship and the "right" thing to do, but I felt as if I was reading more about play by play action on the court.  Maybe that's a strength though in the story...what a high school basketball player would be concerned about primarily, is basketball...then their friend.

I genuinely liked the book though.  I easily could recommend it to middle grades and up.  Parties, drinking and sexual abuse are implied.  

My Mother The Cheerleader

My Mother The Cheerleader by Robert Sharenow  has been on my reading radar for years.  Published in 2007, this historical novel should be read and discussed.

Louise Collins is a typical teenage girl who doesn't believe anything exciting could happen in her quiet neighborhood, Ninth Ward, in New Orleans.  She lives with her mom in the boardinghouse, Rooms on Desire.  Most days are the same, taking care of Mr. Landroux, who has "spells" of forgetfulness with their housekeeper, Charlotte.  She reads her favorite novels over and over to escape.  Soon enough, Louise gets more excitement than she expected.

It is 1960 and her school is desegregating.  Ruby Bridges, an African American 1st grader, has been allowed to come to her all-white school.  Angry parents pull their children out of school, which is why Louise is allowed to work at her boardinghouse most days.  Her mom is one of The Cheerleaders who heckle Ruby Bridges  

For the first time they get a patron unlike any others who have stayed at Rooms on Desire.  Morgan Miller reads, writes and listens to Louise with respect.  Originally from New Orleans, Morgan now lives in New York City and has come to visit his estranged brother. 

One afternoon Morgan decides to be a bystander, watching Ruby try to get into school.
Local people are not happy that he is there and decide to take revenge.
Louise knows what she has to do.
And her mother, eventually finds her own courage.



I would highly recommend this book to middle grades and up.  The reading itself is not difficult, but the content is high.  There is suggestion of sex, rape and violence. Strong language, but written according to the timeframe. 

The War Within These Walls by Aline Sax & Caryl Strzelecki

The War Within These Walls

It was September 1939 when the Germans invaded our country.  A month later, they marched into Warsaw and took up residence as if they would never leave.

The war seemed to be over.  But after the dust of the bombings had settled, a very different war began...a war against some of us. 


Misha and his family are being harrassed by the Nazi's.
Eventually all Jews are required to wear a white armband with a blue star on their right sleeve, they must declare all their belongings and non-Jews are not allowed to shop in Jewish stories.

Misha is sad and angry.
He witnesses his mother dying from starvation.
His father is a doctor.
His sister follows him.

Misha wants to do something...something to change his reality, to make it right again.




This fictional story will take you on a short journey through Nazi's and the Ghetto.  The illustrations interspersed throughout the book keep the reader engaged in this tragic history.  As I read this book, I felt like it was the first time I was learning about this subject.  I wanted to know what happens to Misha's family and would he be able to fight his way out of the Ghetto? 

-Excellent story.  Middle grades.

Too Nice by Marjorie White Pellegrino

If you or a child you know has ever been told they are "too nice," then this will be a book you might be interested in.

Too Nice by Marjorie White Pellegrino

Amy has a problem. 
She is too nice.
She doesn't want to make anyone upset and wants everyone to be her friend.  It's the beginning of 4th grade and she wants life to be simple.  But problems begin from the first page when she lets Micah have the ball she's playing with, when her friend, Kate, and her were supposed to be playing with the ball.

Problems begin to mount from there, from giving all her cookies away to giving up her seat on the bus.  She doesn't know what to do.

But her Grandpa does.

He helps Amy set healthy boundaries by teaching her how to set up a 'good fence' around her.  They act out different scenario's that Amy may encounter and practice saying the words until she feels comfortable.

She learns she can be nice, say what she wants to say and still have friends.


This book is geared towards lower grades, and would be very readable for 3-5th graders.  With colored pictures on almost every page, the reader is visually engaged in the story.  The reader has a clear understanding it isn't easy being too nice, even if other's may feel that way.  The grandpa is the ideal character to help Amy set up her healthy boundaries. Bravo!

Things to consider

    Could I Sit on a Cloud?
                                                     by Kay Barnham

The first page of both of these books answers the titles questions, leaving the reader to discover more answers to life's questions.  Each page is simple, bright and asking questions most of us probably asked our own parents, like "Why aren't birds electrocuted when they sit on wire?" Or "Can you tickle yourself?"


Can You Like Your Own Elbow?
by Paul Mason


Though these books are geared towards younger readers, I am sure a 4th or 5th grader would be interested in the questions and answers.  Sometimes learning needs to be simple and funny, and these books do a great job helping the reader have a good time.