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.
Hugging the Rock
by Susan Taylor Brown
Beginning on the first page of the story, you instantly see what Rachel is up against.
Her mom consiously decides to run away from home, packing up her
guitar, some books, all her CD's, clothes, music box and quilt from the bed she shares
with her dad.
Rachel doesn't understand what she could've done differently.
She knows her mom sometimes forgets to take her pills and cries alot,
but doesn't understand why.
As the story progresses, Rachel discovers her dad, the rock of the family, protected
Rachel from much of her mothers mental illness...bi-polar.
Written in verse form, this book reads quickly and deeply from the heart of a young girl discovering the bonds that create a family.
Mercury
by Hope Larson
Set in French Hill, Novia Scotia, we meet two different girls, Josey and Tara, in two different time periods
Josey lives in the year 1859, while Tara lives in the present. Each living on the same plot of farmland, but in alternate time periods with different destinies, shown in a graphic novel style.
Young Josey meets a man, Asa, with a sneaky past, leading her father to believe he is able to find gold. Ending in tradegy, Josey learns not all people are meant to be trusted.
While Tara, in the present, is living with her Aunt and cousin, recovering from her house burning down and her mom working in a different state to earn more money. She is learning to trust situations and life all over. Given a gold necklace from her Aunt, reminding her of her mothers love, Tara emerges with great hope with this simple heirloom.
Chicken of the Family
by Mary Amato
You're never too old for a great picture book, especially if it'll make you laugh!
Henrietta's two older sisters make fun of her. They tease her. They pick on her. So when they told her she was really a chicken, Henrietta dismissed them--that was until the evidence started piling up--like the feather she discovers in her bed.
Convinced she is a chicken, Henrietta leaves her family to go to the farm, so she can be with the other chickens-- her real family.
Told with a youthful humor, you'll discover what a joy it is be to a chicken--and to find you're home.
Mythology for Teens
by Zachary Hamby
Whether you're a teacher or someone who enjoys mythology, this book will bring the lessons from mytholgy to life. Each of the 6 Chapters includes a play to act out the story, discussion questions to think about, and supporting facts about the characters and Greek history along with present culture.
The Secret Under My Skin
by Janet McNaughton
Blay Raytee is a government work camp orphan. It is the year 2368 and the entire world is struggling to recover from a technocaust that left a generation of orphans alone. When Blay is chosen in a special mission to help Marella, a guardian of the environment, she could have no idea what this will set in motion. Not only will she help Marella study, she will uncover a key to her past that will allow her to join those who want to restore democracy and discover who she really is.
I enjoyed this disutopian story, again seeing hints into this could-be future, set across any nation.
