Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Publisher: Knopf
Publication Date: February 14, 2012
Number of Pages: 313
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to mainstream school - until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

She thinks: This book came highly recommended to me by our children's librarian where I work. I have to admit though that I was a little nervous to pick it up and discover Auggie's world. I didn't know if I was ready to enter Auggie's world. I wasn't really looking for a heavy book at the time.

{via fremdeng.ning.com}

However, there was no reason to be afraid. This book does a spectacular job explaining how Auggie experiences the world as well as how the people around him that love him experience life with Auggie. It also is real but lighthearted at the same time. The trials and tribulations that Auggie, his friends, and his family go through are real, and you're left wondering what you would do in the same situation.

{via meetville.com}

I highly recommend this book to any middle grade students and their parents whenever they are at the library and are asking for suggestions. It tackles the topics of being new, being different, and bullying. Take the Choose Kind pledge started because of the book Wonder.

The List by Siobhan Vivian

The List by Siobhan Vivian
Publisher: Push
Publication Date: April 1, 2012
Number of Pages: 332
Genre: Young Adult
Source: personal purchase

Summary {via GoodReads}:
An intense look at the rules of high school attraction - and the price that's paid for them.

It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn't matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, "pretty" and "ugly." And it's also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two.

She thinks: Every woman - teen, preteen, adult - needs to read this book. It perfectly addresses how we judge ourselves and, let's face it, each other based on appearance. The girls in the book are all affected in different ways by appearing on the list, from eating disorders to bullying. It touches on each dynamic and feeling each girl might encounter based on their place on the list. Each girl's struggle with being on the list is perfectly tied to their grade and maturity level. You can feel the pain and confusion and delight on the page. And, just because you're picked the prettiest doesn't mean that you won't have your own set of struggles. This book is real, and I am grateful for that.

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: February 26, 2013
Number of Pages: 328
Genre: Young Adult
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
Two Misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor...Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Parks...He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds - smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

She thinks: When I first read about Eleanor and Park, I was wholeheartedly against it. Now, before you bring out the pitchforks, hear me out. I imagined these two sitting at the back of a public bus, sharing a walkman, and listening to different mix tapes. I liked that part. It was sweet and romantic. Thinking that it revolved around music, it reminded me of High Fidelity, which I did not care for when I read it. Hence, my resignation in reading this book.

Why did I then decide I wanted to read the book? Well, I was invited to participate in a GoodReads Q&A with Rainbow Rowell. I was perusing the questions she was being asked when I stumbled on one about the ending of Eleanor and Park. Of course, I won't say what the ending is or what the question was, but I will say that it was enough to get me to put the book on hold and read it.

This is me now after having finished reading it...and every time I think about the book at all!

{via knowyourmeme.com}

The thing about this book - it has to be experienced. It needs to be felt and processed and shared with the world. It is a John Hughes movie in a book. More Pretty in Pink and Breakfast Club than Sixteen Candles and Some Kind of Wonderful. It is a book that I will tell everyone to read; it is just that good.

The thing about Rainbow Rowell's books - she knows how to write an ending! I've read all three of her books, and her newest one, Landline, should be arriving at the library for me any day now. Her endings are absolutely perfect whether it's the ending you want or not. You can't begrudge her the ending because it's real and true and you don't feel cheated in the slightest.

If you haven't read any of her books, DO.IT.NOW!! You will not be sorry. I promise. So.many.feelings.

See what others are saying about Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell:

• Stacey @ The Pretty Books
• Jane @ Dear Author
• Excellent Reads
• Lisa @ Read Breathe Relax
• Gillian @ Writer of Wrongs

Tease by Amanda Maciel

Tease by Amanda Maciel
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: April 29, 2014
Number of Pages: 336
Genre: Young Adult
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
Emma Putnam is dead, and it's all Sara Wharton's fault. At least, that's what everyone seems to think. Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, has been criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma's shocking suicide. Now Sara is the one who's ostracized, already guilty according to her peers, the community, and the media.

In the summer before her senior year, in between meetings with lawyers and a court-recommended therapist, Sara is forced to reflect on the events that brought her to this moment - and ultimately consider her own role in an undeniable tragedy. And she'll have to find a way to move forward, even when it feels like her own life is over.

She thinks: Everyone needs to read this book. I don't care if you think that you're too old to read young adult books, you need to read this one. Why? Because we've all been in this situation. We've either been bullied or have been a bully to someone. I would not be surprised if this book became assigned reading for teens in the future.

This novel is fresh and poignant, tragic yet perfect. It addresses real issues happening in the world today. It is not a piece of fluff. In this book, there is no happening ending - only the right kind of ending in the wake of such a tragedy.

I found my heart breaking for Sara - the main character. Even though she is an unconventional narrator for this type of novel, she's perfectly flawed. She is so lost and so impressionable. I couldn't help but feel if she hadn't been friends with Brielle that she could have easily been Emma, and that's what really breaks my heart. It doesn't matter if you're liked by millions or just one person. People are mean, and, for the most part, they don't think before they speak or do something.

If you take anything away from reading this book, I hope it's that you understand everyone has their own personal demons, whether you know about them or not. Emma does, even though we don't know what they are, but that doesn't justify inflicting any kind of harm. {If possible, I would love to read the story from Emma's POV.}

I feel like I should step down off my soapbox now. I don't mean to be preachy, but as a former teacher, I know the pitfalls of bullying. It's an issue that needs to be addressed and quickly. Okay, that's it now. I promise.

{I rated this book a diamond. I may not lend you my non-existent copy of this book, but I will certainly shout it from the rooftops that you must read this book!}

See what others are saying about Tease by Amanda Maciel:

• Magan @ Rather Be Reading
• Melanie @ YA Midnight Reads
• Jess @ Gone with the Words
• Siobhan @ Conversations of a Reading Addict
• Ttnene @ Never Ending Stories