Book Club Fall 2011

Boot Camp by Todd Strasser

Boot Camp  In the middle of the night, 15-year-old Garrett is “kidnapped” and transported to a boot camp where he is subjected to physical and psychological abuse. The aim? To get him to conform to the camp’s standards. But how can he change if he shouldn’t have been sent there in the first place?  In the middle of the night, 15-year-old Garrett is “kidnapped” and transported to a boot camp where he is subjected to physical and psychological abuse. The aim? To get him to conform to the camp’s standards. But how can he change if he shouldn’t have been sent there in the first place?  "A vivid and realistic novel... Teens will be outraged by the manipulation, torture, and hopelessness experienced by the residents of Lake Harmony... They will be engrossed by this fast- paced and revealing story about the hidden side of teenage incarceration." School Library Journal  "A vivid and realistic novel... Teens will be outraged by the manipulation, torture, and hopelessness experienced by the residents of Lake Harmony... They will be engrossed by this fast- paced and revealing story about the hidden side of teenage incarceration." School Library Journal  "Teens, especially boys, will be rivetted by Garrett's appalling experiences and by his suspenseful escape...The novel is a real eye- opener." KLIATT

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

Deadline  Ben Wolf has big things planned for his senior year. Had big things planned. Now what he has is some very bad news and only one year left to make his mark on the world.  How can a pint-sized, smart-ass seventeen- year-old do anything significant in the nowheresville of Trout, Idaho?  First, Ben makes sure that no one else knows what is going on—not his superstar quarterback brother, Cody, not his parents, not his coach, no one. Next, he decides to become the best 127-pound football player Trout High has ever seen; to give his close-minded civics teacher a daily migraine; and to help the local drunk clean up his act.  And then there's Dallas Suzuki. Amazingly perfect, fascinating Dallas Suzuki, who may or may not give Ben the time of day. Really, she's first on the list.  Living with a secret isn't easy, though, and Ben's resolve begins to crumble... especially when he realizes that he isn't the only person in Trout with secrets.

After by Amy Efaw

After   Who would leave her own baby in the trash to die? Certainly not someone like Devon— straight-A student, soccer player with Olympic dreams, more mature than her own mother. But desperation and panic drove her to do what most people can’t even imagine. Now Devon’s in a juvenile detention center charged with attempted murder. If she’s tried as an adult, she faces life in prison. Does Devon deserve that punishment? Your answer depends on whether you believe her story—that she didn’t even know she was pregnant. Was she buried in a denial so deep that she was unable to register the seemingly obvious signs of pregnancy? Or were her actions the result of a more devious, premeditated plan? azon.com/gp/ mpd/permalin k/m145VLF54Z L0WF/ref=ent_ fb_link

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall  What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life? Samantha Kingston has it all: the world’s most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last. Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Across the Universe  A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder. When Amy is frozen aboard the interstellar spaceship Godspeed, she expects to be woken in 300 years on a new planet. Instead, someone wakes her up early…and if Amy doesn’t figure out soon, the next people woken up might not survive– including her parents. azon.com/gp/ mpd/permalink /m25K1SYSON O0AO/ref=ent_ fb_link

The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas by John Boyne The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas by John Boyne

The Boy in the Stripped Pajama’s  Berlin 1942  When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance.  But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

An Abundance of Katherines  When it comes to relationships, everyone has a type. Colin Singleton’s type is girls named Katherine. He has dated–and been dumped by–19 Katherines. In the wake of The K-19 Debacle, Colin– an anagram-obsessed washed-up child prodigy–heads out on a road trip with his overweight, Judge Judy- loving friend Hassan. With 10,000 dollars in his pocket and a feral hog on his trail, Colin is on a mission to prove a mathematical theorem he hopes will predict the future of any relationship (and conceivably win the girl).An Abundance of Katherines was a 2007 Michael L. Printz Honor book and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. It was also named one of the books of the year by Booklist, Horn Book, and Kirkus.