Suggested Reading by Dave Connis

Clara Evans just read her new favorite book, and she cannot wait to show up on the first day of school to talk about it. Unfortunately, that is the day her private school initiates a ban on a list of books (including the new one). Not only are the books to be pulled from the library, but they cannot even be brought on campus or discussed. For a book lover like Clara, the news is devastating.

Books have shaped Clara's life. She can't understand how the same books that have meant so much to her are now being called bad for young people. So what can Clara do? She can follow procedure for student concerns and write a letter to the principal...which she does but that is not enough. With the help of the school librarian, Clara gets all the copies of the books from the library and starts her own underground library out of her locker.

The principal is serious about enforcing the new rule, so Clara is taking a big risk. She could be expelled or loose her chance at a big scholarship. If that weren't stressful enough, Clara starts to realize there is more to learn in life than what you find in books - like those popular kids may not be as one dimensional as she thought. Also, books may not be the cure for everyone's problems. Clara is having a tough senior year.

One thing I like about this story was the emphasis placed on the importance of books (I am librarian after all). I think more importantly is the fact that you never know what book will connect with a person. Like books, we shouldn't judge people based on their 'cover.' It is a good thing to keep in mind in life not just in choosing books.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Rated by Melissa Grey

Everyone is rated. It's how you know your place in society. Do good and your rating goes up; do bad, it goes down. Ratings determine where you can shop and live and what hospital you can use. Ratings are everything.

So it is quite a shock to everyone when "THE RATINGS ARE NOT REAL" is spray painted across the front doors of Maplethorpe Academy (founded by the man who also created the ratings) on the first day of school. Most right it off as a one time act of vandalism by a disgruntled student. For six students it becomes a puzzle after they each receive a cryptic message that seems related to the graffiti.

Circumstances cause them to pair up (even though none of them really know each other). Chase (star baseball pitcher on the verge of losing his scholarship due to a low rating) and Bex (driven, ambitious student with one of the highest ratings in the school). Tamsin (would be witch and tarot card reader and all around rebel who is near an expulsion level rating) and Hana (hopeful future ice skating star who is starving herself to be better). Javi (outgoing nationally known video champion who is trying to provide for his younger siblings) and Noah (old school photographer who keeps to himself).

I expected this to be more dystopian in nature. Even though the ratings drive the narrative, it is really a study about each of the six students. They are presented in a way that avoids stereotypes, and that made for a much more interesting read.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Road Tripped by Pete Hautman

Steven (aka Stiggy) runs away or actually drives away from home. His girlfriend (if that's what she really was) broke up and literally left town. He ticked off his only friend (maybe permanently). And almost a year ago, his dad died.

So what better way to deal with his problems than hop in his dad's Mustang and leave Minnesota to head down the Great River Road. Stiggy has no destination in mind; he is not trying to find answers or search for himself; he just wants to get away. The river road may be paved, but for Stiggy it is a rough one.

Of course, Stiggy does have a lot of time to remember past events (that we learn about through flash backs). Times with his friend; times with his girlfriend; times before and after his dad died.

Stiggy meets a lot of interesting people on the road: some odd, some helpful, some scary. But they all play a role in Stiggy's ultimate decision to keep heading South or turn around and head home.

You will root for Stiggy to find his way and deal with his problems. He makes them worse before he can make them better, but he is trying.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Everything Grows by Aimee Herman

Eleanor was bullied by James. She didn't know him other than from the torment he gave her. One day, James commits suicide. So Eleanor cuts her hair and dyes it. Eleanor also starts writing to James in her journal. She tells him everything that is happening in her life - and it's a lot.

Eleanor's mom tried to commit suicide about a year ago. She fears her mom will try it again. Eleanor goes to group therapy to help deal.

Eleanor is also exploring her own sexuality. She knows she's gay, but it feels like there is more. She hasn't come out to anyone...yet. Although her mom's friend Flora seems like a good place to start since she is gay, too.

She loses an old friend. Gains new ones. Meets James' parents. And tries to find who she really is and who she is supposed to be. As readers, we take some big steps with Eleanor, but is only just the beginning for her.

Eleanor's story is a positive one for young people struggling with identity, particularly LGBTQ teens.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett

Birdie loves mysteries. She reads them; she watches them. How cool would it be to have a real mystery to solve. When she starts working as a overnight clerk at an old hotel in Seattle, she may get her wish. A gentlemen, who may or may not be the famous reclusive writer Raymond Darke, frequently comes into the hotel, goes to a room and leaves in less than an hour. No one knows what Darke looks like, so could it really be him? And what is he doing at the hotel that only takes an hour?

How does Birdie even know about all this? Well, that's complicated. Birdie hangs out at a diner and one night she met Daniel and they went to his car and had sex and never saw it each other again. Birdie has tried to put it out of her mind, but, much to her surprise, Daniel works at the hotel. He tells her about the potential mystery (even though she tries to avoid interacting with him out of embarrassment).

The rest of Birdie's life is not so straight forward, either. She lives with her grandfather (her grandmother having just recently passed away). Her mother died when she was young. She has a quirky aunt who lives in an old theater. Birdie also has a sleeping disorder which causes her to doze off anytime (but she is not willing to get ant treatment for it).

Really, Birdie is a nice person who just trying to make sense of everything. Unfortunately, life is not a mystery where everything wraps up neatly. This is a fun read with interesting characters and those lingering questions about Raymond Darke. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Going Off Script by Jen Wilde

Lately, I have read several books with strong young women characters who are tired of being pushed around and decide (although often reluctantly) to fight back even if it means sacrificing something important to them. And so we have Bex.

Bex arrives in Los Angeles to pursue her dream of being a television writer. She has grown up poor in a small town in Washington. She has landed an internship on her favorite show Silver Falls (full of teens and werewolves). Some aspects of the job are amazing - working with the show's stars, seeing the sets and possibly meeting her first love. Other things...Well, Hollywood is a tough place sometimes. The show runner, Malcolm, is moody and uptight and has no respect for interns. He is, however, willing to take the script Bex wrote and put his name on it. Ya, he is a major jerk of unspeakable proportions.

Included with the tension of her new job, Bex is struggling to come out to her cousin, Parker, who she is staying with. He is gay, too, but she doesn't want to appear to be imitating him (as she has been accused in the past). The fact that she has never come out to anyone only adds to her nervousness. But this is LA, and she's away from home. And there is this stunningly beautiful social media star that Bex meets at a party. Could Bex ever hope to have the Shrupty Padwal as her first girlfriend?

Fighting for your dreams is hard, as Bex finds out. She has people who support her, so she is not as alone as she sometimes feels. After all, you can't change the world all by yourself.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog.

You Owe Me a Murder by Eileen Cook

Think Alfred Hitchcock with angsty teens. I mean literally Hitchcock since the premise is very similar to the movie Strangers On a Train.

Kim is on a two week trip to London with other Canadian students to visit sites of art and culture. On the plane, Kim meets Nicki, a Londoner heading home. While drinking a pilfered bottle of vodka, their conversation turns to how much Kim is upset at her ex, Connor who (by no coincidence) is also on the trip and how much Nicki hates her mother. Nicki proposes the perfect murder: Nicki will kill Connor and Kim will kill Nicki's mother. As strangers to the victims, they have no connection so they won't be suspected. Kim passes it off the musings of two people who have had a little too much to drink. Nicki is serious.

When something happens to Connor, Kim does not immediately connect it to Nicki. It quickly becomes clear that Nicki is not to be ignored. Nicki will do whatever she feels is necessary to force Kim to kill her mother.

Kim's only distraction is an attractive guy who is also on the trip. He steps up to be her partner on the various excursions around England. His closeness to Kim may not be good for his own safety.

Kim's trip is a suspenseful nightmare making her question he own sanity. It is a well done story.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Amelia Westlake Was Never Here by Erin Gough

Amelia Westlake doesn't exist. She is made up; the creation of two teen girls who cannot stand each other. They are opposites who reluctantly team up to fight injustices at the private girls school that both attend. 

Will is a scholarship student on the verge of expulsion. She doesn't do her homework and talks back to teachers. She is also not overly concerned about her appearance. Will is ready to take down the school and all of its pretentiousness.

In contrast, Harriet is an excellent student and treats all faculty with respect. She is smartly attired. She has been training to win the big doubles tennis tournament for a long time. Even when the staff's questionable behavior is pointed out to her, she is always willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Harriet would never risk her future taking on the school administration.

Yet, circumstances bring Will and Harriet together. The swim coach is a pervert who is too friendly with some of the girls. He is an Olympic medalist who brings students and money to the school, so the administration will never reprimand him. Harriet agrees to help Will create a comic about the coach to be submitted to the school paper but only if it is anonymous. Thus, Amelia Westlake is born.

Needless to say, Amelia Westlake takes on a life of her own in a crusade that grows beyond the two girls. The question is can the girls make a difference at the school without getting in a lot of trouble.

It's a fun story about female empowerment and doing what is right no matter what the cost. Good messages for young people.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Every Moment After by Joseph Moldover

For Matt and Cole, everything change the day a shooter entered their first grade classroom and killed their classmates. Matt was sick at home and feels guilty for not being there. Cole was rescued by the police chief, a moment that was captured in a photograph that became famous. And their friend, Andy...he didn't survive. Matt and Cole are now graduating from high school and must decide what to do with the rest of their lives.

The shooting is never far from their minds. How could it be living in the same small town where it happened. Matt and Cole tell their stories in alternating chapters. Cole is trying to work up the courage to tell Viola (who moved into town way after the shooting) how he feels about her. He thinks an end of summer grand gesture is the way to go. He is depending on Matt to get the money needed to pull it off which unfortunately may lead to doing questionable things (like selling Cole's dad's old pain medication).

Matt is forever questioning whether he should even by alive. He escaped the shooting because his diabetes kept him home that day. He still regrets it, and it has made him more impulsive than Cole. He feels left out of the dominant conversation of his life. He looks for answers in sex, in indifference to his glucose levels and in physically pushing himself to the brink of death.

I have read more than few books about school shootings, but they usually cover the tragedy itself. This one delves into the long, painful aftermath: the survivors, the permanently injured, the parents of the victims, the children of the heroes, the broken families and even the childhood home of the shooter. It excruciatingly relevant in the time we are living. A shooting happens somewhere and the world moves on. For those directly affected, the trauma never truly ends.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Dig by A.S. King

Starting a A.S. King book is always interesting. I never know where the story is heading and what reality warping aspect will she include. In this instance, there is a girl who can transport herself to other places; although the destination is not always totally under her control. One moment she is her room and the next she is in Hong Kong.

The story is not really about that girl, per se. She is just one teen interwoven with the lives of the others (who at first seemed to not be connected). They all seem lost in their own way - like the boy who shovels snow and decides that he will hold onto the shelve wherever he goes even when there is no shoveling to do. And the girl who sells weed out of the drive through window. I could attempt to go on, but I couldn't do any of them justice or describe them as interestingly as the author. Suffice to say that this, like her other books, is mind bending but worth it if you like stories that cut to the heart of difficult matters (like neglectful families and racism).

While I realize that this story would not appeal to a lot of people, I hope that readers of quirky stories would at least give it a chance.

For more info, check out Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Hope and Other Punch Lines by Julie Buxbaum

Abbi survived the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. That day was Abbi's first birthday. She is Baby Hope captured in a famous photograph holding a red balloon and being carried by a fleeing woman. That photo has become a symbol of hope.

But Abbi is not really Baby Hope. She was that baby, but now she is 15 and does not feel connected to the photo. At this point in her life, she just wants to put it behind her.

Noah wants to know more about that day. He is interested in the other people in the photo who are running in the back ground. He feels it is fate that he and Abbi end up working at the same summer camp as counselors. Maybe he can get her to help him find the others and interview them. Her involvement will give his project credibility. Noah's best friend Jack thinks the whole idea is stupid.

Told in the alternating voices of Abbi and Noah, we learn how each is coping with the day that changed the world. Will Abbi get the illness that has already taken so many 9/11 survivors? Why is Noah so interested in the other people? Why does his mom never talk about his dad who died in the attack that day?

Those of us old enough to remember September 11 do not need reminders. But younger people should know what happened that day and understand why the aftermath will reverberate for generations. This story does a good job of bringing the horror and sadness of the day without recreating the actual events. Readers can experience the personal loss through these characters.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Summer of '69 by Todd Strasser

As the title states, this story takes place in the summer of 1969. Lucas has just graduated from high school, but doesn't know what comes next. He is one of the growing number of young people who are against the establishment. He has long hair, smokes weed, takes LSD, drives a psychedelic VW bus and protests against the war in Vietnam. You would think being of the hippie mindset would be make Lucas pretty mellow, but no. Lucas has a lot on his mind.

Let's start with Robin, his girlfriend. For the summer she is heading up to Canada to work at a camp. She has already expressed dissatisfaction with some of Lucas' choices (his drug use, for example), so being apart all summer has him concerned.

Lucas' dad. Lucas doesn't like his dad. His dad owns businesses and can set his own hours - most of them he spends playing tennis (obsessively, so). Lucas also knows that his dad has been frequently unfaithful to his mother. And Lucas certainly has not turned out to be what his father wanted him to be.

Tinsley, the free love photographer Lucas meets through his cousin. With Robin so far away...Tinsley is so tempting. Is she flirting? Is there something between them? Lucas is definitely thinking about her.

And Vietnam. Lucas does not want to get drafted and sent to war. The letters from his friend who is there remind of the daily horrors. The problem for Lucas is that he didn't get accepted to college. He should have studied more when had the chance. Now, he is desperately trying to find away to avoid military service.

Other books I have read for young people set in the same time period tend to focus on Vietnam or Woodstock, but this one is a slice out of a young person's ever day life and deals with multiple issues and events. It is refreshing to have a story for young people that provides a glimpse into the late 60s without glorifying it.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

Vivian is tired of the guys (particularly athletes) being treated like gods in her school. They get away with everything including verbally and physically assaulting girls. Back her day, Vivian's mom was a Riot Grrrl (although now, her life is just going to work and -gasp!- dating a republican.) Going through her mom's box of old stuff, Vivian finds the inspiration she needs to take on the system.

Not that Vivian isn't hesitant about spreading her newly created Moxie Girl zine around school. She knows the risk. Girls are often subjected to greater scrutiny than the guys. She keeps the zine anonymous partly out of fear, but also because the Riot Grrrls had no true leader making the movement more organic.

When the zine is out, everyone is talking about it. Lucy, a new girl, who Vivian has seen be treated badly by the guys is excited about it. Claudia, Vivian's best friend...not so much. Maybe they should wait out their time until the graduate. Being an outsider, Lucy knows all schools aren't like this.

Vivian also has her eye on a new guy in school. Will he understand what she's trying to accomplish? As Vivian learns, starting a revolution is not easy. Maybe this book will inspire young women to fight a system that treats them as less than equal.

For more info check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

The Spaceship Next Door by Gene Doucette

Three years ago, the spaceship landed in the small town of Sorrow Falls, Massachusetts, and then nothing happened. Scientists photographed, probed and scanned the ship. The ship just sat there - no lights, no door, no noises, no aliens, nothing.
The military moved in and built a base around the ship along with manned check points at the entrances to the town. Some town residents became famous when the press showed up. And a group of dedicated (some would say odd) UFO enthusiasts are permanently camped out along the military perimeter fence. For all that and given the circumstances, a government analyst thinks the town has remained too unaffected by it all.

Sixteen year old Annie Collins knows everyone in her hometown and knows just about everything that is going on. When the analyst shows up pretending to be a journalist, Annie immediately hears about it and seeks him out. They form a reluctant partnership to try to find the answer for whatever he is looking for (even he is not sure).

Obviously, something happens with the ship or it wouldn't be much of a story. I don't want to give away too much, but I will say that people who are known to be dead are seen walking around town.  Aliens (maybe), zombies and soldiers. Do I need to say more?

I don't want you to think this is an action packed story (yes, there is some), but it is also about the people of the town dealing with extraordinary circumstances. It is about Annie dealing with her sick mom and the absence of her father. It is an interesting mix of science fiction and realistic fiction. Did I mention aliens and zombies? Good story.

For more info check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Immoral Code by Lillian Clark

I started reading this because I thought it would be a suspenseful story of teens planning and carrying out a heist. It is that, but it is much more a tale of friends on the verge of heading off to college and ultimately going their separate ways; Each one has their own motives for risking everything to help a friend secure the money to go to MIT.

Bellamy has never met her father. He has lead a life acquiring great wealth and another family. Bellamy and her mother scrape by. When his fortune is figured into her financial aid application, Bellamy can't even get a loan. And she sure can't ask her father for money. So what is Bellamy to do?

In steps her best friend Nari, a total computer genius, who has an idea about skimming money from Bellamy's father's numerous accounts a little at a time. To pull it off, they need their other friends: Reese (artist extraordinaire), Santiago (future Olympic diver, he hopes) and Keagan (Nari's boyfriend).

What I like most about this book is how the characters are written. They are not teen stereotypes. We know their motivations and complexities. We also see them disagree about the illegal act they are planning. Keagan doesn't like it. Even though he goes along, his reservations never go away completely. The five teens have unique relationships with every other person in the group. They argue; they support each other; they rely on one another.

Even though, this story was not the intense caper I was hoping, I enjoyed it for the strong teen characters.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Easy Prey by Catherine Lo

Three students are brought together to do a school project for their most despised class. Each has a history with the other.

Jenna ran with the popular crowd until nude photos of her were sent sent out to the whole school last year. People tell her to get passed it, but they have never been through it so what do they know.

Matthew (aka Mouse) is a computer guy hoping to get into MIT. His grades do not mean anything to his dad who wishes Mouse were a star athlete like his cousin Troy (who was also Jenna's boyfriend until she accused him of posting the photos). Mouse was Jenna's best friend; now his father wants him to stay way from the girl that tried to ruin Troy's life.

Drew is a jock and a player (as in girls). He is Troy's best friend, and flirts with Jenna even though he knows he cannot date his best friend's ex (not that Jenna would date Drew).

So their little group finds themselves in the principal's office facing serious allegations of leaking nude photos of a teacher. The three of them are the only ones who had access to the photos, so one of them must be guilty but is not saying anything. How did they get access to the photos? That's half the story and is a frustrating exercise in asking (sometimes out loud) what the characters are thinking.

It is an story that is timely and suspenseful which makes for an interesting story but a sad commentary on what teens face in real life.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and author's site.

Oh My Goth by Gena Showalter

Welcome to the goth version of It's a Wonderful Life. You know that movie where the guy gets to see what the world would be like if he had never been born. OK, this is not really like that, but there is a bit of fantasy involved for a teen girl who gets so see what the world is like if goth were popular and she was the queen of the school. That girl would be Jade.

Jade has shut herself off from everything. Dressed in black on the outside and filled with darkness on the inside. She has friends, but she never gets too close (she might even be pushing them away). She can never open herself up to anyone - the fatal car crash that took her mother is proof of that.

Jade is one of the goth kids that are bullied by the popular kids (including Jade's former best friend, Mercedes). Jade is not one to be pushed around, so she strikes back at others when necessary. This does not make her a favorite with teachers.

Mercedes is popular and has tormented Jade and her friends for years. So when she and Mercedes essentially trade places in their alternate world, they both get to see what the other is going through. If they each learn a lesson, will they go back to their old lives? Come to think of it, maybe this is more like the Prince and the Pauper or Freaky Friday. Either way, it is fun look at two girls who need an otherworldly intervention to make things better for everyone.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Your Own Worst Enemy by Gordon Jack

During a student body election that goes completely off the rails, all three candidates end up in the principal's office on election day.

Who are the candidates? Stacey has wanted to be the president for her whole high school career. She has been involved in student government and many clubs. A few weeks before the election, she is running unopposed.

Julia is new to school having just moved from Canada to live with her aunt. Her features make some think she is a Latina, but even she's not sure. Her mom is white, but she never knew her dad. Mom thinks Julia should be an individual and not worry about racial identity.

Tony only wants to hang out his parent's mansion (they travel a lot) and get high. School is of no interest. He is talked into running for president by a mo-hawk wearing freshman. Tony's platform is all about getting his favorite chocolate milk back in the cafeteria.

And then there's Brian, Stacey's best friend and election confidante, who falls for Julia the first time he sees her. His life is not complicated at all: friend to one candidate and hopeful boyfriend to another. Another force in the whole election is Kyle, Brian's little brother, who will do whatever he can to make Brian's life miserable. Oh ya, Kyle has a mo-hawk.

Even school politics can be messy. And when the stakes are high, even the most respectable student can dirty. For the reader, it's all fun and worth the time.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

The History of Jane Doe by Michael Belanger

Ray lives in a weird little Connecticut town, Williamsburg (aka Burgerville). Being the history buff that he is, he knows all about the strange happenings his town's past including the green cows. Were the cows real? Does it even matter when everyone still talks about them?

One day, a young woman comes to town who Ray (the narrator) only calls Jane Doe for this story. She chooses to hang out with Ray and his friend Simon when she could obviously be part of the popular crowd. Jane is unlike anyone.

Jane loves folk music thanks to her Grandma Irene (a somewhat famous singer in her day) who has a connection to Burgerville. The story of the one time folk festival that Irene organized is one of the stories shared between Ray and Jane. Ray takes Jane to all the sites of famous Burgerville historical moments.

I'm finding its difficult to describe this book. Really, it is two young people discovering themselves (ya, I know what teen book isn't). Ray gets to do a rare thing: share his interests with someone who is interested (or at least interested in him enough to listen). Jane...there is more going on with her than Ray knows and for a short time he gets to see her for who she is.

The story is quirky, funny and serious, too. I look forward to another book by this author.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog.

Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton

Cliff's older brother, Shane, is dead. Shane is the only thing Cliff care's about. He doesn't care about school or his stupid classmates. His dad is abusive, and his mom is his dad's enabler. Basically, Cliff's life sucks.

Sometimes when nothing feels right, Cliff goes to the Monolith, a tall abandoned never finished seven story office building in his small town. He and his brother used to go there, and hang out on a top floor balcony.  But now, Cliff goes by himself.

Cliff is a big, physically big. So big that his nickname is Neanderthal. He is called a lot of things by classmates who think they are so clever. He is not afraid to throw punches if necessary. He does just that against Aaron Zimmerman the popular quarterback. Cliff hates Aaron.

So imagine Cliff's astonishment (and skepticism) when Aaron tells him (after waking from a coma - NOT caused by Cliff)  that he saw God. Not only that, God gave Aaron a list and wants Cliff to help him make their high school a better place. It's a nice goal, but why would Cliff want to help Aaron do anything?

Maybe Cliff and Aaron can change their small part of the world. Maybe Cliff can discover more about his brother. And maybe not everyone at school hates Cliff like he thinks they do.

Interesting characters and an intriguing plot make this a worthwhile read.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog.