Carol: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas by Darin Kennedy

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens has been retold and reimagined so many times. The tale of redemption reaches beyond the holiday season to remind us all to examine our own lives and ponder how we walk amongst our fellow humans. 

In this version, Carol is the 'Scrooge' of the story. She has many reasons to hate Christmas, but really no excuse for how she treats those in her life. Her parents and little sister died on Christmas day (which is also her birthday). She rarely thinks about the people who took her in, watched out for her, and gave her opportunities. She also lost her best friend just last year at Christmas time. 

Carol has lived with her aunt and uncle for teen years. They have raised her as the child they couldn't have on their own. She has not made it easy on them. No Christmas celebrating. Constant back talk and insults. Carol is aloof and bratty with them. She is completely ungrateful for everything they have given her. 

The story mostly follows the familiar pattern: visit from the ghost of an old friend followed by ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. The story is updated and spread out over several days leading to the final ghost's visit on Christmas Eve. That is also the night of the big annual dance which turns out messier than anything Scrooge could have imagined. 

The author veers enough away from the traditional story's outline to keep it interesting while giving it a modern twist. The story itself will never grow old because there is always someone who is worthy of redemption. 

For more info, check out the author's site. 

 

Autumn's Wish by Bella Thorne

Autumn receives a locket from her late father that allows her to travel through time. In the past two Autumn Falls books (which I have not read), Autumn gets a journal that grants her wishes and a dry erase map that lets her travel anywhere instantaneously. In conjunction with her father's wishes, she uses these items to bring peace and happiness to her little corner of the world.

As with any time travel story, there must be parameters. First, Autumn can only use the locket ten times. Second, she cannot travel into the past. Third, her visits are very short. Fourth, she cannot interact with anyone; she is merely an observing ghost.

By seeing the future, she can interfere with current events to change it. And what does she see? Her friends' lives are in turmoil and her mom is married to some goofy guy. So Autumn sets out altering the course of each person's life. But the changes often moves someone else's life in the wrong direction. Sometimes it makes her wonder what her dad really wants to happen.

I chose to read this because I like time travel stories. Imagine if you could see your own future. Would it be worth the risk to change it? Would you feel guilty about changing other people's lives? The possibility of time travel always causes more questions than answers, but that is the fun of it. And this books is an enjoyable, quick read.

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

Sophomores and Other Oxymorons by David Lubar

It has been a long time since we followed Scott Hudson through his freshman year in Sleeping Freshman Never Lie, but for Scott it has only been a summer. Freshman year was a tough one, but he knows that sophomore year will be easier. Well...maybe not so much.

Let's start with Lee, Scott's best friend. He wants to ask her out, but doesn't know how. He's also afraid it will mess up their friendship - she might freak if he tells her how he feels.

At the bus stop on the first day, Scott protects a scrawny freshman named Jeremy from bullies. Jeremy is chatty, but he's not so bad. Scott decides he can help Jeremy by passing on all his words of wisdom from his own freshman year (for a small fee, of course).

The worst of it all is Scott's new English teacher, Mrs. Gilroy. Scott is an aspiring writer. He is on the newspaper staff and really liked his English teacher last year. Once he fails to impress Mrs.Gilroy on the first day, it all goes down hill from there. Scott makes it a personal vendetta to impress her or expose her silly 'arbitrary' rules (that he can't seem to follow).

A few other things: Scott does not impress his biology teacher when he vomits on the first day in class. His former best friend, Kyle, still seems to hate him. And he is still adjusting to his new baby brother (although Scott is writing down his own experiences to assist his brother when he is a teen).

Scott's life has its ups and downs, but it is a humorous story and even when he is making stupid choices you will be cheering him on.

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

We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly, a True Story by Josh Sundquist

Have you ever thought about tracking down all your exes to find out the real reasons you broke up? If you have, why stop there? Why not ask all the ones you dated one time or kissed a few times or held hands with once in 6th grade? Josh Lindquist wanted to know why by the age of 25 he had never had a girlfriend, so he decided to investigate and yes, this is a true story.

Before we delve into Josh's quest, it is important to know that Josh had his leg amputated at age nine due to cancer. As much as he tries to not draw attention to it being an amputee definitely affects his behavior and psyche.

Josh contacted each significant girl from his past and analyzed their reasons for not wanting to take their relationship further. We get the background of each 'relationship.' Sarah is the first. During a game of Truth or Dare on a school bus, Sarah said she didn't like Josh, but he found out later that she did. We learn how awkward Josh can be when trying to figure out if Sarah wants to be his girlfriend. Josh is clueless about girls which makes him a normal eighth grade boy. Of course when you are in the middle of your awkwardness, you don't realize that you are a normal teenager. You only know that you are embarrassed and feel completely stupid.

Josh follows up with a hypothesis on the reasons the relationships ended. He then recounts what happened when he met each girl (who are now women) again. He calls this part the 'investigation.' Charts and graphs are included (although they are not really based on data).

As a real life inspirational speaker, Josh tells his story with humor and purpose. I laughed out loud many times and sympathized with his difficulty trying to interact with girls. If you've ever been a teen interested in having a relationship, you will relate to something in this story.

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

Fan Art by Sarah Tregay

Why can't we all just be who we are? I have spent too much of my life worrying about what other people think of me. It takes a lot of energy to hide part of yourself from others in fear of being rejected.

Jamie is gay and has been out to his family for awhile, but not at school. Jamie is a afraid to tell his best friend Mason he is gay because it could ruin everything between them. Also, Jamie has a crush on Mason, the same guy Jamie sees kissing a girl after the prom.

So Jamie plans to take a girl to the prom (if he can figure out who) and work on the school literary magazine and maybe he will never have to tell Mason (even though next year they are going to colleges located near each other). Who is he kidding - Mason will find out and it will all be ruined.

Another problem...the girls in art class know Jamie is gay. How is that possible? He never told any of them. Even worse - they know he has a crush on Mason and think it would great for them to get together.

If that weren't enough, Jamie is also battling his fellow staff members on the inclusion of a student drawn comic in the magazine. They reject it for fear of controversy and possible loss of funds, but Jamie feels strongly that it should be included even if it might reveal his secret.

Never having to worry about coming out, I can only imagine the inner turmoil the decision can cause. This story is a light hearted look at the struggle a teen faces. You will find yourself hoping all turns out well for Jamie.

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

Something Real by Heather Demetrios

Toxic parents. If you've read enough teen books (particularly realistic fiction), then you know the type. They do not support their children emotionally and are often only concerned about themselves. Welcome to Choe's living hell.

Chloe grew up on a reality show as Bonnie, one of 13 children on Baker's Dozen (Baker being the family's last name). Chloe is the only biological child born from her mother. Her older brother and sister are twins from a surrogate. The other children were adopted with the help of the production company, MetaReel, to achieve the magic number.

Chloe is now 17 and trying to live a normal teen life. After the show was cancelled and her parents divorced, Chloe's family moved across country so they could start fresh. She changed her name and hair color in hopes that no one will recognize her. For the past few years, she has had real friends that have no idea she is Bonnie, the girl who tried to commit suicide on national television. Yes, it was that bad for her.

Chloe and her brother Benton are surprised to come home one afternoon and find the MetaReel crew on their lawn. Chloe was promised that she would never have to do the show again . Her parents say they need the money to support the children and send her and all her siblings to college. Chloe doesn't care what the reason is; her life is about to change for the worst.

From the moment the cameras return, Chloe is in agony. The only reprieve she gets is her new boyfriend.but even that is not easy because she doesn't want him and her friends to get pulled into the show and the tabloid headlines. Dodging paparazzi, having every moment captured on camera, being edited to appear differently than you are and having your mother talk about you to the nation is too much for Chloe, but no adult will listen to her.

Most of the adults in Chloe's life are horrible. Chloe is blamed for the show's original demise and her parent's divorce. She is threatened by the show's producer. She is called names and treated like a psychopath. No one can see that being on television caused many of her issues, not the other way around. Her mother is particularly twisted in her obsession with the show (and her new book). She is totally blind how the show has negatively affected her own daughter. It is sometimes excruciating to endure (and I'm just talking about me, the reader).

This is the third book I have read recently that involves reality television. I suspect it is not the last. I have always been concerned about the children of reality TV. Adults can make their own decisions and choose to be on shows, but children need adult consent. Those adults need to think about the long term effects on children.

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

The List by Siobhan Vivian

The list is an annual tradition at Mount Washington High. It is a vile exercise that lists the prettiest and the ugliest girls in each class and is then posted all over the school for everyone to see. The 'tradition' has gone on for as long as anyone can remember.

We follow the lives of all eight girls from the moment they find out they are on the list on Monday morning until the following Saturday at the homecoming dance. Their lives are all affected by their place on the list.

Without giving too much away...Candace is pretty and is put on the ugly list because of her personality; Danielle is athletic and is called manly; Lauren is a former home schooler and new to the school; Sarah is rebellious and has no interest and being a girly girl; Jennifer is a senior who has made the ugly list every year; Bridget has lost weight during the summer and has body image issues that lead to destructive behavior; Abby is pretty and not as scholarly as her older sister; Margo is the expected homecoming queen, but may lose her friends because of treating another girl badly.

The point of this story is not about the hunt and punishment of the list's creators. The list is the author's vehicle for discussing various issues facing girls. Bullying at all levels of society is a problem. These girls face school wide abuse - the 'pretty' ones as much as the 'ugly' ones. Each story is equally compelling and ultimately intertwined with the others. 

For more information on this book, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.