Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

Rafe is tired of being the 'gay kid.' He came out a few years ago and everyone in town of Boulder, Colorado, has been mostly cool with it. His parents were more than supportive - meaning they have gone out of their way to support him and gay rights. Sometimes it is too much for Rafe to be the symbol for being an openly gay high school student. He just wants to be a guy (because no one seems to treat you normally when you are gay).

So Rafe decides to go to a New England all boys private school and not tell anyone he is gay. He will avoid all possible situations where his sexuality may be an issue. To do this, he must lie to his parents and best friend, Claire Olivia because they would never understand.

Upon his arrival, Rafe quickly becomes one of the guys playing touch football on his first day there. He joins the soccer team and hangs out with all the jocks. It feels great to just be Rafe for awhile. It's not always easy, though. For one of his classes, he has to write all about himself for the entire semester. How does he keep such a huge part of himself hidden and stay true as a serious writer? And of course, there is that really attractive guy who becomes Rafe's best friend at school...can Rafe tell him the truth and could they possibly be a couple?

It's tricky road for Rafe, but a satisfying one for the reader. It is all handled with great care.

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

Message to Adolf Parts 1 and 2 by Osamu Tezuka

This is an amazing complex story set in Japan and Germany in the 1930s and 40s during the time of the Nazi regime and World War II. There are three Adolfs in the story. One is Adolf Hitler. The other two start out as young boys in Japan. One is a Jewish boy whose family owns a German bakery. Having always lived in Japan, he feels like he is Japanese even though he was born in Germany. The other Adolf's father is a German official living in Japan and his mother is Japanese.

Each boy struggles with the rise of the Third Reich as Jews become persecuted
throughout Europe and life in Japan becomes affected. Friendships are tested and loyalties questioned as the Nazis become more powerful and Hitler's views spread. After the United States enters the war, the Japanese people must deal with rationing and bombing raids. This portrayal of every day struggles I found fascinating. It is not a view we often see when learning about the 'enemy.'




A thread throughout the story involves secret documents that some believe could bring down Hitler. The documents pass through many hands and are hidden and secretly moved about throughout the country. People will torture and kill to obtain the documents before they become public.

You have no idea how much more I want to share from one of the best graphic novels I have ever read, but it would spoil key elements of the intricate plot. There is action mixed with deeper questions of identity and loyalty to country and race. There are moments of humor, too; mostly in the forms of character overreactions to situation (as depicted in the way the characters are drawn). These reactions are very much in the manga tradition. No surprise since the author is a pioneer of manga and anime.

Make no mistake, this is the Holocaust and the Nazi persecution of the Jewish people is graphically portrayed. It is not just the actual violence, but the thought of how human beings were treated that is sickening.

For more info about these books, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog for part part 1 and part 2.

Who Done It? An Anthology by Various

This is not a conventional story by any stretch of the imagination, although it is full of imaginative musings by many authors. The premise is that Jon Scieszka and we, the readers, are interrogating various people in the murder of a loathsome book editor named Herman Q. Mildew. The deceased was a lover of pickles and cheese (the smellier, the better) and a collector of toenails. He was often known to leave the check for others to pay and worst of all, he gave scathing reviews of his client's work.

The interrogations take place at the Old Abandoned Pickle Factory where all the guests (or suspects if you will) have been gathered. So who is on the 'guest' list? Some of the biggest young adult authors around right now. Fortunately, the list includes some of my favorites: John Green, Lauren Myracle, Jordan Sonnenblick, Mo Willems and Gordon Korman. If you read teen books, there is probably someone you like in this book.

The entries are usually no more than a few pages, but all explain the author's relationship with the late Herman Mildew. It is funny to read author's pointing the finger at other authors (there are probably several inside jokes known only to the writers). Some deny involvement in the crime and others practically confess to it.

This is a must read for anyone who knows and loves authors of young adult books (and purchasing one will help a good cause - money goes to 826NYC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging student creative writing and inspiring teachers). By the way, you must read the author bios in the back - they are amusing, too.

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

Going Underground by Susan Vaught

Del digs graves in a cemetery. It is a solitary job and that's how he likes it. He puts on his earbuds, turns on his music and digs. It is his escape from the world that has pushed him away. He has a few friends like Marvin who never abandoned him in the worst of times and his talking parrot Fred (who's a girl). Some adults in his life say Del needs to think about his future and move on, but Del feels he will be cursed for the rest of his life for something that happened when he was 14.

This thing that happened almost four years ago has changed his whole outlook. His plans to be a veterinarian...well, now he will be lucky to be accepted to a community college. Dating...he can't even think of asking a girl out. Playing baseball, hanging out with his friends...all gone because of that night long ago. Spending time with the dead is appropriate for his life.

And then she appears. One day in the cemetery, he sees this mysterious fairy girl. Not a real fairy, just a beautiful girl who visits the cemetery. Del can only dream of ever talking to her, so he continues dig and everyday she appears. It is his parrot (who sits in a cage beside the graves Del digs) that gets the mystery girl's attention. Del knows it would be asking too much to see this girl.

The event that changed his life is slowly revealed over the story as Del struggles to reach his 18th birthday so he can...well, he has no idea what he will do. It is difficult for Del to be punished for something he didn't know was illegal. It is a scenario that is not too far fetched to be real. But do not despair - there is hope for Del.

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

15 Days Without a Head by Dave Cousins

First off, this isn't a horror book. There is no zombie like creature walking around without a head. It is also not a light happy-go-lucky summer read either. It is the story of a 15 year old trying to keep himself and his younger brother alive when their mother disappears.

Laurence is often the adult in his family. He gets his brother ready for school. He wakes up his mother to make sure she is ready for work. His mother is an alcoholic always on the edge of losing her job. One night she goes to work and doesn't come back.

Laurence must keep life as normal as possible without telling his brother that their mother is missing. He can't go to the police because he and his brother could get taken away. He must dodge the nosy lady downstairs who is way too interested in other people's lives. Jay has no idea where his mother went and if she will ever come back.

Laurence's one hope is to win the grand prize on the nightly radio program he keeps calling. Several nights in a row he answers the trivia questions correctly and gets closer to winning an all expense paid trip. OK, so he has to play under his deceased dad's name because he is too young to play as himself but if he could just get his mother away from their dreary lives for just awhile...when she comes back he will surprise her.

Laurence's life is one of uncertainty and daily survival. He has some distractions like his brother's obsession with Scooby-doo, his friend Han and an interesting girl named Mina, but he is still a boy who has to grow up too quickly and deal with the difficulties of life.

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

Mojo by Tim Tharp

Why would Dylan head off to the wealthy part of town to search for a missing girl that he has never met? Good question. Dylan is tired of being a nobody that people call 'Bodybag.' He wants mojo - what better way to get it than finding a rich missing high school girl.

So let me clear a few things up. Dylan got his nickname after finding a body in a dumpster behind his school. He ended up in the dumpster after being chased by some bullies (after his friend Randy said something stupid to them). His good friend Audrey convinces him to put his investigative journalist skills to find the girl (Ashton). It won't hurt Audrey either because she is a budding photojournalist.

And the mojo thing - mojo is a magic, a little bit of something that gives a person an edge. It's kind of hard to put into words, but Dylan knows he wants it.

So off Dylan and Audrey go to the rich side of town to help search for clues in the park where Ashton was last seen. Dylan finds himself in the company of Ashton's friends, students and at a fancy private school. From that point on, every person is a suspect and no one can truly be trusted. Even though Dylan wants to be liked by these kids, he finds their behavior excessive. They have so much money that they do things just for the thrill.

I do not read a lot of mysteries, so I did not see the end coming. We follow Dylan through his analysis of evidence and questioning of suspects, and I was interested in where the clues would lead.

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

Manicpixiedreamgirl by Tom Leveen

Confession time: I had crushes on girls when I was in high school. Big shock, huh? Did I ever tell them? A few times, but mostly I did not. I had no clue about talking to girls. But at least I didn't get totally obsessed with one like Tyler does in this story.

Tyler falls for a girl the first time he sees her in the cafeteria his freshman year. He is fixated on her and doesn't even know her name for a long time until another girl tells him. OK, two things - one, her name is Becky (not Becca); two, the girl who tells Tyler her name eventually becomes his girlfriend (and her name is Syd).

Now that might not be a complication if Tyler had gotten over Becky after he started dating Syd and if he had ever told Becky how he felt. He did neither and Syd knows it. Even Tyler's friends know how he feels. He goes through his whole time in high school and never tells Becky how he feels even after he becomes friends with her. And even when she doesn't live up to his imagined version of her, he still cannot stop his utter fascination with her.

It's a quick read with interesting characters - some you may even identify with.

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

Game by Barry Lyga

Before I jump into this, I will say again that Barry Lyga is one of my favorite authors. When a new book is coming out by an author that I really like, I have always have this feeling of anticipation and slight dread that the newest book will not live up to my expectations. Well, no worries this time because Mr. Lyga has once again written an incredible story.

This is the sequel to I Hunt Killers, one of my favorite books from last year. We are once again following Jazz whose father is one of the most notorious and infamous serial killers in history. Jazz is not a killer but often hears the voice of his father in his head telling him to act on his thoughts. Because his father taught him to be a serial killer, Jazz has a unique perspective and an incredible amount of knowledge about  serial killers. Gaining some fame (must read the first book for details), Jazz is asked to assist with the hunt for a killer in New York City.

So Jazz finds himself immersed in New York Police Dept procedures (some he agrees with, some not so much). He visits crime scenes and examines evidence. He even finds himself taunted by the serial killer. The question always at the base of it all is whether his dad is behind it all.

It is a complex, mesmerizing tale of darkness and depravity. Jazz and the people around him (including the ones he left back in his small hometown) are never safe.

This is not the end of the story, and I can't wait for more.

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

Being Henry David by Cal Armistead

He wakes up on the floor of a train station with no memory of who he is...with only a copy of Walden by Henry David Thoreau at his side. It is a rude awakening to open your eyes to a strange place and be confronted by a homeless man who wants your only possession.

The young man adopts the name Hank out of necessity (and a connection he feels to Mr. Thoreau) and meets up with two other lost youth, Jack and Nessa. The meeting quickly leads to trouble with the law and causes Hank to escape the city, reluctantly leaving his two new companions behind. The only place he can think to go is Walden Pond, the very place that Thoreau wrote about. It is the only lead Hank has for discovering his true identity, so he heads off to Concord, Massachusetts.

Hank explores the town hoping to remember something. With no memories returning, Hank falls into an almost normal routine lying to protect his real story. He befriends a librarian and Thoreau expert who offers to help him. Hank also meets some other teens when he pays a visit to the high school. Hailey is one of the first people he meets, and he is instantly attracted to her.

Hank knows the bad things from the city could catch up with him - the police or the bad people he crossed could show up any minute. He also feels guilt about a sister he starts to remember. He's not sure why, but he feels he needs to save her. There are few moments in his current life when he can totally relax.

Hank needs to discover his true identity, but I almost hoped he could keep his life in Concord, too. It is a story of tension and mystery. Who is Hank? How did he end up in a New York train station. It is the search for these answers and much more that kept me reading and riveted to the last page.

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

OCD, the Dude, and Me by Lauren Roedy Vaughn

I felt like I was back in my senior year with Danielle, the main character and narrator of the story. Not that my high school experience was much like hers, but there was enough that I felt connected.

We learn about Danielle through her writings - like class assignments, letters and private diary entries. Danielle is adopted and uncomfortable with the way she looks. She has very red hair and considers herself overweight. She has a major crush on Jacob, the star football player. She has a special connection with her Aunt Joyce and seeks her advice. But mostly, she is alone.

For reasons not clear at the beginning, Danielle must attend a socialization group. It is in the group that she meets Daniel who is always pushing the limits with adults including his stepfather and the groups councilor.

Danielle is dreading her class trip to England. She has been there before and loves it, but she hates the thought of spending so much time with her classmates. She knows they hate her and do not even want to be around her. She even tries to scheme her way out of it. In some respects, the trip is a turning point for Danielle's senior year which may turn out to not be so bad after all.

I enjoyed learning about Danielle and spending time with her during her senior year. I look back at my own experiences and think how unsure I was of things. I can definitely see the possibility of more stories about this amusing young woman.

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