“Counter Clockwise,” by Jason Cockcroft is a slightly psychedelic, mind-bending time travel fantasy about a boy who must travel back in time to the fateful day when his mother was killed.
One year ago Nathan Cobbe and his father Henry suffered the tragic loss of Nathan’s mother. She accidentally stepped out in front of a bus and was hit before anyone could stop her. Ever since then Nathan’s father has been acting rather strange, and seems a little bit out of it. Nathan is greatly affected as well but he puts on a facade for his father, because he knows that Henry has enough to worry about. Read the rest »
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Rating: 4.0/5 (2 votes cast)
“Perpetual Check,” by Rich Wallace is a riveting story about two brothers who are both chess whizzes. The only problem is that their shared skill lands them in the same championship, where they must play against each other.
Zeke Mansfield is a high school senior. He is a bit of a jock, and plays sports most of the time. But his time in athletics doesn’t stop him from enjoying chess. Zeke checkmated his father when he was just six years old. The only problem is that Zeke usually doesn’t bother to concentrate, and when he lets his overconfidence limit him he usually ends up loosing the game. Read the rest »
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Rating: 4.0/5 (1 vote cast)
“Inventing Elliot,” by Graham Gardner is a chilling story about a boy who ends up trapped in his school’s sickening cycle of bullying.
Elliot thought that the move to Holminster High would allow him to start all over. At Holminster he would be careful to avoid looking like a wimp. Maybe then he wouldn’t get targeted by bullies. At his old school Elliot was always scared, and the bullies knew it. Now Elliot has a chance to design a new image, a tough and impenetrable personality that will prevent him from being a target of bullying. Read the rest »
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Rating: 5.0/5 (4 votes cast)
“Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree,” by Lauren Tarshis is a touching story about an intelligent young girl who decides to start helping her schoolmates by solving their social problems.
Emma-Jean is an unusual girl known for being highly logical. This sets her apart from her fellow schoolmates because she usually doesn’t understand their jokes and queer social customs. Emma-Jean spends her time alone, studying trees, the Hindi language, and other important subjects. Read the rest »
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Rating: 4.0/5 (4 votes cast)
“Whirligig,” by Paul Fleischman is a powerful novel about the complex interactions that spring from a single tragic event.
The main character is sixteen-year-old Brent Bishop, a young man who is desperate to fit in with the other kids at his school. His life completely changes however, when his drunk driving results in an accident that takes the life of another young person, 18 year old Lea Zamora. When he is charged with drunk driving and manslaughter Brent comes to realize the full implication of his actions. As part of restitution Brent must carry out a rather unusual request that Lea’s mother makes of him. Read the rest »
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Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)
