High School Reads!

by Julie Murphy Genre:  Realistic Fiction Everyone in Eulogy, Mississippi knows Ramona Blue.  She's 6 feet tall, has blue hair, and thinks it is her job to hold her family together.  Her parents have divorced and she lives with her dad and her sister, Hattie, who is expecting a baby.  Ramona wants to be there for her dad and her sister, but doing so may threaten any chance she has of building a life of her own.  When her childhood friend, Freddie, moves back into town, her relationship with him makes her question everything about the life she thought she was going to lead.

by Jenny Dunham Lexile:  770 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Katie is 17 and thinks she is falling in love with a girl.  Caroline, Katie's mom, is about to be forced to face her past.  Mary, Caroline's grandmother, is struggling with Alzheimer's and suddenly becomes part of the family.  Katie decides to help her mother out by caring for her grandmother even though her mother clearly resents this intrusion into their family's life.  Katie and her mother are going to have to work through the past if they want to have success at a future.  Mary will help them do that, if they can help her remember everything that happened.

by Tiffany D. Jackson Genre:  Realistic Fiction When Mary was 9, she killed a baby.  Allegedly.  At her trial, she refused to speak and said she didn't remember what happened the night 3 month old Alyssa died while in the care of her mother.  Now, Mary has served her time in jail and has been released to a group home where she is trying to start her life over.  Mary dreams about going to college and having a normal life.  But there are so many obstacles for her to overcome and they all seem to lead back to that one night.  Is it finally time for Mary to tell the truth about what she knows?

by Emery Lord Lexile:  730 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Jonah is struggling to keep his family afloat after his dad died suddenly and his mom is unable to get out of bed.  Vivi has moved to Verona Cove for the summer to try to make sense of her bipolar disorder.  And then Jonah meets Vivi.  And then Vivi meets Jonah.  And neither of them will ever be the same again.

by Nina LaCour Lexile:  660 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Marin hasn't spoken to anyone since the day her grandfather disappeared.  She simply walked away from everything and flew to New York to start college.  She didn't even tell her best friend Margo where she was going.  Now it is Christmas and everyone has gone home for the holidays.  Everyone except Marin and now Margot is coming to see her for three days.  Will Marin be able to open up to her best friend and tell her about what has been gong on in her life?

by Renee Watson Lexile:  680 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Jade attends St. Francis High School on a scholarship and she is tired of people thinking that she needs help if she is going to "make it" in the world.  She has to get up very early and take the city bus out of her neighborhood to attend the mostly white high school.  Her counselor recommends her for a mentorship program that could result in a college scholarship if she completes the program.  Jade has some reservations about accepting yet another offer of "help",  and when she meets her mentee, Maxine, she has even more concerns.  Is Maxine another person who thinks she needs saving?

by Benjamin Alire Saenz Lexile:  HL450 Genre:  Realistic Fiction It's the first day of Sal and Sam's senior year.  They have been friends forever, but the start of this final school year feels strange to Sal.  He can't shake the feeling that things are changing whether or not he wants them to.  Sal has grown up with his adoptive gay father and everyone says his father is the best.  Sal agrees, but he has questions about his mom and his biological father that are bothering him more and more now.  And then there is his best friend, Sam.  She has a mother with whom she is constantly fighting with especially when it comes to her future.  Will their senior year be the best or the worst year of their lives?