Jawbreaker by Christina Wyman

 

Jawbreaker  by Christina Wyman  305 pages

Max Plink's life is complicated. Her parents aren't getting along. The school bullies are relentless, and her own sister is the cruelest of them. Worst of all, her mouth is a mess. With a mismatched puzzle of a jaw, Max has a Class II malocclusion, otherwise known as a severe overbite. She already has braces, which means she lives on Advil and soft foods after each orthodontist appointment. But now Max has to wear painful (and totally awkward) orthodontic headgear nicknamed "the jawbreaker." Could things get any worse? Yes. The journalism competition Max wants to enter has a video component. But being on camera means showing her face not just to her junior high classmates, but possibly the whole city. Going viral is the last thing Max needs, but winning this competition is what she wants most. Turns out, following her dreams is complicated, too.

This is a Mark Twain nominee.  It really hit home because I had to wear headgear when I was a teenager, but not out in public.  I also related to parents fighting all the time.  It was so sad that one of her bullies was her sister though.  I really think kids will like this book if they just give it time.  It is a long book for some kids to get through.

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor 170 pages Living in the family car in their small North Carolina town after their father leaves them virtually penniless, Georgina, desperate to improve their situation and unwilling to accept her overworked mother's calls for patience, persuades her younger brother to help her in an elaborate scheme to get money by stealing a dog and then claiming the reward that the owners are bound to offer This book was not anything that I thought it would be from the title!! A homeless family living in a car, the children try to make money so they can move into an apartment...even if it means stealing a dog. The narrator of the book, the daughter, is very disrepectful to her mother (not a good example since this is a childre's book) and some of the things I would not feel comfortable with my elementary student reading. The ending does show the strength in honesty and family.

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick -- 273 pages

This is certainly being added to my list of recommendations for children! It is a realistic and moving look at a teenage boy who's life didn't go as planned. Steven is a drummer, Steven is a thirteen-year old with a crush on the hottest girl in school, and Steven has a brother.

Steven's school paper about the most annoying thing in his life was all about his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey, but when Jeffrey comes down with Leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. The worst part is everyone is so concerned for Jeffrey, that during this terrifying time, no one is paying attention to Steven who's stopped turning in school projects and is growing ever more depressed.
It's hard, but step by step Steven becomes the brother Jeffrey needs.

It's a pretty touching story. A few times I felt like the way Steven thinks about girls was very stereotypical. And Dangerous Pie was only barely mentioned at the beginning of the book! Why is it in the title, except for the reason that it sounds interesting?

I listened to the audiobook. The narration was great.

 
this is where it ends by Marieke Nijkamp
288 pages

The story takes place within a 54 minute time period and is told from the perspective of four students.  As the story unfolds you will hear and feel the events as each of the four main characters describes what he or she is going through in the midst of a school shooting. Each of the four characters is connected to the gunman and his revengeful plan. 
It is told from a great perspective and you truly feel as though you are there with each student as he or she describes his/her ordeal. This story is all to frighteningly real.

The publication date is January 5, 2016.