Everything Beautiful is Not Ruined by Danielle Younge-Ullman

My friend Becky tweeted about this book over the weekend sharing a quote from it and tagged me in the tweet.  Apparently she knows me very well since I placed an order for it (and a few others) the same day.  It arrived yesterday and I started it immediately ( I do love summer!)

Everything Beautiful is Not Ruined is about Ingrid, a grade 11 student who has led an interesting life to date.  Her early years were spent with her mother who toured the world singing opera.  Ingrid loved this transient life with just her and her mother traveling where the jobs took them.  But life with her mother was not easy, there were times when Ingrid was left on her own when her mother 'took to her bed' and stayed there for many days.  But Ingrid was tough.  Once they settled down, Ingrid learned how to be herself, but not too much of herself, only what her mother approved of.   Ingrid is sent on a wilderness/ survival trip where she is exposed to the elements of nature, leadership and dealing with all sorts of people.  Along the way, Ingrid and her mother's story is told leading to Ingrid learning that she can't not follow her own path, even if it doesn't meet with her mother's approval. 

I LOVED this story, I could not put it down. I've not read anything by Younge-Ullman before, but you can bet I've just ordered her other two books.  You can check out her blog here.    I loved the way this story was told in both flashbacks and in present tense.  Ingrid is an amazingly strong, but complicated character. 

There are a few parts that discuss mature bits, but it is not anything that would stop me from giving it to students in grade 7 & 8, however I would caution teachers to read it before sending it home with students. 

I already know a few students who are getting this book in September!

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen

I love anything that Sarah Dessen writes.  They are such great books to dive into.  This weekend I was struggling to get into a book, and then I noticed The Rest of the Story on my 'to-be-read' shelf.  I knew it was destined to be the first book of summer!

True to form, this book was easy to jump right into with characters who are believable and interesting.  The story is about Emma Saylor, for her whole life, her father and friends have always called her Emma- she has a nice life at home living with her grandma and dad.  Her dad has recently been married and when they set off on their honeymoon, Emma has to have a place to stay for a few weeks.  She ends up at the lake where her parents met and where her deceased mom's family still lives.  Emma knows nothing about the lake, or any of her family.  At the lake, everyone knows her as Saylor, the name her mom always called her.   As Saylor gets to know her family, she starts discovering things about her past and her mother's past that finally answer some questions she didn't even know she had.   

This setting of this story was perfect for me, there were so many connections between living on the lake, working for a living while others vacationed, boating, partying etc. I could picture everything that was happening.   Saylor, her new friends and family were wonderfully rich, flawed characters.  Unlike many Dessen books, these teens weren't 'Disney versions'.  They were more typical teenagers who drank, partied, stayed out late, broke curfew, got their hearts broken, etc. But in a very respectful, realistic way.

I'd highly recommend this book.  It would be great for any classroom after grade 7.