Transferral by Kate Blair

I found this book on Twitter and knew it was my type of book so I ordered it right away.

In this dystopian world, when someone gets an illness, they can have it transferred to a criminal.  Criminals are given sentences of illnesses based on the severity of the crime.  The bigger the crime, the more serious the illness they are given.
When we first meet Talia, the daughter of a Prime Ministerial candidate she is suffering from a cold and wants nothing more than to get rid of it. She is embarrassed to be seen coughing and wiping her nose, and her father needs to stay far away from her so he doesn't appear weak.  While at the hospital, Talia is confronted by a mad man and she risks her own life to help a young girl.
That action throws Talia into a world in which she knew nothing about.  The more she learns about this young girl and her family, the more she starts questioning everything she has ever believed in.  Her father doesn't understand what she is thinking, and tries to get her to see things his way.  But Talia does everything in her power to make him see reason.

This book was amazing!  Fast paced, interesting and exciting. Talia is a great character- strong, believable and convincing.  My only issue with this book was that the print was so small that it was hard to read.  But maybe that is just my age!

Anybody who loves reading dystopian novels will love this book.

Will to Survive by Eric Walters

I know I've said this many, many times, but I love ANYTHING written by Eric Walters- and this book was no exception.  I've been waiting for this book to come out for over a year- and I was so excited when it arrived this week.  I started it yesterday and finished it early this morning.
If you haven't read Rule of Three or Fight For Power you really need to read those first.

In this book, Adam, his friends and family are still trying to survive and thrive in a world where there is no electricity or power.  His neighbourhood has pulled together in order to survive. They have rules, routines and people to help make decisions.  Life inside their community is actually moving along pretty well.  But people on the outside want what they have, and are willing to stop at nothing to get it.  Adam at 16 needs to make some pretty serious decisions, but he is lucky to have his friend Herb there to guide him and direct him.   The big question is how far will Adam have to go to survive?

Will to Survive starts off where Fight for Power ends, and it is full of excitement, and adventure from the first page.  What I loved most about this book is that Adam is now in situations that are more typical of dystopian novels.  The people on the outside are dangerous and violent and Adam finds himself in situations that put not only his life, but the lives of his friends and family at risk.  Adam is a strong character with a great moral compass, but even he questions what he is going to have to do in order to keep his community safe.  Walters doesn't shy away from the means that people who are hungry for power will go to in order to take something they want.  Yet in true Walters fashion, it is done in a way that would be accessible for elementary aged students.

If you are a fan of Eric Walters, a fan of dystopian novels, or a fan of great stories- you need to read this book- well actually the whole series.  It was truly my favourite young adult series I've read in a very long time.

Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Don't ask me where I picked this book up because I have no idea.  It was in my TBR pile and last week when I was looking for a book to read, this is the one that stood out for me.  I LOVED this book- I loved that it was told through poetry, but also that it was a story of a grade 7 boy playing basketball told in poetry!

Crossover is the story of twin brothers, Josh and Jordan Bell. They are the children of a former basketball star and they have game. They are the star players on their school team and they eat, sleep and dream basketball.  That is  until a girl comes along and suddenly things start to change for the brothers.
As the boys adapt to new feelings and changes at home, they use basketball as a way to work through their thoughts and feelings.

The story is told from Josh's perspective and he is such an interesting character.  At the start it is all about basketball, but as the story goes on, you start to realize he has deeper feelings and his writing changes as the story progresses.  Both Josh and Jordan are dealing with both normal things all kids deal with, but with the added pressure of their father's dreams for them as well.

I can't wait to share this with some of the boys from my class last year.  The fact that the story is told through poetry opens up so many discussion opportunities as well making it a quick read, which is appealing to many boys.  

Innocent by Eric Walters

Eric Walter's has done it again!  He has created the idea for a series of books where there are different characters connected by a common event.  Just like with the Seven series, the Secret series is written by different authors who each explore a different character.

After a fire at the orphanage where Betty has grown up, she is forced to start her new life outside the only home she has ever known quicker than expected.  When Betty ends up in Kingston, she finds herself working for the richest family in Kingston as a maid.  As she gets to know the other servants and family members, Betty is given glimpses of her life before the orphanage.  The more she learns about her past, the more confused she becomes.  When she learns that her father is serving time in jail for murder, it takes all of her strength to discover the truth.

As with all Eric Walter's books, I loved this character.  She was strong, determined and very clear in her beliefs.  I really liked the fact that this book was set in 1964 and in Kingston.  I could see many places Betty visited in my mind as I read through the book.  The gentle life style of the 1960's was really interesting and put a different twist on the story.  I like reading about kids dealing with situations who aren't quite as jaded or connected to social media as most books I read these days.

I think this series is destined to be another success for Eric Walters and the other authors.  I want to go out tomorrow and pick up more of the books.  I can really see girls in grade 5 or 6 enjoying these books.    

What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler

Last week I was doing some Christmas shopping at found myself at Chapters.  Of course I had to see what was new in YA books, because even though I'm not in the classroom right now, I like to keep on top of new books.

What We Saw is an incredible book.  In some ways it reminds me of Some Girls Are, Speak, and The Mocking Birds, however this story looks at the situation from a different perspective.
The main character is Katie, the book opens up with her waking up the morning after a big party.  She doesn't remember much, only that she had been drinking and something happened between her and a boy she has liked for a long time.  When kids at school start receiving texts, Instagram and Reddit posts from the party, Katie starts putting things together.  The kids at school are divided into different camps based on their perception of the events of this night.  Katie has to figure out not only what happened, but what she will do with the information once she discovers the truth.

It is hard to do justice to this book since I don't want to give anything away.  I found this book to be incredibly interesting.  Katie is a great female character who finds herself questioning many things.  Her friend Ben is also struggling with that night, all he wants to do is forget it and not get involved. All of the characters in the story are believable as they are dealing with a party that got out of hand.

Anyone who has read any of the books I mentioned above would love this story.  I wouldn't hesitate to give it to mature readers in grade 8, but I would strongly suggest reading the story first.  

The Lost Marble Notebook of Forgotten Girl and Random Boy by Marie Jaskulka

Another book from my very large TBR pile!  I was looking for a quick read on Sunday night, and I grabbed this one off my shelf.  That is my new strategy, just grab a book and start reading it.  If it is in my TBR pile, it must be there for a reason.  

This story grabbed me right away, I mean, I read it straight through because I was so caught up in the story.  I am pretty sure I won't be able to do the book justice here, all I can say is that I LOVED this story, it took my breath away in many places.  

Forgotten Girl writes poetry, and tells her story through poems.  At one point in the story she writes "If only I didn't have to write it all down, but I do, I do.  I don't know why.  It just makes me feel better, less alone with my thoughts; less liable to forget all the truth.   When she meets Random Boy, she feels an immediate connection and discovers he is a writer too.  She shares her writing with him, and he with her.  The only problem is, as they grow closer, Random Boy wants to know everything about her.  He doesn't allow her any secrets from him.  The secrets she keeps from him cost her greatly and she needs to learn how to be in love without losing herself.  

This book was so incredibly written, there were so many times that I stopped reading to just reflect on a stanza from the story.  Even though this was written for young adults, there were many important messages for adults.  This book is much too mature for Elementary classrooms, but high school students would love this book!

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten

My TBR (to be read) pile is huge- I mean there must be at least 30 books on my shelf that I've purchased because they sounds good, and then I start reading another book.  Not being in the classroom this year means that I also read more adult books.  However last week, my friend Karen mentioned this book and was talking about how great it was.  It sounded familiar (this is how bad the TBR pile is- I don't even know what is on there), but sure enough, when I got home I looked through the stacks (and stacks) of books and found this one just waiting to be read.

I'm not sure why I waited so long to read it,but it was just what I needed.  I've read another Teresa Toten book before- The Game and I quite liked it.  I love the fact that Toten writes about issues of mental health.  It is so important that young adults see themselves reflected in the books they read, and any of us working with kids recognizes the upswing in the issues youth are dealing with.  That is why I love Toten's book, she writes about real characters who are dealing with real issues.

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B, is about a boy named Adam who is in group therapy to help him deal with his OCD, his mother's issues, his parents divorce and his step-brothers anxiety issues.  He has a lot of his plate, more than any 15 year old should have to deal with.  When a new girl joins the group, Adam is completely taken by her.  But he struggles over how someone with all the issues he is dealing with could have a normal relationship.  Adam is an incredibly sweet young man, who does indeed step up to be the hero to many people he meets, all while dealing with his own issues.  I was completely in love with Adam myself.

There are so many reasons to love this book, but the characters and the topic are what sold it to me.  I am not really sure if I would have this in my grade 7 classroom, it would have to be for the right student.  Grade 8 and older for sure. Intermediate teachers, I would suggest you read this first to determine if it is right for your students.  There are parts of Adam's story, like when he is describing how his OCD manifests itself that may confuse some readers, but it is so worth the read.

Teresa Toten is an author I will continue to buy everything she writes!  Check out her website here.