The Bog Child

The Bog Child is by Siobhan Dowd. The story is set on the border of Northern Ireland and the south in 1981. While digging peat with his uncle, eighteen-year-old Fergus finds a body buried in the bog. He is fascinated when the body is discovered to be from the Iron Age. He must also deal with passing his exams to be a doctor and the turmoil in his family. His brother Joe is in prison for a terrorist bombing and is on a hunger strike. As his brother dies and his family falls apart, Fergus must deal with his own coming of age in a violent political climate. A powerful tale of a young boy's desire to escape and the pressures that make it hard.

Ratings: 9th grade - 9 out of 10 - P (profanity) - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content).

The Ghost Map

The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World is by Steven Johnson. This is the story of the massive cholera outbreak in Soho in the summer of 1854. The outbreak killed hundreds of people and almost wiped out an entire neighborhood. It is also the story of a doctor and a minister who set out to determine its cause, and by doing so changed science forever. The book is a bit gross, but so were the conditions in London at this time; it is, however, worth the read for the triumph of human spirit and science over superstition. 

Ratings: 9th grade - 8 out of 10 - AC ( mature thematic content).

Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida

Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida is by Victor Martinez. The story of a young Latino boy coming of age in a poor family in California. Martinez clearly and movingly portrays the struggle with poverty, alcohol, drug abuse, and gangs faced by so many Latino youth. A short, but moving, tale of the desire to grow up and better your circumstances and how hard that can be to do.

Ratings: 9th grade - 8 out of 10 - P (profanity) - V (violence) - AC ( some mature thematic content).

Divergent

Divergent is by Veronica Roth. The first book in a new dystopian series. The world has been divided into five factions. At sixteen all teens must chose the faction to which they want to belong. Beatrice has grown up in Abnegation but chooses to belong to Dauntless. As she goes through the initiation she begins to discover she is different from the others. She is "divergent" and can manipulate the computer simulations. She is also warned that society kills off any divergents they find and she must hide her abilities. When Erudite uses Dauntless to threaten Abnegation and take over society, Tris must decide which faction she really belongs to and what being divergent really means.

Ratings: 8th grade - AC (mature thematic content) - V (violence).

The Lost Child: A Mother's Story

The Lost Child: A Mother's Story is by Julie Myerson. While Myerson is researching her new book on a young artist who died two centuries ago, she must also deal with her oldest son who is addicted to drugs. A frank and honest look at the struggles and pain of parents whose children are troubled. As Myerson researches the history of Mary Yelloly and her amazing book of watercolor paintings; she can't help but be reminded of her own child and the struggles their family is going through.

Ratings: Adult - 8 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content).

The Dead Drop

The Dead Drop is by Jennifer Allison. The fourth book in the Gilda Joyce series. Gilda lands a summer internship at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. Once there, she discovers that the museum is haunted and that the ghost wants her to uncover a spy who is selling secrets to the Russians right under the CIA's nose. Fans of this series will enjoy this installment as well.

Ratings: 6th grade - 7 out of 10.

Lockdown

Lockdown is by Alexander Gordon Smith. The first book in the Escape from Furnace series. A creepy entrant into the dystopian fiction category. Alex and his friend break into people's houses. One night they are caught by some mysterious men in black suits who murder Toby. Alex is framed for his murder and sentenced to the Furnace for life. Furnace is a maximum security prison for young offenders located a mile under the Earth. Once there, Alex discovers there are more terrible things happening in Furnace than just being in an underground prison for life. Boys will especially love this creepy book.

Ratings: 8th grade - 8 out of 10 - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content).