Once We Were Brothers by Ronald Balson

From the Publisher:

The gripping tale about two boys, once as close as brothers, who find themselves on opposite sides of the Holocaust.
Elliot Rosenzweig, a respected civic leader and wealthy philanthropist, is attending a fundraiser when he is suddenly accosted and accused of being a former Nazi SS officer named Otto Piatek, "the butcher of Zamosc." Although the charges are denounced as preposterous, his accuser, Ben Solomon, is convinced he is right. Solomon persuades attorney Catherine Lockhart to take his case, revealing that the true Piatek was abandoned as a child and raised by Solomon's family only to betray them during the Nazi occupation. But has he accused the right man?

Once We Were Brothers is Ronald H. Balson's compelling tale of two boys and a family who struggle to survive in war-torn Poland and a young love that incredibly endures through the unspeakable cruelty of the Holocaust. Two lives, two worlds, and sixty years converge in an explosive race to redemption that makes for an enthralling tale of love, survival, and ultimately the triumph of the human spirit.

Ms. Mangurtens thoughts
I LOVED this book. It took me a few pages to get hooked by Ben Solomons story but once I was I couldn't put the book down. I have read many Holocaust books over the years and this was certainly one of my favorites. What an interesting premise to have someone so close to you and have them turn on you because of the war and circumastances. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick (Abe Book)

From the Publisher: When Private Matt Duffy wakes up in an army hospital, he's haunted by an image of a young Iraqi boy as a bullet hits his chest. Matt can't shake the feeling that he is somehow involved in the boy's death, but because of his own head injury, he struggles to put all the pieces together.'

Ms. Mangurtens thoughts
I gave this book a 3 out of 5. I liked it but it was not one of my favorite books. The topic is very interesting covering war and an injured soldier struggling to remember how he ended up in the hospital. His friends told him what happened, his sergeant told him what happened, but he seems to recall something else. What really happened the day that put him in the hospital and who is telling the truth?

Stupid fast by Geoff Herbach (Abe Book)

It took me a while to get invested in this story. Once I got into the story I couldn't put it down and wanted to see what was going to happen with Felton, Andrew and Jerri. Felton is 15 and having a big growth spurt. All of a sudden he is over 6ft tall, hairy, smelly and STARVING. His mom, Jerri, is acting weird ( weirder than normal) and his one and only friend Gus is off to Venezuela for the summer.

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John (Abe Book)

This was not my favorite Abe Book. In the end I did think it was a cute realistic fiction book and think plenty of students would like the book. Especially the music fans at LPHS.

Review
When in a rush of uncommon bravado high school senior Piper offers to manage Dumb, her school's most popular student rock band, her family thinks it must be a joke. A retiring student and member of the chess team, Piper is neither the stereotypical band manager nor a typical teen: she is profoundly hearing impaired. After she discovers that her parents have spent the majority of her college money to treat her infant sister's deafness with cochlear implants, Piper's quest to get Dumb a paying gig leads her to consider her managerial role as a potential source of income. John's novel is written with a reverence for popular music–particularly the work of Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain–and a respect for its ambitious teen characters. Although Piper's hearing is a characterizing detail that could have been used solely to add a type of politically incorrect and screwball humor to the story, her abilities are seen as assets: while lip reading allows her access to public conversation, she is not above using sign language to obscure her intentions. The parallel attention to Piper's hearing family and the strain her parents' decision to treat her sister with cochlear implants adds to the greater story and informs the novel's direction and ending in a satisfying way.

Hate List by Jennifer Brown (Abe Book)

Book Description
Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

Review
I LOVED this book. I thought the premise was so interesting. Are you guilty if you wished something bad would happen to someone. I think this was a great read and I can't wait to read it with book club to discuss what they thought of Valerie, Nick, Jessica and Stacey.

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr ( Abe Book)

I LOVED this book! A librarian friend of mine gave me this book a year ago and it has been sitting on my bookshelf at home. After making the Abe List I put it on my to-read list. I was home sick this week and needed a book so grabbed How to Save a Life. I didn't know anything about the book but was familiar with the Author. I loved this book from the first page. I found the characters completely engaging and found myself wanting to see what was going to happen to Mandy, Jill and the Mom. I highly recommend this for everyone!


Summary

Jill MacSweeny just wishes everything could go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends -- everyone who wants to support her. When her mom decides to adopt a baby, it feels like she's somehow trying to replace a lost family member with a new one.

 

Mandy Kalinowski understands what it's like to grow up unwanted -- to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, one thing she's sure of is that she wants a better life for her baby. It's harder to be sure of herself. Will she ever find someone to care for her, too?

As their worlds change around them, Jill and Mandy must learn to both let go and hold on, and that nothing is as easy -- or as difficult -- as it seems.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

I bought this book at the book store after it won the Newberry Award even though it skewed a little young. I have heard so much about this book and finally sat down for an hour and finished it. Quick, adorable read that will pull at your heart strings.

Summary
Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.
Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.
Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.
Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.