Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

My initial reaction to finishing the free verse book by Jason Reynolds was simply, "wow!" It's not that I was shocked in the ending, but I was hoping it wasn't true. This book was a page turner because of the intensity of the plot and the ease of the free verse. It took me a little over two hours to read this book because it was written in short, free verse so I flipped through it quickly, but also because it kept me interested the entire read! A family of two boys, a mom, and a dad torn apart by gun violence and sticking to the three rules of brotherhood: no crying, no snitching, and always get revenge. The bulk of the story happens over a 60 second time span, but the intensity is timeless. I highly recommend this book to all teenagers and adults who enjoy an intense, thought-provoking, and powerful book...and who want to read something quick!  

#7 Mrs. Staples

Beartown by Fredik Backman

When it comes to reading, my favorite books (and movies) are almost always realistic and often involve sports. When my book club selected Bear Town, for the month's selection, I couldn't wait to read it. Set in a town where hockey is EVERYTHING, Bear Town addresses many of the issues surrounding athletics. Current athletes in Bear Town are at the top of the social ladder. The town itself is in desperate need of a winning team to bring it out of financial ruin and is willing to risk anything and step on anyone to make sure the team wins.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

In this memoir, Jeannette Walls recounts the years growing up with her dysfunctional parents and her three siblings. She, along with her older sister, younger brother, and baby sister have to grow up rather quickly as they survive the lifestyle of their chaotic, free-spirited, irresponsible parents. Walls calls these memories "adventures" as they bounced around from location to location, lacking a stable education, money, a functional home, and all the necessities of what is considered a healthy upbringing. I was bothered many times while reading this book because as a parent I always want to protect my children, but in this memoir, Rex and Rose Mary Walls do very little to serve as proper parental role models. However, the ending shows there was love in the family and her parents did care about their children, but just had a different way of showing it. 

#6 Mrs. Staples

Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Twin brothers Josh and Jordan Bell are two middle school star basketball players, whose father was a popular and talented "baller" overseas that lost an opportunity to play for the L.A. Lakers due to an injury. In this free verse, fast-paced novel, the audience is taken through a period of these boys' lives of basketball, family, girlfriends, school, and traumatic life events. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and became deeply attached to this family, mourning at the end and longing for a different ending. The rhythmic sound of each page made this a page turner that I finished in just two hours. 

#5 Mrs. Staples

Mosquitoland by David Arnold

Mary Iris Malone, Mim to most, takes off on adventure to find her mother. Her parents are divorced and her father feels that Mim needs to be on her medication at all times. Sure that something is going on with her mother, Mim hops a Greyhound bus to find her.  Along the way, Mim meets a variety of characters. Some she can trust and others she cannot. This was our first Book Club selection for this year.

#5 Mrs. Spreder

every day by David Levithan

Meet A...Each day A wakes up in a new person's body. For most of A's life, he has attempted to live the day so that he does not disrupt the person whose body he is inhabiting. That is until the day he meets Rhiannon.

My thoughts...I liked this one. I wanted to keep reading to find out if A was ever going to figure out how to find his own body. I did not find the ending satisfying but would still recommend the book.

#4 Mrs. Spreder

Keep You Safe by Melissa Hill

Keep You Safe by Melissa Hill is definitely a page turner. It's almost comparable to The Scarlet Letter in a sense that two mothers are being shunned and demonized (one more than the other) for not vaccinating their children who ultimately expose others to a disease. It's a great read on herd immunity, helicopter parenting, and how quickly others are to judge. It is emotional and takes the reader on a journey pulling for a young girl and her mother unable to catch a break; first with the death of the patriarch in the family and next coping with a potentially deadly illness. Set in modern day, I can easily relate to it as I am a mother of three and constantly feel as though mothers are always judging, gossiping, competing, and providing unsolicited advice on parenting. It may not be for all audience types, but it definitely is something I would recommend to my age group!

#4 Mrs. Staples