Fourteen and Up

Levi, family and friends are overjoyed at the safe return of Boaz, Levi's older brother, from military service in the Middle East. But Levi soon realizes that his brother has been deeply changed by his wartime service. The more Levi probes, the further Boaz retreats, until Levi follows his brother who has headed off for an unknown mission. This story is told with humor and understanding, but without judgement. Kathie Weinberg

On the cusp of her 14th birthday in Suburban Australia Plum Coyle despairs of her “hideous” body, her unconventional family and her mundane life. Plum’s palpable insecurity makes her fair game for manipulation by a neurotic neighbor and the mean girls in her school all of whom promise her a new persona. The alternating points of view highlight tragic misunderstandings and Plum's poignantly flawed perception of the people in her life. Insightful characterization of Plum and a compelling story. Jackie Gropman

Eagan and Amelia are two 16 year-old girls; one athletic and fit, the other waiting for an organ donor with a strong heart. Told from alternating viewpoints, we see the impact of the death of one girl whose very death saves the life of another one. How will Amelia feel when she has a new heart? Will its cost overwhelm her? As Amelia recovers following the surgery, she begins to experience some things that make her wonder if her donor has given her more than just a heart. Joan Kindig

Amy, a seventeen year-old from California, believes that the car accident that killed her father is her fault. Months later, still emotionally paralyzed from the trauma, she is asked by her mother to meet in Connecticut. Roger, the son of a family friend, has been recruited to help get Amy to the east coast. An initially tentative friendship quickly deepens and eventually forms into romance between the two as they extend their cross-country adventure. While there are some pacing issues, and other minor quibbles (cream soda is much more available in the author's mind than in reality!), this is a sweet, contemporary, and quite relatable story of growth into young adulthood. Both main characters are largely likable, and a conclusion that neither ties up everything neatly, nor demands a sequel, is appreciated. --Todd Krueger

In 1851, Fredrika Bremer requested that the Swedish Consulate find her a home in which to stay on a visit to Cuba, a country she thought would offer the best of the New World. When she arrived, she experienced both its beauty—colorful vegetation and fireflies—and its reality—masters and slaves. Wealthy young girls behind curtained windows embroidered hope chest items for marriages planned when they turned 14. Prose poetry presents the points of view of Cecelia, the young pregnant slave who translates Spanish to English for Fredrika, Fredrika, and Elena, the young lady of the house. Remarkable figurative language and distinct imagery create insight into their universal conditions. Lynda Adamson