What would YOU do for fresh water?

Think about it, next time you take a drink, and then read A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park.  This short and excellent book alternates between two stories in Southern Sudan:  In 2008, Nya has to walk eight hours every day to gather fresh water for her family; in 1985, Salva is separated from his family when soldiers invade his village. Based on the real life of Salva Dut, the stories of survival and the importance of fresh water (especially when it's hard to get) are mesmerizing; when the stories intertwine at the end of the book, you may not be surprised, but I bet you're inspired.  This book has been used by many schools that have a "One Book" program; it would be great for students looking for a service project.

What's it like if you're homeless...and you're a kid?

I was all ready to be sad when I read Almost Home by Joan Bauer, but instead I was touched, impressed, and inspired.  Sugar Mae Cole and her mom, Reba, have lost their home and moved to Chicago to start over. But after the job Reba hopes for doesn't come through, she has a breakdown, and Sugar heads to a loving foster family.  With help from a book by her late grandfather, a puppy named Shush, and an understanding teacher from her previous school, Sugar strives to carry on.  She's a strong, likable character, and many of her feelings are expressed in emails and poems that she writes.  Even though the book is fiction, it puts a real face on the issue of homelessness in a compassionate way, and yes, there are touches of humor.  This is a mesmerizing, wonderful book - I'd love to hear a book club discuss it.

War from both sides: who's right? who's wrong?

Lots of tough decision for characters to make in Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins.  Chiko is a quiet 15-year-old who dreams of becoming a teacher, when he is taken by force into the jungle to start training for the army of Burma (now Myanmar).  Life is brutal and miserable, but two thoughts keep him going: trying to find out about his father, who was arrested as a traitor, and the hope of once again seeing a girl whom he adores.  After Chiko is severely wounded by a land mine and on the verge of death, he's discovered by Tu Reh, a teenager on the opposing side of the war.  Tu Reh's house was destroyed by Burmese soldiers...what will he do to Chiko?  Half of the book is narrated by Chiko and half by Tu Reh, so the reader gets a fascinating glimpse into two Asian cultures and an idea of what life would be like as a child soldier.

Could he be the youngest to climb Mt. Everest?

Here's another one that's hard to put down - Peak by Roland Smith. Peak Marcello is 14 and loves to climb, but when he gets caught scaling a skyscraper, he's really in trouble. The judge is more than happy when Josh, Peak's estranged dad and a famous mountain climber himself, offers to take Peak back to Asia with him. Soon Peak learns that Josh's intentions weren't very father-like: his expedition company is hurting financially, but if Josh can put Peak on the top of Mt. Everest - he'd be the youngest climber ever - Josh's company could make a ton of money. Peak's not thrilled about being used that way, but for a once-in-a-lifetime chance like Mt. Everest, he goes along with the idea. The realities of the mountain and base camp, the life of the Sherpas who help, the harshness of the weather, and the dangers that are truly life-threatening make this a fantastic, page-turning survival story. Will Peak make it to the top?

Desperate to cross

La Linea by Ann Jaramillo will give you an idea of how desperate some people are to get into the U.S. Years ago, Miguel and Elena's parents left them in Mexico for California. On Miguel's 15th birthday, he receives a note from his father, with enough money for Miguel to make the illegal crossing across la linea himself. However, his carefully laid plans are shattered when he finds that Elena has followed him. After most of their money is stolen and they're on their own, their only option is to hop the mata gente, a northbound freight train known as the "people killer" because of the extreme danger involved. Although the story line resembles that of Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs, La Linea is much grittier, telling more about the realities of crossing: the effects of dehydration, the violence of soldiers, the betrayal and corruption. I had a little bit of trouble with the amount of Spanish words in the text, but I was able to figure out enough to understand what was going on. A frightening, real-life adventure.

Chilling and mesmerizing

Wow. Once I started reading Unwind by Neal Shusterman, I could hardly put it down. The main idea is creepy, the pace is almost non-stop, and the way some of the characters changed (some for the better, some for the worse) was both believable and fascinating. The time is in the future; parents can choose to have their children ages 13 to 18 unwound - although "technically" they're alive, all of their body parts are harvested and given to others. This story follows Connor and Risa, as they desparately try to avoid the harvest camp, and Lev, the 10th child born to a family whose religion considers him to be a tithe - being unwound is his sacred duty. The action starts immediately, and the twists and turns made me feel like I was on a roller coaster. Some of the ideas might be a little too intense for younger readers, but this would be amazing for older students to read and discuss - so many questions come up! When does life begin? When does it end? I was thinking of this book long after I finished it.

Surviving Katrina - bittersweet and beautiful

I can guarantee you'll be touched by the characters in Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Lanesha is a spunky, resourceful 12-year-old who lives in the poor Ninth Ward of New Orleans with Mama Ya-Ya, an elderly midwife who has raised her since Lanesha's mother died in childbirth. Hurricane Katrina is on its way, and Mama Ya-Ya can sense that there's something even worse to survive than the hurricane itself. They make it through the storm - they have no money or transportation to evacuate - but then the flooding comes, and that's when things get really bad. The relationship between Lanesha and Mama Ya-Ya is absolutely warm and pure, and the book's touch of magical realism (Lanesha has the "sight" and can see ghosts, including that of her mother) adds a beautiful angle. Even though I already knew about Katrina and its aftermath, the suspenseful writing totally drew me in. An awesome survival story.

Oh. My. Gosh.

I can't remember the last time I was so quickly drawn into a book as when I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins!  This amazing story had my attention from the first page.  North America no longer exists; now there's the country of Panem, which consists of the cruel Capitol and twelve surrounding districts.  Every year the Capitol makes each district send one boy and one girl to the Hunger Games, a battle to the death, which all the citizens of Panem are required to watch on live TV.  When Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place in the Games, she has to battle not only the other 23 "tributes," but also harsh terrain, weather that's gleefully manipulated by the Capitol, and her own uncertain feelings towards Peeta, the other tribute from Katniss' district.  The plot twists, turns, and constantly keeps the reader on edge.  This absolutely riveting book is followed by two more: Catching Fire and Mockingjay.

Fast-paced adventure at sea

If you're looking for a page-turner, The Great Wide Sea by M. H. Herlong is a winner.  Fifteen-year-old Ben is shocked when his father, still grieving over the sudden death of Ben's mom, decides to sell the house, buy a boat, and take Ben and his two younger brothers sailing...for a year.  After a nasty, night-time storm in the middle of the Atlantic, the boys wake up and find their father is gone.  They eventually wash up on a deserted island and have to learn to survive on their own.  Ben's range of emotions, from righteous anger at his dad to concern for his brothers, rings true, and his brother's characters are equally believable.  I thought the ending wrapped up a bit too quickly and neatly, but I couldn't put this one down.

Would you survive on a deserted island?

I know of so many classes that have read The Cay by Theodore Taylor that I decided it was time for me to read it, too, and I'm glad I did.  Taking place during World War II, young Philip is on a freighter that is hit by a torpedo.  When he comes to, he's on a raft in the middle of nowhere with Timothy, an elderly black man, and his feline companion, Stew Cat. They eventually land on a small, deserted island; Philip's head injury leads to blindness, and he must depend on the knowledge and kindness of Timothy to survive.  Will they make it through the approaching hurricane?  Will they ever be rescued?  A lot of action and food for thought are packed into this relatively small book.