Fiction Books

Thirteen Reasons Why

Jay Asher

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 71 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

This book might change the way you deal with friends and classmates..... 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Have you ever found an unexpected package on your doorstep? How exciting to get a surprise, right? Well, for Clay Jensen, this package isn't what he hoped it would be. When he opens it, he finds cassette tapes and a note. The really scary thing is that these tapes have been left for him by a dead girl, Hannah, who committed suicide just a few weeks ago. Pills, they said. But why did she kill herself? She explains who is responsible for what she has done -- in her own words on the tapes, she gives 13 reasons why -- and they all have names. Despite being horrified at what he might hear about himself and the others on the tapes, he forces himself to listen to them. Along the way, following the map included with the recordings, he finds himself both excused and also held accountable. What Clay hears that night changes him forever. Recommended!

Editorial Review:

Clay Jenkins returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers 13 cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay’s dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Stephen Chbosky

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1268 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

What is most notable about this funny, touching, memorable first novel from Stephen Chbosky is the resounding accuracy with which the author captures the voice of a boy teetering on the brink of adulthood. Charlie is a freshman. And while's he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. He's a wallflower--shy and introspective, and intelligent beyond his years, if not very savvy in the social arts. We learn about Charlie through the letters he writes to someone of undisclosed name, age, and gender, a stylistic technique that adds to the heart-wrenching earnestness saturating this teen's story. Charlie encounters the same struggles that many kids face in high school--how to make friends, the intensity of a crush, family tensions, a first relationship, exploring sexuality, experimenting with drugs--but he must also deal with his best friend's recent suicide. Charlie's letters take on the intimate feel of a journal as he shares his day-to-day thoughts and feelings:

I walk around the school hallways and look at the people. I look at the teachers and wonder why they're here. If they like their jobs. Or us. And I wonder how smart they were when they were fifteen. Not in a mean way. In a curious way. It's like looking at all the students and wondering who's had their heart broken that day, and how they are able to cope with having three quizzes and a book report due on top of that. Or wondering who did the heart breaking. And wondering why.

With the help of a teacher who recognizes his wisdom and intuition, and his two friends, seniors Samantha and Patrick, Charlie mostly manages to avoid the depression he feels creeping up like kudzu. When it all becomes too much, after a shocking realization about his beloved late Aunt Helen, Charlie retreats from reality for awhile. But he makes it back in due time, ready to face his sophomore year and all that it may bring. Charlie, sincerely searching for that feeling of "being infinite," is a kindred spirit to the generation that's been slapped with the label X. --Brangien Davis

Dog Heaven

Cynthia Rylant

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Blue Sky Press Amazon Marketplace: 58 new & used starting at $6.49

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Animals -> Dogs -> Staff Picks

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 165 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Dog Heaven 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Dog Heaven
We have sent this book to several friends who have lost their much loved pets over the years. It seem to let them know someone else cares for thier loss and the book does this in a very up lifting way.

Dog Heaven 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Beautifully illustrated with bright, bold colors, this touching text will make you smile at the same time it brings tears to your eyes. It is perfect for anyone, adult or child, who has had to say good-by to a much loved and faithful companion.

Love this book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

When my dog passed away last November, a friend sent me this book. It still makes me cry when I read it to my 3-year-old. But I love it. It's very sweet. I'm NOT religious at all, but I still got a lot out of the book.
Recently, my mother-in-law's dog died, so I sent it to her. She loved it, too.

Editorial Review:

A comforting and smile-inducing poetic text speculates on the place where all good dogs go, describing Dog Heaven as a wonderful location filled with countless ham biscuits, good meals, lots of petting, and endless stretches of fields to run in.

Bridge to Terabithia

Katherine Paterson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 804 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The story starts out simply enough: Jess Aarons wants to be the fastest boy in the fifth grade--he wants it so bad he can taste it. He's been practicing all summer, running in the fields around his farmhouse until he collapses in a sweat. Then a tomboy named Leslie Burke moves into the farmhouse next door and changes his life forever. Not only does Leslie not look or act like any girls Jess knows, but she also turns out to be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. After getting over the shock and humiliation of being beaten by a girl, Jess begins to think Leslie might be okay.

Despite their superficial differences, it's clear that Jess and Leslie are soul mates. The two create a secret kingdom in the woods named Terabithia, where the only way to get into the castle is by swinging out over a gully on an enchanted rope. Here they reign as king and queen, fighting off imaginary giants and the walking dead, sharing stories and dreams, and plotting against the schoolmates who tease them. Jess and Leslie find solace in the sanctuary of Terabithia until a tragedy strikes and the two are separated forever. In a style that is both plain and powerful, Katherine Paterson's characters will stir your heart and put a lump in your throat.

The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages

Leo Buscaglia

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 62 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Lovely fable 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

What an absolutely beautiful parable! The facts of life and death are poetically revealed through the story of a maple leaf named Freddie, who experiences a year of life. I understand that the purpose of writing this book was to explain the reasons behind death, and the result is exceedingly poignant.

Raves for The Fall of Freddie the Leaf 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Fall of Freddie the Leaf is an absolutely awesome book. It is everything friends had told me it would be. I read it to my 4 year old grandson and of course had to read it to him again within a couple of hours. What a beautiful way of explaining the life and death process!

End of Life Book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Fall Of Freddie the Leaf is a wonderful book for young and old alike to read if a loved one is dying. I for one will be using this book in my daily practice as a Hospice nurse.

Editorial Review:

he Fall of Freddie the Leaf touches children and adults alike, illustrating the delicate balance between life and death. The Fall of Freddie the Leaf is a warm, thought-provoking story about how Freddie and his companion leaves change with the passing seasons and the coming of winter. This beautiful and engaging tale has also been made into a film narrated by Leo Buscaglia

The Truth About Forever

Sarah Dessen

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Subjects -> Teens -> Authors, A-Z -> ( D ) -> Dessen, Sarah

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 173 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

With her sixth novel, award-winning author Sarah Dessen offers up another generous helping of finely crafted storytelling about real teens dealing with real life. In The Truth About Forever, when asked how she is coping with her father's death, invariably seventeen year old Macy Queen's answer is "fine," when nothing could be further from the truth. In actuality, she is drowning in grief while maintaining a flawless façade of good grades and unblemished behavior. Though she feels lost when her boyfriend heads to "Brain Camp" for the summer, she finds herself a job with the quirky Wish Catering crew, and meets "sa-woon"-worthy Wes, whose chaotic lifestyle is in direct opposition to her own. As the two share their stories over the summer, Macy realizes she can no longer keep her feelings on ice. Though it feels like her future endedwith her dad's death, Macy's learns that forever is all about beginnings. Dessen charts Macy's navigation of grief in such an honest way it will touch every reader who meets her. All of the Dessen trademarks are here: a girl in transition, a wonderfully fleshed out cast of secondary characters, and of course, the luminous, powerful writing itself. The Truth About Forever will more than satisfy Dessen's legion of fans, and will win her countless more as well. Highly recommended. (Ages 12 and up) --Jennifer Hubert

Sad Isn't Bad: A Good-Grief Guidebook for Kids Dealing With Loss (Elf-Help Books for Kids)

Michaelene Mundy

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

grief with young kids 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

My 8 yr old grandson was very interested in this. It lets them know it is normal to feel sad and blue and crying is okay when they lose a loved one.Helps them understand the whole grieving process.

Sad isn't Bad 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I had intended this book to be for my 4 yo grandson, it is more suited to my 12 yo niece. Still a nice book, very informational, and gave her lots to think about and even took some of the chapters to heart. She had lost her mother at 3 yrs of age and is lately showing signs of guilt and behavior problems.

Sad isnt bad: a good grief guidebook for kids dealing with loss 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Reviewer's book: Overcoming Loss: Activities and Stories for Children Who Have Experienced Grief and Loss

This fictional story helps young children to come to terms with the feelings they may be experiencing due to a loss. This book covers the grief process through its story line and is appropriate for any child.

Editorial Review:

Loaded with positive, life-affirming advice for coping with loss as a child, this guide tells children what they need to know after a loss--that the world is still safe; life is good; and hurting hearts do mend.

Tears Of A Tiger

Sharon M. Draper

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 279 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

One bad decision, two lives lost!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

My name is Jazmin and I am a freshman in high school. I had to pick a book for an English project. A friend of mine read Tears of a Tiger and said it had some good life lessons in it. Even though this book is fictional it is a very good book to read for kids my age because it shows how one bad decision can change lives.
In this book the main setting is Hazelwood High School. The main character is Andy. Andy made a bad decision one night and decided to drink and drive with his buddies in the car. Well they got into a crash and Robbie lost his life. Now while the others moved on, Andy couldn't cope with the death of Robbie and the book detailed Andy's conflict. Some of Andy's internal conflict made him act out in class, his grades started slipping, he lost his girlfriend, he missed school a lot, wasn't socializing with his friends, and continued to have bad dreams about the crash and Robbie.
Throughout the book Andy's friends and family tried to help him deal with his emotions. He even went to a counselor. His girlfriend Keisha always took him places to get his mind off things, but something always triggered his memories and he would become depressed again. It all became too much for Keisha and she broke up with Andy. Andy thought the only way to resolve his conflict was to kill himself. That is exactly what Andy did.
After Andy's death kids at school not only had to deal with one of there fellow classmates dying that year, but yet another. Most of his close friends wrote him letters asking questions like, "Why did you do it?", "Why didn't you ask for help?", and "What affect his death would have on his brother's life?"
After reading this book I have a greater understanding of how important life really is. This book taught me that life is so fragile; it can end in any moment. I also learned no matter how tough life gets for a person that ending your life is never the answer. Even though the troubled person's pain is gone, the people left behind are left wondering and suffering. The book also reminded me of how we are all one bad decision away from our lives being changed forever.

Editorial Review:

In one horrifying night,

Andy's life changed forever...

Andy Jackson was driving the car that crashed one night after a game, killing Robert Washington, his best friend and the captain of the Hazelwood High Tigers. It was late, and they'd been drinking, and now, months later, Andy can't stop blaming himself. As he turns away from family, friends, and even his girlfriend, he finds he's losing the most precious thing of all -- his ability to face the future.

Deadline

Chris Crutcher

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Ben Wolf has big things planned for his senior year. Had big things planned. Now what he has is some very bad news and only one year left to make his mark on the world.

How can a pint-sized, smart-ass seventeen-year-old do anything significant in the nowheresville of Trout, Idaho?

First, Ben makes sure that no one else knows what is going on—not his superstar quarterback brother, Cody, not his parents, not his coach, no one. Next, he decides to become the best 127-pound football player Trout High has ever seen; to give his close-minded civics teacher a daily migraine; and to help the local drunk clean up his act.

And then there's Dallas Suzuki. Amazingly perfect, fascinating Dallas Suzuki, who may or may not give Ben the time of day. Really, she's first on the list.

Living with a secret isn't easy, though, and Ben's resolve begins to crumble . . . especially when he realizes that he isn't the only person in Trout with secrets.

Looking for Alaska

John Green

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 88 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

made of awesome 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

i love john green and all of his books. this is one of the best books i have ever read . dftba

Struggle 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This was one of those books that I was tempted to stop reading in the middle. I am glad I finished it, but I am not sure if the message at the end of the book was worth getting through the all the mud at the beginning. I would not want my teenage children reading this book.

Editorial Review:

Before. Miles “Pudge” Halter’s whole life has been one big non-event. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-butboring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into a new life, and steals his heart. After. Nothing is ever the same. The Printz Award–winning modern classic is now available in the successful Premium Edition format with a bonus reading guide and a letter from John Green.