Young Adult Novels

    Behar, R. (2017). Lucky broken girl . NY: Delacorte. Ten year old Ruthie is a Cuban immigrant living with her family in Queens in 1966. Ruthie and her family battle homesickness for their home country while trying to seek new opportunities in America. Ruthie becomes bed ridden in a full body cast after a horrific car accident. From this experience, she must deal with boredom and fear. Tensions flare with Mami who is angered by Ruthie's isolation and works hard to care for Ruthie. When vistors come it is awkard and leave quickly. Ramu, Ruthie's friend, sneaks in to see her even though his mother forbids him being friends with non-Indian children. However, when his brother dies, he is forced to move back to India with his family. Soon a new neighbor named Chico moves in and befriends Ruthie. He brings her painting supplies to encourage her to do art. Months later, Ruthie's cast is finally removed, but she fears having to learn to walk on crutches. Frustrated ...

    Anderson, L. H.  (1999). Speak .  NY:  Penguin. When Melinda Sordino begins her freshman year of high school in New York, she has a heavy secret weighing on her. Over the summer, Melinda attends a party and ends up calling the police. Because of this, her friends begin to socially reject her except for Heather, who tries to get Melinda involved in her plans to gain popularity. However, Melinda is not interested in being popular. She spends a lot of her time at school hiding in a janitorial closet to avoid her teachers and past friends. Melinda's only happiness is when she is in art class painting a tree. However, Melinda continues to run into a senior named Andy, who she calls It, at school which forces her to face what happened to her at the party. She is forced to relive the details when he begins to antagonize her. She begins to skip school and isolate herself. When her parents and counselors try to get her to open up about her academics, she r...

    Alexie , S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian.   NY:  Little Brown. Arnold Spirit Jr., known as Junior, speaks of his early life on a Spokane Indian reservation. Junior was born with a brain condition, hydrocephalus, where he had excess spinal fluid on the brain. As a survivor of his condition, Junior was left with a lisp and a stutter. In addition, he had to have excess teeth removed, was far-sighted in one eye and near-sighted in the other, and suffered from seizures as a child. Growing up on the reservation, Junior has to deal with others bullying him about his condition. Junior also has to deal growing up with alcoholic parents and a loner sister. However, he does have a best friend, Rowdy, that is determined to protect Junior. Junior also feels comfort in creating cartoon art, in which Rowdy is also supportive of. When Junior is in high school he throws a textbook at his teacher in a fit of rage and breaks his nose. As a resul...