Books
It is a day like any other when seventeen-year-old Melinda Jensen hits the road for San Francisco, leaving behind her fractured home life and a constant assault on her self-esteem. Henry is the handsome, charismatic man who comes upon her, collapsed on a park bench, and offers love, a bright new consciousness, and—best of all—a family. One that will embrace her and give her love. Because family is what Mel has never really had. And this new family, Henry’s family, shares everything. They share the chores, their bodies, and their beliefs. And if Mel truly wants to belong, she will share in everything they do. No matter what the family does, or how far they go. Told in episodic verse, family is a fictionalized exploration of cult dynamics, loosely based on the Manson Family murders of 1969. It is an unflinching look at people who are born broken, and the lengths they’ll go to to make themselves “whole” again.
“Ostow’s Henry is fascinating, a pied piper hell-bent on reaching the masses, whether through love or terror.” — Booklist
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When Aggie Eckhart’s family moves from Miami, Florida, to Denville, Alaska, because of her father’s job, Aggie feels like a fish out of water. Not only is frozen Denville a far cry from sunny Miami, but she’s got no friends, her mother is driving her crazy, and she loses her cell phone within the first month – cutting off her lifeline to civilization. But when an online search for her phone (using the schmancy built-in GPS tracker) reveals that the cell is enjoying life up north much more than Aggie is, she adopts a whole new outlook. No more woe-is-me, now it’s all WWMCPD (What Would My Cell Phone Do)? And before Aggie knows it, things are looking a whole lot brighter in this charming, fun, and lighthearted YA romance.
“Entertaining…Aggie’s openness gives just enough heft to this coming-of-age tale.” – PW
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So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother)
*illustrated by David Ostow
Despite his dreams of hipster rock glory, Ari Abramson’s band, the Tribe, is more white bread than indie-cred. Made up of four suburban teens from a wealthy Jewish school, their Mötley Crüe is about as hardcore as SAT prep and scripture studies. But after a one-song gig at a friend’s Bar Mitzvah—a ska cover of “Hava Nagilah”—the Tribe’s popularity erupts overnight. Now, Ari is forced to navigate a minefield of inflated egos, misplaced romance, and the shallowness of indie-rock elitism. It’s a hard lesson in the complex art of playing it cool.
“A rollicking, witty, and ultra-contemporary book that drums on the funny bone and reverberates through the heart.” — Booklist (starred review)
A Sydney Taylor Notable Book
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Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa
Emily is a Jewish girl from the suburbs of New York. Her mother has family in Puerto Rico, but Emily has never had contact with them —- ever. Then Emily’s grandmother dies and Emily is forced to go to the Caribbean for her funeral. Buttoned-up Emily wants nothing to do with her big, noisy Puerto Rican family, until a special person shows her that one dance can change the beat of your heart.
“Ostow draws on her own half-Jewish, half-Puerto Rican roots to tell a moving story that has a solid plotline and plenty of family secrets–past and present–as it opens up issues of tradition, feminism, friendship, and loyalty.” — Booklist
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
Erin Bright is pretty, polished, and popular–the perfect First Daughter. Her father is the mayor of their town, so photo shoots and Inauguration balls are a part of her life. In high school, Erin is politically involved as well; her handsome boyfriend has been student council president for the past two years. But THIS election season, things change. When Erin suddenly gets passionate about an environmental cause, she decides to run AGAINST her boyfriend…and to challenge what her dad stands for! Can Erin convince her friends, and herself, that she has what it takes to lead?
“A sassy and spectacular read.” — Winston-Salem Journal
An ALA Popular Paperback for Young Adults
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