Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman

Great book with a clever twist on Romeo and Juliet. Vince is the son of a mob boss and Kendra is the daughter of the FBI agent who is trying to put him away. Obviously this causes problems. Son of the Mob is filled with humorous situations that will keep kids rolling, as well as great moral messages.

This is one of Gordon Korman's few young adult novels, so keep that in mind when choosing this book. It isn't your average Korman book. However despite the references to things occuring in high school, both vince and Kendra are good kids, and make good decisions.

-Jenny

How To Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford

Definitely a different, whimsical book. The characters aren't your typical popular kids, and don't do your typical teenager things. One is known as Robot Girl because of her lack of emotions, while the other is known as Ghost Boy because of his lack of engagement in anything. They stay up into the wee hours of the morning listening to a late night talk show known as Night Lights, where a small group of loyal listeners call in and talk about death, ghosts, and time travel.

Although the plot seems rather simple and a bit unbelieveable, it seems to me this book borders on some tough issues like abandonment, trust, adultry, and depression, which make it a worth while read.

It is a young adult book, but parents should keep in mind that there is some marijuana, and underage drinking references, and neither of these are addressed as bad or morally wrong, but rather a part of high school life, and the characters partake in some of these activities. If this is an issue for parents, you may want to pass this up.

-Jenny