Every Day by Levithan

Every Day by David Levithan (audio, read by Alex McKenna)

Audience: Grades 8 & up

My Rating: 3.5* of 5

Summary: Every day 16 year old A wakes up in a new body. When A wakes up as Justin and falls for his girlfriend, Rhiannon, everything changes. But how can you love someone when you are in a new life every morning?
Comments: I enjoyed this book’s interesting premise and the difficult questions it makes the reader consider.

Hero by Mike Lupica

Hero by Mike Lupica.
Audience: Grades 6 and up

My Rating: 5* of 5

Summary: Fourteen-year-old Zach learns he has the same special abilities as his father, who was the president's globe-trotting troubleshooter until "the Bads" killed him, and now Zach must decide whether to use his powers in the same way at the risk of his own life.

Comments: Excellent origin story that leaves you eager for the next adventure! Even out of his sports element, Lupica still writes with a perfect blend of plot and character that propells you through the story [faster than a speeding bullet...sorry, can't resist].
Awards: Texas Bluebonnet list 2012-2013
Read-alikes: Hero by Perry Moore (Moore's is for a reader who can handle LGBT lit)

Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge

Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge.

Audience: 7th grade and up

My Rating: 4.5* of 5

Summary: Paige Turner has just moved to New York with her family, and she's having some trouble adjusting to the big city. In the pages of her sketchbook, she tries to make sense of her new life, including trying out her secret identity: artist. As she makes friends and starts to explore the city, she slowly brings her secret identity out into the open, a process that is equal parts terrifying and rewarding. Laura Lee Gulledge crafts stories and panels with images that are thought-provoking, funny, and emotionally resonant. Teens struggling to find their place can see themselves in Paige's honest, heartfelt story.
Comments: Picked this up on a whim and was wowed by the Agents of Whimsy! A quintessential representation of the teen, self-absorbed, but working through the process (in this case artistic) of self-awareness and expression. Artwork is outstanding--conveying as much if not more than text--ranging from funny to profound. My only complaint was that the slight conflict between Paige and her friend Jules never really seemed resolved.