Mrs. Jenner's Recommended Reads

aLL THE bRIGHT pLACES

Violet may have thought her life was over after her sister's death but then Finch came into view. Finch was always the odd one at school. The guy no one really could figure out so very few people tried. Violet was one of those people until she literally meets Finch face to face on a ledge.

Finch knows that there is just something about Violet that he likes; maybe loves. So, he does what it takes to get to know her. Even if that means throwing pebbles at her bedroom window in the middle of the night.

The two happen to end up working on an assignment together and really begin to understand each other in a much deeper way. They "wander" together and find themselves in the process.

Rich with emotions and mental health themes this book is a must read YA fiction book! Part romance, part comedy, and part realistic fiction. But 100% a book you will not want to put down!

The Vanishing Deep by aSTRID sCHOLTE

A M A Z I N G !

Imagine you live in a world where the dead can be brought back to life but only for 24 hours. Would you want to be revived? Would you want to revive someone only to see them die again?

Tempest's sister unexpectedly died with a secret. A secret the Tempest only learned she was keeping after she died. The only way to figure out that secret is to revive her sister and get her to confess.

Only, things don't go as expected when her sister does wake up. Their "warden" isn't who he says he is and he's keeping loads of secrets too. Elysea, Tempest's sister, will not confess until she gets something she wants from Tempest. What will everyone find out? How will all their futures change? Who will live and who will die?

A must read for everyone! This book encompasses so many genres that there is something in it for all readers. It will keep you in suspense, it will make you laugh and cry, you will gasp and be in shock, it will drag you under until you finish reading it!

Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis

Talk about a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat! From the very first line, "the world is not tame" I knew that was going to be a great read and I was not disappointed.

Ashley is not like many of her friends. She prefers the company of the woods to that of a party. However, when a camping trip to the woods with a group of her friends arises how could she say no. Not all goes to plan though. As you can imagine with a group of drunk teenagers; drama ensues. Ashley ends up on the wrong end of this drama. As she tries to put some distance between her and the drama she ends up putting miles between her and civilization.

Lost and injured in the woods Ashley has to use all her skills to survive with what little she has. There are points where, as a reader, you are not sure she's going to make it. There are points that Ashley thinks she's not going to make it. You cannot help putting yourself in Ashley's shoes, well feet actually, and feeling all that she feels and picturing all that she sees. Truly a great read for anyone that likes suspense filled adventure stories.

Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder

If you are a daughter, mother, sister, friend, or just a human being you are sure to cry during this read. It is such a moving graphic memoir of a daughter struggling to cope with the death of her mother. The author talks about death, grief, and mourning but also allows us into her times of happiness with her family. We experience many memories with Tyler and her family that just would not have been read the same if this memoir were not written in a graphic novel format. A truly great read for anyone but a definite read for those of us struggling with lose in any way.

Displacement by Kiku Hughes

An inspiring graphic novel about a disturbing piece of history that unfortunately may be repeating itself in some ways. Told in partial fact and partial fiction Kiku Hughes spins us a the tail of her Japanese ancestors during the 1940s in Japanese internment camps.

Bull by David Elliott

What a wonderful take on the myth of the minotaur. Elliott takes a humorous spin on Asterion's, The Ruler of Stars, story. Half bull, half man forced to live out his life by his "father", King Minos in a labyrinth. This story actually focuses more on Asterions life before the labyrinth which I found quite interesting. Told with wit, humor, and knowledge a great read!

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

What to say about Stargirl? Well, it's hard to explain because the main character, Stargirl, is hard to explain. She's the person in school that you just cannot make sense of. You don't know weather to like her or to stay away from her. You're not sure if she's acting or if it's really her.

She does seem to capture the attention of one High School boy, Leo. But will being with her totally ruin his reputation?

This book celebrates nonconformity but also shows the reader just how hard it is to be different in a world that wants everyone to be the same.

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

An amazing read filled with deception, adventure, love, friendship, and action! A mix between romance, fantasy, and dystopian fiction this book will appeal to so many readers.

Taken from her home to serve a wicked king as a Paper Girl, Lei, the protagonist, soon learns just how different and separate the three castes of Ikhara are. She is of Paper Caste, the lowest caste, and totally human. The king is of Moon Caste, the highest caste, and very demon like. Then there is the Steele caste which is somewhere in the middle.

As the story unfolds Lei and several other characters discover that there may be a way to change Ikhara. It will take patience, diligence, deception, and maybe sacrifice but in the end they may just end up creating a better future for everyone. Or so they think ...

Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson

Amazing! Absolutely amazing! Raw and true and amazing! I loved the poetic format; it made the reading feel more personal. It felt like an autobiography but it also felt like fiction. Just a truly wonderful work.

You will learn so much about Laurie Halse Anderson in the work that it will simply amaze you. She has written this in such a way that, as you are reading, you feel like she is right there with you.

There were some parts that made me feel slightly uncomfortable as I was reading but I think that was part of the reason Anderson wrote it that way.

Overall, a great read and highly recommended.

Parkland Speaks: Survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas Share Their Stories by Sarah Lerner

I'm not sure if I can find the right words for this one. I literally just finished reading this with my daughter sleeping on my shoulder and my son napping in his bed and I'm crying. Real tears and real emotions. Reading these true stories from survivors of the Parkland school shooting made me just want to hug my own children and loved ones so tightly and tell them that I love them so so much. It made me want to show my students how much I really do care about them. This compilation of stories vividly sheds some light on my happened that day and what is still happening even if I can't even imagine the horror that these students, staff, and faculty went through that day. I certainly can't imagine what the survivors are still going through.

tHEY bOTH dIE AT THE eND BY aDAM sILVERA

So, like I did, you may be thinking - why would the author give away the ending with this title? Maybe they don't die - maybe it's a twist ending? Well, like Silvera says at the end of this book, as well as throughout honestly, it's not about the ending it's about the journey and to treat each day like a lifetime.

The two main characters, Mateo and Rufus, spend their Last Day trying to live it to the fullest once Death Cast calls them a little after midnight. In my opinion, they certainly did.

Silvera fills the pages with hope, sadness, wonder, nostalgia, friendship, love and even a little comedy. It reminds us to treat each day like it's our last because it just might be.

tHE sEA wITCH BY sARAH hENNING

The tale of the little mermaid we all know and love but before it actually happens. This book certainly reads a lot like that traditional tale but most definitely tells a story of it's own.

Have you ever wondered how the Sea Witch came to be? Well, this story certainly gives us that information. Spun with magic and love a love story to strong you will not want to put the book down!

dEAR eVAN hANSEN by Val Emmich

Evan, like many teens, suffers from severe social anxiety. He's just starting his senior year in high school and plans on going through the rest of his time there just like he has before. Invisible. That is until Connor comes into the picture.

Connor and Evan were never friends barely even talked in school expect when Connor was being a bit hostile towards Evan. But when the letter that Evan wrote ends up in Connor's hands and found on his body after he commits suicide Evan's life changes forever.

He needs to make a choice - lie and stick to it for a chance to belong and hopefully better his life or tell the truth and keep things as they are. What do you think will happen?

fIVE fEET aPART BY rACHAEL lIPPINCOTT

I absolutely loved this book! I would highly recommend it to anyone!

Stella, Will, and Poe are three teenagers living with a terminal illness called cystic fibrosis or CF. Pretty much the whole story takes place in the 3rd floor CF wing of a hospital where all three are being treated to try and improve their lung function. Stella and Poe have been friends for years but Will is a newcomer. Not to CF but to the group and he turns everything upside down!

A wonderful, inspiring, romance, friendship, hardship, and humorous novel that you will not want to put down! You will laugh, cry, shout, and experience just about every emotion when you read this.

PS - If you like The Fault in Our Stars by John Green you will love this book!

The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

I read this book series a while ago but heard that it might be made into a movie soon so I decided to read it again.

I still loved it! Classic Dystopian Fantasy with some great twists and turns in the plot to keep you guessing.

Still not sure why Aveyard titled it "Red Queen" though when the main character doesn't actually become Queen (in this book anyway) ... any ideas?

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