Frenemy of the People

Frenemy of the People by Nora Olsen is the story of two high school students who are convinced they will not like each other coming together over a shared interest.

Clarissa has had the same friends for years. But when she comes out to them as bisexual, they do not react well. Her response is to try to start a Gay-Straight Alliance at school. The first day of school, she announces the club at the assembly.

Lexie's reaction to Clarissa announcing the club is indignation. As the only out lesbian at school, she would never join a club run by a preppy girl whose only interest seems to be riding horses. So Lexie confronts Clarissa and asks if she have ever even kissed a girl.

While they have little in common, they both want to help Clarissa's sister be nominated for Homecoming Queen. Desi wants to win and while she may not be as obvious a choice at the head cheerleader, she is going to give it her all. It is her last year of school before she has to graduate or stop attending anyway - Down's Syndrome students can attend until the age of 21.

As Lexie and Clarissa begrudgingly get to know each other, the find that they like each other a lot in this teen romance novel. Anyone who doesn't understand the cause of the financial crisis will appreciate Lexie's help in explaining it. This is a complex and sweet novel of first love.

Olsen, Nora. (2014). Frenemy of the People. New York: Bold Strokes Books.

So B. It

So B. It by Sarah Weeks is the story of Heidi - a girl trying to figure out who she is.

Heidi and Mama live in an apartment. The apartment has a connecting door to the neighbor's apartment and the neighbor, Bernadette, takes care of them. She has ever since Heidi and Mama fell from the sky. Or at least that is as good an explanation as any other.

Mama, who told Bernie her name was So Be It, showed up one day with a week old baby in her arms. Bernie, who is agoraphobic, found her on the doorstep. Ever since that day they have been a family.

Now that Heidi is twelve, she has found an old camera in the bottom drawer. The film has given her clues to her mother's past. But how can a 12 year old girl travel from Reno to Liberty, NY by herself? And if she gets to NY, will she find the answers she thinks she needs?

Weeks, Sarah. (2004). So B. It. New York: Harper Collins.

Al Capone Does My Shirts

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko is a Newberry Honor book.

Moose Flanagan and his family have just moved to Alcatraz island. The year is 1935 and his father has taken a job as guard and electrician at the prison. The move was to be close to a school in San Fransisco that Moose's parents want his sister Natalie to attend. Natalie has Down's Syndrome. The usually treatment was to lock up Down's kids. The Flanagans refuse to do that.

Although Moose is the younger brother, his role is of an older brother. He goes from a boy who only cares about baseball, to his sister's best friend. He watches her after school each day while his mother goes into SF to teach piano lessons.

The setting of this novel adds to the flavor of the children in the story. The warden's daughter is obsessed with meeting Al Capone. None of the other inmates are nearly as exciting. Of course, none of the families of the guards get to meet inmates. The closest they get is having their clothes washed in the prison laundry or eating a dinner prepared by inmates.

Choldenko, Gennifer. (2004). Al Capone Does My Shirts. New York: Puffin.