I'll Be There

by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Brothers Sam and Riddle are drifters. Their father is a petty criminal, who simply runs to the next location when he feels the law closing in. They don't go to school, have never used a cell phone, and eat what they can, when they can. When by chance Sam meets Emily Bell, he feels a strong connection to her, and she to him. As their unlikely friendship grows, Emily introduces Sam and Riddle to her upper middle class family, who have never seen the likes of these boys. Slowly, and in unexpected ways, the two become entwined with the entire Bell family. To say any more would spoil the suspense as this novel takes a turn from light romance to nail-biting adventure, and a story of physical and emotional survival.

Thanks to Mrs. Smolka for recommending this one to me!

Once Was Lost

by Sara Zarr

Sam is a preacher's daughter, and she's afraid that's all anyone in her small town knows about her. It seems like all the kids in her youth group thinks she's a pillar of faith, but she's not sure what she believes about God these days. Her mom is in rehab after a drunk driving accident, but her dad can't seem to say the words from the pulpit, so everyone is just left to speculate on her whereabouts. To make matters worse, Sam's dad seems to be getting uncomfortably close to the pretty, 26 year old youth group leader. Nick, one of the cutest guys in the group, asked her to dance once last year, but otherwise doesn't seem to know she's alive. Sam's world is already falling apart, and then Jody disappears. Jody, Nick's sweet 13 year old little sister. The town unites to try to find her, and Nick inexplicably reaches out to Sam. Is Jody gone forever? Is Sam's dad lying to her? Will her mom ever come home? And then there's Nick... Does he want to be more than just her friend, or does he have something to do with Jody's disappearance?

Being a preacher's daughter myself, this book resonated with me on several levels. Zarr's writing is solid, and the questions and doubts Sam experiences feel authentic. The mysteries keep you guessing the whole way through, so I was forgiving when they all wrapped up just a little too neatly.

Okay for Now

by Gary D. Schmidt

When Doug's father loses his job, he uproots their entire family to small, seemingly boring Marysville, New York. His dad and two older brothers are borderline abusive, and Doug is miserable with the move, and life in general. But soon he finds a little comfort at the library. Not in the books, but in a display of the works of John James Audubon, a famous painter and naturalist. As he begins working with the librarian, who helps him with his art, and begins a friendship (plus a little more) with Lil Spicer, life starts to look up. But every time something good happens to Doug, something else always seems to come along to mess it up.

This is a story of a young man making something of himself under very difficult circumstances. His struggle is both original and familiar. Doug is a character you won't want to leave. The writing is almost flawless. Schmidt has Doug's voice pinpointed so well that it's hard to believe he's not a real person. I picked this up because I've heard so much about it being a contender for the Newbery Medal. I'll be disappointed if it doesn't at least win an Honor. Just read the first chapter and try to put this down. And while it's not really a sad story, you might just shed a few tears along the way.