msjamgochian'sinfinitebooklist

How can you be afraid of becoming a zombie if you already feel like one? Abandoned by her older sister Lily and left behind to endure her father's physical and emotional abuse, Sloane Price is just waiting for the bite that frees, with a suicide note tucked into her pocket to prove it. Now she's holed up in her former high school with five other students, watching them fight for their lives while she waits for the inevitable. A unique take on the zombie genre that will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned. Give it to fans of Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth . Grade 8+

A riveting story of abuse and the redemptive power of kindness by the author of Breakfast With Buddha. Marjorie Richards, completely isolated from society by her parents until the age of nine (when social services forced them to allow her to attend school), lives in a rustic cabin in the woods, suffering physical and psychological abuse at her mentally ill parents' grim and sadistic hands. Followers of a twisted cult, they force seventeen-year-old Marjorie to find work to support them and their monthly alcohol-fueled escapes in their dirty pick-up. This isn't a light tale of abuse; one scene involves facing : a paper bag is placed over Marjorie's head and an entire congregation takes turns hitting, pummeling, and poking her, not lightly, in the face. The light at the end of the incredibly dark tunnel is lit when she is offered a job rebuilding a cathedral in town alongside a talented builder, a victim of abuse himself. As Marjorie develops her own set of skills, her self-e...

A complex and moving story told by two survivors: Jill, who is stunned by her father's recent sudden death, and Mandy, who has left behind her abusive family in the hopes of making a new life for her unexpected and unborn child. Jill's mother, Robin, agrees to an open adoption with Mandy, who wants a better life for her baby. Jill believes her mother is making a life-altering mistake and simply trying to replace her beloved father. Slowly both girls move towards love and trust while redefining their respective futures. As usual, Ms. Zarr's strength lies in her believable, sympathetic, and honest depictions of troubled yet strong young women. Mandy's sweet naivete pairs perfectly with Jill's tough facade, and a robust cast of supporting characters round out the charming ensemble. Click here for Ms. Zarr's interview at ALA 2011 . Grade 8+

Blink and Caution are two teens on the run from the past: one from a horrific accident and one from an equally nightmarish stepfather. Blink lives hand-to-mouth, and when he's lucky, he dons a Blessed Breakfast Uniform, heads for a posh Toronto hotel, and eats whatever leftovers he can find on room service trays left in the hallways. When he inadvertently witnesses the kidnapping of mogul Jack Niven, he thinks he has discovered a way out of his impoverished existence. Caution (aka Kitty Pettigrew)lives with drug-dealing super creep Merlin, one act in a series of self-destructive moves she makes to punish herself for her past. When these two broken wounded teens meet, the story kicks into high gear, and we discover their past as well as their future. The perfect companion book to Punkzilla by Adam Rapp, this book would also work well for Individual v Society units. Click here for the full Globe and Mail review and here for Wynne-Jones' website . Grade 8+