msjamgochian'sinfinitebooklist

A fresh and thought-provoking dystopian young adult novel set in the not-so-distant future where the scored are watched and rated 24/7. Scored masterfully addresses the rapidly disappearing middle class in America, the quiet evaporation of privacy, and what it means when we're always 'on.' Cory Doctorow eloquently sums it up in his Boing Boing review , "This book is the antidote to the pointless hand-wringing about Facebook, reality TV, and the PATRIOT Act, a chance to get out of the trite cul-de-sac where these conversations always end up, and to move into green pastures." Give this to fans of The Hunger Games and Marie Lu's Legend . The easy reading level makes it a superb EAL/ESL alternative to 1984 or Brave New World. Grade 7+

On a hot summer night in a small country town, local teen pariah Jasper Jones raps on book nerd-sensitive Charlie Bucktin's window, and leads him to a discovery that will change both of their lives. Laura Wishart, daughter of the town shire, and friend to Charlie, is found hung from a tree where she and Jasper used to meet in secret. Knowing that Jasper will be suspected of the murder, the boys hide her body in the river, and that is where the trouble, and their relationship, truly begins. As the summer progresses and Laura's disappearance is investigated, Charlie is faced with a host of hard truths: his parents' marriage isn't what it seems to be, his best friend Jeffrey Lu suffers at the hands of racists, and the local tendency to turn the other way rather than stand up for what is right has tragic results. The bitterness is balanced by the sweetness of Charlie's relationship with Laura's little sister Eliza; Mr. Silvey masterfully depicts the magic of first ...

Booklist Review: Luke’s Inupiaq name is “hard like ocean ice grinding at the shore or wind pounding the tundra.” But at Alaska’s Sacred Heart boarding school, which Luke attends with his brother, Bunna (a third brother is effectively kidnapped and sent to Texas), his name and the nuances of his culture aren’t treated as being important. It’s the 1960s, though, and the times are a-changing. In lovely, evocative language, Edwardson weaves Luke’s story of displacement, loss, and growth into those of his fellow students’ in a story about the collision of culture and the growing awareness of civil rights. It’s a testament to her skill that even clueless priests and sisters at the school come across as rounded characters; several of them are even aware that military experiments with radioactive drinks, allowed on native students, may be suspect. Some point-of-view changes from first person to third-person omniscient are jarring; nevertheless, this is an illuminating novel of changing perspec...

From the Publisher: Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos. It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies. But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart. I enjoyed AMS just as much as Across the Universe and for all the same reasons. The slow build-up romance between Amy and Elder, the Godspeed , and the fast-paced action. Give this series to fans of Glow . Grade 8+

Would you make the choice to be cryogenically frozen if it meant waking up with your beloved family 300 years later? Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents in the icebox aboard the spaceship Godspeed, destined to land on Centauri Earth, but her plans are altered when she is woken up 50 years before contact. Elder, the dark, tall, and handsome future leader of the ship, is the guy who couldn't resist thawing her out, and their romance paired with the discovery of foul play on the Godspeed keeps this sci-fi adventure moving. Don't miss the cool 3-D interactive diagram of the ship on Ms. Revis's website! Book one in a planned trilogy, Revis's debut novel is a perfect match for sci-fi book clubs. The relationship between Amy and Elder will engage readers of realistic fiction or romance, and the use of alternating perspectives will keep even reluctant readers turning the pages. A must-read for fans of Ender's Game. Click here for the full YA Reads review . A Million...

Ruby, along with her fellow congregants, has spent the last two hundred years enslaved to Darwin West and his Overseers while waiting for the return of her father and savior, Otto. Ruby and her fellow congregants spend their days in misery. Half-starved, beaten, and thirsty, they work from sunrise to sunset in the woods, harvesting water on their hands and knees with pewter cups and spoons that they dump into a cistern every night. Some of the congregants have a secret: the pewter is a cover-up for what really makes their water magic (Ruby's blood). When Ruby connects with a kind and handsome overseer named Ford, the desire to leave becomes unbearable, and she must make a choice. Bachorz' stark prose paired with Ruby's strong voice will appeal to fans of Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth series. An excellent addition to any Individual v Society list. Bachorz's website has plenty of extras. 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+

Hush is the story of Gittel and her best friend Devory, who are both growing up in a closed Chassidic community in Brooklyn Park, New York. Seventeen-year-old Gittel tells their story, moving between modern day and the girls' shared childhood. I can't write many details about the book without giving too much away, but suffice it to say this is a powerful book that you won't stop thinking about until you talk to someone else about it. If you don't mind spoilers, or don't plan on reading the book but want to recommend it or order it for your library, click here for the Velveteen Rabbi's full review . Eishes Chayil (a pseudonym which means Women of Valor) has written a book that might save lives in a voice that needs to be heard. Grade 8+