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Showing posts with the label multicultural

The Glass Demon by Helen Grant

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Another creepy gothic thriller set in a small German town from the author of The Vanishing of Katherina Linden . Seventeen year-old Lin Fox is uprooted from her comfortable life in the UK when her father, a renown scholar in medieval history, decides to move to a tiny village to study the legend of the Allerheiligen Glass, a series of medieval stained-glass windows that may or may not be inhabited by demons. The problem is, nobody actually knows where the windows are, and the locals aren't exactly helpful. In fact, it quickly becomes clear that Lin's family isn't welcome when bodies start turning up, surrounded by shards of broken glass. Ms. Grant is a master of building suspense; you'll find yourself turning on lights and checking that the doors are locked if you read this late at night. Give this to fans of Agatha Christie or anyone living in a small German village. Grade 8+

Bitter Melon by Cara Chow

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Tiger Mother meets Mommie Dearest in this stinging portrayal of abuse, coming of age, and finding your voice set in the Richmond District of San Francisco . Seventeen-year-old Frances is resigned to achieving her mother's dream for her: she will go to Berkeley and become a doctor. A door is opened when she accidentally ends up in Ms. Taylor's speech class, and as Ms. Taylor becomes her personal cheerleader the windows of the future are blown wide open. Watching Frances learn to take risks and grow to accept herself in spite of the warehouse of imaginary faults so frequently pointed out by her mother resembles seeing a delicate flower stuck in a bed of ugly weeds slowly unfurl. Ms. Chow eloquently reminds us of the infinite difference one person can make in a teen's life. Frances's tentative romance adds extra appeal for fans of the genre. Give this one to readers who enjoy Sara Zarr and Gabrielle Zevin. Grade 8+