Tag Archives: high school

“The Bully” and “The Gun”

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Victoria Waddle

The Bully by Paul Langan Darrell Mercer moves from Philadelphia, PA to California in the middle of his freshman year of high school. Although his neighborhood in Philly is not the best–even dangerous sometimes–he has a lot of good neighbors … Continue reading →

Posted in bullying, Family Problems, Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Read 180, Sports, Young Adult Literature | Tagged Bluford series, book reviews, bullying, friendship, guy books, hi-low reading, high school, high school students, life skills, parent-teen relationships, poverty, Read 180, reluctant readers, school problems, teachers, Teen Issues, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment

“School Spirits”

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Victoria Waddle

School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins Related to the Hex Hall series Izzy Brannick hunts monsters of all types. However, she finds tracking and binding ghosts to be less than challenging. So when her mom (Aislinn) tells her that they are … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure Stories, Family Problems, Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Horror/Mystery/Suspense, Supernatural, Young Adult Literature | Tagged book reviews, ghost hunters, ghost stories, ghosts, Hex Hall series, hi-low reading, high school, high school students, monsters, paranormal, reluctant readers, School Spirits, YA fiction, YA literature | 1 Comment

Adult Books for Teens: “Colorless Tsukuri Tazaki”

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Victoria Waddle

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami Sometimes I love a book so much, it’s hard to know what to say about it without the effusion seeming insincere. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki is one of those books. … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Mature Readers, Multicultural, Over 375 pages | Tagged betrayal, college, Colorless Tsukuri Tazaki, engineers, friendship, Haruki Murakami, high school, Japan, Japanese culture, meaning of life, mental depression, metaphysics, pilgrimage, secrets, suicide, train stations | Leave a comment

“Since You Asked”

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Victoria Waddle

I had a great time at Maurene Goo’s presentation a few weeks ago at the Ontario City Library, Ovitt Branch. She’s the author of Since You Asked, a YA novel in journal form about Holly Kim. “Fifteen-year-old Holly Kim, … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Multicultural, Young Adult Literature | Tagged book reviews, cliques, high school, Holly Kim, homecoming (high school), journalism, Korean American culture, Korean Americans, Maurene Goo, popularity, San Diego, school newspapers, writers, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment

Adult Books for Teens: “A Tale for the Time Being”

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Victoria Waddle

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki Nao, a Japanese American girl, was born in California’s Silicon Valley, her father a successful ‘dot-com’ programmer. But as time passes, her dad and his projects become superfluous. In dire straits, … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith-Based/Religious Element, Family Problems, Fiction, Human Rights Issues, Multicultural, Over 375 pages, Supernatural | Tagged Adult books for teens, book reviews, British Columbia, bullying, high school, Japan, Japanese Americans, kamikaze pilots, literary fiction, suicide, teenage girls, writers, writing, writing life | Leave a comment

Throwback Thursday: “Breathing Underwater”

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Victoria Waddle

Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn Nick is in court, facing a restraining order. He tells the judge that he never hit his girlfriend, Caitlin. The judge isn’t buying it. And it’s a good thing, too, because in the journal that … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Human Rights Issues, Mature Readers, Read 180, Sports, Young Adult Literature | Tagged abusive men, affluent teenagers, anger management, body image, book reviews, dating, football, friendship, high school, male-female relationships, partner abuse, self-esteem, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment