e Audio.
NEWMAN , Lesléa. October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard. Candlewick. 2012. Tr $15.99. ISBN 9780763658076.
Gr 7 Up–Newman was the keynote speaker at the University of Wyoming’s Gay Awareness Week five days after the hate-crime death of Matthew Shepard, a student at UW. She has created a heartbreaking set of poems written from multiple points of view about the notorious events leading to Shepard’s murder. Beautifully written, impossible to forget–and that’s the point. Audio version available from Brilliance Audio.
SÁENZ , Benjamin Alire. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. S & S. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978 1442408920; pap $9.99. ISBN 9781 442408937; ebk. $12.45. ISBN 9781 442408944.
Gr 8-10–Fifteen-year-old Aristotle’s working-class Mexican-American family, headed by silent, army vet Dad, is all about keeping secrets. When Ari meets Dante, the boys begin a life-changing friendship. Dante comes out to Ari, and Ari promises to remain his friend. In the process, Ari must examine his own sexuality. Memorably constructed characters drive the story. Audio version available from S & S Audio.
VOLPONI , Paul. Crossing Lines. Viking. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780670012145; ebk. $13.99. ISBN 9781101529041.
Gr 8-10–Playing out his gender identity questions in full view of his high school classmates, Alan wears makeup and feminine clothing. Jeannie and the Fashion Club are supportive, but Jeannie’s brother Adonis is repulsed and goes along with bullying served up by members of the football team. When the abuse escalates, will Adonis do the right thing?
WILKINSON , Lili. Pink. HarperCollins/Harper Teen. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978 0061926532; pap. $9.99. ISBN 978006 1926549; ebk. $8.99. ISBN 978006 2069634.
Gr 8-10– Ava’s parents totally affirm her romantic relationship with classmate Chloe, but when Ava’s accepted into a different high school, she acts on her uncertainties, breaks up with Chloe, makes new friends, and seeks out a boyfriend. Lying about her past with Chloe leaves Ava with even more identity questions.
ASHER , Jay. Thirteen Reasons Why. Penguin/Razorbill. 2007. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781595141712; pap. $10.99. ISBN 9781595141880; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9781101539927.
Gr 8 Up –Why did Clay’s crush, Hannah, kill herself? Clay receives a box of audio tapes and a letter asking that he listen to her reasons, and the teen wrestles with his response to Hannah’s claims about who is to blame. Multiple perspectives offer much to discuss concerning bullying, bystanders, and responsibility. Audio version available from Random House Audio.
HUBBARD , Jennifer R. Try Not to Breathe. Viking. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978 0670013906; pap. $8.99. ISBN 978 0142423875; ebk. $10.99. ISBN 9781 101566909.
Gr 8-10–Sixteen-year-old Ryan’s suicide attempt was interrupted by his parents, who sought psychiatric help for him right away. Back at school, Ryan’s classmates offer awkward reconnections. Nicki, however, isn’t afraid to talk about what happened. She wants Ryan to open up so that she can understand her dad’s suicide. Ryan’s first-person account offers immediacy and insight.
PETERS, Julie Ann. By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead. Hyperion/Disney. 2010. RTE $16.99. ISBN 9781423116189; pap. $8.99. ISBN 9781423130215.
Gr 8-10–Daelyn has attempted suicide twice, but this time the bullied teen is sure she’ll succeed with the help of a website for “completers.” When Santana, whose cancer has just come out of remission, befriends Daelyn, she is knocked off course by the irony of their respective situations. The ambiguous ending offers an unblinking look at the consequences of bullying.
THOMPSON , Holly. Orchards. Random. 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780385739771; lib. ed. $20.99. ISBN 9780385908061; pap. $9.99. ISBN 9780385739788; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9780375898341.
Gr 7-9–Eighth-grader Kana doesn’t feel personally responsible for her classmate’s suicide, but it’s clear that things she and her friends said contributed to the death. In Japan for the summer to help relatives in their orchards, Kana considers her complicity in the bullying th