Skin by Adrienne Maria Vrettos.

Donnie has always had his sister to rely on.  Through their parents’ fighting, through his unpopularity at school, and through his loneliness.  But when his sister develops an eating disorder, it is Donnie that starts to look out for everyone, even though as he does it he loses himself, turning invisible in school and at home. 

This is a stark, vivid portrayal of an eating disorder from the point of view of a sibling who is also damaged by the disease.  The writing pulls you into Donnie’s world filled with loneliness and confusion.  Even as you realize that Donnie is disappearing, you are struck by the quality of the writing that can create a main character who is becoming nearly invisible.  Yet Donnie’s voice and point of view are never compromised.  Karen, the sister, is equally well-written as the reader and Donnie both continue thinking, hoping that she has defeated her demons and overcome her disorder.  The author has created a book with a unique perspective that is one of the best eating-disorder novels for teens that I have ever read. 

This book will be an easy sell with teens who enjoy problem novels or books about eating disorders.  But it will also be enjoyed by boys who may not usually pick up problem novels.  It is a searing look at a serious issue, so boys looking for reality books will enjoy it.

Shug by Jenny Han.

Shug is a charming story about the perils of being a twelve-year-old girl.  Shug, also known as Annemarie, struggles with her family where her mother is a distant drinker, her father is in and out of her life, and her older sister is focused more on leaving for college than in her younger sister.  When Shug realizes that she has suddenly fallen for her best friend, Mark, she no longer knows how to act around him, and the distance between the two of them grows.  Starting junior high as a non-popular girl is also a challenge as she tries to navigate between being herself and still having friends.  As her best girl friend Elaine is courted by the popular crowd, Shug finds another friend in the very last place she expected to.

The writing in this book is sparklingly clean and clear, making it easy and very pleasurable reading.  The characters face challenges that are not easily solved and the world of junior high is as confusing and amazing as it was when I was that age.  I truly appreciate someone writing a great book for girls at this age, before they are teenagers but at the same time that so many confusing things are happening with their emotions and their bodies.  The character Annemarie or Shug is so well-developed that she becomes real. 

Recommend this to preteens as well as teenagers.  This is a true tween book, and you know where to find the exact girls for it.  Additionally, it is a great book for mothers to share with daughters and have a conversation about the new challenges of becoming a teen and the world of junior high.

Mama, I’ll Give You the World by Roni Schotter and S. Saelig Gallagher.

Simply gorgeous, this picture book will tug at your heart and take you into a precious world.  After school, Luisa spends her time at her mother’s place of work, Walter’s World of Beauty.  There she watches her mother cutting, coloring and curling hair.  But her mother no longer dances now that her father is gone.  Luisa spends her time creating her own hair creations from colored paper and hatches a plan for her mother’s birthday that will give her mother the world.

The writing in this book is lovely, filled with great language that reveals the beauty of Luisa’s life.  The illustrations are equally evocative, capturing the warmth and liveliness of the beauty shop and the many characters that frequent it.  One of my favorite aspects of the book is that this is a single mother and child and their lives are not easy, but Luisa is more concerned with her mother than with her missing father.  They are a complete unit, not grasping for a father figure to fill a hole in their lives.  It is a lovely portrayal that single-parent children will recognize and relate to. 

This is a book about the love between parent and child.  It is perfect for curling up with your own children, but would be equally welcome in a Kindergarten or first grade class when talking about parents or families. 

The Great Race: the story of the Chinese zodiac by Dawn Casey, illustrated by Anne Wilson.

This trickster tale tells the story of the creation of the Chinese zodiac calendar.  The Jade Emperor decides to create a calendar and name each year after an animal.  In order to decide what order the animals should be in, he decides to have them race.  Rat is the smallest of the animals and worries that he will come in last and not have a place on the calendar.  But then Rat gets an idea that just might have him come in first!

The book is great fun with clever ideas and tricks.  The art conveys a strong sense of place while at the same time being whimsical and light-hearted.  Appended at the end is the zodiac calendar where children can find their own year of birth and see what their animal sign means. 

This is a lovely multicultural title that can be shared at any time of the year.  It is a great way to introduce elementary students to the concept of the zodiac and alternate calendar systems. 

Oh, I am the loving and tender-hearted Sheep, married to a happy Monkey, mother to both an honest Ox and a wise Snake. 

The Horn Book has a nice collection of reviews of great new children’s holiday titles:  Holiday High Notes.  There are certainly enough titles here to fill up a sleigh and keep a whole bunch of naughty or nice children happy for hours.