Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt (released on April 21st, 2008)

Schmidt has created another wonder of a work, completely different once again from his previous books but just as rich in language while remaining easy to read and devour.

Henry’s father always told him that if you build your house far enough away from Trouble, then Trouble will never find you.  But Trouble finds their family anyway when Henry’s older brother is hit by a truck while out jogging.  The truck is driven by Chay Chouan, a Cambodian teen, sparking racial tensions that had been simmering for some time.  Henry is trapped between his deep admiration for his brother and the truth as it slowly emerges, changing forever his perception of what honor is, what brotherhood is and what strength is.

Schmidt’s language is amazingly clear yet evocative.  My copy of the book looks like a hedgehog from all of the passages I have marked.  Here is a favorite passage taken from a galley copy:

His mother reached out to Henry and drew him to her.  He could not remember another time when she had held him so tightly.  Or when his father — with eyes closed and his hands up to his face again– had looked so… empty– as if the soul had left his body, and his body understood that it would never come back.

Another nice piece is the beginning of chapter four where Schmidt describes the transformation of a town from a healthy industrial community to a ghost-filled desolation where eventually the Cambodian immigrants who understood ghosts came to live.  The first two pages of that chapter are breathtakingly brave and beautiful.

This book is filled not only with strong passages but with strong characters and complex situations that slowly reveal their complexity to Henry and the reader.  It is a joy to slowly work through the puzzle of the book, learning as each page turns and lingering over amazing language.

Highly recommended for readers ages 12-14.  Every library should have a copy of this book and make sure that children and teens who love to read will be exposed to the delight of this writing.

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor.

Addie has spent her life waiting for normal, but her mother is not capable of offering her that.  Now they are living in a trailer in a rough section of town, but at least they are together.  Addie’s ex-stepfather Dwight continues to be a strong figure in Addie’s life, making sure she gets to see her two younger sisters who live with him.   Addie finds pleasure in the community she finds herself in.  She makes friends at her new school as well as at the convenience store across the street from the trailer.  She finds balance and care outside of her mother.  But as her mother descends deeper and deeper into her own life, leaving Addie on the outside, Addie is forced to finally come to terms with the situation she finds herself in.

The characters in this novel are breathtakingly real.  Addie is a strong girl who struggles humanly in her situation.  Dwight is a hero of a stepfather, creating an alternative world for Addie to escape to every so often.  And Soula and Elliot are vivid characters who fill Addie’s lonely times when she’s home.  Even Addie’s mother is a well-rounded character, making the world so much more real and clear.  This is the story of so many children who live in broken homes, poverty, and carelessness.  Connor does not take it too far nor does she shrink from the dirty truth of the situation.  She walks a fearless line of truth through Addie’s life.

Even more impressive is the way that Connor uses symbolism that children will immediately be able to relate to.  Her book is more than a script, evoking the feelings of Addie with passages like this one on page 213:

“…while I was at the inn I started feeling like a Tootsie Roll Pop.  On the outside I was having a shiny-good colorful time.  But I could feel my chewy, gooey center squishing and squashing inside of me.”

Highly recommended for it’s strong writing, great characters, and grip on reality, I consider this one of the top novels for ages 10-12 this year.