The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower by Lisa Graff.

Bernetta finds herself accused of being behind a blackmail scheme at her school.  She realizes that Ashley, who she used to think was her best friend, set her up.  Now she faces a summer grounded at home because her parents don’t believe she is innocent either.  When her private school rescinds her scholarship, Bernetta is desperate to earn enough money to pay the $9000 herself.  But she can only do it by turning to deceit and cons herself, exactly what she has been accused of.

The premise of the this book and its fast pace will have tweens wanting to read it.  What makes it noteworthy is the deft characterizations of Bernetta, her family and Gabe, her accomplice.  All are complex and interesting, making tough decisions in their lives.  Though the book deals with stealing and cons, the author keeps a light tone, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions, just as Bernetta must come to her own ethical decisions. 

Recommended for tweens, this would also make a great classroom read with strong male and female characters and plenty of issues for discussion. 

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt.

I had heard wonderful things about this book, but still approached it with a bit of hesitation.  I’m not much of an animal-book reader.  Let me assure you, there is no need for hesitation.  This book is magic.

It is the story of a pregnant calico cat looking for a safe place.  It is the story of an abused hound dog who howls the blues and needs a friend.  It is the story of a man devoured by a need to prove himself.  It is the thousand-year-old story of Grandmother Moccasin, a magical snake.  It is the story of love.  The story of need.  The story of trees, of swamp, of time.

Appelt has created here a book that is thick with passion, deep with thought and resonant with love.  She has taken risks here of writing too emotionally, too deeply, but manages to enter poetry and move with it.  She creates a story that has a feeling of timelessness, a feeling of folklore, and it is her language that makes that so successful.  Her writing is poetry in the form of prose, and it is thoroughly lovely.

This is not an animal story for the faint of heart.  Here you will see into the reality of evil.  The reality of abuse.  The horror of indifference.  The twisting of love into desire and selfishness.  It is a book that will bring you to tears, shock you into stopping breathing and stun you with its bravery and truth.

I must share at least one passage with you.  This is from page 50:

His heart pounded in a drumbeat of hunger, of pain, of want, of furious want.  He couldn’t swallow for want of air.  Couldn’t see for want of light.  Couldn’t stop for want of want.  Here was want crystallized in the shape of a damaged boy.  He kept running.

Whew.  The entire book is like that.  In fact, it’s hard to have selected one small passage.  I could have kept typing and typing and typing her prose.  It is all worthy of being pulled out and celebrated.

This is my number one book of the year for kids ages 11-14.  My vote for the Newbery!  Go already, find a copy, and enter a truly amazing novel that you will not want to leave.