THE ARRIVAL by Shaun Tan

In this wordless graphic novel intended for older students, a man leaves his family to travel to a new country. The things that he sees are all strange to him, and will be unrecognizable to the reader as well. Peculiar animals and a made-up language all help the reader to understand through pictures how it must feel to be an immigrant stepping into a new country for the first time. Eventually, the mother and child travel to the new country to join the father, and at the end the daughter is shown giving directions to a new immigrant.

Graphic novels and wordless picture books are usually not my favorite, but I appreciate this book for the way it gave me an idea of what it must feel like to be a stranger in a new country. Although this might at first appear to be a picture book, most elementary students probably will not “get” it. For that reason, this book should be shelved in a section that will provide access for older students.

NOTES FROM THE MIDNIGHT DRIVER by Jordan Sonnenblick

When sixteen-year-old Alex Gregory gets drunk and takes off on a ride across town to confront his father about divorcing his mom, he doesn't foresee himself being arrested for drunk driving and lawn gnome decapitation. As a consequence of indiscretion, Alex is assigned one hundred hours of community service at a nursing home with a difficult old emphysema patient named Sol. However, Alex and Sol eventually realize that they have more in common than they had previously believed. In the end, Sol teaches Alex some extremely valuable life lessons, and Alex helps Sol reconnect with and honor his past.

I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book at first because it seemed like a “guy” book. However, Alex and Sol's humor quickly drew me in. I enjoyed their witty repartee as well as the positive message the book conveys.

SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT by Derek Landy

Stephanie is sad, and even more surprised when her Uncle Gordon dies and leaves her, his favorite niece, his entire estate and fortune. While staying at the house alone one night, a man tries to break in, and Stephanie's life changes forever. Suddenly she finds herself traveling with Detective Skulduggery Pleasant, and trying to solve the mystery of who killed her uncle. Skulduggery's world proves to be more and more bizarre, as Stephanie finds that there is an entire magic world of which she has previously been unaware. Now it is up to her to begin to harness her powers and avenge her uncle's death.

In the tradition of Harry Potter and Leven Thumps, Stephanie, who has always felt a bit out of place, finds herself in a magical world she never knew existed. Although this book is lengthy (nearly 400 pages), it is a quick read. Although I have always claimed not to be a fan of fantasy novels, more and more I am having to eat my words.

YOUR OWN, SYLVIA: A VERSE PORTRAIT OF SYLVIA PLATH

In this unique verse novel, Stephanie Hemphill pieces together biographical information about Sylvia Plath to chronicle Plath’s life from birth to adulthood. Most of the poems are written from the standpoint of someone who knew Plath personally. In a few instances, Hemphill has written a poem in the style of one of Plath’s own works, doing her best to convey what might have been going through Plath’s mind at this particular time in her life.

I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this novel, already knowing of Plath’s untimely end. I also wasn’t sure if I would enjoy the verse format. However, the verse was not tedious, and each little vignette accomplished its purpose of moving the story along in an effective way.

TWISTED by Laurie Halse Anderson

Tyler has spent his summer vacation doing community service, his punishment for committing what he calls “the foul deed,” an act of school vandalism the previous year. A bit of a nobody at school, the one bright spot for Tyler is the beautiful Bethany Milbury, and he is shocked when she seems to be taking an interest in him. However, when some shocking photographs of Bethany are posted online, Tyler is blamed because of his previous history. Suddenly Tyler is an outcast again, and it is up to him to pull his life together and prove his innocence.

Wow! I didn't know what was coming next in this page turner. At the opening of the novel, Tyler is dealing with a callous, bullying, social climbing father and a mother who hasn't quite figured out how to deal with her obnoxious husband. There are times in the novel when the reader will question Tyler's reliability as a narrator, as he begins to question whether he really is guilty of all the crimes people blame on him.