The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

 From Goodreads.com
   According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and has to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser.

   I was required to read The Outsiders in seventh grade. For me, already a bookworm, it was no problem. At the time I mostly read R.L. Stine books and this was something completely different. My only problem was trying not to read ahead (which I failed at.) Since seventh grade I have read this countless times. I haven't tired of it and I don't think that I ever will. I have so many post-it notes in my copy it borders on ridiculous. Why?
   I don't know what made me fall so hard when I was 12 years old. Maybe it was Ponyboy's daydreamer thoughts, getting lost in books and sunsets, when the life he had wasn't quite everything he wished it would be. He's different from everyone around him, not quite fitting in.
   As I've gotten older The Outsiders has only sunk deeper into my soul. If you're looking for a love story, there isn't one here, at least not your typical romantic love story. This is a book about the love of family, about friendship.
   I recommend this book to everyone. Seriously, everyone. It may have been required reading for you in school as well, and if it was I urge you to read this again as an adult. If you've never read it, I don't think it's ever too late to fall in love with The Outsiders.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

From the paperback:
   By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, and who to avoid. Like the crazy guy on the corner.
   But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a kid on the street for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then a mysterious note arrives, scrawled on a tiny slip of paper:

I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own.

I ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.

   The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows things no one should know. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she's too late.

   This remarkable novel takes place in the real world but hold a fantastic puzzle at its heart. When You Reach Me is an original, and a brilliant and profound delight.

   I love finding books at yard sales, especially when a book I happen to pick up is as astounding as When You Reach Me. This book is supposed to be for ages 8-12, which might have something to do with why I read it so soon after acquiring it (that 100 book goal on Goodreads.com is looking pretty daunting right about now.) I was surprised to be enamored, even though it did win the Newbery Medal. 

   I enjoyed everything about this book; the writing, the mystery, the talk of time travel, the life lessons, simply everything. I'm trying to think of one thing that wasn't just great, but nothing is coming to mind. It did tell me a lot about A Wrinkle in Time (which I've not yet read (I know!)) but I don't believe it gave too much away. 

   I will be recommending this beautiful book to a couple parents I know, and also a few adults. I believe this is a fantastic story of discovery (I'm also a sucker for anything remotely dealing with time travel.) This would be a seriously good, quick book for those of you who have trouble finding time to read large novels.

A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro

From the Paperback:
   The highly acclaimed first novel by the author of The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go, A Pale View of Hills is the story of Etsuko, a Japanese woman now living along in England, dwelling on the recent suicide of her eldest daughter. In a story where the past and present confuse in a haunting and sometimes macabre way, she relives the scenes of Japan's devastation in the wake of World War II, even as she recounts the weirdness and calamities of her own life.

"Memory, I realize, can be an unreliable thing; often it is heavily coloured by the circumstances in which one remembers, and no doubt this applies to certain of the     recollections I have gathered here."

   Past and present twist together seamlessly in this book. Etsuko's youngest daughter is visiting after the suicide of her older daughter. The suicide brings back memories of an earlier time in Etsuko's life. She reminisces about her friend Sachiko and her daughter Mariko. The tale has an eerie feel to it, like something is just out of reach. I felt this the whole time I was reading about the past.
   This book was written with precision, the tone is almost formal. It was a little strange. I wouldn't recommend this book to the casual reader. If you like a book that piques your curiosity that isn't necessarily a simple read, this book could be for you.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

From the Paperback:
   Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no way or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community.
   When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now it's time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

"...Jonas had experienced real sadness. He had felt grief. He knew there was no quick comfort for emotions like those." 

    The Giver is a dystopian novel focusing on a world made perfect. Every child belongs to a age group, every December each group gains a year. Each year a child gains a milestone, a bike at age nine, free time (to volunteer) at age eight, and their place in society, their jobs, at age 12.
   Life is very organized, peaceful, each family unit talks about their dreams every morning, they speak of feelings at dinner, they talk about everything, no secrets. Life is a closely followed routine. Jonas is happy in this life, then in his twelfth December he is chosen to be The Receiver. There is only one Receiver and it is very seldom is a receiver chosen. Jonas is the the Receiver of memories. Memories of a time before sameness.
  This is a book that made me ponder the things that are taken for granted. To have almost every minute of your life planned out takes away most decisions. What kind of life would it be to not feel pain? What kind of life would it be to not feel anything? No decisions, no pain, no love, no choice. When Jonas learns the truth of the past he finally has a choice to make.

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

From the paperback:
 A gorgeous novel by the celebrated author of When the Emperor Was Divine that tells the story of a group of young women brought from Japan to San Francisco as "picture brides" nearly a century ago.
   In eight unforgettable sections, The Buddha in the Attic traces the extraordinary lives of these women, from their arduous journey by boat, to their arrival in San Francisco and their tremulous first nights as new wives: from their experience raising children who would later reject their culture and language, to the deracinating arrival of war. Once again, Julie Otsuka has written a spellbinding novel about identity and loyalty, and what it means to be an American in uncertain times.

"We forgot about Buddha. We forgot about God. We developed a coldness inside us that still has not thawed. I fear my soul has died. We stopped writing home to our mothers. We lost weight and grew thin. We stopped bleeding. We stopped dreaming. We stopped wanting."

The Buddha in the Attic is different from nearly everything I've read. Almost the entire book is told in first person plural (my first experience with this) really making it feel like an entire people were dealing with the same but different situation (which they were.) Sentences scattered throughout were italicized and in the first person, which felt to me that it was taken directly from a journal entry from one of the many women depicted. Since it was told from this viewpoint I didn't get the strong connection to a character I usually develop, instead I felt for a whole group of women, making it both easier and harder at the same time.
   This book is written so elegantly it almost felt like poetry. Beautiful yet concise, not mincing or wasting words, it tells of a time in America that shouldn't be forgotten.
   You do not have to love beautiful writing to enjoy this book, but if you do, read on. This is a shorter book so I also recommend it if you don't have much time to devote to reading.

Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff

From the Paperback:
Jolly is seventeen. She can't really spell. She doesn't have much of a job. And she has two little kids from two different, absent fathers.
   Jolly knows she can't cope with Jilly and Jeremy all by herself. So she posts a notice on the school bulletin board: BABYSITTER NEEDED BAD. No one replies but Verna LaVaughn, who's only fourteen. How much help can she be?
   For a while, Jolly, Jilly, Jeremy, and LaVaughn are an extraordinary family. Then LaVaughn takes the first steps toward building her own future, and Jolly begins the long, slow process of turning the lemons of her life into lemonade.

"If you want something to grow
and be so beautiful you could have a nice day just from
looking at it,
you have to wait.
Meanwhile you keep watering it
and it has to have sunshine
and also
you talk to it."

Just under 200 pages and written in free verse, Make Lemonade was a pretty quick read. I was a little worried about the free verse style because I don't normally read much of it, but it allowed the author to put emphasis on certain words and it was ultimately fun to read. Published in 1993, I kept wondering if this was a book I had read in high school, but it must not have been, I remembered none of it. It does have that feel to it though, a book that'd be assigned. It does have some content that might be deemed inappropriate by a school board: teenage pregnancy, sexual assault, and dropping out of school to name a few. The overall message is inspiring though.
   Another thing I really liked is the absence of race. There is absolutely no mention of ethnicity in this book. A reader could assume whatever they wish, but the lives presented could be any race at all. No group of people is exempt from a hard life.
   I recommend this book to those of you with little time on your hands for reading. The formatting makes every chapter a short read. It's easy to pick it up, read two chapters, and go back to your daily activities without losing much time at all. It doesn't feel like a huge commitment every time you pick it up.