Wringer by Jerry Spinelli
EAN 9780064405782 ISBN 0064405788 Harper Paperback (8 to 12) WB Price: $11.95
Palmer LaRue is running out of birthdays. For as long as he can remember, he's dreaded the day he turns ten -- the day he'll take his place beside all the other ten-year-old boys in town, the day he'll be a wringer. But Palmer doesn't want to be a wringer. It's one of the first things he learned about himself and it's one of the biggest things he has to hide. In Palmer's town being a wringer is an honor, a tradition passed down from father to son. Palmer can't stop himself from being a wringer just like he can't stop himself from growing one year older, just like he can't stand up to a whole town -- right? Newbery Medal winner Jerry Spinelli's most powerful novel yet is a gripping tale of how one boy learns how not to be afraid."He was not aware that he ever stopped crying.In his sleep a voice echoed down the long dark barrel of a cannon: You have run out of birthdays. In the morning he awoke suddenly to a flutter of wings. Birthdays are an obsession where Palmer comes from, but if turning a year older means initiation into a violent practice he despises, he'd rather not. Unfortunately, Palmer cannot stop time any more than he can change tradition. So as this next and most important birthday approaches, Palmer knows that it's now or never. "Award: Newbery Medal Winner 1998; 19.53 cms L x 13.26 cms W (0.16 kgs) 240 pages

A Child Called IT by Dave Pelzer
ISBN 1558743669 EAN 9781558743663 HCI Paperback (13 and up)
WB Price: $20.50
This autobiographical book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games--games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it." Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps that even the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing or no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive--dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son.19 cms L x 12.9 cms W (0.20 kgs) 195 pages

The Lost Boy by Dave Pelzer
ISBN 1558745157 EAN 9781558745155 HCI Paperback (13 and up) 
WB Price: $22.95
Imagine a young boy who has never had a loving home. His only possesions are the old, torn clothes he carries in a paper bag. The only world he knows is one of isolation and fear. Although others had rescued this boy from his abusive alcoholic mother, his real hurt is just beginning -- he has no place to call home.This is Dave Pelzer's long-awaited sequel to A Child Called "It." In The Lost Boy, he answers questions and reveals new adventures through the compelling story of his life as an adolescent. Now considered an F-Child (Foster Child), Dave is moved in and out of five different homes. He suffers shame and experiences resentment from those who feel that all foster kids are trouble and unworthy of being loved just because they are not part of a "real" family. Tears, laughter, devastation and hope create the journey of this little lost boy who searches desperately for just one thing -- the love of a family.19 cms L x 12.8 cms W (0.33 kgs) 250 pages 

A Man Named Dave by Dave Pelzer
ISBN 0452281903 EAN 9780452281905 Plume Paperback (13 and up)
WB Price: $20.50
"All those years you tried your best to break me, and I'm still here. One day you'll see, I'm going to make something of myself". These words were Dave Pelzer's declaration of independence to his mother, and they represented the ultimate act of self-reliance. Dave's father never intervened as his mother abused him with shocking brutality. The more than two million readers of Pelzer's previous international bestsellers, A Child Called "It" and The Lost Boy, know that he lived to tell his courageous story. But even after he was rescued, his life remained haunted by memories of his years as the bruised, cowering "It" locked in his mother's basement. Desperately trying to make something of his life, Dave was determined to weather every setback and gain strength from adversity.With stunning generosity of spirit, Dave Pelzer invites readers on his journey to discover how a lost, nameless boy finally found himself in the heart and soul of a man who is free at last. 20 cms L x 13 cms W (0.26 kgs) 290 pages 

Stuck In Neutral by Terry Trueman
ISBN 0064472132 EAN 9780064472135 Harper Paperback (13 to 18)
WB Price: $12.95
Shawn McDaniel is an enigma and a miracle--except no one knows it, least of all his father. His life is not what it may seem to anyone looking at him. Not even those who love him best have any idea what he is truly like. In this extraordinary and powerful first novel, the reader learns to look beyond the obvious and finds a character whose spirit is rich beyond imagining and whose story is unforgettable.My life is like one of those "good news-bad news" jokes. Like, "I've got some good news and some bad news--which do you want first?" 17.6 cms L x 12.8 cms W (0.07 kgs) 128 pages Awards : Books for the Teen Age 2001 (NYPL), Books for Youth Editor's Choice 2000 (Booklist), Top 10 Youth First Novels 2000(Booklist), 2001 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA), 2001 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers (ALA), and 2001 Michael L. Printz Honor Book ;17.6 cms L x 12.8 cms W (0.07 kgs) 128 pages

Buried Onions by Gary Soto
EAN 9780152062651 ISBN 0152062653 Harper Paperback (13 to 18)
WB Price: $11.95
On the mean streets of southeast Fresno, 19-year-old Eddie is just trying to get by. All he wants is to forget his violent past, hold down a job, and walk a straight line. But after his cousin's murder, Eddie finds himself drawn back into the cycle of violence. Set against the backdrop of a city sweltering in the grip of poverty, crime, and unfulfilled dreams, this is an unforgettable story of a young man struggling to survive in a world spiraling out of control. ALA Booklist.17.68 cms L x 13.11 cms W (0.12 kgs) 149 pages

Red Scarf Girl by Ji Li Jiang
ISBN 0064462080 EAN 9780064462082 Harper Paperback (13 to 18)
WB Price: $11.95
I have never doubted what I was told: "Heaven and earth are great, but greater still is the kindness of the Communist Part; father and mother are dear, but dearer still is Chairman Mao."In 1966 Ji-li Jian was 12 years old. And oustanding student and a leader of her class, she had everything: brains, ability, the admiration of her peers -- and a shining future in Chairman Mao's New China. But all that changed with the advent of the Cultural Revolution, when intelligence became a crime and a wealthy family background invited persecution or worse. For the next few years Ji-li and her family were humilated and reviled by their former friends, neighbors and colleagues and lived in constant terror of arrest. At last, with the detention of her father, Ji-li was faced with the most dreadful decision of her life: denounce him, or refuse to testify and sacrifice her future in her beloved Communist Party.Told with simplicity, innocence and grace, this unforgettable memoir gives a child's-eye view of a terrifying time in 20th-century history -- and of one family's indomitable courage under fire. 19 cms L x 13 cms W (0.21 kgs) 320 pages

Hidden Talents by David Lubar
ISBN 0765342650 EAN 9780765342652 Starscape Paperback 
(11 to 14) WB Price: $10.95
For Martin Anderson and his schoolmates, Edgeview Alternative is the end of the road. No other school wants them. But just when Martin thinks there's no hope, he discovers something amazing about himself and his friends--something unbelievable. American Library Association "Best Books for Young Adults" Review Quotes:"A good bet for readers who like offbeat fiction. The dialogue is right on target with plenty of humor."--"Booklist "Lubar serves up great fun, along with an insight or two for those whose powers are only too human." Publishers Weekly . Awards: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award | Nominee | Grades 4-8 | 2004 ; Young Hoosier Book Award | Nominee | Middle Grades | 2004 ; Black-Eyed Susan Award | Nominee | Grades 6-9 | 2002 - 2003 ; 19. cms L x 13 cms W (0.15 kgs) 213 pages 

The Transgall Saga by Gary Paulsen
ISBN 0440219760 EAN 9780440219767 Laurel Paperback (11 to 14) 
WB Price: $11.95
Mark's solo camping trip to the desert begins as any other camping trip, until a mysterious beam of light appears. The trip turns into a terrifying and thrilling adventure when the light beam transports Mark into another time, and what appears to be another planet! Although he is searching for his way back to earth, in the meantime he is forced to make a life in this unknown world. He meets primitive tribes and shares the joy of human bonds, but this end of isolation in the new world also brings war and a struggle for power. 17.cms L x 10.7 cms W (0.13 kgs) 248 pages

Tadpole by Ruth White
ISBN 0440419794 EAN 9780440419792 Yearling Paperback (11 to 14)
WB Price: $10.95
It’s the beginning of summer 1955, and though her family is struggling financially, Carolina’s mama still indulges her four daughters’ whims, like springing for all of them to get permanents. Each of her older sisters seems to have cut out a niche for herself, but Carolina Collins is still trying to find her own special place in life. The girls’ hardship is softened by the sudden appearance of their favorite cousin, Tadpole, a charismatic thirteen-year-old with a knack for guitar playing. Tad sees in Carolina a spirit and talent that no one has noticed before, and he predicts that she “is gonna surprise everybody one of these days.” The Collinses soon learn the real reason for Tad’s visit, however, and the weeks that follow are filled with dread that his abusive guardian will come and take him away.But Tad is not the sort of boy to succumb to a bully, and he and Carolina both have surprises in store for everyone."A School Library Journal "Best Book of the Year. 19.6 cms L x 13. cms W (0.14 kgs) 208 pages