Monster by Walter Dean Myers

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Steve is 16 and on trial as an accomplice to murder.  This is his first person account of the trial and his time in juvenile detention.

This book is amazing.  Steve tells the story in the form of a film script.  We see everything from his perspective as the court case goes on.  It illuminates the feelings that prisoners have and how they interact with each other without preaching to the reader.  I would recommend this to boys especially those who have trouble staying with a story.  The story is fast and the illustrations help to highlight the action and move the story along.

The Limit by Kristen Landon

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In the not too distant future the government monitors our spending habits.  Families have a credit limit each month and if they go over it, their children are sent to workhouses to until the families can get under their limit.  As long as you pay attention and don’t spend too much your kids are safe. Matt’s family likes to buy stuff.  They never pay attention to their spending and when he ends up in the workhouse he finds out that the workhouse is not what it seems.

The idea for the book is innovative and original.  The ending was realistic without being hopeless, and I think a lot of teens would like to read the book.  I didn’t feel a connection to the characters and I’m not in live with the book, but I think it’s a matter of taste.  This is a good, easy read with a social conscience.  

The Not-So-Great Depression by Amy Goldman Koss

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Jackie is a middle school girl with a best friend, cool big sister and slightly annoying brother. Things are going great until her mom loses her high paying job. Now Jackie and her family have to deal with what it means to cut back, and live a less extravagant life. I liked the book because it had a sense of humor and was realistic. It’s not the greatest book I’ve ever read but it would be a good choice for a tween who doesn’t understand what’s going on in tough economic times. It explains very basically why the economy is bad, and how it’s effecting people without becoming political. The most important things in the book are friends and family, but it doesn’t sugarcoat what happens when a parent loses a job.