Ship Breaker, Paolo Bacigalupi

YA * Michael Printz Award 2011; National Book Award Finalist 2011

Nailer has absolutely nothing to lose when he finds a wrecked clipper ship and it's lone survior, a "swank", except for his own life. Life as a "ship breaker" really isn't much of a life anyway. You live in a make shift shelter on the beach and your food and the security of keeping your job depends on how much salvage, copper wiring, you can strip from wrecked oil tankers and give to your crew boss.

Does Nailer trust Nita to mean what she says that her family can help him? Nita is extremely wealthy whose value to several is enormous. The risk of escape is huge for Nailer, but the risk of staying on the beach is just as great. Nailer's life is worth nothing to many, several could kill him at any time, including his own father.

Suspenseful with unexpected twists throughout, Bacigalupi's Ship Breaker will have you holding your breath at moments and turning the pages all the way to the end. This book is not for the squeamish or timid!

Chasing Brooklyn

mysterious, romantic, and poetic.

Chasing Brooklyn is written in verse and takes you in the hearts of two grieving teens, Brooklyn and Nico. Lucca, Brooklyn's boyfriend and Nico's brother has been killed in a car crash and overwhelmed with grief his best friend Gabe soon after takes his own life. The story unveils through Brooklyn and Nico's personal journal entries where they share their thoughts and feelings. As a friendship develops between Brooklyn and Nico, you are taken Quickly caught up in their feelings of grief, fear, attraction, hope, and the possibility for love again.

The verses are beautifully and yet simply written. The story is so honest you will feel their sorrow and page by page hope they will find the joy of life and love again.