ValleyReads

The Serious Kiss by Mary Hogan

Relates the angst-ridden life of fourteen-year-old Libby Madrigal as she tries to deal with her unhappily married alcoholic father and overeating mother, moving to a new town, and finding the perfect boy to “seriously” kiss.

Double Helix by Nancy Werlin

Eighteen-year-old Eli discovers a shocking secret about his life and his family while working for a Nobel Prize-winning scientist whose specialty is genetic engineering.

Offsides by Erick E. Esckilsen

Tom Gray, a Mohawk Indian and star soccer player, moves to a new high school and refuses to play for the Warriors with their insulting mascot.

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson

Bobby’s carefree teenage life changes forever when he becomes a father and must care for his adored baby daughter.

Hear that Train Whistle Blow! by Milton Meltzer

Takes a look at the history of rail transportation, focussing on how it transformed societies from isolated communities which rarely communicated or traded into unified nations.