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Guess who’s coming to Phoenix? Richard Harland will be visiting Phoenix on May 28th, 2010. Visiting all the way from Australia, his presentation would be enjoyed by all middle school students. To host Richard at your school, please call Jade Corn at 602-740-5637. There is no charge for Richard’s presentation. About the Book: Worldshaker Col Porpentine knows his place in the world; at the top. He is a child of privilege, born into the Upper Class. When he is named as successor to his grandfather, the Supreme Commander if the juggernaut Worldshaker, his bright future has never been more assured. But when a Filthy girlRead More →

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I just finished reading Ellen Hopkins’ book Tricks and I must say, it is one of the most intense books I have ever cracked open. Being a long term Ellen Hopkins fan, I’ve read all of her previous books and knew without a doubt that this one would be just as intriguing. Tricks is a story about 5 teenagers who fall into the death grips of prostitution for several different reasons. Hopkins did a superb job in making each character come to life and seem as real as someone sitting right next to you. Tricks is filled with so much emotion and heartache that it isRead More →

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Continuing his tradition of writing well-crafted, thought-provoking, gripping novels for teens that blend fiction with tough reality, Paul Volponi’s latest, Rikers High, is another knock out.  With a deceptively simple plot, following Forty’s last 2 weeks in juvenile detention on NY’s Rikers Island, the book is full of wry observations, authentic characters, street slang, and sensitivity. 17 year old Martin Stokes (inmate in bed #40 in the mod, so he takes the name Forty) has been on Riker’s Island for 5 months awaiting trial on a trumped up steering charge.  Frustrated with his court appointed lawyer and the numerous delays in the judicial system, Forty is bound for court onRead More →

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Stephanie Hemphill’s lyrical novel in poems, Things Left Unsaid, beautifully chronicles Sarah’s junior year in high school when she leaves behind her goody-goody image and tumbles into a complex and destructive friendship with Robin.  When the novel opens in August, Sarah already feels anxious and unhappy about the school year ahead: she’s having problems with her SAT prep; good grades, activities, and extra-curriculars that she once excelled at no longer hold her interest; and her friendships are feeling strained and competitive. When she starts hanging out with chain-smoking, black-clad, angry-grrl Robin, and Sarah quickly slides into apathy, conflict, and rebellion.  And then Robin pushes things too far andRead More →

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When two people have as much talent as John Green and David Levithan, when they have so much fun doing what they do, and you combine that with humor, wisdom, sarcasm, and an eye for seeing the truth and the fearlessness to tell it in just the right way, well, you get something spectacular.  In 4 words, you get: Will Grayson, Will Grayson. When David Levithan was at PBC last year for a dinner with local educators, he shared some background about how this book came to be: the funny coincidences of having another person whose name is almost the same as yours and what happensRead More →