The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon

Haddon, Mark (2003). The Curious incident of the dog in the night-time. New York: Vintage Contemporaries.

ISBN: 1400032717

Summary:  A murder mystery told by Christopher John Francis Boone, a 15-year-old autistic boy. When Christopher discovers his neighbor's dog dead in her yard with a pitchfork sticking out of him, he decides to track clues and solve the mystery, in direct defiance of his father's objections.  While uncovering the mystery, Christopher learns much more than just the incidences surrounding the dog's death as he unravels family secrets. 

Additional comments:  Haddon's insightful first-person narration gets the reader inside the mind of someone who is highly intelligent, obsessive, compulsive, irrational, devoid of emotions, and resistant to being touched.  After adjusting to Christopher's point of view, readers adjust to his abnormal behavior and logic, such as counting cars of each color to determine whether it is a Black Day (when he doesn't eat or speak with anyone) or a Super Good Day.  Despite the heavy and sad content of the novel, there is light humor in Christopher's efforts to process idiomatic expressions and solving problems.  Readers will be drawn in by the intriguing character and the unusual turn of events. 

The Other Side of Truth by Beverly Naidoo

Naidoo, Beverley (2000.)  The Other side of truth.  New York: HarperCollins Publisher.  

Summary:  12-year-old Sade and her younger brother, Femi, escape from Nigeria where her father is a journalist whose political writing results in Sade's mother's murder.  The children are sent to London with fake passports, but they are abandoned by their escort upon arrival. They end up in the hands of social services and put in a foster home and a school while waiting for temporary asylum as refugees, but they worry about their father's safety.  They face bullies at school and must face difficult decisions about telling the truth and how to stand up to aggressors and injustice.

Additional Comments:  A suspenseful story that explores ethical decisions and personal values on different levels.  On one hand, the father is standing up to censorship by writing about the corrupt government, but the government persecutes him by killing his wife.  Sade faces aggression at school and must decide if she will succumb to the pressure.  Also explores the complications of right and wrong when it comes to telling the truth.  Is it okay to lie when your safety depends on it?