Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom

Albom, Mitch (1997 ). Tuesdays with Morrie.  New York:  Doubleday. 

ISBN: 0385484518

Summary:  The middle-aged author records and reflects on his weekly philosophical and inspirational conversations with his favorite college professor while he is dying of Lou Gehrig's disease. From his wheelchair and later his deathbed, Morrie coaches Mitch with weekly "life lessons" about dying, life's purpose, happiness, culture, love, emotions, and forgiveness. 

Additional comments:  Grab your tissues for this one!  You will fall in love with Morrie as he faces his physical deterioration, increasing dependence on others,  and impending death with bravery, optimism, and spirit.  This is a quick read that will help you to put your priorities and misfortunes into perspective.  

Juno (Soundtrack)

Messina, Matt (2007). Music from the motion picture "Juno" (Audio recording). Rhino Records.

Summary:  This quirky film tells the story of a high school girl, Juno MacGuff,  who gets pregnant and finds a couple to adopt the baby.  The deluxe soundtrack is a collection of 35 songs from contemporary independent artists, such as Belle and Sebastian, Cat Powers, and Kimya Dawson, as well as "oldies but goodies", like Buddy Holly, the Velvet Underground, the Kinks, and Sonic Youth.   

Additional comments:  The music is often playful with simple rhyming lyrics, such as "Anyone else but you" by the Moldy Peaches and "Me and You" by Barry Louis Polisar, and childlike xylophones, like "The Lorings" by Mateo Messina and "All I want is you", by Kimya Dawson, which also has a baby crying in the background.  The music helps to keep the movie light-hearted and optimistic, despite the heaviness of the topic of teen pregnancy.  

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares

Brashares, Ann (2001). The Sisterhood of the traveling pants. New York: Delacorte Press. 

Summary: Four best girlfriends spend their first summer apart from each other. On the eve of their separation, they ceremoniously designate a pair of "magical" jeans that fit all four of them perfectly as a way to connect them despite the distance.  They agree to take turns wearing the jeans and to mail the jeans along with a letter.  The story follows different plot lines to follow each girl's adventures:  Bridget falls for a soccer coach at her camp in Mexico, Lena tries to avoid a handsome young Greek man while staying with her grandparents in Greece, Tibby stays home in Washington, D.C. to work at a drugstore and surprises herself by befriending a young girl who is dying of leukemia, and Carmen's greatly anticipated summer alone with her bachelor father in Charleston is destroyed when she learns upon her arrival that her father is engaged and is living with his new fiancee and her two children.  

Additional comments:  Don't be turned off by the silly and melodramatic list of rules for the jeans at the beginning.  This "chick lit" gets better as it goes until you're flipping through the pages without pause and with tears streaming down your cheeks.  The well-developed characters show raw emotions and unpredictable behaviors as they are put into sad, challenging situations. Readers can continue on the characters' journeys by reading the three sequels in this series and catching the recent movie versions on DVD.

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer

Meyer, Stephenie (2006).  Twilight.  New York:  Little, Brown and Company. 

Summary: Bella's dreary days in rainy Forks, Washington become much more exciting when she strikes up a romance with her beautiful, mysterious lab partner, Edward.  As their relationship intensifies, she learns that he and his pale, godlike family are not human but vampires.

Additional comments:  This page-turning romance features sharp-witted dialogue between the passionate, young lovers as they unravel the mystery that the other presents.  Readers will get easily hooked and find themselves looking for the next book in the series.  The November 2008 release of the film version of Twilight will further solidify the Twilight fan base.  

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Levithan, David (2003). Boy meets boy. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.  

Summary: Paul, a sophomore in high school, falls for Noah when they meet in a book store.  Paul's budding romance with Noah gets strained when his ex-boyfriend, Kyle, re-enters his world and results in confusing, conflicting emotions.  

Additional comments:  Paul's high school and community are optimistic examples of how things could be. . .Places where LGBT youth are normalized, and all sexual orientations are accepted without question or harassment.  Kyle, who has grown up in the community, has always been comfortable with his sexuality, but his best friend, Tony, needs his help to come out to his religious parents.  Boy Meets Boy is funny and light at times, but is also emotionally-charged by hurtful relationships.  

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

Blume, Judy (1970, 1991).  Are you there God?  It's me, Margaret.  New York: Laurel-Leaf Books.  

Summary: Margaret is eleven (and going on twelve) when her parents decide to move from Manhattan to the suburbs of New Jersey.  Despite her parents' shunning of religion, Margaret finds herself praying to God every night about the trials and tribulations of starting sixth grade in a new school, and especially asking for changes in her body--breasts and her period.  Her neighbor, Nancy, becomes her fast friend, who coaches her on everything from footwear, boys, kissing, bras, and menstruating.  Nancy invites Margaret into a secret club, and Margaret learns that her new community is divided socially by religion.  Margaret adopts a personal, year-long project to explore and choose a religion.  

Additional Comments: Female readers will laugh out loud and sigh  with empathy for Margaret's personal struggles and feelings, which are timeless and applicable even thirty-eight years after first publication.  Male readers will gain insight into the plight of being a young woman.