YA Catch Ups

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

Two best selling authors team up for a funny, touchingly good read..

The cautionary tale is about two boys, one the son of a commandant in Hitler’s army and the other a Jew, who come face-to-face at a barbed wire fence that separates, and eventually intertwines their lives.

Told from a 9 year old, son of a German officer's perspective. A thought provoking book.

Perfect, picturesque Orchard Hill. It was the last thing Ally Ryan saw in the rear view mirror as her mother drove them out of town and away from the shame of the scandal her father caused when his hedge fund went south and practically bankrupted all their friends. Friends that liked having trust funds and new cars and friends that didn’t like constant reminders they had been swindled. So it was adios, Orchard Hill. Thanks for nothing.

First book in a series. I enjoyed it enough that I will read the next one. Got me to think if I would blame the entire family for one's crime.

Parisian teenager Lou has an IQ of 160, OCD tendencies, and a mother who has suffered from depression for years. But Lou is about to change her life—and that of her parents—all because of a school project about homeless teens. While doing research, Lou meets No, a teenage girl living on the streets. As their friendship grows, Lou bravely asks her parents if No can live with them, and is astonished when they agree. No's presence forces Lou's family to come to terms with a secret tragedy. But can this shaky, new found family continue to live together when No's own past comes back to haunt her?

A wonderfully written story of friendship and how far would you go to help someone.

Thirteen-year old Clair Lothrop's world is falling apart. Her mother has died. Her father spends his evenings shut into his study. In a desperate attempt to get her father's attention, Clair stops talking. Clair's vow of silence gets her father's attention, but not in the way she had hoped. Her father, who is the pastor of a large metropolitan church, resigns to begin a mission in the remote woods of northern Michigan, taking Clair with him. Clair is furious at having to leave her friends. The woods are frightening. Her new house is a tumble-down shack where raccoons and mice have made their home.


But everything changes when Clair meets Dorrie, a girl her age who is hiding out in the woods from her hateful grandmother and her violent father. With her goat, Guinevere, and her knowledge of nature, Dorrie is a survivor. Through this surprising new friendship, Clair finds strength and courage she didn't know she had.

Another great read from Gloria Whelan.