Ironman by Chris Crutcher

Anger management is the key to getting out of the mess that Bo has gotten himself into. Throughout the story, he tries to face the issues he has with his dad. His best friends turn out to be the students in his anger management support group. There is a lot of strong language in this story but can be overlooked because Crutcher does a fantastic job presenting a variety of issues kids face these days.

Jade Green

This started off as a suspenseful, ghost story but I was very disappointed in the ending. Judith goes to live with her uncle and finds out a girl committed suicide in her uncle's house 3 years ago. There is still a blood stain on the floor. Her uncle has forbidden any trace of the color green in the house but Judith broke that rule when she moved in. This awakens the ghost of Jade Green and Judith must suffer the consequences.

Hitler's Canary

Bamse's theatrical family chooses to ignore the dangerous circumstances of the Nazi Invasion in Denmark. Orlando, Bamse's older brother, refuses to act like Hitler's canary. He joins the Resistance and soon Bamse and the rest of the family join too. Through the voice of 12 year old Bamse, you find his courage growing as he and thousands of other Danes step forward to help evacuate Jews to Sweden. The plotline of this book is similar to Lois Lowry's Number the Stars.

A Child Called It (trilogy)

Documented as one of the worst child abuse cases in the state of California, Dave Pelzer shares bits and pieces of his lost childhood. What started out as a loving "mommy-son" relationship took a turn for the worse as his mother became an alcholic. No longer was David considered her son... but simply "It". The mommy that Dave lost drowned herself in alcohol and turned her aggression on Dave.

This is the first book documenting his life. The Lost Boy and A Man Named Dave continues his story through his adolescence and adult life.