Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Emily was always in Sloane's shadow or so she thought until one day her best friend moves away and all she leaves behind is a list of things she wants Emily to complete! The driving force behind this to do list is the hopes that after it is complete, Emily will somehow be reunited with Sloane. Read about Emily and how her summer evolves as she checks off each item on her "To Do List". She becomes quite a dynamic character as she becomes more confident in herself and steps out of Sloane's shadow!

If you like this read, check out more Matson books like Second Chance Summer or Amy & Roger's Epic Detour.

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

This is one of my new favorite suspense novels.... Cia is the main character and of course lives in a Dystopian society. She is selected for "The Testing" to find out if she has what it takes to become a prominent leader in her society. Out of 108 candidates, less than twenty will make it through the four tests! As she steps into the testing room, she thinks, "I know this room. White walls. White floors. Black desks. This is the Testing room from my father's nightmares." Can she follow her father's advice and "Trust no one!"

Independent Study is #2
Graduation Day is #3

Find out more about this Lone Star 2014 Award book at Good Reads

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

Night Road by Kristin Hannah was a rollercoaster of emotions!  I literally cried 3-4 different times throughout the book, or I was so mad at certain characters that I think I yelled at them while I was reading!  This is a story about two girls that are best friends... Lexi falls in love with Mia's twin brother, Zach.  One fatal accident shatters all their lives!  This is a must read for any teenager who is fixing to get their driver's license!  When tragedy strikes, the reader simply wants to say, "If only..."

Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu

Legend is a Lone Star book for 2013 and this trilogy is by far ONE OF MY FAVORITES!  If I could get Marie Lu to Skype with my students, we would have so much to talk about!  This is a story about a girl named June, whose brother is killed in the line of duty, or so she thinks... As she investigates, her leads point her in the direction of a boy named Day... But is Day really responsible for her brother's death or is the Republic hiding something?  There are so many twists and turns in this series and when you finish Champion, you are still wanting more out of Day and June!  My library can't keep any of these books on the shelves!  My students are crazy for the Legend series!

Dear Jo by Christina Kilbourne

Dear Jo is another mystery that will keep you turning the pages!  This story is about two friends who decide to get online boyfriends!  Both girls are "chatty" and love the idea of being in love... until one friend starts to get real secretive and stops confiding in her best friend.  She eventually goes missing... This book is written in a diary entry format so it is an easy read!

New Kid by Tim Green

 
 
 

This book will always hold a special place in my heart because after a Tim Green author visit, he posted a contest on Facebook asking for new character names!  Several of our students won the contest!  This baseball book is an intriguing mystery about a boy and his father that are on the run!  They can never stay in one place too long!  Very suspenseful but with a good baseball story intertwined.  I am wondering if there will be more...