Bloomability by Sharon Creech
Dinnie was only 13 years old when she was "kidnaped" -- taken against her will -- by her aunt and uncle to a boarding school in Switzerland. She was appalled that her parents could allow this to happen, and refused to enjoy herself. She was in a foreign country and could not even speak the language (which was Italian) and felt totally isolated. But very slowly, Dinnie began to adapt to life in the boarding school where her aunt and uncle work, and created a lifelong bond with her peers and even with her "kidnapers." Set in the magnificent Swiss Alps, this is the story of a girl who discovers that the world is, in the words of her Japanese classmate, full of wonderful "bloomabilities."
Say Goodnight, Gracie by Julie Reece Deaver
Morgan and Jimmy have been best friends since day one. They do everything toghther, from coaching each other on Morgan’s acting or Jimmy’s dancing, to cutting high school and going into the city. They have a perfect friendship. But one day, all of that changes. After a fatal car crash, Morgan must suddenly face the world alone, and feels that a part of herself died along with Jimmy that night. How can Morgan live without the guidance and friendship of Jimmy?
Midwives by Chris A. Bohjalian
Connie Danforth is the teenage daughter of Sibyl Danforth, a midwife in the early
1980's. After successfully delivering hundreds of children, Sibyl faces tragedy
when unexpected complications arise during a birth. Thinking the mother dead
of a stroke, Sibyl performs an emergency c-section with a kitchen knife to save
the infant, so there need only be one death, not two. But after the terrifying
experience, the unthinkable happens -- Sibyl's new apprentice accuses Sibyl of
cutting into a live woman, which killed her. Connie, said to be writing this as an
adult and a doctor(an OB/GYN, no less) narrates the story of her mother's trial
from her 14 year old perspective, with occasional clarifications from her mature
understanding of the case. The story is unique and the plot keeps you
interested until the very end. Because of some of the language and content, I'm not recommending this as a "children's
book", of course, but teens and adults are sure to enjoy Midwives
Float back to Katie's Korner!