"The Color of Earth" by Kim Dong Hwa

This is the first in a trilogy from Kim Dong Hwa (Color of Earth and Color of Heaven are 2 & 3). Each chapter corresponds to a year in young Ehwa's adolescence in rural Korea. Ehwa lives with her widowed mother who runs a modest, but successful tavern. The story follows Ehwa and her explorations in lust and love as she navigates puberty. This elegant manhwa (Korean comic) details two women's relationships with men, and the gossip and attention they draw in their small village. Delicate drawings and elegant language work to make this a beautiful story. With all of the story's feminine characteristics, it was surprising to learn the author is a man. Good for 8th grade and up.

"A.D. New Orleans After the Deluge" by Josh Neufeld

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit land, causing over 1,800 deaths in Louisiana and Mississippi. The devastation from this storm, in conjunction with the breaks in the levees, continues to impact the South, and especially New Orleans.

In A.D. New Orleans After the Deluge, Josh Neufeld tells the true story of 7 individuals who were there to witness the events that took place during this disaster.

Some evacuated. Some stayed. Some survived. Some didn't. Some returned home. Some never did.

Neufeld's brilliant cartoons illustrate a city that is under attack, and its citizens under siege. A wonderful snapshot into the lives of true survivors, and their attachment to the people and city they love.

Some language, good for high school and up.

"Love You Hate You Miss You" by Elizabeth Scott

Amy was the only one to survive the car crash. She was the one who made them leave the party. She was the one who told Julia to drive. Amy feels responsible for killing her best friend.

Amy and Julia were inseparable. Julia was one of those amazing people. She had the best attitude, the coolest outfits and knew of all the great parties. They were a perfectly matched team and no one will ever be able to replace her.

Amy's parents made her go to rehab to deal with her alcohol problems. Her perfect parents are trying to be loving and encouraging, but Amy is frustrated by their attentive support.

Surviving high school without Julia is going to be impossible. Everyone knows about her drinking problems and what she did to her best friend.

How can you apologize to someone when they're no longer here?

"Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything In It" by Sundee T. Frazier

Brendan is into science. There are so many questions to find the answers to, and he keeps them all in his top secret notebook of scientific discovery. He is mastering the study of Tae Kwon Do, and is working on creating his own rock collection. Brendan is thrilled to meet Ed DeBose, who is a famous rock collector. He is even more excited when he learns that Ed is actually his long-lost grandpa! Brendan's parents don't want to talk about why Ed hasn't been part of the family. Can Brendan use his detective powers to solve the mystery?

"The Summer I Turned Pretty" by Jenny Han

As long as she can remember, Isabel (aka Belly) has spent every summer at the beach. It's always the same people - her mom, her brother Stephen, her mom's best friend Susannah, and Susannah's two sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. Gorgeous beach house, private pool where Belly loves to swim, and the leisurely pace of summer vacation. Belly's grown up with Conrad and Jeremiah, but the summer she turns 16, things get complicated. Jeremiah obviously has a crush on Belly, but Belly is into Conrad, who doesn't have the same feelings. Belly meets Cam at a beach bonfire and a relationship blossoms. What happens when summer is over and everyone goes home? Belly is surrounded by boys, but struggles with her emotions, why does love have to be so hard?

"Glass" by Ellen Hopkins

This is the sequel to "Crank," the story of how Kristina Snow met the monster, or crystal methamphetamine. Kristina's taking care of her new baby, studying for the GED and attempting to get her life back on track. She finds herself in a dark depression and she turns to the monster for temporary relief. Her addiction escalates and spirals out of control. This is a heartbreaking story of Kristina's struggle with drugs, and how her negative choices damage her body and her relationships with those she loves, including her young son. Powerful and disturbing.

"Extra Credit" by Andrew Clements

Abby's grades are failing, and her teachers inform her she's got to repeat 6th grade. How embarrassing, can it get any worse? There's only one way to redeem herself, a special extra credit project. Abby is assigned a penpal in Afghanistan, a boy named Sadeed. They exchange letters and learn about each other's lives. Abby is addicted to rock climbing, but lives in flat Illinois. Sadeed lives among some of the world's highest mountains, yet focuses on his studies and helps out with his family's business. They develop a special friendship even though their countries are thousands of miles apart.