Endangered by Eliot Schrefer

Title: Endangered
Author: Eliot Schrefer
Release date: October 1, 2012
Pages: 272

The compelling tale of a girl who must save a group of bonobos--and herself--from a violent coup.

The Congo is a dangerous place, even for people who are trying to do good.

When one girl has to follow her mother to her sanctuary for bonobos, she's not thrilled to be there. It's her mother's passion, and she'd rather have nothing to do with it. But when revolution breaks out and their sanctuary is attacked, she must rescue the bonobos and hide in the jungle. Together, they will fight to keep safe, to eat, and to survive.

Eliot Schrefer asks readers what safety means, how one sacrifices to help others, and what it means to be human in this new compelling adventure.

Endangered is the story of a young girl caught in the middle of a war in Congo with no one but a bonobo named Otto to help her survive.  It's told over the course of many months and spread over many towns in Congo.  There is very little dialogue or interaction with humans but the bonobos are really portrayed like people.  Each bonobo in the book is a character more than an animal.

Endangered can easily by read by younger teens and the animal aspect may appeal to them.  However there are some very graphic scenes that may not be suitable for younger readers.  I would recommend older middle school or older for this one.

Themes:

• war
• famine
• safety
• friendship
• humanity 
• family

Extra content:

Rather Be Reading's review: "As a whole, Endangered has the feel of those naturalistic but intense novels from my childhood (Lord of the Flies, Bridge to Terabithia, Julie & the Wolves) because it can be enjoyed by both sexes equally and forces great discussions, while beaming with this timeless quality."

Beauty and the Bookshelf's review: "For one, I wish there were more books like this, books that show other parts of the world that are less fortunate, books about fighting for what I want to fight for and work with so, so much: animals."

Read More

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher

Title: Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes
Author: Chris Crutcher
Release date: January 1, 1993
Pages: 304

Sarah Byrnes and Eric have been friends for years. When they were children, his fat and her terrible scars made them both outcasts. Later, although swimming slimmed Eric, she stayed his closest friend.

Now Sarah Byrnes—the smartest, toughest person Eric has ever known—sits silent in a hospital. Eric must uncover the terrible secret she's hiding, before its dark currents pull them both under.

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is the story of two kids, Eric and Sarah Byrnes, brought together by their outcast status.  Sarah Byrnes is severely scarred and Eric is seriously fat.  Their friendship changes when Eric joins the swim team and loses a lot of weight.  Their friendship is tested though when Sarah Byrnes enters a catatonic state and Eric starts to investigate what it is that made her that way.

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is a novel that can easily be read by younger readers but it does touch on some topics that might be better suited to older readers of YA.  I would definitely recommend this one for late middle school or early high school readers though older readers (such as myself) can also enjoy the story.

Themes:

• bullying
• friendship
• religion
• abuse
• love
• family
• abortion
• abandonment
• suicide 

Extra content:

YA Love Blog's review: "In my opinion, if you’re a teacher or librarian, it would serve you well to have a copy of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes in your library."

Reading For Sanity's review: "While plenty of books on the YA shelves are meaningless drivel, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is not one of them."

Interview with Chris Crutcher

Author chat with Chris Crutcher

Read More