Teens's Top Ten Nominee

Every Last Word

By: Tamara Ireland Stone

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pages: 368

Published: 2015

Read: June

4 out of 5

This book is well deserving of a nomination for Teens’ Top Ten for 2015. Stone was very creative, but factual at the same time with a serious topic. I would have loved a secret place to hide in high school. I was never considered an outcast, but was definitely a quieter teen and what teenager couldn’t use an escape?  Sam is the kind of character you can’t help but feel for and want to befriend. This book would also lead to great discussions for book clubs, both for teens and adults. Mental illness is definitely a hot topic for YA fiction novels and can be redundant, but I feel Stone did thorough research and takes a different angle with this book. I would highly recommend reading the author notes at the end of book and maybe even before you start the book. If I had done that I would have read the book in a little different light. 

Best Read of 2016 (thus far)....

A Boy Made of Blocks

By: Keith Stuart

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pages: 400

Published: 2016

Read: June

5 out of 5

I wanted to read this book because I have a stepson with ADHD who is obsessed with Minecraft. I thought it may be a good book. Boy, was I wrong - It was an amazing book! A father has a difficult time understanding and communicating with his son, Sam, a 10 year old with autism. It's through the game, Minecraft, that Alex is able to enter his son's world and learn how Sam works. Not only is this book inspirational, but it also teaches us that not all video games are bad for children to play. While this is a fictional story, the author has his own autistic son, and it is evident that he writes not only with research, but also his own experiences. Anyone who has a child, works with someone, or knows someone with any type of learning disability MUST read this book!