NOW AND THEN

T.J has always taken care of his sister, Angela.  In and out of foster homes, T.J. was the only one who could coax his sister out of her bad moods.  He was the only one who knew why she made origami paper cranes and let them fly whenever she could.  He tried to protect her from the truth about their mother until neither of them could bear the lies anymore.  Now, though, T.J. is waiting in the Emergency Room for his sister to wake up from a bad fall.  They have a new life now, with new parents, and a new house, but their painful past still haunts them.  As T.J. sits waiting for Angela to wake up, he remembers all of the things - good and bad - that got them to this point and will shape their future - if she ever wakes up.

Waiting to Forget by Sheila Kelly Welch is a heart-breaking story of a young boy coming to terms with his past and looking toward a brighter future.  This book would be great for middle school fans of A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer.

ALCATRAZ IS NOT JUST A PRISON

Apparently, librarians are ruling our world. Had I known this earlier, I would've taken my duties as a librarian a little more seriously. But after reading ALCATRAZ VERSUS THE EVIL LIBRARIANS by Brian Sanderson (allegedly), perhaps it's not such a good idea to even BE a librarian! When Alcatraz Smedry turns thirteen, he is shown an entirely alternate universe than the one he lives in, a place where guns are not the most effective weapons, and it's a good thing to show up late and break stuff. It's a place where Alcatraz Smedry feels accepted and loved, and somewhere that he is appreciated instead of rejected. It's also where he begins his adventures of restoring the world ruled by librarians to its natural order. Recommended for 5th - 8th grade.