Dingo by Charles De Lint

This small and potent book begins as the main character Miguel is working in his father's record shop and told through his voice as he meets the girl who seems to be everything he could want in a girl. Then things start to get complicated as he discovers that she's not all she seems and he and the town bully find themselves pulled into a world of myth and stories that they never imagined. Their stories don't wrap up with a perfectly happy ending but the importance of knowing what's worth fighting for in terms of family and love and friendship come through.

The two boys fight to rescue the twin sisters Em and Lainey who have been running from the fact that only they can set free Dingo. The ending is unexpected and thought provoking as is most of this book as it looks at different sorts of families and romances and the importance of honesty.

There is violence but its done thoughtfully so that while it is brutal, its not without consequences. A well done book that captures the difficult world of finding someone you connect to as a teenager while also understanding what's worth fighting for.

A Comedy of Mistaken Identity: "The Prince and the Snowgirl" by Simon Cheshire

Tom Miller looks so much like Britain's Prince George that he works for an agency as a look-alike doing publicity. While it isn't the glamorous work you might expect it would be (think less red carpets and more supermarket grand openings), all of the girls at his high school love it. All of them, of course, except one: Tom's good friend and fellow ski-team member Louise, object of his unrequited love. This is certainly an unusual plot, especially since the Artichoke Library isn't in an area where royalty are a daily fixture in the tabloids, but it is still a fun read nonetheless. The book is written in the present tense and in first-person from Tom's point of view, so it almost seems like Tom is simply sitting across from us and telling the story over lunch. He offers many humorous asides, including detailed descriptions of the main characters and his take on the events unfolding around him. Overall, it's a fun, humorous story that makes for a perfect study break!

A Lyrical, Touching Story -- Zazoo by Richard Mosher

Zazoo lives with her adoptive grandfather, who brought her back to France from Vietnam after the war. As she grows into a young woman, she begins to wonder about the unspoken secrets under the surface of the small village where they live. A mysterious boy on a bicycle is the catalyst for Zazoo to start tentatively exploring her grandfather's painful past, and perhaps, heal the village. This novel is a beautifully written, touching story about love, friendship and family.