Pictures of Hollis Woods, by Patricia Reilly Giff

"This can be a new start, Hollis. A new place." She licked her fingers and scratched at the mustard stain. "No one knows you. You can be different, you can be good, know what I mean?"

Maybe she gave this speech to every foster kid in every driveway as she dumped them off like the UPS guy dumping off packages on a busy day, but I didn't think so. I had looked into her eyes once, just the quickest look, and I had seen that she felt sorry for me, that she didn't know what to do with me. Too bad for you, mustard woman.

Hollis Woods is almost 12 when the book begins and has been in the foster care system her entire life. Called a “mountain of trouble” by one of her foster caretakers, Hollis is tough because she doesn’t know how to be anything else. But underneath all her prickles, Hollis has a tender heart. She’s never stayed at any place too long (she frequently runs away) but really wants a family more than anything. Hollis is living with Josie Cahill at the beginning of the book, an eccentric, retired art teacher who lovingly pulls Hollis under her wing and whom Hollis trusts completely.

Hollis is also an artist who has a natural talent for drawing. She has a series of pictures that she drew the summer before. They serve as flashbacks to when she was living with the Regan family in Branches, New York. The Regan’s wanted to adopt Hollis and Hollis had never been happier until a tragic accident happened and Hollis let her fears take over, blamed herself, and ran.

While living with Josie, the social worker tells Hollis that the agency will be moving her again when it becomes obvious that Josie frequently forgets things and cannot take care of Hollis. In order to not be separated from her, Hollis runs one more time and takes Josie with her. It’s hard not to fall in love with Hollis and to hurt for her as she tries work through what happened with the Reagan’s last summer. For those of you who like to listen to books-on-cd while driving etc, check your local library to see if they have Pictuers of Hollis Woods on cd read by Hope Davis, who does a fantastic job reading the story.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Once I'm on my feet, I realize escape might not be so simple.

Panic begins to set in. I can't stay here.

Flight is essential.

But I can't let my fear show.

Somewhere in the ruins of North America, there are a total of twelve districts in the nation of Panem which surround the Capitol. Every year, the Capitol hosts the Hunger Games. On a day called the Reaping, a boy and a girl from each district are chosen to participate in the Hunger Games . The twenty-four participants fight to the death on live TV. The Capitol chooses the setting and has complete control over the elements.

Katniss Everdeen is a sixteen-year-old girl in District 12 where conditions are hard for her and her family. She lives with her mother and sister in the Seam of District 12. Katniss is tough. She has provided food for her family since her father died in a mining accident. She hunts illegally with her friend, Gale. He is a couple of years older than Katniss and is single-handedly taking care of a family of five. I admit, I have a bit of a crush on Gale.

On the day of the Reaping, Katniss's little sister, Prim, is chosen for the Hunger Games. There is a rule in which a person may volunteer to take someone's place. Katniss quickly volunteers. Peeta, a boy the same age as Katniss who she knows from school, is chosen to represent District 12 as well. Katniss earliest remembrance of Peeta is when he purposely burned some bread in his parents' bakery so he could give it to Katniss who was rummaging through garbage cans outside. I admit, I have a bit of a crush on Peeta as well. They are thrust into the Hunger Games and I think you will be suprised by the outcome.

This book is fabulous. It is well-written and I can't wait for the next one in the series to come out this fall. On a very superficial level, this is reality TV gone extremely wrong. On a deeper level, this is an example of how a person is able to remain human, even when terrible things are happening all around them. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Green Angel by Alice Hoffman

"Green, my mother said to me that day, moments before they left for the city, we're leaving you behind because you're the one who's needed most of all.

"Now that she was standing next to me, I was surprised to find that I was almost as tall as my mother. I felt my love for her in the back of my throat, like a stone, heavy, making it impossible for me to speak. I was almost a woman myself. Too old to admit I was wrong, or so I thought then. Too old to race after my mother when she turned to leave. I had too much pride to say good-bye. I kept my nose in the air and my back to them. I was Green, moody and prideful and angry.

"I will forever remember that I turned away."

I've been sitting here for 30 minutes trying to decide how to summarize this book. If I had to absolutely, positively, no exceptions allowed declare to the world my favorite book, Green Angel would be it. The words still aren't coming. Here's the summary from the back of the book:

Left on her own when her family dies in a terrible disaster, fifteen-year-old Green is haunted by loss and by the past. Struggling to survive physically and emotionally in a place where nothing seems to grow and ashes are everywhere, Green retreats into the ruined realm of her garden. But in destroying her feelings, she also begins to destroy herself, erasing the girl she'd once been as she inks darkness into her skin. It is only through a series of mysterious encounters that Green can relearn the lessons of love and begin to heal enough to tell her story.

The disaster that takes Green's family away from her is of apocalyptic proportions and actually destroys the whole city they live in. Green turns into Ash. The story is about Ash becoming Green again. This book has some deep, thought-provoking messages. To put it simply, it explores how people deal with the same event in different ways and that love is the only thing that can truly heal a person...at least that's my interpretation. And I learn something new every time I read it. It is different book and it definitely comes down to a matter of personal taste. Other people who I've recommended it to have either loved it like I did or said, "That was really weird." That being said, check it out if you'd like and let me know what you think.