Paper Towns

Written by: John Green

Think you know your friends? 17-year-old Quentin Jacobsen thought he did until one night, about a month before graduation, when his childhood friend and next-door neighbor, Margo Roth Speigelman, knocked on his bedroom window in the middle of the night and persuaded him to join her on an all-night, prank-pulling exploit.

Quentin, or "Q" as his friends call him, is a bit nerdy (which isn't surprising since both of his parents are therapists), so although he had a huge crush on the cool, sophisticated, and mysterious Margo - he knew he didn't stand a chance with her. But, does the fact that she chose him to be her accomplice change everything? Maybe. But it will be quite a while before he finds out because the following morning Quentin learns that Margo has disappeared - again. Clues left by Margo lead Quentin to think that she is in danger. He doesn't know why she left or where she has gone, but he intends to find her so he and his friends do some investigating and set off on a road trip to find her.

You'll like this book if you like adventures and if you like to think about people and relationships. The characters are quirky and fascinating and reading about them will make you think - do you really know your friends?

Marcelo in the Real World

Written by: Francisco X. Stork

17-year-old Marcelo Sandoval has a form of Asberger’s Syndrome. He hears music in his head, he’s obsessed with religion, and he sleeps in a tree house. Marcelo goes to a special needs school called Paterson, where he helps to take care of the ponies. Paterson feels safe and comfortable to Marcelo and he would like to stay there forever, but his father thinks he should join the “real world” and attend a regular high school in the fall. Marcelo and his father strike a deal. Marcelo will join the “real world” and work in the mailroom at his father’s law firm for the summer and if he is successful, he will be free to choose between returning to Paterson in the fall or going to a regular high school.

As Marcelo quickly discovers, the “real world” is very complicated and the summer at the law firm poses a lot of challenges. He meets many new people, but whom should he trust? When Marcelo stumbles upon a mystery, he finds himself in the middle of a sticky situation that tests his loyalties to his father, his co-workers, and the law firm.

Once you start reading “Marcelo in the Real World”, you won’t want to put it down. Not only is it a great mystery, but, seeing the world through the eyes of someone on the autism spectrum is a fascinating, heartwarming, and sometimes heartbreaking experience.