The Last Universe by William Sleator

Quantum universes, universes existing simultaneously, each one spun into being by a choice, a happenstance in one or another. Quantum scientists contend that such universes exist, but can't find a way to get to them. A writer has the ability to spin a story into a million, well infinite, directions with the stroke of a pen and William Sleator is a master. In his novel, The Last Universe, Sleator plays with quantum mechanics, quantum universes and a very strangely behaving quantum garden.

Susan has to take of Gary, whether she wants to or not. How can she deny her dying brother's (not to mention her parents demands) to go into the garden created by their great-uncle. But strange things have begun to happen in the garden, plants that shouldn't grow in cold climate have sprung up overnight, lotus have filled the pond and the paths have begun to decide for themselves where they should lead. Guiding her brother's wheelchair into the maze, Susan is equally fascinated and frightened by the outcomes. Gary is excited by the possiblity that in one of the universes he will not be plagued by disease.

Toying with the universes and the theories of quantum mechanics, William Sleator has created a wonderfully suspenseful novel that you can't put down. "The twist at the end is entirely logical (if anything about quantum can be) and entirely shocking. Well-drawn characters and a believable story will catch and hold Sleator's fans and make new ones. Another solid entry from a deservedly popular author," says Elaine Fort Weischedel, Milton Public Library, MA in School Library Journal.

Just imagine how your universe might be affected by the decision to pick up and read this book or not. You never know where the path might lead.

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

This isn't a book about miracles, at least not the kind where the hero is saved from death so if you look only for "happy endings" skip Deadline by Chris Crutcher.

Being diagnosed with a rare and fatal blood disease, Ben Wolf decides that he doesn't want to live dependent on medicines and last ditch efforts to save him. He also decides that he doesn't want to put his family through the pain and decides to keep his illness a secret. He has decided to live life with gusto. He joins his high school football team, frustrates his government teacher and starts dating the girl most out of his league. Everything he does, he does with a Juggernaut-like determination. He is practically unstoppable on the football field, partly because he takes hits like no one else and partly because he goes as fast as he can.

But living with a secret of this magnitude definitely has an impact on his life and as he grows sicker, it takes it toll as well. His relationships suffer through his secretiveness and readers (as well as the characters themselves) are left to wonder how the story might have gone had Ben chosen to tell his family and closest friends the truth from the beginning.

"Emotionally spare but deeply touching, the relationship between Ben and his brother will resonate with many readers, while others may find the several strong father figures comforting. Secondary characters add humor and balance, though the government teacher's voice occasionally veers too far toward that of a right-wing pundit." said Chris Shoemaker of the New York Public Library in School Library Journal.

This is a book that I waited for with bated breath, not so much for the content as for the author. I love Christ Crutcher. He is the reason that I am willing to read books about sports and athletes. He writes with such ease that I understand exactly is going on athetically as well as how it affects the characters. I recommend him to anyone and every one. (By the way, I met him in person and he is as cool in person as he is on his myspace page.)

Long May She Reign by Ellen Emerson White

How would you feel if your mother was the most powerful person in the free world and she couldn't even save you from kidnappers? Meghan Powers was kidnapped and handcuffed in a mine shaft in the middle of nowhere and her mother, the President of the United States, refused to negotiate with the kidnappers. Meg, already with her knee smashed by the man she calls "the guy," was left to smash the bones in her hand to pull it free and escape. But this book isn't just about what happened in the thirteen days that she was missing, it's about her recovery, discovering herself and starting over again.

"...Meg embarks on her first year of college with the courage, wit, and strength of character seldom seen in so young a heroine. The novel is most effective in dealing with her chilling recollections of what happened and her fear that it will happen again....The dynamics of a family coping with crisis are also well defined....Meg shows readers that despite any problem they may encounter, life is still worth fighting for. All is all, this is an intense, suspenseful, and stirring read."--School Library Journal

Though the book is a massive 706 pages, you'll read every one feeling the intense urge for Meg to pull it all together and just generally for all of the first family and Meg's friends as they deal with life with a political celebrity. This isn't a truly political piece, but you do get a shot of life in the fishbowl at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I finished this in four days, but take your time, enjoy the snapshots of college life and root for the toughest, politically-savviest heroine you'll ever meet in a teen novel. Go, Meg!