Rooster

Fifteen-year-old Kady is tired of everything--her tiny house, her shabby clothes, hard work in the hot Florida sun on her family's struggling citrus farm--especially looking out for Cuban-born, brain-damaged, 13-year-old Rooster, even when he squeezes her hand tightly and says, "Madrina makes bad things go away." Things start looking up, however, when she meets Jon, a charming rich kid from across the lake. Or do they? Jon's world is one of money, marijuana, and Joni Mitchell (this is the 1960s), and Kady learns the hard way that the price of her relationship with him is unbearably high. Hilarious moments (such as when Kady's grandmother is desperate to find her Flames of Fire lipstick before the news comes on because she thinks Walter Cronkite can see her through the TV screen) shine alongside heart-wrenching stories of love and loss. The overall effect is entirely captivating: as Kady finds the strength to become herself, there's no question that she will inspire others to do the same. A wonderful first novel. (Ages 12 and older) --Karin Snelson