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Summer Book Blow-Out
by Robyn Tellefsen and Rebecca Vara

Now that school's out, we know you're ready for some fun in the sun! And, since you don't want to let your brain melt too much, Go-Girl's got some hot reads to keep you cool all summer long. Pick your favorite category, and remember to pack your sunglasses!

Oh, Grow Up!

Like our parents keep saying, growing up is hard to do! So why not take a break from your own growing pains and laugh it up with someone else's?

The Read:	The Survivor(s):	The Growing Pains:	Page-Flip Appeal:
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (Random House, 2000)	Stargirl, Leo, and the students of Mica High.	School is always the same for Leo, until the day Stargirl appears. Different from the other kids, Stargirl wears wacky, old-fashioned clothes, and never leaves home without her pet rat, Cinnamon, or her ukulele. Once Stargirl is rejected by her classmates, lovestruck Leo panics and tries to make her "normal."	Will turning normal destroy or deliver Stargirl? There's only one way to find out.
Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn (Simon & Schuster, 2002)	Cyd Charisse, Nancy and Sid (mom and dad), and Shrimp.	New England boarding school-rebel Cyd is forced to move back home with her crazy parents. With her boyfriend, Cyd tests her parents and pays the price -- instead of being punished in her room, she is sent to New York to meet her biological father.	The array of in-your-face characters entices the reader to find out where their stories are headed.
Lucy the Giant by Sherri L. Smith (Delacorte, 2002)	Lucy, her drunk father, and her shipmates.	In a small Alaskan town lives Lucy, the gentle giant. All her life, Lucy has felt like an outcast. To escape her drunk father with a bad reputation, Lucy jumps at the chance to change her name and age to head to sea with a crabbing crew. Although she feels accepted for the first time, her past comes back to haunt her.	Learn from Lucy's mistakes -- rushing the growing-up process is not a good thing.
Teen Angst? Naaah... by Ned Vizzini (Free Spirit, 2000)	Ned.	A comical autobiography of the horrifying and weird moments experienced by Ned throughout middle and high school -- everything from an uncomfortable trip to Hooters to acting stupid in front of a pretty girl. No matter what happens, Ned turns it into a comedy.	This laugh-out-loud book assures us that getting embarrassed in school is normal!

Inspire Me

Take time to recharge your batteries this summer -- elicit encouragement from these stories of overcoming the odds, and gear up for greatness!

The Read:	Obstacles to Overcome	Strategies for Success:	And the Moral of the Story is...
Help Yourself: Celebrating the Rewards of Resilience and Gratitude by Dave Pelzer (E.P. Dutton, 2000)	In his first three books, Dave Pelzer reveals the secrets of a childhood that's considered one of the worst cases of abuse in California history. Dave's mother started torturing him physically and psychologically before he was five years old.	Dave was finally able to forgive his mother by dealing with the issues from his past instead of burying them deep inside. He believes in the power of the human spirit and the disciplines of resilience and gratitude that can allow you to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.	By taking personal responsibility for your life, you can make something good out of the bad by focusing and harnessing your inner potential. Remember to celebrate who you are and what you do have!
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom (Bantam, 1984)	A leader in the Dutch Underground during World War II, Corrie ten Boom kept Dutch Jews hidden in her house to keep them safe from Nazi invaders. When she and her family were discovered, they were arrested and forced to spend many years in Nazi concentration camps, subjected to hideous cruelties. She was the only member of her family who survived.	Corrie had faith in God even in the darkest times. Even as she stood naked, watching guards beat other prisoners, she didn't let hate consume her -- instead, she prayed for the guards. Her faith was so strong that when she met a former camp guard after the war, she was able to forgive him.	Her spellbinding story teaches us how to handle separation, get by with less, face death, deal with difficult people, and most of all, forgive. Learn how to face the tough stuff from this undefeatable woman.
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers (Multnomah, 2001)	The fictional, mid-nineteenth century Angel is sold into prostitution as a child, and as a result has learned to block off all emotion and turn cold. But then she meets a man who changes everything.	Michael Hosea is a man who loves God and loves Angel for who she is, not what she can do for him. Angel begins to soften when she opens herself up to this special man, and learns to trust again.	When Angel lets her guard down, she feels a weight of unworthiness and fear. Yet as she lets the right people in, she slowly learns what it means to be loved unconditionally.
When Nothing Matters Anymore: A Survival Guide for Depressed Teens by Bev Cobain (Free Spirit, 1998)	In 1994, rock star KURT COBAIN ended his struggle with depression and drugs by taking his life. Cobain's cousin shares the dangers of depression, a medical illness affecting more than 112,000 American teens.	Real teens disclose that the first step to getting help is acknowledging their problems. Many participate in psychotherapy, and some also find help through prescription antidepressants.	If you're depressed, you don't have to stay that way. Get help; your life can be better. Stop suffering alone!