Morning in a Different Place by Mary Ann McGuigan

Morning in a Different Place by Mary Ann McGuigan is about the friendship between 8th graders Fiona, the daughter of Irish Immigrants, and an African American girl named Yolanda. The story takes place during the early 1960s, during John F. Kennedy's presidency, when African Americans were still struggling for civil rights. Fiona has moved all over New York because of her alcoholic and abusive father. Each time their large family tries to move back in with him, his drinking cycle starts up again, and Fiona's mom ends up getting hurt. As a result, they've had to stay with their cousins in a tiny apartment. Yolanda's mother has moved out of state to start her life over with a new family. Yolanda doesn't want to go with her mother, so she stays with her aunt. Fiona and Yolanda rely on each other during the tough times. That begins to change, however, when some of the popular girls at their school begin "recruiting" Fiona. Fiona wants to be friends with this new group, but still wants to maintain her friendship with Yolanda. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like that's possible. With things going downhill fast with her father, and downhill even faster with Yolanda and the popular girls, suddenly an event happens that shakes the entire country - JFK is assassinated. In the midst of it all, Fiona finds a way to make everything up to Yolanda AND save her broken family.

Click here to listen to author Mary Ann McGuigan reading from Morning in a Different Place

This was a really interesting book! I really liked the way the author told the story of the girls with the historical events as a backdrop. At times, it was easy to forget that the story takes place in the 1960s because the struggles these girls are forced to live through are similar to the struggles people face now - poverty, abuse, alcoholism, racism, bullies, drugs, crime, etc. Below is an excerpt of JFK's speech on civil rights given in 1963. It gives the reader an idea of the tension in the country around race relations during the time in which this book was set.

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge is about Daniel, who lives on his own after the murder of his parents 12 years ago. When Daniel was just 3 years old, the most powerful alien on Earth invaded their home and killed his parents. At first, Daniel didn't understand what happened. It turns out, they were a family of Alien Hunters. Daniel's ability to create people out of thin air kept him safe and in good company until he began to realize his purpose was to finish what his parents had started - the assassinations of all of the dangerous aliens living on Earth. Daniel is pretty powerful, but he isn't much of a match for Ergent Seth, #6 on the list. Despite knowing the risks, Daniel sets his sights on Seth. Seth, however, sees Daniel coming from a mile away and tricks him at every twist and turn. It's only in the end, when Daniel finally begins to learn about himself and his amazing past, that he realizes what he must do to defeat Seth.

This was a very action packed science fiction book. The chapters are REALLY short - 92 in all, each about 1-2 pages in length. This made it easy to read it in chunks and keep the general story in mind. There were also a lot of references to pop-culture. I think this helps draw in a more current audience. All in all, a great story!

Chasing Lincoln's Killer: The Search for John Wilkes Booth by James L. Swanson

Chasing Lincoln's Killer: The Search for John Wilkes Booth by James L. Swanson is exactly what the title implies - the events leading up to and followed the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. It follows John Wilkes Booth and several of his accomplices and acquaintances through the planning process of the murder. It follows Lincoln and his family as they make plans to see American Cousin at Ford's Theater on April 14th, (Good Friday) 1865. It also follows the aftermath of the shooting. The rest of the book is about the manhunt to chase down Booth and the rest of the people involved, as well as Booth's escape.

This is one of the most engaging nonfiction books I've ever read. I literally couldn't put it down. I didn't know most of the background information and history behind Lincoln's death, so I really learned a lot. It was full of adventure!