Me, Him, Them, and It

Gr 9 Up—Accomplished at cross-country, art, and academics, 16-year-old Evelyn, who attends a Catholic school in Jacksonville, Florida, downs ginger ale and hard-to-hear advice, both handed to her by Mary at Planned Parenthood. When life with her parents got too silent and miserable following her dad's return home after leaving for another woman, Evelyn decided to leave her good-girl image behind and sleep with a football player who really seemed to like her. Todd never actually becomes her boyfriend, and their relationship stays on the "down-low." Soon Evelyn finds herself pregnant with no good options and no real help from him. She doesn't even want to tell her best friend about the decisions she is facing, let alone think about attending school while she swells to smuggling-a-basketball proportions, but she can't do this alone. While Bean grows inside her, Evelyn learns how to talk, to take risks, and to forgive. Characters feel true, and the pregnancy time line helps propel readers through a difficult but rewarding journey as Evelyn's life utterly transforms. A poignant tale that is likely to appeal even to reluctant readers.—Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GA