Stupid

Gr 8 Up—Two high-interest titles about teens dealing with real-life issues. In Stupid, high-schooler Martin has struggled with what observant readers will recognize as dyslexia, although neither Martin nor his parents have been able to identify the problem. Martin has lived his life believing himself to be "stupid" and has immersed himself in his passion: filmmaking. When he meets Stick, who is equally passionate about parkour (or freerunning), Martin comes out of his shell and begins to learn how to stand up for himself and make better decisions. In Blow, Mary gets mixed up with cocaine dealers and must figure out how to extricate herself from the situation. Her best friend, Julie, gets deeper into the drugs, and Mary helps her recognize that she needs to stop using. Julie is able to do this with improbable ease. Both books use Canadian spellings, which may be confusing for American teens struggling with reading disabilities. Purchase where hi-lo titles for teens are needed.—Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH