Books with Caring and Compassionate Characters

The Giver - Lois Lowry

Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.

The Pinballs - Betsy Byars

Three lonely foster children learn to care about themselves and each other.

The Bumble Bee Flies Anyway - by Robert Cormier

Sixteen-year-old Barney is amnesic but, as a voluntary patient, he knows he is different from terminally ill patients. His involvement with the bitter, slowly dying Mazzo brings Barney hope, pain, and a moment of heroic glory.

Pictures of Hollis Woods - Patricia Giff

A troublesome twelve-year-old orphan, staying with an elderly artist who needs her, remembers the only other time she was happy in a foster home, with a family that truly seemed to care about her.

One Year in Coal Harbor - Polly Horvath

In a small fishing village in British Columbia, twelve-year-old Primrose tries to be a matchmaker for her Uncle Jack, befriends Ked, a new foster child, tries to decide if she is willing to go to jail for her convictions, and together with Ked, publishes a cook book to raise money for the Fisherman's Aid. Includes recipes.

Make Lemonade - Virginia Euwer Wolff

Fourteen-year-old LaVaughn, trying to earn the money for college, takes a job caring for the two children of Jolly, a single teenage mom, and must find the courage to make the right decision for all of them after Jolly is fired.

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom—the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged, because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow.

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Frustrated at life with an autistic brother, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a normal existence but her world is further complicated by a friendship with an young paraplegic.

The Raging Quiet by Sherryl Jordan

Suspicious of sixteen-year-old Marnie, a newcomer to their village, the residents accuse her of witchcraft when she discovers that the village madman is not crazy but deaf and she begins to communicate with him through hand gestures.

Freak the Mighty - by Rodman Philbrick

At the beginning of eighth grade, learning-disabled Max and his new friend, Freak whose birth defect has affected his body but not his brilliant mind, find that when they combine forces, they make a powerful team.

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence, and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina and quiet heroism of one man's struggle for justice—but the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

Boy 21 - Matthew Quick

Finley, an unnaturally quiet boy who is the only white player on his high school's varsity basketball team, lives in a dismal Pennsylvania town that is ruled by the Irish mob, and when his coach asks him to mentor a troubled African American student who has transferred there from an elite private school in California, he finds that they have a lot in common in spite of their apparent differences.

The Misfits - James Howe

Four students who do not fit in at their small-town middle school decide to create a third party for the student council elections to represent all students who have ever been called names.

In My Hands : Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer - by Irene Gut Opdyke

Recounts the experiences of the author who, as a young Polish girl, hid and saved Jews during the Holocaust.

Criss Cross by Lynn Rae Perkins

I recently finished Criss Cross for a youth book club.  When we sat down to discuss this book not a single person in the group liked this book.  I found this interesting because Criss Cross has won awards and came highly recommended to me.  However we all agreed the story was hard to follow and we did not like the conclusion.  Criss Cross is the story of how several people's lives "criss cross" through the novel and how one decision can set off a chain of events that no one could predict.  Interesting right? Well sort of, but the author not only switches between points of view but also writing methods including both illustrations and text in her novel.  She also relies on haiku, and side by side 1st person accounts to tell the story.  I found this confusing and disjointed.  It made it hard to follow the plot.  The book is suppose to take place during the 1970's but this is only very vaguely touched upon, thus leading to further confusion when fashions such as bell bottoms and platform shoes are brought up and listening to a radio show is the a Saturday night's entertainment.  I must admit if a student came into the library looking for a work of historical fiction, I would not suggest this book.

So Hard to Say by Alex Sanchez

Frederick is the new kid in school, who meets Xio and soon become's part of Xio's group of friends.  This novel, told from the perspective of both Xio and Frederick, portrays the emotional conflict of each teen's life realistically.  Xio quickly falls for Frederick and can not understand why he doesn't return her affections, first assuming he is just shy and quickly coming to the conclusion that something must be wrong with her, as girls often do when in this situation.  Frederick, is flattered by Xio's attention but can not get past his unsettling feelings for Victor, the star soccer player at his new school.  Then Frederick meets Iggy, the target of a lot of bullying, because of his alleged homosexuality and Frederick begins to understand what his feelings about Victor might mean.  Alex Sanchez does a terrific job at keeping the voices authentic and telling a story about situations that many students face.  Great book for bringing up  the topics of homosexuality, friendship, bullying, and acceptance.  

Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff

Make Lemonade is a novel written in verse.  It is a story of two young girls, one looking to save money so she can attend college and get out of the poverty she lives in, the other is a teenage mother with few prospects for improving her life.  LaVaughn applies for the role of babysitter of Jolly's children.  At first LaVaughn regrets her decision to take the job, but soon she is wrapped up in Jolly's life and falls in love with her children.  Not willing to accept Jolly's station in life, LaVaughn encourages Jolly to attend school and accept the aid of others for her children's sake.  This story touches the heart and warms the soul.

Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica

Miracle on 49th Street is a tale about a girl, Molly Parker, who has recently lost her mother and goes to connect with her father, who incidentally has no idea she exists.  To throw another wrench into the situation, Molly's father is the national basketball hero, Josh Cameron.  At first Josh is very skeptical of Molly's claim, but she convinces him to get to know her, and soon Josh's heart begins to warm to Molly.  Molly has some help along the way namely from her sidekick and best friend Sam, and Josh's housekeeper Mattie.  These two help Molly through some rough times, including Josh's selfishness, and skepticism.  Miracle on 49th Street is a heartwarming tale of friendship, trust, and realizing in order to reap big rewards, one must take huge risks.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

13 Little Blue Envelopes is a fantastic book about first love, self discovery, courage, family bonds,  and forgiveness.  Ginny is a seventeen year old young woman who has just lost her Aunt Peg to a brain tumor.  One day after her death Ginny receives a mysterious envelope with a thousand dollars and a letter from her Aunt, telling her to go to NYC to their favorite restaurant to receive further instructions.  Soon Ginny is off on an adventure, not knowing what the next day will hold.  Each time she completes a task, no matter how strange, she can open the next envelope which will contain a letter from her Aunt with instructions on completing yet another unique task.  Ginny is faithful to her Aunt and ends up completing a quest of self discovery and personal growth.  

This novel would be a fantastic read for anyone who loves traveling, adventures, and unpredictable stories.  It is a great novel for those who are perhaps feeling a little bit stuck in a rut, and looking for a book about self discovery and personal growth.  One will find through this book, that you do not have to travel around the world to learn new things about yourself.  I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and found myself both laughing and crying along with the characters in the book.

Anya's Ghost

I recently read Anya's Ghost by Vera Brogol.  This graphic novel is about a young girl from Russia, trying to fit into American society at a private school.  She is first portrayed as a nasty girl who smokes, and is disrespectful to both her family and friends, but as the story continues the reader sees that Anya is a troubled girl who has poor self-esteem and is very lonely.  While taking a walk in the park, Anya falls into an abandoned well, and when she looks around a ghost appears! Anya just wants to escape the well and when she is soon rescued, she thinks she has left the well and its ghostly inhabitant behind.  The next day she finds out otherwise and as the story continues the readers finds that both Anya and her new ghost friend Emily Reilly are not who they first appear to be!

This is a graphic novel about growing up, being proud of who you are and where you come from, and being comfortable in your own skin.  It is also a thrilling story with twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages.  There is some strong language in this book, and I would recommend for more mature readers who can handle this.  Otherwise an enjoyable tale and a quick read.