A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Candlewick Press
2011
204p.

Thirteen-year-old Conor awakens one night to find a monster outside his bedroom window, but not the one from the recurring nightmare that began when his mother became ill--an ancient, wild creature that wants him to face truth and loss.

Lucky for Good by Susan Patron

Lucky for Good by Susan Patron
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
2011
208p.

The residents of Hard Pan, California, come together to help Brigitte and Lucky when the County Health Department threatens to close down the café, and meantime Miles's life is complicated by his mother's return.