SOMETHING TO HANG ON TO

An entertaining collection of 12 varied short stories unified by a common theme: The protagonists are all hanging on to something. William clings to his lucky rock, reminded of his own childhood brush with death as he watches his father’s life slip away; Rodney, a very independent teen with Down Syndrome, carries his ID card on his way to boogie-boarding with surfer pals where he is truly “One of the Boys”; Taylor (who first appeared in Wild Orchid, 2005) maintains a determined hold on hope as she navigates the minefield a job interview presents to a teen with Asperger’s Syndrome. For Girl Who Hears Stones, it’s a white pebble her grandmother presents to her before heroically offering herself up to certain death to protect the rest of her tribe, in a retelling of an episode of Cree history from Saskatchewan. Each of these stories offers well-developed characters, both male and female, within an interesting plot, and their brevity makes them an apt choice for reluctant teen readers. (Short stories. 11 & up)