One of the Boys: Daniel Magariel

This book was unique in that it captured the lives of two boys living with their self destructing father, where you often read about an addicted mother. I don't remember the boys getting names in the book leaving it open to the idea, these boys could be anyone and everyone. The story starts with the father picking up his youngest son from his mother (they are divorced)because the mother claims the boy is out of control. Soon they call the child protective custody and make up a story about abuse so the father gets full custody. He takes the boys to New Mexico to start a new life because e was happiest there for a time in his life. The boys think they are going to start a new life, but their father gets into drugs and pulls the boys into his downward spiral. The oldest boy is forced to quick basketball, which he loves, because he misses too many practices taking care of his father. He then has to get a job to feed them and starts stealing from the store to get by. The little brother who is coming of age, starts to realize his father isn't the hero he thought he was and is pitting him against his brother. After a brutal beating from his father and dealing with his father's drug dealer, the cops show up at the door with the oldest brother arrested for stealing. The dad tells him not to open it and heads back to his room to get high, the boy opens the door and we assume both boys are taking into child custody. The book ends with a happy memory of the three of them on the trip from Kansas to New Mexico before everythingn fell apart.

Shrek: William Steig

This was the book the movie Shrek was based on...loosely. It was much more vague than I was anticipating.

The Book of Polly: Kathy Hepinstall

The book starts with mother (Polly) and daughter (Willow) heading to school with a falcon because they have been called to the guidance office to deal with Willow's lying. Polly declares "no one calls my daughter a liar" and has the falcon perched on her should while she talks to the guidance counselor to prove she does hunt with a falcon like willow fabricated. She goes along with Willow's documented statements only pausing on the one where she has a "tail". The story is hilarious. Polly had Willow when she was in her late 50's so Willow is terrified her mother is going to die at any moment and is obsessed with figuring out her past and why she refuses to return to her childhood home where someone she loved did jail time. Eventually Polly is diagnosed with cancer, which she calls "the bear" and quits smoking, but it seems like Willow's nightmare has come true. They embark on one more adventure to see a healer from Polly's childhood home.

One of those hideous books where the mother dies: Sonya Sones

This was teen fiction and a bit predictable, but still good. A 15 yr old's mother dies from a disease and she is forced to live with her father whom she doesn't know. Her aunt has taken her to see her father at the movies because he is a movie star. So she knows who her father is, just doesn't know him. Her aunt sends her to Hollywood and she is appalled by how big her father's ego is. She also has culture shock and is very different from the students in her school. She keeps in touch with her best friend and boyfriend from back home, but when they start dating each other she falls into depression. Ruby's only friend is Max, a friend of her dad's...who also ends up being her father's boyfriend. After a few months she finds the good in her father and forgives her best friend and starts to make a new life for herself.

The Accident Season: Moira Fowley Doyle

This was a teen fiction book dealing with the supernatural. Claire lives with her sister Alice, her sort of step brother Sam- who was her step dad's son, and her mom. Every year in October the family suffers from what they call the accident season. In the past Clair's dad, uncle, and grandfather have died from accidents in October and they all suffer from broken bones and cuts. One day Claire goes through her photos and sees an old friend Elsie is in all of the photos even the ones out of town. She goes on a quest to find out what happened to Elsie, they fell out of touch after she healed from her father's death and made friends. No one seems to remember her, but they find an address that takes them to an old abandoned house. In the end we find out Elsie was a sister that died from drowning in October before they were born and every October she goes looking for "the light" and doesn't protect them from injury. Claire falls in love with Sam.