Urban Underground

Lydell Nelson was a senior now, but hardly anyone in the class knew him. During lunch, he was always writing in a journal. Nobody ever bothered to ask him what he was writing, and he never volunteered any information. Lydell seemed to be a lonely person. But when people tried to be friends, he just turned them away.

"Bullying is spreading like wildfire at Chavez High. Students who should know better harass an older teacher. Freshmen are being picked on by cliquish and popular mean girls. Negative tweets and Facebook posts damage school spirit. Then one night the school library is tagged. Can the damage be undone?"--P. of cover. Bullying is spreading like wildfire at Chavez High. Students who should know better harass an older teacher, freshmen are being picked on by cliquish, popular girls, and negative tweets and Facebook posts damage school spirit.

"In Angel Ridge, Tennessee, not much goes on around town in the winter. After Christmas, folks usually hunker down and wait for spring to come to the Smoky Mountains. But given recent events, which included a bombing and newspaper publisher Jenny Thompson's disappearance, people in town are understandably on edge. Now Jenny's in hiding on a nearby mountain, waiting for trouble to catch up with her and none too sure it hasn't, when reclusive mountain man Cord Goins comes to her rescue. Stuck between a beginning and an ending, both she and Cord feel powerless to control the dangerous situation they've found themselves in, along with the unexpected consequences of falling in love."--Page 4 of cover.

When Kevin Walker transfers to Tubman High after the death of his mother, he decides to keep his painful past a secret and remain a loner to avoid the scrutiny of others. But his star turn on the track team brings him attention and friends who may betray his trust.

Although Denique is attracted to Trevor, she feels she must focus her attention on graduating from high school and getting a job so her family can move out of the projects. High-school student Denique, having decided to try to ignore her feelings for Trevor and focus on school in order to get out of the projects, learns she must get a job and realizes things are even harder than she thought they would be.

More than entertainment, these books can be a powerful coping tool when a struggling reader connects with the text. Paperback books look and feel like a trade edition and are complete in just under 200 pages. Mona Lisa is average. Not pretty. Not ugly. She's very insecure and lacks self confidence. Mona's mom harps on her to start dating. Then Julio begins to show an interest in her. He's on the track team and a close friend of Ernesto's. When Mona returns Julio's interest, though, her mom is upset because Julio is not from a good family. He's poor. His father is practically a bum. They live i.

In the alley on his way home from work, Derrick Shaw witnesses a murder. To save his life, he promises not to reveal the identity of the shooter, a former Tubman student. But Derrick feels sick and guilty about his vow of silence.