The Forever Man by Pierre Ouellette

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The Forever Man is a frightening look at the future where youth is the prize and violence rules the streets.  What would you be willing to do to not just live forever, but be young forever?  The Anslow brothers have two distinct viewpoints on that question.  Lane, the contract cop, reminisces about the days of his youth; a cabin on the lake, a small rowboat, brotherhood.  Johnny, the brilliant scientist, on the other hand, has never grown up.  When Johnny goes missing, the older brother Lane will stop at nothing to get him back.  But does Johnny want to be found?  Is Lane willing to lose everything for a chance of reliving those sweet summers of his youth?  Read The Forever Man to find out!

Caged Warrior by Alan Lawrence Sitomer

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Caged Warrior is the kind of book that my students are going to line up to read! McCutcheon is a tough guy with a sensitive side. He's the man of the house and does what needs to be done to ensure that his sister Gemma has a coat on her back and food in her belly. Sometimes he doesn't like what has to be done. Under the watch of his abusive father, and the local gang that he belongs to, McCutcheon fights his way to the top of the circuit. Only there's a snag; his appropriately named science teacher, Mr. Freedman, realizes that McCutcheon has strength in intellect and not just his fists. The battle between brawn and brains that ensues is suspenseful and heart-wrenching, but it's the ending that will knock you out (pun intended!). I give Caged Warrior two thumbs up, especially for the urban teen-aged crowd.