Let's Hear It for the Boys

Both of these books are a good quick read, and would be a good pick for somewhat reluctant readers who need a shorter book for a book report. Gentlemen takes 4 boys from the wrong side of the tracks and gives us a gritty, thoughtful mystery while exploring the bonds of friendship. Ghost Ride is a tense ghost story that also focuses on friendship and the consequences of mistakes. There's an added bonus that Marina Cohen is Canadian, and Ghost Ride has also been nominated for the Red Maple award. I thoroughly enjoyed both of these and highly recommend them for 'the boys', and the girls as well, of course!

Published:April 2009

Publisher: Scholastic

Summary: Goodreads

Micheal, Tommy, Mixer, and Bones aren't just from the wrong side of the tracks--they're from the wrong side of everything. Except for Mr. Haberman, their remedial English teacher, no one at their high school takes them seriously. Haberman calls them "gentlemen," but everyone else ignores them--or, in Bones's case, is dead afraid of them. When one of their close-knit group goes missing, the clues all seem to point in one direction: to Mr. Haberman. Gritty, fast-paced, and brutally real, this debut takes an unflinching look at what binds friends together--and what can tear them apart.

Published: October 2009

Publisher: Dundurn Press

Summary: Goodreads

Fourteen-year-old Sam McLean is less than thrilled with the prospect of moving to a collection of old mansions on the northern fringe of a small town called Ringwood. A nobody at his old school, Sam is desperate to be accepted by the cool kids and latches on to Cody Barns, aka Maniac. Cody's claim to fame is performing wild stunts - the crazier the better - and posting them on his blog.
When Sam reluctantly joins Cody and his sidekick, Javon, on their midnight ghost riding, a practice in which the driver and passenger climb onto the hood of their moving car and dance, something goes terribly wrong. Cody convinces Sam to flee the scene, leaving Javon for dead. But soon, mysterious messages appear on Cody's blog and anonymous notes are slid into Sam's locker. As Sam struggles with his conscience, a haunting question remains: Who else knows the truth?