r.a. nelson

She's superhuman. There's just one catch. Seventeen-year-old Emma Cooper has always been a risk taker at heart, smart and adventurous. But ever since her first grand mal seizure at the age of 13, her epilepsy has felt like a curse, wrecking her social life, derailing her dreams, even driving her boyfriend away. Her doctors think they know best. Her mom worries her to distraction. Tired of being held back, Emma fantasizes about running away, but she can't even legally drive. At least she can channel her frustrations into soccer, where she’s a star — the most aggressive player in the league — until a violent collision ends her playing days. Heartbroken, Emma steals a car and races into the night, no idea where she is going. Losing control on a steep mountain road, she crashes into a ditch beside a sinister forest. An old cabin beckons through the trees. Emma goes to look for help — and her life is changed forever.

Nelson, R.A. Days of Little Texas. Alfred Knopf. 978-0-375-85593-1, T, $16.99 (Grade 7-12). Sixteen-year-old preacher “Little Texas” struggles to remain holy while confronting his sexual urges. The object of his affection turns out to be a ghost, who forces him to re-examine his definition of evil. How could good Christian people own slaves? Asking deep questions and increasingly scary, this novel offers a story that can be enjoyed on many levels.

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