Two More Trumans

I mentioned in my last post that I was reading Lost in the River of Grass, by Ginny Rorby.  LitRoG (because who wants to keep writing out that long title?) is about a ninth grader, Sarah Emerson, who goes on a field trip to the Everglades with a few of her classmates and her favorite teacher.  Sarah is a scholarship student at her school, where her mom works in the cafeteria, and she doesn't really fit in.  She's hoping that this field trip might give her the opportunity to make some friends, but it doesn't really work out that way upon arriving in the Everglades.  She decides to skip on the scheduled morning's activities in order to take an airboat ride in the swamp with a local boy, which turns out to be a VERY bad decision.  Disaster occurs and Sarah and Andy are 10 miles into the Everglades with no way out and barely any food or water.  They decide their best bet is to try to hike out of the swamp, because no one has any idea where they are.  The story covers days of slogging through dangerous waters, where snakes and alligators and other scary creatures lurk.  Will Sarah & Andy survive?  Read Lost in the River of Grass and find out!

I also finished up Variant, by Robison Wells.  This is the first in a 2-book series.  The second is called Feedback, but I haven't read it yet...and I will, but I won't tell you about it, so I don't give anything away about Variant.   Benson Fisher is a foster kid - has been since he was five years old and he's sick of moving from one place to another.  On a whim, he decides to apply at a private school, called the Maxfield Academy, and much to his surprise, he's accepted and provided a full scholarship.  He's a few months from turning 18, so he figures he can go to Maxfield, finish his education, then he'll be free of the foster care system.  Much to his surprise, though, when he arrives at Maxfield, he discovers there are no adults - no teachers, no supervisors - only other students.  The students have broken themselves into 3 different groups and perform all the functions needed in a school, but they are constantly watched by cameras and given a daily schedule they must follow.  There are only 4 main rules - but the punishment for breaking those rules is deadly.  Can Benson find a way out of this school-turned-prison?  Variant is definitely a page-turner that you won't want to put down!

All right - I've read 9 of the 12 Truman nominees and I definitely have some favorites picked already.  Have you read any of the Truman nominees yet?  You can comment below & let me know!