Books with author Reynolds May

This young adult novel accurately portrays the widespread effects of a young lesbian's decision to come out of the closet and live openly and honestly while still in high school. The story line revolves around Kit Dandridge - a young lesbian struggling to be herself in a repressive environment-her best friend Lynn, and their families and friends. Included are plot elements seen in recent headlines that include the often tragic consequences of high school intolerance and bullying as well as the development of support group networks for gay and lesbian students and their heterosexual allies. Ultimately Love Rules is a testament to the power of love--in family, in friendships, and in both gay and straight teen couples, and a testament to the power of gay/straight alliances in working toward the safety of all students.A worthy addition to YA literature in which straight, gay, lesbian, and transgender individuals are represented. — School Library Journal Thoughtful teens will like this issue-packed realistic novel about accepting differences. — VOYA

Eighteen-year-old Erica Arrendondo is a serious student with her sights set on a career as a veterinarian. Then, after his mother dies a sudden, accidental death, Erica's boyfriend, Danny, turns to drugs and alcohol to escape his grief. As his life spins out of control, Erica struggles to help Danny get back on track. After a tragic turn of events, Erica finally realizes that she can't save Danny, and that she is losing herself in the process of trying. Thus begins the difficult task of finding the strength and will to put her own life back together. This sensitively written problem novel deals with a young woman's struggle to stay true to her own goals and values while trying to save her boyfriend from himself. Erica Arrendondo, 18, is an excellent student who volunteers at the Humane Society, plays volleyball, and desperately wants to be a veterinarian. Her boyfriend is spiraling down a path of self-destruction and pulling her along with him. Topics such as keeping parents unaware of sexual relationships, the trauma of rape, the stress of college applications, the rewards of volunteerism, and the threat of AIDS are all gently interwoven into the main story of the trials of young love. The characters are compelling and the novel itself almost impossible to put down. The writing is superb and the realistic tone sets this book alongside the best of the genre. This fifth entry in the series about students at Hamilton High is an excellent addition to any YA collection. - School Library Journal.Erica pours more and more of her heart and soul into helping boyfriend Danny get his life back on track. But the more she tries to help him, the more she loses sight of her own dreams. It takes a tragic turn of events to show Erica that she can't "save" Danny, and that she is losing herself in the process of trying. Finally, Erica is forced to wonder, "But what about me?" She begins the difficult task of putting her own life back together again. But What About Me? puts real-life problems of acquaintance rape into a candid fictional format that can grab the attention of teen readers the way no amount of simple lecturing can ever do. - Midwest Book Review

Young Tommy is recovering from a long illness. Some days he feels sad and lonely since he is away from his friends, his school, and his dog, Brewster. Even after he leaves the hospital, has to be careful about germs, so he can't be around other people. His parents take him to live temporarily at his aunt's lake house while he regains his strength. It is still a lonely life until one day Tommy notices the loud, clunky geese gathered under his bird feeders near the dock at the lake house. The geese give him the spark he needs to get stronger everyday. As the geese raise their goslings, Tommy watches and learns about the geese, about himself, about fighting, and about healing.

This sweet story is told from the point of view of a young adult cat who was rescued from a local shelter. She recalls life in the shelter, her need to see the outdoors, and her strong desire to be loved by an adopted human family. She finally gets adopted, settles into her forever home, gives birth to kittens, and grows to love a human child who becomes part of her family. The mixed media illustrations fit the mood of the cat during the telling of the story. It is a timeless story that appeals to pet lovers of all ages, especially the ones who favor cats!

S. R. Reynolds has never forgotten the mishandled case of fifteen-year-old Michelle Anderson, a vibrant beauty who went missing from Reynolds' Knoxville, Tennessee, neighborhood years earlier. Aided by her old professor, famed forensic anthropologist Dr. William Bass--founder of the University of Tennessee's "Body Farm"--Reynolds picks up the trail of this long-cold case. As she presses neglected pieces of the puzzle into place, Reynolds unearths a string of heinous kidnappings and rapes across the South, crimes that span decades. She meets with victims and former investigators who worked on the case. A picture begins to form. Patterns appear. And all evidence points to one man: convicted sex offender Larry Lee Smith. As a result of Reynolds' efforts, the Knoxville Police Department reopens the cold case of Michelle's disappearance, but Larry Lee is about to be released from a Georgia prison, where he served time for a related crime--a "similar transaction." What transpires in this story is amazing on many levels. The book was recently among the top five non-fiction books named by Everything Nonfiction's Emilio Corsetti.azing on many levels.

Strange things happen when the place you call “home” is no longer your address. Twelve-year-old Rafe Ryder’s year couldn’t get worse. His parents have shipped him off to live with his grandmother and he doesn’t know if he’ll ever see his sick father again. Arriving in Maine, Rafe plots his return to England, but the possibility of a homecoming slips further from his grasp when an adventure in a corn maze at his new school goes wrong, and he and twelve of his schoolmates are mysteriously transported to Mystfira—a realm of angels, leprechauns, gargoyles and fairies—and home to an elite angelic training school. Forced to co-exist with student angels and surrounded by more danger than he ever could have imagined, Rafe searches for a way home only to stumble upon a scheme to destroy the heavens. Can he find a way to save himself and his friends…or will they be lost forever?

When their mother is called to Iraq with her National Guard unit, 17-year-old Mario Barajas and his 10-year-old brother, Eddie, move in with their Aunt Carmen. Eddie, hungry for the love of a father, happily soaks up the attention their aunt's boyfriend, Denton, freely gives. Mario is caught up with a girlfriend who is his first love, with high school soccer, and with work. He barely notices as his little brother becomes more and more withdrawn. Then, returning home earlier than expected one evening, he walks in on the terrible secret. Mario must take desperate measures to protect Eddie. This is a gripping tale of trust, betrayal, and secrets that should never be kept. Above all, this is the story of the bond of love between two brothers.