With the recent call for diverse books for kids of all ages (http://ow.ly/B2X2w), we’re happy to see new titles by debut and celebrated authors with protagonists who haven’t always been in the spotlight. From a grieving African American teen working at a funeral home to a teen in war-torn Zimbabwe, these characters defy stereotypes and will ring true for all young adult readers.

Smelcer, John. Edge of Nowhere. 154p. Leapfrog. 2014. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9781935248576.

Gr 7 Up –Sixteen-year-old Seth Evanoff mourns his mother’s unexpected death. For comfort, he eats more than his share of junk food and escapes from life through a portal of video games on his tablet. Seth works with his father on a commercial salmon fishing boat in the Prince William Sound, and during a storm, he and his loyal dog, Tucker, are tossed into the drink. So begins the coming-of-age journey of Seth and Tucker as they toil and swim among a chain of remote islands toward home. Seth uses wisdom from his Native Alaskan culture and common sense to survive a summer season of challenges. Smelcer’s prose is lyrical, straightforward, and brilliant. This is an example of authentic Native Alaskan storytelling at its best. Readers are drawn immediately into this realistic modern-day vision-quest scenario and easily identify and empathize with the characters. The excitement and fast pace of the action are reminiscent of Jack London stories. This novel would make a versatile addition to any secondary English or multicultural curriculum. Not to be missed.–Naomi Caldwell, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL

Reynolds, Jason. The Boy in the Black Suit. 256p. S. & S./Atheneum. Jan. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781442459502; ebk. $10.99. ISBN 9781442459526. LC 2014001493.

Gr 7 Up –Matt’s mother just died, and his dad isn’t coping well, hanging out with the local drunk and downing whiskey, which results in his getting hit by a car and landing in the hospital. Matt is also grieving his mom’s death and now he’s on his own, until he lands a job at the local funeral home: $15 an hour and Mr. Ray as his boss. Attending other people’s funerals helps the teen come to grips with his own grief. Hearing mourners express their real thoughts of suffering at each funeral allows Matt to figure out his own feelings. Mr. Ray is wise and shows up at all the right times to help out the struggling young man, and when Mr. Ray’s secrets come to light, he appears even cooler in Matt’s eyes. Amid all this, Matt meets Lovey, the girl of his dreams, who is smart, funny, gorgeous, and tough. A mystery intersecting Lovey’s life and that of Matt’s best friend, Chris, deepens the plot. Written in a breezy style with complex characters who have real lives, this is another hit for Reynolds, fresh off the success of his When I Was the Greatest (S. & S., 2014). The author’s seemingly effortless writing shines in this slice-of-life story, which covers a lot of the protagonist’s emotional ground. The realistic setting and character-driven tale keeps readers turning the pages of this winner.–Amy Cheney, Alameda County Library, San Leandro, CA

Williams, Michael. Diamond Boy. 400p. Little, Brown. Dec. 2014. pap. $18. ISBN 9780316320696; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9780316320665. LC 2013042071.

Gr 9 Up –Patson Moyo’s life is perfectly ordinary. He is on the cross-country team with his best friend, Sheena. His father, a teacher, is often a little dreamy but a wonderful storyteller. His perky little sister, Grace, loves to play games on his cell phone. Patson never would have guessed that his smart, university-graduate father, who had won the Outstanding Teacher Award four years in a row, can barely make ends meet, due to government corruption and the massive devaluation of the Zimbabwean dollar. Egged on by Patson’s stepmother, Sylvia, the Moyos decide to improve their situation by traveling to Marage where Sylvia’s brother lives and it is claimed that there are “diamonds for everyone.” The power of Patson’s story is rooted in the very mundane rites of daily life that even modern American teenagers will find familiar—the emoticon-filled texting between Patson and his sister, the angst and anxiety of a kiss between friends—juxtaposed with the real and menacing danger of the brutal whims of corrupt army officers and traitorous fellow miners. Diamond Boy is a companion novel to Williams’s other book about war-torn Zimbabwe, Now Is the Time for Running (Little Brown, 2013). Readers of his past work will find a few familiar characters here, but even readers new to Williams’s fiction will be similarly engrossed by his deft, unflinching prose. Teens will be left haunted by Patson’s harsh yet essentially hopeful journey, where greed, despair, luck, and wonder intertwine on the diamond fields of Marage.–Evelyn Khoo Schwartz, Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC