No and Me

August 1, 2010
Grades 8-11 Winner of the 2008 Prix de Libraries (Booksellers Prize), this moving French import begins when 13-year-old Lou, a ferociously shy and intelligent Parisian, declares an unusual class project: Im going to follow the journey of a homeless girl. Her teachers enthusiasm forces Lou to follow her idea through, and in a train station she meets 18-year-old No. Lou feels like an outsider even at home, where sadness clings to the walls after her baby sisters sudden death and her mothers subsequent breakdown. With No she finds a surprising, true friendship, and she convinces her parents to allow No to move in. Writing in Lous strong, convincing voice, de Vigan poses the largest existential questions about meaning, purpose, and the possibilities and limits of saving another life. Subtle, authentic details; memorable characters (including Lous older friend, Lucas); and realistic ambiguities in each scene ground the storys weighty themes, and teens will easily recognize Lous fragile shifts between heartbreak, bitter disillusionment, and quiet, miraculous hope.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)