Dark Secrets
Dark Secrets
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Paperback ©2011--
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Saddleback Publishing
Just the Series: Urban Underground   

Series and Publisher: Urban Underground   

Annotation: Ernesto tries to understand why Naomi puts up with physical abuse from her boyfriend Clay and finds himself intervening to protect her.
 
Reviews: 3
Catalog Number: #5230074
Format: Paperback
Special Formats: High Low High Low
Copyright Date: 2011
Edition Date: 2011 Release Date: 12/24/10
Pages: 201 pages
ISBN: 1-616-51267-9
ISBN 13: 978-1-616-51267-5
Dewey: Fic
Dimensions: 18 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
ALA Booklist (Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2011)

In this stand-alone follow-up to The Stranger, (2010), Ernesto Sandoval, 16, has a crush on his beautiful classmate, Naomi Martinez, but she is devoted to her boyfriend, Clay Aguirre, even though he bullies and beats her. Naomi's dad is a bully, too, who abuses his vicious pit bull. This slim novel in the Urban Underground series will grab readers with its nonstop action, set in a contemporary Southern California barrio. The surprise-filled story does get preachy at times, but the underlying message is that there are no happy-ever-after solutions to problems. In her troubled relationship, Naomi is as helpless as a drug addict. Ernesto is there for her, but can she let go of her romance with her abusive boyfriend? The novel includes a realistic depiction of the cultural complexities of life in the barrio; Ernesto's grandparents, for example, reject their Mexican roots, unlike his parents. And there is a mystery, too: who was the hit-and-run driver who left Naomi's cheerleader friend, Tessie, badly injured? The tense action will keep readers hooked.

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ALA Booklist (Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2011)
ALA/YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
Voice of Youth Advocates
Word Count: 31,789
Reading Level: 4.4
Interest Level: 7-12
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 4.4 / points: 5.0 / quiz: 141745 / grade: Upper Grades
Reading Counts!: reading level:4.7 / points:10.0 / quiz:Q53100
Lexile: HL650L

Themes: High School, Neighborhoods, Family, Loyalty, Friendship, Urban Teen Fiction, Self-Esteem, Abusive Relationships, Family Dysfunction, Bullying, Jealousy, Fiction, Teen, Young Adult, Chapter Book, Hi-Lo, Hi-Lo Books, Hi-Lo Solutions, High-Low Books, Hi-Low Books, ELL, EL, ESL, Struggling Learner, Struggling Reader, Special Education, SPED, Newcomers, Reading, Learning, Education, Educational, Educational Books. Written for young adults, the Urban Underground series confronts issues that are of great importance to teens, such as friendship, loyalty, drugs, gangs, abuse, urban blight, bullies, and self-esteem to name a few. More than entertainment, these books can be a powerful learning and coping tool when a struggling reader connects with credible characters and a compelling storyline. The highly readable style and mature topics will appeal to young adult readers of both sexes and encourage them to finish each eBook. Cesar Chavez HS Series - At school it looks like Naomi and Clay are just a happy couple. But there's a darkness in him. He doesn't treat Naomi right. He's jealous and spiteful. So why does Naomi put up with a guy like Clay? Dark secrets, every family has them, but some are darker than others.


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