It isn’t easy to live on a military base. It’s even harder when your mother is the commander of the Air Force Base. Stu and his mom are living in North Dakota while his dad stays in Utah to care for his aged mother and his older brother starts college. Sixteen year old Stu faces many challenges: starting at a new school; waiting to get his drivers license; trying out for the swim team; dealing with his parents’ separation and the growing awareness that something is dreadfully wrong in the family who lives across the street. When his mom is deployed, Stu takes matters into his own hands. 288 pages Ages 10 and up

Recommended by : Deborah E. Cohen