Where the Watermelons Grow

This story's content was a bit mature, in that it deals with mental illness, specifically schitzophrenia.  Della's mom suffers from it and Della finds it very difficult to understand how her mom can be fine one day, and not fine another.  Della starts to believe it is is her fault, and she goes about trying to help fix everything so her mom can get better and things can get back to normal.  When that doesn't work, she goes to the local bee lady, whose honey has performed miracles, hoping for her own miracle.  I liked how the author treats mental illness, and how Della learns how to love her mother no matter what.  (FIC BAL)

Count Me In

This middle-grade novel was a bit heavy.  It revolves around a hate crime that happened to the main character and her grandfather, both Americans of Indian descent.  They were accosted on the street, assaulted, spat at, and told to "go home".  When the school and town rally around them, they know that the hate will not win.  It is an important theme in children's literature, and although mature in content, it needs to be on my shelves, especially now.  (FIC BAJ)