More Sleator, and Stevenson

If your library doesn't already have an older (1988) copy of The Duplicate, you may be forced to read a paperback with this really, really bad cover. Still a thought provoking story-- we all think it would be nice to have another one of ourselves to get all of our work done, but who's to say that WE would get to do the fun stuff and the duplicate would be folding socks in the basement?

This is the situation that David finds himself in when he finds a Spee-Dee-Dupe on the beach and makes a copy of himself so that he can go spend time with his girlfriend rather than with his grandmother. Not only does that plan not work out, but the duplicate starts becoming rather sinister, and there's some nice action/adventure/suspence to round out an interesting story.

James Stevenson's The Bones in the Cliff (1995) is out of print, but if there is one around, dust it off. It is a short and simple mystery about a young boy living on an island who is fearful for his father's life. Who is the man with the cigar who might get off the ferry, and what are his plans? While both Pete and his friend Rootie have some problems, they manage to spend a fun summer exploring the island, and when the man with the cigar finally does arrive, there is some action and suspense. This hasn't gone out much, but I know of a lot of students who should enjoy this!