The Heart is Not a Size (2010) by Beth Kephart

Georgia talks her friend Riley into going on a humanitarian trip to Juarez, Mexico to the squatter village of Anapra where they work on building a home. How is Georgia going to deal with her anxiety attacks in another country and culture?

This book was so good - really had the feel of what it is like visiting a 3rd world country.

Read about the author here at her publisher's site and check out her blog where she recently talked about having to "kill her darlings."

The Life of Glass (2010) by Jillian Cantor deals with grief, growing up changes, and changes and adjustments within a family.

Melissa's father has died, her best friend Ryan is falling for the new girl, she's jealous of her older sister's beauty and boyfriend, and now Mom is beginning to date. Will looking at her father's journal be enough to keep him "there" for her?

Read about Jillian on her website and listen to a reading of her book on the February 28th entry on her blog.