How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (2005 Printz Award Winner)

Rosoff, M. (2004). How I live now. Wendy Lamb Books. New York.

 The story begins with Daisy as a fifteen year old girl. Her father and stepmother are forcing her to move from their home in New York city to her aunt's farm in England because of the threat of a war.  Daisy is reluctant about her new situation at first, but quickly finds comfort and joy in her new surroundings with her aunt, 3 boy cousins that are around her age, and the youngest girl cousin Piper. Her aunt leaves the farm for work and the group of cousins are left to do as they please on the farm.  Daisy is falling in love with her cousin Edmond, but their blissful world on the farm is quickly torn apart when the war comes directly to them and an army comes and separates the girls and boys from each other.  Daisy and Piper together struggle to find the boys again in the midst of war.

 This realistic fictional novel is the story of how a young women goes from self-absorption to understanding the importance of taking care of others. This is how a teenager becomes an adult in the truest sense.  This book is full of lessons for young adults who are living blissfully with all of the conveniences of modern America. With the thought of war as a place and time from long ago, a vast majority of teenagers live ignorantly of the issues of the world around them so this book would help them to perceive a life that could be quickly changed.  Lessons and questions raised from this book could include;  What if war came to your doorstep? What would you do and how would you act in those times of survival?  This is  another great teachable book to help young adults wrap their brain around the world around them through a touching and personal story of love and family.