Choke by Diana Lopez - OPTIONAL

Lopez, Diana Choke 230 pgs. Scholastic Press, 2012, $17.99.

Language: G (0 swears 0 “f”); Mature Content PG; Violence G.  

MS - OPTIONAL

8th grader Windy would love to be part of the in-crowd at school, but she and her best friend Elena are a little too quirky to be accepted, and are even bullied by a few of the mean girls. Then Nina moves in and changes everything.  Being friends with Nina is her ticket to the in-crowd, but when Nina, who introduces the choking game to the popular kids, invites Windy to participate and become a “breath sister”, Windy wonders if she’s willing to accept the consequences of being Nina’s friend.  

This very scary subject is well managed by former middle school teacher Lopez; her characters ring true and consequences of the choking game are spelled out clearly.  This is an excellent read for a child who may be faced with questions or experiences about this.  I hesitate to introduce the subject at a middle school level, however, as I know that many students are not mature enough.    

Lisa Media Specialist