 The
Lost Island of Tamarind
by Nadia Aguiar
Ages 10–14
When a sudden storm hits the
Nelson’s research boat, the parents are swept overboard.
Maya (13) sails the boat to Tamarind, the island setting
for her father’s fantastic tales. Stranded on the island,
Maya, her brother Peter, and baby sister Penny, find
themselves surrounded by pirates and involved in one
exciting adventure after another in this high-energy
fantasy. |
|
 Raven
Summer
by David Almond
Ages 12–up
Liam is walking home with a friend
when a mysterious raven leads them to an abandoned baby.
The boys are praised for saving the child, but Liam doesn’t
feel heroic. Instead, he is consumed with thoughts of
violence. In the end, Liam is convinced that only an
act of violence can save a friend. This thought-provoking
coming-of-age novel explores the dark and conflicting
urges of adolescence. |
|
 Chains
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Ages 10–up
As the Revolutionary War begins, 13-year-old
Isabel and her 5-year-old sister Ruth are about to be freed
from slavery by the will of their Rhode Island mistress. However,
the unscrupulous heir prevents the reading of the will and
the girls are soon the property of an abusive Loyalist couple
in New York. Isabel agrees to spy for the Patriots in exchange
for passage back to Rhode Island for herself and her sister.
This well researched exploration of the treatment of slaves
is contained in a gripping story. |
|
 Wintergirls
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Ages 12–up
Lia learns that her estranged best
friend Cassie has been found dead in a hotel room, and doesn’t
tell anyone that she ignored 33 calls from Cassie two days
earlier. Lia’s narration reveals how anorexia can take over
the lives of those who suffer from it, showing the two girls
as secret sharers and competitors. This difficult and engrossing
novel also touches on self-mutilation and dysfunctional families. |
|
 The
Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation,
Volume 1: The Pox Party
by M.T. Anderson
Ages 14–up
Octavian, a black youth in Revolution-era
America, is raised in a Boston household of radical philosophers.
He is given a classical education and kept with his mother,
an African princess, in comfort. As he matures, Octavian realizes
he is an experiment to discover the intellectual capability
of Africans. When his mother dies, Octavian runs away and joins
the Patriot army. Though written in 18th century language in
the form of letters, this powerful novel raises contemporary
issues of racism, human rights, the causes of war, and the
struggle of an individual to define himself. |
|
 The
Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation,
Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves
by M.T. Anderson
Ages 14–up
Octavian heads to Virginia where
Lord Dunmore, the colony’s governor, is emancipating
slaves in exchange for military service. Octavian soon
realizes that his liberation is not a moral decision,
but a political expediency. As the Revolutionary War,
explodes around him, Octavian struggles with ideals of
liberty and his own personal growth in this fascinating
perspective on our national origins. (sequel to The
Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the
Nation, Volume 1: The Pox Party) |
|
 Crispin:
The Cross of Lead
by Avi
Newbery Medal 2003
Ages 10–14
Set in 14th century England, Crispin
is a 13-year-old illiterate peasant who flees his village after
being accused of a crime he did not commit on the day of his
mother’s death. He hopes that the words on his mother’s lead
cross will provide a clue to his unknown father. He falls in
with Bear, a huge traveling juggler, and their relationship is
the heart of the book. |
|
 Ship
Breaker
by Paolo Bacigalupi
Ages 12–up
In this futuristic adventure,
Nailer, a teenager on the Gulf Coast, works on a crew
scavenging parts from grounded oil tankers. Along with
crushing poverty, Nailer must survive dangerous hurricanes
and his violent and drug-addicted father. When a beautiful
shipping heiress, nick-named Lucky Girl, is stranded
on the beach, Nailer becomes aware of the extremes
of class disparity. Defying both his crew and his father,
Nailer helps Lucky Girl escape toward the ruins of
New Orleans, expanding his understanding of the larger
world around him and working to transcend expectations
of who he is and what he can be. |
|
 Peeled
by Joan Bauer
Ages 12–up
Hildy Biddle, a feisty and funny aspiring
teen journalist in an appealing upstate New York town famous
for its apples, loves her staff position on her high school
paper. When the local paper publishes sensational ghostly happening
stories, Hildy and her friends are determined to discover and
publish the truth. |
|
 Audrey,
Wait!
by Robin Benway
Ages 12–up
When Audrey breaks up with her
boyfriend, he writes a song about it that hits the top
of the charts. Audrey is famous, and mortified. This
irresistible debut novel captures teenage dialogue and
wit. |
|
 The
Amaranth Enchantment
by Julie Berry
Ages 10–14
Lucinda is a 15-year-old orphan
who lives a life of miserable servitude in her evil aunt’s
jewelry store until the day she finds an unusual gemstone
belonging to Beryl, who just might be a witch. The stone
is stolen and sold to a prince and Lucinda sets out to
get it back. A clever twist on the Cinderella story,
this funny and suspenseful fantasy is also a fast-paced
adventure. |
|
 White
Cat
by Holly Black
Ages 14–up
Cassel Sharpe (14) comes from
a family of curse workers, people who have to power
to change luck, emotion, or memories with the touch
of a finger. Curseworking is illegal, so all curse
workers are mobsters or con artists, and everyone wears
gloves to avoid being taken advantage of. But Cassel
doesn’t seem to have the family power, except for the
fact that he killed his best friend three years earlier.
Cassel has tried to bury that event in the past, but
now he is having dreams of a white cat that wants to
tell him something, and he fears that he may be in
the middle of the biggest con ever. (first in a projected
series) |
|
 The
Waters & the Wild
by Francesca Lia Block
Ages 14–up
Bee (13) is startled out of her
social isolation by a nighttime apparition of a girl
who could be her twin. She befriends two other outcasts
at school: one who thinks she is a reincarnated slave
from the 1880s, the other who believes he is the offspring
of an alien. The three come to believe that Bee is a
changeling, a hideous elf who was switched at birth for
the human Bee. This spooky short novel includes tantalizing
fragments of poems by Yeats and Shelley. |
|
 What
I Saw And How I Lied
by Judy Blundell
Ages 12–up
This noir mystery is set in 1947.
Evie (15) and her mother set off for Florida with her
stepfather Joe. Evie falls in love with Peter, an army
buddy of Joe’s. A suspicious boating accident forces
Evie to re-examine her relationships with Peter, her
mother, and her stepfather. This stylish novel has the
atmosphere of a glamorous old movie. |
|
 The
Compound
by S.A. Bodeen
Ages 12–up
Ellis, the 15-year old son of
a billionaire, has spent the last six years in the massive
underground shelter his father built to shelter the family
from the nuclear war that destroyed the world above.
With nine years to go before the air above is safe, the
food begins to run out, and Ellis is caught in an ethical
and moral dilemma as he becomes increasingly suspicious
about his father’s choices and actions. |
|
 Blade:
Playing Dead
by Tim Bowler
Ages 14–up
Blade (14) is a British boy
with a mysterious past living on the streets. He is
attacked by a gang and fleeing a group of armed men
when he stumbles across a toddler, Jen, and her teen-aged
mother, Becky. Blade becomes their unwilling protector
as he tries to elude his pursuers, unsure if they are
after him or Becky. This intense and bleak thriller
ends with a cliff-hanger. |
|
 Young
Samurai: The Way of the Warrior
by Chris Bradford
Ages 10–up
A British merchant ship is
attacked by Japanese ninja pirates who murder the entire
crew, including Jack Fletcher’s father. Young Jack
is rescued by a powerful Samurai who adopts him and
trains him to join the warrior class. Since he is a
foreigner, Jack is treated as an outcast at Samurai
school and must use all his wit and skill to survive
and succeed. First in a projected trilogy, this fast-paced
adventure set in medieval Japan is full of spellbinding
bits of history, culture, and martial arts. |
|
 Going
Bovine
by Libba Bray
Ages 14–up
Cameron Smith (16) is coasting
through high school in the shadow of his perfect sister.
While working at Buddha Burger, Cameron comes down
with mad cow disease and the prognosis isn’t good.
In the hospital he is visited by Dulcie, a neon pink
angel who just may be a hallucination. Dulcie convinces
Cameron to go on a quest to find a cure and save the
world with the help of Gonzo, a neurotic dwarf, and
Balder, a Norse god who is trapped in the form of a
garden elf. This wacky fantasy adventure will appeal
to fans of The
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. |
|
 Black
Rabbit Summer
by Kevin Brooks
Ages 12–up
Five teens, formerly close friends
and now acquaintances, visit their long-abandoned hideout.
The next morning Raymond, who believes his black rabbit can
talk, and a young starlet who was taunting him the evening
before are missing. As the police hunt for the celebrity, Pete
searches for Raymond. This brooding thriller explores teenaged
alienation and the nature of relationships. |
|
 Debbie
Harry Sings in French
by Meagan Brothers
Ages 14–up
Johnny, a 17-year-old recovering
alcoholic, is sent to live with his uncle Sam. He bonds
with fellow outcast Maria, who encourages him to pursue
his love for Debbie Harry’s music, even when he decides
to perform in drag. Touching portrayal of tough issues
with an empathetic narrator who introduces shades of
gray into the usual black and white view of sexuality
and gender. |
|
 Hate
List
by Jennifer Brown
Ages 15–up
When Val and her boyfriend
Nick wrote the names of people who tormented or annoyed
them on a “Hate List,” Val had no idea
Nick would use the list. When Nick brings a shotgun
to school and begins shooting people on the list before
killing himself, Val is wounded trying to stop him.
But as the co-author of the “Hate List,” Val
is implicated in the shootings. Val’s guilt and her
complicated relationships with her family and the surviving
victims are realistically and hauntingly portrayed. |
|
 Kaleidoscope
Eyes
by Jen Bryant
Ages 9–13
In the summer of 1968, 13-year-old
Lyza and her friends search for Captain Kidd’s lost treasure
in their New Jersey neighborhood. Narrated in verse,
this novel has a strong sense of place and vividly portrays
a teenager’s conflicting emotions about the onset of
adulthood. |
|
 Ringside
1925:
Views from the Scopes Trial
by Jen Bryant
Ages 12–up
The fictionalized inhabitants of
Dayton, TN, home of the infamous “monkey trial,” speak
in a range of perspectives about the teaching of evolution. |
|
 All
The Broken Pieces
by Ann E. Burg
Ages 11–up
Two years ago Matt Pin was airlifted
from war-torn Vietnam. Now 12, and living with his loving
adoptive American family, Matt is still haunted by memories
of the family he left behind. Told in first person free
verse, Matt’s present and past are slowly revealed as
he begins to come to terms with the guilt of being the
only survivor. |
|
 Swim
the Fly
by Don Calame
Ages 14–up
Fifteen-year-old Matt and his
two swim team friends always set a summer goal. This
year’s goal is to see a girl naked, quite challenging
since none of the trio have the nerve to even ask a girl
out for a date. Matt also sets himself a personal goal—master
the grueling 100-yard butterfly to impress the team’s
star female member. Sometimes crude but always funny,
this book will appeal to teenaged male readers. |
|
 The
Secret Life of Prince Charming
by Deb Caletti
Ages 12–up
Quinn is surrounded by women
who have been disappointed by love. When her own romance
also disintegrates, Quinn wonders if there are any
good men out there. Then she discovers that her womanizing
father, Prince Charming, may have stolen more than
the hearts of the women he charmed. With her step-sisters,
Quinn sets out to right her father’s wrongs by returning
the stolen treasures. |
|
 Jump
by Elisa Carbone
Ages 12–up
P.K. (16) runs away from home to
avoid being sent off to boarding school. Critter, who has
the ability to see colors that reveal emotions, escapes
from a psychiatric hospital. Bonded by a shared love of
rock-climbing, the two hitchhike to Las Vegas to attempt
the first-ever climb up a steep rock face. Pursued by the
police, who believe that P.K.’s life is in danger, the
pair share their hopes and fears of the past and present.
Told from the perspectives of both teens, this exciting
book explores themes of independence, belonging, love,
and endurance.
|
|
 Graceling
by Kristin Cashore
Ages 14–up
People with special talents, called
Gracelings, are identified by their unusual eyes. Katsa has
one green and one blue eye, but it is not until she is eight
that her special talent is discovered—killing. By age
18 she is henchwoman to the king. Hating her job, Katsa creates
a secret council to work against corrupt power. Teens (and
adults) struggling to put their own talents to good use will
enjoy this riveting novel. |
|
 Fire
by Kristin Cashore
Ages 14–up
Fire, an orphan with hair as red as
her name, can control the minds of everyone around her. Young
King Nash is barely holding on to his throne, while rebel lords
in the north and south build armies in hopes of taking over
the throne. This suspenseful and romantic companion volume
(prequel) to Graceling,
shares one pivotal character. |
|
 Because
I am Furniture
by Thalia Chaltas
Ages 12–up
Anke’s father is abusive to
her older brother and sister, but not to her. She is
invisible and helpless. Then Anke makes the volleyball
team at school and her confidence builds until she
begins to hope that her voice will soon be loud enough
to rescue everyone at home, including herself. This
powerful novel in poems is devastating yet offers empowerment
and hope. |
 How
We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists
and Kids Explore Global Warming
by Lynne Cherry & Gary Braasch
Ages 10–14
Hopeful tone and comprehensive resource
list. |
|
 Oh.
My. Gods.
by Tera Lynn Childs
Ages 12–up
Phoebe is shocked when her widowed
mother returns from a Greek vacation not only engaged to a
man she has just meet, but determined that Phoebe will complete
her senior year of high school at her future stepfather’s private
academy. The twist is that the school caters to the descendents
of the Greek gods and goddesses, cleverly mixing mythology
into the usual high school cliques. |
|
 Stolen
by Lucy Christopher
Ages 14–up
This intense psychological thriller
begins when Gemma (16), steps away from her British parents
for a moment at a layover in the Bangkok Airport, to get a
cup of coffee. Ty, the handsome young Australian who pays for
her coffee seems oddly familiar. After drugging the coffee,
Ty whisks Gemma away to the home he has built in the isolated
Australian outback, believing he is rescuing her from her shallow
parents and a city life in London where she could never be
happy. At first repelled by both her kidnapper and her new
environment, Gemma slowly warms to both as she realizes she
must either come to terms with her new reality or die trying
to fight it. |
|
 The
Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
Ages 12–up
In this future world the United States
is gone and North America has become Panem, a TV-dominated
dictatorship. Every year 24 teenagers are chosen by lottery
to fight in the Hunger Games, a reality TV show where the only
rule is that you cannot eat the dead contestants. Katniss takes
the place of her younger sister and is soon being groomed for
maximum camera appeal. As Katniss struggles to win both the
Games and audience approval, the reader is forced to confront
the question: What happens if we choose entertainment over
humanity? (1st in a trilogy) |
|
 Catching
Fire
by Suzanne Collins
Ages 12–up
Katniss Everdeen and won the
annual Hunger Games against all odds and should be
enjoying the new prosperity their win brought to their
district. But President Snow is angry about being outsmarted
and rumblings of uprisings inspired by Katniss’s defiance
of the rules are heard across the land. And the upcoming
Hunger games will be the 75th anniversary so there
are sure to be some extra-special challenges for the
next round of Hunger Game contestants. (sequel to The
Hunger Games) |
|
 A
Banquet for Hungry Ghosts:
A
Collection of Deliciously Frightening Tales
by Ying Chang Compestine, Coleman Polhemus
Ages 12–up
This collection of eight gruesomely
delightful tales feature hungry ghosts—the spirits
of those who died hungry or unjustly and have returned
to seek vengeance. The chilling tales are illustrated
with lurid images of the ghosts and their victims. |
|
 The
Gates
by John Connolly
Ages 12–up
While doing some early trick-or-treating
with his dog Boswell in Biddlecombe, England, 11-year-old
Samuel Johnson witnesses a strange happening at 666 Crowley
Road. Experimenting with one of the spells in a old book,
Mrs. Abernathy inadvertently opens the Gates of Hell
and allows a powerful demon through. Horrified, Samuel
tries to convince various adults of the mounting danger,
but finds they don’t believe him. Billed as an “adult
book for children,” this whimsical fantasy features
a quirky and imaginative hero, an amusingly incompetent
subdemon named Nurd, and accessible explanations of quantum
mechanics, wormholes, and black holes. |
|
 Waiting
for Normal
by Leslie Connor
Ages 10–up
Sixth-grader Addie’s mother disappears
for days at a time, leaving the resilient Addie to struggle
to maintain a normal life. Addie’s optimism in the face
of child neglect makes for a powerful story. |
|
 Carter
Finally Gets It
by Brent Crawford
Ages 13–up
Entering freshman Carter isn’t
good at talking to girls—he battles Attention Deficit
Disorder and stutters, but is determined to get a girlfriend
anyway. This often hilarious first person narrative will
engage and amuse male teenaged readers. |
|
 Walk
Two Moons
by Sharon Creech
Newbery Medal 1995
Ages 10–14
Salamanca Tree Hiddle’s mother leaves
home on a spiritual quests, but promises to return. She doesn’t,
and Sal and her father move from Kentucky to Idaho. Her new friend
Phoebe is also 13 and also has a mother who vanished. Sal convinces
her grandparents to drive to Idaho in search of her mother while
telling the story of Phoebe. Sal’s journey through the grieving
process of denial, anger, and acceptance is presented realistically
and with compassion. |
|
 The
Midwife’s Apprentice
by Karen Cushman
Newbery Medal
1996
Ages 10–up
In medieval England, a young girl rises
from dire poverty by becoming the apprentice to Jane Sharp, a
cranky and bossy midwife. First known as Beetle, since she was
found living in a dung heap, the girl struggles to learn the
skills of her new profession. As she grows in knowledge and self-confidence,
the girl finally respects herself enough to choose a real name:
Alyce. |
|
 Dingo
by Charles De Lint
Ages 12–up
Incorporating Australian folklore,
this fantasy tells the tale of Michael Schreiber who discovers
that his new girlfriend is something other than human. A mixture
of darkness and hope, humor and mystery, and the friendship
within love. |
|
 Lock
and Key
by Sarah Dessen
Ages 12–up
After her mother abandons her,
Ruby Cooper is taken in by the older sister she hasn’t
seen in 10 years and her wealthy husband. Ruby now has
everything she’s dreamed of: fancy house, private school,
new wardrobe. But Ruby is a reluctant Cinderella, suspicious
of her own good fortune. |
|
 Little
Brother
by Cory Doctorow
Ages 13–up
Set in near-future San Francisco
after a terrorist attack, 17-year-old Marcus and his
friends (guilty only of cutting school) are arrested
and interrogated by the Department of Homeland Security.
Released, techno-geek Marcus and his crew fight against
the oppressive police state. |
|
 Bog
Child
by Siobhan Dowd
Ages 12–up
When Fergus McCann is digging for peat
for his uncle to sell in 1981, he finds the body of a small
boy. Archaeologists suspect the body is ancient and arrive
in droves to study the find. Trying to earn entrance to medical
school 18-year-old Fergus is haunted by his find and confused
by the hunger strike his imprisoned IRA brother has joined.
This compelling book raises questions about moral choices and
highlights the impact of political conflict on innocent bystanders. |
|
 Happyface
by Stephen Emond
Ages 12–up
Our narrator, an introverted and artistically
talented high school sophomore, decides to try out a new happy-go-lucky
persona at his new school, and quickly earns the nickname Happyface.
The plan works, and Happyface soon has a new collection of
friends who accept him at face value. But his sketchbook reveals
the truth: his parents’ failing marriage, his own broken heart,
and the real reason he had to switch schools. Happyface is
able to illustrate the feelings he can’t write about, and the
reader is gradually able to get to know the real person behind
the facade. |
|
 Mockingbird
by Kathryn Erskine
Ages 10–up
Caitlin Smith (10) has Asperger’s syndrome.
She hates recess with all the noise and confusion, and meets
with her counselor, Mrs. Brook, who helps her to understand
the reasons behind her discomfort, while offering advice about
how to make friends and deal with her grief over her older
brother Devon’s death in a recent school shooting. Devon had
always been Caitlin’s interpreter, explaining the grey areas
in the world she sees as black and white. Without him, Caitlin
struggles more than ever. When she hears the term “closure” Caitlin
turns to her dictionary for help and decides to find closure
for both herself and her grieving father. Caitlin’s first person
narration provides insight into her incredible intelligence
and conscientiousness paired with her limited social skills
and her struggles to comprehend figurative language. |
|
 Jessica’s
Guide to Dating on the Dark Side
by Beth Fantaskey
Ages 14–up
Jessica Packward, 17-year-old
mathlete, is flabbergasted when a Romanian named Lucius
Vladescu appears and informs her that they are vampire
royalty and pledged to be wed since infancy. When her
adoptive parents confirm that her real parents claimed
to be vampires, Jessica is stunned. But Lucius is attractive,
and armed with Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s
Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica
begins to transform herself into a Vampire Princess.
Funny, satirical, and suspenseful, this vampire novel
is a cut above the competition. |
|
 The
Sea of Trolls
by Nancy Farmer
Ages 9–up
Jack (11) is a scrawny medieval Saxon
boy who has never been much good at anything until the Bard
of his village makes him an apprentice. Jack is slowly learning
to call on magical powers when the Bard realizes that Viking
berserkers are about to attack the village. They raise a fog
to hide the village, but Jack and his sister Lucy (5) are kidnapped
by by Ivan One-Brow and his crew. Jack impresses Ivan with
his ability to control the weather and things aren’t nearly
as bad as they could be until Lucy is given to King Ivan the
Boneless and Frith, his evil half-troll wife. By mistake, Jack
detaches Frith’s hair and is sent on a quest with Ivan and
Thorgil to the Troll kingdom to find Mimir’s Well and the secret
to restore Frith’s hair. This skillful amalgam of history,
myth, and humor will appeal to fantasy lovers of all ages. |
|
 The
Land of Silver Apples
by Nancy Farmer
Ages 9–up
Jack (13) and his sister Lucy (7) are
safely back home with their parents, and Lucy is even more
spoiled than ever. When her behavior grows too bad to ignore,
the family takes her to a monastery for an exorcism. Jack’s
father admits that their real baby was stolen at birth, and
Lucy left in her place. Lucy is stolen by the Lady of the Lake
and Jack’s mother insists that her real daughter be found,
and Jack is off on another quest. Assisted by Pega, a slave
girl, and Thorgil, the ex-berserker, Jack journeys through
the lands of hobgoblins, kelpies, yarthkins, and elves in this
thoroughly satisfying sequel to The
Sea of Trolls. |
|
 The
Island of the Blessed
by Nancy Farmer
Ages 9–up
Jack, 14-year old apprentice
bard, is now living with Thorgil, shield maiden, and
the Bard. A draugr, the undead spirit of a wronged
mermaid, is roused by the village priest’s mystical
bell, sending Jack and his friends to the kingdom of
the fin folk seeking a way to bring the draugr peace.
(conclusion to The
Sea of Trolls and The
Land of Silver Apples) |
|
 March
On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed The World
by Christine King Farris, London
Ladd
Ages 9–12
Christine
King Farris, Martin Luther King, Junior’s older
sister describes the 1963 March on Washington with an
intimate down-to-earth perspective, presenting her brother
as a man rather than as an icon. |
|
 Incarceron
by Catherine Fisher
Ages 12–up
In this complex and inventive fantasy,
civilization was frozen in late-medieval development to save
the world from dangerous technology. All of the madmen and
malcontents were sealed into a huge and sentient prison named
Incarceron. Claudia, the brilliant daughter of the prison warden,
is doomed to a loveless marriage with the simpleminded heir
to the throne. But when Finn, a prisoner without a past, finds
a crystal key that lets him communicate with Claudia, each
decides to escape their own prison with unexpected consequences. |
|
 The
Morgue and Me
by John C. Ford
Ages 12–up
Christopher Newell takes a summer
job in the morgue before heading off to college and stumbles
across $15,000 in cash and a dead body that the medical
examiner has ruled a suicide despite multiple bullet
wounds in the torso. Tina, a young reporter for the local
paper, joins Christopher’s investigation and the two
uncover blackmail and corruption going back for years.
This dark teen novel holds its own as a mainstream mystery. |
|
 Suicide
Notes
by Michael Thomas Ford
Ages 14–up
Jeff, the 15-year-old narrator, is
in a psychiatric ward after a suicide attempt. At first convinced
he is the only sane one surrounded by crazy kids, Jeff slowly
begins to form relationships and to understand his own problems
and confusions. This darkly humorous novel presents issues
of identity in a compelling and witty manner. |
|
 If
I Stay
by Gayle Forman
Ages 14–up
Mia, a talented 17-year-old
cellist, remembers driving on a snowy Oregon road with
her family, and then nothing until she is standing
next to the wrecked car and her parents’ corpses, watching
the paramedics tend to the damaged bodies of herself
and her little brother. Told in flashbacks, this moving
novel explores Mia’s life, the power of friends and
family, and the things that make life worth living. |
|
 Secrets
of Truth and Beauty
by Megan Frazer
Ages 12–up
Dara Cohen won the title of
Little Miss Maine when she was seven. Now 17, Dara
is overweight with a control-freak mother and a missing
older sister that her parents try to erase from their
lives. Dara’s school project about society’s preoccupation
with thinness is horribly misunderstood and she ends
up in the counselor’s office. Her parents pull her
out of school to save face, and Dara decides it’s time
to reconnect with her sister, now living on a Massachusetts
goat farm. This coming of age novel has a likeable
heroine whose growing self-confidence is inspiring. |
|
 The
Possibilities of Sainthood
by Donna Freitas
Ages 12–up
Antonia is a 15-year-old Catholic
schoolgirl who petitions the saints to help her deal
with the angst of adolescence. When St. Augustine lets
her down, she proposes herself as the new Saint of the
First Kiss and sends regular emails to the Pope in the
Vatican. The warm portrayal of Italian-American life
add depth to this coming-of-age novel. |
|
 After
the Moment
by Garret Freymann-Weyr
Ages 14–up
Leigh Hunter moves to Washington
DC during his senior year and falls for Maia Morland—smart,
pretty, anorexic, and germ-phobic. When Maia is threatened,
Leigh commits an act of violence trying to protect
her that endangers their love and haunts Leigh. This
story of a complicated first love examines love itself. |
|
 The
Graveyard Book
by Neil Gaiman
Ages 10–up
When a murderer kills the rest of his
family, the toddler escapes to the graveyard next door where
the ghosts take him in and raise him as their own. The boy,
called Bod (short for Nobody) grows up fairly normal despite
his ghoulish guardians and the fact that the killer is still
stalking him. This gothic fantasy is downright terrifying at
times. |
|
 Optical
Illusion Play Pack
by Martin Gardner
Ages 10–up
Packaged with 40+ punch-out pieces,
readers are challenged to re-create optical illusions,
experiencing rather than simply observing these illusions
aptly explained by puzzle master and mathematician Gardner. |
|
 The
Red Necklace
by Sally Gardner
Ages 12–up
This suspenseful and haunting book
is set during the French Revolution. Yann Magoza, an orphan
traveling with a troupe of magicians, can read minds. While
performing at a castle, Yann meets Sidonie, the daughter of
a cruel marquis, and a scheming count murders one of the troupe
of magicians. |
|
 Once
by Morris Gleitzman
Ages 12–up
Everybody deserves to have something
good in their life at least once, believes Felix, a 10-year
old Polish Jew, who runs away from a Catholic orphanage to
search for his parents. After finding his home occupied by
hostile neighbors, Felix lives in hiding, in constant fear
of discovery, as he slowly becomes aware of the Nazi atrocities.
Felix’s traumatized present-tense narrative drives this powerful
novel which manages to find welcome bits of humor and heroic
kindness in the midst of horror and tragedy. |
|
 King
of the Screwups
by K.L. Going
Ages 12–up
Liam Geller (17) has everything,
a super-model mother, CEO father, popularity, and good
looks. But somehow he always manages to do exactly
the wrong thing and infuriate his father. When he is
kicked out of the house he is sent to stay with his
gay uncle who lives in a trailer in the middle of nowhere.
To regain his father’s approval, Liam tries to reinvent
himself as a nerd, but eventually the likeable Liam
learns to just be himself. |
|
 The
Diamond of Drury Lane
by Julia Golding
Ages 10–14
Cat has lived in the Drury Lane
Theater Royal ever since she was abandoned as a baby
and taken in by Mr. Sheridan, the owner of the theater.
After Cat sees Mr. Sheridan hiding a valuable diamond,
she and her friends decide to help safeguard the treasure.
Set in 1790s London, England, this thrilling mystery
will keep readers glued to the pages. (first in a projected
quartet) |
|
 The
Museum of Mary Child
by Cassandra Golds
Ages 11–up
Heloise is kept secluded by
her stern god mother. When the lonely girl discovers
a beautiful doll, Maria, hidden under the floorboards,
she hides the doll from her godmother who prohibits
play, beautiful things, and talk of love. When Maria
is discovered, Heloise learns the dreadful truth about
the museum adjoining her godmother’s cottage. This
mysterious and creepy novel is enthralling. |
|
 Imaginary
Enemy
by Julie Gonzalez
Ages 12–up
Jane writes to her imaginary
enemy “Bubba” and he replies, in this entrancing
and witty novel that follows Jane from elementary school
into high school. |
|
 Eon:
Dragoneye Reborn
by Alison Goodman
Ages 12–up
In a world where women are
forbidden to study Dragon magic, Eona (16) disguises
herself as a 12-year-old boy (Eon) to enter a competition
to become an apprentice Dragoneye. Against all odds,
the crippled Eon is selected and is soon fighting against
the corrupt Lord Ido in this compelling fantasy. |
|
 The
Other Side of the Island
by Allegra Goodman
Ages 12–up
Honor (10) and her parents are
brought to Island 365 by the Corporation led by Earth
Mother. Using memory-altering substances and misinformation,
the Corporation lulls its citizens into believing that
the rest of the world is uninhabitable. Honor’s parents
rebel and are captured and Honor and a friend must rescue
them. |
|
 Poisoned
Honey
A
Story of Mary Magdalene
by Beatrice Gormley
Ages 12–up
Mari (13) wants to be in control
of her own destiny, but women in 1st century Palestine
have little power, so Mari submits to an arranged marriage.
But her father and fiancé die of fever and Mari
finds herself at the mercy of others. An Egyptian wisewoman
teaches Mari the ways of the occult arts and she is gradually
consumed by evil spirits before her eventual redemption.
This biblical fiction brings the culture of early Palestine
to vivid life. |
|
 Ostrich
Boys
by Keith Gray
Ages 12–up
After their friend Ross is
killed while riding his bike, Blake, Kenny, and Sim
are furious at the fake show of support by previously
uncaring teachers and classmates. So the three boys
decide to steal his ashes and travel from London to
the village of Ross in Scotland for a proper funeral.
Along the way they get thrown off a train, chased by
police, and meet some flirtations Scottish girls. They
also confront their own relationships with Ross and
face some hard truths about his death. |
|
 Picture
the Dead
by Adele Griffin, Lisa Brown
Ages 12–up
When Jennie’s twin brother
dies in the Civil War in 1864, Jennie feels his loss
like a wound. A year later, her cousin Quinn arrives
home to Massachusetts with the news that his brother
Will, Jennie’s fiancé, is also dead. Quinn, who is
much changed by the war, begins to court Jennie, who
responds though she senses that something mysterious
surrounds Will’s death. Jennie is haunted by both her
dead brother and Will, and suffers a recurring sensation
of being choked. Newspaper clippings, scrapbook entries,
and black-and-white drawings illustrate Jennie’s first
person narration in this effective gothic ghost story
portraying a country recovering from the horrors and
loss of war. |
|
 The
Orange Houses
by Paul Griffin
Ages 14–up
Tamika (Mik) Sykes is a bright
hearing-impared 15-year old loner living in a Bronx
housing project known as The Orange Houses. Mik becomes
friends with Fatima, a teenaged illegal refugee from
Africa who sells newspapers on Mik’s block. The two
befriend Jimmi Sixes, a disturbed 18-year old homeless
veteran who is shunned by the rest of the community.
The story of the three outcasts, who connect artistically
and emotionally, is tense and powerful. |
|
 Ten
Mile River
by Paul Griffin
Ages 12–up
Ray and José, two homeless teenaged
boys, are hiding from their parole officer in New York City’s
Ten Mile River Park. Ray meets Trini, who encourages the boys
to go straight, and Ray is caught between his loyalty to his
friend and his desire to make something of himself. Griffin’s
ear for authentic dialog makes his gritty novel memorable. |
|
 Into
the Wild Nerd Yonder
by Julie Halpern
Ages 12–up
Jessie is having a bad sophomore
year in high school. Her two best friends have turned
punk and boy-crazy, and her beloved older brother is
preparing to leave for college. Jessie retreats into
sewing and audio books until Dottie, the class nerd,
introduces her to Dungeons and Dragons, which Jessie
is surprised to find she actually enjoys. Jessie’s honest,
funny, and sympathetic narration allows the reader to
see how exceptional Jessie truly is, even though she
can’t see it herself. |
|
 The
Summer I Turned Pretty
by Jenny Han
Ages 12–up
For Isabel, known as Belly,
summers are the most important part of the year. Every
summer Belly’s family shares a beach house with her
mother’s best friend and her two sons. Until Belly’s
15th summer, the boys have treated Belly as a sister,
but this year everything changes. This coming-or-age
novel is the first in a planned trilogy. |
|
 The
Lost Conspiracy
by Frances Hardinge
Ages 10–up
On the enchanted island of
Gullstrick, Arilou is proclaimed to be a mystic, the
next Lady Lost of the Lace people. Her younger sister
Hathin acts as her translator and guardian. But neither
sister is exactly what she seems, and when a Lost Inspector
arrives to authenticate Arilou’s claim, the sisters
and the Lace people are in danger. This complex tale
is an entrancing story. |
|
 The
Last Exit to Normal
by Michael Harmon
Ages 14–up
When 17-year-old Ben’s father announces
he’s gay and the family splits up, Ben figures it can’t get
worse. But then his father and boyfriend move with Ben from
big-city Spokane to a rural Montana town—no place for
a boy with spiked hair, a skateboard habit, and two dads. |
|
 The
Ghost’s Child
by Sonya Hartnett
Ages 12–up
One day 75-year-old Maddy comes
home to find a peculiar young boy waiting for her.
The boy is eager for stories so she tells him of her
past, her imaginary best friend, and her lost love—a
feral man of the sea. Beautiful prose supports this
tale of magical realism. |
|
 North
of Beautiful
by Justina Chen Headley
Ages 12–up
Terra has a birthmark on her
face and a father who tells her she is ugly and not
artistically talented. Then she meets Jacob, an Asian-born
adoptee who introduces her to geocaching, a treasure
hunt using GPS technology. When the two travel to China
with their mothers, Terra redefines her definition
of art and beauty. |
|
 Ivy
by Julie Hearn
Ages 12–up
Two 19th century London women of the
Ragged Children’s Welfare Association rescue the orphan Ivy,
a Pre-Raphaelite beauty, who has been discarded by her family
as useless. The laudanum addicted Ivy spends most of her time
in a swoon, but the other characters scheme and frolic in this
lush absorbing novel. |
|
 Charles
and Emma:
The
Darwins’ Leap of Faith
by Deborah Heiligman
Ages 12–up
This biography focuses on the marriage
of Charles Darwin to his cousin Emma Wedgwood. Supported
by historical context and quotations from their own personal
writings as well, we meet a man who believes in reason
and a woman who believes in God. This sympathetic account
helps readers to understand Darwin’s views and the influence
of Emma’s beliefs. |
|
 Bird
Lake Moon
by Kevin Henkes
Ages 10–14
Mitch (12) is brooding about
his parents’ upcoming divorce when he meets Spencer (10)
who has been shaken by a drowning at Bird Lake. Told
in alternating chapters from both viewpoints, this novel
explores secrets, loss, and acceptance of what cannot
be changed. |
|
 Brooklyn
Bridge
by Karen Hesse, Chris Sheban
Ages 10–14
It’s 1903 in Brooklyn and all 14-year-old
Joseph Michtom wants to do is go to the brand-new amusement
park at Coney Island. But his Russian immigrant parents have
just invented the stuffed teddy bear, and Joseph is too busy
working to have fun. Meanwhile the street children living under
the Brooklyn Bridge are haunted by a ghost they call the Radiant
Boy. |
|
 Out
of the Dust
by Karen Hesse
Newbery Medal 1998
Ages 11–up
Billie Jo (14) records the grim realities
of living in the Oklahoma dust bowl during the Depression. In
her free verse journal, she reveals her mother’s death and her
own burns in a fire and her father’s grief. Billie Jo’s hope
for a better future shines through all the pain and struggle
to survive. |
|
 The
Black Book of Secrets
by F.E. Higgins
Ages 10–14
Young Ludlow Fitch, fleeing a
terrible past, arrives in a peaceful village. Ludlow
becomes the assistant to the mysterious pawnbroker who
trades cash for people’s deepest, darkest secrets. It’s
Ludlow’s job to record the secrets in the leather bound Black
Book of Secrets. The vaguely Dickensian late 1800s
atmosphere is the perfect backdrop for this historical
fantasy. |
|
 The
Bone Magician
by F.E. Higgins
Ages 10–14
Young Pin Carpue is left to survive
on his own in the crime-ridden city of Urbs Umida when
his father, a suspected murderer, disappears. Pin gets
a job as a corpse watcher, standing guard in the morgue
for three days to ensure that the deceased really are
dead and not just sleeping. There he meets the Bone Magician
who claims to be able to reanimate the dead to answer
last questions from the living. This dark and funny fantasy
is a companion volume to The
Black Book of Secrets. |
|
 The
Eyeball Collector
by F.E. Higgins
Ages 10–14
Young Hector finds himself
alone, homeless, and penniless when his father dies
after being blackmailed and disgraced. Hector sets
out to find revenge against the man he thinks is responsible
for the blackmail—Gulliver Truepin, a one-eyed
con artist who steals jewels to make a different jeweled
eyeball for each day of the week. The two end up at
Withypitts Hall, home of the cruel Lady Mandible and
all plots come together on the night of an extravagant
feast. (Companion volume to The
Black Book of Secrets and The
Bone Magician) |
|
 The
Last Best Days of Summer
by Valerie Hobbs
Ages 10–14
Lucy (12) is highly influenced
by her friend Megan, who gives her tips about how to
be popular in junior high, including not being friendly
with Eddie, a boy with Down syndrome. Lucy eagerly
heads off to her annual trip to her grandmother’s lake
cabin, anxious to escape her over-protective parents
and enjoy doing all her favorite summer things with
Grams. But Grams isn’t acting like herself (early Alzheimer’s)
and Eddie shows up expecting Lucy to be the friend
she’s always been. This thoughtful coming-of-age story
is simply and effectively told. |
|
 Green
Witch
by Alice Hoffman
Ages 12–up
A year after losing her family
in the destruction of the city, Green (16) finds that
tending her garden and collecting the stories of other
survivors helps the healing process. But she can’t
stop thinking of her beloved Diamond, a mute boy who
stole her heart, and her former schoolmate Heather.
Green consults a series of women believed to be witches
whose advice leads her to the island of prisoners where
she finds old acquaintances and strangers who share
her grief and suffering. Together they to try to change
the future. This poetic and haunting novel is the sequel
to Green
Angel. |
|
 The
Water Seeker
by Kimberly Willis Holt
Ages 10–14
Jake Kincaid is a skilled dowser,
a finder of water, but leaves that calling behind to
become a trapper in 1833. He returns a year later to
find that his wife has died, leaving him a baby named
Amos. Jake leaves Amos to be raised by his relatives
in Nebraska, returning each summer to visit. In 1841,
Jake brings his new Shoshone wife with him and they
take Amos with them to Missouri. When Amos is 13, the
family joins a wagon train headed west on the Oregon
Trail. The hardships of the journey are beautifully
portrayed in this historical coming-of-age novel. |
|
 How
I Saved My Father’s Life
(and
Ruined Everything Else)
by Ann Hood
Ages 11–up
Madeline (11) believes she saved
her father from an avalanche, and is hoping for another
miracle to undo her parents’ divorce and father’s remarriage.
Perceptive view of divorce from a child’s perspective. |
|
 Claudette
Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
by Phillip Hoose
Ages 10–up
In March 1955, nine months
before Rosa Parks refused to surrender her seat to
a white passenger, 15-year old Claudette Colvin was
dragged from a bus and arrested for the same reason.
This book introduces readers to the courageous teenager
who was overshadowed by Rosa Parks as the center of
the bus boycott. Young readers are encouraged to empathize
with young Claudette, at first dismissed as too “emotional” to
withstand public scrutiny, but later a key witness
in the federal lawsuit that would end discrimination
on public transportation. (2010 Newbery Honor Book) |
|
 Identical
by Ellen Hopkins
Ages 14–up
Kaeleigh and Reanne are identical 16-year-old
twins. From the outside their family seems perfect, but since
an accident their mother is emotionally unreachable and the
girls are self destructive in different ways. Narrated in free
verse, this disturbing novel is both beautiful and shocking. |
|
 The
Snowball Effect
by Holly Nicole Hoxter
Ages 12–up
Lainey (18) has a lot to deal
with—her mother commits suicide, leaving Lainey
in charge of her challenging 5-year-old adopted brother
Collin. Then her estranged older step-sister Vallery
arrives to take charge. Lainey’s long-time boyfriend
tries to help out, but she takes her anger out on him
and breaks up. Lainey’s efforts to deal with her grief
as she and Vallery try to work together to raise Collin
are honestly and effectively portrayed. |
|
 ghostgirl
by Tonya Hurley
Ages 12–up
Charlotte Usher is determined to join
the ranks of the popular when she enters Hawthorn High, but
she chokes to death on a gummi bear the first day of school
and is sent to Deadiquette School instead. This witty satire
of a teen who refuses to stay dead will appeal to teens and
adults alike. |
|
 Voss:
How
I Came to America and Am Hero, Mostly
by David Ives
Ages 12–up
In a series of hilarious letters,
Vospop Vsklzwczdztwczky (Voss for short) tells how
he smuggles himself to America from Slobovia in a crate
of cheese puffs with his gloomy father Bogdown and
his nutty uncle Shpoont. Voss chases the American dream
while a Slobovian black marketeer chases him in this
funny book that manages to deliver pointed social commentary
without damaging Voss’s idealistic optimism. |
|
 Genius
Squad
by Catherine Jinks
Ages 12–up
Cadel Piggot and his disabled
friend Sonja Pirovic join the Genius Squad, hoping that
the superhuman Brainiacs and their technology will be
powerful enough to protect them from Prosper English.
[sequel to Evil
Genius] |
|
 The
Reformed Vampire Support Group
by Catherine Jinks
Ages 12–up
The members of this group know
they must admit their addiction and conquer it before
they are staked, so they attend the hated meetings
every Tuesday night. When one of the vampires is destroyed
by a silver bullet, the group of misfits bands together
to find the killer. Plot twists and character development
combine to make this murder mystery a winner. |
|
 Would
You
by Marthe Jocelyn
Ages 14–up
In the summer before their junior year
in high school, Natalie and her friends play the “Would
you…” game. Everything changes when her older sister
is struck by a car and rendered comatose. Her mother grows
numb, her father becomes angry, and Natalie struggles to cope
with a situation that grows more difficult every day. Jocelyn’s
humanity in handling tragedy lets the reader experience both
grief and eventual peace. |
|
 Howl’s
Moving Castle
by Diana Wynne Jones
Ages 12–up
As the oldest of three, Sophie
knows that she is doomed to try and fail so that her
youngest sister will win fame and fortune. Then the Witch
of the Waste comes into the family hat shop and turns
Sophie into an old lady and she is forced to go and seek
her fortune as housekeeper for the Wizard Howl in his
flying castle. A wonderful blend of humor and magic will
enthrall lovers of fantasy. |
|
 House
of Many Ways
by Diana Wynne Jones
Ages 12–up
When bookish, self-centered Charmain
leaves home to care for her great-uncle’s magical house,
she surprises herself by discovering her own hidden talents.
The flamboyant Wizard Howl (from Howl’s
Moving Castle) appears mid-way through the book,
yet Charmain manages to hold her own. |
|
 Outside
Beauty
by Cynthia Kadohata
Ages 12–up
When 12-year old Shelby’s beautiful
mother is critically injured in a car crash, Shelby and
her three sisters are parceled out to their four different
fathers. As Shelby plans to reunite the sisters, she
begins to appreciate her father’s kindness and begins
to understand the difference between beauty and perfection. |
|
 Kira-Kira
by Cynthia Kadohata
Newbery Medal 2005
Ages 11–14
In the 1950s, when Katie is five, her
family moves from Iowa to Georgia, where there are few Japanese-Americans.
Katie’s older sister Lynn takes care of her while their parents
work long hours in the chicken-processing plant. Their roles
reverse when Lynn develops lymphoma. Through the illness and
Lynn’s death, Katie struggles to remember her sister as kira-kira,
glittering and shining. Narrated by Katie, this beautifully written
book tells a poignant story of love and loss. |
|
 A
Million Shades of Gray
by Cynthia Kadohata
Ages 10–up
After American troops leave his
village in South Vietnam, Y’Tin, who dreams of opening
an elephant training school, and his village are left
to fend for themselves. When North Vietnamese troops
destroy the village, Y’Tin escapes into the jungle with
Lady, his pet elephant. As the days go by, he becomes
angrier and less trusting, fearing that he will never
feel safe again. Truth has as many shades of gray as
an elephant in this emotional survival story. |
|
 The
Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
by Jacqueline Kelly
Ages 10–up
Eleven-year old Calpurnia (Callie)
Tate is a middle child with six brothers in isolated
1899 Fentress, Texas. To her family’s distress, Callie
isn’t interested in normal girl occupations and would
rather learn about the natural world with her grandfather.
As Callie grows through the year of this book, she
gradually defines for herself what it means to be a
girl. (2010 Newbery Honor Book) |
|
 House
of Dance
by Beth Kephart
Ages 12–up
Abandoned by her father at a young
age, detached from her mother who is involved in an affair
with her married boss, 15-year old Rosie is sent to spend the
summer before her junior year with her terminally ill grandfather.
Helping him sort through his belongings, Rosie realizes that
memories are the only meaningful possessions and decides to
recreate the time her grandfather loved most—when his
wife danced to the music that filled the house. |
|
 Nothing
but Ghosts
by Beth Kephart
Ages 12–up
Katie (16) and her father are
grieving the recent death of her mother. Her father,
an artist who restores paintings, tries to lose himself
in his work while pondering what color would be used
to paint regret. Katie takes a summer job gardening
for Miss Martine, the town recluse, and stumbles over
clues about the mystery of Miss Martine’s abrupt withdrawal
from the world. With her fellow teen worker Danny,
and the help of the town librarian, Katie researches
town history to solve the mystery and distract herself
from her own grief. |
|
 City
of Spies
by Susan Kim, Laurence Klavan,
Pascal Dizin
Ages 12–up
Evelyn’s mother is gone and her
father is too busy to take car of her, so she is sent
to live with her aunt in New York City. It’s 1942 and
Evelyn spends most of her time reading superhero comics
and dreaming of catching a Nazi spy. Tony, the son of
the building superintendent, catches Evelyn’s spy fever
and the two stumble over a real-life Nazi plot. This
graphic novel features art reminiscent of Hergé’s Tintin
and explores themes of friendship, social class, and
abandonment while never losing touch with the scary adventure. |
|
 The
Green Glass Sea
by Ellen Klages
Ages 10–14
It’s 1943 and 10-year-old budding inventor
Dewey Kerrigan sets off to join her father who is doing secret
war work in New Mexico. As the adults work on “the gadget,” the
kids at Los Alamos are often left to their own devices. When
Dewey’s father is killed in an accident, she moves in with
another family. The growing friendship between Dewey and Suze,
both misfits in different ways, forms the bulk of the book.
The unique atmosphere of the secretive scientific
community is clearly presented in this excellent historical
novel, but the true nature of “the gadget” may
not be understood by kids who don’t know it already. |
|
 White
Sands, Red Menace
by Ellen Klages
Ages 10–14
It’s 1946, and Suze and Dewey are living
near Los Alamos with Suze’s parents who helped build the atom
bomb with Dewey’s late father. Suze’s father is working on
rockets to maintain the US edge over the Soviets while her
mother organizes scientists against the war. This excellent
historical fiction helps middle graders grapple with moral
dilemmas while creating strong characters with realistic emotional
issues. (sequel to The
Green Glass Sea) |
|
 Stuck
on Earth
by David Klass
Ages 11–14
Ketchvarr III, an alien snail,
is sent to Earth to inhabit the body of an average
teenager and decide if the human race should be annihilated.
Ketchvarr chooses Tom Filber, an average 14-year old,
and at first believes that humans should be wiped out
before they destroy themselves and the environment.
But Ketchvarr begins to sympathize with Tom, who is
ostracized by his peers, and wonders if humans might
be worth saving after all. This wry and funny look
at teen life and human flaws is surprisingly thoughtful
and affecting. |
|
 Jumping
Off Swings
by Jo Knowles
Ages 14–up
Ellie craves a boyfriend, but
instead she gets pregnant by Josh, who avoids her after
their one time together. Afraid to tell her parents,
she confides in her best friend Corinne, and the compassionate
mother of her childhood friend Caleb. Josh confides
in Caleb, who begins spending time with Corinne because
of their shared concern for Ellie. This sensitive and
absorbing novel shows how a crisis can change a person’s
life as well as the lives of others around her. |
|
 Headlong
by Kathe Koja
Ages 14–up
Lily is a privileged boarder at the
exclusive Vaughan School. She knows all the rules and everyone
knows all about her. Then in sophomore year Hazel arrives,
a scholarship student with an unconventional family. This intelligent
novel explores class, identity, and friendship. |
|
 The
Last Invisible Boy
by Evan Kuhlman
Ages 10–14
In his notebook, Finn Garrett
(12) explains that after his father died unexpectedly
a few months ago, an eraser fell from the sky and has
gradually been erasing him day by day. This painful yet
funny novel explores coping with loss in a way middle
schoolers can empathize with. |
| |
|
 Hold
Still
by Nina Lacour
Ages 14–up
Caitlin begins her high school
junior year stunned by the suicide of her best friend
Ingrid, a talented photographer and artist. Unable to
make new friends or work on her own art, Caitlin is emotionally
paralyzed until she discovers Ingrid’s journal, which
is addressed to Caitlin. As Ingrid reveals her chronic
depression and the thoughts of her final days, Caitlin
begins to feel again, and to reach out to others. |
|
 Liar
by Justine Larbalestier
Ages 14–up
Micah admits she is a compulsive liar.
She has pretended she is a boy, a hermaphrodite, that her father
is an arms dealer. But now, when she is accused of killing
her boyfriend, Micah insists she is telling the truth. But
is she? This compelling first person narrative will have readers
guessing all through the book, and even after the final page. |
|
 invisible
i
by Stella Lennon
Ages 12–up
Callie, our narrator, Nia,
and Hal are three unlikely allies who join forces to
find 15-year-old Amanda who has vanished. Before disappearing,
Amanda told each person a different story about her
past and gave each a different animal totem. This intriguing
mystery is the first in “The Amanda Project” series,
written by different authors under the pen name Stella
Lennon. |
|
 Ever
by Gail Carson Levine
Ages 10–up
In this mythological tale, Kezi is
the only daughter of a wealthy and devout family in an ancient
vaguely Middle Eastern city. When her mother falls deathly
ill, her father promises to sacrifice the first person who
congratulates him if the god Admat will let her live. Another
god tries to help Kezi, who is the first to congratulate her
father. |
|
 The
Best Bad Luck I Ever Had
by Kristin Levine
Ages 10–up
It’s 1917 in a small town in
Alabama and 12-year-old Dit has been looking forward
to the arrival of the new postmaster who is said to
have a son his age. But when the new family arrives,
the son turns out to be a girl called Emma. And everyone
is surprised that the new family is “colored.” But
Dit is impressed with Emma’s intelligence and determination
and he begins to reconsider his views about race and
justice. |
|
 The
Year of Goodbyes: A True Story of Friendship, Family and
Farewells
by Debbie Levy
Ages 10–up
This book tells the true story
of a year in the life of Jutta, a 12-year-old girl
in 1938 Nazi Germany, and the author’s mother. Photos
and translations of comments from friends written in
Jutta’s diary introduce each chapter, giving a vivid
picture of an ordinary teenager in an extraordinary
time and place. This very personal and powerful book
in verse documents a year of change, confusion, cruelty,
and farewells. |
|
 Snow
Falling in Spring: Coming of Age
in China During the Cultural Revolution
by Moying Li
Ages 12–up
In this memoir, Moying, a 12-year
old student in Beijing, finds her house ransacked and her
father taken to a labor camp. With faith in knowledge and
education, Moying survives the climate of fear that accompanies
the rise of the Red Guard. |
|
 Pretty
Monsters: Stories
by Kelly Link
Ages 12–up
In this short story collection
nothing is what it seems, and everything deserves a second
look. The stories are funny, quirky, full of unexpected
insights and skewed perspectives on the world. |
|
 The
Giver
by Lois Lowry
Newbery Medal 1994
Ages 12–up
Jonas lives in an ideal world with no
pain, poverty, unemployment, or unhappiness. The Elders arrange
marriages, assign careers, control sexual and aggressive impulses
with drugs, and manage the “release” of the old and
the weak. At age 12, Jonas is chosen to be the Receiver of Memories
and is trained by an old man known as the Giver to finally understand
that their utopian world is maintained by the loss of free will
and humanity. This thought-provoking is both powerful and disturbing. |
|
 Number
the Stars
by Lois Lowry
Newbery Medal 1990
Ages 10–up
It’s 1943 in Nazi-occupied Denmark, and
the Jews are about to be rounded up and sent to the death camps.
Annemarie Johannesen’s best friend Ellen Rosen is Jewish. The
Johannesen family helps Ellen’s parents go into hiding and take
Ellen into their own home, pretending she is part of their family.
Narrated by 10-year-old Annemarie, this book vividly portrays
the Nazi threat and the courage it takes to help friends while
possibly endangering your own family. This moving and suspenseful
book is based on true events. |
|
 The
Way We Work
by David Macaulay
Ages 10–up
This comprehensive and entertaining
illustrated guide to the workings of the human body is
the result of years of research. Seven sections move
from the structure of a cell through the systems of the
body. The full color drawings present information in
a friendly way, but the language is often highly technical.
Motivated teens will love this book. |
|
 Finnikin
of the Rock
by Melina Marchetta
Ages 14–up
Years ago, the royal family
of Lumatere was brutally murdered, and an imposter
seized the throne. a curse locks the inhabitants of
Lumatere inside the walls, while those outside live
as exile. Finnikin, who was only a child at the time
of the murders, has spent the last decade gathering
stories from the exiles. Evanjalin, a strange young
woman, claims to know the location of the missing heir
who can lift the curse and bring the exiles home. This
dark and believable fantasy is full of complex characters,
adventure, romance, and intrigue. |
|
 Ink
Exchange
by Melissa Marr
Ages 12–up
This suspenseful fantasy takes
place in a fully realized world that conveys the details
and the politics of faery life. Seventeen-year-old Leslie
is attracted to an eerie tattoo of eyes and wings that
binds her to Irial, the dark king of the faery world.
(Leslie made a cameo appearance in Wicked
Lovely.) |
|
 The
Night Tourist
by Katherine Marsh
Ages 10–up
Jack Perdu is a 9th grade classics
prodigy. One evening Jack goes to New York City, a place
he has not visited since his mother died there eight
years ago. In Grand Central Station he meets Euri, a
mysterious girl who offers to show him the train station’s
secret places. Eight flights below, Jack realizes he
is in New York’s ghostly underworld and hopes to meet
his mother. The ghosts are suspicious of Jack, who becomes
increasingly uncertain if he himself is dead or alive.
This intricate adventure is a magical combination of
modern characters, New York history, and classical mythology. |
|
 The
Twilight Prisoner
by Katherine Marsh
Ages 10–up
Jack Perdu takes his friend
Carla to visit the New York City underworld, but once
inside they realize that their escape route has been
blocked. A beguiling mix of mystery, humor, historical
ghosts, and Greek myths, this book continues the story
begun in The
Night Tourist. |
|
 I
Know It’s Over
by C.K. Kelly Martin
Ages 14–up
Still coping with his parents’
divorce, 16-year-old Nick is stunned when his ex-girlfriend
Sasha tells him she is pregnant. Nick struggles to
do the right thing by Sasha. His pain and uncertainty
are portrayed with frankness in this emotionally complex
coming-of-age story. |
|
 Amy & Roger’s
Epic Detour
by Morgan Matson
Ages 12–up
The summer after her junior year
Amy is still grieving the loss of her father in a car
accident. Her mother has decided to move the family from
California to Connecticut, and has given Amy the task
of driving the family car to their new home. But Amy
won’t drive since the accident. Luckily Roger, the 19
year old son of a family friend, is on his way to visit
relatives in Philadelphia and volunteers to chauffeur
Amy and the car across the country. Along the way, Roger
helps Amy confront her grief and guilt about her father’s
death, and she helps him recover from a painful breakup. |
|
 The
Death-Defying Pepper Roux
by Geraldine McCaughrean
Ages 10–up
Pepper Roux’s death by age 14
was foretold in a dream, and his aunt Mireille has prayed
over him everyday. When Pepper wakes up on the morning
of his 14th birthday, he is amazed to find himself still
alive, and runs off to sea hoping to escape death a bit
longer. Pepper then flees across the French countryside
from one disastrous job to another until the totally
satisfying climax. |
|
 Purple
Heart
by Patricia McCormick
Ages 12–up
Matt Duffy, an 18-year old private
with memory problems following a traumatic brain injury
in Iraq, receives the Purple Heart. Haunted by the image
of a young Iraqi boy being killed, Matt slowly remembers
the contradictory events that led to the honor. This
gripping book raises moral issues without judgment, encouraging
readers to think deeply about loyalty, war, and the nature
of heroism. |
|
 Forever
Rose
by Hilary McKay
Ages 9–14
This fifth and final book in
the delightfully daffy Casson family series is narrated
by the youngest child, Rose, now 11. Rose is coping with
her separated parents, talented siblings and their friends,
and wondering if she is brilliant herself, or simply
daft. (Previous books in the series: Saffy’s
Angel, Indigo’s
Star, Permanent
Rose, Caddy
Ever After) |
|
 The
Devil’s Paintbox
by Victoria McKernan
Ages 12–up
It’s 1865 and Aiden (16) and
his younger sister Maddie are nearly starving on their
late parent’s farm in Kansas. The guide of a wagon train
heading west offers free passage to Aiden and Maddie
in return for their labor at a logging camp at journey’s
end. While traveling across the country, Aiden works
through his despair and begins to hope again. The strong
characters and honest look at our sometimes brutal history
will keep teen readers glued to the pages. |
|
 Chalice
by Robin McKinley
Ages 12–up
Mirasol, a humble beekeeper, has been
chosen to take the role of Chalice, communicator with the sentient
land. While trying to heal the trouble caused by the former
Master, Mirasol is drawn to the new master in this lavish magical
fantasy. |
|
 The
Hero and the Crown
by Robin McKinley
Newbery Medal 1985
Ages 12–up
Aerin is the only child of the king of
Damar, but since she is the daughter of a witchwoman the Damarians
do not trust her. Outcast by her own people, Aerin slowly begins
to trust in her own developing strengths. With the guidance of
the wizard Luthe and the help of the blue sword she battles Maur,
the Black Dragon to win her birthright. |
|
 Suck
It Up
by Brian Meehl
Ages 12–up
Morning McCobb, recent graduate
of Vampire International, is charged with telling the
world about vampires. Morning is not the usual vampire—he’s
a vegan, subsisting on a soy-based product called Blood
Lite. This very funny book with an appealing misfit protagonist
is a welcome change from the usual brooding vampire romance. |
|
 What
the World Eats
by Peter Menzel, Faith D’Aluisio
All Ages
Twenty-five families in 21 countries
around the world are photographed surrounded by a week’s worth
of food. The multi-generational portraits provide an avenue
for exploring each family’s hopes and struggles while gently
raising issues about global food supplies. Family recipes,
maps, and county information reveal provocative statistics.
(adapted from Hungry
Planet) |
|
 All
We Know of Heaven
by Jacquelyn Mitchard
Ages 12–up
Based on a true story, this gripping
novel tells the story of two girls involved in a car crash.
One dies and is buried, the other lies in a coma. When the
girl emerges from the coma, inconsistencies alert the hospital
staff that the girls have been misidentified. |
|
 Under
a Red Sky
Memoir
of a Childhood in Communist Romania
by Haya Leah Molnar
Ages 12–up
Eva Zimmerman grew up as an adored
only child in an apartment shared by her parents, grandparents,
and aunts and uncles in Bucharest, Romania. Sheltered by
her protective family from the harsh realities of scarce
food and housing under communist rule with the secret police
watching every move, religion and politics were never discussed
at home. In 1958, Eva is shocked to discover that she is
Jewish, and that her whole family has applied to emigrate
to Israel. Black and white family photographs illustrate
this poignant memoir of a girl struggling to understand
her own identity. |
|
 Ruined
by Paula Morris
Ages 12–up
Rebecca Brown (15) is sent from New
York City to live with her aunt in New Orleans while her father
travels overseas for a year. Rebecca feels out of place at
the snooty prep school. In fact, to the rich girls she is nearly
invisible. Rebecca befriends Lisette, a ghost who has haunted
the cemetery since her mysterious death 155 years earlier.
This atmospheric ghost story captures the rich history of New
Orleans, and doesn't shy away from issues of race, ethnicity,
class, and culture. |
|
 Taken
by Storm
by Angela Morrison
Ages 12–up
Leesie is a devout Mormon who
lives by the teachings of her church (no kissing, no
dating noncommunist) until she meets Michael, an troubled
outsider and scuba diver. Michael can’t forget the
hurricane that killed his parents, but he gradually
learns to accept Leesie’s help. Told in alternating
viewpoints through Michael’s dive log, Leesie’s poetry,
and online chats, this romantic novel sensitively handles
the difficult topics of religion and premarital sex. |
|
 Dope
Sick
by Walter Dean Myers
Ages 14–up
Lil J (17) is wounded and hiding
in an abandoned building. The police believe he shot
an undercover cop in a drug bust and surround the building.
Kelly, a vagrant with a strange TV, shows Lil J scenes
from his own life and asks, “If you could take
back one thing you did… what would it be?” This
gripping novel mixes magical realism with the violence
of street life as it examines second changes and the
power of hope. |
|
 Sunrise
Over Fallujah
by Walter Dean Myers
Ages 12–up
Robin Perry, nephew to Myer’s
Vietnam soldier from Fallen
Angel, writes to his uncle from Iraq in this powerful
novel that may help American teens grapple intelligently
and thoughtfully with the war in Iraq. |
|
 The
Wager
by Donna Jo Napoli
Ages 12–up
Set in 1169, this novel tells
the story of Don Giovanni, a wealthy 19-year-old orphan
who suddenly loses his riches and his castle in a tidal
wave and is reduced to begging for food to survive.
The devil appears to offer a wager—if Don Giovanni
agrees not to bathe or change his clothes for three
years, three months, and three days, he will receive
a purse that magically refills. Giovanni’s descent
into foul decay and eventual redemption is colorfully
portrayed in this retelling of a traditional Italian
fairy tale. |
|
 Our
White House: Looking In, Looking Out
by National Children’s Book and
Literary Alliance
Ages 10–up
An all-star roster of 108 children’s
authors and illustrators plus scholars and former White
House employees and residents combine to make up this multifaceted
view of the White House from the inside as well as the
outside, a personal and ongoing history from 1792 to the
present. |
|
 The
Sky Is Everywhere
by Jandy Nelson
Ages 14–up
Lennie (17), a shy bookworm
and band geek, has always been content to live in her
older sister Bailey’s shadow. When Bailey dies suddenly
and unexpectedly of an arrhythmia, Lennie is not prepared
to deal with the limelight she is thrust into. Consumed
by grief and unsettled by her attraction to Bailey’s
fiancé, Lennie struggles to deal with her new reality
in this honest portrayal of a teen dealing with tragedy. |
|
 Sweethearts
of Rhythm
The Story of the Greatest
All-Girl Swing Band in the World
by Marilyn Nelson, Jerry Pinkney
Ages 10–up
Nelson’s poems and Pinkney’s
luminous paintings perfectly complement each other in
this tribute to an integrated female swing band that
toured the USA from the late 1930s to mid 1940s. Titled
after swing tunes, the 20 poems underscore the role of
music in bring joy and hope to an era haunted by war
and racism. |
|
 Days
of Little Texas
by R.A. Nelson
Ages 12–up
At the age of 10, Ronald Earl
earned the nickname “Little Texas” when
he performed a spontaneous healing at his great aunt’s
evangelical revival ministry. By the time he is 16,
the ghost of a girl who died when he failed to heal
her and his own sexual awakening cause him to question
his integrity as a spiritual healer. His great-aunt
takes him to a former slave plantation to deliver what
is hoped to be his greatest sermon which will free
the ghosts of the slaves, leading Ronald to a personal
crisis. This fascinating and original book will engender
passionate discussions. |
|
 The
Knife of Never Letting Go
by Patrick Ness
Ages 14–up
The youngest in Prentisstown,
Todd Hewitt (12) lives in a world without women, a world
where the thoughts of men and animals are audible as
Noise, an oppressive chaos of words and images. When
Todd and his dog Manchee notice a silence in the Noise,
Todd know he must keep this secret from the others and
flees, chased by Aaron, a zealot preacher, and his supporters.
Viola, the source of the silence, joins Todd and Manchee
in a desperate flight from the men of Prentisstown. (Book
One in the Chaos Walking series) |
|
 The
Ask and the Answer
by Patrick Ness
Ages 14–up
Todd and Viola have fled to
Haven, only to discover that Mayor Prentiss has arrived
first and is now intent on controlling the entire planet.
Todd is sent to prison, and Viola to the House of Healing
to recover from her wounds. Viola is recruited by the
Answer, a group aimed at overthrowing the government,
while Todd is forced to join the mayor’s new regime.
This powerful science fiction novel is Book Two in
the Chaos Walking series, following The
Knife of Never Letting Go. |
|
 Evermore
by Alyson Noël
Ages 12–up
Ever (17) survived the car crash that
killed the rest of her family, and can now hear the thoughts
of everyone around her. She retreats into a shell, keeping
her hoodie up and her iPod loud to isolate herself. Damen,
the cute new boy who can produce tulips from thin air, coaxes
her back into human contact and to the discovery of her own
immortality. |
|
 Blue
Moon
by Alyson Noël
Ages 12–up
Still learning to control her
powers as an immortal, 17-year-old Ever is crushed
when her boyfriend, and fellow Immortal, Damen breaks
up with her, and can't seem to remember their time
together. When Damon begins growing weaker, Ever is
determined to save him and is confronted by a hard
decision: should she change the past or not? (sequel
to Evermore) |
|
 Gentlemen
by Michael Northrop
Ages 15–up
This dark novel for tells the story
of four high school sophomores who are outsiders, ignored by
everyone at school except their remedial English teacher who
calls them “gentlemen.” Then one disappears and
the other three suspect that their teacher is involved. Gritty
and building to a violent climax, this fast-paced novel takes
an unflinching look at what holds friends together and what
tears them apart. |
|
 Encyclopedia
of the End:
Mysterious
Death in Fact, Fancy, Folklore, and More
by Deborah Noyes
Ages 12–up
This engrossing A–Z of death
and dying touches upon the spiritual, historical, and biological
aspects of death throughout history. Paintings, photographs,
and engravings add fascinating details and visual appeal. |
|
 Before
I Fall
by Lauren Oliver
Ages 14–up
Samantha has it all. She is
beautiful and popular and has three best friends and
an enviable boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should
be another wonderful day in her wonderful life, but
instead it is her last. Samantha gets a second chance
at re-living her last day, seven chances in all. Each
day she faces the consequences of even her smallest
actions and tries to get things right, and maybe even
redeem herself. |
|
 Brett
McCarthy:
Work In Progress
by Maria Padian
Ages 12–up
Brett McCarthy lives for soccer,
vocabulary words, and her larger-than-life grandmother,
Nonna. Funny coming of age novel about a smart-mouthed
14-year old. |
|
 A
Single Shard
by Linda Sue Park
Newbery Medal 2002
Ages 10–14
In a potter’s village in 12th century
Korea, the orphan Tree Ear is raised by a lame straw weaver.
One day Tree Ear breaks a piece of Min’s pottery and pays his
debt by working for the potter and dreaming of making beautiful
pots himself. Tree Ear is sent by Min to the king’s court, carrying
an example of Min’s new celadon ware. After robbers shatter the
pot, Tree Ear continues the dangerous journey, now carrying only
one precious single shard. |
|
 Blue
Like Friday
by Siobhán Parkinson
Ages 11–14
Olivia tells the story of her
friend Hal, who sees the world in colors and tastes and
is determined to get rid of his sort-of-stepfather. This
portrayal of family and friend relationships is funny
and sad at the same time. |
|
 Jacob
Have I Loved
by Katherine Paterson
Newbery Medal 1981
Ages 12–up
Growing up on Chesapeake Bay island in
the early 1940s, Louise knows that like Esau from the Bible she
is hated while her twin sister Caroline, like Jacob, is the one
everyone loves. While the family pampers the beautiful and gifted
Caroline, lonely and miserable Louise learns the way of the watermen
from old Captain Wallace. Eventually Louise learns that she has
her own strengths. |
|
 Woods
Runner
by Gary Paulsen
Ages 12–up
Sam (13) is a skilled hunter,
a “woods runner” with an instinctive knowledge
of the western Pennsylvania forest. When word of the
fighting between the British and the American colonists
reaches the family, they worry that their safe world
is endangered. One day Sam returns from hunting to find
the houses in their settlement burned to the ground and
the scalped bodies of neighbors. Sam sets off on a harrowing
quest to find and rescue his parents, taken prisoner
by British soldiers aided by Iroquois. Interspersed historical
sections help place Sam’s struggle in context. |
|
 The
Adoration of Jenna Fox
by Mary E. Pearson
Ages 14–up
Awakening from a coma, 17-year old
Jenna Fox with almost no memories of her past and is unsure
the memories she has are really hers. A thrilling look at bio-medical
ethics and the nature of humanity. |
|
 A
Year Down Yonder
by Richard Peck
Newbery Medal 2001
Ages 10–up
It’s 1937 and Mary Alice (15) is banished
from Chicago to spend a year with Grandma Dowdel in rural Illinois
while her parents struggle to make ends meet and her brother
Joey heads west with the Civilian Conservation Corps. Mary Alice
knows it won’t be easy being the new city kid in a country school,
especially with an outrageous relative like Grandma. This hilarious
and touching book is the sequel to A
Long Way to Chicago. |
|
 As
Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth
by Lynne Rae Perkins
Ages 12–up
Ry (16) discovers that his
summer camp has been cancelled. When he steps off the
train to call his grandfather, the train leaves without
him. Unfortunately Ry’s grandfather has suffered a
concussion and is missing, and Ry can’t reach his parents,
whose cell phone has been stolen by a monkey as they
sailing around the Caribbean, so Ry is on his own.
He meets Del, a helpful stranger who offers to drive
Ry home to Wisconsin, and then to rescue Ry’s parents.
Told from all three viewpoints, including a comic strip
version from the dogs staying with Ry’s grandfather,
this humorous misadventure is delightful. |
|
 Criss
Cross
by Lynne Rae Perkins
Newbery Medal 2006
Ages 12–up
Two 14-year old narrators tell their
story in prose, poems, and question-and-answer sessions. Debbie
wishes something would happen so that she can become a different
person; Hector feels unfinished. Young teens will relate to the
feelings of self-consciousness and uncertainty as the characters
strive for self-awareness. Perkin’s amusing drawings add to the
charm. (sequel to All
Alone in the Universe) |
|
 Bamboo
People
by Mitali Perkins
Ages 11–14
Chiko (15) is pressed into
military service by the Burmese government. A scholar
rather than a soldier by nature, Chiko finds himself
involved in the ongoing war against the Karenni people,
one of the many ethnic minorities in modern Myanmar
(formerly Burma). Chiko is wounded and found by Tu
Reh, an angry Karenni teen. Told from both perspectives,
this novel shows both teens struggling with the prejudices
of culture and class. Themes of family, friendship,
and the circumstances of war are explored in this accessible
story. |
|
 This
World We Live In
The
Last Survivors, Book 3
by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Ages 12–up
A year after the moon was thrown
off course by a meteor, natural disasters and climate
change are making life on Earth a challenge. Miranda
(17) and her mother are barely surviving on food rations
in rural Pennsylvania when her father arrives with
his new family and three other refugees, including
Alex Morales from New York City. Miranda and Alex are
drawn to each other as they spend hours together scavenging
for food and supplies. This moving novel continues
the story of the struggle to keep hope alive in the
face of grim reality. (sequel to In
Life as We Knew It and In
The Dead and the Gone) |
|
 Burn
by Suzanne Phillips
Ages 12–up
This thought-provoking book tells the
story of Cameron Grady, a badly bullied freshman who escapes
by playing with fire. When fatal results occur, the reader
is challenged to examine some hard questions about who is a
victim and who is a criminal, and how far a victim is allowed
to go in the struggle to stand up for himself. |
|
 Nation
by Terry Pratchett
Ages 12–up
Mau is the only one left when a giant
wave destroys his island village. Daphne is the only survivor
of a ship sunk in the storm. Together they re-establish Mau’s
nation with the other survivors who gradually wash up on shore.
The clever balance between serious issues and wildly funny
events make this tale of discovery special. |
|
 Efrain’s
Secret
by Sofia Quintero
Ages 12–up
High school senior Efrain Rodriguez
dreams of escaping his South Bronx neighborhood for
an Ivy League college, but although he is smart, he
is “too brown and too poor.” So Efrain
begins selling drugs to earn the money for college,
sure that doing the wrong thing for the right reason
is somehow OK. Efrain’s efforts to justify his choice
and deal with the consequences enliven this gritty
tale of an urban teen trying to make a better future. |
|
 Sovay
by Celia Rees
Ages 12–up
Raised in the English countryside during
the French Revolution, 17-year-old Sovay sets out to find her
father and brother who have been condemned for supporting the
Revolution. Playing the roles of highway robber, spy, and socialite,
Sovay travels from London to Paris in this romantic and suspenseful
story of political intrigue and class struggle. |
|
 Fever
Crumb
by Philip Reeve
Ages 12–up
Fever Crumb is a 14-year old
orphan in the far future who has been adopted and raised
by Dr. Crumb, a member of the Order of Engineers, in
the huge head of an unfinished statue. Fever is the
only girl ever accepted as an apprentice by the logic
obsessed Order of Engineers. Sent into Hungry City
for the first time in her life to assist Auric Godshawk,
an eccentric archeologist, Fever is shunned by the
city dwellers who believe she is part Scriven, the
non-humans, who ruled the city but were hunted down
and killed in a victorious uprising by the people.
This beautifully written and creative fantasy is a
prequel to the Hungry City Chronicles: Mortal
Engines, Predator’s
Gold, Infernal
Devices, A
Darkling Plain. |
|
 Here
Lies Arthur
by Philip Reeve
Ages 12–up
Gwynna escapes down the river when
her village is burned by the warlord Arthur and is rescued
by Myrddin who offers to protect her in exchange for her service.
Myrddin disguises Gwynna as various people in order to transform
the warlord into the hero King Arthur. Reeve’s cynical take
on Arthurian legends will enchant teens. |
|
 How
to Build a House
by Dana Reinhardt
Ages 12–up
Harper Evans is shaken by her
father’s second divorce and her separation from her beloved
stepmother and best friend stepsister. Participating
in a summer program to build a house for a needy family
helps Harper see how both houses and relationships can
be resurrected through hard work, hope, and teamwork. |
|
 Eighth-Grade
Superzero
by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Ages 10–14
Reggie McKnight earned the nickname “Pukey” thanks
to a disaster on the first day of middle school. So he
decides to hide out for the rest of the year with his
two best friends: Ruthie, a fellow Jamaican and political
activist, and Joe C. White, an aspiring rapper working
on a project at a homeless shelter with his church’s
youth group. Reggie becomes increasingly interested in
the homeless shelter project and his community, leading
to his eventual participation in his school’s presidential
race. There aren’t easy answers or solutions in this
book that deals honestly with issues of racial bias and
social justice. |
|
 Alis
by Naomi Rich
Ages 12–up
Alis (14) lives in Freeborn, a strict
religious community. When her mother tells her she has been
chosen to marry the 40-year-old minister she decides to join
her runaway brother in the nearby city. Things don’t go well
and she is accused of committing a murder. Returning to Freeborn
Alis is put on trial for the crime she did not commit. Her
struggle to make her own choices is sympathetically portrayed
in this compelling novel. |
|
 The
39 Clues: A Maze of Bones
by Rick Riordan
Ages 9–14
In this first of 10 books, orphans
Amy and Dan Cahill take on the challenge of winning a
fortune by collecting all 39 clues. They also hope to
find their parents along the way. Unfortunately they
are competing against the rest of the Cahill clan, many
of whom are less than honorable. Riordan created the
story arc for the series; authors will write also for
the series. This fast-paced book has plenty of suspense,
danger, and puzzles. Readers between the age of 6–14
can also create online accounts to play the online
game and compete for $100,000 in prizes. |
|
 All
the Wrong People Have Self-Esteem:
An
Inappropriate Book for Young Ladies
by Laurie Rosenwald
Ages 12–up
Graphic designer and professional
nonconformist Laurie Rosenwald tackles political correctness
and shares hilarious advice on all sorts of subjects. Her
amazing collages add to the fun in this appealing book. |
|
 Surface
Tension:
A
Novel in Four Summers
by Brent Runyon
Ages 14–up
Luke and his parents spend two
weeks every summer at a lakeside cottage. Beginning at
age 13, each of the four chapters presents a different
year of Luke’s summers, tracing his emotional and physical
changes and his changing perception of his surroundings
and his neighbors. Luke’s changes bring him both turmoil
and wonder in this coming-of-age novel. |
|
 The
Cabinet of Wonders:
The
Kronos Chronicles: Book I
by Marie Rutkoski
Ages 10–up
In 16th century Bohemia Prince
Rodolfo commissions Kronos, a gifted metalworker, to
build a magical clock. When the clock is finished, the
evil prince steals the metalworker’s eyes and wears them
himself. When the blinded Kronos returns home, his 12-yearoild
daughter Petra sneaks off to Prague to recover her father’s
eyes with her pet tin spider Astrophil. An astonishing
mix of history and enchantment will entrance readers. |
|
 The
Celestial Globe
The
Kronos Chronicles: Book II
by Marie Rutkoski
Ages 10–up
When Prince Rudolfo’s monsters
attack her, 13-year-old Petra escapes from 16th century
Bohemia to London through a “Loophole” permitting
instant time-space travel. Meanwhile, Petra’s magician
friend Tomik is captured by pirates seeking the second
of two magical globes which offer Loophole control when
combined. Supported by British spy John Dee, Petra builds
her own strengths before rejoining the fight against the
evil Prince Rudolfo. This fascinating mix of history and
fantasy is the sequel to The
Cabinet of Wonders. |
|
 Vibes
by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Ages 12–up
Kristi is pretty sure she can read
minds, and absolutely sure that her peers think she is gross
and disgusting. She is still mad at her father, who left the
family two years ago, and hostile to her mother. Then events
conspire to make her wonder if she can read people at all.
This witty, funny, and poignant novel is sure to appeal to
teens. |
|
 The
Forest of Hands and Teeth
by Carrie Ryan
Ages 14–up
Mary’s village is trapped by
the Unconsecrated, flesh-eating zombies that lurk near
the village fence. Inside, the Sisterhood, a convent-like
order of religious women, control village life. When
the Unconsecrated make it through the fence, Mary and
several others escape to the Forest of Hands and Teeth.
This riveting tale of survival highlights the capacity
of humanity to persevere. |
|
 The
Dreamer
by Pam Muñoz Ryan, Peter Sís
Ages 9–14
This fictionalized story of
Pablo Neruda’s early life in the small town of Temuco,
Chile presents a shy child curious about the wonders
of nature. Young Neftalí Reyes (Neruda’s real
name) admires his uncle who owns the local newspaper,
but the boy’s father has no patience for Neftalí’s
daydreaming and love of reading and writing. The poetic
text captures the spirit of an artist who savors the
sound of words and the importance of dreaming in the
development of a poet. |
|
 The
Cardturner
by Louis Sachar
Ages 12–up
Seventeen-year-old Alton isn’t
thrilled with his new summer job of turning cards for
his recently blind bridge-playing great-uncle, but
Alton’s opportunistic mother thinks it’s a great chance
for her son to bond with their only wealthy relative.
Anton is surprised to find that he actually enjoys
the game of bridge and finds himself growing unexpectedly
fond of his eccentric uncle. Full of appealing characters
and dry humor, this book presents a reflective teenager
whose life is enriched by unanticipated connections. |
|
 Holes
by Louis Sachar
Newbery Medal 1999
Ages 10–up
Stanley Yelnats has been sent to Camp
Green Lake, a juvenile detention facility in the desert. Each
day the boys are required to did a hole five feet deep and five
feet in diameter, and then fill it in again. Stanley suspects
that this is not a character-building exercise—the warden
is searching for something. This strange book will keep kids
glued to the pages, eager to find out what will happen next. |
|
 He
Forgot to Say Goodbye
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Ages 12–up
Two alternating teenage narrators from
El Paso, Texas share the same pain: their fathers walked out
on them years ago. Ramiro Lopez is the responsible son of a
hard-working mother with a drug-addicted younger brother, Jake
Upthegrove is disgusted with his mother and stepfather’s materialistic
values. The growing friendship between the two boys helps them
deal with their sense of betrayal and the traumatic events
they endure in this powerful and honest book. |
|
 Last
Night I Sang to the Monster
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Ages 14–up
Zach (18) is bright, articulate,
and in a rehab center for drugs and alcohol. But Zach
doesn’t remember how he got there, he only knows it
was something really bad. Written as a homework assignment
for his therapist, this beautifully written first-person
narrative offers insight into addiction, dysfunction,
and mental illness. |
|
 A
Map of the Known World
by Lisa Ann Sandell
Ages 12–up
When 14-year-old Cara’s older brother
dies in a car accident, her parents cannot rouse themselves
from their numbing grief. Cara escapes into her passion
for maps and mapmaking. Her art teacher, a new friend,
and her brother’s best friend all help to slowly revive
Cara’s emotional life and self-confidence. |
|
 Revolver
by Marcus Sedgwick
Ages 12–up
It’s 1910 in the Scandinavian town
of Giron, 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Fourteen-year-old
Sig has just seen his father die after a fall through the ice
when a stranger appears, demanding the gold he says Sig’s father
stole from him 10 years earlier during the Alaskan Gold Rush.
Sig’s only protection is is father’s Colt revolver hidden in
the storeroom of the isolated cabin. The truth is slowly revealed
as Sig struggles to decide if he will use the gun. |
|
 My
So-Called Family
by Courtney Sheinmel
Ages 9–12
When Leah Hoffman-Ross’s family
moves to New York shortly before the start of the 8th
grade year, she decides to try and pass as normal, instead
of the child of Donor 730 from a Maryland sperm back.
Her mother thinks her new stepfather and little brother
should be all the family she needs, but Leah finds the
database of the sperm registry and discovers she has
a half-sister her own age. This thought-provoking book
encourages readers to think about what really makes a
family. |
|
 Gateway
by Sharon Shinn
Ages 12–up
Daiyu was adopted from China by a white
couple in St. Louis. Now a teenager, she often feels out of
place. At a street fair, an old Asian jewelry seller tells
her that her name means “black jade” and sells
her a ring bearing that stone. Transported through a gateway
into an alternate reality where America was colonized by the
Chinese in the 19th century, Daiyu is recruited as a spy and
falls for Kalen, who is in on the plot. Unfortunately, if Daiyu
is successful, she must leave this reality and Kalen to return
to her own time. |
|
 I’ll
Pass For Your Comrade:
Women
Soldiers in the Civil War
by Anita Silvey
Ages 10–14
This non-fiction book tells the
fascinating story of the women who risked their lives and
reputations to fight in the Civil War. Vintage photographs,
etchings, and memoirs illuminate the adventures and struggles
of the women who cut their hair and disguised themselves
as men to join the fight. Highly accessible language helps
to put these unconventional women in historic context. |
|
 Stitches
by David Small
Ages 12–up
In this memoir, David Small tells the
story of his boyhood in the 1950s. Believing that science can
fix everything, his radiologist father subjected David to numerous
x-rays for various childhood ailments, resulting in cancer
that was untreated for years. At age 14, unaware that he had
throat cancer and was expected to die, David awoke from an
operation left him nearly mute. Beautifully told from a child’s
perspective, this pen and ink graphic novel is both dark and
delightful. |
|
 The
Georges and the Jewels
by Jane Smiley
Ages 10–up
Abby Lovitt (12) lives on a
horse farm with her evangelical parents in California
in the mid-1960s. Abbey’s father warns her not to get
too attached to any of the horses, and names all the
mares Jewel and all the geldings George. Abby is being
bullied by the “Big Four” girls at school
and her older brother Danny has left home. Abby spends
most of her time with the horses, especially with “Onery
George,” a gelding who will not look her in the
eye and bucks her off his back every chance he gets. |
|
 Ghost
Medicine
by Andrew Smith
Ages 12–up
The summer after his mother dies,
Troy (16) and two friends work wrangling horses and coming
of age. After each brush with danger (rattlesnakes, mountain
lions) they pay homage to a mysterious force they call “ghost
medicine” with tattoos and rituals. |
|
 The
Way He Lived
by Emily Wing Smith
Ages 14–up
The six teen-aged narrators of this
novel don’t have much in common except a connection with Joel
Espen, who died of dehydration after giving away his water
bottle during a badly planned Boy Scout outing. As the six
teens from Haven, Utah, try to make sense of Joel’s death and
his effect on their lives, their views of themselves and their
community are transformed. |
|
 Shade
by Jeri Smith-Ready
Ages 14–up
Aura (16) was the first child born
after the Shift, when ghosts became visible to the new generation,
but not the old. How and why the Shift occurred is still a
mystery, and those born before and after are still struggling
through the change in perceptions. When Aura’s boyfriend Logan
dies of an accidental overdose, his ghost can still talk to
her, but can’t touch her or fully be part of her world like
Zachary, a Scottish transfer student more than willing to comfort
her. As Aura tries to come to terms with her grief, her relationships
with the dead and the living grow ever more complicated. |
|
 When
You Reach Me
by Rebecca Stead
Newbery
Medal 2010
Ages 9–14
Miranda (12) is the latchkey
kid of a single mother law school dropout in late 1970s
Manhattan. After reading A
Wrinkle in Time, Miranda is obsessed with time
travel, and receives mysterious notes which accurately
predict the future. Over the course of her 6th grade
year, Miranda describes the three important themes
in her life: her mother’s upcoming appearance on The
$20,000 Pyramid, the sudden end of her lifelong
friendship with her neighbor Sal, and the appearance
of a deranged homeless man. This thought-provoking
and realistic science fiction is enthralling. |
|
 Lament:
The Faerie Queen’s Deception
by Maggie Stiefvater
Ages 12–up
Sixteen-year-old gifted harpist
Deirdre Monaghan is painfully shy and a bit bored with
her dull suburban life. When a mysterious boy enters her
life, Deirdre discovers that she is a cloverhand, one who
can see faeries. Soon she is in the midst of a magical
faerie war that brings a bit more excitement than she wished
for. Fantasy fans will love this dark tale. 10/08 |
|
 Shiver
by Maggie Stiefvater
Ages 13–up
For years Grace has been fascinated
by the yellow-eyed wolf that saved her from its pack when she
was a child. Then she meets Sam, the yellow-eyed boy who was
bitten by a wolf when he was a child. In winter Sam lives as
a wolf, in summer he is human. As he grows older, Sam realizes
that one day he may lose the ability to become human. When
Grace and Sam fall in love one summer, Sam knows this is his
last chance to stay human. |
|
 Heartsinger
by Karlijn Stoffels
Ages 12–up
Two musicians are born at the same
hour on the same day. Mee, a singer of funeral dirges, can
see inside a person’s soul and his song can ease the pain of
loss. The music Mitou plays on her accordion brings happiness.
Together the two musicians are asked to travel to a faraway
land to free the Princess Esperanza from a spell that forces
her to spend her life gazing into a mirror. |
|
 The
Last Summer of the Death Warriors
by Francisco Stork
Ages 14–up
Pancho Sanchez (17) is sent
to a Catholic orphanage after his father and sister
die within a few months. Pancho is determined to avenge
the death of his sister by killing the man he believes
is responsible. D.Q., a fellow orphan, asks Pancho
to come with him to Albuquerque as support during his
brain cancer treatment. Pancho agrees since that's
where the man he is stalking lives. But D.Q.’s
“Death Warrior Manifesto,” a document
he has composed to help him live out his last days
with purpose, gradually influences Pancho to consider
choosing life over murder. This powerful novel deals
with themes of responsibility, racial and family
tension, and the purpose of life. |
|
 Marcelo
In The Real World
by Francisco Stork
Ages 14–up
Marcelo Sandoval hears music
no one else can hear and attends a special school specializing
in autism and Asperger’s. The summer before his senior
year, he arranges a job caring for ponies, but his father
wants him to work in the mail room in his law firm in
order to experience the real world. and then attend a
regular school in the fall. Readers enter Marcelo’s private
world as he navigates the unfamiliar world outside his
school in this powerful novel celebrating the difference
in all of us. |
|
 Borderline
by Allan Stratton
Ages 12–up
Mohammed “Sami” Sabiri’s
life falls apart when his father is accused of collaborating
with Muslim terrorists to poison the water supply of New York
City and Toronto. In the wave of discrimination that follows,
Sami’s mother is fired from her job and Sami is bullied at
school. Sami goes undercover in an attempt to prove his father’s
innocence in this gripping thriller that grapples with the
terrifying reality of racial and religious discrimination. |
|
 Heroes
of the Valley
by Jonathan Stroud
Ages 10–up
Halli Sveinsson isn’t handsome
or tall or blonde like his siblings. He’s short and
dark and loves playing practical jokes. When one of
his jokes back-fires, Halli is forced to set out on
a quest where he encounters robbers and monsters and
a girl who may have as quick a mind as his own. This
coming-of-age-novel is a surprising look at what bravery
really is. |
|
 The
Brothers Story
by Katherine Sturtevant
Ages 14–up
Twins Kit and Christy grow up
in poverty in an Essex village. Christy is “simple” and
dependant upon his brother. The hardships of the Great
Frost of 1683–84 are too much for the teenaged Kit to
bear, and he abandons his brother and flees to London,
where he finds work as an apprentice to a struggling
artist. Kit struggles with issues of familial responsibility,
religion, class, and gender roles in this frank coming-of-age
novel. |
|
 Some
Girls Are
by Courtney Summers
Ages 12–up
High school senior Regina Afton
used to be a member of the elite Fearsome Fivesome, but
she is frozen out when rumors circulate that she slept
with her best friend’s boyfriend. No one believes the
truth—Regina was nearly raped. As the bullying
from her ex-friends escalates, Regina begins a tentative
friendship with a loner she once bullied herself. Regina’s
inability to fight back against her former friends is
very believable and very frightening. |
|
 Somebody
Everybody Listens To
by Suzanne Supplee
Ages 12–up
Encouraged by her best friend
and biggest fan, recent high school graduate Retta Lee
Jones sets off to Nashville to make her name in country
music. Living in the car she borrowed from her grandmother,
Retta tries to make her hard-earned waitressing money
last as long as possible as she searches for a way to
break into the completive music scene. Biographical notes
about other music stars who overcame great odds to become
successful introduce each chapter, giving Retta (and
readers) hope that dreams can come true. |
|
 Chasing
Lincoln’s Killer
by James L. Swanson
Ages 12–up
This exciting book tells of
the assassination of Lincoln and the 12-day search
for his killer through the streets of Washington DC,
across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests
of Virginia. Period photographs and documents add drama
to this fast-paced thriller, a young adult version
of the best selling Manhunt. |
|
 Tales
From Outer Suburbia
by Shaun Tan
Ages 12–up
The fifteen very short stories
in this book are whimsical, strange, and bizarre. The
illustrations are also beautiful and yet disturbing.
The combination makes the reader wonder what will happen
next in each situation. |
|
 Emma-Jean
Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree
by Lauren Tarshis
Ages 10–14
Seventh-grader Emma-Jean is extremely
bright but doesn’t connect socially with her classmates.
In fact, she observes their interactions with a scientific
detachment. Then Colleen asks Emma-Jean’s help in dealing
with the class bully, and Emma-Jean applies the principles
of logic to the situation. Narrated in alternating chapters
by two very different girls, this humorous book
makes a great read-aloud. |
|
 Emma-Jean
Lazarus Fell in Love
by Lauren Tarshis
Ages 10–14
The intensely analytical Emma-Jean
is beginning to appreciate emotions that logic can’t
explain. Emma-Jean has made friends some friends in
her 7th grade class, and is even considering asking
a boy to the Spring Fling. This funny and heart-warming
sequel to Emma-Jean
Lasarus Fell Out of a Tree is sure to please. |
|
 Lips
Touch
by Laini Taylor
Ages 12–up
These three different stories
all hinge on the consequences of a kiss. Contemporary
Kizzy longs to be a normal, popular teenager and forgets
the rules she learned as a child and is seduced by
a goblin in disguise. Anamique lives in British colonial
India, silenced by a spell cast upon her at birth.
Just before Esmé’s 14th birthday, one eye changes from
brown to blue, and she discovers that she is hosting
a non-human being. |
|
 Nothing
by Janne Teller
Ages 12–up
One afternoon seventh grader Pierre
Anthon comes to the conclusion that there is no meaning in
life, climbs a plum tree, and refuses to come down. His classmates
are first confused and then enraged, and begin to pile up objects
that demonstrate meaning in life. At first innocent, the objects
become more violent as the children challenge each other to
sacrifice increasingly “meaningful” things. This
provocative parable about human instability will challenge
the reader. |
|
 The
Spectacular Now
by Tim Tharp
Ages 14–up
Sutter Keely is a popular and egocentric
high school senior who lives totally in the now, with no though
of past or future. Then he meets the socially awkward Aimee
who would like to plan a future with him. The stream of consciousness
narration from Sutter’s point of view never wavers, and is
both charming and infuriating. |
|
 Highway
Robbery
by Kate Thompson, Robert Dress
Ages 10–up
A young beggar recalls the night
a stranger rode into town, promising the boy a gold coin
if he watched his horse. The boy’s loyalty is tested
by people passing by who offer riches in exchange for
the noble steed. Finally the king’s men arrive and declare
that the horse is Black Bess who belongs to the infamous
highwayman Dick Turpin. The boy now has a moral dilemma
since keeping his word and staying with the horse may
lead to Turpin’s arrest. |
|
 The
Last of the High Kings
by Kate Thompson
Ages 12–up
In this sequel to The
New Policeman, J.J. Liddy is now married with four
children, including 11-year old Jenny whose mysterious
destiny is interwoven with the mythic fairy kingdom of
their native Ireland. |
|
 A
Conspiracy of Kings
by Megan Whalen Turner
Ages 10–up
Sophos, the reluctant heir
to the Sounis throne who is more interested in poetry
than power, is kidnapped and sold into slavery. This
absorbing political adventure is the fourth in the
Queen’s Thief series: The
Thief, The
Queen of Attolia, The
King of Attolia. The books should be read in order
for full appreciation of the complex plots. |
|
 Moribito:
Guardian of the Spirit
by Nahoko Uehashi
Ages 10–up
Balsa was a wandering warrior
for hire until the day she rescued a boy, Chagum, from
the river. She is then hired by the boy’s mother to protect
him since Chagum is host to a mythical creature that
threatens the rulers. An engaging combination of martial
arts, magic, heroic quest, and a totally unique heroine,
this quick-paced book will appeal to both boys and girls. |
|
 Moribito
II: Guardian of the Darkness
by Nahoko Uehashi
Ages 10–up
Balsa, a spear-wielding warrior,
returns to her homeland of Kanbal in this sequel to Moribito:
Guardian of the Spirit. Balsa rescues a pair of
siblings from the Guardian of the Darkness and fights
a plot to attack the underground kingdom of the Mountain
King. Powerful and loyal, Balsa is a compelling character
set against a rich background of an imaginary culture. |
|
 Lucky
by Rachel Vail
Ages 12–up
Fourteen-year-old Phoebe and her two
older sisters have been raised by their mother to view themselves
as Valkyries unable to be intimidated. Phoebe is more of a
people-pleaser and is busy planning the 8th grade graduation
party when her mother is fired for possible shady dealings.
For the first time money is a family issue and Phoebe must
consider what effect it has on her friendships and popularity.
(first in a trilogy about the sisters) |
|
 Me,
the Missing, and the Dead
by Jenny Valentine
Ages 14–up
Fifteen-year-old Lucas finds
an abandoned urn of ashes in a London cab depot and discovers
the truth about the disappearance of his father five
years earlier. This British novel raises questions about
death, euthanasia, and broken families while retaining
a healthy sense of humor. |
|
 Climbing
the Stairs
by Padma Venkatraman
Ages 12–up
Set in World War II India, 15-year-old
Vidya’s father joins the freedom fighters who follow
Gandhi’s nonviolent protest of British rule. During a
rally he is severely beaten and left too brain-damaged
to support his family, who must move in with relatives
and work as servants. This novel movingly presents a
unique time and place and shows how love and hope can
blossom in even the most dismal of circumstances. |
|
 Dicey’s
Song
by Cynthia Voigt
Newbery Medal
1983
Ages 12–up
Dicey (13) and her three siblings are
living on a farm with her grandmother. Their father deserted
the family, and their mother is in a mental institution. Used
to being the main support for her siblings, Dicey must get used
to the fact that they don’t need her in the same way. All of
the children must adjust to a new school and a new life with
Gram, who is fiercely independent. (sequel to Homecoming) |
|
 Dr.
Frankenstein’s Human Body Book
by Richard Walker
Ages 10–up
Dr. Frankenstein invites readers
to join him as he creates a human being. From atoms and
the skeleton to tissues and muscles, this anatomy book
is as fascinating as science fiction. Gothic fonts and
illustrations blend with state of the art images from
gamma scans and other advanced technology. |
|
 Numbers
by Rachel Ward
Ages 14–up
Jem (15) has a unique and terrifying
ability, when she looks someone in the eye, she sees the date
of their death. Jem avoids eye contact and relationships. Then
she meets Spider, another outsider in her special-education
class, and decides to take a change on friendship. The two
take a trip to the London Eye ferris wheel and Jem is horrified
to find that all the tourists in line are flashing the same
date, today’s date. Terrorists have planted a bomb, and when
Jem and Spider escape moments before the blast, they become
suspects. This stark novel is a gripping story of the lives
of teens living on the edge. |
|
 Leviathan
by Scott Westerfeld
Ages 12–up
In this alternate version of life in
1914, the Germans and Austro-Hungarians are armed with Clankers,
steam driven iron machines, while the British Darwinists have
fabricated animals. Prince Aleksandar of Austria-Hungary is
hidden away by his trusted advisors after his parents are killed
by the Germans. Meanwhile, Deryn Sharp successfully passes
as a young man in order to join the British Air Service. Her
bravery during a catastrophic flight aboard an enhance jellyfish
earns her a berth on the living airship Leviathan. The two
meet in the Swiss Alps and soon realize they must either cooperate
or be destroyed by the Germans. (1st in a planned quartet) |
|
 The
President’s Daughter
by Ellen Emerson White
Ages 12–up
Meg, the 15-year-old daughter
of a Democratic senator from Massachusetts, likes her
life just the way it is, but her mother has other plans.
Meg wishes that her perfect and ambitious mother were
more attentive to her family than her race to become
President. When her mother is elected, Meg is kept
busy learning White House protocol and keeping her
younger brothers in line. (Originally published in
the 1980s, this 1st book in the series has been updated
to the 21st century.) |
|
 White
House Autumn
by Ellen Emerson White
Ages 12–up
Now a junior at an elite DC private
school, Meg is adjusting to life in the White House until a
would-be assassin seriously wounds her mother. Shocked out
of her complacency, Meg realizes that being in the public spotlight
threatens not only her family’s privacy, but their safety as
well. (Originally published in the 1980s, this 2nd book in
the series has been updated to the 21st century.) |
|
 Long
Live the Queen
by Ellen Emerson White
Ages 12–up
Meg is having a perfectly normal day
in her senior year when a group of terrorists outwit her Secret
Service guards and kidnap her. Beaten and left to die in an
abandoned mine shaft, Meg endures hunger, pain, and terror.
Unfortunately her ordeal does not end with her eventual rescue.
Issues of post traumatic stress for the entire family are explored
as Meg works through her emotional, psychological, and physical
recovery. (Originally published in the 1980s, this 3rd book
in the series has been updated to the 21st century.) |
|
 Long
May She Reign
by Ellen Emerson White
Ages 12–up
As she enters her first year of college,
Meg is still recovering from the trauma of her kidnapping.
Still undergoing grueling physical therapy, Meg also has the
challenge of leaving the safety of the White House for the
uncertainly of the world at large. And looming large in the
background is her inability to forgive her mother, the President,
for sticking by her vow never to negotiate with terrorists,
even when her own daughter’s life was at stake. (4th in the
series) |
|
 A
Visit to William Blake’s Inn:
Poems
for Innocent and Experienced Travelers
by Nancy Willard
Newbery Medal 1982
Ages 10–up
In this fanciful book of poems, William
Blake runs an inn populated with guests and staff from his famous
poems. Imaginative illustrations by Martin Provensen complement
the catchy poems. |
|
 The
Chosen One
by Carol Lynch Williams
Ages 12–up
Kyra (13), her father, three
mothers, and 20 siblings live in an isolated community
run by a prophet who controls every aspect of the lives
of the members of the polygamous cult. A secret patron
of the mobile library, Kyra knows there is another world
outside her community. When the prophet decrees that
she shall become the seventh wife of her elderly uncle,
Kyra hopes that her father will be able to change the
prophet’s mind. Instead, her family is punished for disobedience
and Kyra has to decide if she is brave enough to run
away from the only community she has ever known. Kyra’s
internal struggles make this a powerful and gripping
novel. |
|
 Glimpse
by Carol Lynch Williams
Ages 12–up
Hope (12) is horrified when her sister
Lizzie (14) tries to shoot herself. Lizzie becomes an elective
mute and is institutionalized and Hope desperately tries to
understand what has happened. Ever since their father died,
Hope and Lizzie relied on each other. Their mother is a reluctant
parent at best, turning tricks to support the family and her
dependence on alcohol. Narrated in blank verse from Hope’s
perspective, flashbacks fill in the girls’ past. The appalling
truth is finally revealed when Hope reads Lizzie’s diary in
this lyrical yet heartbreaking novel. |
|
 Jumped
by Rita Williams-Garcia
Ages 12–up
Three girls from an urban high school
narrate this fast-paced novel. Benched by the basketball coach
for low grades, Dominique is infuriated by pretty and artistic
Trina. Leticia overhears Dominique plotting to get Trina after
school but is uncertain if she should get involved. This intimate
look from three perspectives highlights the importance of choices,
even those that seem insignificant at the time. |
|
 Make
Lemonade
by Virginia Euwer Wolff
Ages 12–up
This novel in blank verse tells the
story of LaVaughn, a bright and compassionate inner-city 14-year-old,
who takes a babysitting job for Jolly, an abused 17-year-old
single mother. LaVaughn is saving her money for college and
tries to convince Jolly to go back to school in order to learn
the skills to make a better life for herself and her children.
This very original and poignant novel is full of hope and the
belief that love and education can change your life for the
better. |
|
 True
Believer
by Virginia Euwer Wolff
Ages 14–up
Now 15, LaVaughn and her friends struggle
with their desire to save their bodies for the right husband
when he finally comes along. Her friends choose a controlling
religious group, but LaVaughn tries to find her own way through
studying for college. Her decision to improve herself while
leaving her friends behind causes tension and trouble in this
gripping blank verse narration. (sequel to Make
Lemonade) |
|
 This
Full House
by Virginia Euwer Wolff
Ages 14–up
LaVaughn thinks things are
finally going her way. She has escaped the projects
and won a spot in a select program for underprivileged
girls planning on a career in medicine. But in her
senior year her friend gets pregnant and she discovers
another friend was abandoned in infancy. Trying to
come to terms with these issues threatens LaVaughn’s
hard-fought dream of college in this final episode
of Wolff’s blank verse trilogy. (Make
Lemonade, True
Believer) |
|
 Dear
Julia
by Amy Bronwen Zemser
Ages 12–up
Two very different high school misfits
become friends in this funny and touching book. Shy Elaine
Hamilton prepares gourmet French meals for her family and writes
secret letters to Julia Child, while Lucida Sans (who renamed
herself after the typeface) seeks attention in any form. |
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