Fiction
Absolutely,
Positively Not by David LaRochelle.
Chronicles a teenage boy’s humorous attempts to
fit in at his Minnesota high school by becoming a macho, girl-loving “Playboy” pinup-displaying
heterosexual.
Are
We There Yet? by David Levithan.
Tricked by their parents into taking a trip to Italy
together, two brothers, one in high school and the other recently
graduated from college, reflect on the directions of their own lives
and on the distance that has grown between them.
Bang! by
Sharon Flake.
Realistic portrayal of inner-city life—no matter
how jaded a reader might be this story will make them think. “Bang! And
little kids look funny in caskets. That’s ‘cause they
ain’t meant to be in one.”
The
Beast by Walter Dean Myers.
A visit to his Harlem neighborhood and the discovery
that the girl he loves is using drugs give 16-year-old Anthony Witherspoon
a new perspective on his home and on his life at a Connecticut prep
school.
Behind
You by Jacqueline Woodson.
After 15-year-old Jeremiah is mistakenly shot by police,
the people who love him struggle to cope with their loss as they
recall his life and death, unaware that 'Miah is watching over them.
The
Blue Mirror by Kathe Koja.
Maggy Klass, who frequently seeks refuge from her alcoholic
mother’s apartment by sitting and drawing in a local café, becomes
involved in a destructive relationship with a charismatic homeless youth
named Cole.
Can’t
Get There From Here by Todd Strasser.
Tired of being hungry, cold and dirty from living on
the streets of New York City with a tribe of other homeless teenagers
who are dying, one by one, a girl named Maybe ponders her future and
longs for someone to care about her.
Contents
Under Pressure by Lara Zeises.
Lucy, a 14-year-old high school freshman, experiences
the happiness and confusion of dating a popular older boy, changing
relationships with life-long friends and sharing a bedroom with her
older brother’s pregnant girlfriend.
Crunch
Time by Mariah Fredericks.
Four students who have formed a study group to prepare
for the SAT exam sustain each other through the emotional highs and
lows of their junior year in high school.
Cuba
15: A Novel by Nancy Osa.
Violet Paz, a Chicago high school student, reluctantly
prepares for her upcoming “quince,” a Spanish nickname
for the celebration of a Hispanic girl’s 15th birthday.
Dark
Sons by Nikki Grimes.
Using two voices in this book, Nikki Grimes compares
Ishmael son of Abraham to a teenager, Sam from New York. Both
are struggling with accepting another sibling and wife into their
fathers’ worlds.
Eldest by
Christopher Paolini.
After successfully evading an Urgals ambush, Eragon
is adopted into the Ingeitum clan and sent to finish his training
so he can further help the Varden in their struggle against the Empire.
Elsewhere by
Gabrielle Zevin.
When 15-year-old Liz Hall is killed in a car accident
she enters into her afterlife, a place called Elsewhere. Liz
struggles with many issues including accepting her own death, learning
the rules of Elsewhere and missing her family and friends.
The
First Part Last by Angela Johnson.
Bobby’s carefree teenage life changes forever
when he becomes a father and must care for his adored baby daughter.
I
Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak.
Underage cabdriver and pathetic card-player Ed Kennedy
lives in a shack with his coffee-addicted dog, the Doorman. His life
is peaceful until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. Then the
first ace arrives, and Ed becomes the messenger.
Inexcusable by
Chris Lynch.
High school senior and football player Keir sets out
to enjoy himself on graduation night, but when he attempts to comfort
a friend whose date has left her stranded, things go terribly wrong.
Invisible by
Pete Hautman.
Doug and Andy are unlikely best friends—one
a loner obsessed by his model trains, the other a popular student
involved in football and theater—who grew up together and share
a bond that nothing can sever.
The
King of Slippery Falls by Sid Hite.
While on a single-minded quest to catch
an elusive giant trout, 16-year-old Lewis Hinton’s
life in a small Idaho town is turned upside-down
when he learns that he is adopted and might
be a descendant of French royalty.
Light
Years by Tammar Stein.
Maya Laor leaves her home in Israel to study astronomy
at the University of Virginia after the tragic death of her boyfriend
in a suicide bombing.
Luna: A
Novel by Julie Anne Peters.
Fifteen-year-old Regan’s life is turned upside
down when her older brother Liam decides to tell his family and friends
that he is a girl born in a boy’s body and decides to begin
the process of “transitioning.”
Magic
or Madness by Justine Larbalestier.
The moment Reason Cansino walks through her grandmother’s
Australian back door and finds herself on a New York City street,
she’s confronted by an unavoidable truth—magic is real.
Prom by
Laurie Halse Anderson.
Eighteen-year-old Ash wants nothing to do with senior
prom, but when disaster strikes and her desperate friend, Nat, needs
her help to get it back on track, Ash’s involvement transforms
her life.
Ptolemy’s
Gate by Jonathan Stroud.
Dangerous adventures continue for the djinni Bartimaeus
and his master, 17-year-old Nathaniel, a powerful magician who is
serving as England’s minister of information.
Sammy & Juliana
in Hollywood by Benjamine Alire Saenz.
It’s 1969 and Sammy Santos and Juliana Rios live
in the harsh barrio of Hollywood, New Mexico. Facing a world
of racism, war in Vietnam, poverty and barrio violence they must get
through their senior year fight for the chance to go to college.
Sweetblood by
Pete Hautman.
After a lifetime of being a model student, 16-year-old
Lucy Szabo is suddenly in trouble at school, at home, with the “proto-vampires” she
has met online and in person, and most of all with her uncontrolled
diabetes.
Sweetgrass
Basket by Marlene Carvell.
It is 1879 and two Mohawk sisters are
sent to be educated in an American school for
Indians. The
sisters struggle with being accepted and doing
well so their father would be proud of them.
The
Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen.
The summer following her father’s death, Macy
plans to work at the library and wait for her brainy boyfriend to
return from camp, but instead she goes to work at a catering business
where she makes new friends and finally faces her grief.
Twilight by
Stephanie Meyer.
Bella and Edward are teens in love. They have all
the usual problems that teen couples have. Plus a few special problems
that only arise when your boyfriend is a vampire and you are human.
Who
Am I Without Him?: Short Stories About Girls and
the Boys in Their Lives by Sharon Flake.
This collection of short stories expresses the emotions
of teen girls who are trying to maintain their relationships with
boys while developing their own sense of identity.
Graphic
Novels
America’s
Best Comics by Alan Moore.
This collection includes tales featuring a mythical
warrior woman, a patriotic superhero and his teenage sidekick,
an impulsive boy inventor, a crime-fighting detective, a vigilante
heiress, and many others.
Blankets by
Craig Thompson.
Wrapped in the landscape of a blustery Wisconsin winter,
this book explores the sibling rivalry of two brothers growing up
in the isolated country, and the budding romance of two coming-of-age
lovers.
Daisy
Kutter: The Last Train by Kazu Kibuishi.
Daisy Kutter is a train-robbing bandit, or at least
she used to be. Daisy and her partner Tom have gone straight. She
is the resident of a small town and the owner of a general store. And
Daisy is bored, until she receives an offer she cannot refuse: knocking
off one last train.
Spiral-Bound by
Aaron Renier. 2005
School’s out and Turnip the elephant and his friends
must solve the mystery of the town’s pond monster.
Non-Fiction
The
Big Night Out by Jeanne Beker.
Be an original! Create your own sense of style
for your special night out on the town. This book offers tips
on budgeting, shopping, grooming and accessorizing for the big event.
Mangaquest: Join
the Adventure and Learn How to Draw It by Ben Gibson.
Combining an original manga comic narrative with simple
how-to-draw instructions, this book teaches readers everything they
need to know to create their own manga adventure.
Open
the Unusual Door: True Life Stories of Challenge,
Adventure, and Success by Black Americans by Barbara
Summers.
Sometimes life offers us chances to change
our direction. These opportunities can be obvious,
but many times they come as a surprise and, if we’re
not paying close attention, we can miss the door
leading to change.
John
Lennon: All I Want is the Truth: A Photographic
Biography by Elizabeth Partridge.
Striking black-and-white photographs complement this
chronicle of the life and musical career of John Lennon.
Andy
Warhol: Prince of Pop by Jan Greenberg and
Sandra Jordan.
This book tells the story of Andy Warhol's life, from
his Pittsburgh childhood to his years in New York City. It also examines
how Warhol made his art and what a deep impression he made on American
art and culture. |
