Books recommended by staff.

After a devastating tsunami destroys all that they have ever known, Mau, an island boy, and Daphne, an aristocratic English girl, together with a small band of refugees, set about rebuilding their community and all the things that are important in their lives.(Novelist)

Your Own Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath by Stephanie Hemphill ©2007 - " The author interprets the people, events, influences and art that made up the brief life of Sylvia Plath" (Novelist).

The wandering warrior Balsa is hired to protect Prince Chagum from both a mysterious monster and the prince's father, the Mikado.

The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle ©2007- "Based on the author's short story titled "The Foaling Season," the tale of rancher's daughter Alice Winston finds her helping to support the family business by boarding the horses of rich neighbors and leaving behind the innocence of her youth" (Novelist).

A Long Way Home: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishamael Beah ©2007- "This gripping story by a children's-rights advocate recounts his experiences as a boy growing up in Sierra Leone in the 1990s, during one of the most brutal and violent civil wars in recent history" (Novelist 2007).

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz ©2007- "Izzy Spellman launches her career as a private investigator while working for the firm of her outlandishly dysfunctional family" (Novelist 2007).

November Blues by Sharon Draper ©2007- "A teenaged boy's death in a hazing accident has lasting effects on his pregnant girlfriend and his guilt-ridden cousin, who gives up a promising music career to play football during his senior year in high school" (November 2007).

Fifteen-year-old Baby's last chance at foster care is with the Potters, and while she likes them and enjoys learning to race their sled dogs, she feels she should go back on the streets with her boyfriend if she cannot find the mother who has deserted her again.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie - "Budding cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school where the only other Indian is the school mascot" (Novelist 2007).

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah - "This gripping story by a children's-rights advocate recounts his experiences as a boy growing up in Sierra Leone in the 1990s, during one of the most brutal and violent civil wars in recent history" (Novelist 2007).

Before I Die by Jenny Downham - "A terminally ill teenaged girl makes and carries out a list of things to do before she dies (Novelist 2007)

Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath by Stephanie Hemphill

Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

The Arrival by Shaun Tan - "In this wordless graphic novel, a man leaves his homeland and sets off for a new country, where he must build a new life for himself and his family"
(Novelist 2007). Not an option for Summer Reading, it has no text, but certainly a worthy book.

The Savage by David Almond- Blue Baker is writing a story about a wild savage living in the woods…at least he thinks it’s a story. When realities shift, the reader must discern what really happened.

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson - Slaves Isabel and younger sister Ruthie are sold to harsh Loyalists at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Isabel must decide to be loyal or spy for the American patriots.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation: Vol. II: by M. T, Anderson - The Kingdom on the WavesHaving escaped from his captors, Octavian joins the Royal Ethiopian Regiment of the British Army in 1775 Boston when they promise freedom to any slave who fights the rebel forces.

The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti - Told through flashbacks, this is a fictionalized biography of German teenager Helmuth Hubener, who was imprisoned and executed in 1942 for openly resisting the Nazis.

The Last Knight by Hilari Bell - An anachronistic knight errant takes a criminal as squire, mistakenly frees a woman charged with murdering her husband (brother to his father's liege), and becomes captive in her keep.

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway - Audrey's ex-boyfriend records a hit song about their breakup, and suddenly all eyes (and cameras) are on Audrey. Fans, Facebook, and tabloids - it's all too much for Audrey.

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell- When Evie’s father returns from the war, she expects life to return to normal but a mysterious trip to Florida, secrets, deceptions, and a first forbidden love complicates things.

Kendra by Coe Booth - Kendra is thrilled her mom, Renee, has completed her Ph.D. program—now they can finally be a real family. But is Renee excited for their future together, too?

Shift by Jennifer Bradbury - Chris and Win take a bicycle trip across America after graduation, but only one returns and that person is pressured to reveal what happened.

Debbie Harry Sings in French by Meagan Brothers - After Johnny’s dad dies in a car accident and an unintentional drug overdose lands him in the hospital, he moves in with an uncle, gets a girlfriend, and starts to explore his interest in cross-dressing.

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth Bunce - When young Charlotte Miller takes over the family's woolen mill after her father's death, she is faced with unexpected debts, catastrophes, and a hidden curse that threatens her family's future.

The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti - At 18, Indigo wants no more out of life than to be a waitress and give people food, until a customer gives her $2,500,000. Can she stand the changes?

Graceling by Kristin Cashore - Katsa was born with ability to kill men with her bare hands but can she find moral courage to stand up to evil rulers and fight for what is right?

Airman - by Eoin Colfer   Conor Broekhart spends his days dreaming of flying hot air balloons and inventing flying machines until murder and court intrigue sends him to prison and labor in the diamond mines.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Katniss has been providing for her family since her father died, but is she strong enough to win the Hunger Games, a deadly competition that can have only one winner?

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Conner- Left to live in an old trailer under the overhead train track with Mommers, Addie is the child that has to learn to take care of herself. She almost succeeds.

Mexican WhiteBoy by Matt de la Pena - Half white, half Mexican and 100% confused, Danny struggles with baseball, his absent father and first love while spending the summer with his familia in San Diego.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow - There's been another major terrorist attack and the Department of Homeland Security has clamped down big time. It's up to Marcus, computer geek, to save everyone from this police state.

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd- When Fergus and his uncle find the body of a girl buried in the peat bog near their home, all sorts of troubles comes to light.

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd - When their cousin Salim disappears into thin air during a ride on the London Eye ferris wheel, Ted and his sister Kat try to solve.

The Entertainer and the Dybbuk by Sid Fleischman - The Great Freddie, a second-rate ventriloquist, is inhabited by the spirit of a 12-year-old Jewish boy killed in the Holocaust.

Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher - Ruby wants to support her family, but when her taxi dancing causes problems she could not have anticipated, it will take all of her strength to come out on top.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - This often chilling story describes the life of a boy growing up in a graveyard as he is looked after by ghosts and a mysterious guardian.

The Red Necklace: A Story of the French Revolution by Sally Gardner - During the French Revolution, Yann a 14-year-old magician's assistant, witnesses the death of his employer and the evil that ensues.

Fancy White Trash by Marjetta Geerling - Abby Savage is determined not to be like her mother and sisters-each became pregnant as teens-but her only confidant is Cody who has his own sexual issues.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George - A woodcutter's daughter agrees to live with a great white bear after he promises her i

Looks by Madeline George - Meghan, the invisible fat girl, and Aimee, overlooked and anorexic, form an uneasy alliance to get revenge on a mutual enemy.

Paper Towns by John Green - Quentin idolizes next door neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman. When she includes him in a wild night of revenge and then disappears, Q must follow the clues to find her.

The Last Exit to Normal by Michael Harmon - To get him on the right track, Ben Campbell's dad and stepdad accompany him to Montana, where he encounters small town life, homophobia, an abused boy, and a special girl.

Suckerpunch by David Hernandez- The guilt that Marcus feels because he couldn't keep his father from beating his brother Enrique compels him to go along when Enrique seeks answers - and maybe revenge.

Dark Dude by Oscar Hijuelos - Tired of taking abuse for being a light-skinned Cuban in his drug-infested Harlem neighborhood, Rico follows a friend to rural Wisconsin, where he struggles with his Latino identity.

Night Road by A.M. Jenkins - Eighteen-year-old Gordon, a heme or blood feeder, must learn the rules of his new life while on a road trip with Cole and Sandor.

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson - The keys to a hotel suite and the responsibility to care for the room and its occupant—the wealthy and eccentric Amy Amberson—turn Scarlett's summer into a major challenge.

Another Kind of Cowboy by Susan Juby - When horse-crazy Alex finally gets a chance to switch from western pleasure to dressage, he feels more in tune with both his riding and his overall identity.

Playing With Matches by Brian Katcher- Leon Sanders is a loser until an extremely disfigured girl makes him feel special. Should he stay with her or be lured away by the girl of his dreams?

Amulet: Book 1: The Stone Keeper by Kazu Kibuishi- Emily and her brother Navin descend into a dark and dangerous world below their great grandfather's mansion hoping to save their mother, who's been kidnapped by a large creature with tentacles.

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan - Liga has suffered unspeakable assaults and creates a magic, safe haven for herself and her two daughters, but the real world intrudes and they cope with beauty mixed with brutality.

Guardian by Julius Lester - Ansel’s world set in the 1946 deep South disintegrates from the hatred and injustice consuming his family and community following a brutal murder and an innocent man being lynched.

Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link - From straight fantasy to magic realism to horror, this collection includes tales of magic libraries, wizards,and dead girls getting tattoos.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart - Frankie Landau-Banks has a chip on her shoulder and is determined to bring down the all-male Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds of Alabaster Preparatory Academy.

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - Taylor Markham was abandoned by her mother when she was eleven and is finally ready to discover the reason why.

Cybele's Secret  by Juliet Marillier - Paula travels with her merchant father to Istanbul and discovers a world filled with eunuchs, pirates, dervishes, and an entrance into the Other Kingdom.

The Missing Girl by Norma Fox Mazer - The five Herbert sisters find their innocent lives exploding in emotional turmoil when one of the sisters is abducted and held captive by a truly creepy child predator.

When I Crossed No-Bob by Margaret McMullan - Twelve-year-old Addy McDonnell struggles to come to terms with her family's unpleasant legacy and the events happening around her in post-Civil War Mississippi.

Bonechiller by Graham McNamee - An ancient demon, intent on satisfying its hunger for human flesh, stalks Danny and his three friends in the brutal cold of backwoods Canada.

Madapple by Christina Meldrum - After growing up in almost total isolation believing she is was immaculately conceived, 15-year-old Aslaug's world begins to crumble when her mother dies.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer - Set in a believable futuristic time when Earth and other worlds have been taken over by the "souls”, this is a story of love, betrayal and compassion.

Baby by Joseph Monninger - Fifteen-year-old Baby leaves the middle-aged Potters, her last chance at foster care, to be with her old boyfriend while she figures out her own needs and wants.

The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy - Twelve year old Joan hates her new life in California until she meets the Queen of the Foxes and becomes one of the Wild Girls.

Hush: An Irish Princess' Tale by Donna Jo Napoli - Melkorka, a 10th century Irish princess, must adapt to a harsh new life after she is stolen from her home by Russian slavers.

The Knife of Never Letting Go. Chaos Walking. Book One by Parick Ness - Todd Hewitt is the last boy in a town of all men. In a town where everyone can hear each other’s thoughts what kind of secrets can be kept?

Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress by Maria Padian - Eighth-grader Brett McCarthy--once good student and best-friend-to-Diane, now suspended and friendless--faces school and family troubles as she grapples with her redefined life.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson - Jenna Fox wakes from a year-long coma. As her memory begins to return, she has more questions than answers about who she was, and who she is now.

Nation by Terry Pratchett - Mau is caught in the tidal wave that destroyed his island and Daphne is the only survivor from her ship. Together on the devastated island they form a new Nation.

Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve - A fresh look at the Arthur legend told through the eyes of a young girl who pretends to be a boy to survive.

How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt - Devastated by her parent's divorce Harper Evans spends the summer with 11 other students building a house for a family in Tennessee and finds herself healing while making new friends.

Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt - Henry’s father said Trouble would not find this family. But it did one horrific night, setting off tensions in Blythbury-by-the-Sea. Maybe it had it been there always, just waiting.

Black Box by Julie Schumacher - Fourteen-year-old Elena struggles to hold steady ground and help her sister Dora, who has been admitted to a psychiatric ward after swallowing an entire bottle of antidepressants.

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott - Abducted at the age of ten, Alice has lived as a live-in rape victim for Ray for 5 years until he informs her that she’s "too old" for his love.

Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott - Living by burglarizing expensive homes with her mother, Dani’s friendship with another girl stalls when it becomes clear she lives in the house they are planning to rob next.

Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth - In India during World War I, twelve-year-old Leela's husband dies, and she is forced to shave her head and keep corner, staying inside her family's house for a year.

Antsy Does Time by Neal Shusterman - One simple act – offering dying classmate Gunnar Umlaut a month of his life – takes hold with the entire student body and turns Anthony “Antsy” Bonano’s life upside down.

Ghost Medicine by Andrew Smith - The summer that cowboy Troy Stotts turns 17, he and his two best friends band together to fight the trouble that surrounds them by creating a medicine all their own.

Elephant Run by Roland Smith - Thirteen-year-old Nick is trapped on his father's teak plantation during the Japanese invasion of Burma during 1941 and must find a way to save his father as well as himself.

Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki - Friendship, love, identity, and a general feeling of isolation in an all-girls private school contribute to Kim Cameron (Skim)'s growing depression.

The Spectacular Now by Tima Tharp - Random House - Sutter Keely glides through his senior year’s final days soaked with heavy amounts of booze but his joy ride is detracted by love issues and an unclear future.

Me, the Missing, and the Dead by Jenny Valentine - Five years after his dad’s disappearance, Lucas senses that a dead woman is trying to communicate with him and he is driven to listen and respond.Venkatraman, Padma.

Climbing the Stairs - When Vidya’s father is seriously injured, her family moves from their progressive home to the household of her conservative relatives, where she must adjust to a new set of expectations.

The Brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees - Frankie Torres (or Towers depending which side his heritage is viewed) narrates his coming-of-age story of falling for a girl as his idolized brother runs with a group of cholos.

Impossible by Nancy Werlin - Lucy, 17, discovers the women of her family have been cursed with madness unless they complete three impossible tasks. All have failed. Will Zach's help and her resolve save her?

Into the Volcano by Don Wood - Duffy and Sumo set off on an adventure into the belly of an ancient volcano without knowing exactly what they’re looking for. Their discoveries shock and then nearly kill them.

After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson - The friendship of three girls from very different families fills the emptiness of uncertainty as they struggle with Tupac Shakur's troubles as well as their own.

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr - High school senior Jenna has successfully remade her life, but has to confront long-suppressed memories of a traumatic childhood when her only friend from childhood, Cameron, suddenly reappears.(ALA)

War Is...Soldiers, Survivors, and Storytellers Talk About War by Marc Aronson, and Patty Campbell - A balanced collection of contemporary and historical writings including interviews, stories, memoirs, and a miliblog addresses the experience of enlisting, serving, and surviving war from a variety of perspectives.

What It Is by Barry Lynda - Questions, images, story, comic illustrations and workbook pages guide and push readers to break down barriers, experiment and grow through writing or drawing.

It's Complicated: The American Teenager by Robin Bowman - This random collection of black and white photographs of teenagers from across the country includes short testimonials about their lives.

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margaita Engle - Caves and hidden huts serve as secret hospitals for Rosa as she risks her life nursing the sick and wounded during three wars for Cuba’s independence from 1850-1899.

The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West  by Sid Fleischman - Meet the young Samuel Clemens and the coast-to-coast experiences that molded America's most famed humorist and social commentator.

No Choirboy: Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row by Susan Kuklin - Inmates sentenced to death as teenagers give firsthand accounts of life on Death Row and relatives of both victims and prisoners share their experiences in this collection of interviews.

What the World Eats - by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio - This book examines the meals of 25 different families from all around the world using lush photographs and health statistics.

Ain't Nothing But a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry by Scott Reynolds Nelson - Historian Scott Reynolds Nelson chronicles his journeys, both on land and in historical records, to find the truth about the man behind the myth of "John Henry."

Before Their Time: The World of Child Labor by David Parker - Presented are portraits of the world’s children who labor under harsh and dangerous conditions in factories and on farms as miners, garbage pickers, sex workers and brick haulers.

Thoreau at Walden by John Porcellino - Simply but beautifully illustrated, this adaptation of "Walden" introduces new readers to Thoreau's work while providing a fresh perspective for those already familiar with the text.

I Am Scout: The Biography of Harper Lee by Charles J. Shields - Curious about Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird? Finally her story is told; her childhood, success, seclusion and rejection of fame.

Becoming Billie Holiday by Carole Boston Weatherford - Jazz vocalist Billie Holiday looks back on her early years in this fictional memoir written in verse.

Far From Home: Latino Baseball Players in America by Tim Wendel and Jose Luis Villegas - The rich history of Latino baseball players is presented along with a feel of growing up in Latino communities passionate for the game.

Connolly, John. The Book of Lost Things

Doig, Ivan. The Whistling Season

D'Orso, Michael. Eagle Blue: A team, and a high school basketball season in Arctic Alaska .

Gruen, Sara. Water for Elephants Joern, Pamela Carter. Floor of the Sky.

Hamamura, John. Color of the Sea

Lewis, Michael. The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game.

Mitchell, David. Black Swan Green.

Setterfield, Diane. The Thirteenth Tale.  

Bates, Judy Fong. Midnight at the Dragon Café
Buckhanon, Kalisha. Upstate
Gaiman, Neil. Anansi Boys
Galloway, Gregory. As Simple As Snow
Ishiguro, Kazuo. Never Let Me Go
Martinez , A. Lee. Gil's All Fright Diner
Palwick, Susan. The Necessary Beggar
Rawles, Nancy. My Jim
Scheeres, Julia. Jesus Land: A Memoir
Walls, Jeannette. The Glass   Castle : A Memoir 

Almond, Steve. Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America

Cox, Lynn. Swimming to Antarctica : Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer
Halpin, Brendan. Donorboy
Patchett, Ann. Truth & Beauty: A Friendship
Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper
Reed, Kit. Thinner Than Thou
Shepard, Jim. Project X
Sullivan, Robert. Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants

Airborn, by Kenneth Oppel
Chanda's Secrets, by Allan Stratton
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy , by Gary D. Schmidt    

Anderson, M.T. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1: The Pox Party

Gratz, Alan. Samurai Shortstop
Hartnett, Sonya. Surrender
McCormick, Patricia. Sold
Sayres, Meghan Nuttall. Anahita's Woven Riddle
Smelcer, John. The Trap
Turner, Megan Whalen. The King of Attolia
Werlin, Nancy. The Rules of Survival
Yang, Gene Luen. American Born Chinese
Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief

Akbar, Said Hyder and Burton, Susan. Come Back to Afghanistan : A California Teenager's Story
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow
Buckhanon, Kalisha. Upstate
Green, John. Looking for Alaska
Lynch, Chris. Inexcusable
Meyer, Stephanie. Twilight: A Novel
Vaughan, Brian K. Runaways: Volume 1
Westerfeld, Scott. Peeps
Wooding, Chris. Poison
Zusak, Markus. I Am the Messenger

Peaceful
Oppel, Kenneth. Airborn
Rapp, Adam. Under the Wolf, Under the Sea
Saenz, Benjamin Alire. Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood
Weeks, Sarah. So B. It: a novel