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Summer Reading Program 2008

/The romance, the drama & the angst.

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2008 Printz Award Book


The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean © 2005

Ruth Sillers flawlessly narrates the lion's share of the story of an unusual teenaged girl, Sym, who unwittingly embarks on a wild expedition to the Antarctic with her lunatic Uncle Victor. "  (AudioFile)

2008 Printz Honor Award

Repossessed by A. M. Jenkins ©2007 - "Arebellious demon (who prefers the term ...fallen angel) named Kiriel takes over the body of 17-year-old Shaun Simpson moments before the teen steps in front of a speeding cement mixer in Jenkins's ( Beating Heart ) latest. Eager to experience life as a human being, and feeling long overdue for a vacation from his duties of subjecting souls to eternal torment Kiriel quickly gets underway living Shaun's life" (Publishers Weekly).

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The List (Titles in blue are new to the list - Titles in green are books by Brazilian authors.)

Books recommended by students. Books recommended by staff.



Alencar, Jose de
Senhora: Profile of a Woman
Strong-willed, independent heroine Aurelia uses newly inherited wealth to "buy back" and exact revenge on the fiance who had left her for a woman with a more enticing dowry.

Allende, Isabel
Eva Luna
Against a background of South American history and revolution, this love story protrays the relationship between a headstrong orphan and a German adventurer.

Amado, Jorge
Dona Flor and her Two Husbands
Dona Flor discovers how to have both her roguish, impetus husband, who dies in the pandemonium of a carnival, and her kind, considerate pharmacist-husband.

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson, 2007 - "As tension mounts, Tyler reaches a crisis point revealed through one of the most poignant and gripping scenes in young-adult literature. Taking matters into his own hands, Tyler decides that he must make a choice about what kind of man he wants to be, with or without his father's guidance" (Kirkus).

Head Case by Sarah Aronson, 2007 "Although not as compelling as Terry Trueman's Stuck in Neutral (2000), Aronson's raw first novel delves into the emotions, mobility, daily functions (e.g., eating, talking on a phone and using a computer) and even the pleasures and sex of quadriplegics. Above all, it asks us to consider how we value individuals with disabilities" (Kirkus).

Austen, Jane
Emma
Classic novel about a self-assured young lady whose behavior is dictated by romantic fancy.

Baldwin, James
If Beale Street Could Talk
A young African American couple strugges to live with dignity in a society riddled with hatred.

Bell, William
Forbidden City
A seventeen-year-old boy accompanies his reporter father to China during a student uprising.

Bennett, Cherie
Searching for David’s Heart
Darcy adores her older brother David and is devastated when he is hit by a car and dies. Because Darcy feels responsible for his death, she decides she can only live with herself once she finds the owner of David's heart.

Almost Home by Jessica Blank 2007 - "The author's note offers resources for both at-risk and street teens. Examining the ties that bring people together and force them apart, this is a harsh and honest view of homeless teen life in the city of angels" (Kirkus).

Bradley, Alex

24 Girls in 7 Days - "When the love of his life rejects his invitation to the senior prom, Jack Grammar's so-called best friends pose as Jack and run a personal ad in the online school newspaper soliciting a date" (School Library Journal).

Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande, 2007 - " The most impressive thing about this novel is the fairness and empathy with which Brande presents Mena's heartfelt struggle to reconcile her belief in both God and in science. She addresses a difficult subject with grace, humor, and humility" (School Library Journal).

Bronte, Charlotte
Jane Eyre
Intense, introspective novel of the mid 19th century about a woman who becomes a governess and falls in love with the master of the house.

Bronte, Emily
Wuthering Heights
When Mr. Lockwood has an encounter with the spirit of Catherine Linton at the home of the unsociable Heathcliff, he hears the story of the tempestuous love affair between Catherine and Heathcliff.

Brooks, Kevin

Candy - "Brooks' fourth novel, another provocative, suspenseful work that thrusts an average teen into an intense situation, invites inevitable comparisons with the film Traffic . When Candy, a girl "with the kind of smile that rips a hole in your heart," speaks to suburban teenager Joe outside a London train station, he falls hard but senses something amiss" (Booklist).

Brooks, Kevin

Kissing the Rain - " Michael "Moo" Nelson is an uncouth, overweight, working-class 15-year-old who escapes the daily harassment--the "rain" as he calls it--he faces at school by riding his bike to a bridge, climbing to a familiar vantage point, and losing himself in the Zen of watching the endless flow of traffic. His life is changed when he witnesses a murder from the bridge" (School Library Journal).

Conception by Kalisha Buckhanon, 2008 - "A sensitive portrayal of young lovers that moves beyond gritty urban fiction. The novel's inspiring story has a message of hope that's sure to connect with readers" (Essence Magazine)."Recommend this moving novel to readers who enjoyed Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye or Sapphire's Push ; for all African American fiction collections and most general fiction collections" (Library Journal).

Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos ©2006 - "As Budhos's ( House of Waiting , for adults) provocative novel opens, 14-year-old narrator Nadira Hossain and her family are heading north to Canada, seeking asylum from the harassment that has become routine in the U.S. in the wake of 9/11" (Publishers Weekly).

Burton, Rebecca

Leaving Jetty Road - "As they prepare for the next steps in their lives, the girls become so wrapped up in themselves that they fail to see how their friends are growing, changing, and--especially in Lise's case--hurting" (Booklist).

Carey, Lisa
Love in the Asylum
Alba Elliott speaks in riddles that have an odd and depressing logic about them and is resigned to enduring her mental illness in an institution until she falls in with a fellow patient.

Coelho, Paulo
By the River I Sat Down and Wept
Tells the story of Pilar, a frustrated scholar looking for some greater meaning in the endless cycle of her days. When a childhood friend contacts her, she is surprised to learn that her former playmate is now a charismatic spiritual leader, someone revered as a miracle worker. She is even more astonished when he reveals that Pilar has always been his great love.

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor c2008 - Starred Review - "A story centered around loss, heartbreak, abandonment, and new beginnings. "Connor takes a familiar plot and elevates it with smartly written characters and unexpected moments. Addie starts out being a kid who thinks she has to go along to get along, but as Mommers' actions become more egregious, her spine stiffens. And thoughàAddie loves her time upstate, she is willing to forgoàit when the normality she has there is more painful than positive.àThis is aàmeaningful story that will touch many" (Booklist).

Corrigan, Eireann

Splintering   - Told in verse, "it's about what happens after a stranger breaks into a house and attacks a family. It's about the sisters who must barricade themselves behind a splintering door while tethered on the phone to 911" (Amazon).

Coy, John

Crackback -"When Miles Manning, a successful high school football player, discovers his teammates are using steroids--and one of them is his best friend--he's faced with a tough decision: Is he willing to do what it takes to win? Football is his life, and his family, especially his dad, is pinning its hopes on him" (Amazon).

Crutchr, Chris

The Sledding Hill - "This clever, spirited post-modern meta-narrative is a quick read that is bound to be controversial. It has no profanity, sexual acts, drug or alcohol use, or bloody violence but takes dead aim at censors who can't get past counting swear words or the notion of a gay character who is still alive at the end of a book" (School Library Journal).

Dessen, Sarah

Just Listen - " Annabel Greene seemingly had everything: cool friends, close family, good grades, and a part-time modeling career in town. But it all came crashing down, and Annabel has spent the summer in shaky, self-imposed exile" (School Library Journal).

Dessen, Sarah

The Truth About Forever - "With her sixth novel, award-winning author Sarah Dessen offers up another generous helping of finely crafted storytelling about real teens dealing with real life. In The Truth About Forever , when asked how she is coping with her father's death, invariably seventeen year old Macy Queen's answer is "fine," when nothing could be further from the truth" (School Library Journal).

Before I Die by Jenny Downham c2007 - Starred Review - "The eloquent dying teen can seem a staple of the YA novel, but this British debut completely breaks the mold. Downham's writing is shockingly straightforward, and she cushions nothing for readers. In laying out so bald a story she evokes an extraordinary range of emotions, exorcised in a fiercely cathartic ending" (Publishers Weekly).

Du Maurier, Daphne
Rebecca
Rebecca's insidious seems to extend from beyond the grave. Is she really dead?

Someone Like You
When Halley’s friend Scarlett discovers she is pregnant two months after her boyfriend Michael is killed in a motorcycle accident, the two girls turn to each other instead of their families for support.

Aftershock by Kelly Easton, 2006 - "Although it seems unrealistic that an accident victims memories would be as clear as Adams are, the contemporary road adventure is told with terse drama, and occasional rough language that fits the raw emotion of the story. During his travels, Adam thinks of Gary Paulsens Hatchet (1987), and readers will want to pair that story with this one, as well as with other books about the journey home" (Booklist).

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles ©2007 - Caleb and Maggie exhibit enough pain and anger to wreak havoc on their families and community, named, ironically, Paradise. Both missed their junior year of high school; Maggie, recovering from a car accident, and Caleb, jailed for hitting her while driving drunk" (School Library Journal).

Esquivel, Laura
Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments, with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies
At the beginning of the 20th century, Tita, the youngest of three daughters, is expected to serve her mother for the rest of her life, but in order to show her love to Pedro, who is engaged to her sister, Tita cooks for him.

Diva: A novel. by Alex Finn ©2006 - "Caitlin, who was abused by her 16-year-old boyfriend, Nick, in Flinn???s Breathing Underwater (HarperCollins, 2001), wants to put that relationship behind her. A talented opera singer, she gets into Miami High School for the Performing Arts despite her own nervousness and her mother???s objections" (School Library Journal).

Touching Snow by M. Sindy Felin, 2007 - "Felin draws readers into the chaotic, often violent world of a Haitian-American girl's coming-of-age in upstate New York during the 1980s. Karina, the 14-year-old narrator, expresses her feelings of isolation at school, where she is often taunted, and explains why her situation is even less bearable at home" (Publishers Weekly).

Flaubert, Gustave
Madame Bovary
Landmark 19th cenury novel in which a woman defies the standards of conventional French society and establishes relationships that jolt the world around her.

Friedman, Aimee

Breaking Up - a graphic novel, "Chloe Sacks, is a self-described "aspiring artist, chronic daydreamer, borderline neurotic," and tells the story of her junior year at Georgia O'Keeffe School for the Arts in flashbacks. The volume strikes a sure balance between realistic issues and teenage sarcasm" (Publishers Weekly).

Freymann-Weyr, Garret
Peter
As she tries to understand the closeness between her older brother and his best friend, fourteen-year-old Ellen finds her relationship with each of them changing.

Keesha's House by Helen Frost – Michael Printz Honor Award – “Frost has taken the poem-story to a new level with well-crafted sestinas and sonnets; leading readers into the souls and psyches of her teen protagonists. The house in the title isn't really Keesha's; it belongs to Joe. His aunt took him in when he was 12, and now that he's an adult and the owner of the place, he is helping out kids in the same situation” (School Library Journal).

Garden, Nancy
Annie on my Mind
Liza and Annie meet at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art, fall in love, and then find that a public declaration is too threatening to their friends and relatives.

Gideon, Melanie

Pucker - "With his face hideously scarred by a childhood fire, 17-year-old Thomas Quicksilver has been cruelly nicknamed "Pucker" by his classmates. But Tom knows that his scars are not the only things that make him an outsider" (Booklist).

Guterson, David
Snow Falling on Cedars
Passions and prejudices surface when a Japanese man stands trial for a fisherman's murder in Washington state in the 1950's.

Hail Caesar by Thu-Huong Ha, 2007 - "The first-time author holds nothing back and tells it like it is. She confronts issues like drinking, sex, betrayal, friendship, and love, causing readers to think about themselves and the type of person they want to become" (School Library Journal).

Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern c2007 - "Debut author Halpern drew from her own teen experiences with depression, and Anna's voice, filled with spot-on musings, sarcasm, slang, and swearing, is uproariously funny and authentic, whether offering vivid accounts of "Lake Shit's . . . booger green and vomit brown" decor, bewildering therapy sessions, or the shock and pleasure of finding friends, romance, confidence, and belonging" (Booklist).

Blood Brothers by S. A. Harazin, 2007 - "This compelling story, told in diary entries that cover hours and days, never loses the pace as Clay races to discover what happened during Joey's last day. The anti-drug message is never didactic, and the story will grab readers from the first sentence" (Kirkus).

Splitscreen: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies by Brent Hartinger ©2007 - "In this sequel to Geography Club (2003) and Order of the Poison Oak (2005, both HarperCollins), told in flip-book format, Russel and Min answer a casting call for extras for an upcoming horror film. Russel's parents have just discovered that he is gay, and he is devastated by their reaction" (School Library Journal) .

Glass by Ellen Hopkins, 2007 - Ellen Hopkins has had phenomenal success with YA lit using poetic device to tell the story. "The poems are masterpieces of work, shape and pacing...A stunning protrayal of a teens loss of direction" (School Library Jounral). "Hopkins delivers a gritty, fast-paced read" (VOYA).

Devilish by Maureen Johnson ©2006 - From the author of 13 Little Blue Envelopes comes a, " Fast paced and very funny, this is the story of high-school senior Jane Jarvis, who gets in over her head--which isnt difficult because shes very short. Shes also very smart, and when her best friend, Allison, starts acting oddly, it doesnt take Jane long to figure out that theres some unholy connection between Ally and mysterious Lanalee, a new girl at their Catholic school" (Booklist).

Johnson, Maureen

13 Little Blue Envelopes - "This whirlwind adventure begins as Ginny, 17, reads a letter from her free-spirited, unpredictable Aunt Peg, who has recently passed away. She is given several destinations, four rules, and the instruction to open one envelope upon her arrival at each place" (School Library Journal).

Bone by Bone by Bone by Tony Johnston - Starred Review – “Small-town Tennessee in the 1950s comes vividly to life in this story of a risky friendship. David, nine, and Malcolm, eight, are both firecrackers, full of mischief and way too curious and independent to accept the rigid social norms that the adults around them take for granted. David's physician father, Franklin Church, lays down the law: Malcolm is black and thus inferior, and may never enter the Church home” (School Library Journal).

Another Kind of Cowboy by Susan Juby, 2007 - " Starred Review, "Utterly, abosolutely sidesplitting" (Kirkus)

Undercover by Beth Kephart, 2007 - "Through Elisa's poems, letters and descriptions, Kephart perfectly plumbs the thoughts and feelings of an adolescent girl. Captivating" (Kirkus).

Your Eyes in Stars by M. E. Kerr, 2006 - "Kerr explores issues of anti-Semitism, classism and capital punishment through the eyes of ordinary people, and demonstrates that taking a stand on the small things can mean the difference between justice and apathy" (Publishers Weekly).

Alabama Moon by Watt Key - YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2008. - Starred Review - After the death of his father, ten-year-old Moon leaves their forest shelter home and is sent to an Alabama institution, becoming entangled in the outside world he has never known and making good friends, a relentless enemy, and finally a new life.

Kincaid, Jamaica
Annie John
Annie John grows from a precocious, fearless 10-year-old living in a Caribbean paradise into a young woman who realizes she must leave Antiqua to escape her mother's shadow.

Freaks by Annette Klause ©2006 - From the author of Blood & Chocolate comes "Abel, 17, is the normal son of a legless father and an armless mother. He lives with other oddities in a midget village where they put on shows. He is restless and wants his own life. His romantic experiences have been limited to kissing the hairy Dog-Faced Girl. He runs away and joins a traveling circus, unaware that Apollo, 12, the hairy Puppy Boy, has followed him and stowed away aboard the circus train" (School Library Journal).

Lessons From a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles, 2007 - "Spare and evocative prose weaves the story of Leah and Lainey's turbulent and abusive friendship" (Kirkus).

Strays by Ron Koertge, 2007 - "Readers will root for Ted as he learns how to feel comfortable both around other people and in his own skin. Using deft touches of humor and an element of the supernatural, Koertge (Boy Girl Boy) delivers a stirring account of a boy's rise above difficult circumstances" (Publishers Weekly).

Born to Rock by Gordon Korman ©2006 - " What makes the book irresistible is its well-crafted plot, full of fate-reversing twists and bountiful humor. This one enters the chart with a bullet: it has the goods to go platinum" (Publishers Weekly).

The Girls by Lori Lansens, - Starred Review - A fictional account of the lives of conjoined twins, "There is a great deal of subtlety in Lansens narrative, and how the twins reveal the details of their lives--often one will refer to something she is sure the other has already mentioned in her section. But her biggest achievement in the novel is bringing to life these two truly extraordinary characters to such a degree that readers may forget they are reading fiction" (Publishers Weekly).

Larochelle, David

Absolutely, Positevly Not - "In a touching, sometime hilarious coming-out story, Steven DeNarski, 16, tries to deny he is gay. He covers his Superman posters with pictures of women in skimpy bikinis and lacy lingerie, and he follows the aversion therapy prescribed in a parents' handbook for getting over his "deviant" desires and awakening his sluggish interest in girls" (Booklist).

Lavender, Bee

Lessons in Taxidermy - "Diagnosed with cancer at age twelve and perilously pregnant at eighteen, surviving surgeries and violent accidents: sometimes you can't believe Bee Lavender is still alive; sometimes you think nothing could kill her. Lessons in Taxidermy is Lavender's fierce and expressive search for truth and an elusive sense of safety" (Amazon).

Absolute Brightness by James Lecesne c2008 - The mystery of Leonard Pelkey. This is the story of a luminous force of nature: a boy who encounters evil and whose magic isn't truly felt until he disappears (from the back cover).

Levithan, David

Boy Meets Boy - "Paul, a high-school sophomore, is gay. Big deal! He's known he was gay since he was in kindergarten. Remarkably, everybody else knows it, too, and nobody cares. Clearly, the world Paul inhabits in this breakthrough book (the first upbeat gay novel for teens) differs from the real world: two boys walk through town holding hands; the cross-dressing quarterback, named Infinite Darlene, is not only captain of the football team but also homecoming queen; the school has a biker cheerleading team" (Booklist).

Girl, (Nearly) 16, Absolute Torture by Sue Limb ©2005 - Second in series, "In the on-going tradition of Louise Rennison and her heroine, Georgia Nicholson, comes the story of Jess, who is in the first throes of love with her boyfriend Fred. Then her mother has to go and ruin it all by planning a vacation--just Jess, Mum, and Gran, motoring down to Cornwall to visit Jess long-absent dad and throw Grandpas ashes in the sea" (Booklist).

Girl Going on Seventeen Pants on Fire by Sue Limb ©2006 - "Ever since Jess Jordan surprised readers by stuffing bags of minestrone soup down her bra to create the perfect filler in Girl, 15, Charming but Insane (Delacorte, 2004), the laughs haven???t stopped. This third book about the teen does not disappoint" (School Library Journal).

Lockhardt E.

The Boyfriend List - "Fifteen-year-old Ruby Oliver's life is full of challenges. She lives on a houseboat; attends private school--on scholarship; and her boyfriend has dumped her for her best friend. Nothing, however, is worse than having her "boyfriend list" (homework from her shrink) passed around school" (Booklist).

Lubar, David

Dunk - "Dunk grips readers from the very first sentence and doesn't let go until the last. The summer crowd hasn't quite arrived on the boardwalk in a Jersey shore town when Chad becomes entranced by the Bozo-the clown in the dunk tank-whose voice and comments are as irritating as nails on a chalkboard" (School Library Journal).

Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga ©2007 - "Lyga looks at how teens are pushed to their limits by society. Though he toys with such concepts as teen suicide and Columbine-like violence, the novel never turns tragic. His love of comics carries over into all three teen characters, breathing animation into a potentially sad but often funny story. This is a great bridge book for teens who already like graphic novels" (School Library Journal).

Mahy, Margaret
Memory
On the fifth anniversary of his older sister's death, nineteen-year-old Johnny Dart, troubled by feelings of guilt and an imperfect memory of an event, goes in search of the only other witness to the fatal accident and, through a chance meeting with a senile old woman, finds a way to free himself of the past.

Marchetta, Melina
Looking for Alibrandi
A love story of a seventeen-year-old Italian girl living in Australia.

Marino, Peter

Dough Boy - "Overweight fifteen-year-old Tristan, who lives with his divorced mother and her boyfriend, Frank, suddenly finds his life turned upside down when Frank's popular, troubled, nutrition-obsessed daughter, Kelly, moves in. As he faces increasing abuse about his weight at home and at school, the hurt of his former best friend pairing off with Kelly, and the anxiety of a crush, he manages to find peace in taking his own path" (Amazon).


Marshall, James Vance
Walkbout
Two Australian children, defenseless in the vast wilderness of the Outback, meet an aborigine youth in his walkabout and are forced to undergo a walkabout of their own.

The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean, 2005 - The 2008 Michael Printz Award Winner- "McCaughrean weaves a tale of obsession and personal growth against the backdrop of nature's unrelenting power. Fourteen-year-old Sym Wates is fascinated with the Antarctic and the men who explored it, even to the point of creating an internal confidante in the form of Captain Lawrence "Titus" Oates, who was part of the doomed Scott expedition 90 years earlier. So when her "Uncle" Victor whisks the painfully shy, hearing-impaired teen away on a surprise trip to the South Pole, it seems like a dream come true. But Victor has his own agenda, seeking the legendary Symmes's Hole, portal to the interior of a hollow Earth. The lengths to which the madman pursues this quest provide the book with a dramatic drive and powerful revelations" (School Library Journal).

Crushed by Laura & Tom McNeal, 2006 - "The Yellow Paper is a convincing plot device portraying the devastating effects of secrets and the resilience of people who have been crushed" (Kirkus).

Mishima, Yukio
Sound of Waves
A simple, beautiful love story of first love, set in a Japanese fishing village, about two young people and how their love was threatened by ugly gossip.

Moriarity, Laura
The Center of Everything
Ten-year-old Evelyn Buck, who lives with her not very responsible young mother, Tina on the outskirts of a small Kansas town, is a gifted but poor student who negotiates the pitfalls of her background to go to college.

Mlynowski, Sarah

Frogs and French Kisses - "This frothy sequel to Bras & Broomsticks (2005) is just as sweet and funny as its predecessor. Rachel is still jealous that her mom and little sister, Miri, are witches, while she remains annoyingly unable to levitate as much as a teacup" (Booklist).

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock ©2006 - "This humorous, romantic romp excels at revealing a situation seldom explored in YA novels, and it will quickly find its place alongside equally well-written stories set in rural areas, such as Weavers Full Service (2005), Richard Peck's The Teacher's Funeral (2004), and Kimberly Fusco's Tending to Grace (2004)" (Booklist).

Dangerously Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor ©2007 - Mistakes and quarrels, big and small, drive the plot in the twenty-second novel in the popular Alice series about coming-of-age now. In high school, Alice, 16, is preparing for the PSATs, but what really worries her is that some members of the mean, popular crowd have labeled her Miss Goody Two-Shoes. Are they right? (Booklist)

Nelson, Blake

Prom Anonymous - "Jace, and Chloe were best friends growing up, but once high school hit, they grew apart and found new (very different) friends. Now theyre juniors, and Laura has decided that nothing would be better than to go to the prom with her two oldest friends. A flurry of planning ensues. Freaky Chloe doesnt have a date or a dress, and isnt sure she wants either-after all, the only thing freakier than Chloe is Chloe in a dress with a blind date" (School Library Journal).

After the Wreck I Picked Myself up Spread my Wings and Flew Away by Joyce Carol Oates ©2006 - " Throughout this intense novel, the author offers keen insight into the cause and effect of a teen's self-destructive behavior. Readers distraught by Jenna's downward spiral after the wreck will find solace in the book's inspiring conclusion" (Publishers Weekly).

Ondaatje, Michael
The English Patient
A love story of two people in the middle of World War II.

Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa by Micol Ostow - ©2006 "Without heavy messages, Ostow draws on her own half-Jewish, half-Puerto Rican roots to tell a moving story that has a solid plotline and plenty of family secrets--past and present--as it opens up issues of tradition, feminism, friendship, and loyalty" (Booklist).

A Different Kind of Heat by Antonio Pagliarulo, 2006 - "While Pagliarulo seems to pack every minority social issue into a single novel, he cannot be faulted for his articulation of adolescents' rage at unfortunate circumstances and the destructiveness when that rage is misdirected at those in authority who try to help. It is the challenge of redirecting that rage into--a different kind of heat--one that solves problems rather than creates them--that Pagliarulo depicts so graphically. It's an important perspective that YA readers need to hear" (School Library Journal).

Patterson, James
Sam’s Letters to Jennifer
Jennifer, a newspaper columnist who is grieving the death of her husband, has more reason to mourn when her beloved grandmother, Sam, falls into a coma.

The Possibility of Fireflies by Dominique Paul, ©2006 - "While the seriousness of the situation is clear to readers, the protagonist convincingly manages to convey her determination to be happy and find support. A vulnerability pervades the narrative, never denying the fragility of the characters' circumstances" (School Library Journal).

Pena de la, Matt

Ball Don't Lie - "That white boy can ball...He don't play like no regular white boy. Sticky, 17, has spent his life being abused by pimps living with his prostitute mother, bouncing from one foster home to another, and living on the street between failed placements. But he's developed incredible hoop skills that have given him considerable social standing among his mostly black peers" (School Library Journal).

Plum-Ucci, Carol

What Happened to Lani Garver - "Prejudice, homophobia, friendship, tolerance, individuality, and the possibility that something spiritually bigger than all of us rules this universe are wonderfully woven into this powerfully told story. Outstanding writing, strong characterization, and riveting plot development make this title rise above many recent coming-of-age stories" (School Library Journal).

Qualey, Marsha

Just Like That  - "Eighteen-year-old Hanna believes that she may have been able to save two teens before they died on a subzero Minneapolis night. Consumed with guilt, she visits the tragedy's site, where she spots Will, a boy who harbors his own shame about the deaths" (Booklist).

A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt - Starred Review - "In a moving first novel, Reinhardt uses a sure but gentle hand to explore the relationship that develops between an adopted teen and her biological mother. Simone Turner-Bloom, 16, has always known she was adopted but has avoided asking questions about her past" (Publishers Weekly).

Red Glass by Laura Resau, 2007 - "The characters are so compelling and sympathetic that the reader really cares how they all fare. Emotionally charged and powerful" (Kirkus).
Suzanne’s Letters to Nicholas
Katie Wilkinson is a Manhattan book editor who's been inexplicably left by her lover and star author, a Martha's Vineyard poet named Matt.

Ritter, John

Under the Baseball Moon - "Andy Ramos, a free-style skateboarding trumpeter, has dreams as big as a baseball moon. Born into a family of musicians, Andy wants to take his unique fusion of Latin jazz, rock, and hip-hop straight to the top. But when he crosses paths with Glory Martinez, a softball pitcher who has Olympian dreams of her own, the mysterious fusion of their athletic and musical skills changes everything. Or is that due to the elegant, but eerie man in black" (Amazon)?

Rhys, Jean
Wide Sargasso Sea
Imaginatively constructs the girlhood and marriage of Antoinette Berta Cosway, the myserious madwoman in Jane Eyre.

Safe by Susan Shaw, 2007 - "In the literature of trauma, this book is a rare find. The violence and pity are offstage. The focus is on Tracy's feelings as she discovers her capacity to heal in the shadow of pain and loss. Her growth is realistic and hopeful. This is an excellent and ultimately reassuring book" (School Library Journal).

The Hoopster by Alan Sitomer, 2005 -  Book 1 of a sequel. "Andre Anderson spends his summer playing basketball with his pals and working at a magazine, where he is assigned to write an article dealing with race. As an African American, the teen is reluctant to take on this subject as his first assignment, but he comes to think about it more deeply and writes an explosive piece. In fact, the article stirs such passions that a group of racists assault him, smashing his hand and sending him to the hospital" (School Library Journal).

Hip-Hop High School by Alan Sitomer, 2006 - " Following The Hoopster (2005) in a planned trilogy, this says much about adolescence, schooling and society, wrapped up in a dramatic and inspiring tale. Though Theresa makes it out, there's sadness, too, for all of those who don't. A work for teens that adults would do well to read—along with Jonathan Kozol's recent study, The Shame of the Nation" (Kirkus).

Freak Show by James St. James c2007 – Starred Review – “Only St. James, an artist not unlike Billy, could compose such an accessible, deliciously outrageous, machine-gun barrage of bitchy, button-pushing drag queen humor packed with snarky innuendos and tongue-in-cheek one-liners. The results? A groundbreaking, eye-opening, romantic, bittersweet story of one boy's determination to seek acceptance for who he is and right the wrongs of his world, one dress at a time” (Kirkus Review).

Smith, Betty
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Like the Tree of Heaven that grows out of cement or through cellar gratings, resourceful Francie struggles against all odds to survive and thrive in her adolescence.

Sones, Sonya

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies - "Sones' latest free-verse novel follows Ruby through her first few months in her new home, a mansion where her every desire is granted--except what she longs for most: her best friend, her boyfriend, and of course, her mother" (Booklist).

Notes From the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick ©2006 - "Even minor characters, such as Alex's parents and the judge, take on a heft and weight uncommon in YA literature, and teens will easily connect with Alex's epiphanies: You can't just throw someone out of your life when they displease you, and, We're all free to choose some people to love, and then do it. It all adds up to a funny, bittersweet tour de force" (Booklist).

Sorrells, Walter

Fake ID - "Edgar Award-winning author of legal thrillers for adults, brings his expertise to a compelling suspense story for teens. Chastity Pureheart, newly settled in High Hopes, Alabama, is absolutely in the dark about her name and why she and her mother keep packed suitcases by the front door wherever they live, as if they may need to move in an instant"(Booklist).

Steinhofel, Andreas

The Center of the World - "Phil, 17, and his twin, Dianne, live at Visible, a decrepit Gothic mansion in a tiny, provincial German town. Their mother, Glass, 34, is unwed, promiscuous, and self-involved, and she doesn't give a damn about what anyone thinks of her or her children" (School Library Journal).

Fault Line by Janet Tashjian, 2006 - "An expert at balancing the humorous with the bittersweet, Tashjian examines a deadly serious topic".(The Horn Book Guide)

Rembering Raquel by Vivian Vande Velde, 2007 - "This short, bittersweet story uses the voices of 20 different characters to tell of the death of a teenager" (School Library Journal).

Von Ziegesar, Cecily
Gossip Girl Series
Presents a world of jealousy and betrayal at an exclusive private school in New York City.

Vrettos, Adrienne Maria

Skin - " Like Sonya Sones' Stop Pretending (1999), this devastating novel plumbs the anguish of a teen facing a sibling's illness. First-time novelist Vrettos' gloves-off approach is apparent from the opening page, in which 14-year-old Donnie fruitlessly gives CPR to his elder sister, who has starved herself to death.

Watkins, Paul
Calm at Sunset, Calm at Dawn: A Novel
This novel of a young man's indoctrination into his fisherman father's way of life as he battles a conflict between love and contempt for his father includes the peril of sharks faced by James Pfeiffer, age 20, as he works on a scallop trawler off the Rhode Island coast and the treacherous accidents and the risk of drug-running operations, not to mention the sting of losing his girlfriend.

Waltman, Kevin

Learning the Game - "Nate is looking forward to the start of the basketball season when he hopes to finally become a starter on his high-school team. One night in late summer, at the end of a pickup game, one of Nate's teammates suggests that they break into a local fraternity house. Despite his pangs of conscience, Nate goes along with the crime and helps carry the loot to a van" (Booklist).

Watts, Julia
Finding H. F.
A fifteen-year-old girl, along with her friend, go in search of her mother who abandoned her as an infant.

Zane's Trace by Allan Wolf, 2007 - "While drawing from historical characters and events, Zane's story is mainly about coming to terms with family, the inheritance we cannot refuse. Not all questions are answered at the end, but with Zane as the caustic but compelling tour guide, the trip is well worth making. Author's note and extensive bibliography included" (Kirkus).

Wolff, Virginia Euwer

Probably Still Nick Swansen - "strong, compassionate story about a student with minimal brain dysfunction. While all 16 year olds have problems, Nick Swansen's are unique: they involve his identity outside the Special Education classroom and coming to terms with the accidental death of his sister, Dianne, seven years earlie" (School Libray Journal).

Woods, Brenda

Emako Blue - " A novel described as both "contemporary and raw: in the first scene, high-school friends attend the funeral of one of their own--Emako, a beautiful, talented young singer who was shot outside her South Central home. In alternating voices, four young people talk about Emako, revealing something about their own very different lives" (Booklist).

Miracle's Boys by Jacqueline Woodson, 2000 - "The fast-paced narrative is physically immediate, and the dialogue is alive with anger and heartbreak, "brother to brother to brother." As in Walter Dean Myers' novel 145th Street , the city block in the story is hard and dangerous--and it is home" (Booklist).

Good Enough by Paula Yoo, 2008 - "She knows she's not supposed to rock the Harvard/Yale/Princeton boat but, encouraged by her violin teacher, she applies to Juilliard. Now her dilemma is not her SAT scores or her grades, but how to hide her desire to attend music school from her academically oriented parents. The Clash, a jam session and a new boy at school encourage Patti to break from her PKD shell and see her social life and violin studies in new ways. Teens living through the pressure of college applications and questioning their futures will sympathize with Patti in this enjoyable, funny but not superficial read, which bears many similarities to Alex Flinn's Diva" (Kirkus).

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr, 2007 - "This is realistic fiction at its best. Zarr's storytelling is excellent; Deanna's reactions to the painful things said to her will resonate with any reader who has felt like an outsider. It is an emotionally charged story, with language appropriate to the intensity of the feelings. Story of a Girl is recommended for both teens and the adults who live and work with them" (School Library Journal).

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr, 2008 - "This haunting and ultimately hopeful novel asserts what many teens feel acutely: that childhood experiences often leave indelible marks. A convincing, first-personnarrative voice makes the painful ramifications of exclusion palpable. The costs of popularity, eating disorders and abuse also find resonance. Zarr transfixes teen readers with enticing explorations of identity and enduring love" (Kirkus).

Zusak, Markus

Getting the Girl - "In this sequel to Fighting Ruben Wolfe (2001), the Wolfe family has settled into a kind of "okayness." For Cameron's brother, Ruben, that means "one girl after another, one fight after another." Only Cameron, who's in adolescence's high season, seems to feel restless and alone as he wanders the streets, pines over disinterested girls, and begins to discover his passion for writing" (Booklist).

Nonfiction titles

Transparent: Love, family, and living the T with transgender teenagers. by Chris Beam, 2007 - " Beam writes of her volunteer activities at Eagles, a small high school for gay and transgender teens in Los Angeles, by focusing on first one, then another, of the young people she encountered. Many were homeless, thrown out by their parents. Some alternated between gender identities, switching from masculine to feminine names as well as apparel. Beam taught language skills and writing. She and her students, who sometimes wandered into school and sometimes didn't, "managed to pull together enough pieces to make a magazine." Along with obituaries of friends, the 20-page glossy contained teen poetry, medical advice on the hazards of too many hormones acting too quickly, a transgender "Hints from Heloise," and two columns, "Getting Out of a Gang" and "When Your Grandma Finds Your Drag Clothes." Other victories, less tangible but equally important as she established meaningful relationships with the kids, as well as frustrations, obstacles, and disappointments, make for compelling reading that fills an important niche in gender studies" (Booklist).

Poster Child by Emily Rapp, 2007 - "Rapp, a writing professor at Antioch University, has crafted a meditative, nuanced account of her life, which began with a grim prognosis after she was born in 1974 with a shortened leg. At first, her handicap is filtered through the prismatic fantasy of girlhood. "I felt singled out and special," she reflects, spinning stories of dragon attacks to enthralled schoolmates in Nebraska and Wyoming" (Publishers Weekly).

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