Recommended Reading
Middle School
The Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber,
Midshipman and Fine Lady by L.A. Meyer
Sequel to Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious of Mary Jack Faber,
Ship’s Boy. Jacky must battle a foe far more horrible than bloodthirsty
buccaneers, the young ladies of Lawson Peabody School!
Septimus Heap: Book One Magyk by Angie Sage
The seventh son of the seventh son is stolen the night he is born by a midwife
who pronounces him dead. That same night, the baby's father, comes across a bundle in
the snow containing a newborn girl with violet eyes. For those who love adventure,
magic and mystery.
The Schwa was Here by Neal Shusterman
What is it to be “functionally invisible” and what is the Schwa Effect? Have you
ever walked into a room full of people and felt you were invisible? Well that’s how it
always is for Calvin Schwa and “Antsy” thinks he has struck gold when he figures it all
out.
Bras & Broomsticks by Sarah Mlynowski
Life would be so much easier if you were a witch, but no, your mother and sister
have been blessed with these powers. Although Rachel Weinstein doesn’t have any
powers she has a plan to have her sister’s powers help her out just a little.
High School
The Garden by
The story of Adam and Eve told from Eve’s point of view.
Light Years by Tammar Stein
In chapters alternating between the present and the past, 20-year-old Maya tells
the story of her life in Israel and her new life as a student in the United States.
Candy by Kevin Brooks
Joe meets Candy and is drawn in to her life of violence and drugs as he struggles
to help her overcome her addiction and free her from a life of prostitution
So Yesterday by Scott Westerfield
How does a trend become popular? Who decides what cool and what’s not? This
novel explores the fictional world of the trendsetters, innovators, the followers and the
blatantly uncool.
Graphic Novels: Manga
Inu Yasha by Rumiko Takahashi
Modern day student Kagome falls into a well and ends up in feudal Japan. There
she frees the half dog demon Inu Yasha and her adventures begin.
Ranma ½ by Rumiko Takahashi
Ranma and his father fall into an enchanted well while sparring. Now when
Ranma is splashed with cold water he turns into a girl and his father turns into a giant
Panda!!
Mars by Fuyumi Soryo
A bad boy can change a good girl forever. Can Rei and Kira survive the odds
against them?
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki
Nausicaä, a gentle but strong-willed, young princess, has an empathic bond with
the giant insects that evolved as a result of the ecosystem's destruction. Growing up in the
Valley of the Wind, she learned to read the soul of the wind and navigates the skies in her
glider. Nausicaä and her allies struggle to create peace between kingdoms torn apart by
war, battling over the last of the world's precious natural resources.
-Amazon.com
Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki
Kenshin is trying to live a quiet life, but he cannot escape his legendary status as
the Hitokiri Battosai, the man-slayer. Samurai action at it's best.
Graphic Novels: North American
Star Wars: Any titles
Super Heroes: Any titles the most popular being Ultimate Spider-man; X-men; Fantastic
Four; JLA; Batman and Superman.
Blankets by Craig Thompson (for ages 16+)
A moving memoir about a young man and his coming of age.
Age of Bronze by Eric Shanower (series for 15+)
A graphic retelling of the Iliad.
Herobear by Mike Kunkel
A young boy and his “stuffed” bear save the world.
Courtney Crumrin Series by Ted Naifeh
Follow Courtney’s adventures on the edge of the land of Faerie.
Readers Advisory
Radical Reads: 101 YA Novels on the Edge by Joni Richards Bodart.
Helps with booktalks, book report ideas, subject breakdown, major themes and
those themes that may be considered a little more risky.
Rocked by Romance: A Guide to Teen Romance Fiction by Carolyn Carpan
A part of the genreflecting series with a specific focus on teen romance
Teenplots: A Booktalk Guide to Use with Readers Ages 12-18 by John T. Gillespie &
Corinne J. Naden
Another aid for booktalks and plot summaries.
Teen Genreflecitng: A Guide to Reading Interests by Diana Tixier Herald
Genreflecting with teen focus.