School Ties
(Stories from Middle School, High
School & College)
Middle School
Tween & YA FIC ABB Abbott, Tony
Firegirl
When burn victim Jessica Feeney enters St. Catherine's school, she is almost too hideous to
behold. Although Mrs. Tracy, the homeroom teacher attempts to prepare the students, no one is
really ready for the shock of Jessica's appearance. Even though she is only in the school a few
weeks, her presence and her ordeal changes the life of one student, Tom Bender. Told in first
person, this is a powerful story of simple things and the complexities of being sensitive. Tom has
a crush on Courtney, a beautiful classmate, and when Jessica becomes a part of the class,
making an impression on his secret love becomes the driving force of Tom's life. Vying for utmost
importance in Tom's life is the promise of his friend, Jeff, that they will both take a ride in Jeff's
uncle's Cobra. However, after meeting Jessica and coming to understand her accident, Tom's
perspective is radically changed.
Tween & YA FIC AMA
Amato, Mary
Invisible Lines
Trevor, a seventh-grader, lives in a tough, run-down housing project, but his school is in a rich
neighborhood nearby, and it is hard for him to fit in. He is thrilled to join the soccer team, even
though he cannot afford cleats, and his spoiled, rich classmate, Xander, won’t pass him the ball.
With his father in jail and his mom searching for work, Trevor has to balance soccer practice with
babysitting for his beloved, irritating younger siblings. A gifted artist, he finds escape from his
life’s pressures when he begins to keep a required notebook for science class, which he fills with
drawings, facts, and observations.
YA FIC ATK
Atkinson, Elizabeth
I, Emma Freke
I, Emma Freke, am not a freak. Or maybe I am. I just don't know. What's in a name?
I, Emma Freke is a charming search-for-identity story about Emma; the only "normal" member of
her quirky family. Her flighty, New Age mom seems to barely have time for a daughter, especially
one who annoyingly spoils her mom's youthful façade. Emma's well-meaning grandpa is clueless.
And her only friends are the local librarian and a precocious 10-year old adopted by the two old
ladies next door. Smart, shy, and nearly six feet tall, Emma struggles to fit in at school, so she
jumps at the opportunity to "home school" until that too turns into another of mom's half-baked
ideas. The real crisis comes when she gets an invitation to The Freke Family Reunion, and her
fellow Frekes aren't at all what she expects. While Emma desperately tries to find her niche, she
discovers that perhaps it's better to be her own "freak" than someone else's Freke.
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Tween & YA FIC BAR
Barnholdt, Lauren
Rules for Secret Keeping
HAVE A SECRET YOU JUST NEED TO GET OUT? IS YOUR BEST FRIEND'S NEW BACK-TOSCHOOL SHIRT A TOTAL FASHION DON'T? WANNA ANNONYMOUSLY TELL YOUR CRUSH
YOU LIKE HIM? Save yourself the embarrassment and pass your secret through me, Samantha
Carmichael. Drop your secret along with a dollar into locker number 321, and it will be delivered
to the recipient of your choice. **YOUR SECRET WILL NOT BE READ.** Confidentiality and
discretion is Samantha Carmichael's policy. How else could she run a secret passing business so
successful that YOU GIRL magazine (motto: America's number one tween magazine) has named
her as one of the finalists for their tween entrepreneur of the year award before her seventh grade
year has barely even begun? But the business of business is more cut-throat in middle school
than any Fortune 500-- and Samantha is about to learn that imitation is not always the sincerest
form of flattery when she overhears her new classmate, Marissa, has a secret passing business
of her own. And when a secret that Sam can't quite stomach leaks out and her own clandestine
crush is at stake, it's anyone's guess how the battle of the middle school deep throats will play out!
YA FIC BAR
Barnholdt, Lauren
The Thing About the Truth
Kelsey’s not going to let one mistake ruin her life. Sure, she got kicked out of prep school and all
her old friends are shutting her out. But Kelsey’s focused on her future, and she’s determined to
get back on track at Concordia High. Isaac’s been kicked out of more schools than he can count.
Since his father’s a state senator, Isaac’s life is under constant scrutiny—but Concordia High’s his
last stop before boarding school, so Isaac’s hoping to fly under the radar and try to stay put for a
change. When Kelsey and Isaac meet, it’s anything but love at first sight. She thinks he’s an
entitled brat, and he thinks she’s a stuck-up snob. So it surprises them both when they start to fall
for each other. Kelsey’s happy for the first time in months, and Isaac’s never felt this way about
anyone before….But nothing’s ever completely perfect. Everyone has secrets, and Isaac and
Kelsey are no exceptions. These two may have fallen hard, but there’s one thing that can ruin it
all: the truth.
YA FIC BAU
Bauer, Joan
Almost Home
When twelve-year-old Sugar's grandfather dies and her gambling father takes off yet again,
Sugar and her mother lose their home in Missouri. They head to Chicago for a fresh start, only to
discover that fresh starts aren't so easy to come by for the homeless. Nevertheless, Sugar's
mother has taught her to be grateful no matter what, so Sugar does her best. With the help of a
rescue dog, Shush; a foster family; a supportive teacher; a love of poetry; and her own grace and
good humor, Sugar comes to understand that while she can't control the hand life deals her, she
can control how she responds.
YA FIC BLU
Blume, Judy
Then Again Maybe I Won’t
Ever since his dad got rich from an invention and his family moved to a wealthy neighborhood on
Long Island, Tony Miglione's life has been tumed upside down. For starters, there's his new
friend Joel, who shoplifts. Then there's Joel's sixteen-year-old sister, Lisa, who gets undressed
every night without pulling down her shades. And there's Grandma, who won't come down from
her bedroom. On top of all his other worries, there are all the questions Tony has about growing
up....
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YA FIC BRA
Brahmachari, Sita
Mira in the Present Tense
Twelve-year-old Mira comes from a chaotic, artistic, and outspoken family in which it's not always
easy to be heard. As her beloved Nana Josie's health declines, Mira begins to discover the
secrets of those around her and also starts to keep some of her own. She is drawn to mysterious
Jide, a boy who is clearly hiding a troubled past. As Mira is experiencing grief for the first time,
she is also discovering the wondrous and often mystical world around her.
YA FIC BRO
Brown, Jason Robert & Dan Elish 13
13 Things to Know About 13
1. This book is about a guy named Evan.
2. Three months before his 13th birthday, he has to move from New York City 3. to Appleton,
Indiana,
4. Where nobody knows him.
5. He's not very happy about it.
6. His mom is kind of nuts.
7. His dad is kind of nuts too.
8. Evan's not nuts, but he keeps ending up in nutty situations.
9. One of them involves a movie called The Bloodmaster.
10. Another involves a girl named Patrice.
11. But the nuttiest situation of all is his bar mitzvah—
12. Which it's possible no one will come to.
13. Unless Evan can make some new friends really fast.
YA FIC BRU
Brugman, Alyssa
Being Bindy
Bindy and her best friend, Janey, have been best friends forever, but now they are growing up,
and Janey's interest in skimpy tops, short skirts, sex, and heavy makeup is quickening, while
Bindy still enjoys television cartoons and fantasy games. Janey makes a stab at bringing Bindy
into her world, but Bindy is not there yet. She does not fit in with Janey's new friends and is
grossed out by Janey's behavior as well as confused, hurt, and angered by it. The girls fall out,
and Janey, eager to look good with the in-crowd, stands by while Bindy is teased and later bullied.
As the girls' friendship sours, the friendship between their divorced, single parents grows, and
when Bindy and Janey discover Mom and Dad in bed, they fear marriage is imminent and they'll
be forced to live together. They unite but only to break up their parents.
Tween & YA FIC BRY
Bryant, Annie
Letters from the Heart
This series features a multicultural group of junior high girls in Brookline, MA. Charlotte and her
widowed father are new in town, and they have lived all over the world. Katani has a flair for
design. Korean-born Avery, a no-frills type of girl, in the literal sense of the word, was adopted
when she was an infant. Maeve is a drama queen and dreams of stardom. In Bad News/Good
News, Charlotte discovers that her father is considering an offer to teach at Oxford in England
and she wants to stay put for a while. The episode centers on how the girls come to her rescue,
how she learns to deal with her own ambivalent feelings about the move, and how she comes to
better understand her father and his grief.
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YA FIC BUD Budhos, Marina
Tell Us We’re Home
Jaya, Maria, and Lola are just like the other eighth-grade girls in the wealthy suburb of
Meadowbrook, New Jersey. They want to go to the spring dance, they love spending time with
their best friends after school, sharing frappes and complaining about the other kids. But there’s
one big difference: all three are daughters of maids and nannies. And they go to school with the
very same kids whose families their mothers work for. That difference grows even bigger—and
more painful—when Jaya’s mother is accused of theft and Jaya’s small, fragile world collapses.
When tensions about immigrants start to erupt, fracturing this perfect, serene suburb, all three
girls are tested, as outsiders—and as friends. Each of them must learn to find a place for
themselves in a town that barely notices they exist.
Tween & YA FIC BUT
School
Butler, Dori Hillestad
The Truth About Truman
When Zebby and Amr create the website thetruthabouttruman.com, they want it to be honest.
They want it to be about the real Truman Middle School, to say things that the school newspaper
would never say, and to give everyone a chance to say what they want to say, too.
But given the chance, some people will say anything-anything to hurt someone else. And when
rumors about one popular student escalate to cruel new levels, it's clear the truth about Truman
School is more harrowing than anyone ever imagined.
YA FIC CAS
Castan, Mike
Fighting for Dontae
Javier's life is going nowhere fast. He hates seventh grade, his father's locked up, and his mother
can't be relied on. He and his friends are in a gang; but he doesn't even know why he joined the
Playaz in the first place, since hanging with them is like asking for trouble from the cops. When he
is assigned to work with the special education class, Javier thinks that the one thing he had going
for him in middle school--his social life--is over. Little by little, though, Javier realizes that he
actually enjoys reading to Dontae, a severely disabled boy his age. When everything else around
him is falling apart, working with Dontae becomes the one thing worth fighting for.
YA FIC CER
Cervantes, Angela
Gaby, Lost & Found
"My name is Gaby, and I'm looking for a home where I can invite my best friend over and have a
warm breakfast a couple of times a week. Having the newest cell phone or fancy clothes isn't
important, but I'd like to have a cat that I can talk to when I'm home alone." Gaby Ramirez
Howard loves volunteering at the local animal shelter. She plays with the kittens, helps to
obedience train the dogs, and writes adoption advertisements so that the strays who live there
can find their forever homes: places where they'll be loved and cared for, no matter what.
Gaby has been feeling like a bit of a stray herself, lately. Her mother has recently been deported
to Honduras and Gaby is stuck living with her inattentive dad. She's confident that her mom will
come home soon so that they can adopt Gaby's favorite shelter cat together. When the cat's
original owners turn up at the shelter, however, Gaby worries that her plans for the perfect family
are about to fall apart.
Tween & YA FIC CHI Child, Lauren Ruby Redfort: Look Into My Eyes
Everyone knows that Clarice Bean is exceptionordinarily keen on the Ruby Redfort books. Now in
her own starring role, Ruby, a genius code-cracker and daring detective, along with her sidekick
butler, Hitch, work for a secret crime-busting organization called Spectrum. Ruby gets into lots of
scrapes with evil villains, but she’s always ice-cool in a crisis. Just take a classic screwball
comedy, add heaps of breathtaking action, and multiply it by Lauren Child’s writing genius, and
what have you got? Only the most exciting new middle-grade series since, like, ever.
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Tween & YA FIC CHO
Period
Choldenko, Gennifer
If a Tree Falls at Lunch
Kirsten's parents are barely speaking to each other, and her best friend has fallen under the spell
of the school's queen bee, Brianna. It seems like only Kirsten's younger science-geek sister is on
her side. Walker's goal is to survive at the new white private school his mom has sent him to
because she thinks he's going to screw up like his cousin. But he's a good kid. So is his friend
Matteo, though no one knows why he’ll do absolutely anything that hot blond Brianna asks of him.
But all of this feels almost trivial when Kirsten and Walker discover a secret that shakes them
both to the core.
Tween & YA FIC CRE
Creech, Sharon
Replay
Twelve-year-old Leo carries an indelible, slightly odious nickname: Sardine. In his day-to-day, he
often feels squished within a tin. In his fantasies, though, Leo is no sardine. He soars with dreams,
replays memories, and speculates about who he could become. Rehearsing for the school play
serves as both catharsis and meditation for this shy, introspective boy.
YA FIC CRO Crossan, Sarah The Weight of Water
Armed with a suitcase and an old laundry bag filled with clothes, Kasienka and her mother head
for England. Life is lonely for Kasienka. At home her mother's heart is breaking and at school
friends are scarce. But when someone special swims into her life, Kasienka learns that there
might be more than one way for her to stay afloat.
YA FIC DAV
Davis, Stephie
The Boyfriend Trick
Lily Gardner, a musical prodigy, is preparing for her audition to the NorthEast Seminary of Music,
but her passion as a classical pianist is lost. Her music lacks expression and feeling according to
her piano teacher, Miss Jespersen. The countless hours of practicing and touring has taken time
from her social life. Lily feels that her best friends are moving on without her as they plan on
going to the semiformal dance together with their dates. Erin, Valerie, and Delilah help to arrange
a date for Lily. Trying to keep her pride intact, Lily tells her friends that she has a boyfriend, or, in
Lily's case, a "wishful" boyfriend. Her ruse leads to two imaginary boyfriends as she tries to cover
her stories. The story takes some interesting twists and turns as Lily tries to figure out who she
really is.
J & YA FIC DEE
Dee, Barbara Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life
Twelve-year-old Cassue has a lot to cope with when her father moves "out of the picture." Her
mom's constantly working overtime, her teenage sister's going AWOL, and her little brother
seriously needs attention. It's up to Cassie to prevent total chaos at home -- or so she thinks. She
can't control everything, though. At school Cassie's two "best" friends are turning nasty, and a
cute boy is sending mixed signals. And then there's Mr. Mullaney -- the weirdest, hardest English
teacher in the seventh grade -- who hates everything she does. Since Mr. Mullaney isn't even
reading her brilliant work, Cassie starts submitting journal entries like "A Virtual Tour of My
Insanely Messy Desk." But her sassy humor isn't winning her any friends or helping her ailing
grades. What's a girl to do when life gets totally insane?
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YA FIC DRA
Draper, Sharon Out of My Mind
Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory; she
can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She is smarter than most of
the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom—
the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged, because she cannot tell them
otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she’s determined to let
everyone know it…somehow. In this breakthrough story—reminiscent of The Diving Bell and the
Butterfly—from multiple Coretta Scott King Award-winner Sharon Draper, readers will come to
know a brilliant mind and a brave spirit who will change forever how they look at anyone with a
disability.
YA FIC EVA
Evangelista, Beth
Gifted
George R. Clark is gifted. Mentally, he’s light-years ahead of his classmates. His parents worship
him, and his teachers adore him. But socially, George is at the bottom of the curve. Most of his
classmates avoid him—if he’s lucky. Until the Bruise Brothers, the intellectually challenged
members of the school football team, decide they want George to pass a test of their own design.
Only the fact that George’s father is the school principal has saved him in the past. But his father
isn’t going on the eighth grade science field trip, and George has a feeling it’s going to be open
season on dorks. Suddenly thrown into a crash course on human nature, without his father to
protect him, the most intellectually gifted kid in the eighth-grade might actually learn something
before the end of the trip . . . if he survives it.
YA FIC FEL Felin, M. Sindy
Touching Snow
The best way to avoid being picked on by high school bullies is to kill someone."
Karina has plenty to worry about on the last day of seventh grade: finding three Ds and a C on
her report card again, getting laughed at by everyone again, being sent to the principal -- again.
She'd like this to change, but with her and her sisters dodging their stepfather's fists every day
after school, she doesn't have time to do much self-reflecting. Finally her stepfather is taken away
on child abuse charges, and Karina thinks things might turn into something resembling normal.
The problem is, he's not gone for good. And as Karina becomes closer with a girl at the
community center where her stepfather is not showing up for his parenting classes, she starts to
realize a couple things. First, for all the problems her family had tried to escape by immigrating
from Haiti, they brought most of them along to upstate New York. And second, if anything is going
to change for this family, it is going to be up to Karina and her sisters to make it happen.
Tween & YA MYS FER
Ferraiolo, Jack
The Big Splash
The seventh-grader version of a Raymond Chandler PI, Matt Stevens coolly navigates the mean
streets (okay, the mean hallways) of Franklin Middle School in a first novel with an ingenious
premise: junior high noir. Matt's classmate, the once-bullied Vinny Biggio, commands a whole
"organization," complete with hit men, in this case boys and girls who use loaded squirt guns,
stealth attacks and their peers' predictable responses (choruses of "Jimmy peed his pants!") to
ensure their targets' permanent and total ostracism. The plot has to do with the spectacular
takedown of one Nicole Finnegan, aka Nikki Fingers, the school's most feared "trigger-girl," that is,
until her recent retirement from Vinny's operation. Just who ordered the hit on Nikki, and why?
YA MYS FER
Ferraiolo, Jack Quick Fix
In this much-anticipated sequel to The Big Splash, junior high detective Matt Stevens is back on
the case, bringing us another hilarious middle school noir. When the star of the basketball team
is blackmailed, it’s up to Matt, the lone voice for justice in a morass of middle school corruption, to
figure out who’s behind the scheme. Is it eighth-grade crime lord Vinny “Mr. Biggs” Biggio, who
has made his name peddling forged hall passes and leading a crew of social assassins who send
enemies to the Outs with a humiliating squirt-gun blast below the belt? Or is it his lieutenant and
Matt’s former best friend, Kevin? Or a pair of scheming twins who sell Pixy Stix to sugar-addicted
classmates? One thing’s for sure: There won’t be a quick fix for the trouble at this middle school.
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YA FIC FIF
50 Cent
Playground
Thirteen-year-old Butterball doesn't have much going for him. He's teased mercilessly about his
weight. He hates the Long Island suburb his mom moved them to and wishes he still lived with his
dad in the city. And now he's stuck talking to a totally out-of-touch therapist named Liz. Liz tries
to uncover what happened that day on the playground - a day that landed one kid in the hospital
and Butterball in detention. Butterball refuses to let her in on the truth, and while he evades her
questions, he takes readers on a journey through the moments that made him into the playground
bully he is today.
YA FIC FRE
Freedman, Paula
My Basmati Bat Mitzvah
During the fall leading up to her bat mitzvah, Tara (Hindi for "star") Feinstein has a lot more than
her Torah portion on her mind. Between Hebrew school and study sessions with the rabbi, there
doesn’t seem to be enough time to hang out with her best friend Ben-o--who might also be her
boyfriend--and her other best friend, Rebecca, who’s getting a little too cozy with that snotty
Sheila Rosenberg. Not to mention working on her robotics project with the class clown Ryan
Berger, or figuring out what to do with a priceless heirloom sari that she accidentally ruined. Amid
all this drama, Tara considers how to balance her Indian and Jewish identities and what it means
to have a bat mitzvah while questioning her faith.
YA FIC FRI
Friedman, Laurie
Can You Say Catastrophe?
April Sinclair just wants what any normal thirteen-year-old would want: to disown her parents and
obnoxious little sisters; to escape to summer camp ASAP with her two best friends, Billy and
Brynn; and to make a good impression on Matt Parker, the hot new boy next door. Unfortunately,
Matt witnesses April's utter humiliation at her birthday party. Then Billy kisses her. Just as April is
trying to figure things out, her parents cancel her camp plans in lieu of a family RV trip. A summer
of babysitting her sisters and "re-bonding" with her family isn't how she imagined life as a
teenager. And it certainly won t help her straighten out her feelings about Billy or Matt. Is there
any silver lining to a road trip in The Clunker with her family of misfits?
YA FIC FRI
Friend, Natasha
Bounce
Shortly after her widower father announces he is remarrying, 13-year-old Evyn and her older
brother move with him from their house in Maine to the Boston brownstone of their soon-to-be
stepmother and six stepsiblings. For solace, Evyn confides in her dead mother, who died when
Evyn was a baby, even though she admits she is really just talking to herself; in these
conversations her mother advises her to let the bad stuff "bounce" off her, but it's hard. Evyn
misses her best friend-who seems to have moved on very quickly, acquiring a new best friend
and boyfriend-and she hates both her too-eager stepmother and her private girls' school, where
she becomes a target of the popular clique.
YA FIC GAL
Gale, Eric Kahn
The Bully Book
Eric was a pretty normal kid going into sixth grade, but things turned ugly very quickly. With the
exception of Melody and Colin, the whole class began to pick on Eric. When Colin's older brother
mentions "The Book" and how a "grunt" is selected each year, Eric concludes that he has been
chosen. Following various clues, he eventually locates the manual. He discovers that the book
has been handed down from class to class and dates back many years. The "grunt" is always a
kid like Eric who is average and passively accepts the label bestowed upon him. Eric takes steps
to counteract the book's poison by rotating its pages with his own painful journal entries. Passing
down this revised Bully Book will expose this hurtful tradition and, hopefully, lessen its power.
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Tween & YA FIC GAU
Gauthier, Gail
Happy Kid!
Self-help books can be creepy, but the copy of Happy Kid! A Young Person's Guide to Satisfying
Relationships and a Happy and Meaning-Filled Life that Kyle owns is positively haunting. Kyle, a
loner with a reputation as a troublemaker, is bribed by his mother to read the book. As he opens
random chapters, he notices that the messages are oddly relevant to what is going on in his life.
In his enriched English class, his teacher gives the class an essay assignment and when the
essay question turns up verbatim on a statewide standardized test, Kyle and his Happy Kid
advice have to make a decision: Tell the principal about the suspected cheating and jeopardize
the standardized test scores of every "A-Kid" in school, or let it go and not further his status as
social outcast.
Tween & YA FIC GEP
Gephart, Donna
How to Survive Middle School
Eleven-year-old David Greenberg dreams of becoming a TV superstar like his idol, Jon Stewart.
But in real life, David is just another kid terrified of starting his first year at Harman Middle School.
With a wacky sense of humor and hilarious Top 6½ Lists, David spends his free time making Talk
Time videos, which he posts on YouTube. But before he can get famous, he has to figure out a
way to deal with:
6. Middle school (much scarier than it sounds!)
5. His best friend gone girl-crazy
4. A runaway mom who has no phone!
3. The threat of a swirlie on his birthday
2. A terrifying cousin
1. His # 1 fan, Bubbe (his Jewish grandmother)
1/2. Did we mention Hammy, the hamster who’s determined to break David’s heart?
When David and his best friend have a fight, David is lucky enough to make a pretty
cool new friend, Sophie–who just (gulp) happens to be a girl. Sophie thinks David’s videos are
hilarious, and she starts sending out the links to everyone she knows. Sophie’s friends
tell their friends, and before David knows it, thousands of people are viewing his videos–including
some of the last people he would have expected.
David may still feel like a real-life schmo, but is he ready to become an Internet superstar?
YA FIC GOL Goldblatt, Mark Twerp
Julian Twerski isn't a bully. He's just made a big mistake. So when he returns to school after a
weeklong suspension, his English teacher offers him a deal: if he keeps a journal and writes
about the terrible incident that got him and his friends suspended, he can get out of writing a
report on Shakespeare. Julian jumps at the chance. And so begins his account of life in sixth
grade--blowing up homemade fireworks, writing a love letter for his best friend (with disastrous
results), and worrying whether he's still the fastest kid in school. Lurking in the background,
though, is the one story he can't bring himself to tell, the one story his teacher most wants to hear.
YA FIC GOL
Goldschmidt, Judy
The Secret Blog of Raisin Rodriguez
Twelve-year-old Raisin Rodriguez has been uprooted from her life in California and plopped down
in Philadelphia with her mother, sister, step-father, step-sister Samantha, and Samantha's crossdressing poodle Countess. The only way Raisin can survive the painful transition is by recording
every detail in a secret blog she keeps for her best friends from home. Raisin shares her latest
musings and spills about every humiliating incident that prevents her new friendships from taking
off. She even describes the arrival of her dreaded period, just after her thirteenth birthday. But
humiliation doesn't begin to cover what Raisin experiences when someone at her new school
discovers her blog and prints it out for the world to see. This hilariously painful and
heartbreakingly hysterical novel offers a glimpse into the mind and heart of a truly unique
character with an unforgettable voice.
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YA FIC GOL
Smooch
Goldschmidt, Judy
Raisin Rodriguez and the Big Time
Raisin's back, funny and delightful and determined to get her first kiss. Still blogging every
thought and action for her two best friends across the country, seventh-grader Raisin feels like
the only person on earth who hasn't been kissed. Opportunities arise but she declines: She really
only wants to kiss sweet CJ, who smells like cinnamon and wraps his violin in a shopping bag.
Misconstruing a scene of CJ kissing a girl who may or not have been an underwear model, Raisin
dashes out of a room, prompting her peers to decide that she's "freaked out by. . . . [h]uman
sexuality." Some are kind about it (though they conceal who is kissing whom); others label her
Miss Priss, necessitating Operation Reputation Removal. When CJ's two dads get married, he
requests Raisin's help with his speech-could this mean he likes her back? Throughout this lifeand-death drama and some nitty-gritty puberty details, Raisin's voice is sparkly and hilarious
YA FIC GOL
Stand Up?
Goldschmidt, Judy
Will the Real Raisin Rodriguez Please
It’s winter break, and Raisin’s heading back home to Berkeley, California, where—for a twist—
she’s blogging to her new Philly friends about the visit with her dad and old friends Pia and
Claudia. Raisin can’t wait to pick up where she left off, but she’s in for a rude awakening. First
there’s her dad’s new girlfriend, Angelique, who came out of nowhere. Worse—who’s the new girl
Pia and Claudia are suddenly doing everything with? It’s like Raisin doesn’t even belong in her
old life anymore . . . but maybe she’s finally ready to see that the new one isn’t so bad?
YA FIC GOR Gorman, Carol
Games
Mick Sullivan likes reading thrillers, daydreaming about Tabitha Slater, and teasing his
archenemy, Boot Quinn. Boot Quinn likes playing his guitar, daydreaming about Tabitha Slater,
and punching his adversary, Mick Sullivan. The two eighth graders are rivals in every way, and
with two fights in the first week of school, they've set the stage for a yearlong showdown. That is,
until a new principal arrives on the scene and forces Mick and Boot to spend an hour and a half
each day playing games together. Two enemies, one small room, and no adult supervision-battle
lines are bound to be crossed. As the wins and losses are tallied, the boys find themselves
fighting for their classmates' attention, a cute girl's affection, and their own fathers' respect. But
how far are they willing to go to win? And who are they really fighting? There's only one way to
find out. Game on.
Tween & YA FIC GRI
Grimes, Nikki
Planet Middle School
For twelve years, Joylin Johnson's life has been just fine, thank you very much. A game of
basketball with the boys-especially her friend Jake-was all it took to put a smile on her face.
Baggy jeans, T-shirt, and hair in a ponytail were easy choices. Then suddenly the world seemed
to turn upside down, and everything changed at once. Her best girl friend is now flirting with her
best guy friend. Her clothes seem all wrong. Jake is acting weird, and basketball isn't the same.
And worst of all, there is this guy, Santiago, who appears from . . . where? What lengths will Joy
go to-and whom will she become-to attract his attention?
Tween & YA FIC HAN
Han, Jenny
Shug
Shug is clever and brave and true (on the inside, anyway). And she's about to become your new
best friend. Annemarie Wilcox, or Shug as her family calls her, is beginning to think there's
nothing worse than being twelve. She's too tall, too freckled, and way too flat-chested. Shug is
sure that there's not one good or amazing thing about her. And now she has to start junior high,
where the friends she counts most dear aren't acting so dear anymore -- especially Mark, the boy
she's known her whole life through. Life is growing up all around her, and all Shug wants is for
things to be like they used to be. How is a person supposed to prepare for what happens
tomorrow when there's just no figuring out today?
9
YA FIC HAW
Hawthorne, Rachel
Trust Me
Oh. No. This can't be happening. Me and Sean Reed? "Trust Partners" for the entire counselorsin-training program? Sean may have deep blue eyes that make my heart flutter whenever he
looks at me, but he's always been a troublemaker. Being thrown together all summer? That is so
not going to work. Even if he does have a really, really nice smile. Trust me on this.
YA FIC HEN
Heneghan, James
Payback
Thirteen-year-old Charley Callaghan is coping with some difficult changes in his life. His family
has recently moved to Vancouver from Ireland, and his mother has died of cancer. Now he is
desperately trying to fit in --in a new school, a new city, a new country--while holding a part-time
job and keeping an eye on his little sister, Annie. Charley's red hair and Irish accent at first make
him a target of the class bullies, but he is tough enough--just--to keep them at bay. So it is almost
a relief to him when the bullies find a new target, Benny Mason. As the bullying intensifies,
Charley keeps hoping that Benny will defend himself, but he fails to intervene. When the situation
turns tragic, Charley must face some difficult questions about his own part in the events. His
search for atonement leads to an unusual friendship, and an unexpected opportunity to pay back.
Tween & YA FIC HOL Holm, Jennifer Middle School is Worse than
Meatloaf
Ginny has ten items on her big to-do list for seventh grade. None of them, however, include
accidentally turning her hair pink. Or getting sent to detention for throwing frogs in class. Or losing
the lead role in the ballet recital to her ex-best friend. Or the thousand other things that can go
wrong between September and June. But it looks like it's shaping up to be that kind of a year!
Here's the story of one girl's worst school year ever -- told completely through her stuff.
Tween & YA FIC HOL
Holm, Jennifer
Eighth Grade is Making Me Sick
Ginny has big plans for eighth grade. She's going to try out for cheerleading, join Virtual Vampire
Vixens, and maybe even fall in love. But middle school is more of a roller-coaster ride than Ginny
could have ever predicted. Her family has just moved into a fancy new house when Ginny's
stepdad loses his job. (Can worrying about money make you sick?). Ginny's big brother keeps
getting into trouble. And there's a new baby on the way. (Living proof that Ginny's mom and
stepdad are having sex. Just what she needs.) Filled with Post-its, journal entries, grocery lists,
hand-drawn comic strips, report cards, IMs, notes, and more, Eighth Grade Is Making Me Sick is
the sometimes poignant, often hilarious, always relatable look at a year in the life of one girl, told
entirely through her stuff.
YA FIC HOW
Howe, James
The Misfits
Four students who do not fit in at their small-town middle school decide to create a third party for
the student council elections to represent all students who have ever been called names.
YA FIC HOW
Howe, James
Totally Joe
Howe continues the story of 13-year-old Joe, one of the protagonists of his fine novel The Misfits,
in this "alphabiography." As an English assignment, Joe is told to write about his life over the
school year from A to Z, with each alphabetical chapter ending in a "Life Lesson" to be shared
with others. At first he thinks this is "lame," but soon he embraces the format and starts to reveal
his life in short, funny, touching vignettes. As he'd be the first to proclaim, Joe is not exactly an
average Joe: he's gay and comfortable with it, and in the course of the novel he acquires his first
boyfriend and comes out to his supportive (and unsurprised) family.
10
YA FIC HUG
Hughes, Alison
Poser
Twelve-year-old Luke "Spin" Spinelli is sick of fake running, fake laughing and fake pointing. Sure,
he once made the cover of Baby Show magazine, but now his secret modeling career is making
him miserable. He dreams of using nonwhitening toothpaste. He can't wait to stop styling his hair.
And he really wants to stop worrying that the school bully will discover he was once the face of
Dribbleez Diapers. After all, Spin's just a normal boy looking for a hockey game and some pizza
with extra cheese.
YA FIC JOR
Jordan, Sabrina
It Had to be You
First impressions aren’t always the best, especially for Emma Miller when she first meets her new
neighbor Kyle. Let’s just says it wasn’t one of Emma’s greatest moments. But it wasn’t entirely
her fault. Unfortunately for Emma, it’s not only the first impression that she’s not really good at but
also the second and third and everything after that. Since every time Emma’s around Kyle
something entirely crazy has to happen making it look like she isn’t the best person to be around.
It’s bad enough that Emma has her three older brothers ganging up on her Emma just doesn’t
need anymore problems, especially boy problems. At least Emma has something to keep her
mind off of that totally hot next-door neighbor. Entering the ninth grade, Emma had been secretly
chosen to become the next Daisy for the 'Dear Daisy' advice column in her school’s newspaper.
Emma gets her own secretive e-mail address for the column, which is where she finds e-mails
from a Romeo14, who is having a little girl trouble. But this great advice that Emma always seems
to have could possibly fail and ruin her life forever.
Tween & YA FIC KIM
Cool
Kimmel, Elizabeth Cody
Lily B on the Brink of
Lily is having the most boring summer EVER. Her best friend has abandoned her for Young
Executives Camp, and there is nothing to do but go on family outings with her parents. Then Lily
meets the coolest girl, Karma, and her incredibly cool parents. And guess what? They're her
relatives! This summer is looking up, and Lily things she just might be on the brink of cool.
Tween & YA FIC KIM
Love
Kimmel, Elizabeth Cody
Lily B. On the Brink on
Dear Readers,
How exciting that you chose to read this book! My book! I have so much to tell you! First, I have
found myself on the brink of love with The Boy. And then there's my job with a Real Writer, my
adventures in rock climbing (or perhaps I should replace the word "adventures" with
"misadventures"), and my work as the advice columnist for the Mulgrew Sentinel, which I know is
just a small stepping stone on my path to becoming a Real Writer myself. But why am I telling you
about these things when you could be reading them all for yourself? Enjoy!
Sincerely yours,
Lily M. Blennerhassett
11
Tween & YA FIC KIM
Paris
Kimmel, Elizabeth Cody
Lily B on the Brink of
Lily Blennerhasset, diarist extraordinaire, is back for her third adventure and lucky readers get to
join in on her shrewd observations. This time she is going to Paris on her eighth grade school trip,
along with best bud Charlotte, and an odd assortment of classmates. Lily hopes to be inspired by
all things French to write the great Parisian novel and does not have time for the simple and the
mundane. Of course, all she knows of Paris is what she has learned from her Madeline books.
Lily's lack of preparation, daydreaming, and inattention land her in big trouble when she gets
separated from the group. When neither her wit nor fractured French can save her, Lily must rely
on the geeky Lewis Pilsky and his cell phone, and the connections of Tim (his sister is the famous
actress Lindy Sloane) to save the day and awaken Lily to her foibles. Back with the group and
slightly humbled, Lily is able to enjoy the rest of her visit to the City of Lights, and in particular the
Pere Lachaise Cemetery. Strolling among the monuments from Edith Piaf and Oscar Wilde to Jim
Morrison Lily lets go of her desire to "collect gems and nuggets" for her novel and becomes a
simple tourist who is having a blast.
Tween & YA FIC KIN
Kinney, Jeff
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Even though Greg Heffley would rather play video games with his friend Rowley than write in the
journal that his mother gives him, he uses it to record, in pictures and in text, the harrowing and
clever ways in which he navigates the middle school social scene. Undersized and skinny, Greg
has adventures that center on how he manages to separate himself from the geeks and how he
evades bigger bullies by employing quick wit and harebrained ideas. Unfortunately Greg's
schemes usually backfire, providing readers with the opportunity to delight in his distress. Picked
on by an older brother, embarrassed by his baby brother, and closely monitored by his clever
parents, Greg reacts in typical middle school fashion, making him a character with which many
readers will be able to identify. Kinney provides readers with a realistic view of middle school life
as seen through the eyes of the entertaining but not very bright class clown.
Tween & YA FIC KIN
Kinney, Jeff
Rodrick Rules (Diary of a Wimpy Kid )
Add a diary with an embarrassing summer secret and then stir with two brothers, and you have
the essential recipe of Rodrick Rules, a fine addition to Jeff Kinney's cunningly clever Diary of a
Wimpy Kid series. At the center of stew is Rodrick's younger brother Greg, who is attempting ever
so valiantly to somehow survive middle school with his dignity intact.
Tween & YA FIC KIN
Wimpy Kid)
Kinney, Jeff
Greg Heffley’s Journal (Diary of a
Even though Greg Heffley would rather play video games with his friend Rowley than write in the
journal that his mother gives him, he uses it to record, in pictures and in text, the harrowing and
clever ways in which he navigates the middle school social scene. Undersized and skinny, Greg
has adventures that center on how he manages to separate himself from the geeks and how he
evades bigger bullies by employing quick wit and harebrained ideas. Unfortunately Greg's
schemes usually backfire, providing readers with the opportunity to delight in his distress. Picked
on by an older brother, embarrassed by his baby brother, and closely monitored by his clever
parents, Greg reacts in typical middle school fashion, making him a character with which many
readers will be able to identify. Kinney provides readers with a realistic view of middle school life
as seen through the eyes of the entertaining but not very bright class clown.
12
Tween & YA FIC KIN
Wimpy Kid)
Kinney, Jeff
The Last Straw (Diary of a
Let’s face it: Greg Heffley will never change his wimpy ways. Somebody just needs to explain that
to Greg’s father. You see, Frank Heffley actually thinks he can get his son to toughen up, and he
enlists Greg in organized sports and other “manly” endeavors. Of course, Greg is able to easily
sidestep his father’s efforts to change him. But when Greg’s dad threatens to send him to military
academy, Greg realizes he has to shape up . . . or get shipped out.
Tween & YA FIC KIN Kinney, Jeff
Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)
It's summer vacation, the weather's great, and all the kids are having fun outside. So where's
Greg Heffley? Inside his house, playing video games with the shades drawn.
Greg, a self-confessed "indoor person," is living out his ultimate summer fantasy: no
responsibilities and no rules. But Greg's mom has a different vision for an ideal summer…one
packed with outdoor activities and "family togetherness."
Whose vision will win out? Or will a new addition to the Heffley family change everything?
YA FIC KIN Kinney, Jeff
Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)
Greg Heffley is not willing to be the odd man out. A dance at Greg's middle school has everyone
scrambling to find a partner, and Greg is determined not to be left by the wayside. So he concocts
a desperate plan to find someone—anyone!—to go with on the big night. But Greg's schemes go
hilariously awry, and his only option is to attend the dance with his best friend, Rowley Jefferson,
and a female classmate as a "group of friends." But the night is long, and anything can happen
along the way. Who will arrive at the dance triumphantly, and who will end up being the third
wheel?
YA FIC KIN
Kinney, Jeff
The Last Straw (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)
Let’s face it: Greg Heffley will never change his wimpy ways. Somebody just needs to explain that
to Greg’s father. You see, Frank Heffley actually thinks he can get his son to toughen up, and he
enlists Greg in organized sports and other "manly” endeavors. Of course, Greg is able to easily
sidestep his father’s efforts to change him. But when Greg’s dad threatens to send him to military
academy, Greg realizes he has to shape up . . . or get shipped out.
Tween & YA FIC KOR
Korman, Gordon
No More Dead Dogs
Eighth-grade football hero Wallace Wallace is sentenced to detention attending rehearsals of the
school play where, in spite of himself, he becomes wrapped up in the production and begins to
suggest changes that improve not only the play but his life as well.
YA FIC KOR Korman, Gordan Ungifted
The word gifted has never been applied to a kid like Donovan Curtis. It's usually more like Don't
try this at home. So when the troublemaker pulls a major prank at his middle school, he thinks
he's finally gone too far. But thanks to a mix-up by one of the administrators, instead of getting in
trouble, Donovan is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction (ASD), a special program for
gifted and talented students. It wasn't exactly what Donovan had intended, but there couldn't be a
more perfect hideout for someone like him. That is, if he can manage to fool people whose IQs
are above genius level. And that becomes harder and harder as the students and teachers of
ASD grow to realize that Donovan may not be good at math or science (or just about anything).
But after an ongoing experiment with a live human (sister), an unforgettably dramatic middleschool dance, and the most astonishing come-from-behind robot victory ever, Donovan shows
that his gifts might be exactly what the ASD students never knew they needed.
13
Tween & YA FIC KOR
Korman, Gordan
Schooled
Capricorn Anderson is different from other thirteen-year-olds. He has never watched television,
never heard of a Starbucks, and never attended a public school, but he knows how to drive a car.
Cap and his hippie grandmother Rain's lifestyle is reminiscent of a 1960s farm commune. Rain is
Cap's only family, friend, and teacher until a tragic accident lands Rain in the hospital, forcing
Cap to live with strangers. Before Cap can blink, he is enrolled at Claverage Middle School with
students who make him a target for their ridicule. Cap's strange appearance and nanve ways
encourage students to nominate him for class president, which at this school is not an honor or
sign of popularity but instead an age-old joke. The in crowd sets out to ensure that Cap fails at
every endeavor, especially the Halloween dance, but the joke is on them. Students stop laughing
at him and begin revering Cap because of his pure heart and immeasurable patience.
YA FIC LOP Lopez, Diana Choke
If she could -- if her parents would let her -- eighth-grader Windy would change everything about
herself. She'd get highlights in her hair, a new wardrobe; she'd wear makeup. But nothing ever
changes. The mean girls at school are still mean, and Windy's best friend Elena is still more
interested in making up words than talking about boys. And then one day, Windy gets the
change she's been looking for. New girl Nina -- impossibly cool, confident, and not afraid of
anyone -- starts hanging out with Windy! Nina even wants to be "breath sisters." Windy isn't sure
what that means, exactly, but she knows she wants to find out. It sounds even better than a BFF.
Windy is right, at first. Being a breath sister gains her a whole new set of friends, girls she feels
closer to and cooler with than anyone else. But her inclusion in the new crowd comes at a
dangerous price. Windy wants to change everything about her life ... but is she really willing to
give up everything in the process?
YA FIC LOP
Lopez, Diana
Ask My Mood Ring
It's summer before eighth grade, and Erica "Chia" Montenegro is feeling so many things that she
needs a mood ring to keep track of her emotions. She's happy when she hangs out with her best
friends, the Robins. She's jealous that her genius little sister skipped two grades. And she's
passionate about the crushes on her Boyfriend Wish list. And when Erica's mom is diagnosed
with breast cancer, she feels worried and doesn't know what she can do to help. When her family
visits a cuarto de milagros, a miracle room in a famous church, Erica decides to make
a promesa to God in exchange for her mom's health. As her mom gets sicker, Erica quickly
learns that juggling family, friends, school, and fulfilling a promesa is stressful, but with a little bit
of hope and a lot of love, she just might be able to figure it out.
YA FIC LYN
Lynch, Chris
Who the Man
Thirteen-year-old Earl Pryor is much too big for his age, and much too powerful for the anger that
rages within him when classmates tease him, the girl he likes disappoints him, or his parents'
problems get too real.
YA FIC LYN
Lynch, Chris
Pieces
When Eric’s brother Duane dies, his world breaks in two. Duane was his best friend—possibly his
only friend. And Eric isn’t sure how to live in a world without Duane in it. Desperate to find a piece
of his brother to hold on to, Eric decides to meet some of the people who received Duane’s
organs. He expects to meet perfect strangers. Instead he encounters people who become more
than friends and almost like family—people who begin to help Eric put the pieces of his life back
together for good.
14
YA FIC MIL
Mills, Claudia
Zero Tolerance
Seventh-grader Sierra Shepard has always been the perfect student, so when she sees that she
accidentally brought her mother's lunch bag to school, including a paring knife, she immediately
turns in the knife at the school office. Much to her surprise, her beloved principal places her in inschool suspension and sets a hearing for her expulsion, citing the school's ironclad no weapons
policy. While there, Sierra spends time with Luke, a boy who's known as a troublemaker, and
discovers that he's not the person she assumed he would be—and that the lines between good
and bad aren't as clear as she once thought.
YA FIC MUR
Murdock, Catherine Gilbert
Heaven is Paved with Oreos
Fourteen-year-old Sarah Zorn intends to spend the Wisconsin summer with her “boyfriend” Curtis,
waiting for a dead calf named Boris to decompose in time for the science fair. Her plans upend,
however, when her fake-boyfriend strategy goes seriously awry just as her hippie Grandma Z
invites her on a last-minute Roman holiday. As Sarah explores Italy’s ancient wonders, she can’t
stop “boy-liking” Curtis . . . or puzzling over her grandmother’s odd behavior. Written as Sarah’s
journal, this satisfying middle grade novel navigates the murky waters of first love, friendship, and
family with heart and good humor.
YA FIC MYE Myers, Walter Dean
The Cruisers
Zander and his friends, Kambui, LaShonda, and Bobbi start their own newspaper, The Cruiser, as
a means for speaking out, keeping the peace, and expressing what they believe. When the
school launches a mock Civil War, Zander and his friends are forced to consider the true meaning
of democracy and what it costs to stand up for a cause. The result is nothing they could have
expected, and everything they could have hoped for. Zander Scott and his friends, Kambui,
LaShonda, and Bobbi are in trouble. Even though they're students at DaVinci, one of the best
Gifted and Talented schools in Harlem, their grades are slipping, and Mr. Culpepper, the
Assistant Principal and Chief Executioner, is ready to be rid of them. When the school starts a
unit on the Civil War, and kids split up into Union and Confederate sympathizers, Zander and his
crew are given a charge - to negotiate a peace between both sides before the war actually breaks
out. That's when Zander comes up with the idea to launch an alternative school newspaper
called The Cruiser. What he and his friends learn is that their writing has power to keep the peace,
but that words can be weapons, too. Soon everyone at DaVinci is forced to consider the true
meaning of democracy and what it costs to stand up for a cause. The result is nothing they could
have expected, and everything they could have hoped for.
YA FIC MYE
Myers, Walter Dean
The Checkmate (Cruisers v 2)
Sidney Aronofsky is one of the best chess players under age 16 in both the city and the country.
When he's arrested for trying to buy drugs, it comes as a total surprise to those who know him.
The expectations of parents, schools, and tutors pressure the young players. Sidney loves and
wants to play chess, but dislikes the constant spotlight. He thinks that if he appears to be involved
in drugs or a troublemaker he will be excused from playing on the school's team. In this book
Zander and his crew is back, using the Cruiser school newspaper express their frustrations and
triumphs.
Tween & YA FIC NAY
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
Faith, Hope & Ivy June
Ivy June Mosely and Catherine Combs, two girls from different parts of Kentucky, are
participating in the first seventh-grade student exchange program between their schools. The girls
will stay at each other’s homes, attend school together, and record their experience in their
journals. Catherine and her family have a beautiful home with plenty of space. Since Ivy June’s
house is crowded, she lives with her grandparents. Her Pappaw works in the coal mines
supporting four generations of kinfolk. Ivy June can’t wait until he leaves that mine forever and
retires. As the girls get closer, they discover they’re more alike than different, especially when
they face the terror of not knowing what’s happening to those they love most.
15
YA FIC NEL Nelson, Blake
Gender Blender
Emma and Tom were once best friends, but by sixth grade their friendship has become an
embarrassing memory in a world where boys and girls barely interact, let alone understand each
other. Thanks to a cursed Eskimo arrowhead, a "Freaky Friday" style switch takes place, and
Tom and Emma must appreciate each other or end up living each other's life for good. Emma is a
pleaser, a teacher's pet intensely invested in the gymnastics that her parents encourage. Tom is
a loafer except when it comes to baseball, messing around with his friends and trying to make his
mostly absent father proud of him. Combining their strengths and learning to rely on each other,
Tom and Emma resolve to defeat the curse-and learn more than a little about how the other
gender lives.
YA FIC NIE Nielsen, Susin
The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen
Thirteen-year-old Henry Larsen and his father have just moved to Vancouver. They are trying to
start new lives after Henry’s older brother--mercilessly bullied for years--took a gun to school.
Henry’s mother is not quite ready to join them. When Henry’s hippie counselor suggests Henry
keep a journal, he intends to write as little as possible but soon finds himself pouring out his
feelings. He writes about his family, and the incident that tore them apart. He describes his weight
problems, his new school, and his family’s love affair with the Global Wrestling Foundation.
Finally, he writes about the new friends who manage, despite his best efforts, to help him start
healing.
Tween & YA FIC PAT
of My Life
Patterson, James Middle School: The Worst Years
Rafe Khatchadorian has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle
school into the mix. Luckily, he's got an ace plan for the best year ever, if only he can pull it off:
With his best friend Leonardo the Silent awarding him points, Rafe tries to break every rule in his
school's oppressive Code of Conduct. Chewing gum in class-5,000 points! Running in the
hallway-10,000 points! Pulling the fire alarm-50,000 points! But when Rafe's game starts to catch
up with him, he'll have to decide if winning is all that matters, or if he's finally ready to face the
rules, bullies, and truths he's been avoiding.
YA FIC PAU Paulsen, Gary The Amazing Life of Birds (The Twenty-Day
Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech)
Bawdy. Horny. Rollicking. Weird. Clumsy. Awkward. Hormonal. These are the words that come to
mind when thinking about award-winning author Gary Paulsen's exploration into the very first
days of male puberty. Twelve-year-old Duane Homer Leech has made a sudden, dramatic
transformation into a clumsy, incomprehensible, sex-crazed doofus. As his journal details, Duane
is suddenly unable to walk across a room, much less talk sensibly to a female classmate or even
look at one without thinking entirely and solely about certain parts of her body. He is miserable,
as are all of the boys in his class. At times outrageously funny, at times horrifically realistic (and
sometimes both at the same time), Duane's story is one that will be wincingly familiar to all males
who are going (or have gone) through the awful, necessary agony that is puberty.
J & YA FIC PAU
Paulsen, Gary
Lawn Boy
One day I was 12 years old and broke. Then Grandma gave me Grandpa's old riding lawnmower.
I set out to mow some lawns. More people wanted me to mow their lawns. And more and more. .
. . One client was Arnold the stockbroker, who offered to teach me about "the beauty of
capitalism. Supply and Demand. Diversify labor. Distribute the wealth." "Wealth?" I said. "It's
groovy, man," said Arnold. If I'd known what was coming, I might have climbed on my mower and
putted all the way home to hide in my room. But the lawn business grew and grew. So did my
profits, which Arnold invested in many things. And one of them was Joey Pow the prizefighter.
That's when my 12th summer got really interesting.
16
Tween & YA FIC PAU
Paulsen, Gary
Lawn Boy Returns
The summer I was twelve, mowing lawns with Grandpa’s old riding mower turned into big
business. With advice from Arnold the stockbroker, I learned all about making money.
Six weeks and hundreds of thousands of dollars later, life got more complicated. You see, the
prizefighter I sponsor, Joey Pow, won a big fight. And a TV interview made me famous. As Arnold
says, “Capitalism plus publicity equals monster commerce.” Even my best friends wanted a piece
of the action. Meanwhile, some scary guys showed up at Joey’s gym. . . .
YA FIC POL
Pollet, Alison
Nobody Was Here
It's 1981, and Penelope Schwartzbaum is starting seventh grade at an elite New York prep
school. She finds herself thinking "bad thoughts"-thoughts that include a sense that she no longer
fits together with her best friend, and suspicions that her mother's involvement with her latest
client might be the kind of involvement that leads to divorce. School is a nightmare of never
knowing what to do or how to think; the in-crowd has too many rules, from what to wear to who to
talk to, and Penelope feels so lost that she is rapidly becoming a nobody. However, a new
friendship with oddball but entirely genuine Cass provides a welcome distraction and allows
Penelope to regain her sense of self and start becoming somebody.
Tween & YA SF POT
Potter, Ellen
Slob
Twelve-year-old Owen Birnbaum is the fattest kid in school. But he's also a genius who invents
cool contraptions— like a TV that shows the past. Something happened two years ago that he
needs to see. But genius or not, there is much Owen can't outthink. Like his gym coach, who's on
a mission to humiliate him. Or the way his Oreos keep disappearing from his lunch. He's sure that
if he can only get the TV to work, things will start to make sense. But it will take a revelation for
Owen, not science, to see the answer's not in the past, but the present. That no matter how large
he is on the outside, he doesn't have to feel small on the inside.
Tween & YA FIC PRE
Preller, James
Bystander
Eric is the new kid in seventh grade. Griffin wants to be his friend. When you’re new in town, it’s
hard to know who to hang out with—and who to avoid. Griffin seems cool, confident, and popular.
But something isn’t right about Griffin. He always seems to be in the middle of bad things. And if
Griffin doesn't like you, you’d better watch your back. There might be a target on it. As Eric gets
drawn deeper into Griffin’s dark world, he begins to see the truth about Griffin: He’s a liar, a bully,
a thief. Eric wants to break away, do the right thing. But in one shocking moment, he goes from
being a bystander . . . to the bully’s next victim.
Tween & YA FIC RIV
Rivers, Karen
Encyclopedia of Me
Tink Aaron-Martin has been grounded AGAIN after an adventure with her best friend Freddie
Blue Anderson. To make the time pass, she decides to write an encyclopedia of her life from "Aa"
(a kind of lava--okay, she cribbed that from the real encyclopedia) to "Zoo" (she's never been to
one, but her brothers belong there). As the alphabet unfolds, so does the story of Tink's summer:
more adventures with Freddie Blue (and more experiences in being grounded); how her family
was featured in a magazine about "Living with Autism," thanks to her older brother Seb--and what
happened after Seb fell apart; her growing friendship, and maybe more, with Kai, a skateboarder
who made her swoon (sort of). And her own sense that maybe she belongs not under "H" for
"Hideous," or "I" for "Invisible," but "O" for "Okay."
17
YA FIC RUB Rubens, Michael Sons of the 613
Isaac's parents have abandoned him for a trip to Italy in the final days before his bar mitzvah. And
even worse, his hotheaded older brother, Josh, has been left in charge. An undefeated wrestler,
MMA fighter, and bar brawler, Josh claims to be a "Son of the 613"—a man obedient to the six
hundred and thirteen commandments in the Tanakh—and he has the tattoo to prove it. When
Josh declares that there is more to becoming a man than memorization, the mad "quest" begins
for Isaac. From jumping off cliffs and riding motorcycles, to standing-up to school bullies and
surviving the potentially fatal Final Challenge, Josh puts Isaac through a punishing gauntlet that
only an older brother could dream up. But when Isaac begins to fall for Josh's girlfriend, Leslie,
the challenges escalate from bad to worse in this uproarious coming-of-age comedy.
YA FIC SAN
Sanchez, Alex
So Hard To Say
Frederick is the shy new boy, and Xio is the bubbly chica who lends him a pen on the first day of
class. They become fast friends -- but when Xio decides she wants to be more than friends,
Frederick isn't so sure. He loves hanging out with Xio and he crew, but he doesn't like her that
way. Instead he finds himself thinking more and more about Victor, the captain of the soccer team.
But does that mean Frederick's gay? He hopes not -- he sees how everyone makes fun of Iggy, a
boy all the other kids think is gay. Frederick has to deal with some tough choices: Even though he
is curious about Iggy, he's just started fitting in at his new school, and he doesn't want to lose Xio,
his best friend.
YA FIC SCH
Schmatz, Pat
Bluefish
Thirteen-year-old Travis has a secret: he can't read. But a shrewd teacher and a sassy girl are
about to change everything in this witty and deeply moving novel. Travis is missing his old home
in the country, and he's missing his old hound, Rosco. Now there's just the cramped place he
shares with his well-meaning but alcoholic grandpa, a new school, and the dreaded routine of
passing when he's called on to read out loud. But that's before Travis meets Mr. McQueen, who
doesn't take "pass" for an answer—a rare teacher whose savvy persistence has Travis slowly
unlocking a book on the natural world. And it's before Travis is noticed by Velveeta, a girl whose
wry banter and colorful scarves belie some hard secrets of her own. With sympathy, humor, and
disarming honesty, Pat Schmatz brings to life a cast of utterly believable characters—and
captures the moments of trust and connection that make all the difference.
YA FIC SCH
Schreiber, Joe
Lenny Cyrus, School Virus
It seemed so logical at first. Fourteen-year-old Lenny Cyrus had loved Zooey Andrews since third
grade. All the boy genius needed to do to win her heart, surely, was shrink down to the size of an
amoeba, ooze into a gelatin capsule, and have his friend Harlan slip it (him!) into Zooey’s Diet
Coke. Told in three voices, this fantastical middle grade novel takes Lenny deep into Zooey’s loud,
splashing innards, where a talking astrovirus named Astro has a bad attitude about white blood
cells (“self-righteous pus-bags”) and aromatic hormones disco dance. The question is, will Lenny
and Zooey survive his crazy experiment in nanotechnology?
YA FIC SHE
Sheth, Kashmira
Blue Jasmine
The comfortable and confident life 12-year-old Seema Trivedi enjoys in her upper-class
neighborhood in India is altered by the family's move to an American middle-class suburban
community. Everything is new and different for this tween who must adjust to American English,
food, dress, culture, and school politics. Seema's classmates in both countries present parallel
situations that illustrate the complexities of middle schoolers and their maturation. Mukta, the very
poor Indian girl who lives in one room behind the family's snack shop, is constantly teased and
misunderstood by both Seema and her cousin Raju. Seema's mistreatment in her American
school by the new class bully, Carrie, is an awakening for her as she grows to understand and
develop emotionally. Exposed to life in two worlds and from two positions in her peer groups,
Seema acquires the ability to appreciate differences as she struggles to belong in both countries.
18
YA FIC SHU
Shulman, Mark
Scrawl
Tod Munn is a bully. He's tough, but times are even tougher. The wimps have stopped coughing
up their lunch money. The administration is cracking down. Then to make things worse, Tod and
his friends get busted doing something bad. Something really bad.
Lucky Tod must spend his daily detention in a hot, empty room with Mrs. Woodrow, a nononsense guidance counselor. He doesn't know why he's there, but she does. Tod's punishment:
to scrawl his story in a beat-up notebook. He can be painfully funny and he can be brutally honest.
But can Mrs. Woodrow help Tod stop playing the bad guy before he actually turns into one . . . for
real?
Tween & YA FIC SIL
Freeze
Silberberg, Alan
Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain
Loveable thirteen-year-old geek Milo Cruikshank finds reasons for frustration at every turn, from
the annoying habits of his neighbors to his futile efforts to get Summer Goodman to realize his
existence. The truth is, ever since Milo’s mother died, nothing has gone right. Now instead of the
kitchen being full of music, his whole house has been filled with Fog. Nothing’s the same. Not his
Dad. Not his sister. And definitely not him. Milo achieves a rare and easy balance of poignancy
and awkward, natural humor, making it deeply accessible—this is the kind of book that can
change lives.
YA FIC SIT Sitomer, Alan Lawrence
Dorkasaurus
Nerd Girls: The Rise of the
Maureen, a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed dork-a-saurus, is totally addicted to cupcakes and
hot dogs and thinks that her body looks like a baked potato. Allergy-plagued Alice can’t touch a
mango without breaking out in a rash, and if she eats wheat, her vision goes blurry. Klutzy to the
extreme, Barbara is a beanpole who often embarrasses herself in front of the whole school.
These outcasts don't have much in common--other than the fact that they are often targets of the
ThreePees: the Pretty, Popular, Perfect girls who rule the school.
But one day Maureen discovers that the ThreePees are planning to sit next to Allergy Alice in the
cafeteria and eat peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches on whole wheat toast with mango
marmalade for lunch. And Maureen decides that it's time to topple the eight-grade social regime.
She joins forces with Alice and Barbara and the Nerd Girls enter the school talent show,
determined to take the crown from the ThreePees. Will their routine be enough to de-throne the
popular crowd? Or will their plan backfire and shake their hold on the bottom rung of the social
ladder?
YA FIC SON
Sonnenblick, Jordan
Zen and the Art of Faking It
When eighth-grader San Lee moves to a new town and a new school for the umpteenth time, he
doesn't try to make new friends or be a loner or play cool. Instead he sits back and devises a plan
to be totally different. When he accidentally answers too many questions in World History on Zen
(only because he just had Ancient Religions two schools ago) all heads turn and San has his
answer: he's a Zen Master. And just when he thinks everyone (including the cute girl he can't stop
thinking about) is on to him, everyone believes him . . . in a major Zen way.
YA FIC SON
Sonnenblick, Jordan After Ever After
Jeffrey isn't a little boy with cancer anymore. He's a teen who's in remission, but life still feels
fragile. The aftereffects of treatment have left Jeffrey with an inability to be a great student or to
walk without limping. His parents still worry about him. His older brother, Steven, lost it and took
off to Africa to be in a drumming circle and "find himself." Jeffrey has a little soul searching to do,
too, which begins with his escalating anger at Steven, an old friend who is keeping something
secret, and a girl who is way out of his league but who thinks he's cute.
19
YA COMICS TEL
Telgemeier, Raina
Drama
Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school's production of
Moon Over Mississippi, she can't really sing. Instead she's the set designer for the drama
department stage crew, and this year she's determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a
middle-school budget. But how can she, when she doesn't know much about carpentry, ticket
sales are down, and the crew members are having trouble working together? Not to mention the
onstage AND offstage drama that occurs once the actors are chosen. And when two cute
brothers enter the picture, things get even crazier!
Tween & YA FIC TRA
Tracy, Kristen
The Reinvention of Bessica Letter
After an unfortunate incident at the hair salon, Bessica is not allowed to see her best friend,
Sylvie. That means she's going to start middle school a-l-o-n-e. Bessica feels like such a loser.
She wants friends. She's just not sure how to make them. It doesn't help that her beloved
grandma is off on some crazy road trip and has zero time to listen to Bessica. Or that Bessica has
a ton of homework. Or that gorgeous Noll Beck thinks she's just a kid. Or that there are some
serious psycho-bullies in her classes. Bessica doesn't care about being popular. She just wants
to survive—and look cute. Is that too much to ask when you're eleven?
YA FIC VAN
Vance, Alexander
The Heartbreak Messenger
Twelve-year-old Quentin never asked to be "The Heartbreak Messenger," it just kind of happened
- and he's not one to let a golden opportunity pass him by. The valuable communications service
he offers is simple: he delivers break-up messages. For a small fee, he will deliver such a
message to your soon-to-be ex-girlfriend. If you order the deluxe package, he'll even throw in
some flowers and a box of chocolates...well, you don't want to leave a girl completely alone. At
first, Quentin's entrepreneurial brainchild is surprisingly successful. But as he interacts with
clients and message recipients, from the teary-eyed football player to the dangerously powerful
soccer chick, it doesn't take him long to start wondering whether his business will create negative
repercussions in how life, especially for his relationship with his long-time best friend Abigail.
Quentin discovers the game of love and the emotions that go with it are as complicated as they
come - even for an almost innocent bystander.
YA FIC VEG Vega, Denise
Seventh Grade)
Click Here (To Find Out How I Survived
Erin Swift is a seventh grader who discovers that she and her best pal, Jilly, will NOT be on the
same track for middle school. Shock and horror! This could be the end of life as Erin knows is, but
she vents her frustrations, joys and fears in a fake website that she has created; an electronic
journal of sorts. Erin and Jilly couldn't be more different; Erin has enormous feet and wears
Chuck Taylors (how can you not love the girl?), is an excellent sportswoman and has an amazing
talent for webpage design. Jilly, on the other hand, lives to shop at the mall! Through a comical
yet heart-wrenching course of events, Erin's "blog" is broadcast for all the school to see (imagine
the teacher intercepting a note and reading it out loud and then multiply those feelings of
complete and utter humiliation by a million).
20
YA FIC VEG
Vega, Denise
Grade Error Messages)
Access Denied (and Other Eighth
After surviving the "Year of Humiliating Events (YOHE)" in Click Here (To Find Out How I
Survived Seventh Grade), Erin Swift, Web site-designer extraordinaire, is ready to make a fresh
start. But in eighth grade, she faces a new set of boy problems, trouble with friends and a painful
loss that makes her rethink her priorities. Clearly in tune with adolescents' roller coaster emotions
and their numerous challenges, Vega's sequel is accented with excerpts from Erin's "new and
improved, totally secret & private home page" that convey her triumphs and anxieties. Erin's onagain, off-again crushes-especially with basketball buddy Mark-are entertaining; her more
complex relationships with aging custodian, Mr. Foslowski and new student, Reede, who does "a
lot of things against the rules," add depth. As before, Erin proves to be a good girl who
sometimes finds herself in awkward situations.
YA FIC WES
Weston, Martha
Act I, Act II, Act Normal
Eighth-grader Topher Blakely loves the stage, but he is not thrilled with the script that is selected
for the Hope Springs Middle School student play. His best friend Kip's cool mystery drama loses
out to a musical comedy version of Rumpelstiltskin. Topher and his friends worry that the musical
fairytale will be "dorky," but Topher tries out for a part anyway and lands the big role of
Rumpelstiltskin. Sure enough, class bully Daniel taunts the performers as "fairies," and they
desperately try to think of some way to stop Daniel's mean mouth.
Tween & YA FIC WIL
Wilhelm, Doug
The Revealers
The promise of the modern age is that information equals power, and in Wilhelm's (Raising the
Shades) entertaining and thoughtful tale, that notion is put to the test. Three seventh-graders-a
mousy boy with the unfortunate last name Gekewicz, a half-Filipina girl named Catalina and the
always tongue-tied Russell-have had their fill of being bullied, and Catalina posts a letter on the
school network to squelch rumors being circulated about her by the popular girls. The letter
strikes a chord with the downtrodden of Parkland (nicknamed Darkland) middle school; before
long, students are sending their own reports to the three underground publishers, who issue
electronic editions of "The Darkland Revealer."
Tween & YA FIC WIN
Winerip, Michael
Adam Canfield of the Slash
Adam Canfield has to be the most overprogrammed middle-school student in America. So when
super-organized Jennifer coaxes him to be coeditor of their school newspaper, THE SLASH, he
wonders if he’s made a big mistake. But when a third-grader’s article leads to a big scoop, Adam
and his fellow junior journalists rise to the challenge of receiving their principal’s wrath to uncover
some scandalous secrets.
Tween & YA FIC WIN
Back
Winerip, Michael
Adam Canfield Watch Your
As coeditor of the Slash, the Harris Elementary/Middle School paper, Adam Canfield is used to
getting the story. What he's not used to is being the story, which is just what happens after he's
mugged by some high-school students for his snow-shoveling money. But it's hard to keep a low
profile when there's still baritone and basketball practice, a new principal to figure out, a science
fair sham to uncover, a bully survey to monitor, a three-hundred-year-old tree to save, and the
next issue of the Slash to take care of. It's enough to drive a kid over the edge. Luckily, Adam's
got Jennifer, his trusty (and cute!) coeditor, to help him keep it together. But when the Slash is
threatened, will they be able to get the story and keep the paper going, all without getting
expelled?
21
YA FIC WIN
Reporter
Winerip, Michael
Adam Canfield: The Last
A "dirty" school election, suspicious state test scores — Adam Canfield and his star reporters are
chasing some red-hot leads. There’s only one glitch: the school board has shut down THE
SLASH for exposing the town’s most powerful family, and now the staff has to find a way to
publish it themselves. Enter the Ameche brothers: two goofy kid entrepreneurs with a knack for
refurbishing junk — and a talent for selling ads — but a shaky command of journalistic ethics.
What’s worse, Adam hasn’t a clue why his coeditor, Jennifer, is suddenly acting weird. . . . With
kid-friendly humor and a touch of budding romance, this new adventure revisits a winning cast of
characters — and the excitement that comes from uncovering a really great story.
Tween & YA FIC YEE
Yee, Lisa
Millicent Min, Girl Genius
Millicent Kwan is having a bad summer. Her fellow high school students hate her for setting the
curve. Her fellow 11-year-olds hate her for going to high school. And her mother has arranged for
her to tutor Stanford Wong, the poster boy for Chinese geekdom. But then Millie meets Emily.
Emily doesn't know Millicent's IQ score. She actually thinks Millie is cool. And if Millie can hide her
awards, ignore her grandmother's advice, swear her parents to silence, blackmail Stanford, and
keep all her lies straight, she just might make her first friend. What's it going to take? Sheer
genius.
Tween & YA FIC YEE
Yee, Lisa
Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time
Stanford Wong is having a bad summer. He flunks English and will have to trade basketball camp
for summer school. Even worse, his mother has hired the world's biggest nerdball and most
annoying genius Millicent Min to tutor him.
Tween & YA FIC YEE
Yee, Lisa
So Totally Emily Ebers
Emily Ebers' life as she knows it is over. Her parents have gotten a divorce. Her father has gone
on a tour with his band and now her mother is moving across the U.S. Emily has to leave behind
everything she loves. Her two best friends are going off to camp without her. Will they remember
her? Things get worse when her mother signs her up for volleyball and the local Neighborhood
Watch program. Emily's mother begins to act strangely and Emily finds herself adrift until she
makes some new friends. Emily discovers that not all her friends are being honest with her and
not all of them are sincere friends. She is torn in two directions. Which path will she choose?
Tween & YA FIC YEE
Yee, Lisa
Warp Speed
Entering 7th grade is no big deal for Marley Sandelski: Same old boring classes, same old boring
life. The only thing he has to look forward to is the upcoming Star Trek convention. But when he
inadvertently draws the attention of Digger Ronster, the biggest bully in school, his life has
officially moved from boring to far too dramatic . . . from invisible to center stage.
22
High School
YA FIC ABD
Abdel-Fattah, Randa
Does My Head Look Big in This?
Headstrong and witty, 16-year-old Amal, an Australian-Muslim-Palestinian decides during winter
break from her posh private school that she's ready to wear the hijab, the Muslim head scarf,
fulltime, as a testament to her faith. Amal knows she will face discrimination by classmates and
misinformed people but she is committed to her decision; her parents are initially concerned, but
ultimately rally behind her. Their worries, in fact, are well-founded: Amal attracts her share of
stares and taunts both at school and around town, but she finds strength, not only from her
convictions, but from her close-knit group of friends, who for various reasons-being Japanese,
Jewish, nerdy or body-conscious-are perceived as being outside "the norm." As Amal struggles
with her identity in a post-9/11, her faith-and an array of ever-ready quips-help her navigate an
often-unforgiving world.
YA FIC ABD
Abdel-Fattah, Randa
Ten Things I Hate About Me
Jamie just wants to fit in. She doesn't want to be seen as a stereotypical Muslim girl, so she does
everything possible to hide that part of herself. Even if it means pushing her friends away
because she's afraid to let them know her dad forbids her from hanging out with boys or that she
secretly loves to play the darabuka (Arabic drums). But when the cutest boy in school asks her
out and her friends start to wonder about Jamie's life outside of school, her secrets threaten to
explode. Can Jamie figure out how to be both Jamie and Jamilah before she loses everything?
YA FIC ALE
time Indian
Alexie, Sherman
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-
Nerdy, fourteen-year-old Arnold Spirit lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington
state. During his first day at high school, Arnold discovers that his geometry textbook is so old
that his mother used it in school. In anger, he throws the book at his teacher and is suspended.
Recognizing Arnold's potential, his teacher suggests that Arnold transfer to a school off the
reservation. There Arnold attempts to bridge Indian and white cultures-sometimes successfully
and sometimes not-while at home, he faces the controversy of leaving the reservation and his
own culture.
YA FIC ALT
Altebrando, Tara Dreamland Social Club
Jane has traveled the world with her father and brother, but it's not until her fractured family-still
silently suffering from the loss of Jane's mother many years before-inherits a house and a history
in Coney Island that she finally begins to find a home. With the help of a new community of
friends, a mermaid's secrets, and a tattooed love interest with traffic-stopping good looks, the
once plain Jane begins to blossom and gains the courage to explore the secrets of her mother's
past.
YA FIC AND
Anderson, Laurie Halse
Prom
Ashley is (in her own words) normal-a senior from a lower-middle-class family, dating a high
school dropout, and gearing up for graduation but with no plans for college. But when the new
math teacher steals the prom money, Ashley-who swears she doesn't care-finds herself sucked
into turning nothing into the best prom ever because it means the world to her best friend, Nat.
23
YA FIC AND
Anderson, Laurie
Twisted
High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background-average
student, average looks, average dysfunctional family. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on
the school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands out like you
wouldn't believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who just
so happens to be his father's boss's daughter, the sister of his biggest enemy-and Tyler's secret
crush. And that sets off a string of events and changes that have Tyler questioning his place in
the school, in his family, and in the world.
YA FIC AND
Andrews, Jesse
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Up until senior year, Greg has maintained total social invisibility. He only has one friend, Earl, and
together they spend their time—when not playing video games and avoiding Earl’s terrifying
brothers— making movies, their own versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics. Greg would
be the first one to tell you his movies are f*@$ing terrible, but he and Earl don’t make them for
other people. Until Rachel. Rachel has leukemia, and Greg’s mom gets the genius idea that Greg
should befriend her. Against his better judgment and despite his extreme awkwardness, he does.
When Rachel decides to stop treatment, Greg and Earl make her a movie, and Greg must
abandon invisibility and make a stand.
YA FIC ASH Asher, Jay
Thirteen Reasons Why
Clay Jensen's first love records her last words. Clay returns home from school to find a strange
package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes
recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.
Hannah's voice explains that there are thirteen reasons she decided to end her life. Clay is one of
them. If he listens, he will find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah
as his guide. He becomes a first-hand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about
himself, a truth he never wanted to face. What he discovers changes his life forever.
YA FIC AUS
Auseon, Andrew
Freak Magnet
Charlie is the freak. Gloria is the freak magnet. They're pretty much destined to meet. And when
they do, sparks fly . . . for Charlie. Gloria, well, she just thinks he's like every other freak who feels
compelled to talk to her, although a little better-looking than most.
While Charlie has his head in the clouds, Gloria's got hers in a book: her Freak Folio—a record of
every weirdo who's talked to her in the last year (it's a big book). But never before has she felt the
pull to get to know one of them better. Until now.
YA FIC BAN
Banks, Piper
Geek Abroad
Miranda Bloom's life has never been better. She finally has an almost-quasi-boyfriend, Dex
McConnell, the star lacrosse player of Orange Cove High. But when holiday break rolls around,
she jets off to visit her mother in London, and Dex suddenly seems to lose all interest in her. Then
there's Henry, the very cute and very available British guy who complicates matters by making it
clear that he's very interested in Miranda. Things don't get easier for her when classes start back
up at Geek High. Between the dreaded Math Team competitions, an annoyingly love-struck best
friend, and a stepmother who seems to delight in making Miranda miserable, it doesn't take a
genius to see that the semester ahead is going to be tough.
24
YA FIC BAR
Baratz-Logsted, Lauren
Crazy Beautiful
Last year, Lucius Wolfe blew off his hands in a science experiment gone bad. Last year, Aurora
Belle's mother died. Now both Lucius and Aurora are about to start sophomore year in a new
school. On the very first day they meet, forming an instant connection. But high-school politics
runs against the notion of the girl everyone wants to be around having anything to do with the boy
no one wants to be around, the boy whose nickname is Hooks. Yet still, their connection deepens
and the unlikely friendship grows. But there's another boy who likes Aurora, Jessup Tristan.
Aurora doesn't return Jessup's affection as he would like and bad things start to happen. Aurora's
father, the school librarian, is falsely accused of making improper advances against a female
student, the daughter of the vice principal, and the rumor is spread that it was Lucius who
fingered Mr. Belle. Can Lucius clear Mr. Belle's name, clear his own name, and finally win the girl?
YA FIC BAR Barnholdt, Lauren One Night That Changes Everything
Two years ago, when Eliza Sellman was in ninth grade, her dad found out he was being
transferred and the family was going to move. Having always been shy and not so confident
about her body, Eliza took that opportunity to start a list in her private notebook of all the things
she planned on doing when she moved but had always been afraid to--like wearing a miniskirt
and asking guys to dance; singing karaoke in front of strangers; posting a photo of herself on her
Facebook wall in a bikini...you get the idea. New town, new Eliza, right? Well, she'll never know
because the transfer fell through and they didn't move. But Eliza kept adding her goals and secret
fears to the list in the notebook. Now it's two years later, and in that time Eliza has had and lost
her first boyfriend. But this was more than your average breakup...turns out the sweet and cute
Cooper was only dating her as a hazing stunt by a secret society. Eliza got her revenge by
posting some pretty nasty (and only sort-of true) stuff about Cooper online. That posting has had
major consequences and now Cooper and his buddies have stolen her private notebook and
won't give it back until she performs all the things on her list in one night. It's torture...until Eliza
steals something from the boys she knows they'll want to trade her notebook for. What starts out
as a night of humiliation turns into a night of revelations as Eliza learns what Cooper was really
thinking when they dated, the real reason he's stolen her notebook, and how freeing--and lifechanging--it can be to do the things you fear the most.
YA FIC BAR
Barnholdt, Lauren
Sometimes it Happens
This novel opens on the first day of Hannah’s senior year, but the story really starts on the last
day of her junior year. That’s when Hannah not only gets dumped by her boyfriend, Ryan, but she
also finds out her best friend, Ava, is going to be gone for the entire summer. But Ava’s boyfriend,
Noah, is definitely around—and such a good guy that he snags Hannah a job at the diner where
he works. Hannah and Noah move from coworkers, to friends….and one night, to something
more. Now it’s back to school, where Hannah will see Ryan, Ava, and Noah all in one place.
Over the course of the day secrets and betrayals are revealed, and alliances are broken and
reformed. In the end, Hannah will learn a lot about love, friendship…and herself.
YA FIC BAT
Bates, Marni
Awkward
I'm Mackenzie Wellesley, and I've spent my life avoiding the spotlight. But that was four million
hits ago. . .Blame it on that grade school ballet recital, when I tripped and pulled the curtain down,
only to reveal my father kissing my dance instructor. At Smith High, I'm doing a pretty good job of
being the awkward freshman, people only notice when they need help with homework. Until I
send a burly football player flying with my massive backpack, and make a disastrous—not to
mention unwelcome—attempt at CPR. Just when I think it's time for home schooling, the whole
fiasco explodes on Youtube. And then the strangest thing happens. Suddenly, I'm the latest
sensation, sucked into a whirlwind of rock stars, paparazzi, and free designer clothes. I even
catch the eye of the most popular guy at school. That's when life gets really interesting. . ..
25
YA FIC BAU
Bauer, Joan
Peeled
Hildy Biddle dreams of being a journalist. A reporter for her high school newspaper, The Core,
she's just waiting for a chance to prove herself. Not content to just cover school issues, Hildy's
drawn to the town's big story-the haunted old Ludlow house. On the surface, Banesville, USA,
seems like such a happy place, but lately, eerie happenings and ghostly sightings are making
Hildy take a deeper look. And she suspects the editor of The Bee, the town newspaper, is more
interested in selling papers than he is in reporting the facts to a frightened public. Hildy's efforts to
find out who is really haunting Banesville isn't making her popular, and she starts wondering if
she's cut out to be a journalist, after all. But she refuses to give up, because, hopefully, the truth
will set a few ghosts free.
YA FIC BIC
Bick, Ilsa Drowning Instinct
There are stories where the girl gets her prince, and they live happily ever after. (This is not one
of those stories.) Jenna Lord's first sixteen years were not exactly a fairy tale. Her father is a
controlling psycho and her mother is a drunk. She used to count on her older brother - until he
shipped off to Iraq. And then, of course, there was the time she almost died in a fire. There are
stories where the monster gets the girl, and everyone cries for his innocent victim. (This is not
one of those stories either.) Mitch Anderson is many things: A dedicated teacher and coach. A
caring husband. A man with a certain...magnetism. And there are stories where it's hard to be
sure who's a prince and who's a monster, who is a victim and who should live happily ever after.
(These are the most interesting stories of all.)
YA FIC BIG Bigelow, Lisa Jenn Starting From Here
Sixteen-year-old Colby Bingham’s heart has been broken too many times. Her mother has been
dead for almost two years, her truck driver father is always away, her almost girlfriend just
dumped her for a guy, and now she’s failing chemistry. When a stray dog lands literally at her feet,
bleeding and broken on a busy road, it seems like the Universe has it in for Colby. But the
incident also knocks a chink in the walls she’s built around her heart. Against her better judgment,
she decides to care for the dog. But new connections mean new opportunities for heartbreak.
Terrified of another loss, Colby bolts at the first sign of trouble, managing to alienate her best
friend, her father, the cute girl pursing her, and even her dog’s vet, who’s taken Colby under her
wing. Colby can’t start over, but can she learn how to move on?
YA FIC BIL
Bildner, Phil
Busted
In high school, anyone can get busted. It could be the senior class ski trip, or maybe it's the way
you cope with the school bully, or how you entertain yourself in the world's most boring class.
Every kid has some secret crime, something that they are afraid they'll get in trouble for. In
Busted, four different stories take place throughout one year at Coldwater Creek High School and
intertwine to show that no one, whether you are an honors student or the best athlete in school, is
safe from getting busted.
YA FIC BIR Birdsall, Olivia Notes on a Near Life Experience
Fifteen-year-old Mia Day's life changes drastically when her parents separate. Suddenly Mom is
working more and isn't home to cook dinner. Mia's dad has taken up with a sexy Peruvian woman.
Her brother, Allen, is acting out. All is not bad in her life, however. Her brother's friend Julian,
whom Mia has had a crush on since forever, begins to notice her. She's finally old enough to
learn how to drive. Her dad takes her on father-daughter "dates." Finally, Mia's shrink enables her
to break through the logjam of repressed emotions she's had about the divorce and to begin to
grieve her loss.
26
YA FIC BLA
Blagden, Scott
Dear Life, You Suck
“The shrinkadinks think I have a screw loose. Ain’t playing with a full deck. Whacked-out wiring.
Missing marbles.” Irreverent, foulmouthed seventeen-year-old Cricket is the oldest ward in a
Catholic boys’ home in Maine—and his life sucks. With prospects for the future that range from
professional fighter to professional drug dealer, he seems doomed to a life of “criminal
rapscallinity.” In fact, things look so bleak that Cricket can’t help but wonder if his best option is
one final cliff dive into the great unknown. But then Wynona Bidaban steps into his world, and
Cricket slowly realizes that maybe, just maybe, life doesn’t totally suck.
YA FIC BLO
Bloss, Josie
Band Geek Love
All band, all the time. That's how trumpet goddess Ellie Snow has made it to senior year. No
drama, no dating. Just keeping lock-step within the safe precision of the Winslow Marching Band.
She's a fierce section leader now, and so over the heart-crushing social disaster of her freshman
year. No boy is going to ruin Ellie's shining moment-her senior solo performance at the
homecoming game. And then Connor Higgins shows up. Not even Ellie can resist the trumpet
player who could be a model for Abercrombie & Fitch. It's a hook-up made in band-geek heaven!
But Ellie's not ready to publicize their romance, not even to her best friends. After all, Connor's
just a sophomore. What would everyone say? Breaking formation and revealing her true self
would be like . . . marching on the field completely naked! Then Ellie discovers the flipside of
secrets and how it feels to be shut out by the ones she loves.
YA FIC BRA
Bradley, Alex
Hot Lunch
Molly Ollinger can't stand perky Cassie Birchmeyer. When they are forced to collaborate on a
school project, their bickering escalates into a food fight in the Sunshine Day School cafeteria.
But because Sunshine Day isn't your average high school, the girls' punishment isn't detention—
it's to work in the cafeteria as lunch ladies. Ewww. They'll have to cook up a way to get along in
order to get themselves out of the kitchen. Seasoned with hilarious original songs, slams on
traditional school-lunch menus, not to mention downright tasty recipes, Hot Lunch is the best
thing to hit school lunch since Tater Tots.
YA FIC BRI
Brian, Kate
Lucky T
Carrie Fitzgerald is the luckiest girl: She is the only sophomore on the varsity basketball team,
she always had the lead in the school play, and she has the cutest boyfriend in school. Carrie
Fitzgerald is also the most superstitious girl: She attributes all of her good luck to a Moroccan Tshirt that her father sent her from one of his distant jaunts around the world. When her mother
accidentally donates Carrie's lucky T to Help India and her good luck starts running out, Carrie
does what any logical girl would do -- she travels halfway around the world to get it back. But as
she scours a foreign land for her luck, she finds a lot more than she ever expected. She's going
to need more than luck to find her way back home again.
YA FIC BRI
Brian, Kate
Fake Boyfriend
Lane and Vivi have had it with Isabelle Hunter's boyfriend, Shawn Littig (a.k.a. Sluttig). He is the
only person who can turn their smart, confident best friend into a complete mess. When Shawn
Sluttig cheats on and dumps Izzy just months before the prom she's been planning since the
ninth grade, Lane and Vivi decide to take action. With a few quick keystrokes, they create a
MySpace page for "Brandon," the perfect guy to get Izzy out of her revolving-door relationship
with Shawn. Too bad he's totally fake. Vivi's younger brother, Marshall, who they hire to be the
"man" behind the profile, is way too into being Izzy's fake boyfriend. So they turn to cute, prepschool Jonathan to be the face of Brandon. But when Vivi falls for Jonathan, and Sluttig tries to
wedge his way back into Izzy's prom picture, the whole plan starts to go south faster than you can
say "fake boyfriend."
27
YA FIC BRI
Brian, Kate
The Virginity Club
Mandy, Kai, Debbie, and Eva have one thing they must do before graduation...win the prestigious
Treemont scholarship. It's a free pass to the college of their choice. But the award has one very
bizarre requirement: "Purity of soul and body." In an effort to proclaim their "purity" to the whole
school, Mandy starts the Virginity Club. The friends agree that a social service club is a great
idea, but agreeing to keep the big V until graduation is another story. Because Mandy, Kai,
Debbie, and Eva are each hiding something from the others. Something important. And their
secrets may cost them a whole lot more than just a scholarship....
YA FIC BRO Brody, Jessica
Karma Club
Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. Do good things and
you'll be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what you deserve. But
when Maddy’s boyfriend cheats on her, nothing bad comes his way. That’s why Maddy starts the
Karma Club, to clean up the messes that the universe has left behind. Sometimes, though, it isn’t
wise to meddle with the universe. It turns out Karma often has plans of its own.
YA FIC BRO
Brown, Hobson The Upper Class
Welcome to Wellington
Boarding school for society's elite, overachievers, and rich screwups.
No matter who you are, Wellington can be the deepest and most beautiful time of your life, or the
loneliest and most difficult. And two new girls are about to find out which it will be for them . . .
Laine Hunt is a Wellington girl by blood: She lives the country club life in Greenwich, Connecticut,
she's a field hockey star, and her turquoise eyes and blond hair turn heads wherever she goes.
But Laine has a mortal fear of failure that wakes her in the middle of the night with a fever, and
she'll do anything to avoid it. She also wants to avoid her roommate, fellow new girl Nikki Olivetti.
Nikki is not Wellington material—she comes from a new-money Long Island family who have sent
her away to save her from the bad influence of her friends back home. Nikki's a tease, a
loudmouth, and an absolute sweetheart—and she just doesn't belong. The girls couldn't have
less in common. Except, of course, they both have to learn to survive in their new world—a world
with no parents, no safety net, and no limit to how much trouble they can get into. No one ever
thinks they'll crash and burn, but someone always does.
Will the new girls make it to the upper class?
YA FIC BRO
Brown, Hobson
Miss Educated
In the second book of the "Upper Class" series, readers return to Wellington for spring semester.
Parker Cole, resident artistic outcast, pairs with Chase Dobbs, resident golden boy, in the duo's
Limnology class. During the first assignment the pair discover Mary Loverwest, who has drowned.
The two bond through the trauma and the subsequent fallout of feigned mourning and institutional
concern. Parker, Chase, and a seemingly endless parade of other characters need to make it
from Valentine's Day to Graduation Day and summer, but between Chase's overlooked ADD, his
friend's drug dealing, most students' drinking, and bouts with some bad egg salad and worse
grades, things do not look good.
YA FIC BRO
Brown, Jennifer
The Hate List
Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot
trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the
shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated.
The list he used to pick his targets. Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront
her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the
boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the
girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in
it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.
28
YA FIC BRO
Brown, Jennifer
Bitter End
When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole -- a handsome, funny, sports star who
adores her -- she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate . . . someone who truly loves and
understands her. At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her
relationship with her close friend Zack, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all her
time with another boy? As the months pass, though, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small putdowns, pinches, or increasingly violent threats. As Alex struggles to come to terms with the
sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes,
she is forced to choose -- between her "true love" and herself.
YA FIC BRO
Brown, Jennifer
Thousand Words
Ashleigh's boyfriend, Kaleb, is about to leave for college, and Ashleigh is worried that he'll forget
about her while he's away. So at a legendary end-of-summer pool party, Ashleigh's friends
suggest she text him a picture of herself — sans swimsuit — to take with him. Before she can talk
herself out of it, Ashleigh strides off to the bathroom, snaps a photo in the full-length mirror, and
hits "send." But when Kaleb and Ashleigh go through a bad breakup, Kaleb takes revenge by
forwarding the text to his baseball team. Soon the photo has gone viral, attracting the attention of
the school board, the local police, and the media. As her friends and family try to distance
themselves from the scandal, Ashleigh feels completely alone — until she meets Mack while
serving her court-ordered community service. Not only does Mack offer a fresh chance at
friendship, but he's the one person in town who received the text of Ashleigh's photo — and didn't
look.
YA FIC BRU
Brugman, Alyssa
Walking Naked
Megan Tuw, a not-very-likable teen, is self-absorbed and ruled by peer pressure. She bullies
people in her group-her Australian high school's in-crowd-and ignores others who are "different"
or not useful. Assigned detention for rudeness to a teacher, Megan gets to know Perdita
Wiguiggan, an eccentric classmate, dubbed by her fellow students as "The Freak." As detention
progresses, Megan reluctantly recognizes Perdita's brilliance and love of poetry while Perdita
attempts to lure Megan into an unwanted intimacy that jeopardizes her standing in the group. The
conflict between Megan's loyalty to her group and her budding admiration for Perdita's.
YA FIC BUD Budhos, Marina
Ask Me No Questions
Fourteen-year-old Nadira, her sister, and their parents leave Bangladesh for New York City, but
the expiration of their visas and the events of September 11, 2001, bring frustration, sorrow, and
terror for the whole family.
YA FIC CAB
Cabot, Meg
Teen Idol
Princess Diaries creator Meg Cabot departs from her popular series with this star-studded tale of
a midwestern high schooler who suddenly plays host to a Tinseltown heartthrob. Sticking with her
slam-dunk formula of normal girls who get caught up in not-so-normal circumstances, Cabot
spins another yarn worthy of red-carpet treatment, this time featuring junior Jenny Greenley, an
Indiana native who writes for the school newspaper's anonymous advice column and has a knack
for smoothing over bad situations. When Jenny is asked to be "student guide" to Hollywood teen
celeb Luke Striker -- who's in town, undercover, to research his next film role -- she only wonders
how they'll ever keep his identity secret. Sure enough, the cat's soon out of the bag, and Jenny
shakes her world when Luke convinces her to use her influence at school for positive change. Of
course, the book wouldn't be complete without a thread of romance for Jenny, too, and the author
delivers a smart, surprising ending for her legions of fans.
29
YA FIC CAB
Cabot, Meg
Jinx
The only thing Jean Honeychurch hates more than her boring name (not Jean Marie, or Jeanette,
just . . . Jean) is her all-too-appropriate nickname, Jinx. Misfor-tune seems to follow her
everywhere she goes—which is why she's thrilled to be moving in with her aunt and uncle in New
York City. Maybe when she's halfway across the country, Jinx can finally outrun her bad luck. Or
at least escape the havoc she's caused back in her small hometown. But trouble has definitely
followed Jinx to New York. And it's causing big problems for her cousin Tory, who is not happy to
have the family black sheep around. Beautiful, glamorous Tory is hiding a dangerous secret—one
that she's sure Jinx is going to reveal. Jinx is beginning to realize it isn't just bad luck she's been
running from. It's something far more sinister . . . and the curse Jinx has lived under since the day
she was born might just be the only thing that can save her life.
YA FIC CAB
Cabot, Meg
How To Be Popular
Steph Landry is tired of being unpopular. She has been the target of jokes since sixth grade when
she spilled a red soda on Lauren Moffat's white D&G skirt. Lauren coined the phase "Don't be
such a Steph Landry" to ensure she never lived it down. Steph has since been content to hang
out with her best friend, Jason, but as she enters eleventh grade, she wants more out of high
school. Luckily she finds an old copy of "How to be Popular." The book is full of useful tips, such
as "No one likes an arrogant person who lords her supposed superiority over others." She follows
the book's advice and begins the school year with flatironed hair and a new attitude. She is
determined to be confident and enthusiastic about school. She sits with new people at lunch and
organizes a talent auction. Steph does not anticipate Lauren being so angry about her attempt to
join the popular crowd or that Jason would be so hurt that she is leaving him behind. As her
popularity grows, Steph is forced to make some difficult choices about who and what is truly
important to her.
YA FIC CAB Cabot, Meg
Pants on Fire
Katie Ellison is not a liar.
It's just that telling the truth is so . . . tricky. She knows she shouldn't be making out with a drama
club hottie behind her football-player boyfriend's back. She should probably admit that she can't
stand eating quahogs (clams), especially since she's running for Quahog Princess in her
hometown's annual Quahog Festival. And it would be a relief to finally tell someone what really
happened the night Tommy Sullivan is a freak was spray-painted on the new wall outside the
junior high school gymnasium—in neon orange, which still hasn't been sandblasted off. After all,
everyone knows that's what drove Tommy out of town four years ago. But now Tommy Sullivan
has come back. Katie is sure he's out for revenge, and she'll do anything to hang on to her
perfect (if slightly dishonest) existence. Even if it means telling more lies than ever. Even if, now
that Tommy's around, she's actually—no lie—having the time of her life.
YA FIC CAL
Calame, Don
Swim the Fly
Fifteen-year-old Matt Gratton and his two best friends, Coop and Sean, always set themselves a
summertime goal. This year's? To see a real-live naked girl for the first time — quite a challenge,
given that none of the guys has the nerve to even ask a girl out on a date. But catching a girl in
the buff starts to look easy compared to Matt's other summertime aspiration: to swim the 100yard butterfly (the hardest stroke known to God or man) as a way to impress Kelly West, the
sizzling new star of the swim team.
30
YA FIC CAL
Caletti, Deb
Nature of Jade
Jade DeLuna is too young to die. She knows this, and yet she can't quite believe it, especially
when the terrifying thoughts, loss of breath, and dizzy feelings come. Since being diagnosed with
Panic Disorder she's trying her best to stay calm, and visiting the elephants at the nearby zoo
seems to help. That's why Jade keeps the live zoo webcam on in her room, and where she first
sees the boy in the red jacket. A boy who stops to watch the elephants. A boy carrying a baby.
His name is Sebastian, and his story is heartbreaking: his high school sweetheart died in
childbirth, leaving Sebastian to raise their son by himself. Jade is drawn into Sebastian's cozy life
with his son and his activist grandmother on their Seattle houseboat, and before she knows it,
she's in love. With this boy who has lived through harder times than anyone she knows. This boy
with a past. Jade knows the situation is beyond complicated, but she hasn't felt this safe in a long
time. She owes it all to Sebastian, her boy with the great heart...and a terrible secret.
A secret that will force Jade to decide between what is right, and what feels right.
YA FIC CAL
Caletti, Deb
The Six Rules of Maybe
Scarlet spends most of her time worrying about other people. Some are her friends, others are
practically strangers, and then there are the ones no one else even notices. Trying to fix their
lives comes naturally to her. And pushing her own needs to the side is part of the deal.
So when her older sister comes home unexpectedly married and pregnant, Scarlet has a new
person to worry about. But all of her good intentions are shattered when the unthinkable happens:
She falls for her sister’s husband. For the first time in a long time, Scarlet’s not fixing a problem,
she’s at the center of one. And ignoring her feelings doesn’t seem to be an option. . . .
YA FIC CAR
Carlson, Melody
Homecoming Queen
DJ Lane lives with five other girls in a boardinghouse owned by her grandmother, a retired
fashion model. As the novel opens, she discovers that her runaway roommate, Taylor, has
returned. Taylor quickly resolves her differences with the other Carter House residents and in the
process snags a coveted role in the school musical. Just as DJ thinks life in Crescent Cove might
settle down, she is injured while saving a child from an oncoming car. Although she has become
a local heroine, she struggles with the emotional and physical impact of the accident, feeling
alone and insecure as her friends carry on with their lives at school.
YA FIC CAR
Carlson, Melody
Torch Red
Feeling like she is the only virgin on the planet, a high school junior wrestles with questions about
love and sex before ultimately choosing to give herself to God instead of her boyfriend.
YA FIC CAR
Carlson, Melody
Burnt Orange
Up until her senior year, Amber has been the model of perfection—just like her dad, Pastor
Conrad, taught her to be. But when Claire Phillips invites her to more and more parties, Amber's
little white lies about her drinking spark a raging wildfire that threatens to overtake her life. Will
she be honest with herself and her friends before things really get out of control?
YA FIC CAR
Carlson, Melody
Pitch Black
If Morgan thought her life was tough before—what with a drug-addicted, klepto brother and a
cradle-robbing mother—it just got worse: Her friend Jason took his own life. Morgan copes—or
tries to—by attempting to piece together vague clues that might explain Jason's suicide. Making
matters worse, she can't help but feel responsible somehow. Sometimes she thinks maybe Jason
had the right idea all along.
YA FIC CAR
Carlson, Melody
Moon White
Heather's curiosity in Wicca brings new confidence and reassurance but alienates her from
others. Even so, this enchanting path seems harmless, even helpful. But when terrifying things
begin to happen that Heather can't explain, it becomes clear that she has less control over her
world than ever before.
31
YA FIC CAR
Carlson, Melody
Faded Denim
All of Emily's friends seem so perfect: skinny and pretty and fun and flirty. Emily loathes her
slightly overweight body, and as her secret bitterness begins to eat away at her soul, she faces
the dark prospect of developing an eating disorder.
YA FIC CAR
Carlson, Melody
Blade Silver
Ruth Wallace knows she can only hide the scars on her arms for so long. Cutting herself doesn't
make her problems disappear, but at least it helps her cope. Ruth needs to find someway, any
way, to heal her scars—the ones she hides and the ones she can't—before something terrible
happens.
YA FIC CAR
Carlson, Melody
Bright Purple
Jessica LeCroix drops a bomb on her best friend, Ramie: “I’m a lesbian.” Ramie Grant cannot
believe her ears. Jess!? Her best friend, her teammate…a homosexual? Before long other girls
on the basketball team find out, and little jokes become vicious attacks. In the end, Ramie must
decide if she will stand by Jessica’s side or turn her back on a friend in need.
YA FIC CAR Carter, Caela Me, Him, Them & It
ME is Evelyn Jones, 16, a valedictorian hopeful who's been playing bad girl to piss off THEM, her
cold, distant parents. HIM is Todd, Evelyn's secret un-boyfriend, who she thought she was just
using for sex - until she accidentally fell in love with him. But before Evelyn gets a chance to tell
Todd how she feels, something much more important comes up. IT. IT is a fetus. Evelyn is
pregnant - and when Todd turns his back on her, Evelyn has no idea who to turn to. Can a
cheating father, a stiff, cold mother, a pissed-off BFF, and a (thankfully!) loving aunt with adopted
girls of her own help Evelyn make the heart-wrenching decisions that follow?
YA FIC CAS
Castellucci, Cecil
First Day on Earth
Mal, a high school loner who has all but withdrawn from the world, believes that aliens abducted
him four years earlier in the California desert, where he disappeared for three days. And he
wouldn’t mind if they came back for him. It’s easy to see why Mal would want to escape Earth: his
mother has a drinking problem, his father abandoned them six years ago, and he’s ostracized
and taunted at school. When Mal meets a strange man at a support group for alien abductees,
Hooper surprises Mal by claiming to be an extraterrestrial. Is Hooper insane—or Mal’s best
chance for getting off the planet?
YA FIC CAS Castellucci, Cecil
Boy Proof
Meet Egg. Her real name is Victoria Jurgen, but she's renamed herself after the kick-ass heroine
of her favorite sci-fi movie, Terminal Earth. Like her namesake, Egg dresses all in white, colors
her eyebrows, and shaves her head. She always knows the right answers, she's always in control,
and she's far too busy — taking photos for the school paper, meeting with the Science Fiction
and Fantasy Club, and hanging out at the "creature shop" with her dad, the special-effects
makeup wizard-to be bothered with friends, much less members of the opposite sex. As far as
Egg is concerned, she's boy proof, and she likes it that way. But then Egg meets a boy named
Max, a boy who's smart and funny and creative and cool...and happens to like Egg. Could this be
the end of the world — at least as Egg knows it?
32
YA FIC CAS
Castellucci, Cecil
Queen of Cool
On the outside, Libby Brin is the most popular girl in school. She has the coolest friends, the
hottest boyfriend, the trendiest clothes, and the hippest parents. But on the inside, Libby is dying of boredom. In a moment of desperation, Libby signs up for an internship at the L.A. Zoo, much to
the dismay of her friends, who'd prefer she spend her time with them, shopping, partying, and
making fun of everyone else. To Libby, the zoo gig seems like something, anything, different to
do, even if it means she has to work with two nerds - Tina (aka "Tiny"), a little person and aspiring
actress, and Sheldon, an introverted boy with a brilliant, inquiring mind. But what happens when
Libby realizes she actually enjoys working at the zoo and may even like Tina and Sheldon? Will
the QUEEN OF COOL be forced to give up her crown?
YA FIC CHA
Chambers, Veronica
Plus
The perfect romantic makeover story about an every-girl whose dream comes true . . .
Beatrice Wilson is our lovable Cinderella, who just got dumped by her very first boyfriend and put
on twenty-five pounds. But then she's discovered as a plus model. In the eyes of pop culture, Bee
is Jessica Alba and then some! Now she must vanquish skinny rivals, fend off sleazy photogs,
and banish jealous frenemies in her rise to superstardom. All the while, she's torn between her
first love and the surprisingly sincere up-and-coming rapper she tutors in calculus. But what's
better than finding your prince charming? Finally learning to love yourself!
YA FIC CHA
Chandler, Kristen
Girls Don’t Fly
Myra is used to keeping her feet firmly on the ground. She's got four younger brothers,
overworked parents, and a pregnant older sister, and if Myra wasn't there to take care of
everyone, they'd probably fall apart. But when her boyfriend unceremoniously dumps her, Myra
feels like she's lost her footing. Suddenly she's doing things she never would've a few months
earlier: quitting her job, applying for a scholarship to study birds in the Galapogos, and falling for
a guy who's encouraging her to leap from her old life . . . and fly.
YA FIC CHA
Charlton-Trujillo, E.E. Fat Angie
Her sister was captured in Iraq, she’s the resident laughingstock at school, and her therapist tells
her to count instead of eat. Can a daring new girl in her life really change anything? Angie is
broken — by her can’t-be-bothered mother, by her high-school tormenters, and by being the only
one who thinks her varsity-athlete-turned-war-hero sister is still alive. Hiding under a mountain of
junk food hasn’t kept the pain (or the shouts of "crazy mad cow!") away. Having failed to kill
herself — in front of a gym full of kids — she’s back at high school just trying to make it through
each day. That is, until the arrival of KC Romance, the kind of girl who doesn’t exist in Dryfalls,
Ohio. A girl who is one hundred and ninety-nine percent wow! A girl who never sees her as Fat
Angie, and who knows too well that the package doesn’t always match what’s inside.
YA FIC CHB
Chbosky, Stephen
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's
letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We
may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying
to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory.
The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs,
and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect
drive to feel infinite.
33
YA FIC CIR
Cirrone, Dorian
Dancing in Red Shoes will Kill You
Kayla Calloway is a junior at Florida Arts High School, or "Farts" as it is called by its students. Her
passion is ballet. Kayla has been dancing since she was five-years-old and she is good at it—
very good. Her technical ballet skills are perfect, but she is never picked for the good parts in any
of the school performances. Kayla dreams of landing plush solo roles yet as hard as she works,
as much as she studies and perfects all of her pirouettes and grande jetes, those roles never
come her way. Why? Kayla does not have a ballerina's body. She has the long, slender, yet
muscular legs, but between the neck and waist she has the body of Dolly Parton. With an upper
body that big, she just does not look the part. Will Kayla have to undergo breast reduction surgery
if she is to successfully pursue a career as a ballerina?
YA FIC CIR
Cirrone, Dorian
Prom Kings and Drama Queens
That summer, Hurricane Emily was in the news. The headlines shouted things like: "Emily Rocks
South Florida." I wanted to be like that Emily in the headlines. I wanted to take the world by
storm. Not that I wanted to knock over mango trees or whip power lines across the sky like
spaghetti. But I wanted to rock in my own way. Emily Bennet has some impossible projects on
her "To Do" list, like landing her longtime crush, Brian Harrington, and winning the job of editor in
chief of the school newspaper over her arch nemesis, Daniel Cummings. And, on top of that,
she's determined to do something special. Something important. Something good. Suddenly,
Emily's checking things off her list left and right. She's kissing Brian on a semiregular basis and
she's raising money for a good cause by planning an Alternative Prom (but she would secretly
rather go to the real one). The only item that remains is knocking Daniel Cummings off his
pedestal. But when did he start to look, well, cute? Emily's finding it harder and harder to stick to
her list. And she still needs to conquer the most important item of all. Can she find her inner prom
queen and figure out how to rock?
YA FIC CLA
Clark, Jay The Edumacation of Jay Baker
Jay Baker, 15, has been having a tough time. Not only is his relationship with his best
friend/longtime crush, Cameo Appearance Parnell, confusing him, but his parents' marriage also
seems to be hitting critical mass. Footballer Mike Hibbard seems to have it in for him, too, and
Jay can't for the life of him understand why. Things take a refreshing turn when he meets
nationally ranked tennis player Caroline, the new girl at school, who is as snarky as he is. It
remains to be seen whether their fledgling relationship can survive Cameo's finally returning Jay's
affections and long-buried secrets about Jay's mother coming to the surface.
YA FIC CLA
Clark, Kristin Elizabeth
Freakboy
From the outside, Brendan Chase seems to have it pretty easy. He’s a star wrestler, a video
game aficionado, and a loving boyfriend to his seemingly perfect match, Vanessa. But on the
inside, Brendan struggles to understand why his body feels so wrong—why he sometimes
fantasizes having long hair, soft skin, and gentle curves. Is there even a name for guys like him?
Guys who sometimes want to be girls? Or is Brendan just a freak?
YA FIC CLA Clayton, Colleen What Happens Next
Before the ski trip, Cassidy "Sid" Murphy was a cheerleader (on the bottom of the pyramid, but
still...) and a straight-A student, with two of the best friends a girl could ask for. When Sid finds
herself on a ski lift with hunky local college guy, Dax Windsor, she's thrilled. "Come to a party with
me," he tells her, but Dax isn't what he seems. He takes everything from Sid-including a lock of
her perfect red curls-and she can't remember any of it. After the ski trip, Sid is an insomniac and
an obsessive late-night runner, unable to relate to her old friends. Caught in a downward spiral,
Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey "The
Living Stoner" Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey—slacker, baker, total
dreamboat—Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if only she could shake the
nightmares, everything would be perfect...
34
YA FIC CLE
Cleave, Ryan van
Unlocked
Andy is the janitor's son, an outcast, a nobody. Then the rumor starts-that Blake has a gun in his
locker. In a moment of misguided hopefulness, Andy steals the keys from his dad and opens up
Blake's locker, hoping that finding the gun will change his own status. But the gun isn't there and
Andy remains an outcast. When an unlikely friendship develops between the two loners, Blake
shares most of his secrets with Andy, including the gun. But there's one secret that worries Andy
more than anything-the date circled on Blake's calendar. Does Blake have something planned?
Something that Andy can prevent? In a fascinating look at how teens deal with the now constant
threat of school violence, debut author Ryan G. Van Cleave provides a unique, emotional
perspective on how it feels to be the one who can prevent a tragedy.
YA FIC COH
Cohn, Rachel
Gingerbread
When sixteen–year–old Cyd Charisse is sent to New York to stay with her biological dad she gets
to know not only her older brother and the sister who calls her “Daddy’s little indiscretion” but also
herself.
YA FIC COH Cohn, Rachel
Shrimp
It is the start of her senior year, and Cyd Charisse is looking forward to two things: her future
without school and her future with her true love, Shrimp. Sure, he broke up with Cyd right before
her summertime trip to visit her dad in New York City, but that doesn't mean they are over and
through. No, now that she is back in San Francisco, the determined teen plans on their getting
back together—and when Cyd has her mind set on something, watch out! Of course, Cyd's life is
also complicated by her family, including her sister's doll napping of sweet Gingerbread, her
mother's expectations about her college future, her stepfather's disappointment about her earlier
abortion, and her beloved half-brother's unexpected breakup with his "true love" boyfriend. Fans
of Rachel Cohn's first Cyd Charisse work, Gingerbread, are sure to applaud the return of their
heroine.
YA FIC COH
Cohn, Rachel
Cupcake
This is the third novel in a trilogy about Cyd Charisse, a former bad girl, now good (sort of), in
love with Shrimp, and finally graduated from high school and living on her own (sort of) in New
York. She has just turned down Shrimp's marriage proposal and they have gone in opposite
directions to seek their destinies. The trouble is, CC (as she prefers to be called) is not sure what
that destiny entails. She knows she doesn't want to go to college and she knows she misses
Shrimp. She also manages to break her leg on her first day of freedom and is confined to her
apartment for six weeks. All this baggage, however, does not stop her from having new
adventures in New York, making new friends, incorporating herself into her new family, and trying
to find a new love. Just as her new life seems under control, Shrimp reappears, making her
question her destiny, her sense of selfhood, and what sorts of sacrifices loving another person
calls for.
YA FIC COL Colasanti, Susane
When It Happens
At the start of her senior year in high school, Sara wants two things: to get into a top college and
to find true love.Tobey also wants two things for his senior year: to win Battle of the Bands and to
make Sara fall in love with him. However, a popular jock named Dave moves in on Sara first. But
Tobey’s quirky wit and big blue eyes are hard for Sara to ignore. Plus, he gets the little things that
matter to her. Can a slacker rock-star wannabe win the heart of a pretty class brain like Sara?
35
YA FIC COL Colasanti, Susane Take Me There
In one short week . . . three lives change.
Rhiannon is devastated after the breakup with her boyfriend and wants him back. Nicole's ex is
still in the picture, but she can't help having a new crush. James and Rhiannon are just friends,
though he may try to take it to the next level. Will their desire to take a mean girl down a notch
bring these three friends what they want . . . and more?
YA FIC COL
Colasanti, Susane
Waiting for You
At the beginning of her sophomore year, Marisa is ready for a fresh start and, more importantly, a
boyfriend. So when the handsome and popular Derek asks her out, Marisa thinks her long wait
for happiness is over. But several bumps in the road—including her parents' unexpected
separation, a fight with her best friend, and a shocking disappointment in her relationship with
Derek—test Marisa's ability to maintain her new outlook. Only the anonymous DJ, whose
underground podcasts have the school's ear, seems to understand what Marisa is going through.
But she has no idea who he is—or does she?
YA FIC COL
Coll, Susan
Acceptance
Applying to and getting into college has turned into a deadly serious business for some students
and their parents, but Susan Coll manages to make it funny and sometimes poignantly sad in her
novel. The characters she describes—AP Harry, Taylor Rockefeller and Maya Kaluantharana,
neighbors in an upscale Washington suburb—each react differently to the pressure exerted by
their parents, teachers, counselors, peers and, most importantly, themselves as they live through
April of their junior year to March of their senior year, by which time their fate is sealed along with
their acceptance/deferral/rejection letters. Harry has lived his whole life with the goal of Harvard
acceptance ruling his actions; Taylor's erratic mother is more obsessed with her daughter's future
than she is; and Maya, as the fourth child of overachieving parents and siblings, must figure out
for herself what she really wants and whether the school she chooses or that chooses her is
going to really make the difference. Coll also tells the story through the eyes of an admissions
dean at a small upstate New York college and reveals the politics and pressure from her point of
view as well. Anyone who has been through, or is going through, the college admission process
will find this novel hilarious at points, ridiculous at others and, most importantly, true.
YA FIC COO
Cook, Eileen
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood
Helen Worthington and Lauren Wood, both 14, were born a day apart in the same hospital in
Michigan and seated together from kindergarten through eighth grade. It was only natural that
they would be the closest of friends—until Lauren decides that she needs a fresh start in high
school and frames Helen for naming the students who participated in the senior prank. The last
days of eighth grade are hell for Helen, and she's in heaven when her dad gets a new job and
they move to New York. However, after three years spent reinventing herself, her father gets a
grant to study at a meditation camp and Helen finds herself sent back to Terrace for her senior
year. She sets out to take her revenge on her ex-friend, which involves taking away the four most
important things to Lauren, including her boyfriend and her popularity. During the course of the
story Helen learns about the true nature of friends, relationships, and family.
YA FIC COO
Cooner, Donna
Skinny
This novel kickstarted a national conversation on weight, beauty, and transformation. In it, we
meet Ever, a fifteen-year-old girl who weighs over 300 pounds and is haunted by a voice in her
head she calls "Skinny." Skinny tells Ever she is ugly. Fat. Unlovable. And Ever believes her.
When Ever makes the controversial choice to have gastric bypass surgery, she does start losing
weight and gains the interest of boys...but Skinny is still there, louder than before. Ever will need
to confront that voice before she can truly find, and accept, her own.
36
YA FIC COR
Corbet, Robert
Shelf Life
An assortment of teens working in a supermarket cope with health and family problems, future
hopes and dreams, the complications of on-the-job romances, and the challenges of customer
service.
YA FIC COR
Coriell, Shelley
Welcome Caller, This is Chloe
Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her
reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to
take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio
station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and
struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in
show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends
radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe
faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life.
YA FIC COY
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. It's a lot of pressure for a high school junior to bear. This gripping look into the world of high
school boys and athletes--and their struggle to be the best--is provocative and searingly honest.
YA FIC CRA
Crawford, Brent
Carter Finally Gets It
Meet Will Carter, but feel free to call him Carter. (Yes, he knows it's a lazy nickname, but he
didn't have much say in the matter.)
Here are five things you should know about him:
1. He has a stuttering problem, particularly around boobs and belly buttons.
2. He battles Attention Deficit Disorder every minute of every day, unless he gets distracted.
3. He's a virgin, mostly because he's no good at talking to girls (see number 1).
4. He's about to start high school.
5. He's totally not ready.
Join Carter for his freshman year, where he'll search for sex, love, and acceptance anywhere he
can find it. In the process, he'll almost kill a trombone player, face off with his greatest nemesis,
suffer a lot of blood loss, narrowly escape death, run from the cops (not once, but twice), get
caught up in a messy love triangle, meet his match in the form of a curvy drill teamer, and
surprise the hell out of everyone, including himself.
YA FIC CRA
Crawford, Brent
Carter’s Big Break
In the hilarious and poignant sequel to Carter Finally Gets It, fourteen-year-old Will Carter
attempts to get a little perspective on his life. School is finally over, and he has (barely) survived
his freshman year. Unfortunately, he quickly learns that the summer break he’s been craving just
might break him. When he and his girlfriend, Abby, part ways (over his less-than-appropriate
requests and her shameless flirting with another guy), Carter can’t help but think his summer is
ruined. Things start to look up after he’s unexpectedly cast in an independent film opposite the
world’s biggest tween sensation, Hilary Idaho, who’s looking to give her image a makeover. With
Hollywood knocking on his door, Carter gets a taste of the good life. Suddenly, his small town,
lame friends, and embarrassing family don’t seem as great as they used to. As is prone to
happen when Carter is around, the film spirals out of control, and he begins to fear that he’s not
the “somebody” he thinks he is and more of the “nobody” he’s pretty sure he always has been.
But maybe, with the help of a few friends, he’ll learn to see things in a whole new light.
Find out if Carter goes Hollywood…or Hollywood goes Carter.
37
YA FIC CRA
Crawford, Brent
Carter’s Unfocused One-Track Mind
After an eventful freshman year and disastrous summer, fifteen-year-old Will Carter returns to
Merrian High none the wiser. His sophomore year will present a host of new problems: the return
of Scary Terry from juvie, the pregnant presence of Amber Lee, friends-with-benefits negotiations
with Abby, prom night expectations, and the ever-constant harassment from his boys. When Abby
announces that she might be transferring to a New York arts school, Carter's world is turned
upside down and he'll be forced to make the biggest decision of his life.
YA FIC CRO
Cronn-Mills, Kirstin
Beautiful Music for Ugly Children
As if high school is not hard enough for a loner and die-hard music geek, Gabe is a guy trapped
in the body of a girl. In the spring of senior year, he has come out as a transsexual to his family
and Paige, his only friend at school, where he is known as Elizabeth, or "that lesbo chick." After
telling his neighbor John —a radio DJ and mentor in the radio business—Gabe plans to lie low
until graduation, when he can move to the Twin Cities to begin life as a man. But his parents still
call him "Elizabeth," his brother ignores him, and he blurts out his name as Gabe on his first latenight community radio show. When "Beautiful Music for Ugly Children" attracts a following at
Elizabeth's school, Gabe is forced to decide whether to be Gabe to everyone or keep his true self
hidden.
YA FIC CRO Crompton, Laurie Boyle
Westfield High
The Real Prom Queens of
It's no surprise to Shannon when she is voted least likely to be prom queen at Westfield High.
That is until she's selected to co-star in a hidden-camera reality show, The Prom Queen
Wannabes, and undergoes a complete makeover. Now the social hierarchy of the entire senior
class is about to be turned upside down. But when Shannon uncovers proof that the beauty
business can be awfully ugly, she must find a way to show her BFF and one true crush that
underneath the fabulous makeover, she really hasn't changed. This prom night is about to shock
everyone's corsages off.
YA FIC CRU Crutcher, Chris
Angry Management
Every kid in this group wants to fly. Every kid in this group has too much ballast.
Mr. Nak's Angry Management group is a place for misfits. A place for stories. And, man, does this
crew have stories. There's Angus Bethune and Sarah Byrnes, who can hide from everyone but
each other. Together, they will embark on a road trip full of haunting endings and glimmering
beginnings. And Montana West, who doesn't step down from a challenge. Not even when the
challenge comes from her adoptive dad, who's leading the school board to censor the article she
wrote for the school paper. And straightlaced Matt Miller, who had never been friends with
outspoken genius Marcus James. Until one tragic week—a week they'd do anything to change—
brings them closer than Matt could have ever imagined.
YA FIC CRU
Crutcher, Chris
Period. 8.
Period 8. An hour a day. You can hang out. You can eat your lunch. You can talk. Or listen. Or
neither. Or both. Nothing is off-limits. The only rule is that you keep it real; that you tell the truth.
Heller High senior Paul Baum—aka Paulie Bomb—tells the truth. Not the "Wow, that's an ugly
sweater" variety of truth, but the other kind. The truth that matters. It might be hard. It often hurts.
But Paulie doesn't know how not to tell it. When he tells his girlfriend Hannah the life-altering,
messed-up, awful truth, his life falls apart. The truth can get complicated, fast.
But someone in Period 8 is lying. And Paulie, Hannah, and just about everyone else who stops by
the safe haven of the P-8 room daily are deceived. And when a classmate goes missing and the
mystery of her disappearance seeps beyond P-8 and into every hour of the day, all hell breaks
loose.
38
YA FIC CRU Crutcher, Chris
Stotan!
The story is built around the lives of Walker, Nortie, Jeff, and Lion, members of the Frost High
School swimming team who are on the brink of life-changing experiences. Stotan Week, a
grueling task taken on by the young men, causes them to rethink their own perceptions of
themselves and each other, dramatically exposing their deepest and darkest sides.
YA FIC CRU
Crutcher, Chris
Ironman
Bo Brewster has been at war with his father for as long as he can remember. Following angry
outbursts at his football coach and English teacher that have cost him his spot on the football
team and moved him dangerously close to expulsion from school, he turns to the only adult he
believes will listen: Larry King. In his letters to Larry, Bo describes his quest for excellence on his
own terms. No more coaches for me, he tells the talk show icon, no more dads. I'm going to be a
triathlete, an Ironman. Relegated to Mr. Nak's before-school Anger Management group (which he
initially believes to be populated with future serial killers and freeway snipers), Bo meets a hardedged, down-on-their-luck pack of survivors with stainless steel shields against the world that Bo
comes to see are not so different from his own. It is here he meets and falls in love with Shelly, a
future American Gladiator, whose passion for physical challenge more than matches his.
Ironman is a funny, sometimes heartbreaking story about growing up in the heart of struggle. It is
about standing up, getting knocked down, and standing up again. It is about being heard - and
learning to listen.
YA FIC CRU
Crutcher, Chris
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
An obese boy and a disfigured girl suffer the emotional scars of years of mockery at the hands of
their peers. They share a hard-boiled view of the world until events in their senior year hurl them
in very different directions. A story about a friendship with staying power, written with pathos and
pointed humor.
YA FIC CRU & SR Section Crutcher, Chris
Whale Talk
There’s bad news and good news about the Cutter High School swim team. The bad news is that
they don’t have a pool. The good news is that only one of them can swim anyway. A group of
misfits brought together by T. J. Jones (the J is redundant), the Cutter All Night Mermen struggle
to find their places in a school that has no place for them. T.J. is convinced that a varsity letter
jacket - exclusive, revered, the symbol (as far as T.J. is concerned) of all that is screwed up at
Cutter High - will also be an effective tool. He’s right. He’s also wrong. Still, it’s always the quest
that counts. And the bus on which the Mermen travel to swim meets soon becomes the space
where they gradually allow themselves to talk, to fit, to grow. Together they’ll fight for dignity in a
world where tragedy and comedy dance side by side, where a moment’s inattention can bring
lifelong heartache, and where true acceptance is the only prescription for what ails us.
YA FIC CRU
Crutcher, Chris
Chinese Handcuffs
A winning triathlete’s need to understand his older brother’s suicide is complicated by memories
and daring challenges.
YA FIC CRU
Crutcher, Chris
Running Loose
Louie takes a stand against his coach and playing dirty football, falls in love and loses his
girlfriend in a fatal accident - all in his senior year.
YA FIC CRU
Crutcher, Chris
Crazy Horse Electric Game
Willie Weaver used to be a hero. Now he's nothing. Willie is a top athlete, the star of the
legendary game against Crazy Horse Electric. Then a freak accident robs him of his onceamazing physical talents. Betrayed by his family, his girlfriend, and his own body, Willie's on the
run, penniless and terrified on the streets, where he must fight to rebuild both his body and his life.
39
YA FIC DAN
Daniels, Babygirl
Glitter
Asia Smith walks through life with a silver spoon in her mouth, thanks to her father, who spares
no expense when it comes to his baby girl. But when he dies tragically, her extravagant lifestyle is
brought down a notch. She struggles to adjust to her new life with Auntie Joy. Asia thinks that
entering high school will help her world return to normal. She's excited about attending the hypest
school in Detroit along with her best friend, Tracey. They're closer than ever and loving their
freshman experience—until they fall for the same boy. Tracey turns her back on Asia, and things
get complicated. Asia puts her new boyfriend before her old friendship. She's willing to do
anything to keep him interested—even things she's not quite ready to handle. When she ends up
pregnant, the boyfriend she thought would be with her forever quickly disappears, and she's left
to deal with the consequences of growing up too fast. Will her life ever get back on track?
YA FIC DAV
Davidson, Dana
Played
When one of Ian's boys dares him to get plain-faced Kylie Winship to sleep with him in just three
weeks, he thinks it'll be a breeze. Tall and fine, with honey-colored skin and eyes, Ian is used to
getting what he wants from girls. And if he succeeds in playing Kylie, he'll be down with most
popular crew in his high school. But this girl who everyone considers a nobody, is turning out to
be more surprising than he ever could have imagined.
YA FIC DE
De La Cruz, Melissa
The Ashleys
The Ashleys rule Miss Gamble's Preparatory School for Girls. They are gorgeous, rich,
impeccably fashion forward, and, yes, all named Ashley. Lauren Page has gone to the same
school with them her whole life, and the Ashleys, if forced to remember, might recall only a faint
memory of shoving mud in the poor girl's mouth in kindergarten. But Lauren Page is no longer the
mud-eating loser she once was. And though she has completely changed her exterior from
bargain-basement cast-offs to off-the-runway couture (props, of course, to her new personal
shopper) she is still the same person on the inside. And that person has had enough of the
current regime. Look out, Ashleys. There's a new name in school.
YA FIC DES
Desir, C.
Fault Line
Ben could date anyone he wants, but he only has eyes for the new girl — sarcastic free-spirit, Ani.
Luckily for Ben, Ani wants him too. She’s everything Ben could ever imagine. Everything he could
ever want. But that all changes after the party. The one Ben misses. The one Ani goes to alone.
Now Ani isn’t the girl she used to be, and Ben can’t sort out the truth from the lies. What really
happened, and who is to blame? Ben wants to help her, but she refuses to be helped. The more
she pushes Ben away, the more he wonders if there’s anything he can do to save the girl he
loves.
YA FIC DES
Dessen, Sarah
Someone Like You
Halley's junior year of high school includes the death of her best friend Scarlett's boyfriend, the
discovery that Scarlett is pregnant, and Halley's own first serious relationship.
YA FIC DES
Dessen, Sarah
Along for the Ride
Ever since her parents began fighting, Auden has been unable to sleep at night. Now, spending a
summer at a charming beach town with her father and his new family, she has to find new places
to pass the time she spends awake. And so she meets Eli, a fellow insomniac who becomes her
nighttime guide. Together, they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree
teenage life she has missed; for Eli, to come to terms with the death of a friend.
40
YA FIC DEU
Deuker, Carl
Gym Candy
Runningback Mick Johnson has dreams: dreams of cutting back, finding the hole, breaking into
the open, and running free with nothing but green grass ahead. He has dreams of winning and of
being the best. But football is a cruel sport. It requires power, grace, speed, quickness, and
knowledge of the game. It takes luck, too. One crazy bounce can turn a likely victory into sudden
defeat. What elite athlete wouldn't look for an edge? A way to make him bigger, stronger, faster?
This novel explores the dark corners of the heart of a young football player as he struggles for
success under the always glaring—and often unforgiving—stadium lights.
YA MYS DEU
Deuker, Carl
Payback Time
Through the eyes of a distinctly non-athletic protagonist—a fat high school journalist named
Mitch—veteran sports novelist Deuker reveals the surprising truth behind a mysterious football
player named Angel. When Angel shows up Lincoln High, he seems to have no past—or at least
not one he is willing to discuss. Though Mitch gets a glimpse of Angel's incredible talent off the
field, Angel rarely allows himself to shine on the field. Is he an undercover cop, wonders
Mitch? Or an ineligible player? In pursuit of a killer story, Mitch decides to find out just who this
player is and what he's done. In the end, the truth—and what Mitch does with it—surprises
everyone.
Tween & YA FIC DEV
Devillers, Julia
Lynn Visible
The coolest teen fashion magazine is looking for fashion-savvy girls to be on their advisory panel.
It's perfect for Lynn Vincent, who eats, breathes, and sleeps fashion. However Lynn is so fashion
forward that she's years ahead of the trends in her small town. Lynn is so in, she's out, especially
with Chasey Welch and her popular circle. But Lynn may finally get her moment in the spotlightand on the runway- when a famous designer gets her hands on one of Lynn's unique creations.
YA FIC DEW
DeWoskin, Rachel
Big Girl Small
Judy Lohden is your above-average sixteen-year-old—sarcastic and vulnerable, talented and
uncertain, full of big dreams for a big future. With a singing voice that can shake an auditorium,
she should be the star of Darcy Academy, the local performing arts high school. So why is a girl
this promising hiding out in a seedy motel room on the edge of town? The fact that the national
media is on her trail after a controversy that might bring down the whole school could have
something to do with it. And that scandal has something—but not everything—to do with the fact
that Judy is three feet nine inches tall.
YA FIC DIO
Dionne, Erin
Notes from an Accidental Band Geek
Elsie Wyatt is a born French horn player, just like her father and her grandfather before her. In
order to qualify for the prestigious summer music camp of her dreams, she must expand her
musical horizons and join - gasp! - the marching band. There are no French horns in marching
band (what the heck is a mellophone??), but there are some cute boys. And marching band is
very different from orchestra: they march, they chant, they . . . cluck? Elsie is not so sure she'll
survive, but the new friends she's making and the actual fun she's having will force her to
question her dad's expectations and her own musical priorities.
41
YA FIC DIV
Divine, L.
Second Chance: (Drama High)
Back for another dose of high drama, Compton's sassiest, Jayd Jackson, is about to discover it
really is a different world when she starts dating South Bay High's finest white boy . . . All Jayd
Jackson wants is a drama-free year at South Bay High, a.k.a. Drama High. But it doesn't seem
she's going to get it. Jayd just wants to chill, still hoping Junior year can carry on, drama-free. And
with Misty and KJ reportedly "hanging," Jayd is ready to move on. But the brother won't stop
blowing up Jayd's cellie, and the text-messages keep coming; and the message is clear: KJ
wants Jayd back bad. But Jayd couldn't care less. She's got a new man to kick-it with now-a halfJewish white boy from Palos Verdes whose parents are loaded with a capital "L." And Jeremy
Weiner's no ordinary white boy-he listens to East Coast rap, he's got a sweet ride, and he's got it
bad for Jayd Jackson. But no one at South Bay High will just let a sistah be happy. Misty's back
to her usual foolishness, KJ's all over her jock, and the notoriously anti-black teacher Mrs.
Bennett is tripping. Jeremy's got her totally sprung, but she's going to have to rely on her brainsand some of Mama's magic, of course-if she's going to survive another week at Drama High.
YA FIC DIV
Divine, L.
The Fight (Drama High)
Jayd just wants to start her Junior year of high school drama free. But wanting ain't getting,
especially at a place like Drama High, a predominately white high school in a wealthy part of Los
Angeles, where Jayd and 30 other Compton kids get bussed to daily. Saying race relations aren't
what they should be would be putting it mildly, and that's just the beginning of the drama. Jayd's
first day back to school, KJ's new girlfriend, Trecee, steps to her wanting to fight. Egged on by
Misty, Jayd's former best friend-turned-nemesis, Trecee wants to make Jayd understand that KJ
is off limits-even if she has to do it with her fists. With the fight set for Friday, and the sistah
drama at an all time high, Jayd is about to learn who's really got her back and more importantly,
when she's got to watch it. But at least she can always count on Mama, and her mystical bag of
tricks.
YA FIC DOW
Dowell, Frances O'Roark
Ten Miles Past Normal
Janie Gorman wants to be normal. The problem with that: she’s not. She’s smart and creative
and a little bit funky. She’s also an unwilling player in her parents’ modern-hippy, let’s-live-on-agoat-farm experiment (regretfully, instigated by a younger, much more enthusiastic Janie). This,
to put it simply, is not helping Janie reach that “normal target.” She has to milk goats every
day…and endure her mother’s pseudo celebrity in the homemade-life, crunchy mom blogosphere.
Goodbye the days of frozen lasagna and suburban living, hello crazy long bus ride to high school
and total isolation—and hovering embarrassments of all kinds. The fresh baked bread is
good…the threat of homemade jeans, not so much. It would be nice to go back to that old
suburban life…or some grown up, high school version of it, complete with nice, normal boyfriends
who wear crew neck sweaters and like social studies. So, what’s wrong with normal? Well, kind of
everything. She knows that, of course, why else would she learn bass and join Jam Band, how
else would she know to idolize infamous wild-child and high school senior Emma (her best friend
Sarah’s older sister), why else would she get arrested while doing a school project on a local
freedom school (jail was not part of the assignment). And, why else would she kind of be falling in
"like" with a boy named Monster—yes, that is his real name.
YA FIC DOY
Doyle, Larry
I Love You Beth Cooper
Denis Cooverman didn't want to give a typical graduation speech, cherishing memories and
embracing challenges and crap. So, instead, he stood up in front of his 512 class-mates and their
3,000 relatives and said some-thing really important: "I love you, Beth Cooper." It would have
been such a sweet, romantic moment. Except that: Beth, the head cheerleader, has only the
vaguest idea who Denis is. And Denis, the captain of the debate team, is so far out of her league
he is barely even the same species. And then there's Kevin, Beth's remarkably large boyfriend,
in town on furlough from the United States Army. Complications ensue.
42
YA FIC DRA
Draper, Sharon
Panic
Diamond knows not to get into a car with a stranger. But what if the stranger is well-dressed and
handsome? On his way to meet his wife and daughter? And casting a movie that very night—a
movie in need of a star dancer? What then? Then Diamond might make the wrong decision. It’s
a nightmare come true: Diamond Landers has been kidnapped. She was at the mall with a friend,
alone for only a few brief minutes—and now she’s being held captive, forced to endure horrors
beyond what she ever could have dreamed, while her family and friends experience their own
torments and wait desperately for any bit of news.
YA FIC DRA
Draper, Sharon
Just Another Hero
Suppose someone showed up in YOUR classroom carrying an AK-47.
You have a split second:
To think.
To act.
To be a hero.
But what is a hero?
That question becomes all too real for Arielle, November, Jericho, and their friends. They've been
through so much: the hazing ritual that left Joshua dead and hearts aching; November finding out
that she was pregnant with Josh's baby. But senior year is going well, and when the fire alarm
goes off in English class, everyone assumes that crazy Jack is trying to get out of another quiz.
But the alarm was pulled for a very different reason. A potentially deadly reason. There's only a
matter of seconds to stop a tragedy, and all eyes are searching for someone — anyone — to step
up and do something.
YA FIC ELK
Elkeles, Simone
How to Ruin My Teenage Life
In this sequel to How to Ruin a Summer Vacation, EVERYTHING in sixteen-year-old Amy Nelson
Barak's life is going wrong! Her mom got married and moved to the suburbs, and now they are
going to have a baby. Amy moves in with her dad in Chicago and signs him up for an online
dating service. His first four dates are that night . . . What else? Her dog Mutt impregnated her
grumpy neighbor's prized poodle, so Amy will actually have to get a part-time job to pay for half
the veterinary bill. And there's this totally annoying boy, Nathan Rubin, who just moved into her
apartment building. Luckily, Amy has a cute boyfriend named Avi. Only he's more like a nonboyfriend considering Avi is in the Israeli army for the next three years. What's a girl to do when
everyone is conspiring to ruin her life?
YA FIC ELK
Elkeles, Simone
Perfect Chemistry
When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that
her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab
partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to
threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her
boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he
knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of
it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he
made in arrogance turns into something much more.
YA FIC ELK
Elkeles, Simone
Rules of Attraction
New sparks will fly in the sequel to Simone Elkeles’s breakout book Perfect Chemistry
When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for a year, he doesn’t want any
part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him at a high school in Colorado. Carlos
likes living his life on the edge and wants to carve his own path—just like Alex did. Then he meets
Kiara Westford. She doesn’t talk much and is completely intimidated by Carlos’ wild ways. As
they get to know one another, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she’s too good for him, and refuses to
admit that she might be getting to him. But he soon realizes that being himself is exactly what
Kiara needs right now.
43
YA FIC ELK
Elkeles, Simone
Chain Reaction
Luis Fuentes has always been sheltered from the gang violence that nearly destroyed his
brothers’ lives. But that hasn’t stopped him from other thrill-seeking behavior—like scaling a
mountain in the Rockies or dreaming of a future as an astronaut. Nikki Cruz lives her life by three
rules—boys lie to get their way, don’t trust a boy who says "I love you," and never date a boy
from the south side of Fairfield. Then she meets Luis at his brother Alex’s wedding, and suddenly
she’s tempted to break all her rules. Getting Nikki to take a chance on a south sider is Luis’s
biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by Chuy Soto, the new head of the Latino Blood.
When Chuy reveals a disturbing secret about Luis’s family, the youngest Fuentes finds himself
questioning everything he’s ever believed to be true. Will his feelings for Nikki be enough to stop
Luis from entering a dark and violent world?
YA FIC EMO
Emond, Stephen
Happyface
Happyface, the narrator, is a teen who is starting his life over. When his parents split up,
Happyface and his mother move to a different town, different school and different way of life.
Happyface determinedly transforms himself from the geeky loner drawing in a corner to a
perpetually smiling, happy-faced kid. It works, for awhile. Then Happyface's past collides with his
present, and he must face all of the challenges he's been avoiding by putting on a happy face.
Part journal, part sketchbook and part scrapbook, Emond's novel poignantly and accurately
captures the humor, pain, loneliness, and hopefulness of being a teen.
YA FIC ERS Erskine, Kathryn
Quaking
Don't call her Matilda. Her name is Matt. And don't even think about getting close to her. She
doesn't need anyone. Can't you tell by looking at her, dressed all in black with a spider painted on
her face and her ice-cold stare? But most of all, do not bully her. She has been through it all
already. But everything changes for fourteen-year-old Matt when she moves in with peaceful
Quakers Sam and Jessica Fox, who are active in the movement against the war in the Middle
East. Soon, conflict arises in town over the war, and suddenly, no one is safe. Matt fears for her
safety and the safety of her new family. Could the boy who terrorizes her at school be behind it all?
And how can she save the family she is actually growing to love when her fear always leaves her
quaking?
YA FIC EUL
Eulberg, Elizabeth
The Lonely Hearts Club
Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating. So she vows: no more. It's a personal choice. . .and, of
course, soon everyone wants to know about it. And a few other girls are inspired. A movement is
born: The Lonely Hearts Club (named after the band from Sgt. Pepper). Penny is suddenly known
for her nondating ways . . . which is too bad, because there's this certain boy she can't help but
like. . . .
YA FIC FER
Ferraro, Tina Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress
Sophomore year, Nicolette Antonovich was dumped two days before prom by the hottest guy at
school. As a result, she became the proud owner of one unworn, perfectly magical pink vintage
dress. But Nic is determined to put that night behind her for good. She's a junior now— older,
wiser, and completely overwhelmed by a new set of problems: (1) The bank's ready to foreclose
on her childhood home. (2) Her father's too busy with his "replacement" daughter to care. (3) Her
best friend's brother is an eternal thorn in her side. (4) Her best friend isn't exactly the rose
attached to that thorn. (5) Rumors are flying around school that could get her kicked off the
volleyball team, which would (6) ruin all chances of a college scholarship. (7) She still likes the
boy who dumped her in the first place. (8) And what in the world do you do with an unworn prom
dress, anyway? Strangely, it's getting to the bottom of this last dilemma that just might hold the
answer to all Nic's problems.
44
YA FIC FER
Ferraro, Tina
How to Hook a Hottie
At 17, Kate Delvecchio has one goal in life: to become a millionaire before the age of 20. And as
far as she’s concerned, college will only slow her down. Unfortunately for Kate, the one thing her
parents do agree on is that they totally disagree with her strategy. And so the deal is born. If Kate
can raise five thousand big ones by graduation day, her parents will hand over the balance of her
college account to invest as she pleases. No college, no degree, and no way she’ll ever be able
to pull it off. But when Kate accidentally agrees to go to the sports banquet with the hottest guy at
school, she stumbles upon a possible cash cow. The rest of the junior class is amazed that nononsense Kate could hook such a hottie, and one by one they approach her for help hooking their
own. She doesn’t know anything about getting guys, but for $100 a pop, she’s more than willing
to invent a six-step plan for How to Hook a Hottie. And how could that possibly backfire?
YA FIC FIS
Fischer, Debbie Reed
Braless in Wonderland
Allee Rosen is a lot of things: high school senior, overachiever, brain. The one thing Allee is not is
supermodel material-at least that's what she thinks until modeling scouts spot her and she moves
to Miami to work with an elite modeling agency. Suddenly Allee is swept up in a whirlwind of
designer labels, photo shoots, go-sees and some seriously backstabbing models. Will this
fabulous new life go to her head?
YA FIC FLO Flores-Scott, Patrick
Jumped In
Sam has the rules of slackerhood down: Don’t be late to class. Don’t ever look the teacher in the
eye. Develop your blank stare. Since his mom left, he has become an expert in the art of slacking,
especially since no one at his new school gets his intense passion for the music of the Pacific
Northwest—Nirvana, Hole, Sleater-Kinney. Then his English teacher begins a slam poetry unit
and Sam gets paired up with the daunting, scarred, clearly-a-gang-member Luis, who happens to
sit next to him in every one of his classes. Slacking is no longer an option—Luis will destroy him.
YA FIC FRA
Franklin, Emily
At Face Value
Cyrie Bergerac is the witty editor of the Weston High school paper. Her verbal skills propel her
through her days and drive the pace of this story. As she explains from the get-go, "Everyone has
something even if they won't admit it; something about their physical being that bothers them."
Cyrie is obsessively bothered by her huge nose, which makes her the brunt of cruel comments
from teen beauties and bullies. She bites back with brash verbal retorts and counts the days to
her 18th birthday when she can get a nose job. Cyrie's secret heartthrob is Rox, but she's
convinced that he can't see beyond her nose. He is enamored with Cyrie's friend Leyla, a sweet
teen who has none of Cyrie's verbal acumen or tough skin. Rox and Leyla begin their courtship
through a series of emails. Leyla's are increasingly creative and romantic—and composed by
Cyrie.
YA FIC FRA
To Prom
Franklin, Emily & Brendan Halpin
Tessa Masterson Will Go
Lucas and Tessa’s friendship is the stuff of legend in their small Midwestern town. So it’s no
surprise when Lucas finally realizes his feelings for Tessa are more than friendship and he asks
her to prom. What no one expected, especially Lucas, was for Tessa to come out as a lesbian
instead of accepting his heartfelt invitation. Humiliated and confused, Lucas also feels betrayed
that his best friend kept such an important secret from him. What’s worse is Tessa’s decision to
wear a tastefully tailored tuxedo to escort her female crush, sparking a firestorm of controversy.
Lucas must decide if he should stand on the sidelines or if he should stand by his friend to make
sure that Tessa Masterson will go to prom.
45
YA FIC FRE
Fredericks, Mariah
Crunch Time
The thought of the SATs makes Daisy, Leo, Jane, and Max just crazy. Daisy thinks the whole
system is bogus. Leo thinks testing's a game you play to win; not good for Max, who's convinced
he's a loser. And Jane couldn't care less about the whole thing. So when the four of them decide
to bag the SAT prep class before junior year at Dewey, they form their own study group, a haven
from the dog-eat-dog college-acceptance competition. Pregroup, Max has loved Daisy, his best
friend. Daisy has loved basketball. Leo, it seems, has loved Leo. And Jane the unloved (except
by her stepdad, rumor goes) has loved none of the above. As they discover, rivalry and rejection
aren't limited to the race for the Ivy Leagues — love has a scoring system all its own. Then —
oops! — it's discovered that someone has cheated on the SATs. Everyone — adults included —
in this vivid, funny, four-voiced novel has a reaction, a theory, and a new worry.
YA FIC FRI Friend, Natasha
My Life in Black & White
What if you lost the thing that made you who you are? Lexi has always been stunning. Her
butter-colored hair and perfect features have helped her attract friends, a boyfriend, and the
attention of a modeling scout. But everything changes the night Lexi's face goes through a
windshield. Now she's not sure what's worse: the scars she'll have to live with forever, or what
she saw going on between her best friend and her boyfriend right before the accident. With the
help of her trombone-playing, defiantly uncool older sister and a guy at school recovering from his
own recent trauma, Lexi learns she's much more than just a pretty face.
YA FIC FRO Froley, Margaux Escape Theory
Sixteen-year-old Devon Mackintosh has always felt like an outsider at Keaton, the prestigious
California boarding school perched above the Pacific. As long as she’s not fitting in, Devon
figures she might as well pad her application to Stanford’s psych program. So junior year, she
decides to become a peer counselor, a de facto therapist for students in crisis. At first, it seems
like it will be an easy fly-on-the-wall gig, but her expectations are turned upside down when Jason
Hutchins (a.k.a. “Hutch”), one of the Keaton’s most popular students, commits suicide. Devon
dives into her new role providing support for Hutch’s friends, but she’s haunted by her own
attachment to him. The two shared an extraordinary night during their first week freshman year; it
was the only time at Keaton when she felt like someone else really understood her. As the
secrets and confessions pile up in her sessions, Devon comes to a startling conclusion: Hutch
couldn't have taken his own life. Bound by her oath of confidentiality—and tortured by her
unrequited love—Devon embarks on a solitary mission to get to the bottom of Hutch's death, and
the stakes are higher than she ever could have imagined.
YA FIC GAR Garden, Nancy
Endgame
What causes a kid to bring a gun to school and shoot his classmates? The answer to this difficult
question is explored in the story of Gray Wilton. Through first person narrative, the reader comes
to know Gray, a short, pimply-faced kid who loves drums, archery, and his dog Barker. The story
opens at a juvenile detention center and Gray explains to his attorney how it all happened. When
Gray's family relocated to a new neighborhood, he was hoping it would be a fresh start. Gray was
determined that Greenford High would be a new beginning for him. Instead, Gray is shadowed by
his older, favored brother at home, and harassed at school. He quickly becomes a target as he
was at his former school and is bullied relentlessly by older football players. Gray's only friend is
tormented alongside him. Although a few students and his brother urge him to tell an adult,
Gray's experience has led him to believe that the bullying will only get worse if he tells. Feeling
unsupported at home or school, Gray graduates from carrying a knife in his sock to bringing his
dad's gun to school. The results are devastating, and the reader will feel true sympathy for the
characters who are caught in the line of fire, and for Gray.
46
YA FIC GAR
the Girl
Garfinkle, D.L. Storky: How I Lost My Nickname and Won
Garfinkle's debut novel introduces memorable narrator Michael "Storky" Pomerantz. With his
"Brillo-pad hair," long, skinny legs and wry outlook, Michael is a lovable hero to whom almost
everyone can relate on some level. His "realistic" aspirations for high school-"1. Gina doesn't
totally blow me off./ 2. Dad lets me sit in the front seat of his car./ 3. I don't get thrown into a
Dumpster"-listed on the first page of his journal, reveal a lot about the 14-year-old's personality
and the issues that plague him. First there is the issue of his unrequited love for smart, pretty
Gina. Next, the conflict with his swinging single father, who nearly always has a "bimbo" at his
side (Michael calls one "The Thighmaster, because she's always groping Dad's leg"). Then
there's the problem of being the nerdy younger brother of Amanda, the "Queen of Popularville."
Starting off the school year without his best friend (who has just moved away), Michael suffers
through ordeals ranging from getting wedgies to losing the girl of his dreams to a football player
nicknamed Hunk. However, he also cultivates unlikely friendships with a classmate who lies, his
250-pound dentist (who's dating his mother) and an elderly man who shares Michael's passion for
Scrabble. As Michael (sometimes awkwardly) hurdles obstacles, readers will cheer him on,
relishing the rewards that await him at the end of his first trying year of high school.
YA FIC GAR
Between.
Garse, Jeannine
Before, After, and Somebody In
It is the eleventh place they have lived in six years, when Martha and Momma move in with
Wayne, the new boyfriend Momma discovered in rehab. A sophomore at fourteen due to her
intelligence, Martha has only attended rural schools and, in spite of her mother's history of
chemical dependence and depression, Martha's first day at Jefferson High proves she is
completely unprepared for the hostility, violence, and gritty reality of life for a white girl in
Cleveland's impoverished inner city. Threatened constantly at school and at home, Martha has no
respite until a calamitous series of events culminates in a wealthy lawyer's family taking her in.
While she no longer has to fear physical abuse, hunger, or gang-related violence, Martha
encounters a different set of problems as she masquerades as Gina, a persona she creates to
keep the ugly truth of her past from her new-found upper class friends. Throughout her harrowing
struggles, Martha/Gina turns to music and her desire to play the cello for solace.
YA FIC GEO
George, Madeleine
Looks
A glimpse into the unconventional friendship of two lonely 14-year-old girls, Looks sends readers
on an emotional roller coaster ride with its protagonists during their first year of high school. The
moment Meghan Ball sees Aimee Zorn in the nurse's office the first day of school, she senses
that this is a girl with whom she can be friends. However, despite her size, Meghan rarely
appears on her classmates' radars, and she finds it more difficult than expected to befriend the
guarded Aimee, an aspiring poet who suffers from anorexia. When Aimee forms a friendship with
duplicitous teen queen Cara Roy, Meghan redoubles her efforts to reach Aimee, knowing that
only she has the secret that can save her.
YA FIC GEH
Gehrman, Jody
Babe in Boyland
When high school junior Natalie–or Dr. Aphrodite, as she calls herself when writing the
relationship column for her school paper–is accused of knowing nothing about guys and giving
girls bad relationship advice, she decides to investigate what guys really think and want. But the
guys in her class won’t give her straight or serious answers. The only solution? Disguising herself
as a guy and spending a week at Underwood Academy, the private all-boy boarding school in
town. There she learns a lot about guys and girls in ways she never expected–especially when
she falls for her dreamy roommate, Emilio. How can she show him she likes him without blowing
her cover?
47
YA FIC GOO
Goo, Maurene
Since You Asked
No, no one asked, but Holly Kim will tell you what she thinks anyway.
Fifteen-year-old Holly Kim is the copyeditor for her high school's newspaper. When she
accidentally submits an article that rips everyone to shreds, she gets her own column and rants
her way through the school year. Can she survive homecoming, mean-girl cliques, jocks, secret
admirers, Valentine's Day, and other high school embarrassments, all while struggling to balance
her family's traditional Korean values?
YA FIC GRA
Grace, Amanda
But I Love Him
At the beginning of senior year, Ann was a smiling, straight-A student and track star with friends
and a future. Then she met a haunted young man named Connor. Only she can heal his
emotional scars; only he could make her feel so loved - and needed. Ann can't recall the pivotal
moment it all changed, when she surrendered everything to be with him, but by graduation, her
life has become a dangerous high wire act. Just one mistake could trigger Connor's rage, a
senseless storm of cruel words and violence damaging everything - and everyone - in its path.
This evocative slideshow of flashbacks reveals a heartbreaking story of love gone terribly wrong.
YA FIC GRE
Green, John
Looking for Alaska
Miles "Pudge" Halter is abandoning his safe-okay, boring-life. Fascinated by the last words of
famous people, Pudge leaves for boarding school to seek what a dying Rabelais called the
"Great Perhaps." Pudge becomes encircled by friends whose lives are everything but safe and
boring. Their nucleus is razor-sharp, sexy, and self-destructive Alaska, who has perfected the arts
of pranking and evading school rules. Pudge falls impossibly in love. When tragedy strikes the
close-knit group, it is only in coming face-to-face with death that Pudge discovers the value of
living and loving unconditionally.
YA MYS GRE
Green, John
Paper Towns
Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth
Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life - dressed
like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge - he follows. After their allnighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma,
has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues - and they're for him. Urged
down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.
YA FIC GRE
Grayson
Green, John & David Levithan
Will Grayson, Will
One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are
about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives
going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic
production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.
YA FIC GRE
Greenwald, Lisa
Reel Life Starring Us
Rockwood Hills Junior High is known for the close-knit cliques that rule the school. When arty
new girl Dina gets the opportunity to do a video project with queen bee Chelsea, she thinks this is
her ticket to a great new social life. But Chelsea has bigger problems than Dina can imagine: her
father has lost his job, and her family is teetering on the brink. Without knowing it, Dina might just
get caught in Chelsea’s free fall.
48
YA FIC GUR
Gurtler, Janet
16 Things I Thought Were True
Heart attacks happen to other people #thingsIthoughtweretrue
When Morgan's mom gets sick, it's hard not to panic. Without her mother, she would have no
one—until she finds out the dad who walked out on her as a baby isn't as far away as she
thought...
Adam is a stuck-up, uptight jerk #thingsIthoughtweretrue
Now that they have a summer job together, Morgan's getting to know the real Adam, and he's
actually pretty sweet...in a nerdy-hot kind of way. He even offers to go with her to find her dad.
Road trip, anyone?
5000 Twitter followers are all the friends I need #thingsIthoughtweretrue
With Adam in the back seat, a hyper chatterbox named Amy behind the wheel, and plenty of
Cheetos to fuel their trip, Morgan feels ready for anything. She's not expecting a flat tire, a missed
ferry, a fake girlfriend...and that these two people she barely knew before the summer started will
become the people she can't imagine living without.
YA FIC HA
Ha, Thu-Huang
Hail Caesar
Caesar thinks he can't be touched by anything or anyone. Boys idolize him. Girls lust after him.
And he has power over them, because he doesn't care about any of them . . . until the new girl
comes along, and turns Caesar's world upside down. A funny, honest, in-your-face portrait of a
guy who has to learn to stop being a legend in his own mind.
YA MYS HAL
Halliday, Gemma
Social Suicide
Twittercide: the killing of one human being by another while the victim is in the act of tweeting.
Call me crazy, but I figured writing for the Herbert Hoover High Homepage would be a pretty
sweet gig. Pad the resume for college applications, get a first look at the gossip column, spend
some time ogling the paper's brooding bad-boy editor, Chase Erikson. But on my first big story,
things went . . . a little south. What should have been a normal interview with Sydney Sanders
turned into me discovering the homecoming queen–hopeful dead in her pool. Electrocuted while
Tweeting. Now, in addition to developing a reputation as HHH's resident body finder, I'm stuck
trying to prove that Sydney's death wasn't suicide. I'm starting to long for the days when my
biggest worry was whether the cafeteria was serving pizza sticks or Tuesday Tacos. . . .
YA FIC HAL
Halpern, Julie
Into the Wild Nerd Yonder
Sophomore Jessie Sloan is having a bad year. Her two closest friends are turning punk and boycrazed; one of them even pursues Jessie's longtime crush. To make matters worse, Jessie's
beloved older brother will soon be leaving for college. Jessie feels adrift and spends her time
sewing skirts and listening to audiobooks. The story picks up pace when class nerd Dottie
introduces Jessie to Dungeons and Dragons, which Jessie (to her surprise) actually enjoys,
leading her to a new group of friends as well as a heartfelt, if a little clichéd, crush on a cute boy
with his own nerdish tendencies.
YA FIC HAL
Halpin, Brendan
Forever Changes
5:30 a.m., Brianna Pelletier gets ready for her daily pounding. As she lies on the couch, her dad
beats her chest, then her back, coaxing the mucus out of her lungs. The pounding doesn’t take
care of everything. Brianna’s held out for a long time, but a body with cystic fibrosis doesn’t last
forever. It doesn’t matter that Brianna has a brilliant mathematical mind or that she’s a shoo-in for
MIT. Or even that her two best friends are beautiful, popular, and loyal. In the grand scheme of
things, none of that stuff matters at all. The standard life, lasting maybe seventy-five years, is no
more than a speck in the sum total of the universe. At eighteen, and doubting she’ll make
nineteen, Brianna is practically a nonentity. Of course she’s done the math. But in her senior year
of high school, Brianna learns of another kind of math, in which an infinitely small, near-zero
quantity can have profound effects on an entire system. If these tiny quantities didn’t exist, things
wouldn’t make the same sense.
49
YA FIC HAR
Harrington, Hanna
Speechless
Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret. Until now. Because the last secret she
shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed. Now Chelsea has taken
a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she
thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked
is worse. But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her
way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can
forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.
YA FIC HAR
Harrison, Lisi
Pretenders
It takes place at a high school in New Jersey. Summer is over. Sophomore year begins tomorrow.
Outfits are being planned. Lunch buddies are being secured. Texts are flying. All seems normal
when…ping! Everyone in the sophomore class gets an email. SUBJECT: The Phoenix Five:
License To Spill. Attached is a mega document.
A letter from a mysterious student starts the book. It explains that at the end of each year the
school yearbook- The Phoenix- names the five most outstanding freshman. She (or he) always
suspected that last years’ five (3 girls, 2 boys) were phonies. She (or he) always thought they
tried too hard to be popular. But she (or he) never had the proof. Until now. She (or he) stole the
secret diaries they were asked to keep by their English teacher. She (or he) has compiled them
into a book. This is that book.
YA RIC HAR
Hartinger, Brent
Geography Club
Russel goes to school in a small town. Russel is gay. While surfing the Internet, he enters a gay
chatroom for his hometown and meets a boy from school. One thing leads to another, and they
meet in person. The boy turns out to be Kevin Land, star athlete. Russel tells his friend Min. She
laughs and reveals that she is bisexual and has been in a lesbian relationship for some time.
They form a gay-lesbian-bisexual support group in school with some other students. Knowing that
calling it a gay club would be risky, they pick the most boring name they can find-the Geography
Club.
YA FIC HAR
Harvey, Sarah
Plastic
At fifteen, Jack is very interested in breasts. In fact, you might say that he is obsessed. He keeps
his own picture book of breasts, hidden under his bed and documents all sizes and shapes of that
distracting female part. Distracting for him until his best friend, Leah, confesses to him that her
mother is going to give her a very special sixteenth birthday gift—breast augmentation. Suddenly
Jack's obsessive interest takes on a very different direction. What kind of a doctor would do
plastic surgery on a minor? Jack sets out on an undercover mission to find out.
YA FIC HAS
Hassan, Michael
Crash & Burn
On April 21, 2008, Steven "Crash" Crashinsky saved more than a thousand people when he
stopped his classmate David Burnett from taking their high school hostage armed with assault
weapons and high-powered explosives. You likely already know what came after for Crash: the
nationwide notoriety, the college recruitment, and, of course, the book deal. What you might not
know is what came before: a story of two teens whose lives have been inextricably linked since
grade school, who were destined, some say, to meet that day in the teachers' lounge of Meadows
High. And what you definitely don't know are the words that Burn whispered to Crash right as the
siege was ending, a secret that Crash has never revealed. Until now.
50
YA FIC HER
Herbach, Geoff
Stupid Fast
My name is Felton Reinstein, which is not a fast name. But last November, my voice finally
dropped and I grew all this hair and then I got stupid fast. Fast like a donkey. Zing!
Now they want me, the guy they used to call Squirrel Nut, to try out for the football team. With the
jocks. But will that fix my mom? Make my brother stop dressing like a pirate? Most important, will
it get me girls¬-especially Aleah? So I train. And I run. And I sneak off to Aleah's house in the
night. But deep down I know I can't run forever. And I wonder what will happen when I finally
have to stop.
YA FIC HER Herbach, Geoff Nothing Special
Hey Aleah,
I miss you. Because there's some serious donkey crap going on right now. I'm supposed to be at
football camp, but noooo ... Andrew had to go missing! So because of my stupid little brother, I'll
probably lose my chance at a scholarship and end up being nothing special.
I'm pretty sure Andrew ran away to Florida, and now Gus and I have to drive cross-country to get
him. Did you know Gus used to think Miss Piggy was hot? Anyway, Andrew once told me I
needed to get my head out of my butt. So that's what I'm trying to do. How about a kiss for luck?
Felton
YA FIC HER
Herbach, Geoff
I’m With Stupid
Felton Reinstein has never been good with stress. Which is why he's seriously freaking out.
Revealing his college choice on national TV? It's a heart attack waiting to happen. Deciding on a
major for the next four years of his life? Ridiculous. He barely even knows who he is outside of
football. And so...he embarks on The Epic Quest to Be Meaningful.
Which leads to:
1. Mentoring a freshman called Pig Boy
2. The state of Wisconsin hating him.
3. His track coach suspending him.
4. The funniest viral video the world has ever seen.
5. A whole new appreciation for his family, his friends, and what's really important in life.
YA FIC HOL
Holder, Nancy
Pretty Little Devils
Hazel Stone wants nothing more than to be a part of the hottest clique in school, the Pretty Little
Devils, but she's stuck at a lunch table full of high school C-listers. Hazel has resigned herself to
life as a nobody—when suddenly everything changes. The PLDs invite Hazel to one of the
group's famous parties, held at the site of one of their babysitting jobs. Before Hazel knows it,
she's in with the in crowd—and she couldn't be more thrilled! But nothing turns out the way she
expects. Especially when one her classmates becomes jealous of her newfound status—deadly
jealous.
YA FIC HOG
Hogan, Mary
Pretty Face
Hayley wishes she could love living in Santa Monica, blocks from the beach, where every day—
and everybody—is beautiful and sunny. But she just doesn't fit in with all the blond, superskinny
Southern California girls who have their plastic surgeons on speed dial. Hayley is smart and witty
and has such a pretty . . . face. Translation: Don't even think about putting on a bikini, much less
dating superhot Drew Wyler. A bikini will never be flattering, and Drew will never think of her as
more than a friend. Just when Hayley feels doomed to live her life in the fat lane, her parents
decide to send her to Italy for the summer—not for school, not for fat camp, just for fun. It's there,
under the Italian sun, that Hayley's vision of herself starts to change. She's curvy, not fat. Pizza
isn't evil. And life is so much more than one-size-fits-all. Who knows? Once Hayley sees herself
in a new light, maybe the girl with the pretty face will finally find true amore.
51
YA FIC HOP
Hopkins, Ellen
Perfect
Everyone has something, someone, some where else that they’d rather be. For four high-school
seniors, their goals of perfection are just as different as the paths they take to get there.
Cara’s parents’ unrealistic expectations have already sent her twin brother Conner spiraling
toward suicide. For her, perfect means rejecting their ideals to take a chance on a new kind of
love. Kendra covets the perfect face and body—no matter what surgeries and drugs she needs to
get there. To score his perfect home run—on the field and off—Sean will sacrifice more than he
can ever win back. And Andre realizes that to follow his heart and achieve his perfect
performance, he’ll be living a life his ancestors would never have understood.
Everyone wants to be perfect, but when perfection loses its meaning, how far will you go? What
would you give up to be perfect?
YA FIC HOR
Hornby, Nick
Slam
Just when everything is coming together for Sam, his girlfriend Alicia drops a bombshell. Make
that ex-girlfriend- because by the time she tells him she's pregnant, they've already called it quits.
Sam does not want to be a teenage dad. His mom had him at sixteen and has made it very clear
how having a baby so young interrupted her life. There's only one person Sam can turn to-his
hero, skating legend Tony Hawk. Sam believes the answers to life's hurdles can be found in
Hawk's autobiography. But even Tony Hawk isn't offering answers this time-or is he? Inexplicably,
Sam finds himself whizzed into the future, for a quick glimpse of what will be . . . or what could be.
YA FIC HOW
Howell, Simmone
Notes from the Teenage Underground
Seventeen-year-old Gem loves movies, her feminist mom, and Dodgy, her coworker in a video
store (at least she thinks she loves Dodgy). When a school trip inspires Gem to make an
underground film, her best friends Lo and Mira are quick to join the project, taking on the roles of
producer and star. The film is intended to cement the girls’ friendship as well as their superiority
over their sucker high school peers. But when the fragile balance of their friendship begins to
falter, and intentions lead to betrayals big and small, it will take great movies, bad haiku, and a
pantheon of great voices—from Dostoyevsky to Emerson to The Beatles—to help Gem find the
meaning of love, friendship, and being true to herself.
YA FIC HUB
Hubbard, Jennifer
The Secret Year
Colt and Julia were secretly together for a year, and no one ever knew, not even Julia's boyfriend.
Why would they-they were from two different crowds. Julia lived in her country club world and
Colt . . . didn't. Then Julia dies in a car accident. Colt is devastated but can't mourn openly, and
he's tormented that he may have played a part in her death. And when Julia's journal ends up in
his hands, he is forced to relive their year together-just when he is trying to forget. The problem is,
how do you get over someone who was never really yours to begin with?
YA FIC HUB
Hubbard, Jenny
Paper Covers Rock
At the beginning of his junior year at a boys' boarding school, 16-year-old Alex is devastated
when he fails to save a drowning friend. When questioned, Alex and his friend Glenn, who was
also at the river, begin weaving their web of lies. Plagued by guilt, Alex takes refuge in the library,
telling his tale in a journal he hides behind Moby-Dick. Caught in the web with Alex and Glenn is
their English teacher, Miss Dovecott, fresh out of Princeton, who suspects there's more to what
happened at the river when she perceives guilt in Alex's writing for class. She also sees poetic
talent in Alex, which she encourages. As Alex responds to her attention, he discovers his true
voice, one that goes against the boarding school bravado that Glenn embraces. When Glenn
becomes convinced that Miss Dovecott is out to get them, Alex must choose between them.
52
YA FIC HUG
Hughes, Mark Peters
Lemonade Mouth
Five freshmen meet in detention one afternoon and begin to sing along with a radio jingle. Thus
begins the story of Lemonade Mouth as told by the bandmates and friends in first-person
diary/journal entries. No one likes to be known as the fat kid, the new kid, the nerd, or the freak,
but these teens are empowered by their newly formed friendships and empower others as well.
Rival band Mudslide Crush is no match for the funky style of Mo on bass, Charlie on the congas
and timbales, Stella on ukelele, Wen on trumpet, and Olivia's vocals. School, family, and
romance are all pressures building in these teens' lives, and forming the band helps them to cope
with the world. They meet in the school basement, where other geek clubs have also been
relegated, and their mascot is the Mel's Frozen Lemonade machine in the hallway. One day, it is
removed, and Stella and her friends protest when they find out that a soda company has signed
an exclusive deal with the administration to sell only their company's products in exchange for a
new sports scoreboard. When Lemonade Mouth plays the school Halloween bash, they bring up
the lemonade-machine issue, causing a student riot and ending with the musicians back in
detention. When they are told that they cannot play in the talent show as punishment, other
students call for their reinstatement. Lemonade Mouth tells a tale of underdogs getting a break in
the world.
YA FIC HUG
Hughes, Mark Peter
Lemonade Mouth Puckers Up
Olivia, Wen, Stella, Charlie, and Mo—the members of the legendary band Lemonade Mouth—
have been labeled many things. But just how did this little group of misunderstood outcasts end
up rocketing from high school nobodies to household names? In their own words, the band tells
the story of the momentous summer when an overworked music promoter, an unwanted visitor
from India, and an unexpected reappearance by a figure from Olivia’s past shook their world and
launched them on their roller-coaster ride to destiny. There are plenty of false rumors out there,
but this is the real story, the continuation of the official history of Rhode Island’s most influential
band. Lemonade Mouth is going worldwide and taking no prisoners. The outcome will be nothing
short of revolutionary.
YA FIC HUR
Hurwin, Davida Wills
Circle the Soul Softly
Katie O'Connor needs a change. After her father dies, she begins having unexplainable
nightmares and blackouts. Suddenly she is unable to keep up on her social life and she
withdraws from her mom and older brother. Katie gets just the chance that she desires when her
widowed mother becomes engaged to a wealthy accountant and the family relocates to upscale
Brentwood, California. Determined to reinvent herself, Katie enrolls in an elite prep school.
Always shy and awkward, Katie finally finds life going her way: a lead in the school play, friends
to hang out with, and a cute boyfriend. Then without warning her nightmares return and she is
once again haunted by "the monster." Katie must discover the secret her mind is harboring before
everything about her new life is ruined.
YA FIC HUT
Hutchinson, Shaun David FML
Tonight’s the night: Simon’s big chance to finally get with Cassie. Cassie, who he’s loved for ages.
Cassie, who is newly boyfriend-free. Cassie, who just happens to be throwing the biggest party of
the year. Simon’s plan is simple: He’ll go to the party, she’ll fall in love with him, they’ll make out
like crazy, and the night will be a complete success. But things don’t ever go as planned;
especially when it comes to Cassie. In two alternating plotlines, Simon goes after the girl of his
dreams and stumbles toward his destiny. It’s one night, one party, and a thousand ways for things
to go wrong; but a million ways for them to go right.
53
YA FIC HYD
Hyde, Catherine Ryan
Diary of a Witness
One day, something’s going to snap. . . .Ernie doesn't have a lot of friends at school. Just Will.
They have stuff in common—like fishing. But more important, they have common enemies: the
school jocks, who seem to find bullying just another sport. For the most part, Ernie and Will take
life at high school in stride. Until Will has one very bad day. Now nothing is remotely funny. Ernie
finds himself a witness—to loss, to humiliation, and to Will’s anger—an anger that’s building each
and every moment. Ernie doesn’t want to believe his best friend is changing, but he can’t deny
the truth. Soon he has a choice: join or die. Or can he find another way?
YA FIC JON
Jones, Jenny B.
So Not Happening
Bella Kirkwood had it all: A-list friends at her prestigious private school, Broadway in her backyard,
and Daddy's MasterCard in her wallet. Then her father, a plastic surgeon to the stars, decided to
trade her mother in for a newer model. When Bella's mom falls in love with a man she met on the
Internet--a factory worker with two bratty sons--Bella has to pack up and move in with her new
family in Truman, Oklahoma. On a farm no less! Forced to trade her uber-trendy NYC lifestyle
for down-home charm, Bella feels like a pair of Rock & Republic jeans in a sea of Wranglers. At
least some of the people in her new high school are pretty cool. Especially the hunky football
player who invites her to lunch. And maybe even the annoying--but kinda hot--editor of the school
newspaper. But before long, Bella smells something rotten in the town of Truman, and it's not
just the cow pasture. With her savvy reporter's instincts, she is determined to find the story
behind all the secrets.
YA FIC JON
Jones, Patrick
Nailed
The nail that sticks out farthest gets hammered the hardest. Flint Southwestern High School is
run by a cult: the jockarchy. And Bret Hendricks could never fit into their conformity cult. Bret
doesn't mind standing out from the crowd when he's on stage acting or singing in his band. And
he feels at home in his funky girlfriend's arms because sticking out together doesn't seem as hard.
But loyalties aren't what Bret thinks they are, as his safe havens seem to disappear one by one,
and he learns that sometimes you just have to risk getting hammered in order to build a great
future.
YA FIC KAN
Kantor, Melissa
The Breakup Bible
Jen Lewis is having a great junior year. She is the features editor of the school paper, and she's
dating senior Max Brown, the editor in chief. Everything is perfect -- that is, until Max says,
"Maybe it would be better if we were just friends." Jen is in shock and denial, and she wonders
how she is going to make it through the school year. Her misery only intensifies when her
grandmother gives her a book that she heard about on the radio. Dr. Emerson's The Breakup
Bible claims that "there's no reason a woman can't get over a breakup very quickly if she'll just
follow a few basic commandments." Jen is doubtful. What does Dr. Emerson know about her and
Max?
YA FIC KAR
Karasyov, Carrie & Jill Kargman Bittersweet Sixteen
Balloons and streamers? Carvel cake? Those might be standard fair for your average birthday
party, but Whitney Blake and Sophie Mitchum are anything but average. I'm Laura Finnegan –
thrift store junkie and scholarship student at Tate, our posh all–girls high school in Manhattan. I'm
not like Whit or Soph, but that doesn't stop us from being BFFs. But then they started tuning in to
the all–Sweet Sixteen, all–the–time channel. Now tempers are flaring, Prada bags are flying, and
guys are being tossed around in vicious tug–of–war battles. Whose Sweet Sixteen will reign
supreme?
54
YA FIC KAR
Karim, Sheba
Skunk Girl
If Nina Khan were to rate herself on the unofficial Pakistani prestige point system – the one she’s
sure all the aunties and uncles use to determine the most attractive marriage prospects for their
children – her scoring might go something like this:
+2 points for getting excellent grades
–3 points for failing to live up to expectations set by genius older sister
+4 points for dutifully obeying parents and never, ever going to parties, no matter how antisocial
that makes her seem to everyone at Deer Hook High
–1 point for harboring secret jealousy of her best friends, who are allowed to date like normal
teenagers
+2 points for never drinking an alcoholic beverage
–10 points for obsessing about Asher Richelli, who talks to Nina like she’s not a freak at all, even
though he knows that she has a disturbing line of hair running down her back.In this wryly funny
debut novel, the smart, sassy, and utterly lovable Nina Khan tackles friends, family, and love, and
learns that it’s possible to embrace two very different cultures – even if things can get a little bit,
well, hairy.
YA COMICS KAS
Kashyap, Keshni Tina’s Mouth
Tina M., sophomore, is a wry observer of the cliques and mores of Yarborough Academy, and of
the foibles of her Southern California intellectual Indian family. She's on a first-name basis with
Jean-Paul Sartre, the result of an English honors class assignment to keep an “existential diary.”
Keshni Kashyap’s compulsively readable graphic novel packs in existential high school drama—
from Tina getting dumped by her smart-girl ally to a kiss on the mouth (Tina’s mouth, but not
technically her first kiss) from a cute skateboarder, Neil Strumminger. And it memorably answers
the pressing question: Can an English honors assignment be one fifteen-year-old girl’s path to
enlightenment?
YA FIC KEI
Keil, Melissa
Life in Outer Space
Sam Kinnison is a geek, and he’s totally fine with that. He has his horror movies, his nerdy friends,
World of Warcraft – and until Princess Leia turns up in his bedroom, he doesn’t have to worry
about girls. Then Sam meets Camilla. She’s beautiful, friendly and completely irrelevant to his life.
Sam is determined to ignore her, except that Camilla has a life of her own – and she’s decided
that he’s going to be part of it. Sam believes that everything he needs to know he can learn from
the movies ... but now it looks like he’s been watching the wrong ones.
YA FIC KEP
Keplinger, Kody
Shut Out
Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war:
the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part,Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback
boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their
locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa
were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own
boyfriend's attention. Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players'
girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and
soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girlsagainst-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first.
55
YA FIC KLA
Klass, David & Perri
Second Impact
Kendall is football town, and Jerry Downing is the high school's star quarterback, working to
redeem himself after he nearly killed a girl in a drunk driving accident last year. Carla Jenson,
lead reporter for the school newspaper's sports section, has recruited Jerry to co-author a blog
chronicling the season from each of their perspectives. When Jerry's best friend on the team
takes a hit too hard and gets hurt, Carla wonders publicly if injury in the game comes at too high a
cost in a player's life—but not everyone in Kendall wants to hear it…
YA FIC KOE Koertge, Ron
Where the Kissing Never Stops
A high school junior who is having trouble with his father's death, his mother's new job as a
stripper, and his own libido meets a new girl who, despite their ups and downs, makes life seem
pretty wonderful after all.
YA FIC KNO
Knowles, Jo
Living With Jackie Chan
After fathering a baby, a teenager moves in with his karate-loving uncle and tries to come to
terms with his guilt — and find a way to forgive. This isn’t how Josh expected to spend senior
year. He thought he’d be hanging out with his best friends, Dave and Caleb, driving around,
partying, just like always. But here he is, miles from home — new school, new life, living with his
Jackie-Chan-obsessed uncle, Larry, and trying to forget. But Josh can’t forget. So many things
bring back memories of last year and the night that changed everything. Every day the pain, the
shame, and the just not knowing are never far from his thoughts. Why is he such a loser? How
could he have done what he did? He finds some moments of peace when he practices karate
with Stella, the girl upstairs and his one real friend. As they move together through the katas,
Josh feels connected in a way he has never felt before. He wonders if they could be more than
friends, but Stella’s jealous boyfriend will make sure that doesn’t happen. And maybe it doesn’t
matter. If Stella knew the truth, would she still think he was a True Karate Man?
YA FIC KOC
Kocek, Sara
Promise Me Something
As if starting high school weren't bad enough, Reyna Fey has to do so at a new school without
her best friends. Reyna's plan is to keep her head down, help her father recover from the car
accident that almost took his life, and maybe even make some friends. And then Olive Barton
notices her. Olive is not exactly the kind of new friend Reyna has in mind. The boys make fun of
her, the girls want to fight her, and Olive seems to welcome the challenge. There's something
about Olive that Reyna can't help but like. But when Reyna learns Olive's secret, she must decide
whether it's better to be good friends with an outcast or fake friends with the popular
kids. . . .before she loses Olive forever.
YA FIC KON Konigsberg, Bill Openly Straight
Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He's won skiing prizes. He
likes to write. And, oh yeah, he's gay. He's been out since 8th grade, and he isn't teased, and he
goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that's important, all Rafe
really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but
not the headline, every single time. So when he transfers to an all-boys' boarding school in New
England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret -- not so much going back in the closet as
starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate breaking down. He meets a teacher
who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben . . . who doesn't
even know that love is possible
YA FIC KRA
Kraft, Erik
Miracle Wimp
The story follows Tom Mayo as he navigates his way through wood shop, dating, driving, and the
meat-headed Donkeys, bullies who are determined to make his life miserable. Filled with
humorous details and sardonic wit, Erik Kraft deftly portrays high school through the eyes of a
wise-cracking misfit.
56
YA FIC KRA Kramer, Stacy & Valerie Thomas
From What I Remember
KYLIE: Mexico? What a nightmare! I should be putting the finishing touches on my valedictorian
speech. Graduation is TODAY! Wait! Is this a wedding band on my finger??
MAX: It started with Kylie’s laptop and a truck full of stolen electronics and it ended in Ensenada.
It was hot, the way she broke us out like some chick in an action movie. But now we’re stranded
here, with less than twenty-four hours before graduation.
WILL: Saving Kylie Flores from herself is kind of a full-time occupation. Luckily, I, Will Bixby, was
born for the job. And when I found out she was stuck in Mexico with dreamy Max Langston, sure,
I agreed to bring their passports across the border – but there’s no reason to rush back home
right away. This party is just getting started.
LILY: This cannot be happening. It’s like some cruel joke. Or a bad dream. I close my eyes and
when I reopen them, they’re still there. Max and Kylie Flores, freak of the century. In bed together.
If Kylie thinks I'm giving him up without a fight, she's dead wrong.
YA FIC KRO
Krovatin, Christopher
Venomous
Locke Vinetti is a high school junior, disenchanted and more than a little hostile. In fact, for years
he's had a lousy social life because of a problem he has with his anger—a force he calls "the
venom." Ever since he was eight years old and bit off a piece of a classmate's nose, he's been
something of a loner. But all that is about to change when he goes out with his one friend,
Randall, to meet some of Randall's crew hanging out at Riverside Park. Because in addition to
meeting his kindred spirit, Casey—who has his own problems with his own kind of venom—Locke
meets the spikey, blue fairy-haircut Goth girl of his dreams. And if their relationship is going to
work, he knows he has to rid himself of the venom once and for all.
YA FIC LAB
Laban, Elizabeth
The Tragedy Paper
It follows the story of Tim Macbeth, a seventeen-year-old albino and a recent transfer to the
prestigious Irving School, where the motto is “Enter here to be and find a friend.” A friend is the
last thing Tim expects or wants—he just hopes to get through his senior year unnoticed. Yet,
despite his efforts to blend into the background, he finds himself falling for the quintessential “It”
girl, Vanessa Sheller, girlfriend of Irving’s most popular boy. To Tim's surprise, Vanessa is into
him, too, but she can kiss her social status goodbye if anyone ever finds out. Tim and Vanessa
begin a clandestine romance, but looming over them is the Tragedy Paper, Irving’s version of a
senior
year
thesis,
assigned
by
the
school’s
least
forgiving
teacher.
YA FIC LAM
Lamba, Marie
What I Meant….
After 15 years of being a good daughter and loyal friend, wouldn't you expect the people closest
to you to believe you? To at least try to understand what you mean? Since my evil aunt moved in,
everything has gone wrong.
My little sister thinks I'm a thief.
My best friend thinks I'm a jerk.
My parents think I'm bulimic.
And the boy I love thinks I'm not into him at all.
Somehow I have to set the record straight before I totally lose my mind.
Marie Lamba's debut novel tells the story of how 15-year-old Sangeet Jumnal's sleepy suburban
life suddenly gets super complicated.
YA FIC LAN
Langan, Paul
The Bully
A new life. An new school. A new bully. That's what Darrell Mercer faces when he and his mother
move from Philadelphia to California. After spending months living in fear, Darrell is faced with a
big decision. He can either keep running from this bully--or find some way to fight back.
57
YA FIC LAN Langan, Paul
Summer of Secrets
Darcy Wills needs help. A frightening ordeal at the end of the school year has turned her world
upside down. And her parents, distracted by problems at home, don't seem to notice her troubles.
With her ex-boyfriend miles away in Detroit and her beloved grandmother gone, Darcy is more
alone than ever. Unable to deny the painful truth she's been hiding, Darcy turns to her remaining
friends only to discover one of them has an even bigger secret. Now, forced into a crisis beyond
her control, Darcy must take a stand for herself--and for her friend.
YA FIC LAN Langan, John
Search for Safety (Bluford High)
There is no escape for Ben McKee. For weeks, he's covered the bruises on his body. He's even
lied to his teachers and new friends at Bluford High School. But the trouble in Ben's house isn't
going away. And if he doesn't act soon, it could swallow him and his mother forever.
YA FIC LAN Lange, Erin Jade Butter
A lonely obese boy everyone calls "Butter" is about to make history. He is going to eat himself to
death—live on the Internet—and everyone is invited to watch. When he first makes the
announcement online to his classmates, Butter expects pity, insults, and possibly sheer
indifference. What he gets are morbid cheerleaders rallying around his deadly plan. Yet as their
dark encouragement grows, it begins to feel a lot like popularity. And that feels good. But what
happens when Butter reaches his suicide deadline? Can he live with the fallout if he doesn’t go
through with his plans?
YA FIC LAW
Lawrence, Sara
Those Girls
THOSE GIRLS are Jinx Slater and Liberty Latiffe— lovely, rich, and wild seventeen-year-olds at
the exclusive Stagmount School for Girls. They have the glittery seaside town of Brighton and an
endless flow of cash at their fingertips. Nothing—not even their vile ex-housemistress—can slow
them down in their pursuit of fun. Then snobby new girl Stella Fox shows up and naïve Liberty
falls under her spell. Jinx is determined to win back her best friend, even if it means waging war
on power-hungry Stella. But when Jinx delves into Stella's past, she discovers there's a lot more
than schoolgirl jealousy on the line . . . This time, Jinx could lose Liberty forever.
YA FIC LEA
Leavitt, Lindsey
Going Vintage
When Mallory’s boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides the
best way to de-Jeremy her life is to de-modernize things too. Inspired by a list of goals her
grandmother made in1962, Mallory swears off technology and returns to a simpler time (when
boyfriends couldn’t cheat with computer avatars). The List:
1. Run for pep club secretary
2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree
3. Sew a dress for Homecoming
4. Find a steady
5. Do something dangerous
But simple proves to be crazy-complicated, and the details of the past begin to change Mallory’s
present. Add in a too-busy grandmother, a sassy sister, and the cute pep-club president–who just
happens to be her ex’s cousin–and soon Mallory begins to wonder if going vintage is going too far.
YA FIC LEK Lekich, John King of the Lost and Found
Raymond Dunne is in the 10th grade. He can’t change the fact that he’s prone to sneezing,
getting nosebleeds, and fainting. He can, however, change the fact that he’s not popular —
though it won’t be easy. In this hilarious story about friendship, love, and loyalty, Raymond
transforms himself from a lonely geek to the gatekeeper of an underground social club. In the
process, he befriends one of the most popular guys in school, sticks up for his fellow nerds, and
works up the courage to approach the lovely Janice, his not-so-secret crush. However, with the
relentlessly strict principal and the equally vigilant vice-principal hot on his trail, how long will
Raymond’s underground club — and his newfound friendships — last?
58
YA FIC LER
Lerangis, Peter
wtf
When a deer crashes through a windshield, it is only the first of many inexplicable (or "wtf")
moments experienced during a long night in New York City for six teens from a prep school
involved in a drug sale destined for disaster. That the "drugs" are really generic aspirin and that
several want out of the business makes the evening even more surreal. Relationships shift and
change as much as the narrators and the time frame -- each chapter identifies the narrator and
the date and time, and there are some flashbacks and peeks ahead to keep readers on their toes.
The patchwork image on the cover hints at plot points, and teens will be eager to see how
Lerangis stitches them all together.
YA FIC LEV
Leveen, Tom
Party
It's Saturday night in Santa Barbara and school is done for the year. Everyone is headed to the
same party. Or at least it seems that way. The place is packed. The beer is flowing. Simple, right?
But for 11 different people the motives are way more complicated. As each character takes a turn
and tells his or her story, the eleven individuals intersect, and reconnect, collide, and combine in
ways that none of them ever saw coming.
YA FIC LEV
Levithan, David Every You, Every Me
In this high school-set psychological tale, a tormented teen named Evan starts to discover a
series of unnerving photographs—some of which feature him. Someone is stalking him . . .
messing with him . . . threatening him. Worse, ever since his best friend Ariel has been gone, he's
been unable to sleep, spending night after night torturing himself for his role in her absence. And
as crazy as it sounds, Evan's starting to believe it's Ariel that's behind all of this, punishing him.
But the more Evan starts to unravel the mystery, the more his paranoia and insomnia amplify,
and the more he starts to unravel himself. Creatively told with black-and-white photos
interspersed between the text so the reader can see the photos that are so unnerving to
Evan, Every You, Every Me is a one-of-a-kind departure from a one-of-a-kind author.
YA FIC LIB
Liberty, Anita
The Center of the Universe
Welcome to the story of my life. Well, at least the story of my junior and senior years of high
school. It's a profound, touching, and hilarious (if I do say so myself) tale told through cunning
poems, revelatory diary entries, perspicacious (look it up) word definitions, shrewd bits of advice,
and off-the-cuff (but brilliant) insights. You'll probably relate to a lot of it. Especially the parts
about hating my parents, never feeling cool enough, failing my first attempt at the SATs, having
an incredibly romantic (but one-sided) relationship with the coolest guy in school, and getting
hexed by my ex-best friend who became a Wiccan. And if you can't relate? Well, step to the back
of that humongous line. You'll probably be right behind my family. If you're lucky, my mom'll bring
snacks.
YA FIC LOC
Lockhart, E.
Fly on the Wall
At the Manhattan School for Art and Music, where everyone is "different" and everyone is
"special," Gretchen Yee feels ordinary. She's the kind of girl who sits alone at lunch, drawing
pictures of Spider-Man, so she won't have to talk to anyone; who has a crush on Titus but won't
do anything about it; who has no one to hang out with when her best (and only real) friend Katya
is busy. One day, Gretchen wishes that she could be a fly on the wall in the boys' locker roomjust to learn more about guys. What are they really like? What do they really talk about? Are they
really cretins most of the time? Fly on the Wall is the story of how that wish comes true.
59
YA FIC LOC
Lockhart, E. The Boyfriend List
Fifteen-year-old Ruby "Roo" Oliver is having a tough year at Tate Prep. Through a series of social
debacles, she loses her best friends, her boyfriend, her dignity, and the respect of her fellow
Taters in less than two weeks' time. Following nearly half a dozen panic attacks, Roo starts to
spend some quality time on Doctor Z.'s couch, where she makes (at her shrink's urging) a list of
boyfriends past and present, official and unofficial, and starts on a journey of self-discovery.
Along the way, Ruby begins to think about patterns in her life and ways that she might be more
like her mother than she'd care to admit. Fortunately, Ruby survives her traumatic exile and lives
to tell the tale.
YA FIC LOC Lockhart, E. The Boy Book (a Study of Habits & Behaviors
Plus Techniques for Taming Them)
Ruby Oliver is back from her adventures in The Boyfriend List (Delacorte, 2005/VOYA April 2005)
and determined to make her junior year a better one. The good news is that she has a driver's
license, a new friend in Noel, and Nora might actually be speaking to her again. The bad news is
that several of her friends are still not speaking to her, her sessions with the shrink do not seem
to be helping her much, and her parents are certain that there are deeper issues that she needs
to explore. Ruby is a resilient young woman, however. Her new job at the zoo, her deepening
friendship with Meghan and Nora, and her entries in the book that she is writing about boys all
help her navigate the angst-ridden waters of adolescence.
YA FIC LOC
Lockhart, E.
The Treasure Map of Boys
Ruby is back at Tate Prep, and it’s her thirty-seventh week in the state of Noboyfriend. Her panic
attacks are bad, her love life is even worse, and what’s more:
Noel is writing her notes, Jackson is giving her frogs, Gideon is helping her cook, and Finn is
making her brownies. Rumors are flying, and Ruby’s already-sucky reputation is heading
downhill. Not only that, she’s also: running a bake sale, learning the secrets of heavymetal
therapy, encountering some seriously smelly feet, defending the rights of pygmy goats, and
bodyguarding Noel from unwanted advances.
In this companion novel to The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book, Ruby struggles to secure some
sort of mental health, to understand what constitutes a real friendship, and to find true love—if
such a thing exists.
YA FIC LOC Lockhart, E. Real Live Boyfriends: Yes, Boyfriends Plural,
If My Life Weren't Complicated I Wouldn't Be Ruby Oliver
Ruby Oliver, the neurotic, hyperverbal heroine of the The Boyfriend List, The Boy Book, and The
Treasure Map of Boys, is back!
Ruby Oliver is in love. Or it would be love, if Noel, her real live boyfriend, would call her back. But
Noel seems to have turned into a pod-robot lobotomy patient, and Ruby can’t figure out why. Not
only is her romantic life a shambles:
Her dad is eating nothing but Cheetos,
Her mother’s got a piglet head in the refrigerator,
Hutch has gone to Paris to play baguette air guitar,
Gideon shows up shirtless,
And the pygmy goat Robespierre is no help whatsoever.
Will Ruby ever control her panic attacks?
Will she ever understand boys?
Will she ever stop making lists?
(No to that last one.)
Roo has lost most of her friends. She’s lost her true love, more than once. She’s lost her
grandmother, her job, her reputation, and possibly her mind. But she’s never lost her sense of
humor. The Ruby Oliver books are the record of her survival.
60
YA FIC LOC
Lockhart, E.
Dramarama
Two theater-mad, self-invented fabulositon Ohio teenagers. One boy, one girl. One gay, one
straight. One black, one white. And Summer Drama Camp. It's a season of hormones, gold lame,
hissy fits, jazz hands, song and dance, true love, and unitards that will determine their future —
and test their friendship.
YA FIC LOC
Banks
Lockhart, E
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-
Lockhart's (Dramarama) witty novel about boarding school high jinks of a most cerebral order
receives winning treatment from Sirois-her slightly nasal voice for the heroine, 16-year-old
Frankie, seems in character and is somehow endearing. Frankie starts her sophomore year with
elevated social status thanks to having become the main squeeze of Big Man on Campus
Matthew Livingston, but confides her conflicted feelings about being "arm candy" to roommate
Trish, who responds with sweet but Valley Girl-esque befuddlement befitting someone who stays
home making fruit crumbles while the boys go out partying. Sirois goes to a deeper register for
heartthrob Matthew, leader of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, an all-male secret society
Frankie plots to infiltrate, and affects a surfer-dude patois for Alpha, Matthew's sidekick.
YA FIC LOC
Lockwood, Cara
Moby Clique
Some literary classics have been around for centuries. Miranda Tate's just hoping to survive
junior year....Her summer reading assignment isMoby-Dick,but Miranda's vacation hasn't exactly
been smooth sailing. Between working at her stepmother's hideous all-pink boutique, and having
broken up with her basketball champ boyfriend Ryan, not to mention snoozing her way through
one of literature'sheaviesttomes, she's almost looking forward to returning to Bard Academy. That
was before her kid sister Lindsay smashed up their dad's Land Rover and got shipped off to Bard
herself. Is the punishment Lindsay's -- or Miranda's?A private school staffed by the ghosts of
famous dead writers is hard enough to navigate without a freshman kid sister in tow, but now
Miranda's trying to sort out her feelings for her brooding friend Heathcliff, who happens to be a
fictional character, while keeping Bard's secrets from her nosy sister. And when her nemesis
Parker handpicks gullible Lindsay to be a Parker clone, Miranda knows a storm is brewing. Then,
Lindsay disappears in the woods...and a frantic search sends Ryan, Miranda, and Heathcliff to
Whale Cove, a spot rumored to hide a sunken pirate's ship. But something -- orsomeone-- even
more ominous and terrifying lurks there. Can Miranda stay the course and save her sister?
YA FIC LOC
Lockwood, Cara
Scarlet Letterman
Miranda Tate and her closest friends have been let in on a powerful secret: their teachers are
famous dead writers.After a heroic first semester, Miranda's got Bard Academy's ghost faculty in
her debt, a new boyfriend in hot basketball player Ryan Kent, and she's just turned in a paper
aboutThe Scarlet Letterthat she's sure is A material. But when the Bard Queen Bee, Parker
Rodham, claims she's attacked in the woods, Ryan is all too happy to play bodyguard. Then
teachers start disappearing and the campus is abuzz with news of the Hooded Sweatshirt Stalker
-- not to mention sightings of a monster in the woods. But it's Miranda who feels like a moving
target when she is accused not only of plagiarism but of suspicious involvement in the
attacks!Meanwhile, rumors are flying about what it really means that Miranda's wearing Ryan's
varsity letterman jacket. And she just can't shake her nagging feelings for Heathcliff, who
entrusted her with the locket that keeps him in the "real" world even though every one else thinks
he's back where he belongs, in the pages ofWuthering Heights.Is he the campus stalker? Does
she like him more than she likes Ryan? And how is that possible if he's only a character from a
book?
61
YA FIC LOC
Lockwood, Cara
Wuthering High
Fifteen-year-old Mia is not exactly thrilled when she gets the news that her parents are shipping
her off to boarding school. It's not like she did anything that bad -- all she did was wreck her dad's
car and max out her step mum's credit cards. So, off she goes, from Chicago to Bard Academy,
an exclusive prep school that treats troubled teenagers with a healthy dose of higher learning and
old-fashioned discipline. But all is not what it seems at this educational institute, and Mia and her
classmates soon discover that the teachers are actually ghosts, stuck in limbo, some of them
famous authors who died before their time, including Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway, and
Charlotte Bronte. And what's even more disturbing is that not all the ghosts have good intentions.
Mia and her friends must stop one evil instructor's plan to bring down the school -- and the entire
student body with it.
YA FIC LUB
Lubar, David
Dunk
While hoping to work as the clown in an amusement park dunk tank on the New Jersey shore the
summer before his junior year in high school, Chad faces his best friend's serious illness, hassles
with police, and the girl that got away.
YA FIC LUB
Lubar, David Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie
Starting high school is never easy. Seniors take your lunch money. Girlsyou've known forever are
suddenly beautiful and unattainable.The guys you grew up with are drifting away.And you can
never get enough sleep. Could there be a worse time for Scott's mother to announce she's
pregnant? Scott decides high school would be a lot less overwhelming if it came with a survival
manual, so he begins to write down tips for his new sibling. Scott's chronicle of his first year of
bullies, romance, honors classes, and brotherhood is both laugh-out-loud funny and touchingly
wise.
YA FIC LYG
Lyga, Barry Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl
Fanboy has never had it good, but lately his sophomore year is turning out to be its own special
hell. The bullies have made him their favorite target, his best (and only) friend seems headed for
the dark side (sports and popularity), and his pregnant mother and the step-fascist are eagerly
awaiting the birth of the alien life form known as Fanboy's new little brother or sister. Fanboy,
though, has a secret: a graphic novel he's been working on without telling anyone, a graphic
novel that he is convinced will lead to publication, fame, and- most important of all- a way out of
the crappy little town he lives in and all the people that make it hell for him. When Fanboy meets
Kyra, a.k.a. Goth Girl, he finds an outrageous, cynical girl who shares his love of comics as well
as his hatred for jocks and bullies. Fanboy can't resist someone who actually seems to
understand him, and soon he finds himself willing to heed her advice- to ignore or crush anyone
who stands in his way.
YA FIC LYG
Lyga, Barry
Goth Girl Rising
Time is a funny thing in the hospital. In the mental ward. You lose track of it easily. After six
months in the Maryland Mental Health Unit, Kyra Sellers, a.k.a. Goth Girl, is going home.
Unfortunately, she’s about to find out that while she was away, she lost track of more than
time. Kyra is back in black, feeling good, and ready to make up with the only person who’s ever
appreciated her for who she really is. But then she sees him. Fanboy. Transcended from
everything he was into someone she barely recognizes. And the anger and memories come
rushing back. There’s so much to do to people when you’re angry. Kyra’s about to get very busy.
YA FIC LYN
Lynch, Chris
Freewill
A teenager trying to recover from the tragic death of his father and stepmother believes himself to
be responsible for the rash of teen suicides occurring in his town.
62
YA FIC LYN
Lynn, Tracy
Rx
After years of hard work, Thyme Gilcrest has finally worked her way to the academic top of her
junior class. Though she has barely broken into The Twenty—her nickname for the hardest
working students in school headed to the best colleges—her junior year is set on the path of
extra-currics and college applications. With the arduous course load of AP courses, National
Honor Society obligations, and SAT prep courses, Thyme begins to run out of time and energy for
the study hours necessary for success. The answer to the latter problem comes in the tossed
bottle of a friend diagnosed with ADHD—Ritalin. A frighteningly realistic portrayal of upper class
teenagers dealing with extreme pressure and stress, this novel reveals the demands of a
seemingly average student who gets in over her head in the dangerous world of a drug dealer.
Tracy Lynn gives an entertaining and convincing account of the hidden, yet vast world of illegal
prescription drugs in the high school setting.
YA FIC LYO
Lyons, C.J. Broken
The only thing fifteen-year-old Scarlet Killian has ever wanted is a chance at a normal life.
Diagnosed with a rare and untreatable heart condition, she has never taken the school bus. Or
giggled with friends during lunch. Or spied on a crush out of the corner of her eye. So when her
parents offer her three days to prove she can survive high school, Scarlet knows her time is now...
or never. Scarlet can feel her heart beating out of control with every slammed locker and every
sideways glance in the hallway. But this high school is far from normal. And finding out the truth
might just kill Scarlet before her heart does.
YA FIC MAC
Mackey, Weezie Kerr
Throwing Like a Girl
When fifteen-year-old Ella is dragged to Texas by her parents, she dreads what she will find. She
feels at loose ends in her new town, new home, and new school. For lack of any other social
avenue, she surprises even herself by trying out for her school's softball team. There she finds
immediate friends, but also an enemy in the form of the possessive sister of a boy who pursues
Ella. Full of the usual awkwardness of adolescence, Ella is also dealing with being the youngest,
and now only, child left at home.
YA FIC MAN
Mangum, Erynn
Sketchy Behavior
Drawing Conclusions or Drafting Disaster? Other than harboring a somewhat obsessive
fondness for Crispix and completely swearing-off boys after a bad date (don't ask), sixteen-yearold Kate Carter is about as ordinary as they come, except for her two notable talents: art and
sarcasm. After an introduction to forensic sketching in her elective art class, Kate discovers a
third and most unexpected gift: criminal profiling. Her photo-quality sketch helps the police catch
a wanted murderer and earns her celebrity status in South Woodhaven Falls. But when that
murderer appears to be using his friends to exact revenge, Kate goes from local hero to possible
target. Will she manage to survive? Will life ever be normal again? And will local news anchor
Ted Deffle ever stop sending her flowers?
YA FIC MAN
Manning, Sara
Let’s Get Lost
Isabel is a high school student in trouble. She has survived years of bullying by bullying back.
She is caustic in her remarks and brutal in her verbal attacks. Classmates had hoped for some
softening now that she has recently experienced the death of her mother; they were wrong. She
is proud of her reputation as a "mean girl," or at least that is the impression she gives. Isabel
convinces herself that nothing has changed, that her attitude is necessary and that she is in
control. When she meets Smith, an older college student, she is drawn into a relationship built on
lies and in a sexual relationship she cannot help but talk about. She manipulates friends to cover
for her but they decide to fight back, getting her into trouble with school officials and her father.
Standing up to her is no easy task and when her father uses tough love to try to reestablish his
authority, she balks and runs away. It is only after Isabel's lies have collapsed around her that
she is able to face the truth, both the truth about herself and the truth about her mother's death.
63
YA FIC MAR
Marchetta, Melina
Jellicoe Road
Taylor Markham has been living at the Jellicoe School since her mother abandoned her at a gas
station when she was eleven. Taylor's whole life is a mystery to her-from what happened to her
mother and who her father was to why certain people in town are so interested in her well-being.
As the Jellicoe School students begin their annual territory wars with the Townies and military
school cadets, Taylor is thrown together with Jonah Griggs, the leader of the Cadets. Although
they are sworn enemies, Taylor and Jonah have a history and find themselves drawn to one
another. Together they begin to unravel the tragic story of the five teenagers who started the
territory wars a generation before and how their lives are tightly linked with Taylor's own.
YA FIC MAR
Marcus, Kimberly
Exposed
Sixteen-year-old Liz is Photogirl—sharp, focused, and confident in what she sees through her
camera lens, confident that she and Kate will be best friends forever. But everything changes in
one blurry night. Suddenly, Kate is avoiding her and people are looking the other way she passes
in the halls. As the aftershocks from a startling accusation rip through Liz's world, everything she
thought she knew about photography, family, friendship, and herself shifts out of focus. What
happens when the picture you see no longer makes sense?
YA FIC MAR
Margolis, Leslie
Fix
It hurts to be beautiful. Pretty, blond, popular Cameron Beekman has it all -- lots of girlfriends, a
hot boyfriend, and a successful family. She's perfection. Gone are her days as the outcast, hugenosed "Beakface." Which, as it turns out, was nothing a good nose job couldn't fix. While her little
sister, Allie, struggles with doubts about her own approaching "procedure," Cameron wants more.
She's headed to UC "Santa Barbie" and needs to look the part. After all, why settle for smart and
pretty when smart and drop-dead gorgeous is just a surgery away?
YA FIC MAR
Martinez, Jessica Space Between Us
Amelia is used to being upstaged by her charismatic younger sister, Charly. She doesn’t mind,
mostly, that it always falls to her to cover for Charly’s crazy, impulsive antics. But one night,
Charly’s thoughtlessness goes way too far, and she lands both sisters in serious trouble.
Amelia’s not sure she can forgive Charly this time, and not sure she wants to . . . but forgiveness
is beside the point. Because Charly is also hiding a terrible secret, and the truth just might tear
them apart forever.
YA FIC MAR
Martino, Alfred
Over the End Line
High school senior Jonny Fehey is unhappy with his position as a substitute on the soccer team
and with his lowly status in the school's social hierarchy. In addition to finding himself outstripped
both socially and athletically by his neighbor and life-long friend Kyle Saint-Claire, Jonny must
also contend with his father's long-ago abandonment, bullying, the death of a girl with whom he
had a summertime romance, and his failure to intervene in the drunken rape of an exchange
student with whom he is romantically involved. All seem like a bit much? Well, it is.
YA FIC MAT
Matthews, Tom
Like We Care
Music, television, cigarettes, junk food. In the world of Matthews's bitingly satiric novel, these
industries all rely on and take advantage of teenagers for a large proportion of their incomes.
High-school senior Todd Noland has grown tired of it and develops a unique idea. Stop buying it.
Stop buying the products, the hype, and the peer pressure. All of it. With the aid of fellow senior
Joel Karstan, he organizes a protest against the neighborhood convenience store that is effective
enough to attract the attention of Annie McCullough. A 20-something executive for R2Rev, a
music video cable channel boasting edgy and offensive hosts, she is young enough to appreciate
the protest yet savvy enough to help carry it and her career forward. As the media attention builds,
the teens set their sights on a new cause-electing their history teacher to a seat on the town
council.
64
YA FIC MCC
McCafferty, Megan
Sloppy Firsts
“My parents suck ass. Banning me from the phone and restricting my computer privileges are the
most tyrannical parental gestures I can think of. Don’t they realize that Hope’s the only one who
keeps me sane? . . . I don’t see how things could get any worse.
YA FIC MCC
McCafferty, Megan
Second Helpings
Jessica Darling is up in arms again in this much-anticipated, hilarious sequel to Sloppy Firsts.
This time, the hyperobservant, angst-ridden teenager is going through the social and emotional
ordeal of her senior year at Pineville High. Not only does the mysterious and oh-so-compelling
Marcus Flutie continue to distract Jessica, but her best friend, Hope, still lives in another state,
and she can't seem to escape the clutches of the Clueless Crew, her annoying so-called friends.
To top it off, Jessica's parents won't get off her butt about choosing a college, and her sister
Bethany's pregnancy is causing a big stir in the Darling household.
YA FIC MCD
McDonald, Abby
The Anti-Prom
They’ve spent years at the same high school without speaking a word to one another, but that’s
all about to change. Popular Bliss was having the perfect prom until she found her BFF and
boyfriend making out in the back of a limo. Bad girl Jolene wouldn’t be caught dead at the prom,
yet here she is, trussed up in pink ruffles, risking her reputation for some guy - some guy who is
forty minutes late. And shy, studious, über-planner Meg never counted on her date’s standing her
up and leaving her idling in the parking lot outside the prom. Get ready for The Anti-Prom, Abby
McDonald’s hilarious, heart-tugging tale about three girls and one unforgettable prom night.
YA FIC MCG McGarry, Katie Pushing the Limits
No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend
to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole
truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But
when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into
her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could
never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep,
being together is pretty much impossible. Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go
away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for
the one guy who might teach her how to love again.
YA FIC MCG McGowan, Anthony
The Knife That Killed Me
Paul Vanderman could be at any normal high school where bullies, girls, and annoying teachers
are just part of life. But “normal” doesn’t apply when it comes to the school’s biggest bully, Roth—
a twisted and threatening thug with an evil agenda. When Paul ends up delivering a message
from Roth to the leader of a gang at a nearby school, it fuels a rivalry with immediate
consequences. Paul attempts to distance himself from the feud, but somehow Roth keeps finding
reasons for him to stick around. Then one day Roth hands him a knife. And even though Paul is
scared, he has never felt so powerful.
YA FIC MCV
McVoy, Terra Elan
After the Kiss
This moment changes everything.
Becca has been head-over-heels for Alec from the instant they met. He’s a brainy jock with a
poet’s heart—in other words, perfect for her. Camille is careful with her words and protective of
her heart, especially since Chicago. Then a new boy in her new town catches her off guard with a
surprise kiss. Too bad that new boy is Becca’s boyfriend, Alec. Camille and Becca have never
met, but their lives will unravel and intertwine in surprising ways as they deal with what happens
after the kiss.
65
YA FIC MEA
Meaney, Flynn The Boy Recession
It's all about supply and demand when a high school deals with the sudden exodus of male
students. The boy recession has hit Julius P. Heil High, and the remaining boys find that their
stock is on the rise: With little competition, even the most unlikely guys have a good chance at
making the team and getting the girl. Guitar-strumming, class-skipping Hunter Fahrenbach never
wanted to be a hot commodity, but the popular girls can't help but notice his unconventional good
looks. With a little work, he might even by boyfriend material. But for down-to-earth Kelly Robbins,
the boy recession is causing all sorts of problems. She has secretly liked her good friend Hunter
for a while now, but how can she stand out in a crowd of overzealous Spandexers? As if dating
wasn't hard enough without a four-to-one ratio!
YA FIC MEC
Mechling, Lauren & Laura Moser
of a 10th Grade Social Climber
All Q No A: More Tales
After a tumultuous first semester, Mimi Schulman thinks she's ready to give social climbing a rest
and settle into the groove of New York's wacky Baldwin School. She's eager to start over with her
friends, reconnect with her dad, and make headway with Max Roth- the hottest guy in tenth grade.
But when an assignment for the school paper turns scandalous and spirals out of control, Mimi
finds little time to enjoy her new and improved existence. Instead, she embarks on a roller coaster
ride through the underbelly of the New York art world, from the VIP lounge of a shady nightclub to
a private Caribbean island populated with washed-up TV stars and fifteen-second celebrities. As
answers keep slipping through her fingers, Mimi begins to wonder if she'll ever manage to pin
down the story and get on with her life. And if so, will her life still be there?
YA FIC MED Medina, Meg
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass
One morning before school, some girl tells Piddy Sanchez that Yaqui Delgado hates her and
wants to kick her ass. Piddy doesn’t even know who Yaqui is, never mind what she’s done to piss
her off. Word is that Yaqui thinks Piddy is stuck-up, shakes her stuff when she walks, and isn’t
Latin enough with her white skin, good grades, and no accent. And Yaqui isn’t kidding around, so
Piddy better watch her back. At first Piddy is more concerned with trying to find out more about
the father she’s never met and how to balance honors courses with her weekend job at the
neighborhood hair salon. But as the harassment escalates, avoiding Yaqui and her gang starts to
take over Piddy’s life. Is there any way for Piddy to survive without closing herself off or running
away?
YA FIC MER Merrell, Marce
Wicked Sweet
Chantal is a planner, and her summer-before-senior-year plan requires best friend Jillian, resumé
updating, and studying for AP classes. Jillian wants something different and is afraid to leave
introverted Chantal in the dust. All that changes, though, when popular classmates Parker and
Will suspiciously start hanging out with the girls. Chantal only sees one thing: Jillian ditching her
for Parker—a guy who can’t even be trusted! Chantal hatches a new plan, one that will expose
Parker and Will for what they truly are, and along the way, get her best friend back with the littlest
lie and a lot of mouthwatering cake. After all, what are best friends for?
YA FIC MET Metzger, Lois
A Trick of the Light
Mike Welles had everything under control. But that was before. Now things are rough at home,
and they’re getting confusing at school. He’s losing his sense of direction, and he feels like he’s a
mess. The only thing he seems to be able to control in his life is the food he eats…or doesn’t eat.
Then there’s a voice in his head. A friend, who’s trying to help him get control again. More than
that—the voice can guide him to become faster and stronger than he was before, to rid his life of
everything that’s holding him back. To figure out who he is again. If only Mike will listen.
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Tween & YA FIC MIK
Mikaelsen, Ben
Touching Spirit Bear
After his anger erupts into violence, Cole, in order to avoid going to prison, agrees to participate
in a sentencing alternative based on the native American Circle Justice, and he is sent to a
remote Alaskan Island where an encounter with a huge Spirit Bear changes his life.
YA SF MLY
Mlynowski, Sarah
Gimme a Call
A new life is just a phone call away!
Devi's life isn't turning out at all like she wanted. She wasted the past three years going out with
Bryan—cute, adorable, break-your-heart Bryan. Devi let her friendships fade, blew off studying,
didn't join any clubs . . . and now that Bryan has broken up with her, she has nothing left.
Not even her stupid cell phone—she dropped it in the mall fountain. Now it only calls one
number . . . hers. At age fourteen, three years ago! Once Devi gets over the shock—and
convinces her younger self that she isn't some wacko—she realizes that she's been given an
awesome gift. She can tell herself all the right things to do . . . because she's already done all the
wrong ones! Who better to take advice from than your future self?
Except . . .what if getting what you think you want changes everything?
YA FIC MLY
Mlynowski, Sarah
Don't Even Think About It
We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until
our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache.
Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could
hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that
Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse
Carmichael used to be a stripper. Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to
the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We
know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know
what's coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.
So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening.
YA FIC MLY Mlynowski, Sarah
Shouldn’t Have)
Ten Things We Did (And Probably
2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house – parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely,
maybe, probably) shouldn't have.
If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a
friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to
tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her
housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up
"Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um,
"Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them. In this hilarious and bittersweet tale,
Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through
the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her
carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a
time.
YA FIC MOO Moodley, Ermila Path to My African Eyes
Newly arrived in California where her father will be teaching at a university, 14-year-old Thandi is
embarrassed by her South African background and her black features. The Africa her classmates
know and sometimes put down is not her modern Cape Town world. She resents her mother's
insistence on natural hair and her teacher's assignment of a report on ancestral roots. She is torn
between new "cool" friends and a geeky boy who'd like to be a boyfriend and who shares her
interest in scientific invention. Uncomfortable with parts of black American culture, she doesn't
know where she fits.
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YA FIC MUR
Murdock Catherine Gilbert
Dairy Queen
She has grown up on a dairy farm, but fifteen-year-old D.J. is no ordinary milkmaid. She has
played pick-up games and caught balls for her college-football-hero brothers all her life, and now
with an injury sidelining her father, she is doing almost all the farm work. The dairy is the family's
top priority, but it is taking a toll on D.J. She has little social life, less study time (she is flunking
English), and no expectations of a brighter future. She is uncomplaining and unaware of her
frustrations until Brian, the talented but out-of-condition quarterback for her high school's archrival,
compares her to a cow. "You do all the work . . . It's like you're a cow . . . one day . . . they're
going to . . . take you away to die and you're not even going to mind." Furious with unflinching
honesty, D.J. takes the point and in contentious-but increasingly respectful-dialogue, both teens
embark on a journey of self discovery during which D.J. becomes Brian's football trainer and
realizes that she wants to play herself.
YA FIC MUR
Murdock, Catherine Gilbert
The Off Season
Life is looking up for D.J. Schwenk. She's in eleventh grade, finally. After a rocky summer, she's
reconnecting in a big way with her best friend, Amber. She's got kind of a thing going with Brian
Nelson, who's cute and popular and smart but seems to like her anyway. And then there's the fact
she's starting for the Red Bend High School football team—the first girl linebacker in northern
Wisconsin, probably. Which just shows you can't predict the future. As autumn progresses, D.J.
struggles to understand Amber, Schwenk Farm, her relationship with Brian, and most of all her
family. As a whole herd of trouble comes her way, she discovers she's a lot stronger than she—or
anyone—ever thought.
YA FIC MUR
Murdock, Catherine
Front and Center
After five months of sheer absolute craziness I was going back to being plain old background D.J.
In photographs of course I’m always in the background . . .
But it turns out other folks have big plans for D.J. Like her coach. College scouts. All the town
hoops fans. A certain Red Bend High School junior who’s keen for romance and karaoke. Not to
mention Brian Nelson, who she should not be thinking about! Who she is done with, thank you
very much. But who keeps showing up anyway . . . Readers first fell in love with straight-talking D.
J. Schwenk in Dairy Queen; they followed her ups and downs both on and off the court in The Off
Season. Now D. J.steps out from behind the free-throw line in this final installment of the Dairy
Queen trilogy.
YA FIC MYE
Myers, Walter Dean
Game
Drew Lawson knows basketball is taking him places. It has to, because his grades certainly
aren't. But lately his plan has run squarely into a pick. Coach's new offense has made another
player a star, and Drew won't let anyone disrespect his game. Just as his team makes the
playoffs, Drew must come up with something big to save his fading college prospects. It's all up to
Drew to find out just how deep his game really is.
YA FIC MYR
Myracle, Lauren The Infinite Moment of Us
For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray’s goal has been to please her parents. But as high
school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once
overlapped with pleasing herself, but now... not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires,
but how can she if she doesn’t even know what they are? Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is
painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren
since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least
not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be. And yet certain things are written in the stars.
And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are
complicated, as are the bodies that house them...
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YA FIC MYR
Myracle, Lauren
Rhymes With Witches
Where does high school popularity come from? In cutthroat Crestview Academy, it comes from
black magic. Like everyone at Crestview, dorky Janie and Alicia want to be liked by the Bitches,
the three popular girls who rule the school. Janie can scarcely believe it when Mary Bryan,
Keisha and Bitsy invite her into their clique. Every year, apparently, the Bitches choose a
desperate, nerdy girl and make her over into a queen. The cost? Not so high: Janie needs to
steal something inexpensive from another student and leave it on the desk of creepy teacher Lurl
the Pearl. Isn't it a coincidence that the student Janie steals from-best friend Alicia-becomes
immediately unpopular and klutzy? Alas, Janie discovers her wondrous new popularity is rooted
in evil powers. Though Keisha and Mary Bryan cause minimal harm, Bitsy is not so magnanimous.
If only Janie could keep her popularity and be a good person, too.
YA FIC NAY
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
Alice in the Know
It's the summer before junior year, and Alice is looking forward to three months of excitement,
passion, and drama. But what does she find? A summer working in a local department store,
trying to stop shoplifters, and more "real life" problems than she could have ever imagined: A
good friend becomes seriously ill, Lester has more romance problems than even Alice knows
what to do with, and the gang from Mark Stedmeister's pool is starting to grow up a bit faster than
Alice is comfortable with.... Fortunately for Alice her family and friends are with her through it all,
and by the end of the summer, Alice finds she knows a whole lot more than she had in June.
YA FIC NAY
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
Dangerously Alice
Alice has always tried to be a decent person. She gets good grades, comes home on time, and
has never really given her dad and her stepmom any reason to worry. But now that junior year of
high school has started, Alice is a little sick of people assuming she's a goody-goody, so she
decides to start shaking things up. First there are the dates with Tony, a cute senior who's a lot
more experienced than Alice. Then the fights with her stepmom about the new cat, the car, and
everything else start. But when Alice sneaks off to a party that her parents don't know about and
a near-tragedy follows, she starts to realize every choice has a consequence, and danger rarely
leads to good ones.
YA FIC NAY
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
Outrageously Alice
Now that she is setting into eighth grade, the class she used to envy, Alice discovers it isn't as
exciting as she thought. She's tired of being the same old Alice, and longs to be a bit outrageous.
Instead, she finds herself in situations that are more embarrassing then they are thrilling. She
likes dressing up as a showgirl for Halloween, but hasn't counted on what happens in the broom
closet at school. And she's delighted to be a bridesmaid, but feels awkward at the bridal shower.
Even Patrick begins to seem childish to her. Elizabeth and Pamela, however, her two best friends,
feel that life is changing too much for them. Elizabeth finds that a new a boy at school is attracted
to her, while Pamela faces a serious problem at home. Lester, too, Alice's brother, can't quite
believe he's losing his old girlfriend, Crystal. When Alice dials Miss Summers, however, the
woman her father loves, there is always the hope that this time she will get the mother she has
always wanted.
YA FIC NAY
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
Intensely Alice
When the perfect summer is not so perfect...
Wouldn't it be great to go back to the time before Pamela got pregnant, before Patrick left for the
University of Chicago, before anyone was making any big decisions about sex or college or life in
general? Wouldn't it be great to get the whole gang together again, just once? But what it takes
for this to happen will change Alice (and the whole gang) forever.
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YA FIC NAY
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
Alice in Charge
It’s the beginning of Alice’s senior year and she finds herself facing some difficult situations. A
sudden increase in vandalism at the school leads Alice to discover an angry and violent group of
students—teenage neo-Nazis. And if that wasn’t bad enough, she learns that a new, attentive
teacher has been taking advantage of her friend. Between these crises, harder classes, college
applications, work, and friends, Alice wonders just how much responsibility she can take. It’s
great to start feeling like a grown-up, but does the world really have to throw her everything all at
once? Alice has the choice to step up…or melt down.
The decision is simple and true to the character that readers have loved for years: Alice steps
up—and in a big way.
YA FIC NAY Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds Incredibly Alice
It’s the last semester of senior year, and while Alice and most of her friends are out looking for
prom dresses, another classmate is shopping for a wedding dress—with room enough for a baby
bump. It’s strange to see someone she’s known for so long make the big leap into adulthood. “Till
death do us part” won’t be coming out of Alice’s or Patrick’s lips for a long time—especially
because they aren’t going to be able to even SEE each other for more than a year. Patrick is
about to leave for Spain, and prom night could be the last time they’re together until the following
summer! But Alice isn’t sure how “memorable” she wants to make it….Full of the ups and downs
of being a teen—and all the big and small moments along the way, Alice’s senior year is
something readers have been waiting for. Will graduation feel like the end of childhood...or the
beginning of something new?
YA FIC NEL
Nelson, R.A.
Teach Me
This is a book that you will not be able to put down. From the very first page, Nine speaks in a
voice that is at once raw, honest, direct, and unbelievably eloquent. "There has been an
earthquake in my life," she says, inviting you inside an experience that fascinates everyone -- an
affair between a teacher and student -- and giving an up close and personal answer to the
question: How does this happen?
YA FIC NEL
Nelson, Blake
Destroy All Cars
James Hoff has a plan to save the world. Forget recycling, taking the bus to work, and buying
green products. The only way to save the world is to destroy the cars. James, a high school junior,
is also convinced that the only way to save humans from extinction is to save them from the
excess he finds too common in his life. When James asks his best friend's mom to turn off her car
engine instead of idling, she says she cannot because she needs "climate control." James also
has traditional teen problems. He broke up with fellow activist, Sadie, and has to deal with seeing
her in school with her new boyfriend. His father has left and returned to his family, leaving James
to deal with confused feelings toward his parents. Everyone at school thinks he is a weird kid,
because he chooses not to drive, wears old clothes, and writes very passionate, if inappropriate,
essays for class. But when James and Sadie find themselves working for the same cause, James
is forced to address his feelings for Sadie, which return in full force after spending an afternoon
with her.
YA FIC NEL
Nelson,Blake
Girl
Meet Andrea Marr, straight-A high school student, thrift-store addict, and princess of the
downtown music scene. Andrea is about to experience her first love, first time, and first step
outside the comfort zone of high school, with the help of indie rock band The Color Green.
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YA FIC NOE
Noel, Alyson
Cruel Summer
“This was supposed to be my best summer yet, the one I’ve been working toward since
practically forever. Now I’m being banished from everything I know and love, and it just doesn’t
make any sense.”
Having recently discarded her dorky image--and the best friend that went with it--Colby
Cavendish is looking forward to a long hot season of parties, beach BBQ’s, and hopefully, more
hook-ups with Levi Bonham, the hottest guy in school. But her world comes crashing down when
her parents send her away to spend the summer in Greece with her crazy aunt Tally.
Stranded on a boring island with no malls, no cell phone reception, and an aunt who talks to her
plants, Colby worries that her new friends have forgotten all about her. But when she meets
Yannis, a cute Greek local, everything changes. She experiences something deeper and more
intense than a summer fling, and it forces her to see herself, and the life she left behind, in a
whole new way.
YA FIC NOE
Noel, Alyson
Kiss & Blog
As freshmen at Ocean High last year, Winter and her best friend Sloane thought they could ditch
their nerdy past, launching from invisible to cool. But after another miserable year of standing on
the sidelines they make a pact to do whatever it takes not to go unnoticed in their sophomore
year, promising each other that whoever makes it into the cool group first will bring the other
along. Once Sloane gets a taste of life on the A-list, she slams that door in Winter’s face.
Suddenly cast out of her former best friend’s life, Winter takes revenge the modern way: by
announcing all of Sloane’s dirty little secrets on an anonymous blog. Then the blog becomes
more popular than she ever dreamed and Winter must decide if her retaliation is really worth the
consequences—and if the price for popularity is one she’s willing to pay. Once again, Alyson Noël
navigates the tricky waters of the high school social scene with the heart and humor her readers
have come to love.
YA FIC NOE
Noel, Alyson
Faking 19
On the surface, 17-year-old Alex has it made; she is beautiful and smart. Plus, she's best friends
with M., the absolute most popular girl in school. Feeling bored with their fancy Orange County
suburban town, Alex and M. decide to check out L.A.'s glitzy nightlife scene. Pretending to be 19,
Alex and M. meet Trevor and Connor, two rich older guys. These weekend trips into the city
become the perfect distraction for Alex, who is secretly struggling with her failing senior year
grades, her absentee father, and her clueless mom. But, after the initial fun wears off for Alex,
she is forced to reevaluate her friendship with M., who is hiding some secrets beneath her perfect
Burberry-clad exterior...
YA FIC OAT Oates, Joyce Carol Two or Three Things I Forgot to Tell You
It wasn't like she had not warned us.
It wasn't like she had not prepared us.
We'd known that something was wrong those last several months.
But then, Tink hasn't actually vanished. Tink is gone, and yet—she is here somewhere, even if
we can't see her.
Tink? Are you—here?
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YA FIC PAD
Padian, Maria
Out of Nowhere
At Enniston High School, Tom Bouchard has it made: captain and star of the soccer team,
boyfriend to one of the prettiest, most popular girls, and third in his class, likely to have his pick of
any college, if he ever bothers filling out his applications. But life in his idyllic small Maine town
quickly gets turned upside down after the events of 9/11. Enniston has become a "secondary
migration" location for Somali refugees, who are seeking a better life after their country was
destroyed by war—they can no longer go home. Tom hasn't thought much about his Somali
classmates until four of them join the soccer team, including Saeed. He comes out of nowhere on
the field to make impossible shots, and suddenly the team is winning, dominating even; but when
Saeed's eligibility is questioned and Tom screws up in a big way, he's left to grapple with a
culture he doesn't understand and take responsibility for his actions. Saeed and his family came
out of nowhere and vanish just as quickly. And Tom may find himself going nowhere, too, if he
doesn't start trying to get somewhere.
YA FIC PAL
Palmer, Robin
Cindy Ella
Prom fever has infected LA—especially Cindy's two annoying stepsisters, and her overly Botoxed
stepmother. Cindy seems to be the only one immune to it all. But her anti-prom letter in the
school newspaper does more to turn Cindy into Queen of the Freaks than close the gap between
the popular kids and the rest of the students. Everyone thinks she's committed social suicide,
except for her two best friends, the yoga goddess India and John Hughes–worshipping Malcolm,
and shockingly, the most popular senior at Castle Heights High and Cindy's crush, Adam Silver.
Suddenly Cindy starts to think that maybe her social life could have a happily ever after. But
there's still the rest of the school to deal with. With a little bit of help from an unexpected source
and a fabulous pair of heels, Cindy realizes that she still has a chance at a happily ever after.
YA FIC PAL
Palmer, Robin
Geek Charming
Dylan Shoenfield is the princess of L.A.’s posh Castle Heights High. She has the coolest
boyfriend, the most popular friends, and a brand-new “it” bag that everyone covets. But when she
accidentally tosses her bag into a fountain, this princess comes face-to-face with her own
personal frog: selfprofessed film geek Josh Rosen. In return for rescuing Dylan’s bag, Josh
convinces Dylan to let him film her for his documentary on high school popularity. Reluctantly,
Dylan lets F-list Josh into her A-list world, and is shocked to realize that sometimes nerds can be
pretty cool. But when Dylan’s so-called prince charming of a boyfriend dumps her flat, her life—
and her social status— comes to a crashing halt. Can Dylan—with Josh’s help—pull the pieces
together to create her own happily-ever-after?
YA FIC PAS
Pascal, Francine
The Ruling Class
Sick of being bullied and harassed, a new girl at a wealthy suburban Dallas high school plots
revenge on the girls in the ruling clique.
YA FIC PER
Perkins, Stephanie Anna & the French Kiss
Anna's father has made his money in chick lit fiction and has now decided that his seventeen
year old daughter should study at a boarding school in France. Anna does not want to go; she is
a senior in high school, with a job at the local Cineplex and no desire to leave American soil and
American boys. Nonetheless, she packs up and goes to spend her senior year at the School of
America in Paris's Latin Quarter. As she meets Meredith, Josh, and Rashmi, she starts to feel like
she just might fit in. But when Anna meets Etienne St. Clair, her stomach flips and she knows that
Paris has more to offer than she had ever imagined. St. Clair is the son of a Frenchman and
American woman, raised in London. All the girls are in love with St. Clair, including Meredith.
Anna's year is filled with the stereotypical high school drama—who likes whom, who says what,
and what do you do when your best friend likes the boy you like. Although some of the plot twists
are predictable, the characters are well developed with realistic qualities and quirks. Anna's voice
is sharp and sassy, but innocent enough to lend credence to the uncertainty of her emotions and
decisions.
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YA FIC PET
Be Dead
By the Time You Read This, I’ll
Peters, Julie Ann
Daelyn Rice is broken beyond repair, and after a string of botched suicide attempts, she's
determined to get her death right. She starts visiting a website for "completers"- www.throughthe-light .com. While she's on the site, Daelyn blogs about her life, uncovering a history of
bullying that goes back to kindergarten. When she's not on the Web, Daelyn's at her private
school, where she's known as the freak who doesn't talk. Then, a boy named Santana begins to
sit with her after school while she's waiting to for her parents to pick her up. Even though she's
made it clear that she wants to be left alone, Santana won't give up. And it's too late for Daelyn
to be letting people into her life.isn't it?
YA FIC PET
Peters, Julie Anne
It’s Our Prom (So Deal With It)
When Azure's principal gives her the chance to turn the school's traditional (and boring) senior
prom into an event that will appeal to everyone, not just the jocks and cheerleaders, she jumps at
the opportunity. Soon Azure manages to convince her best friends, Luke and Radhika, to join the
prom committee as well. Facing heavy opposition and admittedly clueless about prom logistics,
the three friends are nonetheless determined to succeed -- if Luke's and Azure's secret crushes
on Radhika don't push the committee members, and their friendships, to the breaking point first.
YA FIC PHI
Phillips, Suzanne
Burn
"In high school there were no second chances," Cameron learns in his very first week. The coach
at sports orientation publicly mistakes the slight, blond-haired freshman for a girl, and he's stuck
with the nickname "Cameron Diaz" and bullied mercilessly by the brutal school jocks. Socially
isolated and still trying to cope with his parents' bitter divorce, Cameron is left with a burning
anger—an anger relieved only temporarily by playing with matches, even when he inadvertently
causes a forest fire after a locker room assault and public humiliation by the jocks. His mother's
new boyfriend, a cop, suspects Cameron is guilty of starting the fire and tries to help him. But
when Cameron lashes out at a boy who had witnessed his humiliation, the tragic consequences
may mean that it's too late for help.
YA MYS PLU
Plum-Ucci, Carol
The Body of Christopher Creed
Torey Adams, a high school junior with a seemingly perfect life, struggles with doubts and
questions surrounding the mysterious disappearance of the class outcast.
YA MYS POR
Portman, Frank
King Dork
Tom Henderson (a.k.a. King Dork, Chi-mo, Hender-fag, and Sheepie) is a typical American high
school loser until he discovers the book, The Catcher in the Rye, that will change the world as he
knows it. When Tom discovers his deceased father’s copy of the Salinger classic, he finds himself
in the middle of several interlocking conspiracies and at least half a dozen mysteries involving
dead people, naked people, fake people, ESP, blood, a secret code, guitars, monks, witchcraft,
the Bible, girls, the Crusades, a devil head, and rock and roll. And it all looks like it’s just the tip of
a very odd iceberg of clues that may very well unravel the puzzle of his father’s death and–oddly–
reveal the secret to attracting semihot girls. Being in a band could possibly be the secret to the
girl thing–but good luck finding a drummer who can count to four.
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YA FIC PRO
Prom Nights from Hell
In this exciting collection, bestselling authors Meg Cabot (How to Be Popular), Kim Harrison (A
Fistful of Charms), Michele Jaffe (Bad Kitty), Stephenie Meyer (Twilight), and Lauren Myracle (ttyl)
take bad prom nights to a whole new level—a paranormally bad level. Wardrobe malfunctions
and two left feet don't hold a candle to discovering your date is the Grim Reaper—and he isn't
here to tell you how hot you look. From angels fighting demons to a creepy take on getting what
you wish for, these five stories will entertain better than any DJ in a bad tux. No corsage or limo
rental necessary. Just good, scary fun.
YA FIC PRO
Prose, Francine
Touch
What really happened at the back of the bus?
Did they, or didn't they?
Did she, or didn't she?
Something happened to fourteen-year-old Maisie Willard—something involving her three friends,
all boys. But their stories don't match, and the rumors spin out of control. Then other people get
involved . . . the school, the parents, the lawyers. The incident at the back of the bus becomes the
center of Maisie's life and the talk of the school, and, horribly, it becomes news. With just a few
words and a touch, the kids and their community are changed forever.
YA FIC QUI Quick, Matthew
Forgive Me Leonard Peacock
Today is Leonard Peacock's birthday. It is also the day he hides a gun in his backpack. Because
today is the day he will kill his former best friend, and then himself, with his grandfather's P-38
pistol. But first he must say good-bye to the four people who matter most to him: his Humphrey
Bogart-obsessed next-door neighbor, Walt; his classmate Baback, a violin virtuoso; Lauren, the
Christian homeschooler he has a crush on; and Herr Silverman, who teaches the high school's
class on the Holocaust. Speaking to each in turn, Leonard slowly reveals his secrets as the hours
tick by and the moment of truth approaches.
YA FIC RAL
School
Rallison, Janette
All’s Fair in Love, War, and High
Samantha has bombed her SATs, and her prospects for college are looking dim. What can she
do to redeem herself in the eyes of college admissions? Head cheerleader isn't exactly awe
inspiring, so she decides that politics is her salvation, and she begins her campaign for student
body president with the help and support of her fellow cheerleaders. Branching out of her clique
to enlist others to help leads to a bet with Logan, her eighth-grade boyfriend, that she cannot go
two weeks without insulting someone. In the process, Samantha makes new friends, loses old
ones, dates a hunk from her past, and learns something about character.
YA FIC RAL
Rallison, Janette How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend
Sixteen-year-old Giovanna Petrizzo finds it hard enough to fit in. Three years since her family
moved to Texas, she’s still the newcomer compared to everyone around her. It doesn’t help
matters when her twin brother, Dante, takes on the mayor’s son by running for class president.
The least she could expect, though, would be for her boyfriend, Jesse, to support their cause. But
Jesse’s apparent defection triggers Giovanna’s rash emotional side, and before she knows it,
she’s turned Jesse from the boy of her dreams to the exboyfriend she dreams of winning back.
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YA FIC RAL
Rallison, Janette
Revenge of the Cheerleaders
Chelsea's school year has taken a turn for the worse. After being dumped by her boyfriend and
humiliated at the pep assembly by her younger sister's boyfriend, Rick, she's just concentrating
on avoiding any other major embarrassments. That's when Rick and his band debut their new
album, complete with a whole set of songs bashing cheerleaders. Chelsea's humiliation has
reached a whole new level now that everyone is walking down the halls singing the words to
“Dangerously Blonde.” It's time to make Rick pay. All he wants is to win the High School Idol
audition, so he can be on his way to rock star fame and fortune. But with the help of her best
friends, Aubrie and Samantha, Chelsea is going to steal his victory right out from under him.
YA FIC RAY
Ray, Rebecca
Pure
Pure is about fourteen - the age when you know everything, except when you don't know
anything. It's about first love and the end of innocence, and realizing your family perhaps isn't as
happy or your parents as together as you thought. It's about the cool friend for whom everything
seems effortless, and the impossibly embarrassing friend you're nice to when your cool friends
can't see. It's about that twenty-seven-year-old man who flirts with you when he sells your dad
your overpriced birthday stereo - except he actually calls. And it's about what happens after.
YA FIC RAY
Rayburn, Tricia
The Melting of Maggie Bean
Maggie Bean's having a tough year. Since her dad lost his job he spends more time watching TV
than talking to his family, and her mom's totally stressed about money. So Maggie focuses on
what she does best: keeping up her straight-A average and eating chocolate. Lots and lots of
chocolate. But everything changes when Maggie gets a chance to try out for the synchronized
swim team. Becoming a Water Wing has always been Maggie's dream -- who wouldn't want to
have an instant circle of friends and wear that cute silver bathing suit? As a Water Wing, maybe
she'll start believing she's more than just a socially awkward bookworm. Maybe people will see
past the extra weight she's recently gained to the funny, cool girl hiding underneath. And maybe,
just maybe, Peter Applewood will finally notice her. It all depends on Maggie Bean, who thinks
she knows who she is, but is about to find out for sure.
YA FIC REE
Reed, Amy
Beautiful
Cassie has just moved from Bainbridge Island to Seattle. No one at her new school knows her as
the pudgy nobody her classmates in her small town ignored. Here, now, she is beautiful and
determined to be noticed. Her decisions, while terrifying for the reader, are perfectly
understandable. Her parents are loving, but more involved in their own unhappiness than in
keeping a close watch on Cassie. Her new friend Alex is her ticket into the world of drugs, sex,
and acceptance, but Alex's personal demons become clearer and more dangerous as their
friendship deepens. The first-person, present-tense voice keeps the reader constantly absorbed
in Cassie's life and never sure what the next moment may bring.
YA FIC REN
Rennison, Louise
Withering Tights
Rennison introduces Georgia Nicholson's cousin, Tallulah Casey, a girl just as funny and
introspective as Georgia herself, if not more so. Tallulah is on her way to a performing-arts school
on the Yorkshire Moors—this fact alone has her beside herself thinking about Cathy and
Heathcliff. This will be her first time away from home—she'll be on her own with no parents, no
little brother—and plans to discover her inner artistic talents and keep her knobby knees tightly
under wraps. Tallulah soon meets a fun group of girls as well as Cain, the local cad; Alex, the
local swoon-worthy boy; an owl; and Charlie, a boy with potential—and a secret. Readers will be
laughing at the teen's adventures and her journey toward artistic greatness during her summer at
Dother Hall. Will she end up with Charlie? Does she really hate Cain—or does she secretly "feel
funny" around him? Will Alex ever see her as anything but a 14-year-old? Tallulah is a vivacious
and hilarious character who will speak to every girl—she's not the most popular or the most
beautiful, but she has her own wonderful talents that others start to recognize.
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YA FIC RUB
Ruby, Laura
Bad Apple
"If I really wanted to open up, I'd confess that I really am the liar everyone believes I am."
High-school junior Tola Riley has green hair, a nose ring, an attitude problem, and a fondness for
fairy tales, which are a great escape from real life. Everyone thinks she's crazy; everyone says so.
Everyone except Mr. Mymer, her art teacher. He gets her paintings and lets her hang out in the
art room during lonely lunch periods. But then rumors start flying and Tola is suddenly the center
of a scandal. The whole town is judging her even her family. When Mr. Mymer is suspended for
what everyone thinks is an affair, she has no choice but to break her silence. Fairy tales won't
help her this time . . . so how can she tell the truth? And, more importantly, will anyone believe
her?
YA FIC RUN Runyon, Brent Maybe
Runyon's sensitively wrought novel explores a high-school student coming to terms with his older
brother's death. Through Brian's first-person narrative, the author demonstrates how Brian's life
has been rocked by the tragedy, beginning with his move to a new house and school, where no
one knows that his family has suffered a loss.
YA FIC RYA
Ryan, Amy Kathleen
Vibes
Gusty Peterson, the hottest bimboy in school, is always thinking I'm sick, as in totally gross to
look at. Not that it matters, since I don't have a crush on him or anything. And Mallory, my first
real friend since forever, has disturbing romantic ideas about me and my ginormous gazungas.
Ask me if I'd rather not know these things. I have enough to worry about with my dad showing up
after two years of saving Africa from typhoid, ready to resuscitate our relationship. There's
something he's not telling me. I know it. And now I've been assigned to work with Gusty in a
hideous new project the faculty are torturing us with at school. It's so wonderful to explore
yourself with someone who's always thinking you're sick. I'd probably be a lot better off if I
weren't psychic after all . . .
YA FIC RYA Ryan, Jeanne
Nerve
A high-stakes online game of dares turns deadly. When Vee is picked to be a player in NERVE,
an anonymous game of dares broadcast live online, she discovers that the game knows her.
They tempt her with prizes taken from her ThisIsMe page and team her up with the perfect boy,
sizzling-hot Ian. At first it's exhilarating—Vee and Ian's fans cheer them on to riskier dares with
higher stakes. But the game takes a twisted turn when they're directed to a secret location with
five other players for the Grand Prize round. Suddenly they're playing all or nothing, with their
lives on the line. Just how far will Vee go before she loses NERVE?
YA FIC RYA Ryan, P.E. Saints of Augustine
Sam Findley and Charlie Perrin. Best friends. At least they used to be. But a year ago Sam cut
Charlie out of his life—no explanation, no discussion, nothing. Fast-forward one year, and both
Sam's and Charlie's lives are spiraling out of control. Sam has a secret he's finding harder and
harder to hide, and Charlie is dealing with an increasingly absent dad and a dealer whose threats
are anything but empty. As told in alternating chapters from Sam and Charlie during the sticky
Florida summer before their senior year, the ex-best friends are thrown together once again when
they have no one else to turn to.
YA FIC RYA
Ryan, Tom
Way to Go
Danny thinks he must be the only seventeen-year-old guy in Cape Breton—in Nova Scotia,
maybe—who doesn't have his life figured out. His buddy Kierce has a rule for every occasion,
and his best friend Jay has bad grades, no plans and no worries. Danny's dad nags him about his
post-high-school plans, his friends bug him about girls and a run-in with the cops means he has
to get a summer job. Worst of all, he's keeping a secret that could ruin everything.
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YA FIC SAL
Sales, Leila
Mostly Good Girls
The higher you aim, the farther you fall….It’s Violet’s junior year at the Westfield School. She
thought she’d be focusing on getting straight As, editing the lit mag, and figuring out how to talk to
boys without choking on her own saliva. Instead, she’s just trying to hold it together in the face of
cutthroat academics, her crush’s new girlfriend, and the sense that things are going irreversibly
wrong with her best friend, Katie. When Katie starts making choices that Violet can’t even begin
to fathom, Violet has no idea how to set things right between them. Westfield girls are trained for
success—but how can Violet keep her junior year from being one huge, epic failure?
YA FIC SAL Salter, Sydney
My Big Nose & Other Natural Disasters
It’s the end of junior year, and summer is about to begin. The Summer of Passion, to be exact,
when Jory Michaels plans to explore all the possibilities of the future--and, with any luck, score a
boyfriend in the process. But Jory has a problem. A big problem. A curvy, honking, bumpy,
problem in the form of her Super Schnozz, the one thing standing between Jory and happiness.
And now, with the Summer of Passion stretched before her like an open road, she's determined
for Super Schnozz to disappear. Jory takes a job delivering wedding cakes to save up for a nose
job at the end of the summer; she even keeps a book filled with magazine cutouts of perfect
noses to show the doctor. But nothing is ever easy for accident-prone Jory--and before she
knows it, her Summer of Passion falls apart faster than the delivery van she crashes.
YA FIC SAN Sanchez, Alex
Rainbow Boys
Three high school seniors, a jock with a girlfriend and an alcoholic father, a closeted gay, and a
flamboyant gay rights advocate, struggle with family issues, gay bashers, first sex, and conflicting
feelings about each other.
YA FIC SAN
Sanchez, Alex
Rainbow High
Follows three gay high school seniors as they struggle with issues of coming out, safe sex,
homophobia, being in love, and college choices.
YA FIC SCH Schneider, Robyn
The Beginning of Everything
Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter
after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was
primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic
career, and his social life. No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at
the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone
Ezra’s ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her
endless adventures. But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he
learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one’s
singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens
when more misfortune strikes?
YA FIC SCH Schraff, Anne
Someone to Love Me
At first, Bobby Wallace was everything Cindy Gibson hoped for. He was friendly, seemingly
mature, and hansome--the perfect escape from her problems in school and even bigger troubles
at home. But then, Bobby starts behaving strangely, and Cindy gets scared. Hiding her concerns
from her friends and her distracted mother, Cindy soon finds herself in the worst trouble of her
life.
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YA FIC SCH
Schraff, Anne
A Boy Called Twister
Kevin Walker—a shy, studious, athletic junior—is new to Tubman High, having moved to
California midyear to live with his maternal grandparents. Allowing peers to believe his mother
sent him from Texas to attend a better school, Kevin hides the truth that his mother recently died
from cancer and his father died years ago in a prison riot—a convicted murderer. Saddled with
his father's volatile temper, a deep dislike for bullies, and family secrets, Kevin plans to remain
aloof through his final years of high school; however, friendly Alonee Lennox soon pulls him into a
group of caring peers, and Kevin forms friendships. When Kevin, as fleet-of-foot as a Texas
twister, excels on the track, he is surprised to be rewarded with lovely Carissa's adoration.
YA FIC SCH
Schroeder, Lisa
Falling For You
Rae’s always dreamed of dating a guy like Nathan. He’s nothing like her abusive stepfather—in
other words, he’s sweet. But the closer they get, the more Nathan wants of her time, of her love,
of her…and the less she wants to give. As Rae’s affection for Nathan turns to fear, she leans on
her friend Leo for support. With Leo, she feels lighter, happier. And possessive Nathan becomes
jealous. He’s not about to let her go. And with danger following her every move, Rae must fight
for the life and love she deserves if she’s going to survive.
YA FIC SCH
Schutz, Samantha
You Are Not Here
Annaleah and Brian shared something special - Annaleah is sure of it. When they were together,
they didn't need anyone else. It didn't matter that their relationship was secret. All that mattered
was what they had with each other. And then, out of nowhere, Brian dies. And while everyone
else has their role in the grieving process, Annaleah finds herself living outside of it,
unacknowledged and lonely. How can you recover from a loss that no one will let you have?
YA FIC SCO
Scott, Kieran
I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader
New Jersey transplant and sassy brunette Annisa Gobrowski has a problem-literally everyone at
her Florida high school is blonde. No lack of golden highlights is going to stop Annisa from
making the cheerleading squad. But after accidentally breaking the most popular girl in school's
nose, and discovering the cheerleaders all hate her, she starts having second thoughts. Is it too
much to ask to land a spot on the team, win the heart of her dreamy crush and make tons of new
friends? Annisa is on the verge of giving up, but the cheerleader in her just won't let her quit. She
may be a little different, but Sand Dune High had better watch out-this non-blonde is here to stay
in this hilariously funny new novel.
YA FIC SCO
Scott, Kieran
A Non-Blonde Chearleader in Love
The Sand Dune High cheerleading squad has gone coed, and not everyone is happy about it.
Annisa’s psyched when her boyfriend signs up, and stunting with the guys is pretty cool. But then
the battle of the sexes heats up, and Annisa is caught in the middle. Can one non-blonde figure
out a way to keep the girls from killing the guys, or will the battle turn into an all-out cheer war?
YA FIC SCO
Scott, Kiernan
Brunettes Strike Back
New Jersey transplant and spunky brunette Annisa and her sand Dune High cheerleading squad
are headed to nationals! Just when she thinks her blonde teammates have accepted her, some of
the girls have suddenly made it their mission to convert Annisa to the blonde side. Annisa thinks
her luck is finally changing when her old squad makes a surprise appearance at nationals, but
soon it turns into a Jersey versus Florida turf battle. torn between two worlds, and two hair colors,
can one non-blonde cheerleader make it through the sea of highlights and rock nationals her own
way?
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YA FIC SCO
Scott, Kieran
Geek Magnet
Everyone loves KJ Miller, especially the geeks. She's pretty, smart, and super nice to everyone,
which has made her the geek pied piper of Washington High. If only Cameron, the star of the
basketball team, would follow her around and worship her the way her dorky entourage does.
As the stage manager of the spring musical, Grease, KJ has to deal with a few geeks, but she
also gets to hang out with Tama, queen of the popular crowd and star of the play. Tama has the
solution to all of KJ's problems: get cruel. After all, the nice girl never gets the guy. Can KJ
actually pull off a transformation into a mean girl?
YA FIC SCO
Scott, Kieran
She’s So Dead to Us
Perfect, picturesque Orchard Hill. It was the last thing Ally Ryan saw in the rear-view mirror as her
mother drove them out of town and away from the shame of the scandal her father caused when
his hedge fund went south and practically bankrupted all their friends -- friends that liked having
trust funds and new cars, and that didn't like constant reminders that they had been swindled. So
it was adios, Orchard Hill. Thanks for nothing. Now, two years later, Ally's mother has landed a
job back at the site of their downfall. So instead of Ally's new low-key, happy life, it'll be back into
the snake pit with the likes of Shannen Moore and Hammond Ross. But then there's Jake
Graydon. Handsome, wealthy, bored Jake Graydon. He moved to town after Ally left and knows
nothing of her scandal, but does know that he likes her. And she likes him. So off into the sunset
they can go, right? Too bad Jake's friends have a problem with his new crush since it would make
Ally happy. And if anyone deserves to be unhappy, it's Ally Ryan. Ally was hoping to have left all
the drama in the past, but some things just can't be forgotten. Isn't there more to life than money?
YA FIC SCO
Trilogy v 3)
Scott, Kieran This is So Not Happening (He’s So/She’s So
After their long summer apart, Ally and Jake were hoping for a drama-free senior year. Instead
they are faced with a turn of events that threaten to tear them apart...for good. It turns out that
Chloe is pregnant and says that Jake is the father. Hammond is pissed at his best friend, and he
cannot believe that Ally would stay with Jake. But Ally’s willingness to make it work is tested when
Jake starts blowing her off to go to doctor’s appointments with Chloe, and Ally joins the school
play—and meets a cute guy. As graduation approaches, new secrets come out and Ally realizes
maybe Jake isn’t the guy she thought he was. After everything they’ve been through, can Ally and
Jake get out of Orchard Hill with their relationship intact?
YA FIC SHA
Sharif, Medeia
Bestest. Ramadan. Ever.
No pizza. No boyfriend. (No life.)Okay, so during Ramadan, we're not allowed to eat from sunrise
to sunset. For one whole month. My family does this every year, even though I've been to a
mosque exactly twice in my life. And it's true, I could stand to lose a few pounds. (Sadly, my
mom's hotness skipped a generation.) But is starvation really an acceptable method? I think
not.Even worse, my oppressive parents forbid me to date. This is just cruel and wrong. Especially
since Peter, a cute and crushable artist, might be my soul mate. Figures my bestest friend Lisa
likes him, too. To top it off, there's a new Muslim girl in school who struts around in super-short
skirts, commanding every boy's attention-including Peter's. How can I get him to notice me? And
will I ever figure out how to be Muslim and American?
YA FIC SHE
Sheldon, Dyan
My Perfect Life
With perfect parents, perfect friends, and perfect poise, it seems like Ella Gerard has it all. But
when her best friend, Lola, nominates her to run for school president against the wickedly popular
Carla Santini, some of the less-than-perfect aspects of Ella's life come to light. How can Ella
come out a winner without losing face? Ella has no interest in running for class president at her
suburban New Jersy high school, but her off-beat friend Lola tricks her into challenging the rich
and overbearing Carla Santini in a less-than-friendly race.
79
YA COMICS SHE Shen, Prudence & Faith Erin Hicks Nothing Can
Possibly Go Wrong
You wouldn’t expect Nate and Charlie to be friends. Charlie’s the laid-back captain of the
basketball team, and Nate is the neurotic, scheming president of the robotics club. But they are
friends, however unlikely—until Nate declares war on the cheerleaders. At stake is funding that
will either cover a robotics competition or new cheerleading uniforms—but not both. It's only
going to get worse: after both parties are stripped of their funding on grounds of abominable
misbehavior, Nate enrolls the club's robot in a battlebot competition in a desperate bid for prize
money. Bad sportsmanship? Sure. Chainsaws? Why not. Running away from home on
Thanksgiving to illicitly enter a televised robot death match? Of course!
YA FIC SIM
Simone, Ni-Ni
A Girl Like Me
She's got a voice like Keisha Cole, attitude to burn--and is the body-rockin', Bebe-sporting girl
everyone in her high school wants to be. . .or be with. But in real life, sixteen-year-old Elite has a
crack-addicted mother, no father in sight, and is secretly raising her sister and two brothers on
her own. Now a radio contest has put her up-close-and-personal with mega-hot singer Haneef
and their chemistry is too sizzling for Elite to stop pretending. And as the clock ticks down fast for
this 'hood Cinderella, she has only one shot to save her family and make all of her dreams come
true.
YA FIC SIM
Simine, Ni-Ni-
No Boyz Allowed
True story: I'm Gem, G-E-M, like a precious jewel, and my life has been nothing like my name.
I've been on my own since I was nine and now I'm sixteen. But so what. I'm good, and so is my
little brother. So why the state won't let us do our own thing is beyond me. Instead, we've been
forced to live with a foster family who wants to love us, but I'm not beat--I'm just trying to do me.
To make matters worse, I've been checking for this guy, Ny'eem. But my new clique has an
unbreakable rule--no boyz allowed to come between our friendship--which is forcing me to keep
my relationship with Ny'eem a secret. Though not for long. . .because in high school secrets are
always exposed, scandals always rewrite the rules, and friendships are never what they seem. .
YA FIC SLO
Sloan, Brian
A Really Nice Prom Mess
High school senior Cameron Hayes gets coerced into going to the prom with a girl, even though
he'd rather be with his boyfriend. The evening goes from bad to worse when his fake date gets
sloshed, his boyfriend slugs him when he sees Cam kissing his fake date, and Cam flees the
prom in disguise with a drug dealer. Then things really spin out of control. Over the course of one
harrowing and hysterical night, Cameron's life comes undone, leading to accidental revelations,
criminal adventures, and an unlikely romance.
YA FIC SMI Smith, Andrew
Winger
Ryan Dean West is a fourteen-year-old junior at a boarding school for rich kids. He’s living in
Opportunity Hall, the dorm for troublemakers, and rooming with the biggest bully on the rugby
team. And he’s madly in love with his best friend Annie, who thinks of him as a little boy. With the
help of his sense of humor, rugby buddies, and his penchant for doodling comics, Ryan Dean
manages to survive life’s complications and even find some happiness along the way. But when
the unthinkable happens, he has to figure out how to hold on to what’s important, even when it
feels like everything has fallen apart.
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YA FIC SON
Sonnenblick, Jordan Notes From the Midnight Driver
Having seriously messed himself up by getting drunk and decapitating a garden gnome with his
mom's car, sixteen-year-old Alex is assigned to a nursing home for his community service
sentence: one hundred hours with Sol Lewis, the crankiest, most unapproachable member of the
old folks' community. Alex relates the events of his epic junior year with first-person fervor.
Getting past the accident, there's his parents' divorce (which precipitated his ill-fated night ride);
his mixed emotions about his best friend, kung fu master Laurie; his attempts to keep up with his
high school jazz band. Then there's Sol. Mr. "Gotcha!" gets under Alex's skin—then into his heart.
YA FIC SON
Sonnenblick, Jordan
Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip
Meet Peter Friedman, high school freshman. Talented photographer. Former baseball star. When
a freakish injury ends his pitching career, Peter has some major things to figure out. Is there life
after sports? Why has his grandfather suddenly given him thousands of dollars worth of camera
equipment? And is it his imagination, or is the super-hot star of the girls' swim team flirting with
him, right in front of the amazing new girl in his photography class?
YA FIC ST
St. James, James
Freak Show
Billy Bloom is gay, but it’s mostly theoretical, as he hasn’t had much experience. When he has to
move to Florida, he can’t believe his bad luck. His new school is a mix of Bible Belles,
Aberzombies, and Football Heroes, none of which are exactly his type. Billy’s efforts to fit in and
stand out at the same time are both hilarious and heartrending.
YA FIC STA
Stahler, David
Spinning Out
Stewart and Gerry (aka Frenchy) are from vastly different socioeconomic backgrounds, but their
friendship is fueled by their misfit status and their daily pot-smoking "pit stops." When they
audition for the roles of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza in Man of La Mancha, their
leader/follower relationship is cemented, and they surprise everyone with their talent. Their
theatrical prowess, however, masks serious issues: Frenchy is trying to deal with his soldierfather's recent suicide, and Stewart's obsession with sabotaging the power company's wind
turbines is evidence of his mental illness. When his increasingly erratic behavior puts both teens
in danger, Frenchy is forced to admit to Stewart's schizophrenia and risks his own life to get him
help.
YA FIC STA
Standiford, Natalie
How To Say Goodbye In Robot
Because of her father's academic career, Beatrice Szabo's family has moved multiple times, most
recently from Ithaca, NY, to Baltimore. In order to protect herself from the emotional fallout
caused by the constant moves and her parents' troubled relationship, she has invented a cold,
emotionless persona for herself called Robot Girl. When she begins her senior year at a small
private school, she enters a class where the students have known one another since kindergarten.
She finds herself drawn to outcast Jonas Tate, aka Ghost Boy, who introduces her to the Night
Light show, a local late-night radio show. They form an intense friendship, complicated by Jonas's
obsession with his mentally disabled twin brother, whom his father had told him died in an
automobile accident years before. When Jonas discovers that Matthew is actually alive and in a
local institution, events gradually spiral out of control as Jonas plots to liberate him. Beatrice
begins to realize that her deep love and friendship for Jonas cannot help him overcome all of his
emotional difficulties.
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YA FIC STE
Stevenson, Robin
Inferno
Dante is a city girl at heart. She hates living in the "burbs" with their cookie cutter houses and
precisely manicured lawns. And do not even get her started on her high school, which feels like
the set of a Hollywood movie with everyone playing his or her role in the appropriate stereotypical
clique. Last year her soul mate Beth made it tolerable but Beth has moved away and Dante must
face her junior year alone. With one look at her class schedule she realizes that will be no easy
task. Mr. Lawson, the English teacher who gave her so much grief last year, is teaching her
eleventh grade English class, and worse yet, he is also her homeroom teacher. No doubt about it,
junior year is going to be hell on earth. Then Dante meets Parker, a strange girl who hands her a
flyer saying, "Woof, woof. You are not a dog. Why are you going to obedience school?" Like
Dante, Parker does not fit into the typical suburban high school scene (in fact Parker is a high
school dropout) and the two soon become fast friends. Along the way Dante is introduced to a
whole new world, must make some tough decisions, and learns to accept herself for who she is,
not what others want her to be.
YA FIC STO
Stone, Mary Hanlon
Invisible Girl
When poor Boston girl Stephanie is abandoned by her abusive mother and taken in by Annie's
Beverly Hills family, she feels anything but home. Her dark complexion and accent stick out like a
sore thumb in the golden-hued world of blondes and extravagance. These are girls who seem to
live life in fast-forward, while Stephanie is stuck on pause. Yet when a new rival moves to town,
threatening Annie's queen-bee status, Stephanie finds herself taking sides in a battle she never
even knew existed, and that feeling invisible is a wound that can only be healed by standing up
for who she is.
YA FIC STR
Strasnick, Lauren
Nothing Like You
High school senior Holly Hirsh knows little about Paul Bennett beyond the fact that he is goodlooking, popular, and has a "cool and put together" girlfriend. Seeking to fill the emotional void left
by her mother's death, Holly loses her virginity to him and continues to see him. He demands that
she keep their relationship secret, which exacerbates the complicated feelings she has toward
her longtime best friend, Nils. When a school project provides a means for Holly to get to know
Paul's girlfriend, her sense of betrayal becomes even deeper.
Tween & YA FIC STR
Strasser, Todd
How I Changed My Life
Bolita (Bo for short) and Kyle are not exactly in the same clique: She's the shy girl working
backstage at the school play, and he's front and center as Time Zone High's star quarterback. But
then Kyle blows out his knee, quits football, and joins the school play, and Bo decides it's time for
a change. After a D.I.Y. makeover, Bo realizes she and Kyle aren't in such different cliques
anymore. Now that she has his attention...can Bo turn Kyle into more than a friend?
YA FIC STR Strohmeyer, Sarah
Smart Girls Get What They Want
Gigi, Bea, and Neerja are best friends and total overachievers. Even if they aren't the most
popular girls in school, they aren't too worried. After all, real life will begin once they get to their
Ivy League colleges. But when an unexpected event proves they're missing out on the full highschool experience, it's time to come out of the honors lounge and into the spotlight. The trio
makes a pact: They will each take on their greatest challenge and totally rock it. Gigi decides to
run for student rep, but she'll have to get over her fear of public speaking—and go head-to-head
with gorgeous California Will. Bea used to be one of the best skiers around, until she was
derailed; it could be time for her to take the plunge again. And Neerja loves the drama club but
has always stayed behind the scenes—until now. These friends are determined to show the
world that smart girls really can get what they want—but that might mean getting way more
attention than they ever bargained for. . . .
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YA FIC STR
Strong, Jeremy
Stuff: the Life of a Cool, Demented Dude
Simon, a British thirteen-year-old, has problems-typical teenager problems. His parents
separated, and his mother has moved to Scotland to live with her new boyfriend. Simon also has
issues with his devoted girlfriend Delfine and her overprotective brother. Furthermore Simon's
father has a new girlfriend who has just moved in, and she has brought her lovely daughter,
Natasha. Natasha adds to Simon's hectic life as she seems to take pleasure in making him even
more miserable. Nicknamed Stuff because he is full of random information, Simon does have
some bright spots in his life-his good pal Pete and the successful comic strip that he
anonymously writes for the school magazine. Simon's life improves when beautiful new student
Sky arrives. He struggles to manage his new family life, his school life, a school bully, and his
comic strip, all while trying to figure out how to win over Sky, the girl of his dreams.
YA FIC SUM
Summers, Courtney Cracked Up to Be
Perfect Parker Fadley isn’t so perfect anymore. She’s quit the cheerleading squad, she’s
dumped her perfect boyfriend, and she’s failing school. Her parents are on a constant suicide
watch and her counselors think she’s playing games…but what they don’t know, the real reason
for this whole mess, isn’t something she can say out loud. It isn’t even something she can say to
herself. A horrible thing has happened and it just might be her fault. If she can just remove
herself from everybody--be totally alone--then everything will be okay...The problem is, nobody
will let her.
YA FIC SUM
Summers, Courtney
Some Girls Are
Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard—falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used
to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the
students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start
going around. Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If
Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the
bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden,
a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these
onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael
could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both
first.
YA FIC SUT
Sutherland, Tui
This Must Be Love
Bringing Shakespeare to a modern suburban New Jersey high school, Sutherland tells her story
through e-mails, notes passed between classes, diaries, poems, and short plays. The players:
Helena and Hermia, best of friends; Dimitri and Alex, love interests of the two girls; and a cast of
extras including the football team, overbearing fathers, and teachers. The plot follows A
Midsummer Night's Dream, with the two girls becoming involved in a play within a play, happy
accidents forcing love interests, and betrayals all around. Very Shakespearean in plot design, the
book is all modern in dialogue and setting. The plot: Helena and Hermia are both in love with
boys who do not seem to catch on. The girls are involved in a high-school production of Romeo
and Juliet, which Hermia longs to star in. The drama teacher decides to make the production an
all-male cast, crushing Hermia's chances. Meanwhile, her friend (and love interest) Alex has
bought tickets for an interactive theater piece in New York City, one of her dreams come true. Her
father forbids her to go, so she sneaks out. Dimitri, Helena's love interest, has become infatuated
with Hermia, and to win his attentions, Helena tells him where her friend has gone. Many twists
and turns (and a few surprises) lead the girls into their true love's arms, and all's well that ends
well.
83
YA FIC TAK
Takoudes, Greg
When We Wuz Famous
Francisco Ortiz, a handsome straight-A student and gifted basketball player from the barrio, wins
a full scholarship to an elite boarding school. His future seems promising. But soon after
Francisco moves into the dorm, his new classmates assume the worst of him: they pepper him
with questions about drugs and gangs. It’s all so confusing, made even more complicated when
Francisco realizes that back home in the hood, he no longer fits in, though his friends still rely on
him to solve their problems. In a desperate attempt to help one of his homies, Francisco makes a
terrible decision and becomes everything he fought so hard to rise against.
YA FIC TWE
21 Proms
Ranging from sad to funny to truly disastrous, these memorable stories mark that oh-so-important
right of passage for many teenagers. Starting with dress-hating, heel-hating, bra-hating Emilie in
Elizabeth Craft's "You Are a Prom Queen, Dance Dance Dance"; moving on to Daniel Ehrenhaft's
"Better Be Good to Me," in which aging Zack remembers his prom and being in love with his best
friend's girlfriend; and ending with rebel chicks Maggie and Carly, who throw the ultimate antiprom party in John Green's "The Great American Morp," readers are drawn into a wide cross
section of prom nights from both male and female perspectives. A celebration of all that is good,
bad, and sometimes unforgettable about these events, this fast-paced but carefully strung
anthology speaks of pink dresses, tuxedos, first kisses, unrequited love, and the thrill of taking
love to its ultimate climax.
YA FIC VAL
Valentine, Allyson
How (Not) to Find a Boyfriend
Sophomore Nora Fulbright is the most talented and popular new cheerleader on the Riverbend
High cheer squad. Never mind that she used to be queen of the nerds—a chess prodigy who
answered every question first, aced every test and repelled friends at every turn—because this
year, Nora is determined to fully transition from social pupa to full blown butterfly, even if it means
dumbing down her entire schedule. But when funny, sweet and very cute Adam moves to town
and steals Nora’s heart with his ultra-smarts and illegally cute dimple, Nora has a problem. How
can she prove to him that she’s not a complete airhead? Nora devises a seemingly simple plan to
barter her way into Adam’s classes that involves her classmates, friends—and her older brother
Phil’s award-winning AP history paper. But soon, Nora can barely keep track of her trades, and
struggles to stay in control of her image.
YA FIC VAN
Van Draanen, Wendelin Confessions of a Serial Kisser
Evangeline Logan wants a kiss. A spectacular, heart-stopping, life changing kiss. Somehow The
Crimson Kiss (a romance novel she’s become obsessed with) and Four Steps to Living Your
Fantasy (a self-help book she’s reading) have fused in Evangeline’s mind and sent her on a quest
for a kiss. But the path to perfection is paved with many bad kisses—the smash mouth, the ear
licker, the “misser.” The phrase “I don’t kiss and tell” means nothing to the boys in her school.
And worse: someone starts writing her name and number on bathroom walls. And worst of all: the
boy she's just kissed turns out to be her best friend’s new crush. Kissing turns out to be way more
complicated than the romance novels would have you believe . . .
YA FIC VAN
Van Draanen, Wendelin
The Running Dream
Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She's not comforted by the
news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when
you live to run? As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica
feels oddly both in the spotlight and invisible. People who don't know what to say, act like she's
not there. Which she could handle better if she weren't now keenly aware that she'd done the
same thing herself to a girl with CP named Rosa. A girl who is going to tutor her through all the
math she's missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of her. With the support of family, friends,
a coach, and her track teammates, Jessica may actually be able to run again. But that's not
enough for her now. She doesn't just want to cross finish lines herself—she wants to take Rosa
with her.
84
YA FIC VAN
Van Velde, Vivian
Remembering Raquel
Fourteen-year-old Raquel Falcone steps off a curb into the path of an oncoming car and is killed
instantly. Vande Valde creates a moving and gripping portrait of quiet, overweight, unpopular
Raquel--the events that led up to her death, and its painful aftermath--through a chorus of voices
reflecting on the tragic event. One classmate muses, “It’s amazing how much dying can do for a
girl’s popularity,” and ruefully notes that her first reaction to hearing the news was, “Oh, crap. That
makes me the class fat girl.” Another perkily leaps into action organizing a petition drive to reduce
the speed limit on the road on which Raquel was killed, proud to have another outlet for her highly
publicized social activism. Raquel’s widowed father mourns that he missed out on his last chance
to tell his baby girl to “stay safe.” In this slim and masterfully crafted collection, Vande Velde
shows how little most of us know of the inner lives of those with whom we interact each day, and
highlights the poignancy of the lost connections which could have enriched us.
YA FIC VIV
Vivian, Siobhan
Same Difference
Emily is ready for a change. She's been in the same town with the same friends for a long
time...and none of them really understand her art. But when she goes to Philadelphia for a
summer art institute, she suddenly finds like-minded people. One in particular, Fiona, intrigues
and challenges her. But there are some things Emily is going to have to find out for herself -- like
what the balance is between life and art, and which is more important when push comes to shove.
Tween & YA FIC VOI
Voigt, Cynthia
The Runner
It was the 1960s, the time of the Vietnam War. "Bullet" Tillerman, the school track star, had to
decide if he would go to fight or stay on the family farm. Bullet's father, who had already driven
Bullet's older brother and sister out of the house, made impossible demands on him. And his
mother seemed to have lost the will to resist the old man. Meanwhile, at school, a black student
joined the track team, forcing Bullet to question his own prejudices. But nothing would keep him
from running. Nothing.
YA FIC VOL
Volponi, Paul
Crossing Lines
Adonis is a jock. He's on the football team and he's dating one of the prettiest girls in school. Alan
is the new kid. He wears lipstick and joins the Fashion Club. Soon enough the football team is out
to get him. Adonis is glad to go along with his teammates . . . until they come up with a dangerous
plan to humiliate Alan. Now Adonis must decide whether he wants to be a guy who follows the
herd or a man who does what's right.
YA FIC VOL
Volponi, Paul
The Hand You’re Dealt
When Huck Porter's dad suddenly dies, it feels like nothing will ever make sense again. Huck's
"best friend" thinks that Huck should just get over it, the girl he likes won't give him the time of day,
and his mom now works all hours at a roadside diner to make ends meet. The only thing that still
makes sense for Huck is the game his dad taught him, the game they spent hours playing
together: Texas hold'em. Worse than all of that, though, is Huck's math teacher, Mr. Abbott — a
hungry card shark with an ego to match his appetite. He now wears the local poker tournament's
first prize, a silver watch that Huck's dad wore proudly for three years. So Huck hatches a plan to
knock Abbott off his throne and win back the watch. Only, bluffing his way into the tournament will
mean lying to everyone Huck knows. But as Huck gets deeper in the tournament and starts to
lose himself in the cards, he begins to wonder who he'll be when the last hand is played.
YA FIC WAS
Wasserman, Robin
Lust
Alpha girl Harper is used to getting what she wants, and that means Adam, Beth's all-American
boytoy. Blond, boring Beth, who Kane, the charming playah, secretly wants too. Miranda thinks
Kane is out of her league, but she wants him all the same. And then there's the new girl. Kaia.
Who only wants trouble — and he's definitely on his way. Want to know more?
85
YA FIC WAS
Wasserman, Robin
Envy
Envy is next on Robin Wasserman's list in the Seven Deadly Sins series. The clan from the
launch title, Lust, is back; the new installment opens as Beth traces Adam's back while
contemplating her suspicions of Adam and Kaia ("who looked like a model and sounded... like a
phone sex operator").
YA FIC WAS
Wasserman, Robin
Pride
Everyone's got something to brag about:
Kaia's getting it on with bachelor #1, though scruffball Reed's gotten to be quite an interesting
distraction. Kane and Harper got exactly what they planned: Namely, Beth and Adam. (Though to
keep gettin' it, their secrets -- and pasts -- best stay forgotten.) Miranda got her heart broken, but
now she's all decked with a new look and strategy.Sometimes, though, you only think you've got
everything....
YA FIC WAS
Wasserman, Robin
Wrath
Beth was transformed from a nobody to a somebody, but now she's B-list again.
She -- and everybody else -- got played by Kaia, Kane and Harper.
Nobody can comfort Miranda, who feels so betrayed that she's sworn revenge.
Adam is lashing out at anybody who will listen -- or buy him a drink.
And somebody is stalking Kaia; looks like Reed won't stand for sloppy seconds....
Revenge is the name of the game. And for somebody, it's game over.
YA FIC WAS
Wasserman, Robin
Gluttony
It's Vegas, baby! Anything can happen. Reed has a (small) chance to win fame and fortune,
thanks to his "entourage," Beth. Sick of feeling like a loser, Harper's betting she can win back her
life, starting with Miranda -- whose birthday wish just might come true.... Adam's also getting
lucky, with a certain ex-girlfriend. Kane, as usual, is playing hard -- and not very nice. Win or lose,
it's going to be wild.
YA FIC WAS
Wasserman, Robin
Sloth
One of the seven is dead, and everyone's reeling: Adam's done. With love, with school...with
everything. Done. Beth's doing her best to act "normal," but even Reed recognizes devastation,
since all he does is fantasize about Kaia. Miranda's lost too. Did she ever really forgive Harper?
Only Kane is actually doing something: uncovering how the crash happened -- and why. But
there's no do-over with death. There's only moving on -- to the most unlikely places....
YA FIC WAS
Wasserman, Robin
Greed
Lucky Miranda's finished strong. She has what she's always wanted:
Kane. Reformed, relationship-ready, really boring. Harper has prom queen in the bag -- but sadly,
her king has bailed. Adam's busy tending to Beth, who is fully unable to move on. It means
leaving Reed, who, let's admit, has no future anyway. Before they toss those caps in the air, there
is a surprise or two left. Have no fear.
YA FIC WAT Watson, C.G. Quad
Everything led up to this moment—the point when the teasing, the cruelty, the pressure all
became too much. And someone finally snapped.
Now six students, from six different cliques, are trapped in the student store while a shooter
terrorizes their school. The shooter’s identity is teased out through the students’ flashbacks until
the reader breathlessly reaches the final page. It’s only there that he discovers the shocking
answer to the question: Who is shooting out in the quad?
86
YA FIC WEI
Weinheimer, Beckie
Converting Kate
Kate was raised in the Holy Divine Church—it influenced everythingfrom her homeschooling to
her handmade clothes. But ever since her unbelieving father’s death last year, she has suspected
that there’s more to life than memorizing scripture. Taking advantage of their move to a new
town, Kate—to her devout mother’s horror—quits Holy Divine. She joins the cross-country team,
wears shorts to public school, and even tries a traditional Christian church. As she struggles to
come to terms with her father’s death and her mother’s unquestioning beliefs, Kate discovers
there’s a big difference between religion and faith—and that the two don’t always go hand in hand.
YA FIC WEI
Weisberg, Joseph
10th Grade
Jeremiah Reskin has big plans for tenth grade - he wants to make some friends and he wants to
take a girl's shirt off. It's not going too well at first, but when he meets a group of semi bohemian
outcasts, things start to change. Soon he's negotiating his way through group back rubs and
trying to find the courage to make a move on Renee Shopmaker, the hottest girl in school. At the
behest of his composition teacher, Jeremy's also chronicling everything in his own novel - a
disastrously ungrammatical but unflinching look at sophomore year.
YA FIC WEL Wells, Pamela The Heartbreakers
Best friends Sydney, Kelly, Alexia and Raven have seen each other through everything...until
three of the girls are dumped by their respective boyfriends...on the same night! Reeling from this,
the girls decide to create a list of rules to help them avoid future heartache. But soon they find out
that while breaking up is hard to do, sometimes staying broken up is even harder!
YA FIC WHE
Wheat, Chris
Screw Loose
As a motley group of teenagers try to navigate the school year, it becomes clear that everyone
has problems and no one knows quite how to solve them. Chelsea talks to Barbies and
fantasizes about ruling the world. Angelo can’t choose between his control-freak soccer club and
his clean-freak girlfriend. Zeynep gets sent to live with the goats, Craig likes Matilda but Matilda
prefers his dog, Joshua learns to love guinea pigs—and on it goes. This quirky, chaotic, laughout-loud novel is about first love and new love, and dolls and dogs and soccer and baklava, and a
fantastic big, fun, crazy party at the end. It's the perfect book for people who never quite go about
things the right way.
YA FIC WIL
Wilkinson, Lili
Pink
Ava has a secret. She is tired of her ultracool attitude, ultra-radical politics, and ultrablack clothing.
She's ready to try something new—she's even ready to besomeone new. Someone who fits in,
someone with a gorgeous boyfriend, someone who wears pink. Transferring to Billy Hughes
School for Academic Excellence is the perfect chance to try on a new identity. But just in case
things don't work out, Ava is hiding her new interests from her parents, and especially from her
old girlfriend. Secrets have a way of being hard to keep, though, and Ava finds that changing
herself is more complicated than changing her wardrobe. Even getting involved in the school
musical raises issues she never imagined. As she faces surprising choices and unforeseen
consequences, Ava wonders if she will ever figure out who she really wants to be.
YA FIC WIZ
Wizner, Jake
Spanking Shakespeare
SHAKESPEARE SHAPIRO HAS ALWAYS hated his name. His parents bestowed it on him as
some kind of sick joke when he was born, and his life has gone downhill from there, one
embarrassing incident after another. Entering his senior year of high school, Shakespeare has
never had a girlfriend, his younger brother is cooler than he is, and his best friend's favorite topic
of conversation is his bowel movements. But Shakespeare will have the last laugh. He is
chronicling every mortifying detail in his memoir, the writing project each senior at Shakespeare's
high school must complete. And he is doing it brilliantly. And, just maybe, a prize-winning memoir
will bring him respect, admiration, and a girlfriend . . . or at least a prom date.
87
YA FIC WRI
Wright, Bil
Putting Makeup on Dead People
Since her father’s death four years ago, Donna’s been stuck in her grief, cut off from friends and
family, and clueless about what to do after high school graduation. That is, until she’s standing in
front of the dead body of a classmate at Brighton Brothers Funeral Home. At that moment, Donna
realizes that what might give her life purpose is comforting others in death. That maybe she really
wants to be . . . a mortician? This discovery sets in motion a life Donna never imagined was
possible. By taking one big risk, Donna comes into her own. And she finally understands that
moving forward doesn’t mean forgetting someone you love.
YA FIC YOO
Yoo, Paula
Good Enough
How to make your Korean parents happy:
1. Get a perfect score on the SATs.
2. Get into HarvardYalePrinceton.
3. Don't talk to boys.*
Patti's parents expect nothing less than the best from their Korean-American daughter.
Everything she does affects her chances of getting into an Ivy League school. So winning
assistant concertmaster in her All-State violin competition and earning less than 2300 on her
SATs is simply not good enough.
But Patti's discovering that there's more to life than the Ivy League. To start with, there's Cute
Trumpet Guy. He's funny, he's talented, and he looks exactly like the lead singer of Patti's favorite
band. Then, of course, there's her love of the violin. Not to mention cool rock concerts. And
anyway, what if Patti doesn't want to go to HarvardYalePrinceton after all?
YA FIC ZAD
Zadoff, Allen
Food, Girls & Other Things I Can’t Have
Life used to be so simple for Andrew Zansky–hang with the Model UN guys, avoid gym class, and
eat and eat and eat. He’s used to not fitting in: into his family, his sports-crazed school, or his size
48 pants. But not anymore. Andrew just met April, the new girl at school and the instant love of
his life! He wants to find a way to win her over, but how? When O. Douglas, the heartthrob
quarterback and high-school legend, saves him from getting beaten up by the school bully,
Andrew sees his chance to get in with the football squad. Is it possible to reinvent yourself in the
middle of high school? Andrew is willing to try. But he’s going to have to make some changes.
Fast. Can a funny fat kid be friends with a football superstar? Can he win over the Girl of his
Dreams? Can he find a way to get his mom and dad back together?
How far should you go to
be the person you really want to be? Andrew is about to find out.
YA FIC ZAR Zarr, Sara
Story of a Girl
When Deanna's father catches her having sex in a car when she is 13, her life is drastically
changed. Two years later, he still can't look her in the eye, and though Tommy is the only boy
she's been with, she is branded the school slut. Her entire family watches her as though she is
likely to sleep with anyone she sees, and Tommy still smirks at and torments her when she sees
him. Her two best friends have recently begun dating, and Deanna feels like an intruder. She tries
to maintain a close relationship with her older brother, but Darren and his girlfriend are struggling
as teenage parents. Deanna learns to protect herself by becoming outwardly tough, but feels her
isolation acutely. Her only outlet is her journal in which she writes the story of an anonymous girl
who has the same experiences and feelings that she does. Through this, readers see the
potential that Deanna cannot identify in herself. This is a heartbreaking look at how a teenager
can be defined by one mistake, and how it shapes her sense of self-worth. This is realistic fiction
at its best.
88
YA FIC ZEV
Zevin, Gabrielle
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac
If Naomi had picked tails, she would have won the coin toss. She wouldn’t have had to go back
for the yearbook camera, and she wouldn’t have hit her head on the steps. She wouldn’t have
woken up in an ambulance with amnesia. She certainly would have remembered her boyfriend,
Ace. She might even have remembered why she fell in love with him in the first place. She would
understand why her best friend, Will, keeps calling her “Chief.” She’d know about her mom’s new
family. She’d know about her dad’s fiancée. She never would have met James, the boy with the
questionable past and the even fuzzier future, who tells her he once wanted to kiss her. She
wouldn’t have wanted to kiss him back.
But Naomi picked heads.
College
YA FIC ABB Abbott, Hailey
After Summer
As the leaves turn golden, everyone's favorite beach girls are dealing with romantic dramas in
their respective hometowns. Tomboy Beth is worried that her true love, George, is changing -and not for the best. Meanwhile, naughty Ella meets a boy at school who is (gasp!) an even
bigger flirt than she is. College girl Kelsi hates how her boyfriend treats her differently around his
frat posse. And shy dreamer Jamie falls hard for a pompous trust fund boy at her posh boarding
school. Everything comes to a head at an eventful Thanksgiving, and the four cousins come away
wiser about life and love.
YA FIC APO Apostolina, M
Hazing Meri Sugarman
Cindy Bixby dreams of escaping her high school loser image when she begins college. Following
in her mother's footsteps, Cindy pledges Alpha Beta Delta, hoping to find acceptance and
popularity. Cindy's captivation with Meri Sugarman, sorority president, causes her to make moral
compromises to gain Meri's approval. When Cindy lands a boyfriend, an ex of Meri's, she
becomes victim of Meri's powerful wrath. Cindy and her friends have no choice but to destroy this
evil villain before she destroys them.
YA FIC APO
Apostolina, M
Meri Strikes Back
Readers who enjoyed gaining access to Cindy Bixby's diary entries in Hazing Meri Sugarman will
want to read more in Meri Strikes Back by M. Apostolina. Cindy, who kissed Meri's boyfriend and
pushed Meri out of the picture in book one, attempts to put her Rumson U. sorority back together
again. But banished Meri has a plan to bring down Alpha Beta Kappa.
YA FIC APO
Apostolina, M
Dark Cindy
Cindy takes a walk on the wild side! Yikes! This tale of sorority girls gone bad has gotten nasty!
When we left off, Meri was back (big time!) and trying to sabotage Cindy and the girls' attempts to
save Alpha Beta Delta. (Scandalous!) Cindy tried to end Meri's reign of terror once and for all, but
she was still no match for the queen of evil. But now things are different. Cindy has found
something that Meri has kept hidden for years -- her supersecret diary! Cindy has also figured out
that if you want to catch an evil person in great shoes, you've got to act (and dress) the part. So
Cindy is putting on her Harley boots and taking a walk on the dark side!
89
YA FIC BAR
Barnholdt, Lauren
Aces Up
Seventeen-year-old high school senior Shannon Card needs money. And lots of it. She's been
admitted to Wellesley, but her dad just lost his job, and somehow she has to come up with a year
of tuition herself. But Shannon's dream of making big bucks waitressing at the local casino, the
Collosio, disappears faster than a gambler's lucky streak. Her boss is a tyrant, her coworker is
nuts, and her chances of balancing a tray full of drinks while wearing high-heeled shoes are slim
to none. Worse, time is running out, and Shannon hasn't made even half the money she'd
hoped. When Shannon receives a mysterious invitation to join Aces Up, a secret network of
highly talented college poker players, at first she thinks No way. She has enough to worry about:
keeping her job, winning the coveted math scholarship at school, and tutoring her secret crush,
Max. But when Shannon musters up the nerve to kiss Max and he doesn't react at all, the allure
of Aces Up and its sexy eighteen-year-old leader, Cole, is suddenly too powerful to ignore. Soon
Shannon's caught up in a web of lies and deceit that makes worrying about tuition money or a
high school crush seem like kid stuff. Still, when the money's this good, is the fear of getting
caught reason enough to fold?
YA FIC BRO
Campus
Brown, Hobson, Taylor Materne & Caroline Says Off
Back for her second year, Nikki Olivetti feels like she's finally finding her way at Wellington. And
she's ready to show someone else the ropes, someone new, someone like Delia Breton, a
transfer student from California with a dark past. Though Delia doesn't quite fit in anywhere, she
knows how to have a good time everywhere. But when the hunt for fun takes Nikki and Delia off
campus, they find themselves in serious trouble. Even if they make it back, they might have
forever ruined their chances of graduating to the upper class.
YA FIC CAM
Cameron, Peter Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You
James Sveck does not like the idea of starting at Brown in the fall, and he especially does not like
the idea of interacting with people his own age. While he works for his mother at her art gallery
the summer between his senior year of high school and first year of college, he looks at old
houses for sale in the Midwest in hopes of abandoning the whole college idea his parents are so
set upon. James yearns for a simple life where he can just skip over the painful social agony of
dealing with (even just talking to) people he does not want to deal with (which is almost everyone).
YA FIC CAR
Carter, Nikki
On the Flip Side
Living your dreams is the hard part . . . Sunday Tolliver has a mega-smash album up for major
awards—and her first few months as a college freshman are everything she hoped for. But
juggling all this and her long-distance romance with boyfriend Sam is taking drama to mad-crazy
levels. Hot up-and-coming video star DeShawn isn't letting Sunday's relationship keep him from
getting close. And relentless online gossip is seriously shaking Sunday's trust in Sam. On top of
that, her jealous diva cousin, Dreya, just won't stay out of Sunday's face—especially now that
she's in the running for the same music awards. The only way Sunday can stop the madness and
get back on track is to trust her instincts—and get a little help from her friends. . .
90
YA FIC HAY
Hayes, Sadie
The Social Code
Eighteen-year-old twins Adam and Amelia Dory learned the hard way to rely only on each other,
growing up in a small town where they understood the meaning of coming from nothing. But
everything changes when both are offered scholarships to Stanford University – and catapulted
into the dazzling world of Silicon Valley, where anyone with a good enough idea can skyrocket to
fame and fortune in the blink of an eye… Amelia is almost as pretty as she is smart – almost. A
shy girl and genius, she is happiest alone in the computer lab, but her brother has other plans for
her talents: A new company that will be the next Silicon Valley hit, and will thrust Amelia into the
spotlight whether she likes it or not. Where Amelia’s the brains, Adam’s the ambition – he sees
the privileged lifestyle of the Silicon Valley kids and wants a piece of what they have. He
especially wants a piece of Lisa Bristol, the stunning daughter of one of the Valley’s biggest
tycoons. As Adam and Amelia begin to hatch their new company, they find themselves going
from nothing to the verge of everything seemingly overnight. But no amount of prestige can
prepare them for the envy, backstabbing and cool calculation of their new powerful peers.
YA FIC KAR
Karasyor, Carrie & Jill Kargman
Summer Intern
There's nothing run-of-the-mill about working at Skirt, the preeminent fashion magazine. I'm Kira
Parker, total fashion junkie. I thought I had it made when I landed this job. Ha. I mean, don't get
me wrong—working at Skirt is amazing. And spending the summer in New York City without my
parents? Golden. But now I'm up against Daphne Hughes, daughter of the magazine's owner.
What Daphne wants, she gets—all wrapped up in a cute Coach bag. She's already got the guy of
my dreams and all the right connections. Now she thinks she'll get the plum position working for
the editor in chief without even lifting a diamond-adorned pinky? This catwalk is primed for battle.
YA FIC MCC
McCafferty, Megan
Sloppy Firsts
“My parents suck ass. Banning me from the phone and restricting my computer privileges are the
most tyrannical parental gestures I can think of. Don’t they realize that Hope’s the only one who
keeps me sane? . . . I don’t see how things could get any worse.
YA FIC MCC
McCafferty, Megan
Second Helpings
Jessica Darling is up in arms again in this much-anticipated, hilarious sequel to Sloppy Firsts.
This time, the hyperobservant, angst-ridden teenager is going through the social and emotional
ordeal of her senior year at Pineville High. Not only does the mysterious and oh-so-compelling
Marcus Flutie continue to distract Jessica, but her best friend, Hope, still lives in another state,
and she can't seem to escape the clutches of the Clueless Crew, her annoying so-called friends.
To top it off, Jessica's parents won't get off her butt about choosing a college, and her sister
Bethany's pregnancy is causing a big stir in the Darling household.
YA FIC MCC
McCafferty, Megan
Charmed Thirds
Jessica Darling continues to grow, groove, lust, and hook up. In this witty follow-up to Sloppy
Firsts and Second Helpings, Jessie studies and romps through three years at New York's
Columbia University. When not soaking up Ivy League ambience, this exuberant undergraduate
is busy salvaging her long-distance relationship with her high school boyfriend Marcus Flutie, now
a candidate for nirvana at an unaccredited Buddhist college in California.
YA FIC MCD
McDonald, Abby
Sophomore Switch
Take an administrative snafu, a bad breakup, and what shall heretofore be known as "The HotTub Incident," and you’ve got two unprepared sophomores on a semester abroad. For American
party girl Tasha, an escape to Oxford may be a chance to ditch her fame as a tabloid temptress,
but wading Uggs-deep in feminist theory is not her idea of a break. Meanwhile, the British half of
the exchange, studious Emily, nurses an aching heart amid the bikinis and beer pong of U.C.
Santa Barbara. Soon desperation has the girls texting each other tips — on fitting in, finding love,
and figuring out who they really are.
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YA FIC MCD
McDonald, Janet
Spellbound
Raven, a teenage mother and high school dropout living in a housing project, decides, with the
help and sometime interference of her best friend Aisha, to study for a spelling bee that could
lead to a college preparatory program and four-year scholarship.
YA FIC NAY
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
Now I’ll Tell You Everything
Alice McKinley is going to college! And everything, from her room to her classes to her friends, is
about to change. Stoically, nervously, Alice puts her best foot forward…and steps into the rest of
her life. Just how crazy will her college life get? Will Alice’s dream of becoming a psychologist
come true? Are she and her BFFs destined to remain BFFs? And with so many miles between
them, will Alice and Patrick stay together…or is there a hot, mysterious stranger in her future? As
Alice well knows, life isn’t always so predictable, and there are more than a few curveballs waiting
to be thrown her way.
YA FIC REI
Reisfeld, Randi
Oh Baby
Before heading off for college, sixteen-year-old small town girls Abby and Jamie are headed for
the big cities! Shy, innocent Abby will be a nanny for a posh New York City family, while smart,
no-nonsense Jamie works her nanny gig in sunny, celeb-studded L. A. Talk about culture shock.
And, between the eye-popping parties, hot boys, high-maintenance kids, and a heaping of drama,
the girls can barely squeeze in time for e-mail catch-ups. But their wild summers on opposite
coasts will teach Abby and Jamie things they never knew about love, lust, truth, lies,
themselves . . . and each other.
YA FIC ROW
Rowell, Rainbow
Fangirl
For Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren,
ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them
through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing
Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere. Cath’s sister
has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to. Now that they’re
going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own,
completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, alwaysaround boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world,
a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about
her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone. Can she make it without Wren
holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? And does
she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?
YA FIC SAN
Sanchez, Alex
Rainbow Road
The final installment of this trilogy is a true winner. Even though coming out publicly resulted in
Virginia high school basketball star Jason Carrillo's losing his college athletic scholarship, it
turned him into an important role model for gay and lesbian teens. And so, when a new GLBT
high school in Los Angeles is searching for a keynote speaker for its opening ceremony, it is not
surprising that Jason is given an all-expenses-paid invitation. His boyfriend, Kyle, definitely wants
to be there, too. And Kyle's best friend-pink-haired, boy-hungry Nelson-has a car and thinks that
this would be the perfect opportunity for a post-senior-year road trip. Virginia to L.A. by car: 3000
miles and plenty of time to gain an understanding of what being gay in America is all about.
These boys are distinct personalities and genuine teens, searching for clarity and identity and
acceptance, trying to make sense of themselves and a world that can be equally bright and dark.
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YA FIC VIZ
Vizzini, Ned
It’s Kind of a Funny Story
Craig finds it hard to smile because he wants to kill himself. Suddenly, after working so hard to
get accepted into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School, Craig Gilner realizes that
he is just "average." He spent so long studying for the entrance exams that he forgot what it was
like before and gradually his control begins to fall away. His deliberate downward spiral leads him
to therapist after therapist as he sinks deeper into depression. One night he finds himself
contemplating suicide. Like any intelligent teenager, he calls the suicide hotline and is directed to
walk himself down to the hospital. Thus begins Craig's week long stint in the adult psychiatric
ward filled with healing, despair, and self-evaluation.
YA FIC WAS Wasserman, Robin Hacking Harvard
It's the ultimate challenge: breaking into the Ivy League.
The hack:
To get one deadbeat, fully unqualified slacker into the most prestigious school in the country.
The crew:
Eric Roth -- the good guy, the voice of reason.
Max Kim -- the player who made the bet in the first place.
Schwartz -- the kid genius already on the inside...of Harvard, that is.
Lexi -- the beauty-queen valedictorian who insists on getting in the game.
The plan:
Use only the most undetectable schemes and techno-brilliant skills. Don't break the Hacker's
Code. Don't get distracted. Don't get caught. Take down someone who deserves it.
The stakes:
A lot higher than they think.
They've got the players, the plot, and soon -- the prize.
It's go time.
YA FIC ZAR
Zarr, Sara and Tara Altebrando
Roomies
When East Coast native Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment, she shoots
off an e-mail to coordinate the basics: television, microwave, mini-fridge. That first note to San
Franciscan Lauren sparks a series of e-mails that alters the landscape of each girl's summer -and raises questions about how two girls who are so different will ever share a dorm room. As the
countdown to college begins, life at home becomes increasingly complex. With family
relationships and childhood friendships strained by change, it suddenly seems that the only
people Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives . . . and each
other. Even though they've never met.
YA FIC ZUL
Zulkey, Claire
An Off Year
Cecily has always done everything as she was supposed to: taken the right classes, gotten the
right grades, applied to the right colleges. But after a lifetime of following the rules, she surprises
everyone by arriving for her freshman year of college . . . and turning around. There are infinite
possibilities for Cecily's unexpected gap year. She could volunteer, or travel around the world—
but, for now, Cecily is content to do absolutely nothing. What follows is a year of snarkily
observed self-doubt and self discovery during which Cecily must ask herself, for the first time,
what does she really want to do with her life?
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