Books, Books, and More Books:
A Parent and Teacher’s Guide to
Contemporary Adolescent Literature
Lu Ann Brobst Staheli
A is for Aarrgh!
William J. Brooke


It is the stone age,
and Mog discovers
language. He names
everything he sees.
Soon the other people
recognize the
significance of words
and history is
changed forever.
MG+
All That Remains


Bruce Brooks
These three stories have
teens who must deal with
the "remains" of a recently
deceased loved one--an
aunt who died of AIDS, a
father’s ashes to spread on
the golf course, and a boy
who must carry out the
wishes of his dead uncle.
HS
The Amah
Lawrence Yep


Twelve-year-old Amy Chin
finds family responsibilities
interfering with ballet practice
after her mother gets a job.
Soon Amy’s life becomes closer
to that of the step-sister role
she dances as her mother
focuses on Stephanie, the
beautiful Cinderella. Amy fears
losing her role, her friends, and
her mother before her mother's
job is through.
MG+
Among the Hidden
Margaret Peterson Haddix


In Luke’s world, it is
against the law to have
more than two
children. “Thirds” will
be killed and the
parents punished if
they are found. Luke
is a “Third.”
MG+
Among the Imposters
Margaret Peterson Haddix


Luke has been placed in a
school, given a new name,
and told to blend in. But
how? He doesn’t know
where his classes are and
can’t figure out the rules.
Will he be able to help
other third children?
MG+
Angus, thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging


Louise Rennison
Georgia Nicolson, a
British teen, tells about
her search for a boyfriend
and her first forays into
kissing. The boy she likes
has another girlfriend,
and Georgia’s best friend
gets in the way.
HS
Artemis Fowl
Eoin Colter


Artemis Fowl is not a nice
boy. In fact, Fowl is the
perfect name for him and
his plan to steal the riches
of the fairie kingdom. His
plan doesn’t work out as
well as he expects when
he kidnaps Holly of
LEPrechan.
MS+
As Ever, Gordy
Mary Downing Hahn


Gordy doesn’t want to
move back to his old
hometown where
everyone knows his
history, including
knowing about his
father’s alcoholism.
But he must. Will he
return to his old ways?
MS+
Because of Winn-Dixie


Kate DiCamillo
Ten-year-old Opal Buloni and
her father, the Preacher, have
just moved to Naomi, Florida,
when Opal rescues an ugly dog
at the Winn-Dixie store.
Adopting the store name as the
dog’s name, Opal finds they
need each other. She learns to
love the dog as a replacement
for her missing mother and a
father who has become distant.
The two of them collect an odd
assortment of friends and learn
to deal with life.
Upper Elementary+
The Beet Fields
Gary Paulsen


True-to-life story of
author Gary Paulsen
who left home at age
16 to work with the
migrants and as a
carny. This coming of
age tale reads like a
novel.
HS
Beware, Princess Elizabeth


Carolyn Meyer
Elizabeth is the daughter
of King Henry VIII and
wife Anne Bolyn, whom
he had beheaded.
Although third in line for
the crown, Elizabeth fears
for her life by the hands of
her brother Edward VI and
sister Mary, both who
know they will wear the
crown.
MG+
Breaking Rank
Kristin D. Randle


When Baby, Thomas
Fairbairn, breaks the
Clan’s rules and takes
an achievement test,
he finds himself
moved from Special
Ed to Honors classes.
Casey Williardson
will be his tutor.
Jr.High+
Brian’s Return
Gary Paulsen


A follow-up novel to
the Hatchet series.
Brian realizes he will
never fit into society
again and goes on a
quest to find his real
destiny.
MG+
Bud, Not Buddy
Christopher Paul Curtis
Bud's mother died without telling him
who his father was, but he thinks she
left a clue --a flier advertising a
performance by Herman E. Calloway,
bass player for the Dusky Devastators
of the Depression. Bud decides to
find him, following the Hooverville
Camps, escaping a monster-infested
woodshed, stealing a vampire's car,
Bud is determined to know the truth
and won't let anything stop him, even
Herman E. Calloway himself.
MG+
Burning Up
Caroline B. Cooney


Macey goes to an inner city
school where she is caught in a
freak fire. Austin, rescues her
then becomes her boyfriend
until his grandfather interferes
because Macey will not stop her
research about Mr. Sibley, the
first black teacher. Macey's own
experience with fire, a death,
and the town's reluctance to
discuss the barn fire sparks her
interest. She must find the truth,
no matter who it hurts.
Jr.High+
Carolina Autumn
Carol Lynch Williams


Carolina faces a new school
year with unresolved issues
from the past. Her sister and
father are gone forever, her
mother doesn't connect with her
anymore, and her best friend
seems determined to steal
Carolina's first boyfriend. She
sees her anger, pain and loss
through the lens of her father's
camera and the letters she
writes to her sister. Carolina
must save herself.
MG+
Cecil in Space
Sid Hite


Seventeen-year-old
Cecil Rowe looks
forward to summer
vacation and getting
his driver’s license.
But things don’t work
out the way he
expects.
Jr. High+
Chasing Redbird
Sharon Creech
Zinny Taylor goes in
search of a lost trail
which leads away
from her homes in
Bybanks, Kentucky.
But the farther she
goes, the more she
learns about her
family and herself.
MG+
Choosing Up Sides


John H. Ritter
The sign of the devil.
That’s what Pa, the
preacher, calls being lefthanded. And baseball? It’s
the devil’s game. So what
is Luke Bledsoe to do?
He’s both a lefty and a
great pitcher, but Pa can’t
know his skill.
Jr. High+
Christmas in Heaven
Carol Lynch Williams


Honey De Loach lives in Heaven,
Florida, population six, until movie-star
Miriam Season arrives, bringing her
daughters, Christmas and Easter. Honey
wants a friend, but Honey, her brother
Willie-Bill, and Taylor Hiatt (who
claims Honey is his true love) have
been the only kids. Easter’s clothes,
nose ring, and manners fascinate
Honey, but not as much as they intrigue
Willie-Bill. Honey turns to Christmas,
who seems embarrassed by her family,
is a talented singer, and wants to meet
the Reverend Gaynor T. McKenna,
Honey's grandfather. This new family
will bring change, but will the change
be for good?
Jr. High+
Cinderellis and the Glass Hill


Gail Carson Levine
Ellis’s brothers call him
Cinderellis, after his flying
powder produced a messy
result in the chimney.
Princess Marigold, whose
father is always gone on
quests, wishes she had a
real friend besides her cat,
Apricot. Now her father
wants to marry her off to
whoever can ride a horse
up the glass hill.
Upper Elementary+
Clara’s War
Kathy Kacer


A refreshingly
different look at
Jewish life in a
concentration camp,
where the children
continue to make
friends, learn, and
perform a children’s
opera.
Upper Elementary+
Cliff-Hanger
Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson


The Landon family is
ready to leave for
Mesa Verde where
Mrs. Landon must
investigate a cougar
attack, when the call
comes for a new
foster child
placement.
MG+
The Cookie Company
Ross Venokier


Alex Grindlay thinks
he is the unluckiest
boy alive, especially
when he receives a
fortune cookie on his
13th birthday that
takes him on an
adventure out of this
world.
Upper Elementary+
Crush
Ellen Conford


The Sweetheart
Stomp for Valentine’s
Day is just around the
corner. These short
stories tell of several
couples who are
preparing for the
special evening.
Jr.High+
Dancing in the Cadillac Light
Kimberly Willis Holt


Jaynell Lambert loves
to pretend to drive. It’s
the summer of 1968
when Grandpa moves
in and Jaynell has to
watch him. Grandpa’s
been acting crazy,
buying that Cadillac
and wandering off.
MG+
Diary of a Monster’s Son


Ellen Conford
Bradley has no mother.
But he thinks his father,
the monster, is the
greatest. Bradley hopes to
someday be just like
him—sharp teeth, hairy
physic, and getting
everyone to do exactly
what you ask.
Upper Elementary+
Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dumphrey
Margaret Haddix Peterson
 School work isn’t as
important to Tish as what
is happening at home.
She cares for her younger
brother Matt since her
abusive father has
returned and Mom has
lost interest in the kids.
 Jr. High+
Drummers of Jericho
Carolyn Meyer


Jewish Pazit joins the
marching band in her
new home town, but
she feels
uncomfortable when
her band director
wants the band to
march in the shape of
a cross.
Jr. High+
Ender’s Shadow


Orson Scott Card
Bean is unnaturally
intelligent for his age,
which is the only thing
that allows him to escape
the streets and eventually
end up in Battle School.
Despite his brilliance,
however, Bean is doomed
to live his life as an alsoran to the more famous
and in many ways more
brilliant Ender.
MG+
Esperanza Rising
Pam Munoz Ryan


Esperanza's father dies and her
uncle wants to force her mother
to marry him. Her mother
refuses, so she and Esperanza
move from family wealth in
Mexico to a farm labor camp in
California. When her mother
comes down with Valley Fever,
Esperanza takes charge of their
survival. A brooding labor
strike and the Depression
endanger her success.
Esperanza must learn that life
never deals the hand we expect.
MG+
Give a Boy a Gun
Todd Strasser

The scene is all too
familiar. A high school
dance filled with
students and teachers,
two angry boys with
guns. Why does it
happen? This blend of
fiction with non-fiction
seeks the answer.

Jr. High+
Guts


Gary Paulsen
Hatchet, The River,
Brian’s Winter, and
Brian’s Return—all are
popular books with
adolescents. But, what do
you know about the truth
behind these novels?
Paulsen takes the readers
into his own life
experiences, just like
Brian’s.
MG+
Habibi


Naomi Shihab Nye
Liyana is not sure how
she feels about her
family’s move to
Jerusalem. She has lived
her whole life in St.
Louis, Missouri. Her
family in the West Bank
are strangers and they
speak another language.
Can she adjust?
Jr. High+
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
J. K. Rowling


Harry Potter learns he
is a wizard and soon
finds himself off at
Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and
Wizardy where he
makes friends and
discovers secrets
from his past.
Upper Elementary+
Heaven Eyes
David Almond

When Erin and
January run away
from Whitehall, they
find a strange girl with
a mysterious past.
Who is she? Where
did she come from?

Jr. High +
Holes
Louis Sachar
Stanley Yelnats, like his family
throughout history, finds
himself in the wrong place at
the wrong time. A stroke of bad
luck lands him at Camp Green
Lake, a juvenile detention
center for boys, where he serves
time for the theft of a pair of old
tennis shoes. Stanley didn’t do
it, but he accepted the
punishment, thinking going to
camp might be fun. However,
this camp isn’t anything like
what Stanley expected.
MG+
Homeless Bird


Gloria Whelan
13 year old Koly is
married to a sickly boy,
but she must now remain
with his family who only
wanted the marriage for
her dowry. How can she
escape her fate without
dishonoring her family?
Jr. High+
Hope Was Here
Joan Bauer
Hope knows all there is to know
about being a waitress, and
she’s good at it. When she and
her Aunt Addie move to
Madison, Wisconsin, from New
York City, it’s the love of the
diner that lets Hope make one
more move. She makes friends,
becomes involved in running a
mayoral campaign, and gets to
know Braverman. Not bad for a
girl once named Tulip who has
never had a real home.
Jr.High+
I Was a Rat
Philip Pullman

One day he was a rat.
The next, a little boy.
What happened? Bob,
the cobbler, and Joan,
a washwoman, set to
find out when they
meet this child they
take into their home.

Upper Elementary+
If You Come Softly
Jacqueline Woodson
 Miah and Ellie knew they
would fall in love the
moment they saw each
other in the crowded
hallway at school. But she
is Jewish, and he is black.
Will their worlds keep
them apart?
 Jr High+
Janey’s Girl
Gail Friesen


Claire and her mother
visit her grandmother,
and Claire begins to
discover her mother’s
secret past. Can
Claire help set things
right between her
mother and the father
she never knew?
Jr. High+
Joey Pigza Loses Control
Jack Gantos


Now that Joey is on his meds,
he finally has his ADHD under
control. Life is steady with
Mom, and Joey is feeling good.
Then he visits his estranged
father for the summer and sees
what it would be like to be an
adult out of control. Joey
doesn’t want to hurt his dad’s
feelings, or grow up like him.
Dad takes away Joey’s meds, so
Joey must make some grown-up
choices.
Jr. High+
Kit’s Wilderness


David Almond
Kit’s family live with his
aging grandfather in a coal
mining town. He discovers
his name on the headstone
of several children killed
years ago in a cave-in. Kit
meets others who share
names with the dead
children. John Askew
urges him to participate in
a ritual game of Death.
Jr. High+
The Last Book in the Universe


Rodman Philbrick
Why read when you have
mindprobe needles which
shoot images directly into
your brain? Books don’t
exist anymore, but Spaz
has heard of them. When
he meets Ryter, he begins
to know more.
Jr. High+
The Likes of Me


Randall Beth Platt
Feelings of being outcast
due to living with a
possible murderer, living
in a northern logging
community, and being a
Chinese albino bring the
main character into her
first discovery of romance
and the outside world.
HS
Losers, Inc.


Claudia Mills
Ethan is a loser. When
social outcast Lizzie the
Lizard starts writing love
poetry about him, Ethan
knows life can’t get much
worse. He might lose his
best friend, Julius, over
his beautiful student
teacher, Ms. Gunderson.
Upper Elementary+
Love That Dog


Sharon Creech
The story of a young boy
who discovers himself
through the poetry his
teacher uses in class and
the writing she requires
him to do. The story is
told through poetry,
modeled from the authors
she reads.
Upper Elementary+
The Maze


Will Hobbs
Rick feels endangered at
the youth detention center
where he has been sent,
and decides to escape. He
stows away on a truck
that lands him in the
Canyonlands area of
Utah. More danger awaits
him there.
MG+
Memory Boy
Will Weaver


Miles and his family
must leave home and
begin a new life in the
wilderness after a
chain of volcanic
explosions cause
chaos.
MG+
Mind’s Eye
Paul Fleischman


Courtney is a new
paraplegic living in a
long term care center
with a two women—
one with Alzheimers
and the other, Elva, is
blind. Elva asks
Courtney to read to
her about Italy.
Jr. High+
Mine Eyes Have Seen


Ann Rinaldi
Annie Brown, one of 12
children born to John
Brown and his two
wives, is encouraged by
her friend, Louisa May
Alcott, to write about her
father just as her sister
Sarah arrives with news
that the Civil War has
begun.
MG+
Miracle’s Boys


Jacqueline Woodson
Three brothers, on their
own after their mother’s
death, discover life is
more difficult than it
appears to be. When one
of them gets in trouble
with the law, the other two
must come to his rescue.
H.S.
Missing Girls


Lois Metzgher
Carrie is embarrassed by
her German immigrant
grandmother who still
has a thick accent after 20
years. Her grandmother
wants her to be friends
with Mona, an odd girl
who teaches her about
lucid dreaming.
Jr. High+
Monster
Walter Dean Meyers


Steve Harmon was in
the wrong place at the
wrong time. Or was
he? He is on trial for
his alleged
involvement in a
robbery that resulted
in the death of a
storekeeper.
Jr. High+
My Angelica


Carol Lynch Williams
Sage wants nothing more
than to be a romance
writer like her famous
mother, nothing other
than George that is.
George has s crush on
Sage, too, but how can he
tell her she will never be
a writer? Her romances
are just plain awful.
MG+
My Louisiana Sky


Kimberly Willis Holt
Tiger Ann has always
wondered why she is so
smart when both of her
parents are “slow.”
Sometimes she feels she
must be the one in charge,
next to Grandma. Tiger
Ann must decide, go to the
big city with her aunt, or
stay with her parents who
seem to need her.
MG+
The Mystery of Mr. Nice
Bruce Hale


Chet Gecko knows
something is amiss at
school when Principal
Zero starts being nice
to him. What has
happened to the
principal? Is this an
imposter?
Upper Elementary+
On the Fringe


Donald R. Gallo, editor
Eleven of today's finest
authors contribute stories
about teens who feel
isolated. The feelings are
universal. The way we
cope is what makes us
unique. Topics include
school violence, sexual
discovery, harassment,
weight issues, forgiveness,
and many more.
Jr. High+
Over the Wall


John H. Ritter
Ten years ago, Tyler’s
father accidentally ran
over Tyler’s little sister
with the car, killing her
and shattering the family.
Tyler suffers with anger
over the loss of his sister,
and his father. Baseball is
his only release. Then he
loses baseball.
Jr.High+
The Princess Diaries
Meg Cabot


Mia Thermopolis
thinks her life is
difficult enough
before she finds out
she is the princess,
and sole heir, to the
municipality of
Genovia.
Jr. High+
Princess in the Spotlight
Meg Cabot


In addition to being
forced to take
princess lessons from
her grandmere, Mia
wonders what life
will bring with the
new baby her mother
is having with Mia’s
Algebra teacher.
Jr. High+
Rage of Fire
Gloria Skurzinski and Alane Ferguson


Set in the beautiful Hawaii
National Park, the story
takes the Landon family
and a foster child to
investigate the reason the
nene are becoming extinct.
Hawaiian folklore adds to
the story.
Upper Elementary+
Romiette and Julio Sharon R. Draper


The classic tale is brought
to the modern world
where gangs are real and
multi-cultural romance is
a risk. Set in Cincinnati,
Ohio, this tale brings
humor and realism tied to
the conflict central to the
Shakespeare play.
Jr. High+
Rules of the Road


Joan Bauer
Jenna Boller is too tall.
Her sister got all the looks,
but boy, can Jenna sell
shoes! When Mrs.
Gladstone, the crusty
president of the company,
chooses Jenna as her
driver on a business trip,
Jenna goes with
trepidation at driving a
Cadillac and leaving her
alcoholic father behind.
MG+
Sang Spell
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor


Josh is hitchhiking
when he is picked up,
beaten, and left in a
place he does not
recognize, a place he
can’t escape. Why
can’t he leave? Does
he still want to after
he meets Mavis?
Jr. High+
The Secret School


Avi
In 1925, fourteenyear-old Ida Bidson
secretly takes over as
teacher when the one
room schoolhouse in
her remote Colorado
area closes
unexpectedly.
Upper Elementary+
Seedfolks
Paul Fleischman


In thirteen short
stories, we learn
about the formation
of a multi-cultural
community, brought
together by gardening
on a patch of city
land.
MG+
Seek


Paul Fleischman
The radio: fragments of a
talk show, a baseball
game, jazz, rock, country
& western, a Spanish soap
opera, the curtain calls for
a grand opera, a sermon, a
newscast... a young boy's
ongoing search through
the airwaves for the DJ
father he never knew.
Jr. High+
Shadow of the Hegemon
Orson Scott Card


For those who loved
Ender’s Game, this
novel takes the reader
beyond the war.
Ender’s brother, Peter,
and Bean try to free
the kidnapped
members of Ender’s
army.
Jr High +
Shadow Spinner


Susan Fletcher
You might already be
familiar with the story of
Shahrazad and her nightly
stories to the Sultan which
keep her alive. What if
Shahrazad ran out of tales
to tell? Enter Marjan, a
crippled girl, who is
herself a fabulous
storyteller. Will her story
save the life of Shahrazad?
MG+
The Shakespeare Stealer


Gary Blackwood
Widge learns short-hand
then is sold to a theatrical
manager who sends him to
copy the new play,
Hamlet, and enable Bass
to perform it without
paying royalties. Once
within the confines of the
Globe Theater, Widge
discovers a brave new
world of friendship, fun,
and backstage intrigue.
MG+
Shakespeare’s Scribe


Gary Blackwood
Widge is officially a
member of Chamber-lain’s
Men as an actor. When
Shakespeare breaks his
arm in a fight, Widge
transcribes his play, while
the company travels
England to avoid the
plague.
MS+
Sir Galahad, Mr. Longfellow, and Me


Betty Horvath
Missouri in 1938, and
Emily Ann Campbell, 11,
wants to leave her mark at
Park School before she
moves on to middle
school. Through the quiet
but firm demands of her
new teacher, Mr. Van,
Emily discovers how to go
about doing just that, by
writing poems.
Upper Elementary+
Skellig


David Almond
After Michael’s sister is
born with problems, he
begins to explore the
abandoned garage on
their new property. What
is this creature that he
finds—man or something
not of this world?
Jr. High+
A Small Civil War


John Neufeld
When the Grapes of
Wrath is challenged
by her community,
Georgia takes on the
entire town in a fight
to stop censorship.
MG+
Snail Mail No More
Paula Danzinger and Ann M. Martin
Friends Elizabeth and
Tara*Starr have moved
into the electronic age.
Emails keep the girls up to
date on the events in each
other’s lives, like
Elizabeth’s parents’
divorce and Tara*’s
expected sibling.
MG+
Soldier’s Heart
Gary Paulsen


In June 1861, fifteenyear-old Charlie
Goddard left his
home in Minnesota to
join the Civil War. He
soon discovers war is
not at all what he
thought it would be.
Jr. High+
Speak
Laurie Halse Anderson


9th grader Melinda
Sordino has broken
the social rule by
calling the police at
the end of summer
party. Now no one
speaks to her. No one
would believe her
story anyway.
Jr. High+
Standing Up to Mr. O
Claudia Mills


Maggie didn’t think
she’d like biology,
but her teacher made
its so much fun.
Until, he said they
would have to dissect.
Can she force herself
to make the cut?
MG+
Stargirl
Jerry Spinelli


We’ve all known
someone like Stargirl,
who listens to a
different drummer at
her school, has her
own ways to show
people she cares, and
wants to be different.
Perhaps too different.
MG+
Stick and Whittle


Sid Hite
Melvin Fitchett, Civil War
survivor, is combing the
country, looking for his
lost love. He meets
Melvin Smythe, an orphan
boy. They join for a
journey west that will
bring them more than they
bargain for.
Jr. High+
Swallowing Stones Joyce McDonald


When Michael shoots his
new rifle into the air on
July 4th, he never imagines
the bullet will end up
killing a man. Jenna
watches as her father
slumps on the roof top, a
bullet entering his body.
Jr High +
Takeoffs and Landings
Margaret Peterson Haddix

After the death of their
father, Chuck and Lori
seem to lose their
mother who travels the
country giving
motivational speeches.
A summer trip opens
the doors for this
family to reconnect.

MS+
The Tiger Rising
Kate DiCamillo


“There’s a tiger in a
cage at the back lot of
the hotel where I live.
I don’t know why it’s
there, but I figure it
has something to do
with the hotel owner,
a man I’m a little
afraid of.”
Upper Elementary+
Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright
Ron Koertge


Worried that his
mother will send his
grandfather to a
nursing home, Jesse
accompanies grandpa
into the mountains to
look for the tiger
tracks Pappy claims
to have seen there.
MG+
True Believer


Virginia Euwer Wolff
LaVaughn wants to make
her life better and knows
an education is the way
to succeed. When her
friend Jody moves back
into her building, she
hopes she can also have a
romance in her life.
HS
Turnabout
Margaret Peterson Haddix

What if people could grow
younger each year instead
of older? In the year 2001,
nursing-home residents
Melly and Anny Beth,
aged 100 and 103, are
given just such an
opportunity, but now they
are teenagers again, and
getting younger every day.

MG+
The Two Princesses of Bamarre


Gail Carson Levine
Two sisters—one who
hopes to go on a quest; the
other content to stay at
home reciting the epic
poem her sister uses as her
life’s guide. The braver of
the girls falls ill with the
Grey Death. Can her sister
overcome her fears to
brings her the cure?
MG+
The Vile Village


Lemony Snicket
This “Series of
Unfortunate Events” is not
unfortunate for the reader
who loves the quirkiness
of author Roald Dahl, the
tone of Harry Potter, or
the darkness or Artemis
Fowl. Look for the Edgar
Allen Poe connections. A
great read.
Upper Elementary+
The Watsons Go to Birmingham: 1963
Christopher Paul Curtis


Fourth-grader Kenny Watson tells
the story of his family in Flint,
Michigan, in the 1960’s. Harassed
by his older brother, Byron, who is
mother calls the “juvenile
delinquent,” and responsible for his
younger sister, Joetta, Kenny
illustrates the everyday life of a
black family living far away from
the racial unrest of the south. But
when Byron crosses the line, his
parents decide to take him to
Birmingham to be straightened out
by his grandmother.
MG+
Whale Talk


Chris Crutcher
The Tao Jones, better
known as T.J., is a
swimmer without a team
or a place to train. He
pieces together a ragtag
group of school outcasts
and takes them to an allnight fitness center. Their
goal: Letter jackets for
everyone.
H.S.
What Janie Found


Caroline B. Cooney
The discovery that her
adoptive father has been
secretly supporting Janie's
kidnapper fills Janie with
anger and loathing. True,
Hannah is his daughter,
but long ago she
abandoned her parents for
a cult, coming back only
to leave a 3-year-old child
with them she claimed
was their granddaughter.
Jr. High+
When JFK Was My Father


Amy Gordon
When Tim moves away,
Georgia “adopts”
President Kennedy to
curb her loneliness at
boarding school. Her
friendship and fantasy
pair to make her life
better, until November
19, 1963.
Jr. High+
When She Was Good
Norma Fox Mazer


Em wants to break
the circle of violence
and develop
independence, but
Pamela seems to
haunt her world. Can
Em overcome her
past?
HS
Whirligig


Paul Fleischman
Brent is tired of not
fitting in with the crowd.
He decides to kill
himself, but instead kills
a talented girl. Her
mother asks Brent to
make and place
whirligigs in her
daughter’s memory.
HS
The White Dove
Lois Thompson Bartholomew


The time has come
for Tasha to escape,
taking the child Raina
with her. She holds
the hope that Marko
will return and restore
the republic,
removing Comnor
from the throne.
MG+
Wishes, Kisses and Pigs


Betsy Hearne
"Be careful what you wish
for." Louise calls Willie a
pig at the exact moment
she wishes upon a star.
The next thing she knows,
Willie is gone and a pig
mysteriously appears.
Feeling responsible for the
transformation, Louise
determines to set things
right. But how?
Upper Elementary+
Wolf Stalker
Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson

Ashley and Jack’s
family and current
foster child, Troy, are
off to Yellowstone
National Park to
investigate the
reported death of a
dog by a wild wolf.

Upper Elementary+
A Year Down Yonder


Richard Peck
Newbery Award-winning
sequel to A Long Way
From Chicago. This novel
takes Mary Alice to
Grandma Dowdel’s for a
year during the
depression. Grandma is up
to her usual shenanigans.
MG+
End of This Collection
If you ever want to know about a
book title, please feel free to ask me
as I’m constantly reading. Thanks!