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Recommended Novels for Independent Reading
with Lexile Levels
The Lexile Framework for Reading is a scientific approach to measuring reading ability and the text demand of reading
materials. The Lexile Framework involves a scale for measuring both reading ability of an individual and the text
complexity of materials he or she encounters. NOTE: A text designated as "HL" has a Lexile measure much lower than
the average reading ability of the intended age range of its readers. Despite their short sentences and basic vocabulary,
HL books are designed to appeal to readers at a more mature developmental level.
QUICK PICKS
Dystopia:
Great Books for Guys:
Bertagna, Julie. Exodus
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True...
Lu, Marie. Legend.
Green, John. An Abundance of Katherines
Condie, Ally. Matched.
Oppel, Kenneth. Airborn.
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World.
Sci-Fi:
Fantasy:
Anderson, M.T. Feed.
Nielsen, Jennifer A. The False Prince.
Marchetta, Melina. Finnikin of the Rock
Dashner, James. The Eye of Minds.
Sports:
Pratchett, Terry. Nation.
Crutcher, Chris. Running Loose.
Stiefvater, Maggie. The Raven Boys.
de la Pena, Matt. Mexican WhiteBoy.
Historical:
Donelly, Jennifer. Revolution.
Peet, Mal. Tamar.
Hughes, Pat. Open Ice.
Murdock, Catherine Gilbert. Dairy Queen.
Teen Life:
Wein, Elizabeth. Code Name Verity.
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak.
Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief.
Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders.
Salinger, J.D. Catcher in the Rye.
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Abdel-Fattah, Randa. Does My Head Look Big in This? 2007.
Sixteen-year-old Amal makes the decision to start wearing the hijab full- time and everyone has a reaction. Her parents,
her teachers, her friends, people on the street. But she stands by her decision to embrace her faith and all that it is, even
if it does make her a little different from everyone else. Can she handle the taunts of "towel head," the prejudice of her
classmates, and still attract the cutest boy in school? 850L
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. 2007.
Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian
Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an
all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. 600L
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. 1999.
Unable to tell anyone why she busted a party by calling the cops, Melinda becomes a silent observer of the lies and
hypocrisies at her high school while she lives in fear of the boy who raped her. 690L
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Twisted. 2005.
High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background. 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 school, in his family, and in the world. HL680L
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Wintergirls. 2009.
Lia is haunted by her best friend's death from bulimia, as she struggles with her own eating disorder. 730L
Anderson, M.T. Feed. 2012.
For Titus and his friends, it started out like any ordinary trip to the moon - a chance to party during spring break and play
with some stupid low-grav at the Ricochet Lounge. But that was before the crazy hacker caused all their feeds to
malfunction, sending them to the hospital to lie around with nothing inside their heads for days. And it was before Titus
met Violet, a beautiful, brainy teenage girl who has decided to fight the feed and its omnipresent ability to categorize
human thoughts and desires. Following in the footsteps of George Orwell, Anthony Burgess, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr., M. T.
Anderson has created a not-so-brave new world — and a smart, savage satire that has captivated readers with its view
of an imagined future that veers unnervingly close to the here and now. 770L
Anderson, M.T. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing,Traitor to the Nation: Volume 1, The Pox Party. 2006. (series)
Winner of the National Book Award! Young Octavian is being raised by a group of rational philosophers known only by
numbers -- but it is only after he opens a forbidden door that he learns the hideous nature of their experiments, and his
own chilling role in them. Set in Revolutionary Boston, M. T. Anderson’s mesmerizing novel takes place at a time when
Patriots battled to win liberty while African slaves were entreated to risk their lives for a freedom they would never
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claim. The first of two parts, this deeply provocative novel reimagines the past as an eerie place that has startling
resonance for readers today. 1090L
Anderson, M.T. Burger Wuss. 2008.
Anthony has never been able to stand up for himself —- that is, not until his girlfriend is in someone else’s arms. Then
Anthony vows revenge and devises the Plan. It begins with getting a job at the fast-food restaurant where his nemesis
happens to be a star employee. But when the Plan is finally in place, will Anthony’s hunger for revenge be satisfied? Will
he prove he’s not a wuss? 420L
Anderson, M.T. Thirsty. 2008.
All Chris really wants is to be a normal kid, to hang out with his friends, avoid his parents, and get a date with Rebecca
Schwartz. Unfortunately, Chris appears to be turning into a vampire. So while his hometown performs an ancient ritual
that keeps Tch’muchgar, the Vampire Lord, locked in another world, Chris desperately tries to save himself from his own
vampiric fate. He needs help, but whom can he trust? 690L
Asher, Jay. Thirteen Reasons Why. 2007.
When Hannah Baker commits suicide, she leaves behind thirteen cassette tapes to the people she feels contributed to
her decision to end her life. 550L
Bardugo, Leigh. Shadow and Bone. 2012.
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near
impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one
lonely refugee. Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her
best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting
her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be
trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. 800L
Barkley, Brad and Heather Helper. Scrambled Eggs at Midnight. 2007.
Calliope once lived happily with her artist parents. Then her mother decided to find herself, and now she and her
daughter pack up and go at a moment's notice, following Renaissance Faires around the country. Eliot once lived with
his normal family on the Carolina coast where they were all very happy. Then his father found God and dragged them to
the woods to start a Fat Camp based on the motto, What Would Jesus Eat? In alternating chapters, readers follow Cal
and Eliot as they struggle with growing up, finding themselves, and finding one another. 970L
Bell, Julia. Massive. 2005.
Weight has always been a big issue in Carmen's life. How could it not? Her mom is obsessed with the idea that thin
equals beautiful, thin equals successful, thin equals the way to get what you want. Carmen knows that as far as her mom
is concerned, there is only one option: be thin. When her mother sweeps her off to live in the city, Carmen finds that her
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old world is disappearing. As her life spirals out of control Carmen begins to take charge of the only thing she can -- what
she eats. If she were thin, very thin, could it all be different? 660L
Berry, Julie. All the Truth That’s in Me. 2013.
Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station. Two years ago, only
Judith returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by those who were once her friends and family. Unable to
speak, Judith lives like a ghost in her own home, silently pouring out her thoughts to the boy who’s owned her heart as
long as she can remember—even if he doesn’t know it—her childhood friend, Lucas. But when Roswell Station is
attacked, long-buried secrets come to light, and Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her
voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever. HL640L
Bertagna, Julie. Exodus. 2008.
Less than a hundred years from now, the world as we know it no longer exists. Cities have disappeared beneath the sea,
technology no longer functions, and human civilization has reverted to a much more primitive state. On an isolated
northern island, the people of Wing are trying to hold onto their way of life—even as the sea continues to claim precious
acres and threatens to claim their very lives. Only fifteen-year-old Mara has the vision and the will to lead her people in
search of a new beginning in this harsh, unfamiliar world. 870L
Booraem, Ellen. The Unnameables. 2008.
The people of the island are an insatiably strict lot. Everything must have a use, and their names must match that use:
cows are called Greater Horned Milk Creatures, seabirds are nameless because they are useless, Prudence Carpenter
gets renamed Prudence Learned when she becomes a teacher, and so on. Medford Runyuin has trouble fitting in, being
that he was shipwrecked on the island as a baby and has no useful name, though he was taken in by the Carvers. In
secret, he whittles beautiful carvings out of wood, an abomination in the eyes of usefulness that could get him exiled.
Then, a strange goat-man creature arrives, befriends Medford, and in a flurry of chaos upsets the neat order of things.
690L
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. 1953.
Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start
fires rather than put them out. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the
houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each
day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.” But then he meets an eccentric
young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees
the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television. When Mildred attempts suicide and
Clarisse suddenly disappears, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known. He starts hiding books in his
home, and when his pilfering is discovered, the fireman has to run for his life. 890L
Brashares, Ann. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. 2003. (series)
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Carmen got the jeans at a thrift shop. They didn’t look great; they were worn, dirty, and speckled with bleach. On the
night before she and her friends part for the summer, Carmen decides to toss them, but Tibby says she’d love to have
them. Lena and Bridget also think they’re fabulous. They decide they should all try them on; whoever they fit best will
get them. But the pants fit everyone perfectly. Even Carmen (who never thinks she looks good in anything), thinks she
looks good in the pants. They decide to form The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. When they say good-bye, both the
journey of the pants–and the most memorable summer of their lives–begins. 600L
Bray, Libba. Going Bovine. 2009.
Cameron knew there was something wrong when he started seeing pillars of fire and angels, but he never imagined he
had mad cow disease. HL680L
Bray, Libba. Great and Terrible Beauty. 2005.
It’s 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to
Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an
uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma’s reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she’s been followed
by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her
entanglement with Spence’s most powerful girls—and their foray into the spiritual world—lead to? 760L
Briceland, V. The Glass Maker’s Daughter. 2009. (series)
Risa has led the sheltered life of a nobleman's daughter, but soon she plans to leave home to study the family craftcreating enchanted glass objects. When the gods are consulted to determine which school she will attend, the
impossible happens: Risa remains unchosen. The rejection sends Risa into a spiral of shame, anger, and confusion. If
she's not meant to be a glass maker, what will she do? But when Cassaforte's age-old magic begins to unravel and dark
forces threaten the kingdom, Risa's fiery spirit and untapped powers take her on a perilous journey--one that will lead
her to her true destiny. 840L
Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. 1847.
Orphaned into the household of her Aunt Reed at Gateshead, subject to the cruel regime at Lowood charity school, Jane
Eyre nonetheless emerges unbroken in spirit and integrity. She takes up the post of governess at Thornfield, falls in love
with Mr. Rochester, and discovers the impediment to their lawful marriage in a story that transcends melodrama to
portray a woman's passionate search for a wider and richer life than Victorian society traditionally allowed. 890L
Bruchac, Joseph. Code Talker. 2006.
After being taught in a boarding school run by whites that Navajo is a useless language, Ned Begay and other Navajo
men are recruited by the Marines to become Code Talkers, sending messages during World War II in their native tongue.
910L
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Burg, Anne E. All the Broken Pieces. 2009.
Twelve-year-old Matt struggles to cope with his memories of family left behind in war-torn Vietnam with the help of his
adoptive parents, his music teacher, and his baseball coach. HL680L
Cabot, Meg. The Princess Diaries. 2001. (series)
Offbeat Mia will automatically win the heart of every teenage girl who's ever just wanted to fit in with as little fuss as
possible. Debut author Meg Cabot's writing is silly and entertaining with tons of pop culture references that will make
teens feel right at home within her pages. This is a wonderfully wacky read. 920L
Card, Orson Scott. Ender’s Game. 1994. (series)
Aliens have attacked Earth twice and almost destroyed the human species. To make sure humans win the next
encounter, the world government has taken to breeding military geniuses -- and then training them in the arts of war...
The early training, not surprisingly, takes the form of 'games'... Ender Wiggin is a genius among geniuses; he wins all the
games... He is smart enough to know that time is running out. But is he smart enough to save the planet? 780L
Carson, Rae. The Girl of Fire and Thorns. 2012. (series)
Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness. Elisa has always felt powerless, useless. Now, on her sixteenth
birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king who needs her to be the chosen one,
not a failure of a princess. And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are
hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could save his people. And he looks at her in a way no man
has ever looked at her before. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn't die
young. Most of the chosen do. 730L
Cashore, Kristin. Graceling. 2008. (series)
Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight - she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in
her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is
with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has
no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po's friend. She never expects to learn a new
truth about her own Grace - or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away... 730L
Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. 1999.
What is most notable about this funny, touching, memorable first novel from Stephen Chbosky is the resounding
accuracy with which the author captures the voice of a boy teetering on the brink of adulthood. Charlie is a freshman.
And while's he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. He's a wallflower--shy and introspective,
and intelligent beyond his years, if not very savvy in the social arts. We learn about Charlie through the letters he writes
to someone of undisclosed name, age, and gender, a stylistic technique that adds to the heart-wrenching earnestness
saturating this teen's story. Charlie encounters the same struggles that many kids face in high school--how to make
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friends, the intensity of a crush, family tensions, a first relationship, exploring sexuality, experimenting with drugs--but
he must also deal with his best friend's recent suicide. 720L
Choldenko, Gennifer. Al Capone Does My Shirts. 2004.
In 1935, 12-year-old Moose Flanagan and his family move from Santa Monica to Alcatraz Island where his father gets a
job as an electrician at the prison and his mother hopes to send his autistic older sister, Natalie, to a special school in San
Francisco. When she is rejected by the school, Moose is unable to play baseball because he must take care of her, and
her behavior sometimes lands him in hot water. 600L
Christie, Agatha. The Body in the Library. 1942.
It’s seven in the morning. The Bantrys wake to find the body of a young woman in their library. She is wearing an
evening dress and heavy makeup, which is now smeared across her cheeks. But who is she? How did she get there? And
what is the connection with another dead girl, whose charred remains are later discovered in an abandoned quarry? The
respectable Bantrys invite Miss Marple to solve the mystery . . . before tongues start to wag. 710L
Clare, Cassandra. City of Bones. 2007. (series)
Clary Fray is suddenly seeing fairies and demons and finds herself drawn into an alternate reality as a Shadowhunter,
teens dedicated to saving the world. Her mother, who is the only one who knows where the Mortal Cup is hidden,
disappears and Clary finds herself committed to the Shadowhunter cause. HL710L
Clare, Cassandra. Clockwork Angel. 2010. (series)
In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the
course of history forever. Welcome to The Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York
Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series. The year is 1878. Searching for her missing brother, sixteen-year-old Tessa
Gray descends into London's dark supernatural underworld and finds herself up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret
organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork
demons, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her Shadowhunter allies can stop them. HL780L
Clarke, Judith. One Whole and Perfect Day. 2007.
Freakish. That was the word for her family. Not freaks exactly, but getting there. Sometimes Lily wishes she weren't so
sensible. Perhaps she'd have more fun. As it is, her hardworking but flaky mom and her dreamy brother count on her to
run the house. She wishes things could be different, but how can she change? Perhaps she should fall in love!
Meanwhile, her scheming grandmother is planning a party and, as is typical, Lily worries. Her fears are not entirely
unfounded. Her grandfather has recently disowned her brother, and her brother has a new girlfriend who might not fit
in. Her mother will probably bring the loony Mrs. Nightingale from the adult day care center where she works. And these
are only the predictable complications! Lily is beginning to understand how unimaginable things can happen. Back to the
question of love, what is this Lily feels when Daniel Steadman is near? 840L
Cohn, Rachel. Gingerbread. 2003.
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"I will be as wild as I wanna be." After getting tossed from her posh boarding school, wild, willful, and coffee addicted
Cyd Charisse returns to San Francisco to live with her parents. But there's no way Cyd can survive in her parents' pristine
house. Lucky for Cyd she's got Gingerbread, her childhood rag doll and confidante, and her new surfer boyfriend. When
Cyd's rebelliousness gets out of hand, her parents ship her off to New York City to spend the summer with "Frank realdad," her biological father. Trading in her parents for New York City grunge and getting to know her bio-dad and stepsibs is what Cyd has been waiting for her whole life. But summer in the city is not what Cyd expects -- and she's far from
the daughter or sister that anyone could have imagined. 960L
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. 2010. (series)
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve
outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms,
each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a
fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister,
regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of
audience participation may change, but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. 810L
Condie, Ally. Matched. 2010. (series)
Cassia has always had complete trust in the Society to make decisions for her, but just as she is being paired with her
ideal mate, a second face flashes on the screen. Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility as she tries to decide
which man she truly loves. HL680L
Connor, Leslie. Waiting For Normal. 2010.
Addie is waiting for normal. But Addie's mother has an all-or-nothing approach to life: a food fiesta or an empty pantry,
her way or no way. All-or-nothing never adds up to normal, and it can't bring Addie all to home, where she wants to be
with her half-sisters. But Addie never stops hoping that one day, maybe, she'll find normal. 570L
Cooper, Susan. The Dark is Rising. 1999. (series)
On the Midwinter Day that is his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers a special gift -- that he is the last of the Old
Ones, immortals dedicated to keeping the world from domination by the forces of evil, the Dark. At once, he is plunged
into a quest for the six magical Signs that will one day aid the Old Ones in the final battle between the Dark and the
Light. And for the twelve days of Christmas, while the Dark is rising, life for Will is full of wonder, terror, and delight.
920L
Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War. 1974. (series)
High school freshman Jerry Renault discovers the devastating consequences of refusing to join in the school’s annual
fundraising drive and angering the school bullies. 810L
Cormier, Robert. I am the Cheese. 1977.
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Where is Adam going on his urgent winter bike ride to nowhere? Who is Brint the Interrogator? And why does Amy
never answer the phone? 810L
Crichton, Michael. Jurassic Park. 1990.
An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now humankind’s most thrilling
fantasies have come true. Creatures extinct for eons roam Jurassic Park with their awesome presence and profound
mystery, and all the world can visit them—for a price. Until something goes wrong. . . .710L
Crutcher, Chris. Deadline. 2009.
Eighteen-year-old Ben Wolf has been given less than a year to live, but he chooses not to tell anyone so his senior year
will be as normal as possible. This surprisingly humorous story tracks that final year as Ben goes out for football, finds
romance, and realizes that his secret has a serious impact on others. 880L
Crutcher, Chris. Ironman. 2004.
Bo has been at war with his father for as long as he can remember. The rage he feels gives him the energy as a triathlete
to press his body to the limit, but it also translates into angry outbursts toward his teachers. Now dangerously close to
expulsion from school, Bo has been assigned to Anger Management sessions with the school "truants." With an eclectic
mix of hard-edged students, Bo may finally have to deal with his long-brewing hatred for his father -- before it eats away
at him completely. 980L
Crutcher, Chris. Running Loose. 1983.
Louie Banks takes a stand against his coach and playing dirty football; he falls in love, and loses his girlfriend in a fatal
accident—all in his senior year of high school. 870L
Crutcher, Chris. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. 2003
Sarah Byrnes and Eric have been friends for years. When they were children, his fat and her terrible scars made them
both outcasts. Later, although swimming slimmed Eric, she stayed his closest friend. Now Sarah Byrnes -- the smartest,
toughest person Eric has ever known -- sits silent in a hospital. Eric must uncover the terrible secret she's hiding, before
it pulls them both under. 920L
Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk. 2009.
A varsity letter jacket: it's exclusive, nearly unattainable, revered . . . and everything that's screwed up about Cutter
High, as far as T. J. Jones is concerned. That's why T. J. is determined to have the Cutter All Night Mermen—the
unlikeliest swim team a high school has ever seen—earn letter jackets of their own. It won't be easy. For one thing, they
don't even have a pool. They will fight for their dignity, they will fight with each other, and sometimes they will just fight.
And then they will realize that a single moment can bring lifelong heartache or lifelong friendship. For T. J. and his crew
of misfits, the quest may be far more valuable than the reward. 1000L
Dashner, James. The Eye of Minds. 2013. (series)
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Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The
VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it’s addictive. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun.
Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway? But some rules were made for a reason. Recent
reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he’s holding players hostage inside the
VirtNet. The effects are horrific—the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer’s motives are a
mystery. The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker. And they’ve been watching Michael. They
want him on their team. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys
and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can’t even fathom—and there’s the possibility
that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever. 790L
Dashner, James. The Maze Runner. 2010. (series)
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not
alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large,
open expanse surrounded by stone walls. Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade.
All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve
closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift. Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is
sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. Thomas might be
more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind. HL770L
de la Pena, Matt. Mexican WhiteBoy. 2010.
Danny's tall and skinny. Even though he’s not built, his arms are long enough to give his pitch a power so fierce any
college scout would sign him on the spot. Ninety-five mile per hour fastball, but the boy’s not even on a team. Every
time he gets up on the mound he loses it. But at his private school they don’t expect much from him. Danny’s half
Mexican. And growing up in San Diego means everyone else knows exactly who he is before they find out he can’t speak
Spanish, and before they realize his mom has blond hair and blue eyes. And that’s why he’s spending the summer with
his dad’s family. To find himself, he might just have to face the demons he refuses to see right in front of his face. 680L
Dessen, Sarah. Dreamland. 2000
With Rogerson as a boyfriend Caitlin felt she could be anybody, not just the shadow of her sister— until he began to hit
her. 920L
Dueker, Carl. Gym Candy. 2010.
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,
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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. 710L
Dick, Philip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? 1996, 1968.
By 2021, the World War had killed millions, driving entire species into extinction and sending mankind off-planet. Those
who remained coveted any living creature, and for people who couldn't afford one, companies built incredibly realistic
simulacrae: horses, birds, cats, sheep. . . They even built humans. 630L
Donelly, Jennifer. A Northern Light. 2004.
Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey has big dreams but little hope of seeing them come true. Desperate for money, she takes
a job at the Glenmore, where hotel guest Grace Brown entrusts her with the task of burning a secret bundle of letters.
But when Grace's drowned body is fished from the lake, Mattie discovers that the letters could reveal the grim truth
behind a murder. Set in 1906 against the backdrop of the murder that inspired Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy,
Jennifer Donnelly's astonishing debut novel effortlessly weaves romance, history, and a murder mystery into something
moving, and real, and wholly original. 700L
Donelly, Jennifer. Revolution. 2011.
Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly's remarkable new novel, weaves together the lives of Andi Alpers, a depressed modernday teenager, and Alexandrine Paradis, a brave young woman caught up in the French Revolution. While in Paris with
her estranged father, a Nobel geneticist hired to match the DNA of a heart said to belong to the last dauphin of France,
Andi discovers a diary hidden within a guitar case--and so begins the story of Alexandrine, who herself had close ties to
the dauphin. Redemption and the will to change are powerful themes of the novel, and music is ever present--Andi and
Alex have a passion for the guitar, and the playlist running through Revolution is a who's who of classic and
contemporary influences. Danger, intrigue, music, and impeccably researched history fill the pages of Revolution, as
both young women learn that, "it is love, not death, that undoes us." HL560L
Downham, Jenny. Before I Die. 2009.
Tessa has just months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, and drugs with excruciating side effects,
Tessa compiles a list. It’s her To Do Before I Die list. Released from the constraints of “normal” life, Tessa tastes new
experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up. Tessa’s feelings, her relationships with her
father & brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, & her new boyfriend, are all painfully crystallized in the
precious weeks before Tessa’s time finally runs out. 580L
Draper, Sharon. Tears of a Tiger. 1996.
A high school basketball star struggles with guilt and depression following the drunk-driving accident that killed his best
friend. 700L
Duncan, Lois. I Know What You Did Last Summer. 1973.
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Some secrets just won't stay buried. They didn't mean it. They didn't mean to hit the boy. There was a party, and it was
an accident...that wasn't who they were. They were pre-law, a football player, bound for New York. No one could know,
so Barry, Julie, Helen, and Ray swore one another to secrecy. But now, a year later, someone knows. Julie receives a
haunting, anonymous threat: "I know what you did last summer." 760L
Duncan, Lois. Killing Mr. Griffin. 1976.
A group of high school students kidnaps a strict teacher to get even with him, but they don’t know about his weak heart.
760L
Farmer, Nancy. House of the Scorpion. 2004.
Matteo Alacrán was not born; he was harvested. His DNA came from El Patrón, lord of a country called Opium--a strip of
poppy fields lying between the United States and what was once called Mexico. Matt's first cell split and divided inside a
petri dish. Then he was placed in the womb of a cow, where he continued the miraculous journey from embryo to fetus
to baby. He is a boy now, but most consider him a monster--except for El Patrón. El Patrón loves Matt as he loves
himself, because Matt is himself. As Matt struggles to understand his existence, he is threatened by a sinister cast of
characters, including El Patrón's power-hungry family, and he is surrounded by a dangerous army of bodyguards. Escape
is the only chance Matt has to survive. But escape from the Alacrán Estate is no guarantee of freedom, because Matt is
marked by his difference in ways he doesn't even suspect. 660L
Feasy, Steve. The Wereling. 2005. (series)
Kate comes from a family of werewolves. She'll only become fully 'wolf herself when she mates with a male werewolf.
But she vows that will never happen. The last thing she wants is to give in to her evil heritage. Then she meets Tom
Anderson. Tom is a wereling-a werewolf who retains his humanity even in his wolf form. He was "turned" by Kate's
mother, who chose wisely. Tom and Kate can't help falling for each other. But if they give in to their feelings, Kate will
become the thing she hates most. Unless they can find a cure. 1050L
Fforde, Jasper. The Eyre Affair. 2001. (series).
Welcome to a surreal version of Great Britain, circa 1985, where time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the
resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously. England is a virtual police state where an aunt can
get lost (literally) in a Wordsworth poem, militant Baconians heckle performances of Hamlet, and forging Byronic verse
is a punishable offense. All this is business as usual for Thursday Next, renowned Special Operative in literary detection,
until someone begins kidnapping characters from works of literature. When Jane Eyre is plucked from the pages of
Brontë's novel, Thursday must track down the villain and enter the novel herself to avert a heinous act of literary
homicide. 850L
Flack, Sophie. Bunheads. 2011.
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A young dancer must decide if she wants to continue to devote her whole life to ballet when a handsome musician
enters the picture. The author danced with the New York City Ballet for nine years & gives readers an authentic glimpse
into the world of ballet. 770L
Fisher, Catherine. Incarceron. 2007.
Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells & corridors, but metal forests, dilapidated cities, &
wilderness. It has been sealed for centuries, & only one man has ever escaped. Finn has always been a prisoner here.
Although he has no memory of his childhood, he is sure he came from Outside. His link to the Outside, his chance to
break free, is Claudia, the warden's daughter, herself determined to escape an arranged marriage. They are up against
impossible odds, but one thing looms above all: Incarceron itself is alive. HL600L
Fredericks, Mariah. The True Meaning of Cleavage. 2003.
Sari and Jess are best friends and total opposites. They've liked each other ever since they discovered that they are the
only two normal people at Eldridge Alternative. As they prepare to face the trials of ninth grade, Sari is psyched. Jess,
not so much. How can she face the Prada Mafia, the most evil clique at school? Or Mr. McGuiness's unnervingly long
nose hair? What if something really interesting happens to Sari and nothing whatsoever happens to Jess? Not even Jess
can predict the mayhem when Sari falls madly, psychotically in love with David Cole. David is a senior. David is cool. And
he's been dating Thea Melendez for forever. So he can't possibly be interested in Sari. Or can he? 570L
Forman, Gayle. If I Stay by Gayle Forman. 2009.
While in a coma after her family is killed in a car accident, Mia struggles to decide whether to live or die. 830L
Gansworth, Eric. If I Ever Get Out of Here. 2013.
Lewis "Shoe" Blake is used to the joys and difficulties of life on the Tuscarora Indian reservation in 1975: the joking, the
Fireball games, the snow blowing through his roof. What he's not used to is white people being nice to him -- people like
George Haddonfield, whose family recently moved to town with the Air Force. As the boys connect through their mutual
passion for music, especially the Beatles, Lewis has to lie more and more to hide the reality of his family's poverty from
George. He also has to deal with the vicious Evan Reininger, who makes Lewis the special target of his wrath. But when
everyone else is on Evan's side, how can he be defeated? And if George finds out the truth about Lewis's home -- will he
still be his friend? 870L
Garden, Nancy. Annie on My Mind. 1982.
The story of two teenage girls whose friendship blossoms into love and who, despite pressures from family and school
that threaten their relationship, promise to be true to each other and their feelings. 1000L
Giles, Gail. Girls Like Us. 2014
Quincy and Biddy are both graduates of their high school’s special ed program, but they couldn’t be more different:
suspicious Quincy faces the world with her fists up, while gentle Biddy is frightened to step outside her front door. When
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they’re thrown together as roommates in their first "real world" apartment, it initially seems to be an uneasy fit. But as
Biddy’s past resurfaces and Quincy faces a harrowing experience that no one should have to go through alone, the two
of them realize that they might have more in common than they thought — and more important, that they might be
able to help each other move forward. HL570L
Going, K.L. Fat Kid Rules the World. 2004.
Troy Billings is seventeen, 296 pounds, friendless, utterly miserable, and about to step off a New York subway platform
in front of an oncoming train. Until he meets Curt, an emaciated, semi-homeless, high school dropout guitar genius, the
stuff of which Lower East Side punk rock legends are made. Never mind that Troy’s dad thinks Curt’s a drug addict and
Troy’s brother thinks Troy’s the biggest (literally) loser in Manhattan. Soon, Curt’s recruited Troy as his new drummer,
even though Troy can’t play the drums. 700L
Goldman, William. The Princess Bride. 1987.
Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies.
Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Cowardice. Bravery. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion.
Miracles. 870L
Green, John. An Abundance of Katherine. 2008.
When it comes to relationships, Colin’s type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin
is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has
ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy–loving best friend
riding shotgun—but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability,
which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.
890L
Green, John. The Fault in Our Stars. 2012.
This is a soulful novel that tackles big subjects--life, death, love--with the perfect blend of levity and heart-swelling
emotion. Hazel is sixteen, with terminal cancer, when she meets Augustus at her kids-with-cancer support group. 850L
Green, John. Looking for Alaska. 2006.
A deeply affecting coming-of-age story, Looking for Alaska traces the journey of Miles Halter, a misfit Florida teenager
who leaves the safety of home for a boarding school in Alabama and a chance to explore the "Great Perhaps." 930L
Green, John. Will Grayson, Will Grayson. 2010.
This book is about a couple of kids figuring out how to be themselves. Two of those kids happen to have the same name,
and not much in common outside of that, but their serendipitous friendship sets the stage for a much larger, braver, and
more candid story than the simplicity of the plot might suggest. 930L
Halam, Ann. Dr. Franklin’s Island. 2003.
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Semi, Miranda, and Arnie are part of a group of 50 British Young Conservationists on their way to a wildlife conservation
station deep in the rain forests of Ecuador. After a terrifying mid-air disaster and subsequent crash, these three are the
sole survivors, stranded together on a deserted tropical island. Or so they think. Semi, Miranda, and Arnie stumble into
the hands of Dr. Franklin, a mad scientist who’s been waiting for them, eager to use them as specimens for his
experiments in genetic engineering. 690L
Halpern, Julie. Into the Wild Nerd Yonder. 2009.
Feeling used by her two best friends, high school sophomore Jessie decides to go in search of new friends. But will she
be able to survive being branded a nerd? 890L
Hartnett, Sonya. Surrender. 2005.
As life slips away, Gabriel looks back over his brief twenty years, clouded by frustration and humiliation. A small,
unforgiving town and punitive parents ensure that he is never allowed to forget the horrific mistake he made as a child.
He has only two friends - his dog, Surrender, and the unruly boy, Finnigan, a shadowy kid with whom the meek Gabriel
once made a boyhood pact. But when a series of arson attacks grips the town, Gabriel realizes how unpredictable and
dangerous Finnigan is. As events begin to spiral violently out of control, it becomes devastatingly clear that only the
most extreme measures will rid Gabriel of Finnigan for good. 730L
Hautman, Pete. The Big Crunch. 2012.
June has attended six schools in the last four years and is once again the new kid, this time at a Minnesota high school.
First on her agenda: find some friends and a boyfriend. Wes broke up with Izzy just before school started and he doesn't
want another girlfriend, but after seeing June, he can't get her out of his mind. June meanwhile starts dating Wes's best
friend. Wes is in a fog. A chance encounter with her sparks a romance between the two. But before it even has a chance
to get started, it's time for June to move again. Told from June's and Wes's alternating points of view, this book follows
their romance through the four seasons. With rapid-fire dialogue and plenty of sappy language, the author nails the
confused, self-absorbed teen characters obsessed with first love. HL720L
Herbach, Geoff. Stupid Fast. 2012.
I AM NOT STUPID FUNNY. I AM 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. 670L
Higson, Charlie. SilverFin. 2009.
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What does it take to become the greatest secret agent the world has ever known? In this thrilling prequel to the
adventure of James Bond, 007, readers meet a young boy whose inquisitive mind and determination set him on a path
that will someday take him across the globe, in pursuit of the most dangerous criminals of all time. 900L
Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. 1967.
Sixteen-year-old Susie Hinton’s novel about gang war between the Socs and the Greasers is just as relevant today as
when it burst on the literary scene to become the first “young adult” novel and to establish a style that came to be
called “the new realism.” 750L
Horowitz, Anthony. Alex Rider: Stormbreaker. 2001. (series)
Readers will cheer for Alex Rider, the 14-year-old hero of British author Horowitz's spy thriller (the first in a projected
series). When his guardian and uncle, Ian, is mysteriously killed, Alex discovers that his uncle was not the bank vicepresident he purported to be, but rather a spy for the British government. Now the government wants Alex to take over
his uncle's mission: investigating Sayle Enterprises, the makers of a revolutionary computer called Stormbreaker. 670L
Hughes, Pat. Open Ice. 2007.
Hockey is more than Nick's favorite sport–it has become the very framework of his life. His friends are all players, his hot
new girlfriend's a huge fan, and his hopes for college hang on securing an athletic scholarship. So when his physician,
coach, and family all agree, following his fourth concussion, that the 16-year-old star should stop playing the game, it
means major upheaval in his life. Hughes's attention to detail in terms of both head injuries and the sport adds lots of
pith and interest to this story, and her accurate portrayal of middle-class teen life (which includes sex, obscenities, and
pot smoking) should keep reluctant readers turning pages. The central question shifts from the prospect of whether Nick
can return to the rink to the more important matter of whether he can regain control of his roiling emotions. 630L
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. 1932.
Aldous Huxley's tour de force, Brave New World is a darkly satiric vision of a "utopian" future—where humans are
genetically bred and pharmaceutically anesthetized to passively serve a ruling order. A powerful work of speculative
fiction that has enthralled and terrified readers for generations, it remains remarkably relevant to this day as both a
warning to be heeded as we head into tomorrow and as thought-provoking, satisfying entertainment. 870L
Jenkins, A.M. Repossessed. 2008.
Don't call me a demon. I prefer the term Fallen Angel. Everybody deserves a vacation, right? Especially if you have a
pointless job like tormenting the damned. So who could blame me for blowing off my duties and taking a small,
unauthorized break? Besides, I've always wanted to see what physical existence is like. That's why I "borrowed" the
slightly used body of a slacker teen. Believe me, he wasn't going to be using it anymore anyway. I have never understood
why humans do the things they do. Like sin—if it's so terrible, why do they keep doing it? I'm going to have a lot of fun
finding out! 700L
Johnson, Angela. The First Part Last. 2010.
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Bobby is your classic urban teenaged boy -- impulsive, eager, restless. On his sixteenth birthday he gets some news from
his girlfriend, Nia, that changes his life forever. She's pregnant. Bobby's going to be a father. Suddenly things like school
and house parties and hanging with friends no longer seem important as they're replaced by visits to Nia's obstetrician
and a social worker who says that the only way for Nia and Bobby to lead a normal life is to put their baby up for
adoption. With powerful language and keen insight, Johnson looks at the male side of teen pregnancy as she delves into
one young man's struggle to figure out what "the right thing" is and then to do it. No matter what the cost. 790L
Johnson, Louanne. Muchacho. 2009.
Eddie Corazon, an angry juvenile delinquent in an alternative school, is influenced by love, a special teacher, books, and
a criminal cousin as he tries to find his true self. 1250L
Jones, Patrick. Things Change. 2004.
Sixteen-year-old Johanna has always been "daddy's perfect tough little Marine girl"--a determined student who usually
gets what she wants. Now she has her first boyfriend, Paul, the disturbing, anger-filled student body president. As
Johanna and Paul become more involved, Johanna's grades drop, her relationships with her parents and best friend are
compromised, and her life is jeopardized. From the opening sentence, "I want you to kiss me," to the ominous
conclusion, this is a compelling novel about teen dating, violence, and the tangled web of love and pain that permeates
such dangerous relationships. Paul's pinning the blame on his violent father, who died long ago, may seem pat, and
angry, poignant letters to his dad seem contrived, but readers will easily understand Johanna's excitement and
attraction, as well as her need for love and security. 710L
Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees. 2001.
When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the town's most vicious racists, Lily
decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina—a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. There
they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees,
honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. 840L
Klass, David. You Don’t Know Me. 2007.
You think you know John? Well, let’s see . . .What bathroom fixture did his father have in mind at his birth? What
amphibian plagues John in band? Does algebra have a use, besides torture? Who or what is Lashasa Palulu? Who is
Glory Hallelujah? Who is Violent Hayes? What do they want from John? If friends are people who like you, does John
have any? Why do fools fall in love? If school is a place for learning, where does John go every day? How can anyone
who’s fighting a secret battle for his life know anyone, really? And how can they know him. 970L
Klass, David. Danger Zone. 1998.
In Granham, a small town in Minnesota, Jimmy Doyle is a basketball legend, the one the fans count on to sink the threepointers and save the game. So when promoters pick an American High School Dream Team for a tournament in Italy,
Doyle is offered a starting spot. The problem then becomes persuading himself and the talented African American inner-
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city kids who make up most of the team that he deserves the opportunity. The pace never lags, and Klass does a
convincing job of capturing the feel of the game and depicting Doyle's attempts to be accepted by his teammates, as
well as showing what happens when some terrorists add fear to the list of the team's opponents. 560L
Klause, Annette Curtis. Blood and Chocolate. 1999.
Vivian Gandillon relishes the change, the sweet, fierce ache that carries her from girl to wolf. At sixteen, she is beautiful
and strong, and all the young wolves are on her tail. But Vivian still grieves for her dead father; her pack remains
leaderless and in disarray, and she feels lost in the suburbs of Maryland. She longs for a normal life. But what is normal
for a werewolf? Then Vivian falls in love with a human, a meat-boy. Aiden is kind and gentle, a welcome relief from the
squabbling pack. He's fascinated by magic, and Vivian longs to reveal herself to him. Surely he would understand her and
delight in the wonder of her dual nature, not fear her as an ordinary human would. Vivian's divided loyalties are strained
further when a brutal murder threatens to expose the pack. Moving between two worlds, she does not seem to belong
in either. What is she really--human or beast? Which tastes sweeter--blood or chocolate? 720L
Korman, Gordon. Born to Rock. 2008.
"There are two kinds of people in this world--those who have had a cavity search, and those who haven't. This is the
story of how I wound up in the wrong category." After Young Republican Leo Caraway discovers that his biological father
is none other than millionaire King Maggot, lead singer of the punk band Purge, he accepts a roadie job on King's tour in
the hope of securing sorely needed college tuition. Soon, coke-snorting musicians and on-the-make agents are
assaulting Leo's traditional values at every turn. Still, he manages to keep his cool, until he uncovers a shocking truth
about his bio-dad that leaves him questioning every principle he holds dear. 780L
Lanagan, Margo. Tender Morsels. 2008.
This is a dark and vivid story, set in two worlds and worrying at the border between them. Liga lives modestly in her own
personal heaven, a world given to her in exchange for her earthly life. Her two daughters grow up in this soft place,
protected from the violence that once harmed their mother. But the real world cannot be denied forever—magicked
men and wild bears break down the borders of Liga’s refuge. Now, having known Heaven, how will these three women
survive in a world where beauty and brutality lie side by side? 950L
Lee, Y.S. A Spy in the House. 2010.
Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan (and thief) Mary Quinn is surprised to be offered a singular
education, instruction in fine manners — and an unusual vocation. Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls is a cover for an
all-female investigative unit called The Agency, and at seventeen, Mary is about to put her training to the test. Assuming
the guise of a lady’s companion, she must infiltrate a rich merchant’s home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships.
But the household is full of dangerous deceptions, and there is no one to trust — or is there? HL680L
Levine, Gail Carson. Ella Enchanted. 1997.
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Every child longs for the day when he or she will be free from meddling parents and bossy grownups. For young Ella, this
is more than a fanciful wish; it could be a matter of life or death. Placed under the spell of a blundering fairy, she has no
choice but to go through life obeying each and every order--no matter what the consequences may be. "If you
commanded me to cut off my own head, I'd have to do it." 670L
Levithan, David and Rachel Cohn. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. 2006.
This is a comedy about two teens thrust together for one hilarious, sleepless night of adventure in a world of mix tapes,
late-night living, and, live, loud music. Nick frequents New York’s indie rock scene nursing a broken heart and Norah is
questioning all of her assumptions about the world. Though they have nothing in common except for their taste in
music, their chance encounter leads to an all-night quest to find a legendary band’s secret show and ends up becoming
the first date that could change both their lives. 1020L
London, Jack. The Call of the Wild. 1903.
A classic novel of adventure, drawn from London's own experiences as a Klondike adventurer, relating the story of a
heroic dog, who, caught in the brutal life of the Alaska Gold Rush, ultimately faces a choice between living in man's
world and returning to nature. 620L
Lore, Pittacus. I am Number Four. 2010 (series)
Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you
dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen.
We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real…Our plan was to grow, and train, and
become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are
running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you
without you knowing. But they know….They caught Number One in Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number
Three in Kenya. They killed them all. I am Number Four. I am next. 700L
Lowry, Lois. The Giver. 1993. (series)
In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old
Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as
the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy.
760L
Lu, Marie. Legend. 2011. (series)
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors.
Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for
success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted
criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no
reason to cross paths—until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in
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the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death.
But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister
lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. HL710L
Lu, Marie. The Young Elites. 2014. (series)
Imagine surviving a plague of fever, only to be marked as an abomination by your countrymen. Most survivors of the
sickness that vanquished thousands in this alternative medieval world possess a strange and unique marking, whether it
be a facial coloring, oddly tinged hair, or, in Adelina's case, a missing eye. Called malfettos, some are endowed with
magical gifts that enable them to control wind, fire, earth, and even humans. All Adelina has ever wanted is to feel
accepted and loved, but she's ignored by her father, and her sister doesn't have the power to save her. When the teen
escapes an unwanted proposal, she unwittingly becomes a member of the Dagger Society, an Elite group of malfettos
bent on using their supernatural abilities to escape the Inquisition's genocide and place their leader, Enzo, on the throne
of Kenettra. Adelina struggles with an increasing distrust of Enzo, her fellow Elites, and herself, all while learning how to
control her powers of illusion and disillusion. 740L
Lynch, Chris. Gold Dust. 2000.
Two seventh-graders begin a tenuous friendship in 1975 Boston, when the Gold Dust Twins play for the Red Sox and
school busing has begun. Publisher’s Weekly reviews, "Several provocative situations go unexplored, such as the tension
that results from Napoleon being black and more affluent than Richard's white working-class family. But baseball fans
will not be disappointed, and the novel's denouement is as honest as it is heartbreaking." 690L
Lynch, Chris. Inexcusable. 2005.
"I am a good guy. Good guys don't do bad things. Good guys understand that no means no, and so I could not have done
this because I understand." Keir Sarafian knows many things about himself. He is a talented football player, a loyal
friend, a devoted son and brother. Most of all, he is a good guy. And yet the love of his life thinks otherwise. Gigi says
Keir has done something awful. Something unforgivable. Keir doesn't understand. He loves Gigi. He would never do
anything to hurt her. So Keir carefully recounts the events leading up to that one fateful night, in order to uncover the
truth. Clearly, there has been a mistake. But what has happened is, indeed, something inexcusable. 810L
Marchetta, Melina. Finnikin of the Rock. 2008. (series)
Finnikin of the Rock and his guardian, Sir Topher, have not been home to their beloved Lumatere for ten years. Not since
the dark days when the royal family was murdered and the kingdom put under a terrible curse. But the Finnikin is
summoned to meet Evanjalin, a young woman with an incredible claim: the heir to the throne of Lumatere, Prince
Balthazar, is alive. 820L
Marchetta, Melina. Jellicoe Road. 2006.
At age eleven, Taylor Markham was abandoned by her mother. At fourteen, she ran away from boarding school, only to
be tracked down and brought back by a mysterious stranger. Now seventeen, Taylor's the reluctant leader of her
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school's underground community, whose annual territory war with the Townies and visiting Cadets has just begun. This
year, though, the Cadets are led by Jonah Griggs, and Taylor can't avoid his intense gaze for long. To make matters
worse, Hannah, the one adult Taylor trusts, has disappeared. But if Taylor can piece together the clues Hannah left
behind, the truth she uncovers might not just settle her past, but also change her future. 820L
Marchetta, Melina. Saving Francesca. 2003.
Francesca is stuck at St. Sebastian’s, a boys’ school that pretends it’s coed by giving the girls their own bathroom. Her
only female companions are an ultra-feminist, a rumored slut, and an impossibly dorky accordion player. The boys are
no better: from Thomas, who specializes in musical burping, to Will, the perpetually frowning, smug moron that
Francesca can’t seem to stop thinking about. Then there’s Francesca’s mother, who always thinks she knows what’s best
for Francesca – until she is suddenly stricken with acute depression, leaving Francesca lost, alone, and without an inkling
of who she really is. 770L
Martinez, Victor. Parrot in the Oven, Mi Vida. 1996.
Set in the gritty projects of a central California town, this novel traces the bittersweet summer when Manny achieves his
ambition of being initiated into a gang. (National Book Award) 1000L
McCall, Guadalupe Garcia. Summer of the Mariposas. 2012.
When Odilia and her four sisters find a dead body in the swimming hole, they embark on a hero’s journey to return the
dead man to his family in Mexico. With the supernatural aid of ghostly La Llorona via a magical earring, Odilia and her
little sisters travel a road of tribulation to their long-lost grandmother’s house. Along the way, they must outsmart a
witch and her Evil Trinity: a wily warlock, a coven of vicious half-human barn owls, and a bloodthirsty livestock-hunting
chupacabras. 840L
McCormick, Patricia. Cut. 2000.
Callie cuts herself. Never too deep, never enough to die. But enough to feel the pain. Enough to feel the scream inside.
Now she's at Sea Pines, a "residential treatment facility" filled with girls struggling with problems of their own. Callie
doesn't want to have anything to do with them. She doesn't want to have anything to do with anyone. She won't even
speak. But Callie can only stay silent for so long.... 660L
McKinley, Robin. The Hero and the Crown. 1984. (companion book: The Blue Sword)
From childhood, Aerin had been haunted by the story of her mother - a "witchwoman" who enspelled the king and then
died in childbirth, leaving behind a newborn daughter and an heirless land. Left to her own devices, Aerin grew up wild,
doing her best to live up to her reputation as the disappointment of the realm. But little did the young princess know the
long-dormant powers of her mother would wield their own destiny, and leave Aerin with a duty to her scornful
homeland that she couldn't refuse. 1120L
McKinley, Robin. The Outlaws of Sherwood. 1988.
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This vivid retelling of the classic story of Robin Hood breathes contemporary life into these beloved adventures, with
Marian taking a pivotal role as one of Robin’s best archers. 1020L
Medina, Meg. Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass. 2013.
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? HL670L
Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels. 1988.
Seventeen-year-old Richie Perry’s stint in Vietnam brings home to him the agony and futility of war as he learns to kill
and watches his comrades die. 650L
Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. 1999.
Is Steve Harmon guilty of being the lookout in a botched robbery during which a storeowner is killed? As he awaits the
results of his trial, Steve writes the story as if it were a screenplay for a movie. (Printz Award) 670L
Myers, Walter Dean. Sunrise Over Fallujah. 2008.
Robin "Birdy" Perry, a new army recruit from Harlem, isn't quite sure why he joined the army, but he's sure where he's
headed: Iraq. Birdy and the others in the Civilian Affairs Battalion are supposed to help secure and stabilize the country
and successfully interact with the Iraqi people. Officially, the code name for their maneuvers is Operation Iraqi Freedom.
But the young men and women in the CA unit have a simpler name for it: WAR. 780L
Murdock, Catherine Gilbert. Dairy Queen. 2006. (series)
After her father is injured, 15-year-old D.J. Schwenk takes over the lion's share of work on her family's small Wisconsin
dairy farm. Between chores, this jock takes on training Brian, the rival high school's quarterback. A monster crush and a
tryout for her own school's football team ensue. Dairy Queen will appeal to girls who, like D.J., aren't girly-girls but just
girls, learning to be comfortable in their own skins. 990L.
Murdoch, Emily. If You Find Me. 2013.
A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. All Carey
and her younger sister Jenessa have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency.
Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from
the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys. Now, Carey must face the
truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that
hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. HL750L
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Na, An. A Step From Heaven. 2001.
When Young Ju is four years old, she learns that her family is leaving their small fishing village in Korea to live in Mi
Gook. Young Ju has heard enough about Mi Gook to be sure the place they are moving to is paradise, that she and her
family are going to heaven. After flying through the sky for a long time, Young Ju finds out that Mi Gook is actually a
regular earthly place called America. And it doesn't feel at all like heaven. This novel follows Young's life from the age of
4 all the way up until she is ready for college, as we watch her change from a hopeful girl into a hardened young adult.
670L
Ness, Patrick. The Knife of Never Letting Go. 2008. (series)
Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending
stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose
thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a
town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must
run for their lives. 860L
Nielsen, Jennifer A. The False Prince. 2012. (series)
In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a
cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are
recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than
questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be
killed. As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and
deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies
taken together. 710L
Oh, Ellen. Prophecy. 2013. (series)
Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by
nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope... Murdered kings and discovered traitors point
to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King
Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira
must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into
a king. 740L
Oliver, Lauren. Delirium. 2011. (series)
Lena looks forward to receiving the government-mandated cure that prevents the delirium of love and leads to a safe,
predictable, and happy life. However, ninety-five days before her eighteenth birthday and her treatment, she falls in
love. 920L
Oppel, Kenneth. Airborn. 2011. (series)
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Matt Cruse is a cabin boy aboard the luxury passenger airship Aurora when the ship encounters a battered hot air
balloon with an unconscious man aboard. Before dying, the man claims to have seen beautiful creatures swarming in the
air over an uncharted island. Not until a year later, when Matt meets the man's granddaughter, Kate de Vries, who
boards the Aurora, does he learn that the man wasn't hallucinating. Pirates board, rob, and kill, and a fierce storm
grounds the Aurora on the very island that Kate's grandfather spoke about--which proves to be the pirates' secret
hideaway. 760L
Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four. 1949.
Among the seminal texts of the 20th century, Nineteen Eighty-Four is a rare work that grows more haunting as its
futuristic purgatory becomes more real. Published in 1949, the book offers political satirist George Orwell's nightmare
vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic world and one poor stiff's attempt to find individuality. The brilliance of the novel is
Orwell's prescience of modern life--the ubiquity of television, the distortion of the language--and his ability to construct
such a thorough version of hell. Required reading for students since it was published, it ranks among the most terrifying
novels ever written. 1090L
Patterson, James. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment. 2005. (series)
Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the
members of the "flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can
fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time...like when
Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where she and the others were
experimented on by a crew of wack jobs. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but
soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare--this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf
"Erasers" in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system,
Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and fatherfigure Jeb--now her betrayed and greatest enemy--that her purpose is save the world--but can she? 700L
Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet. 1987. (series)
When the small plane taking him to his divorced father crashes, Brian, the only survivor, is stranded in the Canadian
wilderness and must work out his own survival. 1020L
Peet, Mal. Keeper. 2003. (series)
When Paul Faustino of LA NACION flips on his tape recorder for an exclusive interview with El Gato — the phenomenal
goalkeeper who single-handedly brought his team the World Cup — the seasoned reporter quickly learns that this will
be no ordinary story. Instead, the legendary El Gato narrates a spellbinding tale that begins in the South American
rainforest, where a ghostly but very real mentor, the Keeper, emerges to teach a poor, gawky boy the most thrilling
secrets of the game. 780L
Peet, Mal. Tamar. 2005.
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When her grandfather dies, Tamar inherits a box containing a series of clues and coded messages. Out of the past,
another Tamar emerges, a man involved in the terrifying world of resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied Holland half a
century before. 780L
Perkins, Mitali. Secret Keeper. 2009.
When her father loses his job and leaves India to look for work in America, Asha Gupta, her older sister, Reet, and their
mother must wait with Baba’s brother and his family, as well as their grandmother, in Calcutta. But with scant savings
and time passing, the tension builds: Ma, prone to spells of sadness, finds it hard to submit to her mother- and sister-inlaw; Reet’s beauty attracts unwanted marriage proposals; and Asha's promise to take care of Ma and Reet leads to
impulsive behavior. Asha’s only solace is her rooftop hideaway, where she pours her heart out in her diary, and where
she begins a clandestine friendship with Jay Sen, the boy next door. Then news arrives about Baba . . . and Asha must
make a choice that will change their lives forever. 800L
Philbrick, Rodman. Last Book in the Universe. 2002.
It's the story of an epileptic teenager nicknamed Spaz, who begins the heroic fight to bring human intelligence back to
the planet. In a world where most people are plugged into brain-drain entertainment systems, Spaz is the rare human
being who can see life as it really is. When he meets an old man called Ryter, he begins to learn about Earth and its past.
With Ryter as his companion, Spaz sets off an unlikely quest to save his dying sister -- and in the process, perhaps the
world. 740L
Pratchett, Terry. Nation. 2008.
Mau is caught in the tidal wave that destroyed his island, and Daphne is her ship’s only survivor of that tsunami.
Together on the devastated island, they form a new nation. Michael L. Printz Honor Award. NC790L
Quintero, Isabel. Gabi, a Girl in Pieces. 2014.
Gabi Hernandez chronicles her last year in high school in her diary: college applications, Cindy's pregnancy, Sebastian's
coming out, the cute boys, her father's meth habit, and the food she craves. And best of all, the poetry that helps forge
her identity. HL820L
Rapp, Adam. Punkzilla. 2009.
For a runaway boy who goes by the name "Punkzilla," kicking a meth habit and a life of petty crime in Portland, Oregon,
is a prelude to a mission: reconnecting with his older brother, a gay man dying of cancer in Memphis. Against a backdrop
of seedy motels, dicey bus stations, and hitched rides, the desperate fourteen-year-old meets a colorful, sometimes
dangerous cast of characters. And in letters to his sibling, he catalogs them all — from an abusive stranger and a ghostly
girl to a kind transsexual and an old woman with an oozing eye. The language is raw and revealing, crackling with visceral
details and dark humor, yet with each interstate exit Punkzilla’s journey grows more urgent: will he make it to
Tennessee in time? 1300L
Rossi, Veronica. Under the Never Sky. 2012. (series)
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Since she’d been on the outside, she’d survived an Aether storm, she’d had a knife held to her throat, and she’d seen
men murdered. This was worse. HL580L
Roth, Veronica. Divergent. 2011. (series)
In post-apocalyptic Chicago, society is divided into five factions -- Amity, Candor, Dauntless, Erudite, and Abnegation -- in
order to avoid future wars and preserve peace. Each year, the newly turned sixteen-year-olds are called to select and
devote the rest of their lives to a faction. The day of choosing will change Beatrice’s life forever . . . for once you choose,
you can never go back. HL700L
Sachar, Louis. Holes. 1998.
There is no lake at Camp Green Lake, but why does the evil tempered woman who is the warden make Stanley Yelnats
and his fellow prisoners dig deep holes every day? (National Book Award and Newbery Award) 660L
Salinger, J.D. Catcher in the Rye. 1951.
This is the classic coming-of-age novel about Holden Caulfield’s lost weekend in New York City that established the edgy
style and voice of young adult literature sixteen years before the genre was invented. 790L
Shan, Darren. Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare. 2000. (series)
Darren Shan and his best friend, Steve, get tickets to the Cirque Du Freak, a wonderfully gothic freak show featuring
weird, frightening half human/half animals who interact terrifyingly with the audience. In the midst of the excitement,
true terror raises its head when Steve recognizes that one of the performers-- Mr. Crepsley-- is a vampire! Steve remains
after the show finishes to confront the vampire-- but his motives are surprising! In the shadows of a crumbling theater, a
horrified Darren eavesdrops on his friend and the vampire, and is witness to a monstrous, disturbing plea. As if by
destiny, Darren is pulled to Mr. Crepsley and what follows is his horrifying descent into the dark and bloody world of
vampires. This is Darren’s story. 650L
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. 1831.
Few creatures of horror have seized readers' imaginations and held them for so long as the anguished monster of
Shelley's Frankenstein. The story of Victor Frankenstein's monstrous creation and the havoc it caused has enthralled
generations of readers and inspired countless writers of horror and suspense. HL510L
Silvey, Craig. Jasper Jones. 2012.
Charlie Bucktin, a bookish thirteen year old, is startled one summer night by an urgent knock on his bedroom window.
His visitor is Jasper Jones, an outcast in their small mining town, and he has come to ask for Charlie's help. Terribly afraid
but desperate to impress, Charlie follows him into the night. Jasper takes him to his secret glade, where Charlie
witnesses Jasper's horrible discovery. With his secret like a brick in his belly, Charlie is pushed and pulled by a town
closing in on itself in fear and suspicion. He locks horns with his tempestuous mother, falls nervously in love, and battles
to keep a lid on his zealous best friend. In the simmering summer where everything changes, Charlie learns why the
truth of things is so hard to know, and even harder to hold in his heart. HL590L
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Sittenfeld, Curtis. Prep. 2005.
Curtis Sittenfeld's poignant and occassionally angst-ridden debut novel Prep is the story of Lee Fiora, a South Bend,
Indiana, teenager who wins a scholarship to the prestigious Ault school, an East Coast institution where "money was
everywhere on campus, but it was usually invisible." As we follow Lee through boarding school, we witness firsthand the
triumphs and tragedies that shape our heroine's coming-of-age. Yet while Sittenfeld may be a skilled storyteller, her real
gift lies in her ability to expertly give voice to what is often described as the most alienating period in a young person's
life: high school. 957L
Strasser, Todd. Give a Boy a Gun. 2000.
For as long as they can remember, Brendan and Gary have been mercilessly teased and harassed by the jocks who rule
Middletown High. But not anymore. Stealing a small arsenal of guns from a neighbor, they take their classmates hostage
at a school dance. In the panic of this desperate situation, it soon becomes clear that only one thing matters to Brendan
and Gary: revenge. 760L
Stiefvater, Maggie. The Raven Boys. 2012. (series).
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees
them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue
soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from
Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t
entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who
resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn
watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been
warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life
becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore. HL760L
Stiefvater, Maggie. The Scorpio Races. 2011.
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long
enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning
champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can
see them. Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a
chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to
happen. 840L
Stiefvater, Maggie. Shiver. 2009. (series)
Beautifully written from alternating points-of-view of star-crossed lovers Grace and Sam, this paranormal romance will
do for werewolves what Twilight did for vampires. 740L
Stroud, Jonathan. The Amulet of Samarkand. 2003. (series)
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Nathaniel is a magician's apprentice, taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. But when a devious hot-shot wizard
named Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of his elders, Nathaniel decides to kick up his education a
few notches and show Lovelace who's boss. With revenge on his mind, he summons the powerful djinni, Bartimaeus.
But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni
out to steal Lovelace's greatest treasure, the Amulet of Samarkand, he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical
espionage, murder, and rebellion. 800L
Thomas, Rob. Rats Saw God. 2007.
For Steve York, life was good. He had a 4.0 GPA, friends he could trust, and a girl he loved. Now he spends his days
smoked out, not so much living as simply existing. But his herbal endeavors -- and personal demons -- have led to a
severe lack of motivation. Steve's flunking out, but if he writes a one-hundred-page paper, he can graduate. Steve
realizes he must write what he knows. And through telling the story of how he got to where he is, he discovers exactly
where he wants to be.... 900L
Tinti, Hannah. The Good Thief. 2008.
Twelve year-old Ren is missing his left hand. How it was lost is a mystery that Ren has been trying to solve for his entire
life, as well as who his parents are, and why he was abandoned as an infant at Saint Anthony’s Orphanage for boys. He
longs for a family to call his own and is terrified of the day he will be sent alone into the world. But then a young man
named Benjamin Nab appears, claiming to be Ren’s long-lost brother, and his convincing tale of how Ren lost his hand
and his parents persuades the monks at the orphanage to release the boy and to give Ren some hope. But is Benjamin
really who he says he is? 800L
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 1884.
Climb aboard the raft with Huck and Jim and drift away from the "sivilized" life and into a world of adventure,
excitement, danger, and self-discovery. Huck's shrewd and humorous narrative is complemented by lyrical descriptions
of the Mississippi valley and a sparkling cast of memorable characters. 650L
Wein, Elizabeth. Code Name Verity. 2012.
I have two weeks. You'll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.
That's what you do to enemy agents. It's what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead
and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine and I will do anything, anything to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again. He has said that I can
have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And
I'm going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into
France - an Allied Invasion of Two. 1020L
Westerfeld, Scott. Leviathan. 2009. (series)
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Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His
title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men. Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised
as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered. With
World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, aroundthe-world adventure that will change both their lives forever. 790L
White, Kiersten. The Chaos of Stars. 2013.
Isadora's family is seriously screwed up—which comes with the territory when you're the human daughter of the
ancient Egyptian gods Isis and Osiris. Isadora is tired of living with crazy relatives who think she's only worthy of a
passing glance—so when she gets the chance to move to California with her brother, she jumps on it. But her new life
comes with plenty of its own dramatic—and dangerous—complications . . . and Isadora quickly learns there's no such
thing as a clean break from family. 740L
Wolff, Virginia Euwer. Make Lemonade. 1993.
A gutsy and exquisitely touching verse novel in which slovenly Jolly, 17, hires sensible LaVaughn, 14, to help her with her
two little kids by different fathers. 890L
Wooding, Chris. Malice. 2009.
Everyone's heard of it...but nobody's read it. Luke, Seth, and Kady have heard all the stories about Malice--a secret
comic about a strange, awful world full of tricks and traps, and overseen by a sinister master of ceremonies, Tall Jake.
But if the rumors are to be believed, the children in this comic are real... Luke is the first to fall into this trap--and Seth
and Kady are the next to follow. They have left our world and entered the sinister comic book. The question is--can they
make it out alive? 650L
Woodson, Jacqueline. Beneath a Meth Moon. 2012.
Laurel Daneau has moved on to a new life, in a new town, but inside she’s still reeling from the loss of her beloved
mother and grandmother after Hurricane Katrina washed away their home. Laurel’s new life is going well, with a new
best friend, a place on the cheerleading squad and T-Boom, co-captain of the basketball team, for a boyfriend. When TBoom introduces Laurel to meth, she immediately falls under its spell. But as she becomes alienated from her friends
and family, she becomes a shell of her former self, and longs to be whole again. With help from an artist named Moses
and her friend Kaylee, she’s able to begin to rewrite her story and start to move on from her addiction. HL730L
Zia, Farhana. The Garden of My Imaan. 2013.
Aliya already struggles with trying to fit in, feeling confident enough to talk to the cute boy or stand up to mean kidsthe
fact that shes Muslim is just another thing to deal with. When Marwa, a Moroccan girl who shares her faith if not her
culture, comes to Aliyas school, Aliya wonders even more about who she is, what she believes, and where she fits in.
Should she fast for Ramadan? Should she wear the hijab? Shes old enough for both, but does she really want to call
attention to herself? 550L
English 9 – Fall 2015
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Zusak, Markus. I am the Messenger. 2002.
Nineteen-year-old cabbie Ed Kennedy has little in life to be proud of: his dad died of alcoholism, and he and his mom
have few prospects for success. He has little to do except share a run-down apartment with his faithful yet smelly dog,
drive his taxi, and play cards and drink with his amiable yet similarly washed-up friends. Then, after he stops a bank
robbery, Ed begins receiving anonymous messages marked in code on playing cards in the mail, and almost immediately
his life begins to swerve off its beaten-down path. Usually the messages instruct him to be at a certain address at a
certain time. So with nothing to lose, Ed embarks on a series of missions as random as a toss of dice: sometimes
daredevil, sometimes heartwarmingly safe. 640L
Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. 2005.
It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a
Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking
new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence
for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing
foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the
Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. 730L