Books, Books, and More Books: A Parent and Teacher’s Guide to Contemporary Adolescent Literature

1. Books, Books, and More Books: A Parent and Teacher’s Guide to Contemporary Adolescent Literature Lu Ann Brobst Staheli

2. 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+

3. 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

4. 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+

5. 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+

6. 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+

7. 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

8. 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+

9. 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+

10. 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+

11. 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

12. 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+

13. 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+

14. 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+

15. 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+

16. 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+

17. 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+

18. 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+

19. 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+

20. Choosing Up Sides John H. Ritter • The sign of the devil. That’s what Pa, the preacher, calls being left-handed. 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+

21. 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+

22. 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+

23. 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+

24. 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+

25. 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+

26. 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+

27. 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+

28. 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+

29. 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+

30. 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+

31. 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 also-ran to the more famous and in many ways more brilliant Ender. • MG+

32. 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+

33. 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+

34. 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+

35. 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+

36. 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+

37. 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 +

38. 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+

39. 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+

40. 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+

41. 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+

42. 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+

43. 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+

44. 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+

45. 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+

46. 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+

47. 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

48. 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+

49. 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+

50. 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+