Young Adult

Since this book is about a 6^th grade quiz bowl team’s funny tales, I’d recommend this to those of you with 6^th graders.

Poems and stories about one girl’s ability to rise from her dire environment.  I especially enjoy a poem called “Four Skinny Trees.”  It amazes me that it has taken me so long to recommend this book.

This book will remind you to teach your students nicely.  It is also great for jumpstarting students’ crime and mystery tastes so that they can someday graduate to Patricia Cornwell & Sue Grafton.

This is the classic that began the Super Fudge phenomenon.  Enjoy tales of Peter Hatcher’s trials with his little brother Fudgie, among other delightful storylines.

Hinton wrote this book when she was 16 years old.  Kind of makes you wonder what the heck you are doing with your life, doesn’t it?

A classic.  The reluctant sixth grade reader is sure to read this illustrated, funny tale because all of us can relate to Charlie Brown's trials and tribulations.

Tired of life being so serious?  Why not read about the boy who never grew up?  There is an innocent optimism captured in this book that should bring a smile to anyone's face.

So what if this book doesn't make you laugh?  It's a good book that you can read while you wait in lines.  Some books are just worth reading because they touch your heart.  This is one of those

books.

Don't worry - I've seen editions of this book range from 175 - 275 pages.  It is worth the read, especially if you enjoy reading about the value of friendship.

I remember debating if this book was a real diary or not when I was a teenager.  Regardless, I’d say this is about as good of a book to discourage teenage drug use as any.  It certainly freaked me out, and it has had the same effect on most of the middle schoolers who have endured me reading it aloud.

Even if this book, filled with fun photographs and simple messages, only takes 20 minutes to read, it is one of the best pick-me-up books I’ve seen.  I have my old roommate Adam LeVrier to blame for that, as he kept a copy on our coffee table for years.

The recent passing of the great actor Paul Winfield, who received an Academy Award nomination for his work in the film, made me think of this moving story about a sharecropper family’s resilience through all sorts of tragedy.

A lot of people say this book is about clashes between traditional Chinese culture fitting into America, but I prefer to look at it as the story of a teenager and her Chinese grandmother getting to know and appreciate one another.  This story transcends cultures.

This is a book that any child with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or parent of an ADD child would appreciate.

It is about time I recommended a book by Will Hobbs, who just happened to be my seventh-grade reading teacher.  He is one of the bestselling young adult authors in America, and I’d recommend any of his books (although this is one of the shortest).  This book chronicles 16-year-old Jason Hawthorn’s great race across Alaska.  Thank you, Mr. Hobbs, for being one of the first teachers to interest me in reading!