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Young Adult

The Master Puppeteer

The Master Puppeteer

By Katherine Paterson 179 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

When a young adult book wins a National Book Award, you know it must be pretty special. This one is, as it tells the story of the teenage son of a poor puppet-maker who becomes a theatre apprentice and discovers the identity of Robin Hood-like character in famine struck 18th-century Japan.
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The Book of Three

The Book of Three

By Lloyd Alexander 190 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Note to Hollywood producers in search of the next children’s blockbuster: read this book. The coming of age story of Taran, assistant pig-keeper who assembles a group of companions to rescue the oracular pig Hen Wen from the forces of evil. This classic has been around for over 30 years, and I cannot believe there is still not a movie version. Read this, and you will be rewarded like readers of The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, as there are more in the series.
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I, Juan de Pareja

I, Juan de Pareja

By Elizabeth Borton De Trevino 192 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

A Newbery winner from the 60s, this book (written like an autobiography) chronicles the trials and tribulations of a slave prohibited from painting on his own that serves the great Spanish painter Velazquez (a painter whose work I used to enjoy almost daily on trips to the Prado when I lived in Madrid).
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Among the Hidden

Among the Hidden

By Margaret Peterson Haddix 153 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Great for teaching about propaganda and current events, this book chronicles the adventures of Luke, the third child born in a society where families are only permitted to have two children.
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Eva

Eva

By Peter Dickinson 224 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

After a terrible accident, Eva wakes up to find she has been given the body of a chimpanzee. Intrigued yet?
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The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,Arthur Conan Doyle 128 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Arguably the best of the Sherlock Holmes stories, there is no denying that this is a classic mystery. When I say “classic” in reference to someone like Doyle, though, it is to acknowledge his genius. This is not one of the dry texts that usually pop up on required reading lists at middle schools. Kids that read Doyle’s books usually wind up becoming avid readers, as opposed to kids that are forced to read other dreary things. Do you think I was scarred by a traumatic reading experience in middle school? You betcha, and I did not regain the fun reading habit until I was a junior in college. 
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Daily Positives

Daily Positives

By Edward Fiszer 180 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Great book for teachers and parents of adolescents. Each page presents a motivational message from a famous personality. The author is a principal, and uses these short, inspirational messages “Paul Harvey”-style to instill powerful lessons in his students.
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Buttermilk Hill

Buttermilk Hill

By Ruth White 176 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

The story of a young girl growing up in a close-knit town in North Carolina. Like any adolescent child, she is struggling to find her place in the world. Poetry is Piper’s outlet, and I enjoyed the message this book sens teens about pursuing their dreams.  
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The Whale Rider

The Whale Rider

By Witi Ihimaera 152 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

There are so many reasons you should read this book. This is one of the few books that I have read and not seen the movie, which earned its young star Keisha Castle-Hughes an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress…as a 13-year-old! Of all the books on this month’s list, start with this one, as it is a mythological, coming-of-age, female empowerment, spiritual – magical tale.
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Thirteen Ways To Sink A Sub

Thirteen Ways To Sink A Sub

By Jamie Gilson 115 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

No, the book is not about naval warfare. Rather, a bunch of fourth graders devise various plans to make their substitute teacher cry. Find out if the tables turn.
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Frozen Fire

Frozen Fire

By James Houston 160 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

For those who love adventure stories, it does not get much better than this story of a young boy and his Eskimo buddy braving the storms of the Canadian Arctic in search of their fathers.
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Toad Rage

Toad Rage

By Morris Gleitzman 176 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Gleitzman is from the Land Down Under, and this funny and endearing tale has sparked my interest in Australian literature for kids (it’s not just about The Wiggles). The book follows the funny adventures of Young Limpy as he sets out to make humans have a little more respect for the toads they seem to run over on the highways so frequently. Students will benefit from seeing a funny character who never quits trying.
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Make Lemonade

Make Lemonade

By Virginia Euwer Wolff 208 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

My kind of book, as it has 66 chapters (I am convinced that is one of the secrets to Dan Brown’s success). Teaching in the inner city allowed me a glimpse into the triumphs and travails of students living in poverty. This magnificent book follows a couple of teenagers, LaVaughn and Jolly, as they deal with issues like poverty, unwed motherhood, etc. Uplifting and poetic, it is one of the best books I’ve read for any age in the last five years (although this book is suitable for about a seventh grade level and beyond). 
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The Pigman

The Pigman

By Paul Zindel 192 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

John and Lorraine come to realize that "Our life would be what we made of it--nothing more, nothing less" in this wonderful (yet sad) story.
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The Door in the Lake

The Door in the Lake

By Nancy Butts 160 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Joey mysteriously disappears one night and returns two years later, the same age, with memories of an alien presence. Great for kids who love The X-Files.
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