Young Adult

. I was appalled when I learned in college of the Japanese internment camps. It bothered me to hear about that dark mark on America’s history, and it bothered me even more that I had not heard about it until college. Mochizuki also wrote the wonderful Baseball Saved Us, and I appreciate how he contextualizes the Japanese-American experience into relatable characters for students. This profile of four teens follows four Japanese-American boys in 1972, but they could be four teenagers from anywhere in America.

This one does not come out until next month, so pre-order it now. A great book to use with teens when trying to show them how to express themselves through journal-writing. Karis Reed is grounded indefinitely, and her battles with her mother force her to re-examine her life (the teens I read this book aloud to said they could readily identify with how Karis defied her parents). Through it all, Karis discovers faith through her trials. Nice to read an uplifting book for teens for a change. 

Teen horror novels rank about as high on my wish list as enduring political ads on television, so I was thrilled to read this funny spoof by Fleischman, a Newbery winner (just so you know he is a credible writer). I have found this to be an excellent book for reluctant teenage boy readers, as it is a quick read that makes them laugh and often inspires them to write their own parodies.

Warning: this book is written in a foreign language, British. I was concerned that American teens might not care for a book about a British teen, but once they get past the British slang they get a real kick out of Rennison’s teen version of Bridget Jones. A good writer, and if girls like this one, there are several more to choose from.

Okay, it is a little longer, but I would make this a MUST purchase for any teacher or school library. Heck, I think everybody could benefit from this book, as I was captivated by its true stories of young people in America who made a difference. Do you know about the 16-year-old girl who fought in the Revolutionary War posing as a male? Or the high school junior who refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Alabama, nine months BEFORE Rosa Parks? I assure you, this book hooked me and never let go.

A fun read about two girlfriends who are so obsessed with a certain Broadway musical that they attend a performance every Saturday. When it is rumored the show is about to close, hilarity and suspense ensue. Why can’t more books for teenagers be written like this? A fun story without violence, coarse language or any of the typical garbage fed to the masses in middle and high school.

Stephen King says the author that had the greatest influence on his life was Richard Matheson, so I encourage you to “load up” on Matheson’s books (which have been turned into countless movies,
including Duel, What Dreams May Come and the recent Will Smith-version of I Am Legend). Teens are going ga-ga over graphic novels right now, and this is a very good graphic novel that stays true to Matheson’s original book.

This book made me yearn to return to Madrid, as this series is hugely popular in Spain. Funny first-person narrative with magnificent illustrations by Emilio Urberuaga that bring to mind cartoonist Jules Feiffer and Roald Dahl’s illustrator, Quentin Blake.

Clever, is the first word that comes to mind. I have to admit that this book surprised the heck out of me, which is one of the reasons I love people handing me books I know nothing about. Awesome book for English teachers who want to challenge their students with formulating “plotlines.” This book was truly a revelation for me.

Ninth graders Tyreek Vaughan (no relation) and Jamilla Grant insisted I started reading what I consider a brilliant graphic novel series by Vaughan, with amazing illustrations by Fiona Staples. Give me reluctant readers who likes comics, and I can guarantee they will dive deep and dive hard into this entire series.

Middle schoolers seem to be stuck in dystopian tastes nowadays, but this book straddles the worlds of science fiction and fantasy in a way that I have not seen since Neil Gaiman. I’ll definitely be reading the next book by Heather Hansen!

This book is probably just as applicable for adults, as I was actually amazed how well-researched it was. I’ve been reading just about everything on brain research and habit formation lately, and I shared this with my teenage daughter to give her a better idea on how to spend her time wisely.

Talk about a wonderful writer. Roland Smith inspires me. I met him at a conference in Maryland last year and was so enthralled by his advice to aspiring writers: if you want to write, don’t wait to have a cabin in the mountains, as you’ll probably just stare at the mountains; you have to be disciplined and write everywhere, every day. On that day he also told me about this wonderful latest book of his, which his answer to all the romantic tales of climbing Mt. Everest. A terrific book, in a long line of wonderfully diverse titles from this author - who used to work at the Portland Zoo.

Every now and then a book comes along that just blows me away. Read the left inside flap of this book jacket: “On August 4, 1940, an American magazine editor named Varian Fry flew from New York City to Lisbon, Portugal. He was en route to Marseilles, France, with $3,000 in cash taped to his leg beneath his pants, and in his pockets the names of approximately two hundred artists, scientists, and musicians – all enemies of the new Nazi regime. Varian Fry’s mission was to help the refugees flee to safety.” Fry winds up acting like an American-version of Oskar Schindler and helps a couple thousand refugees flee, including artist Marc Chagall and novelist Heinrich Mann. I loved this book! Sign me up for the movie about this fascinating man brought to life by this skillful author. Can you tell I liked it..as I typically try not to write this much about a book.

A good introduction to chick lit for teens, Limb writes better dialogue than most authors of the genre. This is part of a series of protagonist Jess Jordan that always stands her ground, and I enjoyed the humorous situations that arise when Jess hosts a French student for two weeks.