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Young Adult

The Girls

The Girls

By Amy Goldman Koss 128 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I think this has to get into the hands of all middle school girls, as this book chronicles the meanness of cliques. I like using the book as a teaching tool, as different chapters are written from different points of view of girls trying to determine why their friend Maya has been ostracized from their group by their leader, Candace.
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Assassination at Sarajevo

Assassination at Sarajevo

By Robin S. Doak 96 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Part of a wonderful series of books called Snapshots in History by Compass Point Books (compasspointbooks.com). Students love the photographs, and I like the way the author organized all the information in a visually appealing way. History books were always boring when I was in middle school. I’m a fan of this series, and my students were amazed by how this act caused one of the greatest catastophes the world had known to that point (World War I, for those of you keeping score at home). 
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Double Dippin'

Double Dippin'

By Regenia Wright 210 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

The author is a high school English teacher, and it made sense that my high school students got a kick out of this one. Nonstop action, as this one is not for the faint of heart. The perfect book to take to the park and devour in an afternoon.
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Seventh Son

Seventh Son

By Orson Scott Card 256 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

The first in the Tales of Alvin Maker series. I really enjoyed reading this book with my middle schoolers. The boys, in particular, got a kick out of it, as it blends fantasy with historical fiction. Even better, it hooks readers to read the other books, which is one of my favorite ways to encourage students to develop the “daily reading habit.”
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The Witches Of Dredmoore Hollow

The Witches Of Dredmoore Hollow

By Riford McKenzie 266 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I breezed through this book, as it kept my interest throughout (not easy, as most books have a good beginning, middle or end, but not all three). Maybe it is because the author is from Vermont, but I felt like I was in the world of Ichabod Crane. Lots of authors have tried to imitate J.K. Rowling, but this is one of the first books that has read like a Harry Potter book to me.
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Child of Dandelions

Child of Dandelions

By Shenaaz Nanji 208 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I have a habit of opting for young adult books that deal with historical events that I know little about. Ashamed by my lack of knowledge of Uganda’s Idi Amin, I grabbed this incredible story of a 15-year-old’s family and how they deal with Amin’s proclamation in the early 1970s to “weed out” all the foreign Indians. The number of “ethnic cleansing” episodes to take place in just the last hundred years disgusts me, and books like this need to be read early and often.
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The Truth About Horses, Friends & My Life As a Coward

The Truth About Horses, Friends & My Life As a Coward

By Sarah P. Gibson 160 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

What a wonderful book with quirky characters. Your students will breeze through this set of tales from a small island town in Maine. A great read aloud for all ages, as the book reminds me a lot of Tom Bodett’s End of the Road. Glin Dibley’s illustrations are an added treat, the way Quentin Blake’s drawings add to Roald Dahl’s books.
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Emako Blue

Emako Blue

By Brenda Woods 124 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I very rarely use the word “poignant,” but I think that is the best description of this important inner-city tale. True, I used to teach in inner-city Los Angeles, so I found the book particularly powerful for my “peeps” (translation: my “people”). Woods is such a wonderful storyteller, though, that I think it would be pretty difficult for anyone to finish this book with dry eyes.
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Night of the Red Moon

Night of the Red Moon

By Angi Ma Wong 96 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

True story of the Los Angeles Chinatown Massacre of 1871, this compelling and quick read follows 12-year-old Ming and his family as they deal with this shameful incident in American history. Be sure to get plenty of Angie Ma Wong’s books in your library, as she writes stories that delight audiences of all ages.
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Imaginary Enemy

Imaginary Enemy

By Julie Gonzalez 256 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Many children grow up with an imaginary friend. Slacker teen Jane White, on the other hand, created an imaginary enemy that she can blame all of her problems on. Nothing is ever Jane’s fault (sounds like a typical American, yes?), so when Jane’s imaginary friend writes her back, silliness sure to bring a smile to your face ensues.
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High Dive

High Dive

By Tammar Stein 208 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I think a lot of us could use a book to escape with right about now, so grab a copy of this tale of one girl’s European travel adventures as she tries not to think about her father’s recent death or her mother’s deployment to Iraq. Moving and extremely well-written.
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Lost Boy

Lost Boy

By Linda Newbery 208 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I guess I was on a British authors’ kick this past month. Linda Newbery crafts a compelling mystery around Matt, “a new kid in town,” who feels a connection to a boy with the same initials who died on a road where Matt bicycles. Matt’s new chums, Robbo and Tig, torment the boy’s killer, but maybe there is more to the story than Robbo and Tig let on. This one is sure to entice middle schoolers.
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Same Birthday

Same Birthday

By Carol Galusha 128 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

An intriguing story that follows the lives of Molly, Janine and Mary Anne. All are born on the same date in the heart of the Midwest, and this easy-to-read and compelling tale examines the effects of their different families on the fulfillment, or lack thereof, of their childhood dreams. 
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The Quiz Life

The Quiz Life

By Marina Khidekel 224 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I confess that I love taking teenie-bopper quizzes, as they provide me with some of my favorite interactive exercises to attract students’ attention. This book is filled with quizzes geared for teenage girls looking for what guys want. In reality a good teacher can adapt these quizzes for use as icebreakers with students. 
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A Field Guide to Monsters

A Field Guide to Monsters

By Johan Olander 64 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Olander, a “world-famous monstrologist,” shares his insights with readers on a variety of “googly-eyed wart floppers, shadow-casters, toe-eaters and other creatures. A book to be enjoyed by all ages, that is particularly popular with fifth-grade boys.
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