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Young Adult

How To Steal A Car

How To Steal A Car

By Pete Hautman 176 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Pete Hautman is an author you NEED to read, and not just because he won a National Book Award. His novels always say something, and they guide readers effortlessly into worlds that may seem absurd yet familiar at the same time. I enjoyed this book for its female protagonist’s decline from joy rider to certified car thief, which is just a canvas Hautman uses to paint teenage angst. A book that middle schoolers, in particular, can easily identify with.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

By John Boyne 215 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I must confess that I have not seen the movie version of this excellent book about two boys living beside one another in Poland who discover they share the same birthdate. One lives outside the fence, and the other lives within the fence wearing striped pajamas. The boy on the outside never knew what his father did for a living, and this book strengthens my theory that some of the best stories of atrocities like the Holocaust are told from the points of view of children (see The Diary of Anne Frank).
Fade

Fade

By Lisa McMann 272 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

The sequel to McMann’s wonderful Wake (and precursor to the upcoming Gone), this is the series I recommend to girls after they get over Stephanie Meyer’s enormously successful Twilight series. Ever see the movie Dreamscape with Dennis Quaid back in the ‘80s as a dream catcher who could dream the dreams of others? Picture that with a female protagonist, and you get this promising series.
Shakespeare: The World as Stage

Shakespeare: The World as Stage

By Bill Bryson 208 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I adore Bryson’s humorous travelogues and books on language. I include this book as a young adult pick in order to help teachers make Shakespeare more appealing to their teenagers. Bryson’s funny observations and interesting insights are sure to motivate students to pick up copies of Shakespeare’s plays to find out what all the fuss is about.
Letters to a Young Brother

Letters to a Young Brother

By Hill Harper 176 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

While Randy Pausch’s The Last Lecture has received countless accolades, here is a book I love to recommend. Thoughtful and challenging, Harper is an author students (and I) really appreciate.
Jumped

Jumped

By Rita Williams-Garcia 192 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

National Book Award finalist. Chapters alternate in the views of different main characters, as protagonist Leticia battles with whether or not to inform a girl that a classmate intends to beat her up. Story makes for a great class discussion on responsibility.
Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life

Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life

By Barbara Dee 256 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

When 12-year-old Cassie’s family relocates to a rundown neighborhood, her outlook shifts. Dee writes with a strong, humorous voice. I especially enjoy the grammar-obsessed English teacher who strongly objects to Cassie’s fantasy journal.  
Define

Define "Normal"

By Julie Anne Peters 196 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Jazz and Antonia are polar opposites, yet their peer-counseling sessions bring them together in a way that allows readers to deeply know both girls. A well-written book that I use as a model for teenage writers.
Give a Boy a Gun

Give a Boy a Gun

By Todd Strasser 208 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I am always looking for books that examine multiple points of view, and this book fits the bill. A compelling look at school violence from several perspectives: students, teachers, parents, etc. Reads like a viewing of Rashomon.
Shattering Glass

Shattering Glass

By Gail Giles 240 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

While looking at different perspectives, take a look at the cliques in this school. What intrigues and frightens me about this story is how vicious teenagers can be to one another (and that, sadly, is accurate). The characters in this book should have read Strasser’s Give a Boy a Gun to consider the possible consequences of ridiculing a classmate.
The Light in the Forest

The Light in the Forest

By Conrad Richter 192 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I remember reading this book when I was a teenager. It is super-short, and I figured it would strike a chord with today’s teenage fans of Avatar.
How I Live Now

How I Live Now

By Meg Rosoff 194 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Grabbed a copy when I read praise on the cover from Mark Haddon (author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time). This is a MUST READ. One of the best young adult novels I have read in years, as it manages to cast a self-centered teen (redundant?) in dire circumstances (a 21st century World War), and the protagonist actually learns empathy – something more adolescents could use. Middle school students cannot stop talking about this one.
The Boy Who Couldn't Die

The Boy Who Couldn't Die

By William Sleator 184 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

When I come across teens who don’t like to read, one of my favorite authors to direct them to is William Sleator. While Sleator writes a lot of great sci-fi, this “horror” book is a great way to peak teens’ interest in reading. Fast-paced, with plenty of clever twists and turns.
You Know Where to Find Me

You Know Where to Find Me

By Rachel Cohn 224 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

A tale of two drastically different cousins. When one commits suicide, the other spirals down the same path until her family intervenes. I found the book to be pleasantly uplifting in an overcrowded market of morose tales of teen angst.
Fly on the Wall: How One Girl Saw Everything

Fly on the Wall: How One Girl Saw Everything

By E. Lockhart 182 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

The perfect book for teachers to complement Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis. Lockhart’s female protagonist turns into a fly on the wall of the boy’s locker room, and hilarity and introspection ensue.

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