Young Adult

When a lowly brass player in the marching band realizes he can form his own band, hilarity ensues.

Your middle school and high school boys will get a kick out of Guy and his oddball friends in this funny mystery.

I stared at the TV screen transfixed by the utter dominance and mastery of Simone Biles as she lapped the field en route to her all-around gold medal in Olympic gymnastics this past summer. A must-read for any teens determined to beat the odds and achieve limitless accolades.

Your teens are probably quite familiar with YouTube sensations Dan and Phil. This collection of quirky photos and observations introduces readers to their world, behind the scenes.

My apologies, as I thought I had included this book long ago (until a club member pointed out I hadn’t!). Junger’s true, tragic tale of doomed sailors is so captivating that most boys I’ve known cannot put it down. Better yet, there’s a movie version, too (which always makes for a great comparative classroom discussion).

Yolen is a terrific writer (I love her poetry), and this book is sure to be a hit with teens who enjoy fairy tales told in different ways. A grandma’s tales inspire her granddaughter to learn the truth about her family’s past in this amazing version of Sleeping Beauty.

Wonderful thriller that teachers can use to teach students how to write from different points of view. Is Rex Jenson the kind and gracious father that the neighborhood thinks him to be? Hartnett creates tension throughout that will leave teens turning pages to find out what happens next.

Disturbing memoir that all teens who like to complain about their parents should read. They think they had bad parents? Read about what Fox had to endure!

Subtitled “Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World,” Goff’s whimsical life stands as a testament to all of us how we can make each day into our own personal masterpiece. And I think we need to read a lot more books about loving one another, especially in today’s often unkind society.

Tense page-turner that gets better the more you read about a family’s survival in an underground bunker to save them from a nuclear attack. This one makes for some great classroom discussions.

Teens especially appreciate Sonnenblick’s quick, witty dialogue. His books always make for fun reading.

If you are an Olympic junkie like me, you'll love the interviews with these 100 Olympians as they reflect on what it took for them to succeed.

This is a MUST BUY for all middle school teachers. I think it is one of the best books I have read for young adults in years. A wordless picture book that captures the immigrant experience and speaks loudly to my English language learners, this book can be used to stimulate amazing class discussions. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

This was one of my favorite books as a kid. I always liked the idea that there are little people living in our floorboards recycling our matchboxes for storage units and stamps for paintings. This is a classic and sure to interest any child.

Chbosky knows teenagers, and this book does a decent job of addressing the issues so many 11th graders face. I recommend this book to parents of teens, as I hope it will make more parents empathetic with the trials and tribulations of today’s adolescents.