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Young Adult

Among the Volcanoes

Among the Volcanoes

By Omar Castaneda 192 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I’ve had four different friends go on missionary trips to Guatemala in the past year, and I was excited to read this tale of life there. Your students will gain healthy perspective by looking into the realities of others their age in economically poorer regions of the world.
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The Library Card

The Library Card

By Jerry Spinelli 160 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

What wonders await the bored and curious? Four separate stories highlight how a magic library card changes the lives of disenfranchised youth. I LOVE books that promote the wonders of reading!
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Finding Our Way

Finding Our Way

By Rene Saldana Jr. 128 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Teaching a lot of Latino students, I am always on the lookout for compelling stories for Latino teens. Saldaña’s short stories will make a great addition to your classroom library.
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Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of 'The Iliad'

Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of 'The Iliad'

By Rosemary Sutcliff 151 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I was saddened to recently hear of Sutcliff’s passing, as she was a master of bringing alive Greek mythology in ways that students could easily comprehend and enjoy. She was a highly gifted storyteller.
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A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl

By Tanya Lee Stone 240 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Order multiple copies of this one (written in verse), as your girls will love this cautionary tale that all teenagers (and their parents and teachers) need to read.
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The Wreckers (The High Seas Trilogy)

The Wreckers (The High Seas Trilogy)

By Iain Lawrence 224 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

When I was a teenager one of the few authors I devoured was Robert Louis Stevenson. Lawrence’s High Seas Trilogy captures the time period perfectly, and I have observed a number of reluctant readers who complained when they finished all three books in this series. These are keepers.
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Skate

Skate

By Michael Harmon 242 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Some of the toughest people to find books for are my teenage skateboarders, so I revere this book as a passport to peaking their interest in reading. A truly great book to recommend for the summer vacation.
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Hawksong: The Kiesha'ra: Volume One (The Keisha'ra)

Hawksong: The Kiesha'ra: Volume One (The Keisha'ra)

By Amelia Atwater-Rhodes 256 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

The first in The Kiesha’ra Series, this book is perfect for the fantasy lovers in your classroom – especially girls. God bless Atwater-Rhodes, as students become addicted to everything she publishes.
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Boy

Boy

By Takeshi Kitano 128 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

For truly lazy readers, make sure to check out one of Japanese director Kitano’s many wonderful films (I particularly enjoyed Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman). This book will provide anyone a glimpse of Kitano’s world, as it includes three short stories that are strong enough to pull even teens to watch a foreign film with subtitles!
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Animals Matter: A Biologist Explains Why We Should Treat Animals with Compassion and Respect

Animals Matter: A Biologist Explains Why We Should Treat Animals with Compassion and Respect

By Marc Bekoff 202 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I’m not someone who goes ga-ga for animals, but Bekoff’s touching story will stimulate wonderful discussions among your students about how important animals are…and our importance, as humans, in treating animals with compassion and respect.
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Mister Pip

Mister Pip

By Lloyd Jones 272 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Good books should transform readers, and that is what this book will do. Mister Pip is a wonderful – though not happy – coming-of-age story with a strong adolescent female protagonist.
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Girl, 15, Charming but Insane

Girl, 15, Charming but Insane

By Sue Limb 214 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

This first in a trilogy reads like Bridget Jones’s Diary for teens. Very funny.
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Heaven Eyes (Laurel-Leaf Books Readers Circle)

Heaven Eyes (Laurel-Leaf Books Readers Circle)

By David Almond 256 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

If you have never read anything by David Almond, you’re in for a treat. I’d rate him as one of my favorite storytellers for middleschoolers. Your students will be fascinated by this mysterious orphan adventure.
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Dirt Road Home (Alabama Moon)

Dirt Road Home (Alabama Moon)

By Watt Key 240 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Key’s debut, Alabama Moon, is a highly popular book among teens, and this one will be, too, as it is a page-turner. Better yet, teachers and parents will appreciate the book’s lessons in decision-making and consequences. One of the all-too-rare teen reads that is edgy and manages a happy ending.
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Anything But Typical

Anything But Typical

By Nora Raleigh Baskin 208 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Beautifully crafted story about a 12-year-old boy with autism who feels most at home communicating with others on an Internet writing site. When he makes friends with a girl online, he becomes terrified when his parents take him to a live conference of the site’s participants. All teens will relate to the social awkwardness, and this book does a superb job of taking readers through the autistic boy’s struggles with interpreting “simple” things like body language.
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