Young Adult

Here’s one to give your teen readers “the chills,” as seven students wait to get picked up from school during New England’s worst recorded nor’easter ever.

Funny tale that shows teenagers how each of us in charge of crafting our own destinies. Finn Easton is one of the most clever characters created in years.

Inspired by the Rio Olympics, a lot of students may have discovered a newfound interest in Brazilian culture. Popular book because it offers something for everyone: romance, mystery, quirky characters. Makes a really interesting book dialogues in class.

If you enjoyed Matthew Quick’s wonderful Silver Linings Playbook, you have to grab a copy of this story of “friendship, romance and mental illness.” A wonderful read.

A twist of fate bring a star football player and nerd together in an unlikely friendship. Harmon is an excellent author, but be warned that some of the language is more appropriate for older audiences.

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.