Young Adult

The award-winning author of The Chocolate War delivers a touching account of a son reminiscing about times with his father.

It seems like every month I have to include a classic that I have failed to mention on prior lists. Whenever I ask audiences what there favorite book was as a child, this book is ALWAYS mentioned. I would be surprised if this book were not the single-most read book by teenage girls. I believe Judy Blume is one of our most important authors. This is absolutely a must-read.

The first in a captivating trilogy, this is the PERFECT book for the reluctant teen reader. With beautiful illustrations, this wonderfully mysterious love story is compiled of letters and postcards that leave you yearning for more.

One of the best ways to get me to read longer biographies is to start with a good biography written for teenagers. After reading this book, I am now anxious to read more about this man many consider to be the most famous living human being.

Let me begin by saying that I did not enjoy this book. Why include it on the list, you ask? My purpose in generating these book recommendations is not always to give you the best books; sometimes it is my responsibility to feature books that will get people reading (go to this month's blog to see ways to make your classroom library come alive for reluctant readers). This series is very popular with girls. Boys are typically the greater reluctant readers, but that does not mean every girl enjoys reading. I have managed to spark a lot of girls’ interest in reading with these books, and I know that the best way to get anyone to read more is to get them reading anything. As literature, however, this book belongs on the F-list.

Talk about a wonderful writer. Roland Smith inspires me. I met him at a conference in Maryland last year and was so enthralled by his advice to aspiring writers: if you want to write, don’t wait to have a cabin in the mountains, as you’ll probably just stare at the mountains; you have to be disciplined and write everywhere, every day. On that day he also told me about this wonderful latest book of his, which is his answer to all the romantic tales of climbing Mt. Everest. A terrific book, in a long line of wonderfully diverse titles from this author - who used to work at the Portland Zoo.

This is sort of a cross between Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe for girls. A real page-turner, as we follow young Emma disguise herself as a boy, only to be tricked into boarding a ship bound for Africa. A great chapter book for sixth graders.

Every now and then a book comes along that just blows me away. Read the left inside flap of this book jacket: “On August 4, 1940, an American magazine editor named Varian Fry flew from New York City to Lisbon, Portugal. He was en route to Marseilles, France, with $3,000 in cash taped to his leg beneath his pants, and in his pockets the names of approximately two hundred artists, scientists, and musicians – all enemies of the new Nazi regime. Varian Fry’s mission was to help the refugees flee to safety.” Fry winds up acting like an American-version of Oskar Schindler and helps a couple thousand refugees flee, including artist Marc Chagall and novelist Heinrich Mann. I loved this book! Sign me up for the movie about this fascinating man brought to life by this skillful author. Can you tell I liked it..as I typically try not to write this much about a book.

I love books that transport children to other time periods like the Old West. This book paints a vivid picture of what the wagon trains were like, and my students enjoy how Lucy’s puppies always manage to get into mischief along the way.

A good introduction to chick lit for teens, Limb writes better dialogue than most authors of the genre. This is part of a series of protagonist Jess Jordan that always stands her ground, and I enjoyed the humorous situations that arise when Jess hosts a French student for two weeks.

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.

One of the most moving stories of redemption I have read for a young adult audience in years. A wonderful book.

Happy Chinese New Year! It is the year of the rabbit, so I wanted to find a quick, gripping read. This memoir of the author’s brutal childhood is bound to inspire even the most cynical.

While she is best known for writing Because of Winn Dixie, DiCamillo has begun to convince me that she may be one of the most gifted writers alive today. If you are a parent, I want you to do two things: read this book to your children, and read it for yourself. This book is touching without being sappy, and I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it.

I found this book eerie, and students love to discuss how the protagonist Keir is able to justify his “mostly harmless” actions – or are they?