Young Adult

Before I ever enjoyed books, my 7th grade reading teacher recommended I read this (another Newbery Award winner). I love this story, and I am even more excited about it now that I live near Catalina Island.

Talk about a wonderful book to discuss with students! Shawn McDaniel is a 14-year-old with severe cerebral palsy who cannot communicate his gift: he remembers everything he has ever heard (my wife also has this gift). Seriously, what I enjoyed most about this book was the relationship between Shawn and his father, who struggles with whether to euthanize his son.

Great for all ages, this fun, fast and insightful story will have you on the edge of your seat as you follow the characters along the roadmap to achieving success...like a Superhero!

One way to occupy students is to provide them with books like this one, filed with great brainteasers and riddles that will allow students to use the creativity they are restricted to use because of dull, mandated school standards.

A spectacular, true account of the author’s harrowing experiences as a ten-year-old daughter of a Japanese official in Korea. The story follows the family as they flee Korea for post-WWII ravaged Japan. The action is non-stop, and I’d love to see this book made into a television mini-series. While the story is spellbinding, my guess is that Watkins actually downplays the atrocities she had to endure. A book that belongs in every middle school classroom.

Touching story of a poor Kentucky girl during the Great Depression who longs to leave home to attend college. Useful conversation starter on the role of education in America.

Teenage boys – I particular – will enjoy this inside look at how the Navy Seals’ elite K-9 unit is trained. Particularly timely because of the popularity of American Sniper.

Fascinating tale of a deaf girl learning American Sign Language to communicate with a chimpanzee. This story is filled with layer after layer of messages and will make a good discussion piece for your middle-school class.

One of the primary reasons I believe in school uniforms is because of the outrageous cost of clothing for teens. For those who attend middle schools and high schools without such policies, Miller has created a very handy guide for fashion-conscious girls from budget-conscious families.

A favorite of the high school girls I read with, this book is not quite as funny as the title suggests. Yes, Mackler is hilarious, but she manages to touch a lot of major teen issues, from date rape to eating disorders. I do not come across as many reluctant girl readers, but when I do I always pull out a copy of this book. Not appropriate for younger kids, though.

Great book for Black History Month, as Melba Pattillo shares here experiences as a 16 year old in 1956 trying to integrate Little Rock High. Fascinating story.

Napoli takes the well-known story of the ugly duckling and creates a full-length novel that takes place Down Under. Not only does this book provide great morals; it also proves useful as a science text. Great book for kids wondering how they will ever fit in.

This book includes characters that would make Albert Camus and Quentin Tarantino blush. Fifth grader Franklin Delano Donuthead’s obsessive cleanliness versus new girl Sarah Kervick’s sloppiness make for plenty of laughs and demonstrate the power of kindness to others. I would have to say that this is one of the most enjoyable books I have read for middle schoolers since Holes. A must read.

Memoirs of a camel? Sounds hokey, but this book actually captivated me. It shows, from the camel’s point of view, the true story of how the U.S. army shipped camels from Egypt to Texas in the 1850s to help troops cope with desert terrain.

I have to confess that I grabbed this book after reading the author’s delightful bio. Keep an eye out for Tina Ferraro because I am convinced she is going to become one of the next big teen authors. I read this book and her first (Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress), and I am impressed by how she takes stories about high school and makes them funny, realistic and meaningful. Write me to tell me what you think about this one.