Young Adult

One of the greatest young adult authors of our time provides teachers this gift for teaching writing. Spinelli (of Maniac Magee fame) recounts his experiences growing up in Norristown, Pennsylvania. I absolutely LOVED this book and thank Jerry Spinelli for constantly inspiring young authors (and even older ones, too).

This book reads like a written version of the movie Slumdog Millionaire, as it follows three teens living among the trash heaps of a third world country whose world is transformed when they discover a mysterious bag. Compelling page-turner that can be used for great classroom conversations about poverty and the silent voices of the poor.

This is an interesting story a former student handed me. A Connecticut woman seeks to find out the truth about her Colombian grandfather, who was not all that he seemed. Good for exposing students to Colombian culture.

Okay – so it is really 288 pages. The appendix alone is thirty pages; cut me some slack! I am a sucker for anything on Charlie Chaplin, and placed in the hands of masterful author Sid Fleischman, this is a terrific biography about a cinematic comic icon.

I am always on the lookout for books that engage teens with positive messages. King’s book is funny and easy to read, and it provides very useful strategies anyone can use to maintain a proper and product positive perspective (how’s that for alliteration?).

Newbery Honor book that pits 13-year-old Matt, a white settler, with Attean, a Native American boy in the 1700s. Matt teaches Attean how to read in English, and Attean teaches Matt how to survive in the wilderness. An unlikely friendship ensues, and Matt faces a difficult choice in this highly-popular book among middle school students.

Perhaps the theme of this month's list should be: "The Longest Titles Ever Used in Literature." This book is almost shorter than the title, but I enjoyed it because: (a) it is the shortest thing the great Shogun scribe ever wrote; and (b) it confronts children and adults with not-so-easily answered questions taken from our daily routines.

There are plenty of books about bullying, but rarely do books address the power of friendship in overcoming the nastiness of others. Karen Bessey Pease has done all middle school and high school teachers a service in how to address the bullying of teenage girls in an informative and inspiring manner. I am so grateful for this book.

Katie tries to fit in with the “cool” kids at her high school by drinking, starving herself to death, etc. Cindy struggles with depression while maintaining a cool character on the outside. They are just two of the ten girls profiled in this book about the real issues facing many teen girls, with advice on how to deal with such situations. A good read for parents of teen girls, as well.

It is about time I added this to our list, as this is a book that all teachers should have in their classroom libraries. Opal, our young protagonist, reminds me so much of Scout from "To Kill a Mockingbird." There is not a doubt in my mind that this book about a little girl and the abandoned dog she befriends will become a classic.

Ben has always believed that someday he would sprout wings and fly, and as he grows older he tests this theory from greater heights, much to the chagrin of his disbelieving brother. I love books with short chapters because they encourage page-turning and rapid reading, and I have witnessed some of the most reluctant teenage boy readers devour this book in only a couple of sittings.

A collection of Twilight Zone-style creepy tales for pre- and early adolescent boys, often written with wicked humor and sure to delight many reluctant readers.

When a fifth grader creates his own word to defy his teacher, he has no idea that the word will catch-on across America. A funny book that I used to use with my English language-learning students.

I am going to date myself with this book, but I remember enjoying this one when I was a young lad. The story of a homeless man named Armand who reluctantly shares his “home” under a Parisian bridge with a mother and her three children, I think students, teachers and parents alike will find the story heartwarming, humorous, insightful and uplifting. It is well worth the couple of hours it will take to read.

Middle schoolers will appreciate the story of a 12-year-old African-American girl growing up in segregated Alabama. Terrific surprise ending makes for great classroom discussions.