Young Adult

Touching story about child abuse that has been around for awhile and – like with too many books and authors – I am finally getting around to featuring on this site. Check out more of Irene Hunt’s books, as she is a gifted storyteller.

Ever since I read Holes (one of the best books in years), I have been devouring stories from Louis Sachar. He is my kind of writer, as his stories always make me laugh, and I always enjoy his subtle messages. Many thanks to Amparo Betancourt for recommending this book to me.

So you are trying to find a book for your teenage boy? Science Fiction is not everyone’s cup of tea, but this story seems to grab the boys (and girls) as a hypnotized teen wakes up to find he is obsolete. Suspenseful throughout.

As Halloween is approaching, I figured a good page-turner about werewolves could peek the reading interests of plenty of reluctant teen readers. Good coming-of-age story that is the first in a series.

Gripping memoir by one of the youngest children to have survived the Holocaust who was on Oskar Schindler’s List.

I think what I enjoy the best about this book is its entrepreneurial spirit. If I taught an MBA course, this is one of the fun books I’d put on my reading list (along with Jeffrey Archer’s Kane and Abel). A good book for kids who need to understand what it takes to succeed in business: that nasty four-letter word known as “work.”

It is rare nowadays to come across a series for teens that can be relevant without being completely depressing, so I thank Ally Carter for writing the remarkable Gallagher Girls series. Mostly harmless, lots of fun.

While this book is a little longer than other recommendations, consider that it is Japanese manga (a graphic novel) based on a video game. I have used these books to draw a lot of disinterested boys into reading graphic novels. Tip: hook kids on reading using whatever means necessary.

Gotta confess that I grabbed this book because I was curious to learn how to spell and pronounce the author’s first name. If you want your girls to have something to talk about, hand them copies of this collection of often-bizarre short stories.

Probably one of the best-written books I have ever read about bullying, this book will haunt you and prompt an important discussion among your middle school students.

Let’s face it: Linda Sue Park is one of the most talented young adult authors today. I cannot get enough of her books, and I know you’ll find this piece, set in Japanese-occupied Korea during World War II, as compelling and lovely as I did.

A dying grandfather’s thoughts unfurl in this beautifully written prose.

Ah, if only there were more authors like Nikki Grimes out there, I am convinced we would have nothing but passionate readers. She combines everything I am looking for in an author for middle schoolers: poetry, moral messages, hope, multicultural characters…the list goes on. This is her latest in a long line of books that get students thinking about race relations, their spiritual beliefs and their values. The kind of book that teaches the heart, as well as the mind.

This is not “light” reading, as it deals with Deanna, a teenager whose father catches her sleeping with a boy and being branded a slut by everyone. She keeps an “anonymous” journal that – I must confess – brought tears to my eyes, as I can see how so many teenage girls could identify with Deanna’s struggles. This book will give you plenty to think about.

Why not expose your middle schoolers to a positive self-help book that will prompt them to reflect on how to be authentic, proud and directed? Brown has a huge adult audience, and I’d like to see more troubled teenagers discover her writing.