Young Adult

Joey mysteriously disappears one night and returns two years later, the same age, with memories of an alien presence. Great for kids who love The X-Files.

I admire some authors just for their titles, and I would place this book in that category. Strasser is a wonderful author for boys, as his books are filled with goofiness. Boys are sure to enjoy this first in the “Tardy Boys” series. Very funny.

I adore Bryson’s humorous travelogues and books on language. I include this book as a young adult pick in order to help teachers make Shakespeare more appealing to their teenagers. Bryson’s funny observations and interesting insights are sure to motivate students to pick up copies of Shakespeare’s plays to find out what all the fuss is about.

This book will remind you to teach your students nicely. It is also great for jumpstarting students' crime and mystery tastes so that they can someday graduate to Patricia Cornwell & Sue Grafton.

Light and funny, the perfect book to help you learn to “go with the flow” when things don’t seem to be going your way.

While Randy Pausch’s The Last Lecture has received countless accolades, here is a book I love to recommend. Thoughtful and challenging, Harper is an author students (and I) really appreciate.

National Book Award finalist. Chapters alternate in the views of different main characters, as protagonist Leticia battles with whether or not to inform a girl that a classmate intends to beat her up. Story makes for a great class discussion on responsibility.

What a cool story! Anyone who ever saw Jaws knows the true, harrowing story of the survivors of the U.S.S. Indianapolis who battled sharks in the South Pacific after their ship sank. What many – including me – did not know was that the navy blamed the captain of the ship, despite sailors’ pleas that their captain was not to blame. Fifty years later, an 11-year-old boy’s history project becomes a crusade to restore the captain’s name. This book had everything, and I honestly caught myself turning pages before students were ready. The kind of book every teacher needs to read to inspire her students to write.

This is the classic that began the Super Fudge phenomenon. Enjoy tales of Peter Hatcher's trials with his little brother Fudgie, among other delightful storylines.

When 12-year-old Cassie’s family relocates to a rundown neighborhood, her outlook shifts. Dee writes with a strong, humorous voice. I especially enjoy the grammar-obsessed English teacher who strongly objects to Cassie’s fantasy journal.

New York’s #1 high school speaker presents a solid blueprint to help any teenager get on track to succeed in whatever he or she chooses. Great book for students to carry on them at all times!

Hinton wrote this book when she was 16 years old. Kind of makes you wonder what the heck you are doing with your life, doesn't it?

When I saw a group of boys reading this series of graphic novels like a bunch of crazed cultists, I decided to grab a copy and was impressed with the artwork and fast-paced historical-horror-fiction (say that five times fast) storyline.

I am a “lazy reader,” and I often tend to read children’s and young-adult versions of biographies before I settle on a longer, adult version. This book does a terrific job of introducing students to America’s first African-American Supreme Court justice.

Accidentally stumbled upon this book at the library (a common practice I highly encourage) and was treated to a sweet romance revolving around organ transplants. I have to confess that I truly enjoyed this, and the students I have handed copies to would agree.