Young Adult

When a young adult book wins a National Book Award, you know it must be pretty special. This one is, as it tells the story of the teenage son of a poor puppet-maker who becomes a theatre apprentice and discovers the identity of Robin Hood-like character in famine struck 18th-century Japan.

Alright, the Megaboy book got me thinking about Kurosawa, so of course I wound up re-watching some of my favorite Kurosawa films (The Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Ran, The Hidden Fortress). If you have never heard of Kurosawa, just know that George Lucas and Steven Spielberg idolized him, and his movies inspired all sorts of American adaptations (e.g. The Magnificent Seven, High Plains Drifter, Star Wars). Because of Kurosawa, I have managed to get a lot of middle and high school students interested in foreign films and Joseph Campbell. This brief autobiography is great and should whet your appetite for the much longer The Emperor and the Wolf (about Kurosawa and his turbulent relationship with his favorite star, Toshiro Mifune).

Note to Hollywood producers in search of the next children’s blockbuster: read this book. The coming of age story of Taran, assistant pig-keeper who assembles a group of companions to rescue the oracular pig Hen Wen from the forces of evil. This classic has been around for over 30 years, and I cannot believe there is still not a movie version. Read this, and you will be rewarded like readers of The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, as there are more in the series.

Appelt’s collection of short stories revolving around a middle school dance makes for a great book discussion among middle schoolers, especially girls. Appelt captures the voice of teen girls as well as any current young adult author. I have even shared this with grown-ups who were moved by the writing.

Grabbed a copy when I read praise on the cover from Mark Haddon (author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time). This is a MUST READ. One of the best young adult novels I have read in years, as it manages to cast a self-centered teen (redundant?) in dire circumstances (a 21^st century World War), and the protagonist actually learns empathy – something more adolescents could use. Middle school students cannot stop talking about this one.

A Newbery winner from the 60s, this book (written like an autobiography) chronicles the trials and tribulations of a slave prohibited from painting on his own that serves the great Spanish painter Velazquez (a painter whose work I used to enjoy almost daily on trips to the Prado when I lived in Madrid).

When I come across teens who don’t like to read, one of my favorite authors to direct them to is William Sleator. While Sleator writes a lot of great sci-fi, this “horror” book is a great way to peak teens’ interest in reading. Fast-paced, with plenty of clever twists and turns.

A tale of two drastically different cousins. When one commits suicide, the other spirals down the same path until her family intervenes. I found the book to be pleasantly uplifting in an overcrowded market of morose tales of teen angst.

With funny cartoons by Kevin O’Malley to lighten up the text, Bragg offers tidbits and trivia about 19 famous dead people that is sure to cause a reading frenzy among boys, in particular.

The perfect book for teachers to complement Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis. Lockhart’s female protagonist turns into a fly on the wall of the boy’s locker room, and hilarity and introspection ensue.

One of my most important requirements for young adult books is a happy ending, as I am sick of books about teenage suicide, drug abuse and neglect. While plenty of awful things happen in protagonist Foster’s life, she and her mother endure in this book filled with wonderfully quirky characters.

I consider this a “must” read. My friend Carla Salley loaned me her copy, and I admit that I read it twice in two days. This funny tale of summers spent with grandma rivals Mark Twain and Tom Bodett. Sweet simplicity. You can read this book in under three hours, so grab a coffee and spend a delightful afternoon at Border’s. This book is a treasure!

Powerful historical fiction that is sure to incite classroom conversations about slavery. Engle, a past Newbery honoree, is a terrific writer.

Roland Smith is always dependable, and this entry in his I, Q series with Michael P. Spradlin is a great read, as Angela, Q and company battle international terrorists. Satisfying page-turner.

Can you believe that it was only a hundred years ago this month since the airplane was invented? Too bad nobody asked the Wright Brothers to invent good airline food. This is a very compelling and informative biography.