Best of the Best
Outstanding Books of 1997 to 2008
From the 1998 to 2008 editions of The Best Children's Books of the Year
Under Five | Five to Nine | Nine and Up | TWELVE AND UP | Special Interests
Twelve and Up
ADVENTURE
The Baboon King
by Anton Quintana, trans.
by John Nieuwenhuizen
(Walker, 1999)
Half Masai, half Kikuyu and accepted
by neither, Morengarú sets off on an unusual journey of self-discovery in the African wilderness. (12-14)
Curse of the Blue Tattoo
by L.A. Meyer
(Harcourt, 2004)
In 1824 a spunky cockney teenager goes from midshipman to a posh Boston girls' finishing school with humorous results. Sequel to Bloody Jack. (12+) M
The Legend of the Wandering King
by Laura Gallego García
(Arthur A. Levine, 2005)
In sixth-century Arabia, agonized Walid searches for the secrets that will restore his heart and soul. A thrilling tale. (12-14)
Stick and Whittle
by Sid Hite
(Scholastic, 2000)
A picaresque western tale of a Civil War hero and his sidekick on a rescue mission involving Indians, outlaws, and romance. (11-14) M
ANTHOLOGIESBest Shorts: Favorite Short Stories for Sharing
selected
by Avi, with Carolyn Shute, ill.
by Chris Raschka
(HMC, 2006)
Twenty-four short stories, old and new,
by different writers including Washington Irving, Natalie Babbitt, Isaac Bashevis Singer and Richard Peck. (10+)
FANTASY AND FOLKLOREAphrodite's Blessings: Love Stories from the Greek Myths
by Clemence McLaren
(Atheneum, 2002)
The female view of love in vivid retellings of three suspenseful, action-filled Greek myths. (12-14)
The Arrival
written and ill.
by Shaun Tan
(Arthur A. Levine, 2007)
The haunting wordless story of a man seeking a new life for his family in a strange new world. Extraordinary, realistic sepia illustrations. (11-14)
Ashley Bryan's African Tales, Uh-Huh
retold and ill.
by Ashley Bryan
(Atheneum, 1998)
Fourteen superb tales retold
by a master storyteller. (11-14)
Book of a Thousand Days
by Shannon Hale
(Bloomsbury, 2007)
Imprisoned in a tower with her young mistress, fifteen-year-old Dashti uses her gifts of healing , courage and insights to survive. (11-14)
The City of Ember
by Jeanne DuPrau
(Random , 2003)
Two twelve-year-olds struggle to uncover the truth of their mysterious, deteriorating city and search for an escape route. (11-14)
Dreamhunter
by Elizabeth Knox
(FSG, 2006)
Laura's ability to "catch" dreams reveals the dangers of thought exploitation. (12-14)
East
by Edith Pattou
(Harcourt, 2003)
Destined to wander from her Norwegian farm, Rose leaves on the back of a white bear, beginning a mysterious and romantic journey. (12-14)
Elske
by Cynthia Voigt
(Atheneum, 1999)
by wit and courage, thirteen-year-old Elske defies her fate as the Death Maiden to save the kingdom for its rightful queen. (11-14)
Endymion Spring
by Matthew Skelton
(Delacorte, 2006)
Twelve-year-old Blake stumbles across an ancient magical book and is drawn into a dangerous quest. (11-15)
Faeries Of Dreamdark : Blackbringer
by Laini Taylor
(Putnam, 2007)
Magpie Windwitch sets off to capture a new devil but must battle evil far worse than she has ever known. (11-15)
The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm
edited
by Ellen Datlow, and Terri Windling
(Viking, 2004)
An exceptional collection of contemporary fairy stories and poems from around the world. Well written and delightfully imaginative. (12-14)
Gathering Blue
by Lois Lowry
(HMC, 2000)
After her mother's death, Kira finds herself in a violent, futuristic society, and is saved
by the Guardians because of her weaving skills. (12-16)
Gifts
by Ursula K. Le Guin
(Harcourt, 2004)
Orrec has been given the gift of "undoing" but refuses to accept it. A book about the meaning of power and the ability to refrain from using it. (12-14)
The Goose Girl
by Shannon Hale
(Bloomsbury, 2003)
Princess Anidori contends with turncoat guards, becomes a goose girl and finds her true self and her place on the throne. An intriguing adventure based on the Grimm's tale. (12+)
Let My People Go: Bible Stories told
by a freeman of color to his daughter, Charlotte, in Charleston, South Carolina, 1806-16
by Patricia and Frederick McKissack, ill.
by James E. Ransome
(Atheneum, 1998)
Old Testament stories narrated
by a former slave, interplayed with parallel experiences in slaveholding Charleston. Illustrations portray ancient Hebrews as Semites. (10-14)
A Matter of Profit
by Hilari Bell
(Harper Collins, 2001)
Soldier and member of the Vivitare people, Abvren hopes to give up war and save his sister
by uncovering the plot to assassinate the emperor. (11-14)
The Naming
by Alison Croggon
(Candlewick, 2005)
An orphaned slave is aided
by the great Bard, Cadvan, to overcome all kinds of obstacles in her quest to fulfill her destiny. (12-14)
The New Policeman
by Kate Thompson
(Greenwillow, 2007)
While journeying in another world to find more time for his mother, J. J. discovers a family secret. (11-14)
The Safe-Keeper's Secret
by Sharon Shinn
(Viking, 2004)
Only the safe-keeper and her sister know the heritage of a foundling raised in the time of kings, witches, truthtellers and dream-makers. (11-13)
Sang Spell
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
(Atheneum, 1998)
On a hitchhiking trip from Boston to Texas, Josh finds himself in a closed community with no way to escape. (12-14)
The Sea of Trolls
by Nancy Farmer
(Atheneum, 2004)
Apprenticed to a Druid bard, Jack is captured
by Vikings and undertakes a quest to Jotunheim, home of the trolls. (12-14)
Sign of the Qin
by L.G. Bass
(Hyperion, 2004)
As powerful creatures from Chinese mythology are awakened, the Emperor's son and his outlaw guardians prepare to save the earth. (12-15)
Singer
by Jean Thesman
(Viking, 2005)
Gwenore escapes from her murderous mother, joins a community of women healers and saves the children of Lir. Based on a classic Irish folktale. (11-14)
Summerland
by Michael Chabon
(Hyperion, 2002)
Baseball is the means for Ethan and his friends-- both mythical and human-- to save his father and the world. (11-14)
Voices
by Ursula K. Le Guin
(Harcourt, 2006)
In Ansul, where people discovered reading were drowned along with their books, Memer learns to read and to question intolerance. (11-14)
Zahrah the Windseeker
by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu
(HMC, 2005)
Born Dada, Zahra has difficulty accepting her difference until her quest to save her friend's life gives her courage and confidence. (11-14)
GROWING UPThe Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie, ill.
by Ellen Forney
(Little, 2007)
Junior tackles basketball, his ex-best friend, poverty, puberty and hope after leaving a reservation to attend an all-white school. (12-16) M
an abundance of katherines
by John Green
(Dutton, 2006)
Former child prodigy, Colin, and his underachieving Muslim buddy, Hassan, stop off in Gutshot, Tennessee, in this new spin on the classic road trip. (12-15) M
Alabama Moon
by Watt Key
(FSG, 2006)
Newly orphaned, ten-year-old Moon is sent to an Alabama institution, but he survives tough times and learns to trust. (10-14)
Amaryllis
by Craig Crist-Evans
(Candlewick, 2003)
A moving and compassionate story of two close brothers and their father separated
by the devastation of the Vietnam War. (12-14)
Beauty Shop For Rent...fully equipped, inquire within
by Laura Bowers
(Harcourt, 2007)
Fourteen-year-old Abbey establishes a support system and learns to trust people in this quirky, humorous story. (12-15)
The Beetle and Me: A Love Story
by Karen Romano Young
(Greenwillow, 1999)
Fourteen-year-old Daisy restores a 1957 Volkswagen and finds friendship and a little humility as a result. (12-14)
Birdland
by Tracy Mack
(Scholastic, 2003)
Grieving for his older brother, thirteen-year-old Jed immerses himself in a school project videotaping his new York neighborhood. (11-14)
Bluish
by Virginia Hamilton
(Scholastic (Blue Sky), 1999)
The developing friendship between three girls, one of them a newcomer, one of them ill, and one insecure. Lyrically told. (11-14)
Boy Proof
by Cecil Castellucci
(Candlewick, 2005)
Victoria, a movie and sci-fi- expert, decides to go it alone until things begin to shift. (12-14)
Bronx Masquerade
by Nikki Gimes
(Dial, 2002)
Writing and reading aloud their own work helps Mr. Ward's high school students understand each other. A masterful blend of prose and poetry. (12-14)
Buddha Boy
by Kathe Koja
(FSG, 2003)
The friendship between two high school students, one artistically gifted, but strange, leads them both to a better understanding of human nature and society. (12-14)
Criss Cross
by Lynne Rae Perkins
(Greenwillow, 2005)
The thoughts and feelings of a group of teenagers searching for the meaning of life and love. (11-14)
Crusader
by Edward Bloor
(HBC, 1999)
Fifteen-year-old Roberta struggles with the death of her mother and her father's absenteeism to find her place in the world. (12-14) M
Dairy Queen: a Novel
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
(HMC, 2006)
When D.J. agrees to train Brian and then goes out for the football team herself, life changes on the impoverished family farm. (12-14)
Dark Sons
by Nikki Grimes
(Hyperion, 2005)
Two first-born sons (one Biblical, one contemporary) struggle to come to terms with being supplanted
by a younger step-brother. (12-14)
Dunk
by David Lubar
(Clarion, 2002)
Fifteen-year-old Chad learns about life, love and friendship when he becomes an amusement park clown. (12+)
elsewhere
by Gabrielle Zevin
(FSG, 2005)
After her sudden death, fifteen-year-old Lizzie goes to a special place that turns notions about life upside-down. (12-15)
Equinox
by Monte Killingsworth
(Henry Holt, 2001)
Anguished at the prospect of leaving her island home, Autumn starts a journal and finds that family relationships are not what they seemed. (12-15) M
A Face in Every Window
by Han Nolan
(HBC, 1999)
A fifteen-year-old boy slowly learns to accept differences, human frailties, and the randomness of life. (12+)
Fault Line
by Janet Tashjian
(Henry Holt, 2003)
Becky tries to juggle high school, a career as a stand-up comic and an increasingly threatening relationship that isolates her from friends and family. (12-14) M
Fighting Ruben Wolfe
by Markus Zusak
(Scholastic, 2001)
Two brothers who start to box as a way to hold onto family pride begin to wonder what winning proves. (13-15)
The Fire-Eaters
by David Almond
(Delacorte, 2004)
Under the specter of 1962's missile crisis, Bob
by conquers fear and finds hope. (11-14)
A Group of One
by Rachna Gilmore
(Henry Holt, 2001)
A visit from a grandmother from India causes Tara to reexamine her own heritage and questions about her Canadian status. An honest and tender look at family relationships. (11-13)
A Hole in the World
by Sid Hite
(Scholastic, 2001)
After he is caught lying for a friend, fifteen-year-old Paul's parents send him to spend the summer with relatives in rural Virginia. (11-14)
Home of the Brave
by Katherine Applegate
(Feiwel, 2007)
Kek, a ten-year-old Sudanese refugee from the horrors of war, finds friendship, hope and the possibility of a new life in Minnesota. (10-14)
How to Be a Real Person (in just one day)
by Sally Warner
(Knopf, 2001)
Sixth-grader Kara tries to conceal her mentally ill mother from her friends, her absent father, and her teachers. (11-14)
Just Ask Iris
by Lucy Frank
(Atheneum, 2001)
Clever twelve-year-old transforms the lives of her human and animal neighbors. (11-14)
Kira-Kira
by Cynthia Kadohata
(Atheneum, 2004)
Katie's older sister is her inspiration until illness strikes. A Japanese American family's struggle to survive in rural 1950s Georgia. (12-14)
Kissing Doorknobs
by Terry Spencer Hesser
(Delacorte, 1998)
A riveting account
by Tara, age 14, of the deterioration of her life caused
by progressive obsessive-compulsive disorder. (12-16)
Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet
by Kashmira Sheth
(Hyperion, 2006)
An independent, modern Indian teen becomes her own woman in an old-fashioned household. (12-15)
Lucky Stars
by Lucy Frank
(Atheneum, 2005)
Kira, Julie and Eugene, an odd but wonderful trio, find that making music makes a big difference in their lives. (12-14)
Lucy the Giant
by Sherri L. Smith
(Delacorte, 2002)
Lucy runs away from an abusive father and the cruel teasing of her classmates to find loving acceptance and self confidence aboard a commercial fishing boat out of Kodiak, Alaska. (12+)
McKendree
by Sandra Belton
(Greenwillow, 2000)
During the summer of 1948 in West Virginia, five teenagers work at a retirement home--and find new beginnings and self-esteem. (11-14)
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac
by Gabrielle Zevin
(FSG, 2007)
When head trauma blocks out four years of Naomi's life, she gains a new perspective on complicated personal relationships. (12-14)
Night Flying
by Rita Murphy
(Delacorte, 2000)
Nearing her sixteenth birthday, Pen, from a family of "fliers," uncovers secrets which enable her to grow and blossom. (12-14)
The Off Season
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
(HMC, 2007)
All D.J.'s resources are called upon when his football star brother, Win, is paralyzed
by an injury. (12-14)
our secret, siri aang
by Christina Kessler
(Philomel, 2004)
A feisty Masai struggles with the transition into womanhood as her people's traditional ways are threatened. (12+)
Pieces of Georgia
by Jen Bryant
(Knopf, 2006)
In this gentle, poetic tale, thirteen-year-old Georgia deals with her grief over the death of her mother. (10-14)
The Poison Apples
by Lily Archer
(Feiwel, 2007)
Boarding school buddies Alice, Reena and Molly's plots of revenge against their evil step-mothers take some unexpected twists and turns. (11-14)
Seek
by Paul Fleischman
(Cricket, 2001)
In play format, as he completes an assigned autobiography, Rob reveals his search for his "missing" father--and its outcome. (12+)
Shipwreck Season
by Donna Hill
(Clarion, 1998)
Touching characterizations depict the year spent
by a spoiled Boston boy with his brusque uncle at a Cape Cod rescue station. (11-13)
side effects
by Amy Goldman Koss
(Roaring Brook, 2006)
When fourteen-year-old Izzy is suddenly diagnosed with lymphoma, she journeys through unspeakable turbulence to a safe landing. (12-14)
Sort of Forever
by Sally Warner
(Knopf, 1998)
Cady and Nana, two best friends, deal with Nana's bone cancer. Sincere and funny. (12-14)
Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson
(FSG, 1999)
A traumatic event at the end of junior high leaves Melinda without a voice. (12+)
Stitches
by Glen Huser
(Groundwood, 2003)
Travis feels different--he loves puppets and sewing. With the support of friends, he faces classmates' violent teasing. (12-15)
Stoner & Spaz
by Ron Koertge
(Candlewick, 2002)
Sixteen-year-old Ben copes with the cerebral palsy that sets him apart from his high school peers. (12-14)
Strays
by Ron Koertge
(Candlewick, 2007)
Sixteen-year-old Ted communicates better with animals than with humans, as he endures his life in a foster home. (12-14)
Tending to Grace
by Kimberly Newton Fusco
(Knopf, 2004)
Abandoned
by her mother, fourteen-year-old Cornelia learns to understand herself, her problems and the eccentric Aunt with whom she lives. (12-14)
The Trouble with Jeremy Chance
by George Harrar, ill.
by Elizabeth Thayer
(Milkweed, 2003)
In 1919, twelve-year-old Jeremy leaves his rural home and runs away to Boston after a disagreement of conscience with his father. (11-14)
Undercover
by Beth Kephart
(HarperCollins, 2007)
by way of a female Cyrano character, Elisa immerses herself in poetry and explores her identity.
(12-14)
The Vanishing Point
by Louise Hawes
(HMC, 2004)
The daughter of a well-known Renaissance painter struggles to establish her own"unwomanly" talent while retaining compassion and humanity. (12-14)
Whale Talk
by Chris Crutcher
(Greenwillow, 2001)
Determined to subvert his high school's over-emphasis on competative sports, T.J. Jones helps a group of misfits become a swim team. Provocative and intense. (12-15)
What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know
by Sonya Sones
(S&S, 2007)
Fourteen-year-old Robin and his girlfriend, Sophie, confront the class bullies as well as the changes in their budding relationship. A free-verse novel. (12-15)
Where I Want to Be
by Adele Griffin
(Putnam, 2005)
The heartbreak of mental illness and sibling loss in the story of two teenaged sisters, both sensitive and bright, with one set apart
by her difference. (12+)
Wild Roses
by Deb Caletti
(S&S, 2005)
Cassie discovers the mysteries of genius while living with the terror and stress of insanity. (12-14)
The Whole Sky Full of Stars
by René Saldaña, Jr.
(Wendy Lamb, 2007)
After his father dies, Barry's friendships and goals are questioned when he considers a shady boxing gamble. (12-16)
PASTAnn and Seamus
by Kevin Major, ill.
by David Blackwood
(Groundwood, 2004)
The heroic efforts of Ann Harvey and her family to save 163 people shipwrecked off the rugged Newfoundland coast in 1828. Poetic text. (12-14)
Archie's War : My Scrapbook of the First World War, 1914-1918
written and ill.
by Marcia Williams
(Candlewick, 2007)
The daily life of a London boy during World War II is vivid and poignantly detailed in this graphic-style scrapbook format. (11-14)
Before the Creeks Ran Red
by Carolyn Reeder
(HarperCollins, 2003)
Three fourteen-year-old boys from South Carolina, Maryland and Virginia must sort out conflicting loyalties at the dawn of the Civil War. (12-14)
Bone
by Bone
by Bone
by Tony Johnston
(Roaring Brook, 2007)
In 1940s Tennessee, nine-year-old David finds a best friend and learns the deep hurt and consequences of hate and racism. (12-14)
Catch a Tiger
by the Toe
by Ellen Levine
(Viking, 2005)
During McCarthy's 50s "witch-hunt," Jamie's parents lose their jobs and her life is turned upside down. (12-14)
Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam
by Cynthia Kadohata
(Atheneum, 2007)
During the Vietnamese War, a German shepherd and his handler team up to search for the enemy, bombs and traps. Told from the dog's point of view. (12-14)
The Crazy Man
by Pamela Porter
(Groundwood, 2005)
A hardscrabble life in rural Saskatchewan becomes more difficult still when Emaline's father deserts the family and they must take on a mental patient to help farm. (12-14)
Crooked River
by Shelley Pearsall
(Knopf, 2005)
On the Ohio frontier in 1812, Rebecca's kind heart leads her to question the town's injustice toward a captured Indian. (11-14)
Devil on My Heels
by Joyce McDonald
(Delacorte, 2004)
In Florida orange grove country in 1959, Dove's growing awareness and discomfort with racism and injustice affects her profoundly. (12-14) M
The Executioner's Daughter
by Laura E. Williams
(Henry Holt, 2000)
Lily is dismayed to learn that she is expected to become her father's assistant after the death of her mother. Convincing medieval setting. (11-14)
Eyes of the Emperor
by Graham Salisbury
(Random, 2005)
When a Japanese American living on Hawaii in 1941 joins the U.S. Army, his loyalty is tested. A shameful chapter of American history. (12-14)
Factory Girl
by Barbara Greenwood
(Kids Can, 2007, paperback)
In 1905, a twelve-year-old girl works 11 hours a day in a garment factory to keep her family from starving. (11-14)
Fire in the Hole!
by Mary Cronk Farrell
(Clarion, 2004)
In 1899 Idaho, disastrous labor trouble in the mines and illness at home threaten Mick's resolve to get an education. (12-14)
Geronimo
by Joseph Bruchac
(Scholastic, 2006)
The famous Native American's attempt to correct misconceptions about this legendary hero and the Apache tribes. (12-14)
Goddess of Yesterday
by Caroline B. Cooney
(Delacorte, 2002)
Fascinating retelling of Greek mythology: the story of Helen of Troy seen through the eyes of a wise and courageous young girl. (12-14)
Hidden Roots
by Joseph Bruchac
(Scholastic, 2004)
Eleven-year-old Sonny's family keeps the secret of his heritage to protect him from our country's racist treatment of Native Americans in the twentieth century. (12-14)
How I Found the STRONG: A Novel of the Civil War
by Margaret McMullan
(HMC, 2004)
At ten, Frank can't fight for the Confederacy, but he is spared neither the horror nor the sorrow of war. Gritty. (12-14)
In Darkness, Death
by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
(Philomel, 2004)
Japanese life under the Shoguns. An engaging mystery with finely honed details. Third in a series. (11-14)
Keeping Corner
by Kashmira Sheth
(Hyperion, 2007)
In Gandhi's India, a twelve-year-old girl is stripped of her colorful saris and light-hearted ways as she mourns. (12-14)
The Kite Rider
by Geraldine McCaughrean
(HarperCollins, 2002)
An exciting story of loyalty and bravery set against a background of superstition, greed and revenge in Kubla Khan's China. (11-14)
Letters from a Slave Boy: The Story of Joseph Jacobs
by Mary E. Lyons
(Atheneum, 2007)
Joseph's escape from slavery in North Carolina includes life aboard a New Bedford whaler and gold prospecting in California. Carefully researched. (12-14)
Mara's Stories: Glimmers in the Darkness
by Gary Schmidt
(Henry Holt, 2001)
A sad but beautiful collection of stories from the Jewish tradition, retold
by a girl in a concentration camp. (12-14)
Marie, Dancing
by Carolyn Meyer
(Harcourt, 2005)
Marie, a fourteen-year-old ballerina, becomes the subject of Degas' famous statue. Sensitive, honest depiction of Paris in the late 1800s. (12-14)
Maata's Journal
by Paul Sullivan
(Atheneum, 2003)
Her love of language and adventure enables a young Inuit girl to live in both a Canadian settlement camp and her Inuit world. (12-14)
Mine Eyes Have Seen
by Ann Rinaldi
(Scholastic, 1998)
Fascinating report
by John Brown's daughter of the preparations for the raid on Harper's Ferry in 1859. (12-14) M
New Boy
by Julian Houston
(HMC, 2005)
In the 1950s, the token black in an exclusive prep school discovers prejudice takes many forms. (12-14)
No Shame, No Fear
by Ann Turnbull
(Candlewick, 2004)
In 1662 England a Quaker struggles to develop intellectually and handle her love for an Anglican, despite persecution. (12-14)
The Old African
by Julius Lester, ill.
by Jerry Pinkney
(Dial, 2006)
The horrors of slavery. Gouache, pastel and watercolor illustrations. (12-15)
Over A Thousand Hills I Walk With You
by Hanna Jansen, trans.
by Elizabeth D. Crawford
(Lerner, 2006)
The powerful, chilling and inspiring story of a child who survived the Rwandan genocide of 1994. (12-14)
Petals in the Ashes
by Mary Hooper
(Bloomsbury, 2004)
Hannah and her sister Sarah return to London after the devastating plague of 1666 only to face the great fire that almost destroys the city. Sequel to The Sign of the Sugared Plum. (12-14)
The Queen's Soprano
by Carol Dines
(Harcourt, 2006)
Seventeen-year-old Angelica Voglia struggles to achieve her musical destiny against the prejudice of Pope Innocent XI. (12-15)
Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party
by Ying Chang Compestine
(Henry Holt, 2007)
Nine-year-old Ling watches her world crumble as the 1972 Cultural Revolution in China labels her family members as enemies of the state. (12-14)
Rockbuster
by Gloria Skurzynski
(Atheneum, 2001)
In pre-World War I Utah, coal-miner Tommy's brilliant song writing talent, his union associations, and a romance create conflict. (12-14)
Sacajawea: The Story of Bird Woman and the Lewis and Clark Expedition
by Joseph Bruchac
(Harcourt, 2000)
Addressing Sacajawea's young son, Sacajawea and William Clark each tell the story of their great expedition. (11-14)
Shackleton's Stowaway
by Victoria McKernan
(Knopf, 2005)
A gripping account of Shackleton's Antarctic expedition told
by the youngest member of the crew. (12-14)
Something Remains
by Inge Barth-Grözinger, trans.
by Anthea Bell
(Hyperion, 2006)
A fictionalized account of a Jewish boy and his family struggling with anti-Semitism in Germany in the 1930s. (12-14)
Song of the Sparrow
by Lisa Ann Sandell
(Scholastic, 2007)
A prose-poem based on the Tales of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table told from a feminist point of view. (12-14)
Taking Liberty: The Story of Oney Judge, George Washington's Runaway Slave
by Ann Rinaldi
(S&S, 2002)
Martha Washington's favorite slave must decide whether to run for her freedom or remain a slave in the relative comfort of her childhood home. (12-14)
Time's Memory
by Julius Lester
(FSG, 2006)
The child of creator-god Amina inhabits the body of an African-American slave in order to heal the deep wounds of his people. (12-14)
To the Edge of the World
by Michele Torrey
(Knopf, 2003)
A cabin boy's voyage with Magellan. A riveting adventure. (11-14)
Walks Alone
by Brian Burks
(Harcourt Brace, 1998)
A wounded fifteen-year-old Apache girl shows great ingenuity and courage after her tribal group is attacked. Easy to read. (12-14) M
When My Name Was Keoko: A Novel of Korea in World War II
by Linda Sue Park
(Clarion, 2002)
During the Japanese occupation of Korea, Sun-hee and her family suffer tremendous hardships and humiliation. (11-14)
SCIENCE FICTIONAmong the Hidden
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
(S&S, 1998)
Compelling story of twelve-year-old Luke in a futuristic world where third children are not permitted to exist. (12+) M
First Light
by Rebecca Stead
(Wendy Lamb, 2007)
Two protagonists from two worlds meet as Peter joins his scientist parents to research global warming. (12-14)
The Last Book in the Universe
by Rodman Philbrick
(Blue Sky, 2000)
An innovative tale of the future after "the big shake" written in a remarkable invented vocabulary. (10-14)
Off the Road
by Nina Bawden
(Clarion, 1998)
Twelve-year-old Tom follows his grandfather out of the protected place in which they live to the "wild" outside the wall. (11-14)
Rash
by Pete Hautman
(S&S, 2006)
Growing up in a twenty-first century society that controls all emotions, sixteen-year-old Bo learns the power of feelings. (12-15)
Siberia
by Ann Halam
(Random, 2005)
In a future world when much personal freedom and wildlife has been destroyed, the child of biologists finds the courage and skills to save the seed banks. (12-14)
Unwind
by Neal Shusterman
(S&S, 2007)
Connor, Lev and Risa struggle to survive in a world where teenagers can be "unwound" to have their body parts salvaged. (12-14) M
White Time
by Margo Lanagan
(HarperCollins, 2006)
Ten short stories that journey into the future and explore the limits of what humans were in the past and are possible of becoming. (12-14)
SPORTSPinned
by Alfred C. Martino
(Harcourt, 2005)
Two high school seniors battle for the New Jersey State wrestling championship. A gripping tale. (15+) M
under the baseball moon
by John H. Ritter
(Philomel, 2006)
A talented young musician hones his playing and song-writing skills as he helps his girlfriend find her rhythm as a softball pitcher. (11-14)
TODAYAccidents of Nature
by Harriet McBryde Johnson
(Henry Holt, 2006)
At summer camp, seventeen-year-old Jean finally fits in and learns to accept her disability. (12+)
American Born Chinese
written and ill.
by Gene Luen Yang
(First Second, 2006, paperback)
Contemporary life and Chinese legends intertwine in this ground-breaking graphic novel. (12-14)
Ask Me No Questions
by Marina Budhos
(Atheneum, 2006)
Two Bangladeshi sisters succeed in high school when their father, an illegal alien, is taken into custody. (12-14)
Autobiography of My Dead Brother
by Walter Dean Myers, ill.
by Christopher Myers
(HarperCollins, 2005)
Fourteen-year-old Jesse depicts the complex life on the streets of Harlem. Pen-and-ink drawings and comic strip art. (13+)
Beige
by Cecil Castellucci
(Candlewick, 2007)
When fourteen-year-old Katy spends the summer in Los Angeles getting to know her "punk rock" father, she also gets to know herself. (12-14)
Dive
by Adele Griffin
(Hyperion, 1999)
While traveling to visit his hospitalized stepbrother, eleven-year-old Ben looks back on the love and difficulties of his family life. (11-14)
Hope Was Here
by Joan Bauer
(Putnam, 2000)
Sixteen-year-old Hope and her aunt become involved in local Wisconsin politics as newcomers working in the town diner. (12-14)
Keesha's House
by Helen Frost
(FSG, 2003)
Seven teens movingly describe their struggles to find support, acceptance, friendship and home. Memorable poetry. (12-14)
The Kings Are Already Here
by Garret Freymann-Weyr
(HMC, 2003)
When fifteen-year-old Phebe, who has studied ballet all her life, meets sixteen-year-old chess master Nikolai, her world view changes. (12+) M
Lemonade Mouth
by Mark Peter Hughes
(Delacorte, 2007)
An unlikely quintet of mostly socially-marginal high school freshmen forms a band, creating amazing music -- and much more. (12-14)
Mind's Eye
by Paul Fleischman
(Henry Holt, 1999)
A lyrical tale, told in play form, of an imaginary journey to Italy taken
by a spinal-cord injured teenager and her elderly roommate in a rehab hospital. (12-14)
Monsoon Summer
by Mitali Perkins
(Delacorte, 2004)
"Jazz" Gardner reluctantly leaves California for a life changing summer in India helping her family at the orphanage that had once been her mother's home. (12-14)
Runaway
by Wendelin Van Draanen
(Knopf, 2006)
Twelve-year-old Holly records her daily horrors in a journal, her only trustworthy companion, as she struggles to survive. (11-14)
Shark Girl
by Kelly Bingham
(Candlewick, 2007)
Victim of a shark attack, fifteen-year-old Jane has to face high school without her right arm. (12-14)
The Watcher
by James Howe
(Atheneum, 1997)
On the beach one summer three young people resolve their difficult problems. (12-14) M
Wrecked
by E.R. Frank
(Atheneum, 2005)
When a car accident kills her brother's girl friend, Anna goes into therapy to help her cope with her guilt and grief. (12-14)
