Samantha Abeel.  My Thirteenth Winter

Abeel tells her own story of living with and overcoming dyscalculia, a math-related learning disability. She describes how her life was affected by her learning disability before and after she was diagnosed, and the way her peers, her family, and her teachers treated her.

Laurie Halse Anderson.  Catalyst

Eighteen-year-old Kate, who sometimes chafes at being a preacher's daughter, finds herself losing control in her senior year as she faces difficult neighbors, the possibility that she may not be accepted by the college of her choice, and an unexpected death.

Catherine Atkins.  Alt Ed

Participating in a special after-school counseling class with other troubled students, including a sensitive gay classmate, helps Susan, an overweight tenth grader, develop a better sense of herself.

Rick Beyer.  The Greatest Stories Never Told:  100 Tales from

History to Astonish, Bewilder, & Stupefy   Based on the television program: Timelab 2000.

Eugenie Bird.  Fairie-ality:  the Fashion Collection from the House

of Ellwand    A fanciful collection of fairie dresses from the House of Ellwand includes frocks made from feathers and flower petals.

Holly Black.  Tithe:  A Modern Faerie Tale

Sixteen-year-old Kaye, who has been visited by faeries since childhood, discovers that she herself is a magical faerie creature with a special destiny.

Tim Bowler.  Storm Catchers

Filled with guilt over his younger sister's kidnapping, teenaged Fin tries to rescue her and in the process learns about a dark family secret.

Marcos Breton and Jose Luis Villegas.  Home is Everything:  The

Latino Baseball Story    Explores the unique experiences of Latin American baseball players in the Major Leagues, including Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda, and Jose Santana; their struggles, disapointments, and sometimes enormous successes.

Martha Brooks.  True Confessions of a Heartless Girl

A confused seventeen-year-old girl, a single mother and her young son, two elderly women, and a sad and lonely man, with their own individual tragedies to bear, come together in a small Manitoba town and find a way to a better future.

Dan Brown.  The Da Vinci Code

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci --clues visible for all to see--yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

Michael Cart, Ed.  Necessary Noise:  Stories about Our Familes

as They Really Are    These are stories of today's families--fractured, blended, at risk, non-traditional, and some that are even still nuclear. Renowned author and noted anthologist Cart asked the most celebrated young adult authors the question "What does 'family' mean today?"

Jan Cheripko.  Rat

Jeremy likes to play basketball but an injured right arm prevents him from making the high school team and when he testifies in court against the team's coach, his world becomes unbearable at school.

Catherine Clark.  Frozen Rodeo

High-school junior Peggy Fleming Farrell finds herself without a car, working at the Gas 'n Git, and fantasizing about a boyfriend during the hot summer her distracted parents are expecting yet another baby to join their ice-skating family.

Chris Crowe.  Getting Away with Murder:  The True Story of the

Emmett Till Case   Presents a true account of the murder of fourteen-year-old, Emmett Till, in Mississippi, in 1955.

Chris Crutcher.  King of the Mild Frontier:  An Ill-advised

Autobiography   Chris Crutcher, author of young adult novels such as "Ironman" and "Whale Talk," as well as short stories, tells of growing up in Cascade, Idaho, and becoming a writer.

Jennifer Donnelly.  A Northern Light

In 1906, sixteen-year-old Mattie, determined to attend college and be a writer against the wishes of her father and fiance, takes a job at a summer inn where she discovers the truth about the death of a guest. Based on a true story.

Sharon Draper.  The Battle of Jericho

A high school junior and his cousin suffer the ramifications of joining what seems to be a "reputable" school club.

Terri Fields.  After the Death of Anna Gonzales

Poems written in the voices of forty-seven people, including students, teachers, and other school staff, record the aftermath of a high school student's suicide and the preoccupations of teen life.

Lisa Fraustino, Ed.  Soul Searching:  Thirteen Stories about Faith

and Belief    Acclaimed authors illuminate the world's seven major religions as well as alternative beliefs in this collection of 13 short stories.

Donald R. Gallo, Ed.  Destination Unexpected:  Short Stories

The characters in these stories experience things that change the way they look at the world, and at themselves. As distinct as they are compelling, these ten tales of intriguing teenage journeys are spun by ten outstanding authors.

Charles Ghigna.  A Fury of Motion:  Poems for Boys

In forty-six poems, the poet delivers a hearty mix of verse that conveys the power at the line of scrimmage, the "lost boys" of hunting season, the threat of loneliness, the clarity of autumn, and the silliness of science. Here's a thoroughly appealing book that will attract those teens who believe poetry is far beneath or beyond them.

Gail Giles.  Dead Girls Don't Write Letters

Fourteen-year-old Sunny is stunned when a total stranger shows up at her house posing as her older sister Jazz, who supposedly died out of town in a fire months earlier.

K. L. Going.  Fat Kid Rules the World

Seventeen-year-old Troy, depressed, suicidal, and weighing nearly 300 pounds, gets a new perspective on life when a homeless teenager who is a genius on guitar wants Troy to be the drummer in his rock band.

Beth Goobie.  Who Owns Kelly Paddik?

Sent to a secure facility because she is a "danger to herself, " Kelly wants only to escape. But her painful past continues to haunt her until she is forced to face up to the most painful memory of all. A searing look at one girl's struggle for self-respect.

John Halliday.  Shooting Monarchs

Macy and Danny, two teenage boys who have both grown up under difficult circumstances, turn out very differently--one becomes a hero, the other a murderer.

Marilyn Halvorson.  Bull Rider

Layne wants nothing more than to follow in his father's footsteps and to be a bull rider. His dad was one ride away from a National Championship when he got trampled to death. Layne wants to be able to give his dad that championship--by winning it for him.

Brent Hartinger.  Geography Club

A group of gay and lesbian teenagers finds mutual support when they form the "Geography Club" at their high school.

Frida:  Bringing Frida Kahlo's Life and Art To Film

This magnificent visual book features over 150 full-color photos and notes about the making of the major feature film about one of the most famous artists and feminists in the 20th century, staring Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina.

Jeanette Ingold.  Mountain Solo

Back at her childhood home in Missoula, Montana, after a disastrous concert in Germany, a teenage violin prodigy contemplates giving up life with her mother in New York City and her music as she, her father, stepmother, and stepsister hike to a pioneer homesite where another violinist once faced difficult decisions of his own.

Angela Johnson.  The First Part Last

Bobby's carefree teenage life changes forever when he becomes a father and must care for his adored baby daughter.

Sue Monk Kidd.  The Secret Life of Bees

During the summer of 1964 in rural South Carolina, a young girl is given a home by three black, beekeeping sisters. As she enters their mesmerizing secret world of bees and honey, she discovers a place where she can find the single thing her heart longs for most.

David Klass. Home of the Braves

Eighteen-year-old Joe, captain of the soccer team, is dismayed when a hotshot player shows up from Brazil and threatens to take over both the team and the girl whom Joe hopes to date.

John Lekich.  The Loser's Club

Alex would like to blend in at high school but instead he has become a hero to a group of so-called losers.

Carolyn Mackler.  The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things

Feeling like she does not fit in with the other members of her family, who are all thin, brilliant, and good-looking, fifteen-year-old Virginia tries to deal with her self-image, her first physical relationship, and her disillusionment with some of the people closest to her.

Graham McNamee.  Acceleration

Stuck working in the Lost and Found of the Toronto Transit Authority for the summer, seventeen-year-old Duncan finds the diary of a serial killer and sets out to stop him.

Laura and Tom McNeal.  Zipped

At the end of their sophomore year in high school, the lives of four teenagers are woven together as they start a tough new job, face family problems, deal with changing friendships, and find love.

Milton Meltzer, Ed.  Hour of Freedom:  American History in Poetry

The story of America told through poetry, selected by one of the country's foremost historians.

Jim Murphy.  Inside the Alamo

An overview of the struggle between the Texan settlers and Mexico's General Santa Anna for control of Texas, with a detailed description of the 1836 siege of the Alamo.

Beverly Naidoo.  Out of Bounds:  Seven Stories of Conflict and

Hope   Seven stories, spanning the time period from 1948 to 2000, chronicle the experiences of young people from different races and ethnic groups as they try to cope with the restrictions placed on their lives by South Africa's apartheid laws.

Pete Nelson.  Left for Dead

Recalls the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis at the end of World War II, the navy cover-up and unfair court martial of the ship's captain, and how a young boy helped the survivors set the record straight fifty-five years later.

Joan Lowery Nixon.  Nightmare

Emily is sent to a camp for underachievers where she discovers a murderer on the staff who might provide an explanation for her recurring nightmares.

Ejovi Nuwere.  Hacker Cracker:  A Journey from the Mean

Streets of Brooklyn to the Frontiers of Cyberspace   Interweaving details of his life growing up on the bullet-ridden streets of Bed-Sty with fascinating hacker lore and a glimpse of the inner workings of sensitive corporate computer systems, "Hacker Cracker" is a Horatio Alger tale for these times: a thrilling, frightening, and ultimately uplifting story of survival and success.

Nancy Osa.  Cuba 15

Violet Paz, a Chicago high school student, reluctantly prepares for her upcoming "quince," a Spanish nickname for the celebration of an Hispanic girl's fifteenth birthday.

Christopher Paolini.  Eragon

In Aagaesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters.

Nathaniel Philbrick.  Revenge of the Whale:  The True Story of

the Whaleship Essex   Recounts the 1820 sinking of the whaleship "Essex" by an enraged sperm whale and how the crew of young men survived against impossible odds.

Tamara Pierce.  Trickster's Choice

Alianne must call forth her mother's courage and her father's wit in order to survive on the Copper Isles in a royal court rife with political intrigue and murderous conspiracy.

Richard Platt.  Crime Scene:  The Ultimate Guide to Forensic

Science   Television writer and consultant Platt writes for the lay reader, explaining the scientific methods and procedures involved in investigating crimes. He describes such techniques as psychological profiling, DNA analysis, fingerprinting, and the review of autopsy reports.

Carol Plum-Ucci.  The She

After his parents are lost at sea, Evan Barrett and his older brother leave their seaside home in West Hook to escape bad memories, but years later even worse questions emerge when Evan is asked to help a fellow student deal with another sea-related tragedy.

Natalie Jane Prior.  The Encyclopedia of Preserved People: 

Pickled, Frozen, and Mummified Corpses from Around the World   An encyclopedia of facts about preserved people from around the world, including Egyptian mummies, bog bodies, Einstein's brain, and the Ice Man.

Francine Prose.  After

In the aftermath of a nearby school shooting, a grief and crisis counselor takes over Central High School and enacts increasingly harsh measures to control students, while those who do not comply disappear.

Kristen Randle.  Slumming

An intriguing, insightful, and suspenseful story about three friends who set out to transform others, with unforeseen consequences.

Madeleine Robins.  Point of Honour

Sarah is a "fallen" daughter of the nobility turned investigative agent. She faces danger, intrigue, and romance on the mean streets of Regency London--in the launch of a brilliant new series.

Rene Saldana, Jr.  Finding Our Way:  Stories

This powerful collection of stories focus on young adults living on the border of Texas and Mexico, with touching moments of family closeness, lighthearted stories where boys love feisty girls; poignant ones that provide snapshots of kids finding their way out of trouble and into the world.

Marjane Satrapi.  Persepolis

In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah's regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq.

Marcus Sedgwick.  The Dark Horse

Having risen to power as chief of his people, the Storn, sixteen-year-old Sigurd leads them as they try to resist the bloodthirsty invaders known as the Dark Horse and makes a shocking discovery about his foster sister Mouse.

Tucker Shaw.  Flavor of the Week

Cyril, an overweight boy who is good friends with Rose but wishes he could be more, helps his best friend Nick woo her with culinary masterpieces which Cyril himself secretly creates.

Michael Simmons.  Pool Boy

When his father is arrested for insider trading and his family loses all their money, Brett Gerson takes a job as an assistant to a 70-something pool cleaner in his former wealthy California neighborhood and learns some valuable life lessons.

Sherrie Smith.  Lucy the Giant

Fifteen-year-old Lucy , the largest girl in her school, leaves her small Alaska town and her alcoholic father and discovers hardship--and friendship--posing as an adult aboard a commercial fishing boat.

Gary Soto.  The Afterlife

A senior at East Fresno High School lives on as a ghost after his brutal murder in the restroom of a club where he had gone to dance.

Jerry Spinelli.  Milkweed

In Nazi-occupied Poland, a young orphan boy learns about the harsh treatment of being Jewish.

Miriam Stone.  At the End of Words:  A Daughter's Memoir

The author records her feelings and experiences as she realizes that her mother is dying of cancer.

Michele Torrey.  To the Edge of the World

Orphaned by the plague, penniless, and without friends, Mateo must find his way in the world. What he discovers is the adventure of a lifetime. Soon Mateo is at sea, a cabin boy on the celebrated voyage of Captain-General Ferdinand Magellan.

S. D. Tower.  The Assassins of Tamurin

A foundling driven from her native village, 11-year-old Lale discovers a surrogate mother in Makina, the Despotana of Tamurin, a charismatic ruler who maintains a school for orphaned girls. But within the school is a darker, secret one in which Lale is trained as an assassin and a spy.

Terry Trueman.  Inside Out

A sixteen-year-old with schizophrenia is caught up in the events surrounding an attempted robbery by two other teens who eventually hold him hostage.

Susanna Vance.  Deep

Somewhere in the Caribbean, seventeen-year-old Morgan and thirteen-year-old Birdie, two girls whose lives are worlds apart, are brought together by the maniacal Nicholas.

Will Weaver.  Claws:  A Novel

Jed and Laura, two popular Minnesota high school students, find their seemingly perfect lives suddenly in chaos when they discover that each has a parent who is having an affair with the other.