Young Adult Booklists

Back to Young Adult Booklists

Young Adult Issues

Middle School

• Avi. Nothing But the Truth. J Avi, JPB Avi, YA PBK Avi
  Is Philip Malloy a true patriot suspended for humming "The Star-Spangled Banner" in homeroom, or is he really a spoiled brat hoping for an easier English teacher?
• Cabot, Meg. The Princess Diaries. J Cabot, M., JPB Cabot, M., CASS (BK.) JFIC Cabot, M., CD (BK.) JFIC Cabot, M.
  Tall, flat-chested Mia has hair like a wedge and has never had a date, so when she discovers she is a princess, she is NOT amused.
• Cooney, Caroline B. Burning Up. J Cooney, C., JPB Cooney, C.
  When Macey picks the arson in her hometown in the fifties as her school history project, she is determined to find out why everyone denies the facts about the fire.
• Cooney, Caroline B. Driver's Ed. J Cooney, C., JPB Cooney, C. , CASS (BK.) JFIC Cooney, C., YA PBK Cooney, C.
  When Remy and Morgan help Nick steal a stop sign, they never think it might lead to someone's death.
• Cooney, Caroline B. The Voice on the Radio. J Cooney, C., JPB Cooney, C., CASS (BK.) JFIC Cooney, C., CD (BK.) JFIC Cooney, C., YA PBK Cooney, C.
  The worst thing about being the kidnapped child of two families is the lack of privacy from outsiders, and then Janie discovers that her beloved Reeve has been using her story at college.
• Curtis, Christopher Paul. Bucking the Sarge. J Curtis, C.
  Fifteen-year-old Luther appears to have it made, with a driver's license and wheels, but he also has a mother who has earned his nickname for her, "the Sarge".
• Danziger, Paula and Ann Martin. P.S. Longer Letter Later. J Danziger, P., JPB Danziger, P., CASS (BK.) JFIC Danziger, P.
  When Tara*Starr moves to Ohio, she and best friend Elizabeth support each other through letters as their families change in drastic ways.
• Danziger, Paula and Ann Martin. Snail Mail No More. J Danziger, P., JPB Danziger, P., CASS (BK.) JFIC Danziger, P.
  Thank goodness Tara*Starr has e-mail, since she and Elizabeth need to write more often to cope with Elizabeth's father and Tara*Starr's new sibling.
• Deaver, Julie Reece. Say Goodnight, Gracie. YA PBK Deaver, J.
  Glenbard West students Jimmy and Morgan are best friends until tragedy leaves Morgan the choice of life without Jimmy or no life at all.
• Doherty, Berlie. Dear Nobody. J Doherty, B., YA PBK Doherty, B.
  Christ and Nell have their lives planned, with college for both come fall, until Nell realizes she is pregnant.
• Doherty, Berlie. The Snake-Stone. J Doherty, B.
  Fifteen-year-old James suddenly wants---no, needs---to find his birth mother.
• Draper, Sharon. The Battle of Jericho. J Draper, S., CD (BK.) JFIC Draper, S.
  Jericho and his friends are dying to become members of the elite Warriors of Distinction, but will it actually require them to do so?
• Fredericks, Mariah. The True Meaning of Cleavage. J Fredericks, M.
  When Jess's best friend Sari sets her sights on the school's most popular boy, the girls' friendship feels the effect of cleavage.
• Giff, Patricia Reilly. Pictures of Hollis Woods. J Giff, P., JPB Giff, P., CASS (BK.) JFIC Giff, P.
  Though she has always wanted a family, Hollis runs from every foster home, even the one where she wants to stay. When her new foster mother, an elderly artist, needs help, Hollis runs again, but this time she takes her new foster family along.
• Henkes, Kevin. Olive's Ocean. J Henkes, K.
  Just before she leaves for a busy vacation at the shore, Marth learns three things her dead classmate, Olive, wished for: to see the ocean, to be a writer, and to get to know Martha, the "nicest person in my whole entire class".
• Koja, Kathe. Buddha Boy. J Koja, K.
  Justin cannot resist the weird new kid's art, but he really doesn't want to defy the school "hero" and bully and his gang to stand up for Jinsen.
• Konigsburg, E.L. The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place. J Konigsburg, E.
  Margaret Rose Kane's loving and eccentric great-uncles rescue her from the summer camp where she is being persecuted, and she in turn determines to rescue the amazing towers her uncles built and love that are slated for demolition.
• Konigsburg, E.L. The View from Saturday. J Konigsburg, E., JPB Konigsburg, E.
  Decency and kindness triumph over small-minded meanness when four very different sixth-graders form a winning academic bowl team.
• McDonald, Joyce. Swallowing Stones. J McDonald, J., YA PBK McDonald, J.
  The consequences of a random shot into the air are related by Michael, who fired the shot with his new birthday present, and by Jenna, whose father was killed by the random bullet.
• Mazer, Norma Fox. Out of Control. YA PBK Mazer, N.
  To the three boys, nothing had happened. It lasted only thirty seconds, and they didn't rape the girl. To Valerie, it was a terrifying sexual assault, and it would never be over.
• Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. J Myers, W., CASS (BK.) JFIC Myers, W., YA PBK Myers, W.
  Steve Harmon describes his incarceration and trial for felony murder as a movie.
• Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Outrageously Alice. J Naylor, P., JPB Naylor, P.
  Tired of being steady and predictable, eighth grade Alice tries outrageous instead.
• Oates, Joyce Carol. Big Mouth & Ugly Girl. J Oates, J., YA PBK Oates, J.
  When Matt Donaghy, a good student and popular guy, tells a bad joke and is accused of plotting to blow up his school, only big, athletic Ursual Riggs, who thinks of herself as Ugly Girl, stands up for him.
• Park, Barbara. Mick Harte Was Here. J Park, B., JPB Park, B., CASS (BK.) JFIC Park, B.
  Thirteen-year-old Phoebe tells about her brother Mick's life and his sudden, preventable death.
• Paterson, Katherine. Jacob Have I Loved. J Paterson, K., JPB Paterson, K.
  Louise's younger twin gets everything---good looks, attention, pampering, education---but surely God doesn't love Caroline and hate Louise, does He?
• Simmons, Michael. Pool Boy. J Simmons, M.
  After his dad is convicted of insider trading, Brett becomes the pool boy to the people who used to be his social equals.
• Spinelli, Jerry. Crash. J Spinelli, J., JPB Spinelli, J., CASS (BK.) JFIC Spinelli, J.
  Crash Coogan finally figures out that his dweeby neighbor, Penn Webb, is his friend.
• Trueman, Terry. Stuck in Neutral. J Trueman, T., CD (BK.) JFIC Trueman, T.
  The good news is that Sean has a good mind and enjoys his life tremendously, but the bad news is that his father believes Sean is a vegetable suffering excruciating pain during his frequent seizures and wants to put Sean out of his misery.
• Van Draanen, Wendelin. Flipped. J Van Draanen, W., JPB Van Draanen, W.
  Juli Baker and the neighbor boy Bryce alternately tell the story of their relationship, from their meeting when they are both seven through the fateful year in eighth grade when Bryce is a Basket Boy.
• Yolen, Jane and Bruce Coville. Armageddon Summer. J Yolen, J., YA PBK Yolen, J.
  Almost believing Marina and skeptical Jed alternate to tell the story of what happened when they each were taken to the mountaintop by a Believing parent to prepare for the end of the world.

High School

• Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. YA PBK Anderson, L.
  Everyone at high school shuts Melinda out after she calls the police to a wild party, but she cannot even speak about what happened that explains her behavior.
• Bechard, Margaret. Hanging On To Max. YA PBK Bechard, M., FIC Bechard, M.
  When his girlfriend decides to give their baby Max up for adoption, Sam knows only that he must hang on to Max.
• Burgess, Melvin. Smack. YA PBK Burgess, M.
  Tar runs from abuse and Gemma from boredom and strict parents, but both are betrayed by the false comfort they find in heroin while living in their London squat.
• Froese, Deborah. Out of the Fire. YA PBK Froese, D.
  When Dayle suffers nearly fatal burns from an exploding campfire, her whole life is changed, though not entirely for the worse.
• Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. FIC Haddon, M., CD (BK.) FIC Haddon, M., FIC Haddon, M. LARGE PRINT.
  Once the autistic but gifted fifteen-year-old Christopher learns not only what happened to the dog but also to his mother, he sets out on what is for him a terrifying and dangerous trip to London.
• Hurwin, Davida. A Time for Dancing. YA PBK Hurwin, D.
  Two ballet dancers in high school struggle to remain best friends when one is diagosed with cancer.
• Kerr, M. E. Deliver Us From Evie. YA PBK Kerr, M. E., J Kerr, M. E.
  Parr approves of his sister Evie's "unlady-like" abilities, since they will excuse him from running the family farm, but he ruins his own plans when he gets drunk and exposes Evie's relationship with Patsy.
• Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees. YA PBK Kidd, S., FIC Kidd, S., CD (BK.) FIC Kidd, S.
  A girl who accidentally shot and killed her mother at the age of four, and who now lives with her bitter, abusive father, hardly seems lucky, but when Lily runs away with only a picture of the black Madonna and the words "Tiberone, S.C." as a guide, she is lucky enough to find the perfect home.
• Kingsolver, Barbara. The Bean Trees. FIC Kingsolver, B., CD (BK.) FIC Kingsolver, B.
  Taylor's main goal in life is to escape her podunk hometown without getting pregnant, but once she achieves that, acquiring an abandoned child turns out to be the best thing that ever happened to her.
• Maynard, Joyce. The Usual Rules. FIC Maynard, J.
  When thirteen-year-old Wendy's mom never comes home from work at the World Trade Center on September 11, the usual rules no longer seem to apply.
• McCafferty, Megan. Sloppy Firsts. FIC McCafferty, M.
  Jessica Darling doesn't know how she can face Pineville High without her best friend Hope, especially when bad boy burnout Marcus Flutie begins paying Jess special attention. Jess's story continues in Second Helpings.
• Sparks, Nicholas. A Walk to Remember. YA PBK Sparks, N., FIC Sparks, N., CASS (BK.) FIC Sparks, N., FIC Sparks, N. LARGE PRINT
  The year he is seventeen, taking the class wallflower to the homecoming dance changes the course of Landon Carter's entire life.
• Tamar, Erika. Fair Game. YA PBK Tamar, E.
  After reading newspaper accounts about the gang-rape of a developmentally disabled girl by high school athletes in New Jersey, Erika Tamar wrote this novel to explain how "nice" boys from "nice" families might justify their crime.
• Thomas, Rob. Rats Saw God. YA PBK Thomas, R.
  Steve's senior year begins to improve as he writes the story of what happened his junior year that led to cutting classes, using drugs, and failing in school.
• Trueman, Terry. Inside Out. YA PBK Trueman, T., FIC Trueman, T.
  No one wants to be a hostage during a robbery, but without his medication, sixteen-year-old Jack is worried the really bad voices in his head will come back.

Back to Young Adult Booklists