An Abundance of Katherines

By: John Green

Summary:
Colin Singleton, a child-prodigy, graduates from High School and soon after his girlfriend, Katherine, breaks up with him. He becomes depressed and his friend suggests they go on a road trip to cure him. They end up in Gutshot, Tennessee and are persuaded to stay. He comes up with mathematical equations for love and believes he can graph love. He's pretty nerdy, but in a funny way.

Evaluation: Funny book. John Green is a great writer.
Reading level: Grades 9-12
Cautions: Language, Sexual content
Published by: Dutton Juvenile, 2006
Pages: 256

Cherry Ames Clinic Nurse

By: Julie Tatham

Summary:
This is the 13th book of the Cherry Ames series. In this book, Cherry is leaving the Hilton Clinic one afternoon when she is kidnapped and driven blindfolded to a mysterious location. She is then forced at gunpoint to help treat a gunshot wound.

Evaluation: Classic young adult book, great for aspiring nurses!
Reading level: Grades 9-12
Cautions: Violence
Published by: Grosset & Dunlap, 1952
Pages: 208

King of the Mild Frontier

By: Chris Crutcher

Summary:
This is an autobiography of the Chris Crutcher. He grew up in the 50s and his family had a white picket fence all straight and orderly for the world to see. But Chris struggled with anger management. He was protective of his alcoholic mother and butted heads with his strict father. He felt inadequate, but was very competitive. He describes himself as a misfit and klutz, but brings humor into his narrative to make it an interesting story.

Evaluation: Funny autobiography, deals with many psychological issues.
Reading level: Grades 8-12
Cautions: Language, Tense family situations
Published by: Greenwillow Books, 2003
Pages: 260

The Boy In The Striped Pajamas

By: John Boyne

Summary:
It's 1942 in Berlin, Germany. Bruno comes home from school one day to find all his family's belongings packed up. His dad got a promotion at work and they have to move to a new house where there is no play and nothing to do. There is a long fence that separates him from people he can't really see. But he meets boy on the other side of the fence who's life is very different from his own. This has devastating consequences.

Evaluation: Sad book with some graphic material. Very well-written.
Reading level: Grades 9-12
Cautions: Language, Violence
Published by: David Fickling Books, 2006
Pages: 224

Twilight

By: Stephenie Meyer

Summary:
17-year-old Bella Swan moves in with her dad to Forks, Washington where it's raining almost all the time. There she struggles to fit in. At school, she notices the most gorgeous guy she's ever seen who seems to hate her guts. She soon finds out that Edward is actually a vampire and is so attracted to the scent of her blood that he has to fight the urge to bite her neck. She falls deeply in love with him, but he pulls back for her safety. When a rogue vampire comes to Forks and wants to suck her blood, Bella's life is in danger as Edward tries to save her without succumbing to the urge as well.

Evaluation: Very captivating book, addicting series
Reading level: Grades 9-12
Cautions: Mild sexuality, Violence
Published by: Little, Brown books for Young Readers, 2005
Pages: 544

American Born Chinese (graphic novel)

By: Gene Luen Yang

Summary:
There are three plots in this graphic novel. The first is the Monkey King who wants to be revered as a god. The second is Jin Wang, a middle school student who wants to fit in with his white peers. And the third is Danny, an American boy who is so ashamed of his stereotypically Asian cousin Chin-Kee that he switches schools. The three stories collide and the first two characters end up feeling comfortable with who they are.

Evaluation: This book is about making you feel comfortable in your own skin.
Reading level: Grades 6-12
Cautions: Bullying
Published by: First Second, 2006
Pages: 233

Is That You, Miss Blue?

By: M.E. Kerr

Summary:
15-year-old Flanders has been sent to a girl's boarding school because her mother has run off with another man. At school, she meets a girl named Cardmaker and Miss Blue, a reclusive teacher who is quirky but interesting. She develops an attachment to her teacher and helps her with issues.

Evaluation: Good for those who feel like they don't belong or have divorced parents.
Reading level: Grades 6-12
Cautions: Tense family issues
Published by: Harper Collins, 1975
Pages: 170