Chocolate War

by Robert Cormier

Summary:
Jerry Renault refuses to sell chocolates for a fundraiser at Trinity Catholic High School. This action causes a stir among the students and faculty. This was the first assignment he is given by Archie Costello, a member of the Vigils. He decides to continue to refuse to sell the chocolates, which causes division among students as they attempt to stand up for what they believe in despite opposition.

Evaluation: Classic YA literature book, very deep
Reading level: Grades 8-12
Cautions: Profanity, crude language, violence
Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1974
Pages: 264

Memoirs Of A Teenage Amnesiac

by Gabrielle Zevin

Summary:
Naomi, a junior, hits her head and cannot remember anything since sixth grade. She is surprised to see how her life has changed since 6th grade as she has started to deal with more mature subjects. As her memory starts to return, she tries to sort through her old and new self to try to understand which one is more herself.

Evaluation: Great writing, get great insight into this character's head
Reading level: Grades 8-12
Cautions: Mild Sexual topics, Family tension, Some language
Published by: Square Fish, 2009
Pages: 304

The Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins

Summary:
Taking place in the future, the United States has been changed to the country Panem. In this country, they have what's called the Hunger Games every year where two representatives from each district competes against each other, killing one another until there is a declared winner. 16-year-old Katniss decides to take the place of her sister who was picked as one of the representatives. Her and Peeta work together to face a possible death by the other competitors who seem to have much more of an advantage.

Evaluation: Great adventure book, gripping and interesting read!
Reading level: Grades 7-12
Cautions: Violence
Published by: Scholastic Press, 2008
Pages: 384

Twisted

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Summary:
Tyler Miller has a crappy life. He's got problems at school and problems at home. He has suicidal thoughts sometimes and just can't seem to get ahead in life. On the bright side, after doing community service all summer he has developed great muscles. This popular girl, Bethany, shows she's interested in him. The only problem is that she's the sister of his tormentor, Chip. We follow Tyler on his journey to decide how he wants to live his life.

Evaluation: Very realistic to High School, great for kids who have problems
Reading level: Grades 9-12
Cautions: Drinking, mild sexual content, family tensions, language
Published by: Speak, 2008
Pages: 272

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You

by Ally Carter

Summary:
15-year-old Cammie Morgan looks like the typical private school girl. That's what she wants you to think. What you will never know is that Gallagher Academy for girls is actually a spy-training school and her mom happens to be the Headmistress. Field trips are usually missions where the most important objective is to fit in and look invisible, something she manages to do a little too easily. That's why she didn't plan on falling in love with a boy who has no idea what she really is. Sneaking out to see him is no biggie, but how can she keep this forbidden relationship if she can't be honest?

Evaluation: Great spy adventure book
Reading level: Grades 7-10
Cautions: Mild romantic talk, mild violence
Published by: Hyperion Book, 2006
Pages: 288

Plan b

by Jenny O' Connel

Summary:
It's Vanessa's senior year and she has everything all planned out. She'll ace her SAT's and be reunited with her boyfriend Patrick next year at Yale. Everything is set in place until one day her father gets a call. She has a half-brother. He's coming to live with them for his senior year. Oh, and he's a famous actor, Reid Vaughn. Apparently this was part of some rehab program his mother was putting on him. Vanessa should be star-struck and happy. She's not. This was not part of her plans.

Evaluation: Hilarious writer, very real to High School, and very girly
Reading level: Grades 10-12
Cautions: Language, sex-related, drugs
Published by: MTV, 2006
Pages: 288

The Beast

by Walter Dean Myers

Summary:
Anthony "Spoon" Witherspoon has gone off to Wallingford Academy for his senior year. He's from Harlem and returns during his holiday break to realize how different everything looks to him now. There are gangs and drugs. It seems that everyone in his hometown is going down paths that don't look good except of course his girlfriend Gabi. But she does act a little different from last time he saw her. Plus, her mother is terminally ill. Spoon must figure out how to live in Harlem again without falling into the same traps as his peers.

Evaluation: A lot of different themes going on at once, drugs being forefront
Genre: Science fiction, Future, Identity
Reading level: Grades 9-12
Cautions: Mild language, sexuality, drugs, violence
Published by: Scholastic, 2005
Pages: 272

The Moves Make The Man

by Bruce Brooks

Summary:
Jerome Foxworthy has the unfortunate luck to be the first African-American boy in a white school since he happens to live in the school's boundaries. His love is basketball, and he practices it in his free time. At school he wants to join the basketball team, but the coach seems to think he doesn't have what it takes. He gets put in a Home Ec class with Bix, a white kid who plays Baseball. The unlikely pair become friends.

Evaluation: Good example of racism issues, touching story
Reading level: Grades 6-8
Ideas for use of the book: Teach about racism issues
Cautions: Mild language
Published by: Harper Collins, 1995
Pages: 280

Wednesday Wars

by Gary D. Schmidt

Summary:
Holling Hoodhood goes to a school where half the kids are Jewish and half are Catholic. He's the only Presbyterian. So during their release time, he's stuck with his teacher Mrs. Baker who he believes hates his guts. During their times together, she gets him to read Shakespeare. He begins to find the value of Shakespeare: wonderfully horrible sounding curses. He even gets involved in a Shakespeare play. His 7th grade year proves to be an interesting one between two giant rats and some chalk-dusted cream puffs.

Evaluation: Great messages in the story without sounding preachy
Reading level: Grades 6-8
Ideas for use of the book: Shakespeare precursor
Cautions: Mild tense family scenes
Published by: Clarion Books, 2007
Pages: 272

Prepare to be SHAKESPEARE INSULTED!

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

by Mary E. Pearson

Summary:
17-year-old Jenna Fox wakes up from a year-long coma with very little memory of who she was before the "accident". Her parents have moved to California from Boston, but something doesn't feel right. As her memory slowly returns, she had more questions. Her father is a notorious doctor who developed something called Bio Gel that has the ability to substitute for
human cells. While she tries to piece together her life before the accident, Jenna attempts to discover who she really is.

Evaluation: Very good writing, interesting and unique storyline, exciting suspense
Reading level: Grades 8-12
Ideas for use of the book:
Cautions: Mild language, kissing scenes
Published by: Henry Colt & Co, 2008
Pages: 272