FICTION
Things Not Seen
by Andrew Clements
When 15-year-old Bobby wakes up and finds himself invisible, he, his parents, and his new blind friend Alicia try to find out what caused his condition — and how to reverse it.
Dunk
by David Lubar
While hoping to work as the clown in an amusement park dunk tank on the New Jersey shore the summer before his junior year in high school, Chad faces his best friend's serious illness, hassles with police, and the girl that got away.
Ruby in the Smoke
by Philip Pullman
In 19th-century London, 16-year-old Sally, a recent orphan, becomes involved in a deadly search for a mysterious ruby.
Cupid
by Julius Lester
Cupid did not understand what had happened to him. He was the god of love, but he had never been in love.
A Crack in the Line
by Lawrence, Michael
When teenage Alaric travels to an alternate universe, he meets a girl who could be his twin and gets a glimpse of his mother, who, in his own world, has died. Rich sensory detail and a wealth of clever connections mark this inventive, complex fantasy that considers the quirks of chance and fate.
Private Peaceful
by Morpurgo, Michael
In this World War I story, the terse narrative of a young English soldier is as compelling about the world left behind as about the horrific daily details of trench warfare. Suspense builds right to the end, which is shocking, honest, and unforgettable.
Dough Boy
by Peter Marino
In this funny but heart-wrenching story, 15-year-old Tristan spends one week with his college professor mom and her boyfriend Frank, and the next with his college-professor dad and his girlfriend, and the situation works for everyone. Tristan's excess weight has always bothered him but since both of his parents live with heavy partners, he's been able to deal with it. But all that changes when Frank's daughter moves in. Beautiful, calorie- conscious Kelly turns heads, but her mouth is lethal as she immediately zeroes in on Tristan's weight and twists a knife into the wounds that she inflicts on his self-esteem.
Fat Kid Rules the World
by Going, K. L.
Troy is almost 300 pounds of sweating, unhappy insecurity. Then,out of a moment of despair, comes a charismatic punk rocker who befriends him. An impressive debut that offers hope for all kids—dross transmuted into gold.
The River between Us
by Peck, Richard
Personal secrets drive the plot and reveal the history in this powerful novel about two young women who get off a boat in a small southern Illinois town at the start of the Civil War.
Milkweed
by Jerry Spinelli
Part survival adventure, part authentic Holocaust history, this captures the perspective of a young orphan in the Warsaw ghetto. The child’s bewildered, matter-of-fact account distances the brutality without sensationalizing or lessening the truth.ilkweed
Sword of the Rightful King
by Yolen, Jane
A malicious witch, a throne in peril, and a plot twist that will take readers by surprise are the ingredients in this fresh, exceptionally skillful retelling of King Arthur’s story.
The House of the Scorpion
by Farmer, Nancy
The science is as scary as the fiction in Farmer's riveting story of a teenage clone who discovers his special destiny in a future world.
In Country
by Bobbie Ann Mason
In the summer of 1984, the war in Vietnam comes home to Sam Hughes, whose father was killed there before she was born.
Any of the Lord of the Rings trilogy
by Tolkien
Adventures of the underdog hobbits in the wider and more fantastic world of elves, dwarves, wizards and the evil ring wraiths.
Ender's Shadow
by Orson Scott Card
Bean begins life as an illegal experiment and ends up a disciple and safety net for Ender Wiggins in the battle to save Earth from the Buggers. A sci-fi series not to be missed - Ender's Game is the best known of this series.
NON - FICTION
The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition
by Caroline Alexander
Drawing on previously unavailable sources, this riveting account of Sir Ernest Shackleton's 1914 expedition to Antarctica presents 150 images by Australian photographer Frank Hurley, whose stunning visual record of the ordeal was — amazingly — preserved. Winner 1999 Alex Award.
Seabiscuit:An American Legend
by L. Hillenbrand
The true story of jockeys and trainers who create a Depression-era thoroughbred racing champion that captures the imagination of an entire nation.
October 1964
by David Halberstam
Heroes have a habit of growing larger over time, as do the arenas in which they excelled. The 1964 World Series between the Yankees and Cardinals was coated in myth from the get-go.
The Complete Maus: A Survivor’s Tale
by Art Speigelman
Art Spiegelman's "Maus: A Survivor's Tale" is a unique and unforgettable work of literature. This two-volume set of book-length comics (or "graphic novels," if you prefer) tells the story of the narrator, Artie, and his father Vladek, a Holocaust survivor. "Maus" is thus an important example of both Holocaust literature and of the graphic novel. (Pulitzer Prize Winner)
All But My Life
by Gerda Weissmann Klein
All But My Life is a memoir of Gerda Weissmann Klein’s six-year ordeal as a victim of Nazi cruelty. The story begins with her being forced to leave her home in Bielitz, Poland and ends with her liberation by American troops in Czechoslovakia in 1945.
The Glass Castle
by Jeannette Walls
From no indoor plumbing to a Park Avenue apartment in New York—this is the real life odyssey that Jeannette Walls, MSNBC columnist, takes you on. It’s the story of one family with two extremely eccentric parents who believe that life is an adventure even while their own four children suffer through poverty, starvation, and chaos. Funny, sad, honest, and inspiring—this memoir is a great summer read.
Marley and Me
by John Grogan
Dog lovers will delight in the true story of this yellow lab named Marley, a neurotic, loving, mischievous dog whose owners adore him despite his antics. Marley doesn’t fit the mold of calm, even-tempered labradors; he was an adorable puppy that by adulthood grew to be a lovably naughty, hyperactive, drooling 100 pound menace of destruction and loyalty. Follow Marley and his owners as they live their lives together. This isn’t just the story of a hilariously energetic dog, it’s also the heart-tugging story of the owners as they get married in their 20s and start a family. This book has been on the New York Times bestseller list for many months because it’s so touching, and it will even make someone who’s “not emo” laugh and cry by the end. This is an easy, fast, fun read for anyone who has ever owned and loved a pet.
It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life
by Lance Armstrong
A teenage misfit who finds his niche in cycling calls on the same personal characteristics that made him a cycling champion to survive cancer, win the Tour de France and find real joy.
All Over but the Shoutin’
by Rick Bragg
Pulitzer-prize winning reporter Rick Bragg remembers his years of growing up in poverty-stricken Alabama and how football became the vehicle for his success.
Finding Their Stride
by Sally Pont
Members of a track team from a small, private Pennsylvania school, although typically outnumbered and defeated as a team, find success as individuals.
We Are All the Same: A Story of a Boy’s Courage and a Mother’s Love
by Jim Wooten
Nkosi Johnson, a young South African boy born with AIDS, comes to symbolize the strength of the human spirit and the global battle against the disease.
