The Book of Lists for Teens by Sandra and Harry Choron

Choron, S., & Choron, H. (2002). The Book of Lists for Teens. (p. 336). Mariner Books.

ISBN: 0618179070

Classification: book, nonfiction

Genre: nonfiction

Age Level: 9th-12th grade

Subjects: current events, family, friends, movie, music, nonfiction, siblings

Reader's Annotation: This book has a list for any subject you can imagine.

Summary: More than 250 lists are arranged into six sections in this book: Me, Myself and I, The World Out There, Relationships, School, Entertainment, and Facts on File. Some lists are just for fun, like "What how you eat and Oreo says about you." Some lists are chock full of good information, like "40 Ways to Simplify Your Life" (#33 is "Get to know the librarian.") Some lists you hope you never have to use, like "7 Ways to Report a Hate Crime." Some lists you might use over and over, like "14 Tips for Public Speaking" or "100 Things to Try When You're Bored." This book has plenty of laughs, plenty of great ideas, and plenty of useful and useless information.

Reviews / Awards:

Reviews from Amazon

Author Info:
Sandra Choron's Houghton Mifflin Page

Potential Hotspots:

none

Readalikes:

• The Teen Quiz Book by Annalee Levine
  
• Life Lists for Teens by Pamela Espelande
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
This is a compulsively easy book to read. It's the sort of thing you pick up thinking you'll read just a few pages, and when you next look up, hours have passed. The lists make this easy going, so it's a good fit for reluctant readers. Also, because of the incredibly wide range of topics covered, there's something in here for every reader to consider.

Other:

--

Evaluation:

4 stars

Kin: The Good Neighbors by Holly Black

Black, H. (2008). Kin: The Good Neighbors. (p. 144). Graphix.

ISBN: 0439855624

Classification: graphic novel, fiction

Genre: urban fantasy

Age Level: 10th-12th grade

Subjects: faerie, family, fantasy, urban fantasy, fiction, friends, graphic novel, identity, scary, series

Reader's Annotation: Rue uncovers the secret of her identity when her mother disappears and her father is accused of murder.

Summary: Rue Silver's mother has disappeared, and her father has been arrested, suspected of killing both Rue's mother and another college age girl. As Rue attempts to get to the bottom of these mysteries, she learns that her mother was a faerie. Rue is half-faerie. Her mother has disappeared because of a broken promise and if Rue has any hope of getting her back she'll have to go to the faerie world. She must face her own identity and her true family and deal with a fate darker than she expected.

Reviews / Awards:

Teenreads.com Review

Author Info:
Holly Black's website

Potential Hotspots:

violence, murder

Readalikes:

• Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
  
• Clubbing by Andi Watson and Josh Howard

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
Teens who like Urban Fantasy will want to read Holly Black's latest work. Graphic novel fans will also be drawn to the fantastic artwork.

Other:

This is the first graphic novel in a projected trilogy, called "Kin." The second and third installments are due out in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

Evaluation:

4 stars

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Ishiguro, K. (2005). Never Let Me Go. (Unabridged, 8 discs). Random House Audio.
ISBN: 0739317989

Classification: audio book, fiction

Genre: science fiction

Age Level: 11th-12th grade

Subjects: adult crossover, audiobook, cloning, coming of age, current events, death, distopia, fiction, friends, identity, love story, scifi

Reader's Annotation: Kathy H. is a Carer looking back over her life as a clone raised only to be an eventual organ donor.

Summary: Kathy H. is 31 years old and finishing up her allotted time as a Carer. Knowing that she will soon be called upon to donate organs she needs for survival, she is reviewing her life and her upbringing. As a child, she lived in an exclusive boarding school called Hailsham that was set aside for clones. She had a good education and made many friends. Her entire childhood and teen years, she was well looked after and cared for. She and her friends knew they were all different, and as they grew older they were given to understand what their role in this society was. Kathy and her friends don't question their fate, and Ishiguro's work causes us to question what sort of society could create these sorts of circumstances.

Reviews / Awards:

Slate Review by Margaret Atwood

Author Info:
Kazuo Ishiguro's biography on Contemporary Writers.

Potential Hotspots:

teen sex, cloning, oppression

Readalikes:

• The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
  
• Uglies Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection: This is a book for teens who like mysteries and for teens who like to wrestle with tough issues. Cloning and stem cells are hot topics in the news and teens can use this book to think about how science can both help and destroy a society.

Other:

I found this story to be very slow paced, which only increased the creepiness when I finally came to understand what was happening in the book. I'm a fast reader, so listening to this one as an audiobook made it even slower, and thus, even more creepy.

Evaluation:

4 stars

Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks

Brooks, M. (2007). Mistik Lake. (p. 224). Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR).

ISBN: 0374349851

Classification:book, fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Age Level: 9th-12th grade

Subjects: coming of age, death, family, fiction, identity, love story

Reader's Annotation: Three generations of women are drawn to the shores of Mistik Lake where their lives unfold in a small, interrelated community.

Summary: This is a slow, gentle sort of book. It is the story of three generations of women. Sally was the sole survivor of a tragic car accident on the frozen Mistik Lake in 1981. Her oldest daughter, Odella, understands her mothers loneliness and burgeoning alcoholism, and tries to hold her family together after her mother runs away to Iceland with a filmmaker. Sally's aunt, Gloria, owns the cabin on Mistik Lake where Odella spends her summers. Gloria also has secrets but she does what she can for Sally's girls. The story is set on the shores of Mistik Lake, where everyone knows everyone, and most people are related if one goes back a generation or two.

Reviews / Awards:

Canadian Review of Material's Review

Author Info:
Author info from the Manitoba Author Index Website

Potential Hotspots:

homosexuality, teen drinking, parental infedelity

Readalikes:

• Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You by Peter Cameron
  
• Backwater by Joan Bauer
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
This interwoven story feels rich and complex, and will be a treat for readers ready for something "more adult," though the material itself is not racy. There's something about this book that feels like a Jane Austen or Emily Bronte novel, with language that is much more approachable.

Other: Martha Brooks frequently appears on ALA lists of best books.

Evaluation:

4 stars

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

Mackler, C. (2003). The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things. (p. 246). Candlewick Press.

ISBN: 0763619582

Classification: book, fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Age Level: 9th-12th grade

Subjects: body image, family, fiction, friends, identity, love story, siblings

Reader's Annotation: Virginia is the odd one out in her brilliant, blonde family, but she learns there are some good points to being unique.

Summary: Virginia often feels like she must have been adopted into her thin, blond and brilliant family. She thinks she is fairly smart, though not brilliant. She's definitely not blond and she's definitely not thin. She's fairly certain her family is embarrassed about the way she looks and she desperately wants to gain their approval. Virginia tries very hard to diet and to behave in a way that would make her parents proud, until something terrible happens. Her brother, her hero, does something unforgivable. For awhile things are pretty rough for Virginia, but ultimately, she learns to strike her own path and to be true to her nature.

Reviews / Awards:

allreaders.com Review

Author Info:
Carolyn Mackler's website

Potential Hotspots:

kissing, fondling, masturbating, rape

Readalikes:

• Does My Head Look Big in This by Randa Abdel-Fattah
• Angus, Thongs and Full-frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
Virginia will be a familiar and comforting character to any teen who has ever felt like a stranger in her own family, or who has ever felt like she needed to diet to improve her life. Though the first half of the book is almost difficult to read, because Ginny is so desperate for approval, she does come around and become a positive, real role model by the end of the book.

Other:

This book might hold appeal for tweens as well, though because of some of the sexual overtones and the date rape situation, I'd use caution in recommending it to younger readers.

Evaluation:

4 stars

Miki Falls by Mark Crilley

Crilley, M. (2008). Miki Falls vol. 4 Winter. (p. 167). Harper Teen.

ISBN: 9780060846190

Classification: graphic novel, fiction

Genre: fantasy

Age Level: 9th-12th grade

Subjects: fantasy, fiction, graphic novel, love story, magic, series

Reader's Annotation: Miki Yoshida falls in love with Hiro Sakurai, an immortal who is prohibited from falling in love.

Summary: This series of four graphic novels (each named after a season of the year) follows the relationship between Miki Yoshida and Hiro Sakurai. Miki is starting her last year of high school when Hiro enrolls. Hiro is very handsome and the subject of much interest at school but he continuously rebuffs all attempts of friendship. This only makes Miki more determined to be his friend and to uncover the mystery behind his reclusiveness. She discovers that Hiro is one of a group of immortals whose task is to care for the amount of love in the world. They match humans who should be together and break humans apart who are not tending to their loving relationships. Hiro is not supposed to fall in love, but, of course, he falls for Miki. Having violated the rules of his people, he and Miki must flee from the ruler of Hiro's people who may not have the world's best interests at heart.

Reviews / Awards:

Read About Comics Review

Author Info:
Mark Crilley's website

Potential Hotspots:

some fighting, magic

Readalikes:

• Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya
  
• Regifters by Mike Carey
• Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
Mark Crilley created the well known series "Akiko" and thus he will be familiar to teen graphic novel fans. Also, the love story and magical elements will appeal to teens (girls in particular) who are not usually graphic novel fans. These are four books that will be quick, light reads.

Other:

There is a Miki Falls music video on YouTube, and rumors of a movie to be made in the near future.

Evaluation:

4 stars

In the Land of Women

In the Land of Women. (2007). DVD, Warner Home Video.
ASIN: B000VE4UHO

Classification: movie, fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Age Level: 11th-12th grade

Subjects: family, identity, love story, movie

Viewer's Annotation: Carter Webb goes to suburban Michigan to help his grandmother, to write his novel, and to recover from his breakup.

Summary: Carter Webb (played by Adam Brody of "The OC") gets dumped by his famous girlfriend whom he thought would be the love of his life. In an attempt to regroup, and to find a place to write the novel he's been putting off for a decade, he goes to suburban Michigan to care for his grandma who is sure she is dying. He befriends his grandmother's neighbors, Sarah (played by Meg Ryan) who has breast cancer, and her two daughters Lucy (played by Kristen Stewart, who will be Bella in the upcoming Twilight movie) and Paige. All three women have some level of crush on Carter and he certainly has tender feelings for both Sarah and Lucy. The movie is mostly about finding a livable definition of "love," both in the romantic and familial sense.

Reviews / Awards:

Common Sense Media Review

Author Info:
IMDB page

Potential Hotspots:

drinking, smoking, cancer, one fist fight, adultery

Watchalikes:

• Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
  
• Juno
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
The stars in this movie will make it a draw to teens. Both Adam Brody from The OC and Kristen Stewart, from Twilight will be names that teens will recognize. Also, the tension between mother and daughter will be a familiar theme to YA readers and viewers.

Other:

Trailer:

Evaluation:

4 stars

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

Crutcher, C. (2007). Deadline. (p. 320). HarperTeen.

ISBN: 0060850892

Classification:book, fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Age Level: 10th-12th grade

Subjects: death, family, love story, prejudice, siblings, sports

Reader's Annotation: Ben finds out he has leukemia and about one year to live, so he decides to get a whole lifetime into that last year.

Summary: Ben is 18 when he finds out he has an agressive form of lukemia. As a legal adult he can keep his condition to himself and he insists his doctor keeps the secret as well. He's about to start his senior year of high school and he is determined to pack the year full of life experiences. He tries out for the football team with his brother. He asks Dallas Suzuki, the girl he's had a crush on for years, out on a date. He challenges his government teacher and starts a campaign to get a street in his Idaho town named after Malcom X. He meets a reclusive former minister and child molester who

helps Ben to see that keeping his disease to himself, even for the sake of leading a normal life as long as he can, ultimately is not the answer.

Reviews / Awards:

Teenreads Review

Author Info:
Chris Crutcher's Website

Potential Hotspots:

prejudice, abuse by parents, drinking, discussion molestation (not graphic)

Readalikes:

• Before I Die by Jenny Downham
  
• Side Effects by Amy Goldman Kloss
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
Crutcher always has a lot going on in books. Good family relationships, bad family relationships, true love, sports (always some sports) and teens making it through a tough situation by relying on themselves and someone they trust. There's a message in there somewhere that most any teen can connect with.

Other:
A trailer:

Evaluation:

4 stars

Geography of Girlhood by Kirsten Smith

Smith, K. (2007). The Geography of Girlhood. (p. 192). Little, Brown Young Readers.
ISBN : 0316017353

Classification: book, fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Age Level: 9th-12th grade

Subjects: family, identity, love story, novel in verse, siblings

Reader's Annotation: Penny faces huge challenges in her freshman and sophomore years of high school.

Summary: This novel in verse follows Penny through her 9th and 10th grade years. Her mother has abandoned her, her best friend spirals into depression and must be institutionalized, her older sister is in and out of trouble, and her father remarries and brings home a wife and a stepson. Things are tough for Penny. She makes some good choices and she makes some bad choices, but ultimately survives her last year of middle school and first year of high school. This is an honest look at some of the hardest parts of growing up.

Reviews / Awards:

New York Times Review

Author Info:
Kirsten Smith's Website

Potential Hotspots:

drinking, sex, abandonment

Readalikes:

• What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonia Sonnes
  
• Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
Crams more teen angst and issues into 184 pages (especially when you consider they are poems, so per word is even higher) than any other book I can imagine reading. Great as an example of alternative story tell, fantastic for reluctant readers, I think many teen girls will feel like this novel is ripped from their own brains.

Other:

Really great cover art, and I found the poems to be really lovely.

Evaluation:

4 stars

Burnout by Rebecca Donner

Donner, R. (2004). Burnout. (p. 148). Minx.

ISBN : 9781401215378

Classification: graphic novel, fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Age Level: 10th-12th grade

Subjects: environment, family, friends, graphic novel, identity, love story

Reader's Annotation: Danni is confused about right and wrong when her new boyfriend commits acts of ecoterrorism.

Summary: Danni and her mother have been drifting from place to place ever since her father left when she was a baby. They end up in a remote logging town on the north Pacific coast, where they move in with Danni's mother's boyfriend and his son. Her mother's boyfriend is often drunk and managing a failing business, but his son Haskell is a mystery. Danni follows Haskell as he sneaks out of the house one night, and discovers he is sabotaging local logging activities. At first Danni is swept up in the adventure of saving the trees and she is quite taken with Haskell. As the story progresses, however, she sees that Haskell's methods are often dangerous and could have a cost in human lives or livelihoods.

Reviews / Awards:

Kirkus Review (as quoted on author's website)

Author Info:
Rebecca Donner's Website

Potential Hotspots:

family violence, ecoterrorism

Readalikes:

• Water Baby by Ross Campbell
  
• The Wild Trees by Richard Preston
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
This story ends on a sad, up in the air note, with no real resolution for the characters. While this isn't a "happy" ending, I think it is an honest sort of ending, demonstrating that lots of situations in life don't come with clear black and white answers.

Other:

I enjoyed the art in this story a lot. I had originally hoped to read and review this for my tween database, but decided the content was more appropriate for older teens.

Evaluation:

4 stars

Does my Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Abdel-Fattah, R. (2008). Does My Head Look Big In This? (p. 368). Scholastic Paperbacks.

ISBN: 043992233X

Classification: book, fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Age Level: 8th-12th grade

Subjects: fiction, prejudice, identity, friends

Reader's Annotation: Amal decided to wear her hijab whenever she is in public as a demonstration of her faith, but her school friends don't exactly know how to react to her choice.

Summary: While working out on her treadmill and watching a rerun of "Friends," sixteen year old Amal decides she is ready to be a "full-timer," to wear her hijab whenever she's in public or with people outside her family. She makes a list of people she thinks will be fine with the idea and another list of people she suspects will be either uncomfortable or downright hostile about her decision. She sticks with it, though, finding inspiration and understanding in some surprising places. She also begins to understand that faith, identity and prejudice all take many different forms, and that she, too, could stand to learn a few lessons about tolerance.

Reviews / Awards:

Starred review in Booklist

Amazon Reviews

Author Info:
Author Information on Scholastic.com

Potential Hotspots:

family conflict, prejudice

Readalikes:

• An Abundance of Katharines by John Green
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
This book covers a huge range of teen identity and self-esteem issues, beyond Amal's decision to wear the hijab, and I imagine almost every reader would find a character in this story that is familiar. This book does an excellent job of explaining why some women wear the hijab.

Other:

Funny, insightful, this book does a great job of explaining the signficance of the hijab, and making it just one of the many issues teenagers deal with before heading out the door to school in the morning.

Evaluation:

4 stars

Secret Life of Bees

Kidd, S. M. (2001). The Secret Life of Bees. (Unabridged, 8 discs) HighBridge.

ISBN: 1565115392

Classification: audio book, fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Age Level: 11th-12th grade

Subjects: adult crossover, audiobook, coming of age, family, fiction, friends, identity, movie, prejudice

Reader's Annotation: Fourteen year old Lily Owens sets off on a search for information about her mother following the only clues she has to her past.

Summary: Lily Owens isn't sure exactly how her mother died, but she is fairly sure that she killed her. She remembers an argument and a gun going off, but the details are hazy. She was young when it happened. At 14 years old, she's more intrigued about the picture of the Black Madonna with the words "Tiburon, South Carolina" than ever. When her friend Rosaleen gets attacked after registering to vote, Lily decides they should head to Tiburon. The picture leads them to Black Madonna Honey in Tiburon, the home of May, June, and August Boatwright. The Boatwright sisters offer to take Lily and Rosaleen in, but it is the summer of 1964, so there is bound to be trouble for Lily, who is white, while living in a house with four black women.

Reviews / Awards:

Allreaders.com Review

Author Info:
Sue Monk Kidd's Website

Potential Hotspots:

violence, parental violence, racial tensions

Readalikes:

• To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  
• Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection: This book has recently been made into a film with several actors teens may know well, such as Dakota Fanning and Jennifer Hudson. After seeing the film they may want to check out the book. Additionally, as the book is set in the 60's, it may be relevant to their studies.

Other:

The audiobook version of this story was quite enjoyable.

Evaluation:

4 stars

Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers

Myers, W. D. (2008). Sunrise Over Fallujah. (p. 304). Scholastic Press.

ISBN: 0439916240

Classification: book, fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Age Level: 10th-12th grade

Subjects: fiction, war, current events

Reader's Annotation: Robin Perry is serving in Iraq with a Civilian Affairs unit and he learns about the harsh realities of a war that most people thought should have already ended.

Summary: Robin Perry, who becomes known as "Birdy," disobeys his father's wishes and leaves Harlem for the war in Iraq rather than heading to college. The story follows Birdy and the rest of his Civilian Affairs unit through the first half of 2003, when many thought the war would be over quickly. As part of the Civilian Affairs, or CA, Birdy and his unit are supposed to be making connections with the Iraqi people, offering protection and first aid, seeking intelligence, and generally putting a friendly face on the American presence in Iraq. As the story progresses, the unit is involved in more and more combat, and it is increasingly difficult to tell friend from foe, or to imagine a speedy end to the conflict. Birdy writes home to his parents, and to "Uncle Richie," who is the main character in Meyer's award winning novel about Vietnam, "Fallen Angels."

Reviews / Awards:

School Library Journal Review

Author Info:
Walter Dean Myers Website

Potential Hotspots:

fighting, violence, death, attempted rape

Readalikes:

• Tamar by Mal Peet
  
• Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
  
• Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
This book is a great way to attempt to understand the war in Iraq. The wide cast of characters presents an array of viewpoints about the situation and will help teens envision the many shades of grey involved in the war.

Other:

A challenging book to read at times, but completely worthwhile. I feel I understand the war better than I used to.

Evaluation:

4 stars

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

Benway, R. (2008). Audrey, Wait! (p. 320). Razorbill.

ISBN: 159514191X

Classification:book, fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Age Level: 10th-12th grade

Subjects:family, friends, identity, love story, music, prejudice

Reader's Annotation: Audrey becomes inadvertently famous when her exboyfriend writes a smash hit song about their breakup.

Summary:
Audrey breaks up with her boyfriend Evan who happens to be the lead singer for a band that's really not going anywhere. Evan writes a song about their breakup, "Audrey, Wait!," that becomes a smash hit. Pretty soon, paparazzi are following Audrey everywhere and her reputation is, well, shall we say, tarnished? She's just trying to get past Evan, hang out at concerts with her friends, and perhaps spend some time with her shy, rule obsessed coworker at the Scooper Dooper. Things get out of hand.

Reviews / Awards:

CosmoGirl Review

Author Info:
Robin Benway's blog

Potential Hotspots:

sex, drinking, smoking pot

Readalikes:

• Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
  
• Amazing Grace by Megan Shully
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
This is a light-hearted read that would be a great choice for teens summer reading. While most teens will realize the plot is far fetched, it's still a pleasant voyeuristic tale. Personally, I now never go to the local Coldstone Creamery without thinking of Audrey.

Other:

Official Audrey, Wait! Website

Evaluation:

4 stars