Great Books 2005

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Great Books 2005

GREAT PICTURE BOOKS 2005
ANNOTATED LIST

AA - African American Interest	HISP - Hispanic Interest
AS - Asian Interest	MC - Multicultural-several or many ethnic groups
DO - Diversity (Other issues besides ethnicity)	Great Picture Books List in PDF format

The annotations below are collected from the following professional journals: Booklist, BCCB, Children’s Literature, Horn Book, Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, and School Library Journal

Ashman, Linda - Starry Safari
A youngster driving a bright orange jeep begins a wild safari, passing everything from buffaloes to zebras, on a trip punctuated with thrilling noise effects such as “Beep! Beep! Beep!” and “Roar!!!” With bright, bold illustrations and a rhyming text, the action takes a surprising turn with the arrival of the “Big Safari Ranger” (Dad). Ages 2-5

Ashman, Linda - To the Beach!
A family’s attempt to take a summer time trip to the beach unfolds in this bright and colorful tale. Just as they leave the house, someone remembers another item which has been left behind. After several trips back to the house, the rain catches up with the family. All is not lost and the final spread shows the family at the “beach.” Ages 3-6

Barbour, Karen - Mr. Williams
With bright folk-art style double-page spreads, Barbour relates in spare text the boyhood memories of Mr. Williams, a family friend who grew up in rural Louisiana during the Depression. This fine work of oral history can be enjoyed both as the tale of an African-American Louisiana farm boy’s life in the early 20th century, or as a springboard for class discussion on race and oral history. Ages 6-10 AA

Bonnett-Rampersaud, Louise - How Do You Sleep?
In a rhyming format, wild and domestic animals and two children answer the title question and tell how they sleep. This information is enhanced by soothing double-page oil paintings. Ages 2-6

Brett, Jan - Honey, Honey - - Lion!
Usually, the African honey badger and honeyguide bird share the honey that they work together to find. One day, the honey badger refuses to share the honey, and the honeyguide bird decides to teach him a lesson. Brett’s rich watercolor and gouache illustrations highlight this African legend. Ages 4-8

Brunelle, Nicholas - Snow Moon
A boy, awakened by an owl, follows the bird through a blue and purple landscape of snow until they reach the special place, where hundreds of owls dance and swoop between the moon and the snow-covered fields. Written in spare text, with delicate artwork, the story suggests a bit of magic and a bit of wonder. Ages 4-7

Cordsen, Carol - Foskett The Milkman
As dawn brightens the sky and town, the milkman delivers milk, eggs, bread, a get-well card, a toy for a new baby, and helps find a lost dog, before going home to his own family and breakfast. Ages 4-7

Cronin, Doreen - Diary of a Spider
Written in a diary format, a young spider discovers that there is a lot to learn about being a spider including spinning webs and avoiding vacuum cleaners. While the story is certainly humorous, it also shares a message about everyone getting along. Ages 4 to 8

Cronin, Doreen - Wiggle
Wiggle to the right, wiggle to the left. Follow spotted dog as he guides you through a fun-filled rhyming book. “Do you wake up with a wiggle? Do you wiggle out of bed? If you wiggle with your breakfast, it may wind up on your head.” Colorful collage combines cartoon illustrations with reality photographs in artwork which carries this book. With its movement and energy both children and adults will love this book. Ages 2-6

Daly, Niki - Ruby Sings the Blues
Ruby Sings the Blues is a lively story about a girl with a very loud voice. She annoys her neighbors, her classmates, and even her cat. But when she meets the jazz musicians who live downstairs, she discovers that her voice is really her greatest asset. With its funky beatnik flair, this tale reveals the importance of individuality, and having the courage to express it, as well. Ages 4-9

DiPucchio, Kelly S. - Dinosnores
It is bedtime and all the dinosaurs are settling down for the night, oblivious to the fact that their various snores are causing earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and eventually causing the continents to split apart. This is an amusing look at "ancient history". Ages 6-8

Ehlert, Lois - Leaf Man
Oh, the beautiful colors of fall! Lois Ehlert creates a whimsical man made of leaves and takes him on a journey wherever the wind blows - “past the chickens, over the turkey, or, flying along the river….” Leaves and acorns are cleverly arranged, becoming the creatures and objects in this delightful fall story. An added bonus: the leaves used in the story are identified on the end papers. Ages 4-8

Esbaum, Jill - Ste-e-e-e-eamboat A-Comin'!
Short rhyming couplets describe the high excitement when a Mississippi steamboat docks at a small town. Set in a type-face reminiscent of 19th century-style circus posters and illustrated with large scenes of bustling people, this book effectively evokes a memorable river scene from bygone days. Ages 7-9

Fallon, Jimmy - Snowball Fight!
On a snow day off from school, a young boy cannot wait to have a snowball fight. Illustrator Adam Stower's watercolors have an old-fashioned touch with kids’ faces aglow from a frosty winter day at play. Ages 4-7

Fleming, Denise - The First Day of Winter
“On the first day of winter, my best friend gave to me” begins this counting story of the snow man and the boy who adorns him with one red cap, two blue mittens, and a host of scarves, leaves, pinecones and berries. Ages 4-7

George, Lindsay Barrett - The Secret
Mr. Snail tells a mouse his secret, and the mouse passes it on to the beetle, who tells the turtle, and so on, until the secret reaches Miss Snail. Large-scale collage illustrations combine naturalistic elements such as flowers and leaves with cutouts of brightly painted animals to create a vibrant 3-D effect. Children will delight in tracing the secret’s route on the bold dotted line that runs though the illustrations, connecting each secret teller to the next. Ages 3-7

Gliori, Debi - Where Did That Baby Come From?
These brightly colored pages show a young cat trying to figure out where the new baby in his house came from and if it wasn’t best to just “set it free.” Then the baby needs him and everything changes. This is a warm and humorous story that might help to ease the anxieties of a child with a new baby in the house. Ages 3-7

Grimes, Nikki - Danitra Brown, Class Clown
Danitra Brown and her best friend Zuri are starting a new school year. Danitra is full of excitement and fun, while her friend is anxious. The story is told through a series of poems and illustrated through detailed watercolor paintings that express the girls’ emotions, personalities and great friendship. Ages 8 and up AA

Hopkinson, Deborah - Saving Strawberry Farm
Set in a Midwestern town during the Great Depression, young Davy learns that a neighbor’s farm is about to be sold at auction. He rallies his friends and neighbors to help save Strawberry Farm. The author’s notes provide factual information about this time period. Ages 4 and up

Jackson, Ellen - Earth Mother
Earth Mother is depicted as a beautiful African-American woman, tending to her creations throughout the world. She smilingly ignores all their complaints as she bids them each goodnight, secure in the knowledge that all is exactly as it should be. The story is greatly enhanced by the beautiful illustrations which are done in earth tones and bring to life the richness of nature. Ages 4-8 AA

Jenkins, Steve - Prehistoric Actual Size
A Junior Library Guild selection, this book shows through "actual-size" illustrations what it's like to come face-to-face with a huge dragon-fly, a six-foot millipede, and dinosaurs, both large and small. This colorful volume includes additional information about the creatures, all of whom once roamed the Earth. Ages 5-12

Johnson-Davies, Denys - Goha the Wise Fool
This is a collection of fifteen tales about the Middle Eastern folk hero Nasreddin Hoca, also known as Goha, a man with a reputation for answering difficult questions in a clever way. Unique, brightly colored appliqué scenes created by artists from the Street of the Tentmakers in Cairo accompany these brief witty stories. These humorous yet wise stories can be enjoyed for their universal truths as well as for their insight into Middle Eastern culture. Ages 7-10, younger for reading aloud MC

Krosoczka, Jarrett J. - Punk Farm
After a long day of work, Farmer Joe heads off to bed. His farm animals however, are just getting geared up for a rock concert they are giving in the barn that night. At their concert they perform a riotous rendition of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” substituting sounds from their instruments for the usual animal sounds. Ages 5-8

Lee, Spike - Please, Puppy, Please
Two small children are paired with a young and energetic puppy in this happy book. We are treated to lively oil painted illustrations from many perspectives as the children, in trying to get the puppy to behave, repeat “Please, puppy, please!” Ages 2-6 AA

Lewis, E. B. - This Little Light of Mine
The African-American spiritual is used to create a story of an exceptional young boy who embodies the true essence of the song. Beautiful double page spread watercolors are given their berth in this inspiring book. Ages 4-7 AA

Lyons, Mary E. - Roy Makes a Car
Based on a Zora Neale Hurston sketch, this book is a tall tale about an auto mechanic in Florida who builds ever more fantastic cars. The illustrations are cropped to provide unique situational perspectives. Ages 7-9 AA

Mallat, Kathy - Papa Pride
In short rhyming text, three wolf pups describe the special relationship they have with their father. The artist used oil pastels and colored pencils on illustration board to create the illustrations for this book. Ages 2-5

Markes, Julie - Shhhhh! Everybody's Sleeping
A young child is encouraged to go to sleep, as everybody’s sleeping. Twelve community helpers are sleeping at their workplace in appropriately themed beds. The librarian is sleeping in a bed made of books. The fireman is sleeping in a fire truck bed. The grocer is resting on a bed of lettuce. And the farmer is sleeping on a haystack. Large double-page illustrations characterized by warm colors in subdued hues are accompanied by rhyming text. Perfect for bedtime! Ages 2-5

McClements, George - The Last Badge
The lively end papers of The Last Badge start us on an adventure with Samuel
Moss, Grizzly Scout. Samuel longs to be in his family's Album of Scouting
Greatness. To accomplish this, he sets out to obtain the elusive Moon Frog
Badge. After much research, Samuel and his father trek, wade, and hike until
they find the precise location of the Moon Frog. With success, Samuel realizes that protecting the anonymity of the Moon Frog may be more important than his own notoriety. This story, with its enthusiastic illustrations and storyline, reveals the true meaning of greatness. Ages 4-8

Nelson, Kadir - He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
Through a combination of pencil, oil, and watercolor, Kadir Nelson’s beautiful illustrations capture the family/community feelings that this familiar spiritual elicits. The illustrations highlight the close bond among the members of a young African American family and their appreciation of the world and the diversity of the people in it. Ages 4-7 AA

Nolen, Jerdine - Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life
Hewitt Anderson is the only child in a family of giants, but he is not a giant. His life is full of love and fun and challenges. Because of Hewitt, everyone learns that "big or small, either is best of all." In other words, size doesn't matter! Ages 5-8 AA

O'Connor, George - Ker-Splash!
At the beach, two children playing “SuperHero” learn about courage and bullies from, of all people, their younger brother. Ages 6-8

O’Malley, Kevin - Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude
This story, which has two very opinionated narrators, begins with a girl telling of Princess Tenderheart, whose ponies are being stolen by a giant. A boy jumps in and a “really cool muscle dude” arrives on a motorcycle. From there, the story goes back and forth until they craft an ending where the princess and the dude defeat the giant together. The competing storylines, frequent narrator commentary, and the use of three illustrators make this a hilarious and creative twist on the fairy tale genre. Ages 6-10.

Polacco, Patricia - Emma Kate
Emma Kate and her best friend share many activities, such as homework and
soccer practice; they even have their tonsils out at the same time! Polacco's use of the color gray and the little touches of red to highlight the little girl's dress add to the effect of the story. Will you be able to figure out the surprise that is revealed at the end? Ages 3-8

Reid, Barbara - The Subway Mouse
Inspired by stories of a beautiful but dangerous place called Tunnel's End, a mouse named Nib leaves his dirty, crowded home under a busy subway station and seeks adventure. He is joined on his long journey by Lola, a mouse he meets along the way. The book includes unusual illustrations, created with plasticine and decorated with acrylic paint and found objects. Ages 5-7

Richardson, Justin - And Tango Makes Three
This is a heartwarming true story about two male penguins that lived as a couple in the Central Park Zoo. Roy and Silo did everything together that the other penguin couples did, including taking turns to hatch a chick placed on their nest by the penguins’ keeper. The baby chick, named Tango, and her two daddies continue to delight zoo visitors to this day. Ages 4-8

Rodman, Mary Ann - My Best Friend
Six-year old Lily has a best friend for play group all picked out but unfortunately the differences between first graders and second graders are sometimes very large. The realistic watercolor illustrations of the neighborhood pool add extra dimension to this tale. Ages 3-6 AA

Say, Allen - Kamishibai Man
The old Japanese street performer goes out again after many years to tell his stories, and finds the city much changed. As he recounts how he once entertained children before the days of television, his former audience, now adults with children of their own, come back to hear him. He even winds up on the evening news. Ages 4-8 AS

Scotton, Rob - Russell the Sheep
Russell is a sheep that just can’t get to sleep. He tries sleeping in different places and other things. When nothing works he tries counting things, but he still can’t sleep. Finally, he counts sheep and it works like a charm. The humorous paintings in this story bring it to life. Ages 3-8

Sneed, Brad - Deputy Harvey and the Ant Cow Caper
The sheriff of Ant Hill seems none too worried when the townsfolk inform him that someone--perhaps a gang of ladybugs--has been rustling their ant cows, but Deputy Harvey is determined to put a stop to the thievery. Ages 6-8

Stevens, Janet - The Great Fuzz Frenzy
A tennis ball lands in a prairie dog town, and the prairie dogs begin to play with its fuzz. Their fuzz frenzy soon becomes a fuzz fiasco. Ages 3-7

Tavares, Matt - Mudball
As Andy Oyler listened to the jeering crowd, on a cold, wet, dreary day, he, too, wondered whether he should quit playing for the Minneapolis Millers. He was the shortest player on the team and he just couldn’t seem to get a hit, no matter what he tried. Then, as he stepped up to bat, with bases loaded, it began to pour. With the rain came a change in Andy’s luck. This wonderful book done in pencil and watercolors gives us a folktale with a hero we can all relate to. It doesn’t always take size and strength to reach a goal, sometimes it just takes determination. An Epilogue and an Author’s note add a nice historical touch to the story. Ages 4-9

Van Rossum, Helene - Will You Carry Me?
Thomas has been playing in the park all morning. Now, it’s time to go home, and Thomas is very, very tired. He asks, “Mommy, will you carry me?” But Mommy has a much better idea . . . she and Thomas jump, swim, fly, and run all the way home. Illustrations are rendered with ink and watercolors in the hues of sunset. Fanciful creatures grace each intricately illustrated page. Ages 2-4

Watson, Richard Jesse - The Magic Rabbit
A magic rabbit hops out of a magic hat and discovers the magic he can do as he
pulls balls and even a picnic complete with food out of the hat. But something
is missing...a friend. He pulls out a frog and other animals, but each one goes away leaving him to find a hat inside of his hat and another magic rabbit. This story is beautifully illustrated in oil with such texture that it looks as if you could run your fingers through the rabbit’s fur making it a perfect book to share in a group. Ages 2-6

Willems, Mo - Time to Say "Please"!
Mice carry signs and banners which encourage children to use the word “please” in this manners book which feature outline illustrations with both lots of white space and much detail. Ages 3-6

Wolff, Ferida - It Is the Wind
The sounds of the night lure a child to the window where he listens to and identifies many of the sounds he hears in the rural setting. The very blue and green watercolor illustrations depict the animals and finally the child as he is lulled to sleep by the wind. Ages 2-6 AA

GREAT BOOKS FOR KIDS 2005
ANNOTATED LIST

AA - African American Interest	HISP - Hispanic Interest
AS - Asian Interest	MC - Multicultural-several or many ethnic groups
DO - Diversity (Other issues besides ethnicity)	Great Books for Kids List in PDF format

The annotations below are collected from the following professional journals: Booklist, BCCB, Children’s Literature, Horn Book, Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, and School Library Journal.

Alexander, Lloyd - Dream-of-Jade
In a fictional ancient Chinese empire, a cat named Dream-of-Jade befriends the lonely and badly advised Celestial Emperor. Little by little, Dream-of-Jade intervenes between the Emperor and his courtiers, lifting the weight of stifling tradition and meaningless ceremony from his shoulders and allowing honesty and common sense to prevail. This fancy feast of delicious satire begs to be read aloud to children. Ages 8-10 AS

Amato, Mary - Naked Mole Rat Letters
When Frankie’s father begins a long-distance romance with a Washington, D.C. keeper of mole-rats at the zoo, the 12-year-old sends fabricated e-mail letters to the zookeeper in an attempt to end the relationship. Through the e-mails to the zookeeper and her own diary entries, Frankie expresses her struggles with disappointment, anger and loss. The story provides solid relationships and refreshing characterizations. Ages 10-12

Anderson, M.T. - Whales On Stilts
Lily and her two best friends, Jasper and Katie, use all their smarts to outwit Lily’s dad’s boss, Larry, a mysterious man who wears a bag over his head, has rubbery blue skin, and pours brine over himself! Written in the style of old-fashioned pulp adventure novels, Lily must rely on her wits and brains to save the world. Ages 9-13

Armstrong, Alan W. - Whittington
A battered cat Whittington, a feline descendant of Dick Whittington's famous cat of English folklore, appears at a rundown barnyard with a community of outcast animals. He proves to be a welcome addition to the motley crew and the owner’s grandchildren, most notably for his skill as a storyteller as well as for the fascinating story that he has to tell. An adventuresome, exotic tale. Ages 10-12

Auch, Mary Jane - Wing Nut
Since Grady’s father died, the 12-year-old and his mom, Lila, have lived in a lot of dead-end places. But maybe Charlie Fernwald's Pennsylvania farm, where Lila has been hired to cook for the old farmer, mechanic, and purple martin enthusiast, will be different. Then Grady makes a terrible mistake. Auch tells the story of the slowly developing friendship between a lonely boy and an elderly man. This is a good book for reluctant boy readers. Ages 10-12

Baskin, Nora Raleigh - Basketball (or Something Like It)
Four 6th grade students form a lasting friendship during the difficulties of the basketball season. The dynamics between players, coaches, parents, family, and fans are explored as each player has a difficult situation to deal with that affects their game tremendously. Ages 10-12

Bauer, Marion Dane - A Bear Named Trouble
Based on an actual incident, and told in alternating chapters from the points of view of a bear and a boy, this is both an involving animal story and a thought-provoking investigation into the consequences of one's actions. Ages 8-10

Birdsall, Jeanne - The Penderwicks
Meet the Penderwicks - a delightful family of four sisters, a father and a dog as they head off to a cottage on an estate for summer vacation and find themselves involved with romance, rabbits, the young son of the snooty lady of the mansion, and a bull. The comforting story warms the heart and leads you through childish antics and choices. Ages 9-12

Blacker, Terence - Boy2Girl
After his mother's death, Sam, 13, leaves California to live with British relatives. He takes on his cousin's dare and attends his new English school with a fresh identity-as a girl. Sitcomlike high jinks ensue; Sam(antha) isn't just a new girl on campus-"she" teaches the (real) girls how to fight, and the most popular boy falls for "her." The reader constantly wonders what will come next. An easy, amusing read, this book will attract both boys and girls. Ages 10-12

Blumenthal, Karen - Let Me Play
Explores the history, struggle, and passage of Title IX, the law that allowed girls the freedom to pursue sports of their choosing, and the effects this law has had on society since its inception, such as the increased enrollment of women in law schools and the development of one of the best soccer teams in the world today. The book is filled with period photos and cartoons, plus anecdotes from the people who never gave up on the measure. Ages 9-11

Broach, Elise - Shakespeare’s Secret
Hero, who hates her Shakespearean name, moves to Maryland in time to start sixth grade.
Aided by a popular eighth grade boy, she becomes involved in a search for a diamond missing from a 500-year old necklace that may have belonged to Anne Boleyn. The diamond is rumored to be hidden in Hero’s new house and the necklace may hold clues to both a mystery dating back to Shakespeare’s time and a modern day mystery. Ages 10-12

Bunting, Eve - The Lambkins
Kyle Wilson rides his bike to the art studio where his paintings are displayed twice a week. On one of these trips he stops to help the crazy Mrs. Shepard change a flat tire. She injects him with a formula that shrinks him to the size of a coke bottle. He is held captive with three other shrunken children, and they plot to escape. This book places the reader in the children's situation and it's scary and thrilling. Ages 10-12

Codell, Esme Raji - Diary of a Fairy Godmother
Hunky Dory is the top student in her charm school, but her inner conflict about the purpose of witchcraft plagues her. She wonders if it must always be focused on evil. Hunky becomes interested in the work of fairy godmothers, a group looked down upon by ordinary witches and, after much soul searching, she concludes that she wants to become one. Characters from well-known fairy tales weave in and out of the story. This is a fun read that will have particular appeal to fans of Eva Ibbotson's Not Just a Witch. Ages 10-12

Creech, Sharon - Replay
Leo, while preparing for a role in the school play, finds an autobiography that his father wrote as a teenager, and he stumbles on a family secret and begins to understand that the adults have interior lives and past experiences. The school play is included. Ages 10-12

Delaney, Joseph - Revenge of the Witch: The Last Apprentice
Delaney grabs readers by the throat and gives them a good shake in a smartly crafted horror story. Thomas, the 12-year-old seventh son of a seventh son, is taken on as an apprentice by the local Spook. It's the Spook's job to keep the surrounding area free from witches, bogarts, and the creepy things. He's in for a series of shocks, though, as the job turns out to be considerably tougher and lonelier than he expects. Ages 10-12

Dendy, Leslie - Guinea Pig Scientists
Driven by curiosity and ignoring risks to their own safety, the ten scientists featured in this book performed experiments on themselves that led to advances in our scientific knowledge. They tested the human body’s tolerance for heat, g-forces and oxygen deprivation. They found the causes of serious diseases and developed surgical procedures and ways to make surgery less painful. Their stories are inspiring and often gruesome. Ages 10-12

Dowell, Frances O'Roark - Chicken Boy
Tobin's got a near-certifiable grandmother, a pack of juvenile delinquent siblings, a dad who's no prize, and a best friend who thinks raising chickens will reveal the meaning of life. Getting through seventh grade is going to be tough. Tobin's life will resonate with many young people who are struggling to see just where they fit in. Ages 10-12

Erdrich, Louise - Game of Silence
In this sequel to The Birchbark House, a young Ojibwe girl embraces her own talents under the threat of a United States government that has determined to take her people's land for itself. The year is 1850, and although her family has survived smallpox and unforgiving winters, this latest danger seems insurmountable. Ages 10-12 DO

Fleischman, Sid - The Giant Rat of Sumatra
Fleishman's latest novel features pirates, bandits, romance, and revenge, all set in the lively world of 1846 San Diego. A cabin boy named Shipwreck arrives in town in the company of Captain Gallows, a dashing pirate with a good heart. While waiting to return to his New England home, Shipwreck helps the captain conceal a treasure while the man searches for his long lost love. Filled with adventure, comedy, and high jinks, this tale can be enjoyed by all. Ages 10-12

Frank, Lucy - Lucky Stars
A tender novel centers on a pair of troubled teens who find themselves, and each other, through music and an abandoned duck named Dirk. Kira has a beautiful voice that her unemployed musician father exploits by conning her to sing in the subway with the family ensemble. Jake is a good student, but cuts classes to avoid the embarrassment of his stutter. Together they overcome their obstacles. Although the story touches on some depressing topics, a humorous edge overrides all the gloom. Ages 10-12

Giblin, James Cross - Good Brother, Bad Brother
Set against the backdrop of one of America’s most tragic historic events, Good Brother, Bad Brother is a real life story that combines tragedy, drama, political intrigue, and a family saga in one book. Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth, renowned and brilliant actors are brothers torn apart by the Civil War. Filled with first hand accounts from family and other persons who knew them, this book will enthrall you from the first page. Ages 9-12

Giff, Patricia Reilly - Willow Run
During World War II, Meggie moves with her parents to Willow Run because her father gets a job in the B-24 bomber-building factory. Spam and spies, 1940s songs and Victrolas, and a lively cast of characters make wartime America pop to life in this finely wrought story of cowardice and courage. Giff's engrossing, heartwarming story will help readers understand how personally war affects people. Ages 10-12

Going, K.L. - The Liberation of Gabriel King
At the start of the summer of 1976, Frita decides she’s going to “liberate” best friend Gabe from his fears, so the two of them both make lists of what they’re most afraid of. While Gabe’s list includes such things as spiders and the 5th grade, Frita’s addresses more serious issues such as racist Mr. Evans. The author “deftly balances the ugly face of racism with the more powerful forces of friendship, and family.” A heartwarming novel about doing the right thing. Ages 10-12 AA

Haddix, Margaret - Double Identity
When Bethany's overprotective parents drop everything to leave her in the middle of nowhere with an aunt she never knew existed, she uncovers shocking secrets from the past and discovers that she is a clone of an older sister who died. Haddix's timely novel raises provocative issues about what makes an individual unique, with both compassion and clarity. Ages 10-12

Hawass, Zahi A. - Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs
Through updated CAT scans of the king's mummy and a detailed examination of the contents discovered in his tomb, readers are given a review of the short life of this well-known boy king of Egypt through an informative guide of the period in which he lived and ruled. The book features more than 60 breathtaking photographs and illustrations. Ages 10-12

Keehn, Sally M. - Gnat Stokes and the Foggy Bottom Swamp Queen
Gnat, a spunky young girl in nineteenth century Appalachia, attempts to rescue a long-lost local boy from Zelda, the wicked Foggy Bottom Swamp Queen in this fun, quirky escapade. Gnat's fierce desire to learn the true nature of life and love burns bright throughout this warm, suspenseful, adventure novel that bubbles up with swamp wisdom. Ages 10-12

Kelly, Katy - Lucy Rose: Big on Plans
Lucy Rose is still not crazy about her parents’ separation, but she is crazy about her upcoming summer vacation. She is determined to make it "big on fun and big on plans.” Will a pack of apricot-hungry squirrels and a rude girl named Ashley ruin Lucy Rose’s carefully planned summer, or will she figure out a way to make sure everything goes as planned? Ages 8-10

Klise, Kate - Deliver Us from Normal
Charles glumly records efforts of his hardworking parents to make ends meet, the tumultuous teasing and tears at home among his four siblings and his own unsuccessful efforts to escape the jeering notice of his middle school's in-crowd. Just beneath these seemingly routine trappings, however, lurks a far more rewarding tale, for his family, is one of those uncommon species, a cohesive nuclear family whose members, for all their occasional fallings-out, love and respect each other. Ages 10-12

Laguna, Sofie - Surviving Aunt Marsha
While their parents take their first vacation alone in years, Bettina, Vince, and Aidan stay with Aunt Marsha for three weeks. It won't be easy. Aunt Marsha hates comic books and loves kidney pie. How will the kids survive her for three whole weeks? A tragic event makes them all work together and gain a mutual respect for one another that they never had before. Ages 10-12 DO

Lester, Julius - The Old African
Lester's story is based on a legend about slaves in Georgia, where a group of slaves walked into the water, saying they were walking to Africa. His resulting novella about spirit and freedom shows how hope can live in a people. Lester and Pinkney combine their talents here to create an unusual, complex, and thought-provoking offering in which the Old African is the keeper of a power that brings salvation to his people. Ages 8-10 AA

Sarah Littman - Confessions of a Closet Catholic
Eleven-year-old Justine is questioning the meaning of faith. To be more like her best friend, she decides to give up Judaism to become Catholic, but after her beloved, religious grandmother dies, she fears that God is punishing her. She realizes with the help of a rabbi that she needs to seek her own way of being Jewish. Readers can't help but laugh and cry with this winning protagonist. Ages 9-12

Mackel, Kathy - MadCat
MadCat Campione's fastpitch softball team is going National. But suddenly, half the team is cut to make room for hotshots from other towns, and the parents fire the coach. The team knows nothing can stop them, but are they winning where it counts? Ages 9-10

Mah, Adeline Yen - Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society
12-year-old narrator CC (Chinese Cinderella) manages to escape her painful home life with a neglectful father and his tyrannical girlfriend by running away. She joins the Secret Dragon Society and learns about espionage and martial arts allowing her to save lives in WWII. CC emerges as a noble, compassionate heroine. Readers interested in history and cultures will find this selection engrossing. Ages 10-12 AS

Lance, Marcum - The Cottonmouth Club
Eleven-year-old Mitch and his best friend are looking forward to the perfect summer (it is 1962) when his parents announce that he and his family will be spending it in rural Louisiana with his mother's relatives. His immediate despair slowly fades as he comes to appreciate Southern cooking, family stories, adventures with his five boy cousins, and a girl named Skeeter. Ages 10-12

Martino, Carmela - Rosa, Sola
Longing for a sibling in 1966 Chicago, sensitive fourth-grader Rosa is delighted with her mother's pregnancy, until tragedy strikes and her family struggles to deal with its grief. This story has a quiet, touching appeal, including the lives of a recent immigrant Italian-American family. Ages 9-12 DO

Molloy Michael - Peter Raven Under Fire
Peter Raven is a young midshipman in the Royal Navy. Raven, along with the swashbuckling secret agent Commodore Beaumont, uncovers a reckless scheme devised by none other than Napoleon Bonaparte. Eager to add America to his empire, Napoleon has made a wicked pact with a murderous pirate known as Count Vallon. Raven, Beaumont, and a young American heiress, Lucy, must do whatever it takes to put a stop to this audacious plot! Ages 10-12

Moodie, Craig - Sea Singer
After his father and brothers fail to return from a voyage to the west, Finn, a twelve-year-old Viking, stows away on Leif Ericsson's ship and sails to North America to search for them. What began as a quest for adventure and a search for his father becomes an odyssey toward manhood, and the land of promise becomes a "dark realm of doom and mystery," where Finn proves himself a Viking. A rousing sea adventure. Ages 9-12

Moses, Shelia P. - I, Dred Scott
This fictional slave narrative is based on the life and legal precedent of Dred Scott, who became the plaintiff in one of the most important legal cases in American history. The full extent of legal obstacles Dred Scott and his family endured for freedom is explored, and he is brought to life beyond being a name in a history book. Ages 10-12 AA

Papademetriou, Lisa - Sixth-Grade Glommers, Norks, and Me
Allie is starting middle school, and nothing is the same as it was in elementary school. She is about to learn that middle school is a world populated with glommers (girls who cling to each other in groups), norks (combo of nerd and dork), and squashes (crushes to make you feel like your heart's been stepped on). Readers will willingly empathize with Allie, while her journey to self-confidence will serve as inspiration. Ages 10-12

Park, Linda Sue - Project Mulberry
Julia, a Korean-American girl, and her friend Patrick decide to do a silkworm project for the state fair. Julia is reluctant because it is too Korean but she becomes interested in caring for the caterpillars and moths. There are big issues in Park's latest novel--conservation, prejudice, patriotism, biology, and more. A rich work that treats serious issues with respect & humor. Ages 9-12 AS

Paulsen, Gary - The Time Hackers
Seventh-grader Dorso has a problem in his futurist world. Every time he opens his locker, he finds something from another time or place. He's determined to find out who is messing with the time continuum before a woolly mammoth tramples him, he's shot with an arrow at Wounded Knee, or, worse, the time fiddlers destroy the world. Paulsen again demonstrates his talent for constructing fast-paced adventure, full of boy humor. Ages 11-12

Pearsall, Shelley - Crooked River
Rebecca lives in Western Ohio in 1812. This is a time when men distrust their Indian neighbors. Why then would Rebecca’s family have a Chippewa Indian living in an upstairs room? Indian John is being held there until the circuit Court comes to town. That will be when the captured brave will be tried for the murder of an Ohio trapper. This novel is part coming-of-age story and part courtroom drama. Ages 9-12 MC

Rodowsky, Colby F. - The Next-Door Dogs
Sara is terrified of dogs. When her new next-door neighbor needs help after a fall, nine-year-old Sara literally has to face her phobia, in the form of the neighbor’s two big dogs, head-on! The empathetic support of Sara’s family helps her find the strength she needs to grow beyond her fear. Bates’ black and white illustrations convey Sara’s feelings perfectly. Ages 8-10

Schirripa, Steven R. - Nicky Deuce: Welcome to the Family
While his parents are on a cruise, twelve-year-old Nicholas spends his summer in Brooklyn with his grandmother and uncle and learns, with unintended results, about his Italian-American heritage. A warm, funny story with memorable characters and enough shady intrigue to keep readers turning the pages. Ages 9-12

Shearer, Alex - Sea Legs
Motherless twins Clive and Eric stow away on a cruise ship on which their father is a steward to be near him. The twins escape detection on board and through a series of coincidences and good luck save the ship from an attack by thieves. Ages 9-12

Shulevitz, Uri - The Travels of Benjamin of Tudela
Beginning in 1159, a Jewish man named Benjamin of Spain set out on a 14-year journey to see places named in the Bible. An amazing eye-opener into the Middle East, which was the center of culture and wealth during the Middle Ages. Ages 9-10 DO

Sloan, Christopher - How Dinosaurs Took Flight
The author considers the ancient creatures, including a Tyrannosaurus with feathers and another dinosaur with four wings. The book focuses on the tough new questions scientists are asking about dinosaurs, the evidence they've gathered, the hypotheses that are developing from the evidence, and the unknowns that still remain. Ages 9-12

Smith, D. James - The Boys of San Joaquin
In a small California town in 1951, twelve-year-old Paolo and his deaf cousin Billy get caught up in a search for money missing from the church collection, leading them to complicated discoveries about themselves, other family members, and townspeople they thought they knew. Smith makes this novel a read-aloud, laugh-out-loud hit. Ages 10-12

Stauffacher, Sue - Harry Sue
Harry Sue age 11 survived being thrown out the 7th floor window by her drunken father. With both her parents in jail, she believes that becoming a hardened criminal will reunite her with her mom. However, she finds that she has a heart when she cares for her quadriplegic friend, and Moonie Pie, a child in her grandmothers poorly run daycare program. A cast of strong characters make this a humorous, coming of age story. Ages 10-12

Turner, Pamela S. - Gorilla Doctors
Through engaging text and stunning photographs, the author delivers a gripping tale of science, nature, and the conservation of life as she follows the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project, a group of talented veterinarians. They study the effects of human exposure on the mountain gorillas of Rwanda and Uganda to help preserve this endangered species. Ages 8-10

Wallace-Brodeur, Ruth - Heron Cove
Feeling somewhat abandoned by her mother, twelve-year-old Sage is sent to spend the summer at the Maine home of her great-aunts, where she learns about and begins to identify with her family's history. Humorous and comforting writing combined with a breezy setting and memorable characters make this an appealing choice. Ages 9-10

Walker, Sally M. - Secrets of a Civil War Submarine
Mystery, intrigue, wartime heroism, lost gold, and cutting-edge science are all featured in this account of the sinking and recovery of a Confederate submarine, the H. L. Hunley. Divided into chronological chapters complete with pictures, maps, and primary sources, readers get to know the people behind the facts. Walker skillfully combines history, science and storytelling to captivate readers looking to savor a real-life historical mystery. Ages 10-12

Wilson, Jacqueline - The Illustrated Mum
A portrait of a woman's mental illness and its effects on her children is told by her youngest daughter, 10-year-old Dolphin. Dolphin is determined to stay with her family, no matter what, but when her sister goes to live with her newly-discovered father, sending their mother further into manic-depression, her life becomes full of twists and turns. The author doesn't shy away from the difficulties, but there's humor here, too. Ages 10-12

Whelan, Gloria - Listening for Lions
Orphaned by the influenza epidemic in British East Africa in 1919, 13-year-old Rachel is sent by conniving neighbors to visit an elderly man in England, passing as their daughter - his granddaughter - to pave the way for their return and the inheritance. Whelan spins a tale full of mystery and intrigue that adds up to a satisfying old-fashioned tale. Ages 10-12

Deborah Wiles - Each Little Bird That Sings
Ten-year-old Comfort has spent her entire life around death, listening often to her undertaker parents say “We live to serve.” But when both her great uncle and great-great aunt die, Comfort begins to see death in a different light. Wiles mixes letters, news reports, recipes and lists such as, "Top Ten Tips for First-Rate Funeral Behavior," into the narrative. The book is both humorous and will also bring tears both for its description of grief but also its celebration of life. Ages 10-12

Wolfson, Jill - What I Call Life
Cal Lavender is placed in a group home after her mother has an “episode” at the library. There are five other girls living in the home run by an elderly lady they call “The Knitting Lady.” She begins the healing process by sharing her love of knitting and telling stories. The girls experience quiet time, reflections and eventually bond. Ages 9-12

Woodson, Jacqueline - Show Way
Soonie’s great-grandma was just seven years old when she was sold to a big plantation without her ma and pa, and with only some fabric and needles to call her own. From slavery to freedom, through segregation, freedom marches and the fight for literacy, the tradition they called “Show Way” has been passed down by the women in Jacqueline Woodson’s family as a way to remember the past. Ages 8-10 AA

Wyatt, Leslie J. - Poor Is Just a Starting Place
Artesia,12, lives in the rural hills of Kentucky during the Great Depression and struggles to help her family put food on the table and complete the harsh chores of a farmer's daughter. She dreams of going to the big city and escaping her poverty-stricken life. A school essay contest gives her the opportunity to win a $25 savings bond that can only be used on high school. Ages 10-12

GREAT BOOKS FOR TEENS 2005
ANNOTATED LIST

AA - African American Interest	HISP - Hispanic Interest
AS - Asian Interest	MC - Multicultural-several or many ethnic groups
DO - Diversity (Other issues besides ethnicity)	Great Books for Teens list in PDF format

The annotations below are collected from the following professional journals: Booklist, BCCB, Children’s Literature, Horn Book, Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, and School Library Journal.

Anderson, Jodi Lynn - Peaches
During a summer at the Darlington Peach Orchard in Georgia, Murphy, Leeda, and Birdie discover the true meaning of friendship despite their differences. As the summer progresses, the girls bond and realize that you cannot judge someone by her financial or family situation.

Blackman, Malorie - Naughts & Crosses
A Romeo & Juliet story: Callum is a Naught, a second-class citizen, in a world run by the ruling Crosses. Sephy is a Cross, daughter of the man slated to become prime minister. In their world, white Naughts and black Crosses simply don't mix.

Castellucci, Cecil - Boy Proof
Feeling alienated from everyone around her, Los Angeles high school senior and cinephile Victoria Denton hides behind the identity of a favorite movie character until an interesting new boy arrives at school and helps her realize that there is more to life than just the movies.

Cirrone, Dorian - Dancing in Red Shoes Will Kill You
Kayla Callaway has been studying ballet since she learned to walk and her heart is set on a future in the dance world. She's sure she'll get a solo part in Cinderella, the spring ballet at her high school. But when the parts are finally posted, Kayla is shocked that she's only landed a role as a stepsister. The brutal truth: Ballet and big boobs don't mix. Suddenly Kayla's dream for the future has become a real-life fractured fairy tale.

Cooney, Caroline B. - Code Orange
While conducting research for a school paper on smallpox, Mitty finds an envelope containing 100-year-old smallpox scabs and he fears that he has infected himself and all of New York City.

Deuker, Carl - Runner
Living with his alcoholic father on a broken-down sailboat on Puget Sound has been hard on seventeen-year-old Chance Taylor, but when his love of running leads to a high-paying job, he quickly learns that the money is not worth the risk.

Elliot, Jessie - Girls Dinner Club
Junie, Celia, and Danielle, three ethnically diverse Brooklyn high-school students, form a friendship while cooking dinners together and helping one another sort through their romantic entanglements.

Feinstein, John - Last Shot
Steven Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson are two lucky winners of the U.S. Basketball Writer’s Association’s contest for aspiring journalists. Their prize is a trip to New Orleans and coveted press passes for the Final Four. But the games going on behind the scenes between the coaches, the players, the media, the money-men, and the fans turn out to be even more fiercely competitive than those on the court.

Flinn, Alex - Fade to Black
An HIV-positive high school student hospitalized after being attacked, the bigot accused of the crime and the only witness (a classmate with Down syndrome) reveal how the assault has changed their lives as they tell of its aftermath. DO, HISP

Frank, E.R - Wrecked
After a car accident seriously injures her best friend and kills her brother's girlfriend, sixteen-year-old Anna, one of the drivers, tries to cope with her guilt and grief, while learning some truths about her family and herself.

Galloway, Gregory - As Simple As Snow
When the enigmatic Anastasia shows up in the halls of Hamilton High, our narrator finds his life fundamentally changed. Together the couple probes through enchanted woods, the Internet, and everything in between, until one winter evening Anastasia disappears, leaving only a dress on a frozen pond and a string of unanswered questions. Suddenly alone, the narrator is hit with the weight of the mystery of what actually happened to his missing love.

Garfinkle, Debra - Storky: How I Lost My Nickname and Won the Girl
Fourteen-year-old high school student Michael "Storky" Pomerantz's journal describes his freshman year, from dealing with his mother dating his dentist to attempting to win the heart of the girl he loves.

Green, John - Looking for Alaska
Sixteen-year-old Miles' first year at Culver Creek Preparatory School in Alabama includes good friends and great pranks, but is defined by the search for answers about life and death after a fatal car crash.

Griffin, Adele - Where I Want To Be
Two teenaged sisters, separated by one’s death but still connected, work through their feelings of loss over the closeness they shared as children that was later destroyed by one's mental illness.

Hartinger, Brent - The Order of the Poison Oak
After coming out at school, sixteen-year-old Russel decides to take a counselor job at a camp for burn victims to get away from the antagonism of his classmates, but finds ten-year-old boys have just as many problems as he does. DO

Hautman, Pete - Invisible
Lots of people think Doug Hanson is a freak - he gets beat up after school, and the girl of his dreams calls him a worm. Doug's only refuge is building elaborate model trains in his basement and hanging out with his best friend, Andy Morrow. Andy is nothing like Doug, but they can talk about anything - except what happened at the Tuttle place a few years back.

Haworth-Attard, Barbara - Theories of Relativity
Dylan is living on the streets, but not through any choice of his own. He’s been cut loose by his unstable mother, and has lost most contact with his two younger brothers. He has nothing but his backpack stuffed with a few precious belongings and the homeless kids he meets. At least he has his theories. No one can take those away from him.

Hemphill, Stephanie - Things Left Unsaid
After a lifetime of conforming to the image of what her parents and high school friends want her to be, Sarah must come to terms with her own identity when her destructive best friend tries to commit suicide. Told in the form of free-verse poems.

Hearn, Julie - The Minister's Daughter
In 1645 England, the daughters of the town minister successfully accuse a local healer and her granddaughter of witchcraft to conceal an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, but years later during the 1692 Salem trials their lie has unexpected repercussions.

Hiaasen, Carl - Flush
With their father jailed for sinking a river boat, Noah Underwood and his younger sister, Abbey, must gather evidence that the owner of this floating casino is emptying his bilge tanks into the protected waters around their Florida Keys home.

Hoffman, Alice - The Foretelling
While growing up the daughter of an Amazon queen who shuns her, Rain rebels against the ways of her tribe through her sister-like relationship with Io and her feelings for a boy from a tribe of wanderers.

Jacobson, Jennifer - Stained
In Weaver Falls, New Hampshire, in 1975, seventeen-year-old Jocelyn looks for answers when her lifelong neighbor and friend, Gabe, turns up missing and she learns that, while her boyfriend has been telling everything to a priest, Gabe has been keeping terrible secrets.

Johnson, Maureen - 13 Little Blue Envelopes
When seventeen-year-old Ginny receives a packet of mysterious envelopes from her favorite aunt, she leaves New Jersey to criss-cross Europe on a scavenger hunt that transforms her life.

Klass, David - Dark Angel
Seventeen-year-old Jeff thought he would never again have to deal with his older brother, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence. But after six years, Troy’s sentence has been overturned on a technicality and he is released from prison. Troy’s return makes a mess of Jeff’s life, at home, at school, and with his girlfriend.

LaRochelle, David - Absolutely, Positively Not
Steve is definitely, positively not gay. This story chronicles his humorous but futile attempts to change his image and fit in at his Minnesota high school by becoming a macho, girl-loving, pinup-displaying heterosexual. DO

Lester, Julius - Day of Tears
In a dramatic program of monologues and conversations, we watch what happened on March 3, 1859, and realize what could have been going on in the minds of fictional slaves and owners on a Georgia plantation on the concluding day of the largest slave auction in American history. AA

Levitin, Sonia - The Goodness Gene
As son of the Compassionate Director of the Dominion of the Americas, Will, along with his twin brother Berk, has been groomed for leadership in a society that values genetic fitness, but he encounters information which causes him to question that society as well as his own identity.

Lion, Melissa - Upstream
Marty’s small town in Alaska is the most beautiful place in the world. She and her beloved boyfriend, Steven, can walk through fields of fireweed, explore the wild, and tie pink floozy fishing lures to catch the salmon that swim upstream. But when she starts her senior year, Marty must return to school by herself. Only Marty knows what really happened, and it’s something she must never, ever tell.

Lockhart, E. - The Boyfriend List
A Seattle fifteen-year-old humorously explains some of the reasons for her recent panic attacks, including breaking up with her boyfriend, losing all her girlfriends, tensions between her performance-artist mother and father, and more.

Lubar, David - Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie
While navigating his first year of high school and awaiting the birth of his new baby brother, Scott loses old friends and gains some unlikely new ones as he hones his skills as a writer.

Martino, Alfred C. - Pinned
Ivan Korske and Bobby Zane couldn't be more different--they come from different backgrounds, different lifestyles, and they have very different values and ways of looking at the world and dealing with people. Yet they both have the drive, determination, commitment, and self-sacrifice necessary to become the New Jersey State wrestling champion.

McGhee, Alison - All Rivers Flow to the Sea
After a car accident in the Adirondacks leaves her older sister Ivy brain-dead, seventeen-year-old Rose struggles with her grief and guilt. In an effort to feel something, anything else, she takes to meeting a series of boys at the gorge while her mind drifts away like a hovering bird, watching her actions below.

McKernan, Victoria - Shackleton's Stowaway
On October 26, 1914, Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance set sail from Buenos Aires in pursuit of the last unclaimed prize in exploration: the crossing of the Antarctic continent. In this survival novel based on fact, eighteen-year-old Perce Blackborow hid below in a locker. Within months, the Endurance, trapped and crushed by ice, sank. And even Perce, the youngest member of the stranded crew, knew there was no hope of rescue. If the men were to survive in the most hostile place on earth, they would have to do it on their own.

McNaughton, Janet - The Secret Under My Skin
In the year 2368, humanity struggles to recuperate from a technocaust that has left a generation of orphans in its wake. Strict government regulations convince people that technology is dangerous; confusion and fear rule the earth. Blay Raytee is a government work-camp orphan. Her future seems as bleak as that of the world around her. But when she is chosen for a special mission by a guardian of the environment named Marrella, Blay begins to discover that all may not be as it seems.

McNeill, J.D. - The Last Codfish
Fifteen-year-old Tut lives in squalor with his fisherman father on the coast of Maine, but his English teacher and a new neighbor, a girl named Alex, are determined to turn his life around and force him to speak, which he has not done since his mother's death.

Meyer, Adam - The Last Domino
Vulnerable following his brother's suicide, a high school boy comes under the thrall of a darkly violent classmate and events at home and at school go chillingly out of control.

Morton-Shaw, Christine - The Riddles of Epsilon
After moving with her parents to a remote English island, fourteen-year-old Jess attempts to dispel an ancient curse by solving a series of riddles, aided by Epsilon, a supernatural being.

Mosley, Walter - 47
47 is a young slave boy living under the watchful eye of a brutal slave master. His life seems doomed until he meets a mysterious runaway slave, Tall John. 47 finds himself swept up in a struggle for his own liberation in a novel weaving together historical fiction and science fiction. AA

Mowll, Joshua - Operation Red Jericho
The posthumous papers of Rebecca MacKenzie document her adventures, along with her brother Doug, in 1920s China as the teenaged siblings are sent to live aboard their uncle's ship. There they become involved in the dangerous activities of a mysterious secret society called the Honourable Guild of Specialists.

Myers, Walter Dean - Autobiography of My Dead Brother
Jesse uses his sketchbook and comic strips to make sense of his home in Harlem and the loss of a close friendship. AA

Nelson, R.A. - Teach Me
A straight-A loner, Nine has always lived by the rules, but she abandons herself to emotion when her crush on a teacher is reciprocated. When he announces his engagement to another woman, Nine finds she can't resurrect her previous restrained existence. In the aftermath of their affair, she tumbles into a cycle of rage and depression that brings her close to self-destruction.

Oates, Joyce Carol - Sexy
Darren Flynn is incredibly good-looking, but isn't quite sure how to handle all the admiring attention he receives from females and males alike. His discomfort at an admiring male teacher's unwanted attention keeps him silent when a prank escalates into a serious attack on the teacher.

Pearson, Mary E. - A Room on Lorelei Street
To escape a miserable existence taking care of her alcoholic mother, seventeen-year-old Zoe rents a room from an eccentric woman, but her earnings as a waitress after school are minimal and she must go to extremes to cover expenses.

Peet, Mal - Keeper
When a reporter starts an exclusive interview with El Gato, the phenomenal goalkeeper who single-handedly brought his team the soccer World Cup, he quickly learns that this will be no ordinary story. Instead, the legendary El Gato quietly narrates a spellbinding tale that begins in a mythic corner of the South American rain forest, where a ghostly but very real mentor, the Keeper, emerges to teach the gangly boy the most thrilling secrets of the game. HISP

Peters, Julie Anne - Far from Xanadu
In a small Kansas town, sixteen-year-old Mary-Elizabeth "Mike" Szabo tries to come to terms with her father's suicide and her own homosexuality. When an exotic new girl, Xanadu, arrives in the small Kansas town, Mike's world is turned upside down. DO

Richardson, E.E. - Devil's Footsteps
After the disappearance of his brother Adam, thirteen-year-old Bryan faces a shadowy, centuries-old evil presence known as the Dark Man that, taking the form of its victims' worst fears, stalks the town's children.

Salisbury, Graham - Eyes of the Emperor
Eddy Okubo lies about his age and joins the army in his hometown of Honolulu only weeks before the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor. Suddenly Americans see him as the enemy—even the U.S. Army doubts the loyalty of Japanese American soldiers. Then the army sends Eddy and a small band of Japanese American soldiers on a secret mission - Eddy’s going to help train attack dogs. He’s going to be the bait. AS

Spillebeen, Geert - Kipling's Choice
In this fictional account of events in 1915, eighteen-year-old John Kipling, son of writer Rudyard Kipling, mortally wounded in Loos, France, remembers his boyhood and the events leading to what is to be his first and last World War I battle.

Staples, Suzanne F. - Under the Persimmon Tree
During the 2001 Afghan War, the lives of Najmal, a young female refugee from Kunduz, Afghanistan, and Nusrat, an American-Muslim teacher who is awaiting her huband's return from Mazar-i-Sharif, intersect at a school in Peshawar, Pakistan. MC

Stein, Tammar - Light Years
Maya Laor is running from the violence, guilt, and memories of her past as she leaves her home in Israel to study astronomy at the University of Virginia after the tragic death of her boyfriend in a suicide bombing. MC

Waite, Judy - Trick of the Mind
The struggles of several young people who confront family problems, emotional problems, unrequited love, mystery, and violence, is told from the viewpoint of Matt, who is known for his unusual behavior and unusual gifts, and Erin, who tries to use her proficiency with magic to attract Matt.

Westerfeld, Scott - Peeps
In this science fiction, medical thriller, Cal Thompson is a carrier of a parasite that causes vampirism and must hunt down all of the girlfriends he has unknowingly infected.

Whitney, Kim Ablon - The Perfect Distance
Seventeen-year-old Francie Martinez rides with one of the best equitation trainers in the country, and works as a groom to pay her way. She’s dreamed of winning the Maclay finals, and now that it’s her last year to compete the pressure is really on. But just when Francie needs to focus more than ever, everything turns upside down, and soon she’s not so sure if winning is really all that important, much less the point. HISP

Wynne-Jones, Tim - A Thief in the House of Memory
The death of an apparent stranger in the Steeple family's old home triggers troubling questions for sixteen-year-old Declan as he tries to make sense of his fragmented dreams, random memories, and unexplained coincidences, hoping to learn the truth about the mother who suddenly left when he was ten.

Zevin, Gabrielle - Elsewhere
After fifteen-year-old Liz Hall is hit by a taxi and killed, she finds herself in a place that is both like and unlike Earth, where she must adjust to her new status and figure out how to "live." In Elsewhere, she will grow younger each year, reversing from fifteen to fourteen and so on, until she becomes a baby and is newly born to the world.

Zusak, Markus - I am the Messenger
Ed Kennedy is an underage cabdriver, pathetic card player, and useless at romance. He lives in a shack with his coffee-addicted dog, the Doorman, and he’s hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence, until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That’s when the first Ace arrives. That’s when Ed becomes the messenger.

Baltimore County Public Library, Towson Maryland USA
Last Revised: 25 January 2008
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