Young Adult

Alfred Brooks is scared. He's a high school dropout and his grocery store job is leading nowhere. His best friend is sinking further and further into drug addiction. Some street kids are after him for something he didn't even do. So Alfred begins going to Donatelli's Gym, a boxing club in Harlem that has trained champions. There he learns it's the effort, not the win, that makes the man - that last desperate struggle to get back on your feet when you thought you were down for the count.

Do yourself a favor and purchase every book Kiernan has written. It’ll make you proud to be an American. This terrific book, co-written with D’Agnese, chronicles what happened to the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Spoiler alert: a lot of bad stuff. Good reminder for Americans who are divided over trivial things to remember those who gave their lives, liberties and happiness for us. We owe them a lot.

Chilling look inside the thoughts of someone pushed to the brink.

I must confess that I picked this book up because of its front cover endorsement, and it was right on target. Award-winning author Matt de la Peña (see his book below) writes: “(This book) will break your heart and then slowly put it back together in a new and profound way. You will not forget this book.”

Terrifying account of the birth of one of America’s first homemade terrorist groups, the Ku Klux Klan. Evolving from a small, mischievous social club into a powerful, destructive organization, this book is a solemn reminder of the importance of unifying our country over spreading hate.

Junger is simply a magnificently gifted writer. This book is probably more appropriately labeled an Adult-level book, but I think young adults need to be exposed to his great writing, as well as this intriguing subject matter.

For more than two decades, legendary trainer Tim Grover has taken the great athletes like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade and dozens more – and made them greater. This is a great book for teens because Grover reveals what it takes to get those results (hint: sitting around playing X-Box doesn’t count for much).

Booklist says: Easy to read and written in a conversational style, Ottaviano's advice is all about loving yourself, seeing how incredible those around you really are, and identifying true friendships...it's hard not to cheer her fight to get girls to see what a good friendship looks like and assure them that they do have something to offer. A good choice for teens looking for some inspiration and guidance.

Robertson, bestselling author and star of Dancing with the Stars, has an important message for her generation: you don’t have to be held back by fear, anxiety, or loneliness anymore. This book takes readers through her thrilling personal journey toward power, passion and purpose.

Older students get a kick out of this guide to deciphering body language. A former FBI agent who commonly used these techniques to help crack cases, Navarro cautions about jumping to conclusions and encourages using clusters of nonverbal patterns to help discover whether a person is lying or just under stress.

Great gateway to introduce students to one of my favorite authors, the always dependable John Maxwell. Easy, quick read with lots of inspirational quotes and practical ideas that can be easily implemented.

Schab seeks to help teens learn to develop a healthy, realistic view of themselves by honestly assessing their strengths and weaknesses. The book also includes practical exercises to help teens deal with setbacks and self-doubt, skills for dealing with criticism and activities that will aid in the development of self-awareness, self-acceptance and self-worth.

Introduces readers to more than 75 notable female figures, real and imaginary, representing a diverse group ranging from ancient times to present day. This graphic-rich book will attract browsers, hold their interest and inspire further research.

Great reading for middle school boys, as it's a dark cross between Holes and Lord of the Flies.

As we head into 2018, check out this excellent chronicling of the events that shaped our country 50 years ago – from the assassinations of MLK and RFK to the Tet Offensive and Vietnam War to the Apollo 8 Mission which beamed the first pictures of Earth as seen from outer space.