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Young Adult

The Greatest: Muhammad Ali

The Greatest: Muhammad Ali

By Walter Dean Myers 172 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

One of the best ways to get me to read longer biographies is to start with a good biography written for teenagers.  After reading this book, I am now anxious to read more about this man many consider to be the most famous living human being.
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The Secret Journey

The Secret Journey

By Peg Kehret 136 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

This is sort of a cross between Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe for girls.  A real page-turner, as we follow young Emma disguise herself as a boy, only to be tricked into boarding a ship bound for Africa.  A great chapter book for sixth graders.
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Trouble for Lucy

Trouble for Lucy

By Carla Stevens 80 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I love books that transport children to other time periods like the Old West.  This book paints a vivid picture of what the wagon trains were like, and my students enjoy how Lucy’s puppies always manage to get into mischief along the way.
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The Boy Who Looked Like Lincoln

The Boy Who Looked Like Lincoln

By Mike Reiss 32 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

This could probably be categorized as a children’s book because it is illustrated and super-short, but I have found that the 6th graders I read this book to find it hilarious.  And why not, as the author is a writer from the greatest show on television (no, not The Bachelor), The Simpsons.  Thanks to Bob Matulich for another great recommendation.
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Year of Impossible Goodbyes

Year of Impossible Goodbyes

By Sook Nyul Choi 169 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

And now for a more somber but uplifting book.  I often read young adult books to learn about times in history that I never studied in school.  About a girl’s suffering in North Korea in the 1950s under Japanese and Russian rule, this book truly moved me.  I promise it has a happy ending.



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Giraffes? Giraffes!

Giraffes? Giraffes!

By Doris Haggis-on-Whey,Mr. Haggis-on-Whey 64 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Bless you, Florence Hochman, for turning me on to this book.  This is now one of my favorite ideas.  Dave Eggers writes under a pen name and creates the most horrific idea man could have ever dreamed of:  the first in a series of reference books written by people who want to mess with future generations by providing erroneous information (e.g. giraffes did not evolve but rather came here from Neptune via the largest escalator in the galaxy).  I think this concept has been adopted by major political parties.  Kids of all ages (from 3 to 83) get a kick out of this book.



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I Like It Like That

I Like It Like That

By Cecily von Ziegesar 224 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I have found that this “Gossip Girl” series is practically addictive among middle school teens.  This is the latest in the series, and new readers may want to pick up the first episode to become familiar with these preppy New York teens.
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Witness

Witness

By Karen Hesse 176 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

A stirring look at racism in a 1920s Vermont town, written entirely in verse.  Many thanks to Tacy Trowbridge for the recommendation.
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The Friends

The Friends

By Rosa Guy 192 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

One of the most popular books read by middle school girls in the schools I speak at.  Why?  They relate to the two young girls in the book and empathize with the struggles of the main character, a recent West Indian immigrant to Harlem named Phyllisia.
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A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich

A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich

By Alice Childress 128 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

One of the more popular books I have introduced to middleschoolers, this tale of a 13-year-old heroin addict is sure to spark lively classroom discussions.  A very honest and vivid look at the harshness of drug addiction. 
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Tony Hawk: Professional Skateboarder

Tony Hawk: Professional Skateboarder

By Tony Hawk,Sean Mortimer 176 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

A couple of teachers asked me to start including more non-fiction titles for young adults, so I thought I’d throw in a cool look at Tony Hawk’s life in skateboarding.  The book is put together in a very interesting format (meaning there are all sorts of asides, quizzes and funky photos and art) which should hold the interest of any student with ADD yearning to skate away from school.
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No More Dead Dogs

No More Dead Dogs

By Gordon Korman 192 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I confess that I picked up this book because I liked the title.  It is not at all what I thought it was about, but it is still very funny.  Let’s just say that a teacher gets what he deserves when he punishes a student for turning in an honest book report (something I always wished I had done in school).
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Captains Courageous

Captains Courageous

By Rudyard Kipling 100 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

My Uncle Bob reminded me to include this classic Kipling tale about a spoiled brat who loses everything before understanding not to take life for granted.  In many ways this tale reads like an alternative series of events to Kipling’s fantastic The Jungle Book.  We sure are lucky to have had a writer like Rudyard Kipling (I can read anything he wrote).
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The Incredible Journey

The Incredible Journey

By Sheila Burnford 160 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

You now all know that I am a sap.  I loved this story so much as a kid that after I saw the Disney movie, I actually wanted to read the book (this was simply unheard of when I was a young lad).  One of the greatest stories of friendship and perseverance ever written (in my humble opinion). 
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Just Annoying

Just Annoying

By Andy Griffiths 144 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

No, this author has an “s” on the end of his name, and his series of books bear little resemblance to anything you’d ever see in Mayberry.  I find that this author has a way of making teenage boys want to read, and I will always recommend an author who motivates reluctant readers.  Parents beware, as his silly tales can sometimes be a bit “raunchy.”
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