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Young Adult

Crossing Jordan

Crossing Jordan

By Adrian Fogelin 140 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

A teacher told me she did not like this book because it was full of clichés and had a predictable upbeat ending. I guess those things are true, but I still found this book to be a very nice story about a friendship between a white girl and black girl in pre-Civil Rights Tallahassee. Give it a try and tell me what you think. My students have always really enjoyed this book.
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It's Not Easy Being Mean

It's Not Easy Being Mean

By Lisi Harrison 224 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

The “Clique” Series has become a hit, and I read this one just to stay in the loop. I have discussed these books with a number of middle schoolers (all girls, of course, as guys seem to only read books filled with testosterone or pterodactyls), and they all like the books for their believability. This one provides a good glimpse into Harrison’s style.
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Dark Sons

Dark Sons

By Nikki Grimes 208 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Ah, if only there were more authors like Nikki Grimes out there, I am convinced we would have nothing but passionate readers. She combines everything I am looking for in an author for middle schoolers: poetry, moral messages, hope, multicultural characters…the list goes on. This is her latest in a long line of books that get students thinking about race relations, their spiritual beliefs and their values. The kind of book that teaches the heart, as well as the mind.
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Snot Stew

Snot Stew

By Bill Wallace 96 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Could you come up with a better title to get boys interested in reading? The title is actually a play on words two kittens hear children use when arguing: “Is not!...Is too!” A simple story that is a great way to draw reluctant readers toward bookshelves.
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The Night I Flunked My Field Trip

The Night I Flunked My Field Trip

By Henry Winkler 160 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Treat yourself to any book in the Hank Zipzer, Underachiever series. Henry Winkler is a tireless literacy advocate (he was dyslexic as a child, and students love hearing about his rise to become “the Fonz” and a popular character actor), and these books (co-authored by Oliver) are a wonderful way to get a lot of reluctant and struggling readers interested in reading.
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The Fashion Disaster

The Fashion Disaster

By Carolyn Keene 96 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Let’s not leave the girls out. Since I am talking about series books, I have to include one of the most popular series of all time: Nancy Drew. I have a hunch that the upcoming movie is going to renew interest in the series, and I encourage parents and teachers to lasso that interest with plenty of great titles from the series.
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Adventurous Women: Eight True Stories About Women Who Made a Difference

Adventurous Women: Eight True Stories About Women Who Made a Difference

By Penny Colman 192 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I love this book. If you are a teacher trying to decide on books to buy for your classroom with your limited personal funds, this is the type of book I would recommend (along with anthologies). Boys and girls alike (but especially girls) will enjoy these brief biographies and hopefully be drawn to read more about these amazing women (I particularly enjoyed the essay on educator Mary McLeod Bethune).
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Me, Dead Dad, & Alcatraz

Me, Dead Dad, & Alcatraz

By Chris Lynch 240 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Attention to parents and teachers with reluctant boy readers: I have found a solution to your problems. Chris Lynch is the kind of writer that gets boys interested in reading, and once your boys zip through this book, hand them copies of its predecessors, Slot Machine and Extreme Elvin. Any teenage boy will be able to identify with Lynch’s loveable protagonist, Elvin Bishop.
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Dream Job Profiles: The Young and Successful Share Their Secrets

Dream Job Profiles: The Young and Successful Share Their Secrets

By Donna Hayden Green 180 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I wish this book was around when I was a teenager. For those teenagers nervous about entering high school, college or, heaven forbid, the real world, this is a great “career guide.” What I mean is that it works as an inspirational guide to get kids thinking about goals and directions to take to meet those goals. Frankly, I’d recommend this book to 90 percent of the adults I know. Great for those in need of “focus.”
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Bat Boy Lives!

Bat Boy Lives!

By David Perel 198 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Students ask me about my favorite news publications: The Los Angeles Times? The International Herald-Tribune? USA Today? Those are all fine, but my preference is The Weekly World News. It is the only tabloid that I feel is harmless, as its stories are so completely out there that, as Geico would suggest, even a caveman could figure out the articles are false but funny. I am not ashamed to admit that one of my greatest joys in life is relaxing with a cup of coffee (or other potent beverage) and a copy of The Weekly World News. By the way: this is a great book for reluctant readers, as it includes hilarious photos, too.
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The Family Under the Bridge

The Family Under the Bridge

By Natalie Savage Carlson 128 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I am going to date myself with this book, but I remember enjoying this one when I was a young lad. The story of a homeless man named Armand who reluctantly shares his “home” under a Parisian bridge with a mother and her three children, I think students, teachers and parents alike will find the story heartwarming, humorous, insightful and uplifting. It is well worth the couple of hours it will take to read.
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Edenville Owls

Edenville Owls

By Robert B. Parker 208 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

One of my favorite crime writers, Parker has finally written a book to introduce young adults to his crafty storytelling. Set in his hometown on the Massachusetts coast right after World War II, fourteen-year-old Bobby deals with typical adolescence issues: puberty, basketball and mystery. Particularly good book for reluctant boy readers.
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Emma Dilemma and the Two Nannies

Emma Dilemma and the Two Nannies

By Patricia Hermes 117 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

In this, the second Emma Dilemma chapter book, Emma’s dilemma is that the nanny that she loves, Annie, is going away to Ireland for three weeks. Emma and her siblings fear Annie will not return, so they are determined to make life “interesting” for Annie’s substitute. Funny and very easy to read.
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Rock Art Rebel

Rock Art Rebel

By M. J. Cosson 112 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Beto says it’s art; the police say it’s graffiti. So when Beto moves to Utah and stumbles upon cave drawings, he is surprised to learn that ancient graffiti is considered art. It is up to Beto to protect the cave drawings from thieves in this intriguing beginning chapter book.
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Lawn Boy

Lawn Boy

By Gary Paulsen 96 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

What can I say? Some authors always seem to impress me, and I cannot resist recommending their books. Gary Paulsen is the perfect author to attract reluctant teenage boys to reading. His latest tale features a sly young entrepreneur who ascends from mowing lawns to hiring his own force of migrant workers to help him as he accumulates a net worth of over half a million bucks. Show me a boy who does not like to read, and I will direct you to this book. 
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