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Young Adult

Hole in My Life

Hole in My Life

By Jack Gantos 224 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Gantos wrote the wonderful Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, and I think this memoir makes for even more riveting reading. Jailed briefly as a young man, Gantos paints a picture of prison that is sure to make it feel like the last place any teenager wants to go. Essential reading.
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Just Like That

Just Like That

By Marsha Qualey 240 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I am not usually one who goes for drawn-out prose, but Qualey is such a gifted writer that I do not mind that she takes her time. Protagonist Hanna is a teenager whose guilt consumes her after witnessing the deaths of two teens along a lake. When another witness, Will, tracks her down, the two deal with the issues together.
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Fat Girl: A True Story

Fat Girl: A True Story

By Judith Moore 208 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I have battled with my own weight issues throughout my entire life, and that may be why I could not put down Moore’s highly gripping memoir of her lifelong battle with obesity. I have so much empathy for her and so many others whose drug of choice is food. A great story for classroom discussions.
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Pop

Pop

By Gordon Korman 272 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Big print – don’t worry! Your boys will love this book about a teenager trying out for the high school football team and the eccentric old man who teaches him all he knows. Plenty of football for the boys, plus a great (and refreshingly deep) story of an unlikely cross-age friendship.
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Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska

By John Green 221 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Miles Halter lives a dull teenage life until coming to an Alabama boarding school and meeting the girl of his dreams. She and his roommate introduce Miles to a world of mischief and meaning that makes for a story that all students can easily relate to and discuss.
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Fangs for Freaks (Half-Blood Vampire Novels)

Fangs for Freaks (Half-Blood Vampire Novels)

By Serena Robar 224 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I am sort of irked by the popularity of vampire literature, as it is severely over-represented on bookshelves. That said, I find that if I want to relate to middle schoolers, I need to read what they read. I found myself actually enjoying the vampires in this story. What I like about Robar’s writing is she is very funny, and I hope she writes outside the vampire genre (I’d like to read more of her work). 
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Perfect: A Novel

Perfect: A Novel

By Natasha Friend 232 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Let’s face it: every teenager is messed up. That’s a fact. The world collapses for every teenager, regardless of the degree of seriousness. Popularity contests, bulimia – this book has everything your middle school girls will love to talk about in literature circles.
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The Face on the Milk Carton

The Face on the Milk Carton

By Caroline B. Cooney 208 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

When the face of a missing child on a milk carton begins to bring back memories, 15-year-old Jane begins to question if her loving parents are truly hers. An older book (it’s about 15 years old), but a real page-turner. 
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Keeping the Moon

Keeping the Moon

By Sarah Dessen 228 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I wholeheartedy endorse Sarah Dessen’s books, as she is one of the increasingly rare young adult authors who manages to tell a contemporary story without lots of negative language and graphic scenes. Still, girls are drawn to this book about a modern day Cinderella shedding pounds and a negative self-image in a story that manages to entertain and seem real and honest at the same time.
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Runner

Runner

By Carl Deuker 224 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

This is a no-brainer. Sports, suspense – this book has it all. What I like best is the evolving relationship between high school senior Chance Taylor and his Gulf War veteran-turned-alcoholic father, as I am a sucker for redemptive endings.
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I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs

I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs

By Larry Smith,Rachel Fershleiser 192 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Want to know how to get reluctant writers to write? Turn them on to one of my favorite websites, smithteens.com (or, for all ages, sixwordstories.net). The editors of SMITH magazine have compiled this book of over 800 teenage six-word memoirs, ranging from the funny “Sometimes, Little Debbie wins. She’s evil” to the painful “Five elementary schools and two obituaries.” This is one of the best motivational tools I have ever used with reluctant writers.
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10 Things to Do Before I Die

10 Things to Do Before I Die

By Daniel Ehrenhaft 224 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

While I cannot say I am a fan of some of the scenarios in this book, I do appreciate how Ehrenhaft employs a variety of literary devices in telling this story that some of the middle school boys I have worked with say is their favorite funny book. And I have a creedo: if it gets boys laughing and reading, I support it wholeheartedly!
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JUDY MOODY WAS IN A MOOD (BOOK #1)

JUDY MOODY WAS IN A MOOD (BOOK #1)

By Megan McDonald 176 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I just realized that I had never included Judy Moody on a previous list, and I figure with the film opening this month that now is a good time to get kids excited about the books. I love this edition, in particular, as it includes wonderful artwork by one of my favorite illustrators, Peter Reynolds.
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Things I Have to Tell You: Poems and Writing by Teenage Girls (Betsy Franco Young Adult)

Things I Have to Tell You: Poems and Writing by Teenage Girls (Betsy Franco Young Adult)

80 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Subtitled Poems and Writing by Teenage Girls, this collection (edited by Betsy Franco) includes over 30 compelling poems and stories accompanied by intense black-and-white photographs by Nina Nickles. A great way to inspire teenagers to share their own stories through poems and writing.
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The Hoopster

The Hoopster

By Alan Lawrence Sitomer 224 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Sitomer is a former California Teacher of the Year, and I can assure you that he writes in the authentic voice that any inner-city middle schooler can relate to. Make sure to check out Sitomer’s latest venture, Nerd Girls. He is a terrific author.
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