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Young Adult

Shelter from the Wind

Shelter from the Wind

By Marion Dane Bauer 112 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I forgot all about this short classic. Definitely a hit with girl readers, as it chronicles the story of a 12-year-old girl in search of her real mother. One of the few books with a girl main character that does not totally annoy boys.
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Nuts

Nuts

By Kacy Cook 160 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

This was not what I expected. It is funny (like I thought) in parts, but it is largely a story that makes for great classroom discussions on animal welfare and tough decisions. Really good for fifth and sixth graders.
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Party

Party

By Tom Leveen 240 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

There is something that draws teens to books that are written from multiple points of view. I remember actually enjoying Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying when I was in high school simply because it shifted gears from chapter to chapter (and it includes one of the shortest chapters of any book I have ever read). This is Leveen’s first novel, but his involvement in theatre is apparent in the vivid teen characters he creates here.
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A Step from Heaven

A Step from Heaven

By An Na 160 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

One of the best immigrant stories I have ever read with my students. Na introduces us to Korean immigrant Young Ju and her family, and while there are the usual struggles that are apparent in many immigrant stories, what sets this book apart is how the narrative matures as Young Ju matures into a young woman. Beautiful writing.
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10,000 Days of Thunder: A History of the Vietnam War

10,000 Days of Thunder: A History of the Vietnam War

By Philip Caputo 128 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

What I like most about Caputo’s “History of the Vietnam War” is that it reveals different perspectives of Vietnam, from soldiers to student protestors. I would love candidates seeking office this November to watch students as they argue various sides of an issue without being disrespectful of one another. 
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Vampire High

Vampire High

By Douglas Rees 240 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Finally a vampire story that I can sink my teeth into (ugh – I cannot believe I wrote that sentence). This is the first vampire story I have read with students that gets them laughing, as it follows the misadventures of Cody Elliot, who flunked-out of one public high school only to enroll in a private school that he soon discovers is populated by student vampires. Especially great for boys who despise girls going ga-ga over the Twilight series.
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Stuck in Neutral

Stuck in Neutral

By Terry Trueman 144 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Talk about a wonderful book to discuss with students! Shawn McDaniel is a 14-year-old with severe cerebral palsy who cannot communicate his gift: he remembers everything he has ever heard (my wife also has this gift). Seriously, what I enjoyed most about this book was the relationship between Shawn and his father, who struggles with whether to euthanize his son.
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Walking Zero: Discovering Cosmic Space and Time Along the PRIME MERIDIAN

Walking Zero: Discovering Cosmic Space and Time Along the PRIME MERIDIAN

By Chet Raymo 208 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

A MUST READ! Raymo’s wonderful tale of how the prime meridian came to being is a constant page-turner for all ages, as I rarely come across an author who can take an obscure scientific topic and hold my attention with every paragraph. Raymo is an outstanding writer, and this book is pure joy.
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Lupita Manana

Lupita Manana

By Patricia Beatty 147 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Following the death of their father, a girl and her brother cross into America seeking a better life for their family in this often depressing narrative. Good companion to Will Hobbs’s Crossing the Wire; I think people should read stories like this around Thanksgiving, in particular, to be reminded of all of their blessings here in the United States.
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Babe Ruth: Legends in Sports (Matt Christopher Legends in Sports)

Babe Ruth: Legends in Sports (Matt Christopher Legends in Sports)

By Matt Christopher,Glenn Stout 112 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

If you ever have a book recommendation, please e-mail it to me. Sometimes I overlook what I consider to be obvious all-star writers, and that is the case with Matt Christopher. I love his books, as he has written well over 100 engaging sports books that are particularly popular with boy reluctant readers. This entry with great photographs is part of Christopher’s stellar Legends in Sports series.
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The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker

The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker

By Cynthia DeFelice 160 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Not quite sure how I missed this book when it was released in 1996, but if you want to get teens excited about historical fiction, this is a pretty good place to start. Chronicles a 12-year-old orphan’s apprenticeship with a country doctor during the 19th century and the role of superstition in medicine. Reminded me of a great sketch about “medieval barber/physicians” with Steve Martin on old episodes of Saturday Night Live.
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Sweet 15

Sweet 15

By Emily Adler 240 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I loved this story because it is so relevant to the pressures I see so many teenage Latinas go through regarding their “quinceanara,” a traditional coming-of-age party for 15 year olds. There are so many pressures on girls to spend elaborate amounts of money on what many consider an event that reinforces female stereotypes. I thought this was a refreshing take on a story I have seen play out unhappily in many homes.
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Best Friends Forever: A World War II Scrapbook

Best Friends Forever: A World War II Scrapbook

By Beverly Patt 96 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

I am always anxious to make history “come alive” for students, and that is why I really enjoyed this fictionalized scrapbook between two teenage friends (one white, the other Japanese American) torn apart during World War II. This month we reflect on Pearl Harbor Day and the repercussions of that event. Students get a chance to see the real turmoil that war caused on all Americans, notably the atrocities endured by interned Japanese Americans. 
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Mistletoe: Four Holiday Stories

Mistletoe: Four Holiday Stories

By Hailey Abbott,Melissa de la Cruz,Aimee Friedman,Nina Malkin 222 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Four short stories for teens about relationships set around December holidays. These will get the girls in your class reading and – hopefully – understanding what “the season” of December means.
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The Christmas Bus

The Christmas Bus

By Melody Carlson 176 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Teenagers, too, need to understand that the kindness of strangers is just one of the beauties to be learned at Christmas time. A beautiful story.
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