9th Grade MYP Book List A Abadzis, Nick. Laika. Roaring Brook, 2007.

An abandoned puppy, Laika, was destined to become Earths first space traveler in the Soviet Unions Sputnik program. This non-fiction graphic novel portrays the preparation for her fatal journey and the agony of her special handler, who knows that there are no plans for her to come back. Abel, Jessica. Life Sucks. Teen vampire Dave Miller, facing the prospect of eternity stocking shelves at an all-night, vampire-owned convenience store in Los Angeles, becomes involved with Rosa, a mortal with a fascination for the dark side, only to find himself in competition for her attentions with a psychotic surfer-vamp. A graphic novel. Adams. Watership Down, Bestselling picturesque saga of a maverick band of rabbits who, against all odds, seek a new home and a better society. 478pp. Agee. A Death in the Family Agee's great novel of a loving, close-knit family and the courage they display when tragedy suddenly changes their lives. 339pp Albom, Mitch. The Five People You Meet in Heaven. A bitter eighty-three-year-old war veteran who believes his life is meaningless dies while trying to save a little girl's life and finds himself in heaven, where five people from his past--some loved ones, some strangers--explain what his years on Earth really meant, and whether or not he succeeded in saving the child. Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. Little, Brown, 2007. Talented Arnold Spirit leaves the reservation school to go to an academically superior one located many miles away. How he copes with this change, both at school and on the reservation, is realistic, thought provoking, and laugh-out-loud funny. National Book Award Young Peoples Literature 2007; Book Sense Book of the Year 2008 Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1999. A traumatic event near the end of the summer has a devastating effect on Melindas freshman year in high school. Anderson, Laurie Halse. Chains. After being sold to a cruel couple in New York City, a slave named Isabel spies for the rebels during the Revolutionary War.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Twisted. After finally getting noticed by someone other than school bullies and his ever-angry father, seventeen-year-old Tyler enjoys his tough new reputation and the attentions of a popular girl, but when life starts to go bad again, he must choose between transforming himself or giving in to his destructive thoughts. Anonymous. Go Ask Alice. Based on the diary of a fifteen-year-old drug user chronicling her struggle to escape the pull of the drug world. Asimov, Isaac. I Robot Dr. Susan Calvin, the first great practitioner of the new science of robopsychology in 2008, looks back on her career with U.S. Robotics on the occasion of her retirement fifty years later, telling stories of how the mechanical race developed. Austen. Emma, Classic novel about a self-assured young lady whose capricious behavior is dictated by romantic fancy. 396pp. Austen. Pride and Prejudice, A superb comedy of manners, detailing the romantic clash between an opinionated woman and her proud beau. 324pp. Austen. Sense and Sensibility, Two high-spirited sisters search for true love in a straitlaced society. 315pp B Berra, Tim M. Charles Darwin: The Concise Story of an Extraordinary Man. Johns Hopkins University, 2009. Although Darwin was born into a family of physicians and scientists, and targeted by his father for the clergy, he gravitated toward studying plants, animals, and geology at university. An invitation to join the Beagle on its second voyage set the direction of his life. Though plagued with poor health, he ushered in the study of modern biology with his groundbreaking work, The Origin of the Species. Beschloss, Michael. Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, 1789-1989. Simon & Schuster, 2007. A presidential scholar provides historical examples of presidents, including Jackson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, FDR, Truman, Kennedy, and Reagan, who faced adversity with courage and wisdom to change the future of the country. Bissinger, H. G. Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream.HarperCollins, 1991. In this book that inspired the TV series, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author penetrates the culture of high school football as it is lived in Odessa, Texas.

Black, Holly. Tithe Trilogy Tithe : a modern faerie tale Ironside : a modern faery's tale Valiant : a modern tale of faerie In Tithe, sixteen-year-old Kaye, who has been visited by faeries since child-hood, discovers that she herself is a magical faerie creature with a special destiny. Bray, Libba. A Great and Terrible Beauty. Delacorte, 2003. After her mother dies mysteriously in 1895 India, Gemma is sent to a finishing school in England where she becomes aware of her magical powers. Series Bradley, James. Flags of Our Fathers. Presents an account of the Marines who came together during the battle of Iwo Jima to raise the American flag in a moment that has been immortalized in one of the most famous photographs of World War II. Bradley, James. Flyboys: a True Story of Courage. Examines the disappearance of eight American airmen shot down and taken prisoner on the remote island of Chichi Jima in World War II and the secrecy that surrounded the events for decades, and discusses the violence inflicted by both sides in the Pacific war. Brewer, Heather. The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod Book 1: Eighth Grade Bites Book 2: Ninth Grade Slays Book 3: Tenth Grade Bleeds Book 4: Eleventh Grade Burns Book 5: Twelfth Grade Kills A five-book series about a less-than-popular teenagers struggles to survive the ups and downs of high-school life, all while trying to keep a certain little secret about himself under wraps. Bronte. Jane Eyre The searching portrayal of a passionate mid-nineteenth-century woman. 433pp. Bronte. Wuthering Heights, A savage, tormented orphan falls wildly in love with the daughter of his benefactor. 315pp.

C Caines. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, . The tape-recorded history of a remarkable black woman more than 100 years old, who, with help from her Louisiana neighbors, recounts her story. Card, Orson Scott. Enders Game Series Book 1: Ender's Game Book 2: Speaker for the Dead Book 3: Xenocide Book 4: Children of the Mind Book 5: First Meetings: Three Stories from the Enderverse Book 6: Enders Shadow Book 7: Shadow of the Hegemon Book 8. Shadow Puppets Andrew "Ender" Wiggin thinks he is playing computer simulated war games; he is, in fact, engaged in some-thing far more desperate. The result of genetic experi-mentation, Ender may be the military genius Earth des-perately needs in a war against an alien enemy seeking to destroy all human life. The only way to find out is to throw Ender into ever harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when it begins. He will grow up fast. Carson, Ben. Gifted Hands. Captures the physician's fight to beat the odds, the secret behind his outstanding accomplishments, and what drives him to take risks. Carter. The Education of Little Tree, This is the story of a Cherokee Indian boy growing up in the Tennessee hills with his grandparents during the depression of the 1930's. Narrated by the boy in simple, honest language, the book goes much deeper than a retelling of events- expressing honesty, innocence, and sadness. 216pp. Cather, Willa. Death Comes for the Archbishop. First published 1927. In the midnineteenth century, two French missionaries make their way into the harsh, unexplored, mountainous region of New Mexico hoping to revive the religion brought by Spanish priests and then left to decay in the hands of an insubordinate and materialistic clergy. Cather. My Antonia, Willa Cather portrays pioneer Nebraska life in one of the best-loved classics of American fiction 244pp.

Cavanagh, Thomas B. Head Games. St. Martins, 2007. The lead singer of a popular boys band disappears. A lucrative reward is offered by the bands manager, a retired police detective, with two ex-wives, a teenage daughter, and a brain tumor hes named Bob. Series Cervantes. Don Quixote, The unabridged saga of the fabulous knight and his simple squire and their adventures in medieval Spain. 1,052pp. Chaucer. The Canterbury Tales, Group portrait capturing the full spectrum of medieval society. 423pp. Clare, Cassandra. The Mortal Instruments Book 1: City of Bones Book 2: City of Ashes Book 3: City of Glass Book 4: City of Fallen Angels Book 5: City of Lost Souls (release date 5/1/12) Book 6: City of Heavenly Fire (release date 9/1/13) When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pande-monium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Clary knows she should call the police, but it's hard to explain a murder when the body disappears into thin air and the murderers are invisible to everyone but Clary. Clarke. Childhood's End Clarke offers a brilliant treatment of the next step in human development: homo superior. 220pp. Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen accidentally becomes a contender in the annual Hunger Games, a grave competition hosted by the Capitol where young boys and girls are pitted against one another in a televised fight to the death. Hunger Games Trilogy Book 1: Hunger Games Book 2: Catching Fire Book 3: Mockingjay

Condie, Ally. Matched Book 1: Matched Book 2: Crossed (release date 11/1/11) Book 3: (release date 11/1/12) Cassia has always had complete trust in the Society to make decisions for her, but when she is being paired with her ideal mate, a second face flashes on the screen, and Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility as she tries to decide which man she truly loves. Cooper, Brenda. The Silver Ship and the Sea. Tor, 2007. Abandoned on an environmentally dangerous colony planet where the citizens are hostile toward genetic engineering, six genetically enhanced children must learn to use their special talents to either survive and make the planet their home, or find a way to escape in the abandoned silver space ship that lies in the Grass Plains. Series Coy, John. Crackback. Miles barely recalls when football was fun after being sidelined by a new coach, constantly criticized by his father, and pressured by his best friend to take performance-enhancing drugs. Crowe, Chris. Getting Away With Murder: The True Story of Emmett Till Case. Presents a true account of the murder of fourteen-year-old, Emmett Till, in Mississippi, in 1955. Crutcher, Chris. Deadline. Greenwillow, 2007. Eighteen-year-old Ben Wood has been given less than a year to live, but chooses not to tell anyone so his senior year will be as normal as possible. This surprisingly humorous story tracks that final year as Ben goes out for football, finds romance, and realizes that his secret has a serious impact on others. D . Deuker, Carl. Runner. Living with his alcoholic father on a broken-down sailboat on Puget Sound has been hard on seventeen-year-old Chance Taylor, but when his love of running leads to a high-paying job, he quickly learns that the money is not worth the risk. Dickens. Great Expectations, The story of young Pip's difficult coming-of-age in the genteel but corrupt world of Victorian society. 454pp. Dickens. Hard Times, A fierce indictment that callous greed of Victorian industrial society and its inhumane educational system. 306pp.

Dorris. A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, This is the thrice-told tale of three women... fifteen-year-old part-black Rayona, her American-Indian mother Christine, and the fierce and mysterious Ida, whose search and dreams bind the three women together. 372pp. Draper, Sharon. Just Another Hero. As Kofi, Arielle, Dana, November, and Jericho face personal challenges during their last year of high school, a misunderstood student brings a gun to class and demands to be taken seriously. Last book in the trilogy that began with The Battle of Jericho and November Blues. Draper, Sharon. Copper Sun. Two fifteen-year-old girls--one a slave and the other an indentured servant--escape their Carolina plantation and try to make their way to Fort Moses, Florida, a Spanish colony that gives sanctuary to slaves. du Maurier. Rebecca, This classic novel of mystery and romance still touches the imagination of young people. 380pp. Dumas. The Count of Monte Cristo Unjustly sentenced to life imprisonment, Edmund Dantes escapes, determined to exact revenge from his enemies. 442pp. Duncan, Lois. Who Killed My Daughter? Story of popular young adult author Lois Duncan's search for the truth behind her eighteen-year-old daughter's brutal death while driving alone in her car. E Earley, Tony. The Blue Star: A Novel. Little, Brown, 2008. In the sequel to Jim the Boy, set in the period before Pearl Harbor, Jim moves through his final year of high school into a grownup world at war. Ellison. Invisible Man, Strange, gripping saga of a black man who struggles from the South to the North, always encountering other people's preconceived notions about him. Ettlinger, Steve. Twinkie Deconstructed: My Journey to Discover How the Ingredients Found in Processed Foods Are Grown, Mined (Yes, Mined), and Manipulated into What America Eats. Penguin, 2007. Drawing on interviews with industry professionals, we discover that snack cakes and other popular food products are concocted from by-products of chlorine bleaching, gypsum mining, petroleum processing, and other non-food chemicals.

F Fahy, Thomas. The Unspoken. Six teens are drawn back to the small, North Carolina town where they once lived and, one by one, begin to die of their worst fears, as prophesied by the cult leader they killed five years earlier, and who they believe poisoned their parents. Faulkner. As I Lay Dying, The harrowing account of a family's struggle to get their mother properly buried. 251 pp. Fleming, Candace. The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum. Chronicles the life of showman P. T. Barnum, discussing how he created his legendary circus, the people and events that shaped his life, and the impact Barnum had on the entertainment industry. Flake, Sharon. Bang. A teenage boy must face the harsh realities of inner city life, a disintegrating family, and destructive temptations as he struggles to find his identity as a young man. Flinn, Alex. Beastly A modern retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" from the point of view of the Beast, a vain Manhattan private school student who is turned into a monster and must find true love before he can re-turn to his human form. Frank. Alas, Babylon, The next Pearl Harbor attack might be atomic. Pat Frank's novel about the end of the world... and the day after. 312pp. G

Gaines. A Gathering of Old Men, In this eloquent novel, set in Louisiana in the 1970's, eighteen old, black men each claim to have shot a white man and, in the process, experience their first taste of power and pride. 213pp. Gaines. A Lesson Before Dying, Set in the 1940' s here unfolds a heart breaking story of friendship between two black men one wrongly condemned to die and one who's persuaded to impart something of himself. From the author of A Gathering of Old Men. 255pp.

Gantos, Jack. Hole in My Life. Gantos writes a compelling personal memoir of a poor boys dream to be a writer, his entanglements with drugs, prison, and his ultimate success. Giles, Gail. Shattering Glass. Roaring Brook, 2002. A group of cool high school boys transform Simon Glass, the school nerd, into one of the most popular boys in school. Then they kill him. Going, K. L. Fat Kid Rules the World. Seventeen-year-old Troy, depressed, suicidal, and weighing nearly three hundred pounds, gets a new perspective on life when Curt, a semi-homeless teen who is a genius on guitar, asks Troy to be the drummer in a rock band. Goodman, Alison. Eon: Dragoneye Reborn. Sixteen-year-old Eon hopes to become an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune and learn to be its main interpreter, but to do so will require much, including keeping secret that she is a girl. Grant, Michael. Gone Series Book 1: Gone Book 2: Hunger Book 3: Lies Book 4: Plague Gone. Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not a single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Gone, too, are the phones, internet, and television. There is no way to figure out what's happened. And no way to get help. Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Ani-mals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talentsunimaginable, dangerous, deadly powersthat grow stronger by the day. Its a terrifying new world. Guterson. Snow Falling on Cedars, In 1954 on the isolated beaches of San Pedro Island in Puget Sound, a local fisherman mysteriously drowns. When a Japanese American is charged with his murder, it becomes clear over the course of the ensuing trial that much more is at stake than one man's guilt. 460pp. H Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Random House, 2003. An autistic boy keeps a diary of his efforts to solve the mystery of who killed his neighbors dog. This funny, touching novel is a revealing look into the mind of an autistic person. Alex Award 2004

Hardy. The Return of the Native, Vast, brooding Egdon Heath is the setting for this examination of the frailties of human love. 371pp. Hardy. Tess of the D'Urbervilles, The tragic tale of the seduction of a beautiful and innocent peasant girl. 414pp. Harmon, Michael. Brutal. Forced to leave Los Angeles for life in a quiet California wine town with a father she has never known, rebellious sixteen-yearold Poe Holly rails against a high school system that allows elite students special privileges and tolerates bullying of those who are different. Herbert, Frank. Dune. First published 1965. The Atreides family is banished to planet Dune where the ferocious Fremen live. Series Hornby, Nick. Slam. Putnam, 2007. When fifteen-year-old skateboarder Sam "Slam" Jones learns that his ex-girlfriend is pregnant, he turns to the only person he feels can helphis hero, skating legend Tony Hawk. Since Tony is only a poster, he doesn't offer answers, so it's up to Sam, thrust suddenly into maturity, to figure out the right thing to do. Hooper, Mary. Newes From the Dead. In 1650, while Robert, a young medical student, steels himself to assist with her dissection, twenty-two-year-old housemaid Anne Green recalls her life as she lies in her coffin, presumed dead after being hanged for murdering her child that was, in fact, stillborn. Hoose, Philip M. Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice. Presents an account of fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin, an African-American girl who refused to give up her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, nine months before Rosa Parks, and covers her role in a crucial civil rights case. Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. An autistic boy keeps a diary of his efforts to solve the mystery of who killed his neighbors dog. This funny, touching novel gives an eerie impression of autistic thought process. J James. The Turn of the Screw, Also includes Daisy Miller, Washington Square, The Beast in the Jungle, and The Jolly Corner. 403pp.

Johnson, Maureen. 13 Little Blue Envelopes. HarperCollins, 2005. Ginnys beloved, quirky Aunt Peg sends her on one more adventure when she dies, leaving Ginny a series of envelopes. The envelopes lead Ginny on a whirlwind tour of Europe where she finds answers to important questions about her aunt and about herself. Johnson, Steven. The Ghost Map: The Story of Londons Most Terrifying EpidemicAnd How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World. Penguin, 2006. In 1854, when the existence of bacteria and the concept of waterborne disease are still unknown, two men, one a physician and the other a clergyman, successfully trace the source of a cholera epidemic to a contaminated well in an impoverished part of London. Jordan, Robert. Eye of the World. Tor, 1990. During the Third Age, the Age of Prophecy, the world and time itself hang in the balance in danger of falling under the Shadow. Series Junger. The Perfect Storm, In 1991 the forces of nature converged to create a 100-year storm that caught the North Atlantic fishing fleet at sea and unprotected. Readers follow a Gloucester, Massachusetts, fishing boat as the fishermen battle for survival against high seas and overwhelming odds. 301pp. K Kesey. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, "Powerful, poetic realism... makes the tired old subject of life in a mental hospital into an absorbing Orwellian microcosm of all humanity." 273pp. Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees. Searching for a connection to her dead mother, Lily leaves her abusive father and finds shelter with a family of African American sisters. Korman, Gordon. Son of the Mob. Strait-laced Vince, son of the Mafia family, falls for the daughter of the FBI agent who is bugging his house. Larbalestier, Justine. Liar. Compulsive liar Micah promises to tell the truth after revealing that her boyfriend has been murdered. Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees. Searching for a connection to her dead mother, Lily leaves her abusive father and finds shelter with a family of African American sisters.

Kingslover. The Bean Trees Taylor Greer flees her harsh life in Appalachia and heads west in this memorable novel of love and friendship, abandonment and belonging. 232pp. Knowles. A Separate Peace, Two young prep school roommates learn to cope with the emotions of adulthood when one of them is struck down by a crippling accident. 198pp. Knox, Elizabeth. Dreamhunter Duet Book 1: Dreamhunter Book 2: Dreamquake In a world where select people can enter "The Place" and find dreams of every kind to share with others for a fee, a fifteen-yearold girl trains to be a dreamhunter, and when her father disappears, she is left to carry on his mysterious mission. Incarceron and Sapphique by Catherine Fisher. Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilder-ness. Finn, a seventeen-year-old, prisoner, has no memory of his childhood and is sure that he came from Outside Incarceron. Korman, Gordon. Son of the Mob. Strait-laced Vince, son of the Mafia family, falls for the daughter of the FBI agent who is bugging his house. Krakauer. Into Thin Air, The tragedy that took the lives of experienced mountain guides and novice climbers in a raging blizzard atop Mt. Everest in 1996 is chronicled with clarity, poignancy, and brutal honesty by one who witnessed the event first-hand. 378pp. Krisher, Trudy. Spite Fences. Thirteen-year-old Maggie Pugh's abusive relationship with her mother and her close friendships within the African-American community of Kinship, Georgia stir up racial tension and threaten the town's way of life. Krisher, Trudy. Uncommon Faith. In 1837-38, residents of Millbrook, Massachusetts, speak in their different voices of major issues of their day, including women's rights, slavery, religious differences, and one fiery girl named Faith. Kroeber. Ishi, Last of His Tribe, The history of the Yaho, a small tribe of California Indians, who hid from the white invaders in the early 1900's in order to die a natural death. 209pp.

L Llewellyn, Sam. The Return of Death Eric. Walker, 2006. Death Eric was your parents' favorite rock band, but the band's leader, Eric Thrashmettle, retired because he thought he was cursed. When his bank account runs dry, Erics children convince him and the other former band members to reunite for a blazing comeback. Lockhart, E. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. Frankie Landau-Banks attempts to take over a secret, all-male society at her exclusive prep school, and her antics with the group soon draw some unlikely attention and have unexpected consequences that could change her life forever. Lockhart, E. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. Frankie Landau-Banks attempts to take over a secret, all-male society at her exclusive prep school, and her antics with the group soon draw some unlikely attention and have unexpected consequences that could change her life forever. Lutz, Lisa. The Spellman Files. Simon & Schuster, 2007. Izzy Spellman, an irrepressible twenty-eight-year-old sleuth, works for her parents San Francisco PI firm. The dysfunctional and relentlessly nosy Spellman clan spends as much time spying on each other as they do working their cases. Series. M MacDonald, Joyce. Swallowing Stones. Dual perspectives reveal the aftermath of seventeen-year-old Michael MacKenzie's birthday celebration during which he discharges an antique Winchester rifle and unknowingly kills the father of high school classmate Jenna Ward. Mackler, Carolyn. The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things. Feeling like she does not fit in with the other members of her family, who are all thin, brilliant, and good-looking, fifteen-yearold Virginia tries to deal with her self-image, her first physical relationship, and her disillusionment with some of the people closest to her. Marillier, Juliet. Wildwood Dancing. Knopf, 2007. Every full moon, five sisters who live with their father in Transylvania use a hidden portal to cross over into a magical world, the Wildwood, where they dance until morning with the creatures who live there. Marr, Melissa. Wicked Lovely. HarperTeen, 2008. Urban faeries can be really mean! Aislinns grandmother warns her not to admit she can see them, but that is hard to do when their king is convinced that she is their rightful queen. A smart, funny series sure to delight Twilight fans. Rita Award/Capitol Choices

Martel, Yann. The Life of Pi: A Novel. Harcourt, 2002. Sixteen-year-old Pi Patel, his family, and their zoo animals emigrate from India to North America aboard a cargo ship. The ship sinks, and Pi finds himself sharing a lifeboat with a 450- pound Bengal tiger. Man Booker Prize 2002 McMann, Lisa. Wake. Ever since she was eight years old, high school student Janie Hannagan has been uncontrollably drawn into other people's dreams, but it is not until she befriends an elderly nursing home patient and becomes involved with an enigmatic fellow-student that she discovers her true power. McCloud, Scott. Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels. HarperCollins, 2006. Focusing on the storytelling aspects of drawing comics, the author's avatar uses a skillful mix of dry humor and instruction to offer insights into designing and drawing a comic strip. McCullers. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Unsentimental yet compassionate portrayal of a cross section of humanity in a small southern town. 308pp. Mitchell, Margaret. Gone with the Wind. First published, 1936. After her genteel, romantic lifestyle is swept away by the Civil War, Scarlett OHara summons strength to salvage her plantation home. Monninger, Joseph. Baby. Fifteen-year-old Baby's last chance at foster care is with the Potters, and while she likes them and enjoys learning to race their sled dogs, she feels she should go back on the streets with her boyfriend if she cannot find the mother who has deserted her again. Myers, Walter Dean. DopeSick. Seeing no way out of his difficult life in Harlem, seventeen-year-old Jeremy "Lil J" Dance flees into a house after a drug deal goes awry and meets a strange man who reveals different turning points in Lil J's life when he could have made better choices. Moore, Perry. Hero. Hyperion, 2007. Thom Creed is a bit of an outsider amongst his peers. Apart from being a skilled athlete and unselfish, he has secrets to keep from his friends, and above all, his father, a defeated ex-superhero. Thom is both gay and a natural-born superhero with the ability to heal others physical maladies. Morris, Mary McGarry. The Lost Mother. Viking, 2005. Homeless and abandoned by their mother, twelve-year-old Thomas and his eight-year-old sister Margaret are forced to grow up too quickly, surviving hand-to-mouth while living in a tent with their father in the woods of Vermont during the Great Depression. Murdock, Catherine Gilbert. Dairy Queen. Houghton Mifflin, 2006.

DJ spends most of her time helping out on the family farm until she is coerced into helping train Brian, the star quarterback on the towns rival football team. DJ decides to go out for the other team herself and the fact that she has a major crush on Brian complicates matters. Myers, Walter Dean. Sunrise over Fallujah. Scholastic, 2008. Robin is a young soldier trying to make sense of his tasks in the Iraq War where confusion and randomness rule: his public affairs unit is trying to make friends with Iraqis, while at the same time combat forces are bombing their schools and houses. Myers, Walter Dean. DopeSick. Seeing no way out of his difficult life in Harlem, seventeen-year-old Jeremy "Lil J" Dance flees into a house after a drug deal goes awry and meets a strange man who reveals different turning points in Lil J's life when he could have made better choices. Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels. Young American soldiers are soon disillusioned and challenged by the realities of the war in Vietnam. Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. While on trial as an accomplice to a murder, sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon records his experiences in prison and in the courtroom in the form of a film script as he tries to come to terms with the course his life has taken. N Na, An. The Fold. Putnam, 2008. Joyce is faced with a dilemma when her pushy rich aunt offers her plastic surgery to change the look of her eyelids. Always compared to her beautiful, talented older sister, Joyce must decide what Korean beauty really means to her. Some amusing events occur as the result of her aunt's well-intentioned, but unwanted "gifts" to each family member. Nash, Ogden. The Best of Ogden Nash. Ivan R. Dee, 2007. This delightful book of rhythm and rhyme, together with magical word use, by the renowned master of light, humorous verse, is edited by the poet's daughter, Linell Nash Smith. Novik, Naomi. His Majestys Dragon. Ballantine, 2006. Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors rise to Britain's defense by taking to the skies, not aboard aircraft, but atop the mighty backs of fighting dragons. O Oliver, Mary. The Truro Bear and Other Adventures: Poems and Essays. Beacon, 2008. Charming and clever writing from the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award winner.

Orwell. 1984 A chilling, prophetic vision of a totalitarian "future" which, in many respects, has come to pass. 267pp. P Paolini, Christopher. The Inheritance Cycle Book 1: Eragon Book 2: Eldest Book 3: Brisingr Book 4: Shurtugal (release date: 11/8/11) When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Paton. Cry, The Beloved Country,. The compassionate story of Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom. 283pp. Potok The Chosen, The odyssey of two young men journeying from boyhood to manhood, set against the background of the conflicts and traditions of Hasidic and Orthodox Jews. 272 pp. Pratchett, Terry. Nation. HarperCollins, 2008. Mau is caught in the tidal wave that destroyed his island, and Daphne is her ships only survivor of that tsunami. Together on the devastated island, they form a new nation. Michael L. Printz Award 2009 Pullman, Philip. The Golden Compass. Knopf, 1995. Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra Belacqua sets out to prevent her best friend and other kidnapped children from becoming the subjects of ruesome experiments in the Far North. Carnegie Medal. Series Pullman, Philip. The Amber Spyglass. Lyra and Will find themselves at the center of a battle between the forces of the Authority and those gathered by Lyra's father, Lord Asriel.

Rees, Celia. Sovay. Bloomsbury, 2008. In 1794 England, the rich and beautiful Sovay, disguised as a highwayman, acquires papers that could lead to her fathers arrest for treason. Her newly-awakened political consciousness leads her and a compatriot to France during the Revolution. Reeve, Philip Mortal Engines. Tom, a third class apprentice in a distant future in which technology has been lost and tiered cities move about the Earth on caterpillar tracks often absorbing smaller locales, has many dangerous adventures after being pushed off London by Thaddeus Valentine, a historian who is trying to resurrect an ancient atomic weapon. Remarque. Erich. All Quiet On the Western Front Maria Remarque's harrowing account of World War I as seen through the eyes of a German Soldier. 256pp Roach, Mary. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. Norton, 2003. Both funny and gruesome, this book is about the many things that happen to human bodies after death, from providing practice for plastic surgeons to enabling research on decomposition. Alex Award 2004 Roberts, Judson. Viking Warrior: the Strongbow Saga, Book One. HarperCollins, 2006. After his mother sacrifices her life to free him from slavery, Halfdan is finally acknowledged by his Viking father. He learns to fight, builds a relationship with his noble half-brother Harald, and then vows vengeance for Haralds murder. Series Rothfuss, Patrick. Name of the Wind: the Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One. DAW Books, 2007. In the first of this fantasy trilogy, Kvothe is a powerful and famous magician living as an innkeeper under an assumed name. Part of his past is revealed in the first book, but not why he no longer uses magic. Strange and evil events hint that Kvothe will need to resolve his inner conflict and use his powers. Alex Award 2009 Runyon, Brent. The Burn Journals. In this fast moving, true story of a fourteen-year-old burn victim, Brent struggles to recover from his self inflicted burns and psychological depression. S Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood. Pantheon, 2003. In graphic novel format, Satrapi tells of her childhood growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Alex Award 2004 Shaara. The Killer Angels, A gripping, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the four days of the Battle of Gettysburg, as seen by members of the Union and Confederate armies. 360pp.

Shaffer, Mary Ann and Annie Barrows. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: A Novel. Dial, 2008. January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. From a remarkable correspondence with a man on the island of Guernsey, she constructs an affecting and amusing story of letters between the inhabitants of the island during the German occupation. Shaw, George Bernard. Pygmalion. First published 1913. Shaws satire on British class divisions is based on the classical myth of Pygmalion, in which the sculptor falls in love with his own creation. The witty transformation of Eliza Doolittle from guttersnipe to sophisticate leaves Professor Henry Higgins, our Pygmalion, without his educated Cinderella. Sivertsen, Linda and Tosh. Generation Green : the Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life. Simon Pulse, 2008. This engaging, how-to guide for environmentally conscious living provides pragmatic green solutions to everyday problems, such as purchasing consumer goods, powering household appliances, traveling, reusing and recycling, and eating. Smith, Roland. Peak. A fourteen-year-old boy attempts to be the youngest person to reach the top of Mount Everest. Sofer, Dalia. The Septembers of Shiraz: a Novel. HarperCollins, 2007. Following the 1981 revolution against the Shah of Iran, Isaac Amin, a Jewish gem dealer, is imprisoned because of his religion and personal wealth, and members of his family are forced to wrestle with the radical changes forced upon them. Solzhenitsyn. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, A day in the life of a prisoner in a Soviet work camp and his heroic struggle to survive. 203pp. Summers, Barbara. Open the Unusual Door: true life stories of challenges, adventure and success by Black Americans. Presents a collection of personal, true life stories based on the experiences of each author in recounting opportunities of challenge, adventure, and success that changed their lives. Steinbeck. The Grapes of Wrath, Powerful chronicle of dispossessed landowners who leave Oklahoma during the Great Depression and head for the "promised land" of California. Stoker. Dracula, Famous Gothic horror story of courageous people who set out to destroy vampires. 399pp. Stowe. Uncle Tom's Cabin,

More than an outdated work of propaganda, this 1852 novel of slavery poses the question: What is it to be a moral human being?" 494pp. Swift. Gulliver's Travels and Other Writings, A satire revealing human foibles through Gulliver's adventure in fantastic lands. 535pp. T Tan, Shaun. The Arrival. Scholastic, 2007. A man leaves his troubled homeland and travels to an unfamiliar place where he makes a new life and sends for his family. This wordless books sepia drawings look like surrealistic snapshots, poignantly expressing the timeless and universal courage of migrants. Thompson, Kate. The New Policeman. HarperTeen, 2007. Where does the time go? J.J. Liddys mom just wants more time for her birthday. J.J. finds out that there really is less time than there used to be because theres a leak between the real world and the faeire kingdom. As he begins to unravel the secrets of his history, both recent and distant, the legends of Ireland come to life around him. Parents Choice Award 2007 Thoreau. Walden, Thoreau's detailed recording of his year in a shack beside Walden Pond. The essays "Civil Disobedience" and "Life Without Principle" are included. Tisserand, Michael. The Sugarcane Academy: How a New Orleans Teacher and His Storm-Struck Students Created a School to Remember. Harvest, 2007. Author Michael Tisserand and his wife think that they have left New Orleans for a brief flight from Hurricane Katrina. However, they quickly find that they must create a stable life in a very abnormal time for their children. Banding together with other families who have fled from their neighborhood, they start a school with a gifted teacher and help their children deal with the trauma from the storm. A touching, human look at the unimaginable changes that Katrina made in so many lives. Tolkien, J.J.R. The Hobbit. The adventures of the well-to-do hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, who lived happily in his comfortable home until a wandering wizard granted his wish. Trueman, Terry. Stuck in Neutral. Fourteen-year-old Shawn McDaniel, who suffers from severe cerebral palsy and cannot function, relates his perceptions of his life, his family, and his condition, especially as he believes his father is planning to kill him. Trumbo. Johnny Got His Gun, This underground classic about the horrors of World War I is a strong polemic against war. 244pp.

Twain. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Satirical spoof about an American shop foreman transported back to sixth-century England. 274pp. V Vaughn, Brian K. Pride of Baghdad. DC Comics, 2006. This graphic novel is based on the true story of a pride of lions that escaped the Baghdad Zoo during an American bombing raid. Vibrant colors of brown, yellow, and gray illustrating the aftermath of war-torn Iraq vividly evoke the smell of fire, decay, and fear. Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse Five. First published 1969. After surviving the bombing of Dresden in World War II, Billy Pilgrim returns to civilian life and has a successful career until he is kidnapped by aliens and displayed in a zoo on the planet of Trafalmador. W Walker. The Color Purple, Alice Walker's triumphant novel of a black woman's life in the South. Mature. 295pp Westerfield, Scott. PEEPS. Allyn & Bacon, 2006. Cal, a partially immune carrier of a parasitic disease that leaves the majority of its victims in a state of zombie-like vampirism, is on a quest. Working for New Yorks underground public health bureau, he tracks parasite positives, or peeps, while simultaneously aiming to unravel the mystery behind the illness and the woman who infected him. Weaver, Will. Checkered Flag Cheater. Trace Bonham, a teenaged professional stock car racer, blows away the competition wherever he races, but with every victory Trace is increasingly aware that his winning is due to more than just his driving skills. Werlin, Nancy. Impossible. When seventeen-year-old Lucy discovers her family is under an ancient curse by an evil Elfin Knight, she realizes that she must perform three impossible tasks before her daughter is born to break the curse and to save them both. Werlin, Nancy. Double Helix. Eighteen-year-old Eli, whose mother has Huntingtons disease, uncovers a disturbing secret about his family while working for a famous scientist whose specialty is genetic engineering. Westerfield, Scott. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. Book 1: Uglies Book 2: Pretties

Book 3: Specials Book 4: Extras Uglies is set in a world in which everyone has an operation when they turn sixteen, making them supermodel beautiful. Big eyes, full lips, no one fat or skinny. You might think this is a good thing, but its not. Especially if youre one of the Smokies, a bunch of radical teens whove decided they want to keep their own faces. (How anti-social of them.) White. The Once and Future King, The classic novel about the court of King Arthur. 639pp. White, T. H. The Once and Future King. First published 1958. The chivalry andromance of Arthurian England are transported to the modern world. White. The Sword in the Stone, T.H. White's classic story of the boyhood of King Arthur, greatest of all legendary monarchs and symbol of the Age of Chivalry. A blend of fact and fantasy, the book forms the opening sequences of The Once and Future King. 288pp. Wiess, Laura. Such a Pretty Girl. Pocket/MTV, 2007. Merediths father, who was sent to jail for molesting her, has just been released from prison, and her oblivious mother wants them to become a family again. Meredith, a victim turned heroine, tries to save herself and other young people from her predatory father. Williams-Garcia. The Aguero Sisters, A lyrical story of family secrets and cultural boundaries. Reina and Constancia are sisters who reunite after a thirty-year estrangement. 300pp. Wolff, Virginia Ewer. True Believer. Living in the inner city amidst guns and poverty, fifteen-year-old LaVaughn learns from old and new friends, and inspiring mentors, that life is what you make it--an occasion to rise to. Wolff, Virginia Ewer. True Believer. Living in the inner city amidst guns and poverty, fifteen-year-old LaVaughn learns from old and new friends, and inspiring mentors, that life is what you make it--an occasion to rise to.

Wooten, Jim. We Are All the Same:

A Story of a Boys Courage and a Mothers Love. Penguin, 2004. The global battle against AIDS is set against the life and death of Nkosi Johnson, a young South African boy. Having been born with AIDS, he comes to symbolize the struggle against the disease and the strength of the human spirit. Wright, Richard. Native Son. First published 1940. A young African American man is trapped in the poverty-stricken ghetto of Chicago's South Side, finding release only in acts of violence. Wright. Black Boy, Being a black boy in the thirties gave Richard Wright the fury to write this now classic account of what hunger, fear, and hatred can do. 288pp. Z Zevin, Gabrielle. Elsewhere. When fifteen-year-old Liz Hall is hit by a taxi, she ends up in Elsewhere, a place where you grow younger year by year, meet lost relatives, enjoy your service-oriented vocation, and are eventually reborn on earth. -Markus Zusak The Book Thief , Death narrates this novel set in small-town Germany during WWII.