The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins

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The Hunger Games had been on my reserve list at the library for several weeks before it finally came.  It was worth the wait.  I would not classify myself as being a lover of sci-fi or fantasy, but I really liked this book.  In this book 24 teens are forced to compete to the [...]

Ultimate YA Bookshelf

YALSA has come out with their “Ultimate YA Bookshelf” which has 50 books, 5 magazines, and 5 audiobooks.  The premise behind it and a link to the pdf can be found here.
Here are the 50 books-  I am interested in how many of them I’ve read- and whether most of them are specifically YA lit [...]

Tears of A Tiger- Sharon Draper

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Written in 1994 Tears of A Tiger will still resonate with students now, 15 years later.  This story deals with the aftermath of a drunk driving accident that kills a high school student.  The relationships between friends, children and parents, teachers, and counselors are all discussed through transcripts of discussions, newspaper articles, diary entries, [...]

Dead is the New Black- Marlene Perez

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I do not usually pick up books about vampires, but this one jumped out at me from the shelf in the library and I figured I’d give it a try. It is the first in a newer series, and is relatively light with some dark moments, and looks at a different type of [...]

Persepolis- Marjane Satrapi

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This was my second foray into graphic novels, and I think I’m becoming a fan.  While completely different than American Born Chinese, this graphic novel still held my attention.  I feel like “recent” history isn’t taught or talked about enough, so reading about the revolution in Iran was extremely interesting and informative.  I [...]

The White Darkness- Geraldine McCaughrean

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The White Darkness is a novel that combines history, science, mystery, and teenage angst into a great read.  It is not a quick read as many YA books are, but is still fun to read.  I felt this book had a lot of substance to it.  Sym, a 14-year old girl, has an imaginary [...]

Looking For Alaska- John Green

I really enjoyed this novel.  It takes place at a boarding school, and while it centers around a male protagonist there is also a strong female character.  I can see it being somewhat controversial due to some sex, drinking, and smoking.  I feel that the way the sexual elements are presented could lead to healthy [...]

Leaving Fischers- Margaret Haddix

This is a realistic fiction novel. The girl that this book centers around is the new kid in school and looking to fit in. It deals with the ideas of cult-like religions, and blind faith. This is another book that I would recommend perhaps for individual reading, but not as a whole class [...]