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Book Suggestions

Great Reads for Teenagers and Young Adults


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The Tale of Despereaux

by Kate Dicamillo

Illustrated by Timothy B. Ering

Candlewick 2003

Ages: 10 and Up

Topic: Great Reads for Teenagers and Young Adults

This enchanting tale of a mouse named Despereaux Tilling begins in a castle where the little mouse, who has a romantic spirit, falls in love with Princess Pea and is banished to the dungeon by his own father, the king. There he meets Roscuro, a rat, who desperately seeks light and craves soup. The fourth character is Miggery Sow, a peasant girl who believes she can become a princess. Kate DiCamillo weaves these incredible characters together with a suspenseful narrative. MORE...


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Ithaka

by Adele Geras

Harcourt Children's Books 2006

Ages: 10 and Up

Topic: Great Reads for Teenagers and Young Adults

The famous story of the The Odyssey by Homer is retold, this time from all those who are waiting for Odysseus to return. Primarily told through Klymene, the young handmaiden who is like a daughter to Penelope and who longs for the love of prince Telemachus, this powerful story captures the strength and patience of a woman's enduring love for her husband. It also unveils the corruptions and agony of the Trojan war. MORE...


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New Boy

by Julian Houston

Houghton Mifflin 2005

Ages: 10 and Up

Topic: Great Reads for Teenagers and Young Adults

A fifteen year old boy, Rob Garrett, leaves his Virginia home to attend a prestigious boarding school in Connecticut. The story takes place in the 1950's. He is the first African American to attend this school and encounters bigotry as well as many social concerns of the times. He visits Harlem and gets to hear Malcolm X preach. MORE...


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Voices of the Trojan War

by Kate Hovey

Illustrated by Leonid Gore

Margaret K. McElderry 2004

Ages: 10 and Up

Topic: Great Reads for Teenagers and Young Adults

The ancient story of Troy seems more relevant than ever today through the voices of the gods, goddesses, warriors and soldiers, kings and the common people. Each poem is prefaced with a quote from one of the original sources, Homer, Ovid, Virgil or Euripides and we enter into the heartaches and horror of the war. MORE...


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Dark Angel

by David Klass

Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2005

Ages: 10 and Up

Topic: Great Reads for Teenagers and Young Adults

A well written book for teenagers, this gripping and suspenseful story is about a seventeen year old boy Jeff whose brother Troy returns unexpectedly from prison and makes a mess of his life at school, at home and even with his girlfriend, Beth. A multilayered novel about good and evil and the powerful bond of a family, David Klass explores unconditional love, fear, faith and theories of human behavior. It is a chilling read, written skillfully by a master screenwriter, and one which your teenager won't be able to put down. MORE...


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Soldier's Secret: The Story of Deborah Sampson

by Sheila Solomon Klass

Henry Holt and Company 2009

Ages: 10 and Up

Topic: Great Reads for Teenagers and Young Adults

This is a gripping first-person account of an extraordinary woman who dressed as a soldier and served the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War. Based on real-life facts, Sheila Solomon Klass weaves a mesmerizing story that young adults won't be able to put down. MORE...


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Amelia's Book of Notes & Note Passing

by Marissa Moss

Illustrated by Marissa Moss

Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books 2006

Ages: 7 to 10

Topic: Great Reads for Teenagers and Young Adults

Kids love this wonderful series which looks like it was written by a fifth grader in a writer's notebook. It can be read in snippets and also used for ideas on what to put in your own notebooks. MORE...


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Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices

by Walter Dean Myers

Holiday House 2004

Ages: 10 and Up

Topic: Great Reads for Teenagers and Young Adults

In this breathtaking book, each resident in Harlem "speaks" in his unique voice telling the story, a memory or recollection in free verse form or blues format. Period black and white photographs from Mr. Myers' own collection add much to this personal portrait and together they etch a lasting impression on the reader. MORE...


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A Single Shard

by Linda Sue Park

Yearling 2003

Ages: 10 and Up

Topic: Great Reads for Teenagers and Young Adults

Set in 12th century Korea, this novel is a tale of determination, endurance, courage and hope. Great suspense is woven into this novel which conveys the hardships and challenges of an orphan's life, the exquisite beauty of celadon pottery and the culture of an artist community. MORE...


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The Same Stuff as Stars

by Katherine Paterson

HarperTrophy 2004

Ages: 10 and Up

Topic: Great Reads for Teenagers and Young Adults

Eleven-year-old Angel Morgan keeps a house key around her neck and some money in her sock, just in case. Even at this tender age, she is in charge of her younger brother until her erratic mother drops them both off at her grandmother's house and never comes back. (Her father is in jail) As she struggles to find hope, Angel makes friends with a star gazer who introduces her to the world above through his telescope and the librarian who feeds her soul with books. The grandma is a solid character in this action packed story which deals with forgiveness and acceptance. MORE...


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Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy

by Gary D. Schmidt

Clarion Books 2004

Ages: 10 and Up

Topic: Great Reads for Teenagers and Young Adults

This poignant story of a forbidden friendship between a preacher's son and a dark-skinned girl from a nearby island in Maine (1910) provides an irresistible story that explores themes of powerlessness, possibility, and the important impact one person can make. MORE...


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Noisy Nora

by Rosemary Wells

Viking Books 1999

Ages: 3 to 5

Topic: Great Reads for Teenagers and Young Adults

Being a middle child is never easy, and Nora tries to get attention away from her siblings by being extra mischievous and noisy. Finally she slams the door and runs away and all of a sudden everybody misses her and yearns to have her home. MORE...