Tears of a
Tiger/ Sharon Draper
When star basketball player Robert
Washington and his three closest friends mix drinking and driving in a post
game victory celebration, Robert The star basketball player “who will
definitely go pro ball” is killed in an auto accident. The driver, Andy
Jackson, feels personally responsible for the accident that kills his best
friend. He is unable to resolve his feelings of guilt and remorse.
Counselors, coaches, friends, and family all fail him nor accurately
perceive the depth of Andy's depression, with tragic results—In this
uniquely fromated book you will see the story told through English class
assignments, including poetry; dialogues; police and newspaper reports; and
letters.
Forge by Fire/ Sharon
Draper
When his loving aunt dies, Gerald suddenly is
thrust into a new home filled with anger and abuse. A brutal stepfather with
a flaming temper and an evil secret makes Gerald miserable, and the only
light in his grim life is Angel, his young stepsister. Gerald and Angel grow
close as he strives to protect her from Jordan, his abusive stepfather, and
from their substance-addicted mother. But Gerald learns, painfully, that his
post can't be extinguished, and that he must be strong enough to face
Jordan in a final confrontation,
once and for all
Darkness before Dawn /Sharon Draper
Keisha's
senior year of high school is quite an ordeal. Her ex-boyfriend has recently
committed suicide; a good friend was killed in a car crash; and she is
attracted to the new track coach, the principal's college-aged son. When he
begins to make advances, Keisha decides that she is mature enough to date
this older man. Jonathan.
But suddenly this turns
to disaster when he attempts to rape her leaving her depressed and shaken.
This is a tale about the three kind and resourceful, but very unlucky Baudelaire children. Fourteen-year-old Violet is quite an inventor; twelve-year-old Klaus is a voracious reader; and little baby Sunny has a nasty bite. The orphans use these traits to try to save their family fortune from the wicked count Olaf in whose care they have been placed. Count Olaf has an evil plan to trick Violet into marriage to gain control of the children's money. Will the children be able to escape from the cruel Count? Once you've read this book you will want to read other books in the series, "A Series of Unfortunate Events."
Sahara Special/ Esmé Raji Codell
Who has a ever favorite teacher or individual that has
made an impact on their life?
Sahara felt she had only one
place one safe place, the library where she could read and write and no one
could find her letters she would hide way back in the travel section. That
was until Ms Pointy walked into the room, she trusted no one. . She knew Ms
Pointy was different …finally Sahara found a safe teacher she could trust,
trust not to send her to the office, not to fail her again or file more
stuff on her. Ms Pointy was unlike any teacher she had ever had, many
months into the year Sahara realized she could trust her. She put down the
first word she’d written in school in 2 years, 2 years of no word and the
words burst forth. Miss Pointy always says the main character changes.
Slumming/ Kristen Randle
Wala! The big Senior
project, find a student that is a social misfit: Nikki of course chooses
the inspiration to the whole project, the class nerd Brian. Sam chooses Tia
the Girl most likely to beat you with chains. She scares him to death but
yet intrigues him. Alicia feels that before they graduate they need to make
the world a better place and so she choose Morgan. Through the course of
the project Nikki realizes she is the hidden class nerd. Sam on the other
has had difficulty even getting Tia to recognize he evens exists until one
day, she says, "Yeah you can take me some place," and she takes him to the
Mental hospital, the place where the only person she loves lives, her
brother Jon. Alicia’s choice is much different she picks the boy who dares
to do everything, the boy skips lunch to go into the forbidden woods to
smoke, the boy caught for drinking, the boy… who she gets into the car with
to never come out the same.
Zipped/ Laura & Tom McNeal
Have you ever wanted to read someone’s diary, look into
something that you know you shouldn’t, read forbidden mail, go someplace you
know you shouldn’t go and is really none of your business? Mick did exactly
that when he open the computer’s Dead file a series of e-mails deleted by
his step mom. Mick stepped into forbidden territory finding out his step
mom is having an affair. He has to deal with the emotions and consequences
of his action because he opened the unthinkable file.
Duncan's summer is about to get worse. This is his last summer before graduation. He'd love just hanging out with his friends but his dad was able to get him a job. And what a lousy job. He's working under the city in the transit authority lost and found. All day he sorts and retrieves and packs up the unclaimed items. Sometimes when it is slow, Duncan picks up a book from the lost and found and reads. What he reads this time is not what he expects. This isn't a regular book. It's more of a diary. The more he reads, the more he becomes convinced that this is the diary of a serial killer. And it's up to Duncan to stop him.
Kensuke's Kingdom/ Michael
Morpurgo
How many of you enjoyed Hatchet or Timothy of the Cay?
You will love to experience Michael thrown overboard board while navigating
The Peggy Sue, on their family’s trip around the world. Join Michael in his
love for the sea, his daring rescue and how he survived on a small Pacific
Island with a Japanese man that has been there since WWII.
Keesha's House/ Helen Frost
It's
really Joe's house. It was left to him with the instructions that he should
use it to help others. But everyone thinks of it as Keesha's house. She's
the one who finds the kids who need help. She's the one to figure out what
they need and assign rooms. She's the one to offer advice and friendship.
Sometimes it's hard to believe that she's just a kid herself. A kid in need
of a place to live so she can finish school and make something of herself.
Other teens find themselves at Keesha's house. Some for just a few nights.
Some for longer. But one thing is for sure they are safe here.
Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but
True Story About Brain Science/John Fleischman
Back in
1848, a man by the name of Phineas Gage suffered an accident which would put
him in the history books. A three foot long iron rod was shot through his
head and lodged in his brain. Believe it or not, Phineas lived. He
survived for almost twelve years after the accident. Now that is amazing in
itself. But what scientists observed was that Phineas underwent a
personality change as a result of the accident. After his death, doctors
exhumed his head and learned a great deal about how the brain functions. We
have Phineas Gage to thank for much of what is known about brain damage and
personality disorders.
Where I'd Like to Be by Francis O"Roark Dowell
Maddie thinks she needs to stand out above the rest, so
she tells the Ghost story. She wants people to like her, she’s been in
several foster homes and knows that she has little or no hope of being
adopted so telling the stories to the children at the Children's Home “makes
them think she’s somebody special, even though she knows she’s not.”
Murphy, the new kid inspires Maddie and other kids to build a fort a place
to belong. There they tell of their dreams and fill scrapbooks with
pictures of fantasy homes, and dream about the future. Imagination and
stories are key survival tools for these emotionally venerable, but
resourceful foster kids, as they deal with tough issues, difficult
situations and still their enjoyment for life fills the pages.
Amber was Brave, Essie Was Smart/Vera Williams
In a
poverty-stricken urban apartment sisters Essie and Amber must feed and
entertain themselves in the absence of their working mother. The lives of
two sisters who have little more than one another, enjoy living and realize
their value. They know their mother has no options and decide they are
helping. The honesty of Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart makes you
ponder long after you close the pages.
Among the Betrayed/Margaret Peterson Haddix
This trilogy of
futuristic novel takes place in a time when the government has become much
more involved in it's citizen's lives. Each citizen is give a ration card
and the government keeps track of where the food is going.
In another attempt to conserve food, Population Police regulate the size of
families - each is only allowed two children. Some however, like Luke's
parents, choose to disobey that law.
Enjoy
the Trilogy of the three children and their family trying to survive.
Are You There God It's Me Margaret?/ Judy Blume
Pre-teen age years are rough and difficult. Margaret is no exception She has
just moved to a new place with her family. During her move Margaret begins
to talk to God, which is unusual because she cannot identify with any
religion. Her mother is Christian and her father is Jewish. They practice
neither religion, so Margaret explains to her friends she has no religion.
This quiet a shock to each new friend she makes. Margaret learns to
deal with the changes in her body as she emerges into puberty. She also
finds out that not all of her friends are as honest as she. Margaret also
begins a study of religion thanks to a school assignment. This book is
funny, informative and real to the experiences young girls face.
The question is what is normal? At school, Antonia appears to be the model student she's on the honor roll and appears to have it "all together". Her home life on the other hand is plagued by misfortune as her mother is unable to care for Antonia and her brothers so Antonia is forced to be the adult at home. Jazz, another student is a punker student who doesn't conform to anything at school, but has parents that attend to her needs even though they're a little overbearing. When these two girls enter the peer counseling program, they form an unlikely alliance and leave both girls wondering what is normal.
High Heat/Carl Duker
Like the game of baseball, life is quirky and unpredictable, as Shane Hunter
discovers in the spring of his sophomore year. suddenly and without
warning his life of privilege is turned upside down. And just as
suddenly, life begins to seem utterly without fairness or purpose to him.
Shane, does his best to overcome his family troubles by playing baseball,
which he loves and is very good at. He struggles with many problems
but baseball all helps him deal and understand.
Isabel lives in Guam, but she deals with the same kinds of problems many teenagers face today. She's trying to hold her family together after her mother commits suicide. Her father has withdrawn from his children, her younger sister is so traumatized she has nightmares and wets the bed. Her brother craves his walls and himself as he tries to cope. Through her journals Isabel is able to grieve and empathize with her family.
A novel in verse tells of of teenage Sophie, a teenage girl struggling with teenage problems. One her main problems is guys. All the emotions of teenage love, Sophie tells of her first three loves, as she learns the difference between love and lust. She learns that you can't always trust people even if you think you love them. Anyone in love or thought they have been in love should definitely read this one.
Let me set the scene for this book. The main character is a 16 year old boy named Zach who is a schizophrenic. the coffee shop where he waits for for his mom to pick him up every day is being robbed by two teenage boys. After a few minutes, the cops have surrounded the shop, so the would-be thieves decide to hold everyone hostage until they can figure out how to avoid going to jail. unfortunately, the clock is ticking becasu3e Zach hasn't been able to take his medicine and his hallucinations, Dirtbag and Rat are right around the corner.
If you enjoyed Hatchet or The Cay you will love to experience Michael thrown overboard while navigating the Peggy Sue, on their family's trip around the world. Discover Michael's love for the sea, his daring rescue, and how he survived on a small Pacific Island with a Japanese doctor that had been there since World War II.
Warrior Angel / Robert Lipsky
Sonny Bear, still struggling with his ethnic identity, returns in the fourth
book in the boxing saga that began with The Contender (1967). Half
Moscandaga Indian and half white, Sonny continues to feel like an outsider
in both worlds, and although he's now the heavyweight champion, he finds no
comfort in his fame or fortune. Feeling burnt out and hopeless, he has no
stomach to fight Jamaican boxer Navy Crockett to retain his title. But his
outlook on life changes when he encounters Starkey, a suicidal young man who
sends Sonny e-mail fan letters using the name Warrior Angel. Starkey
imagines himself on a mission to protect and support Sonny. As the two grow
closer, Sonny and Starkey end up saving each other from their
self-destructive impulses.
Tale
of Despereaux/ Kate Dicamillo Newbery Award Winners
Despereaux is an unlikely hero. Very small, with huge ears, with no proper
mouse instincts: he is not long for this world. Enter the Princess Pea, the
lovely child princess who dwells in the very same castle as our small hero,
Despereaux. He falls, like his name, desperately in love with her and
pledges his life to her service. But how, reader, how can a mouse,
especially one like ours, hope to serve the Princess Pea? Especially when
in the next breath after meeting her, he is sentenced by his own kind to die
in the dungeon, to be tortured and eaten by rats? Our hero is small, but
his fate is huge
Brashares, Ann.
THE
SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS
Carmen, Lena, Tibby and Bridget were all born within a month of each other.
The girls are separated for the first time during the summer between their
fifteenth and sixteenth birthdays. Carmen has bought a second hand pair of
jeans which appear to be magical as they fit each girl, even though they are
all different sizes. The girls decide to send the pants to each other during
the summer and make up a set of rules when wearing the pants. Off they go in
all directions - Greece, South Carolina, and Baja California. Only Tibby
languishes at home. The pants follow with gathering stories and experiences
that forever change the girls' lives.
The City of Embers/DuPrau,
Jeanne.
It's assignment day. Lina has dreamed of this day for so long. She's
dreamed of wearing the red coat of a messenger. She knows no one gets to
choose his/her own job. Everyone is assigned one and must work at it for
two years before a transfer can be considered. After all, everything is done
for the good of the City of Ember.
When the jobs are announced, Lina receives the worst possible news. She's
been assigned to the Pipeworks. Working underground in horrible conditions
is her fate. Until her friend Doon asks to switch with her. He's
been given the job of messenger but he wants to work in the Pipeworks. Lina
can't believe her luck. But then she starts wondering why it is so
important to Doon to
work on the generators. Could what he says be true? Is the City of Ember
running out of light? Can Lina and Doon really help save their people?
The Last Dog on Earth/
Ehrenhaft, Daniel.
Logan Moore is a very angry
young man. He hates just about everyone and everything. He hates
his father who abandoned the family seven years ago and hasn't been back
since. He hates his stepfather who is always criticizing him and
demanding he be something that he isn't. He hates his mom for marrying
Robert and never standing up for Logan. Logan wants a dog. When the big day
comes to go pick up the puppy, Logan talks his mom into going to the pound
to get a dog instead of the fancy breeder that Robert expects.
Amazingly, his mom goes along with the idea. Logan deliberately picks
out the ugliest, wildest dog in the place. He knows this will make
Robert angry. That's the point. What none of them can know that day is how
life will change for dogs and their owners. A new virus has hit the
dogs in the state. There is no cure. The virus makes the dogs
vicious and many have attacked their owners. There is no cure.
Many people have simply been shooting their dogs for fear of the disease.
You see, dog bites transmit the disease to humans. What will happen to
Logan and his dog? Will there ever be a cure or will all the dogs on
earth have to be destroyed?
Once Upon A Marigold/Ferris,
Jean.
Edric the Troll is quite content with his life in the forest. He makes a
pretty good living picking up the things that other drop while passing
through the woods. But one day, what is left behind is a young boy. Edric
is determined to return the boy to his family but the boy tells tales of
mistreatment and says he doesn't want to go back. The boy, Christian, comes
to think of Ed as a father. Christian is a curious lad who loves to invent
things. Some times his inventions work and some times they don't. One
thing that Christian loves to do is look through his telescope and watch
life at the castle. Especially Princess Marigold. He's watched her for
years and even been able to strike up a long distance friendship with her.
Will he ever be able to meet her? And if he does, would she even talk to a
commoner?
You will discover that these are high-tech fairies in this book that is action-packed and filled with 21st century gadgets. Artemis Fowl is from a legendary crime family. He seems to be almost completely evil, but maybe he does care about his crazy mother who is locked in a bedroom upstairs in the family mansion. Yes, he is rich, but he wants more, so he kidnaps the leprechaun, Holly Short. He wants the gold, but he also wants to have a wish granted. What will he do with the gold and what is his wish?
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic
Incident/ Eoin Colfer
Artemis
has spent the last two years searching for his father. Artemis Senior was
aboard a ship that sunk in the Arctic. Although it is generally
believed that everyone aboard has died, Artemis will not believe it.
Meanwhile, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police is not having
such a good time, because of the incident with Artemis in which the fairy
gold was lost, she has been reduced to patrol. During a routine patrol,
Holly stumbles on a cache of illegal weapons in the hand of goblins.
They have some Mud Man firesuits that keep them from being detected by
standard scanning. Why do the Mud Man want to help goblins? There is only
one name that comes to mind -- Artemis Fowl! Could it be? Just maybe
this time Holly and Artemis will find themselves on the same side. Could
that ever happen?
After having stolen some fairy technology during his last encounter with the Underworld, Artemis has successfully put together a computer of the future that will put current technology into the dust bins. He has a marvelous plan how to make money from his C Cube. He contacts Jon Spiro who is one of the leading manufacturers of computers and offers to not manufacture his C Cube in exchange for lots and lots of cash. But, he is outsmarted by Spiro. Outsmarted?? Artemis?? Is he losing his touch? Sure he had planned on going straight after this caper. But how could he have been so stupid to have put the fairy world in danger of discovery? Join Artemis, Holly, Mulch Diggins and the others as they try to keep the Underworld safe from Mud Men
Breaking Point/ Alex Flinn
Why?
Why did his parents have to get a divorce? Why did his mother move them to
this city? Why did they have to live in poverty? Why did his father not
return his phone calls? Why did his mother insist on him going to this
private school? Why were the kids so mean? What did he do to deserve the
horrible treatment he was getting? How can he get them to stop? Why did
Charlie seem to want to be his friend? Why did he want to please Charlie?
What hold did Charlie have over everyone? And how far was Paul willing to
go to keep Charlie's friendship? Steal? Lie? Or, maybe even kill?
Bridge to Terabetha/
Kattererine Patterson
Have
you ever had a secret place that you could escape to? Who would you share
that place with? Your best friend? In Bridge to Terabithia, two
fifth-grade children, Jess Aarons and Leslie Burke become unlikely best
friends. Jess, a boy form a large, poor family befriends the big-city girl,
Leslie who is an only child. Their home lives are totally different, but
they become best friends. Together they create their own "magical" kingdom
they call Terabithia. As the rulers of this make-believe world, they can
escape the realities of their lives. During Spring Break, tragedy strikes
that threatens to destroy Terabithia. Will the magic of Terabithia survive
or will it be lost forever?
Caldwell, an orphan who has decided that he has been in one too many foster homes, seeks his father. His mother left him a few souvenir flyers, which he takes as proof that Herman E. Calloway, a bandleader from Flint, Michigan, mentioned in the flyers, must be his real father. In spite of the obstacles thrown in his way, Bud manages to cope well in an adult world with his "Bud Caldwell 's Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself." Bud's search has several twists and coincidences that will keep you wondering and laughing.
He's new in school. And he's very different. He dresses in an oversize tee shirt with a dragon on it. He begs for lunch money. He's the perfect candidate for the school bully. But what is not evident is his artistic ability. He is an incredible artist. When Justin is assigned to partner with him for a school project, he is reluctant but knows he has no choice. When he finds out about Jinsen's talent, he becomes intrigued. After all, Justin's father is an artist so he has grown up with an appreciation of art. Becoming Jinsen's friend comes with a price though.
"Chicken soup for the teenage soul" /Jacl Canfield
Real stories that happened to real
people. Stories on relationships on love, on kindness, on family, and
learning. One of my favorite is " Someone should have taught him" retold by
Jane Watkins, it is a poem on learning it is about a girl who went to a
party and had not one drink she was proud, but on her way home a guy from
the party who was drinking that night at the party hit her she got in a car
wreck and died." Chicken soup for the teenage soul" is a book every teenager
should read. There are many "Chicken soup" books to read.
Cirque Du Freak/ Darren Shan
Ever
want to run faster than a deer, play soccer better than a pro, have broken
bones mend themselves in a few hours, and meet interesting and amazing
people and things while traveling across the county? Ever want to live 8
times longer than the average human? Ever want to see a real wolf
man........ rip out your friend's stomach?
Shan
was just a normal kid, sneaking out of the house in order to have a good
time with his "buds." And then they went to a freak show- Cirque de Freak.
It provided more thrills and chills than bargained for- but even that didn't
stop Darren from stealing a vampire's deadly spider and having to pay for
that life changing mistake by becoming a 1/2 vampire assistant himself!
Imagine being a vampire's assistant... You, like David Shan, would have to
say good-bye to your family and friends... FOREVER! This is the first of
Cirque Du Freak book read them all!
Chet Gecko Mystery/ Bruce Hale
Our
favorite detective is back in not just one, but two new adventures. That's
right -- Chet Gecko and his partner, Natalie Attired, are on the case. They
are looking for a missing valentine and the winning ticket for a dessert
from the local mall's sweet shop. Suspects abound as do the puns and
wisecracks. But Chet is "as short on ideas as a ten-year-old TV sitcom".
Will our fearless detectives crack the case?
Wishes, Kisses, and Pigs/Beetsy
Hearne
"Star
light, star bright, first star I've seen tonight. I wish I may I wish I
might, have the wish I wish tonight." Have you ever wished that your brother
would turn into a pig? Well, 11-year-old Louise Tolliver did and she got
her wish. Willie turned into a great big sow with sky blue eyes. Louise
tries to undo her wish, but only makes matters worse. The Sheriff is asking
questions about Willie's disappearance, Louise's mother doesn't know what to
do and Louise's father is missing too. Life for Louise and her mother gets
very complicated and they have to figure out how to undo everything on the
first clear evening with a new moon. But the weather report says it's going
to rain. How will Louise see the first star so that she can make her wish?
What does the owl that sits in the tree next to the house have to do with
this story?
Esperanza rising/ Pam Munoz
"Do not
ever be afraid to start over."
This is the advice given to 12-year-old
Esperanza by her wise and loving Abuelita. Esperanza does not know it, but
she will have to follow that advice more than once in the months to come.
She is the secure and happy daughter of a wealthy vineyard owner in Mexico,
but her world is about to be turned upside down, beginning with the sudden
death of her father: Without Papa, Esperanza and her mother are at the
mercy of Papa's greedy brothers, and are forced to flee to the United
States, leaving frail Abuelita behind. In Mexico
they were privileged aristocrats. In California,
there is discrimination against Mexican immigrants, who are seen as just a
source of cheap farm labor. Esperanza has to learn to do basic jobs, such
as sweeping, and caring for children, that she has never had to do before.
The work is hard; the food is simple, and Esperanza and Mama struggle like
everyone else. Esperanza grieves for her father, worries for her mother,
and longs for Abuelita. If only they could afford to send for her!
Esperanza is determined to make that happen. Her name means "hope", and in
Esperanza Rising, hope is sometimes all there is. Although they have little
else, the family will carry on, so long as they have each other.
Big Mouth & Ugly Girl/Joyce
Carol Oates
Matt
Donaghy is 16-years-old, a junior in high school, the class vice president
and all-round good student with a promising future. This is all about to
change. Yanked out of fifth period study hall by the police, he is utterly
confused about what is happening. When the police tell Matt that he has
been accused of making threats against the school and his classmates, he
can't believe what he's hearing. He would never do such a thing! How could
anyone suspect him? What is going on? Apparently some students heard him
kidding at lunch about blowing the place up. He and his friends were
goofing around. No one would ever take that stuff seriously. But now,
things are spiraling out of control and Matt can't make the police
understand that it was just a joke. Have you ever said anything in jest
that might be taken wrong by others? Find out what happens to Big Mouth
Matt and find out how his life and that of Ursula "Ugly Girl" Riggs change
forever.
Life in 1377 England is not easy for 13-year-old Asta's son. His mother has died and he is alone. He is a serf bound to Lord Furnival and has no standing in society. But something is not right. He overhears a conversation that he does not understand and the next thing he knows, he is framed for murder and declared a wolf's head. Now, he is fair game for anyone who wants to kills him for the reward money. But why? He is of no consequence -- he doesn't even have a name. People all call him Asta's son. Now he learns he has a real name -- Crispin. But what does that have to do with being framed for murder? As Crispin runs from the soldiers, he comes across Bear, a giant of a man who makes his living juggling and entertaining people. What will become of this unlikely pair? Will Crispin ever learn about his background and why he is in danger?
Sunnie's life hasn't been easy. But now it is just way too hard. Her older sister has died in a fire. Her mother can't cope and barely gets out of bed anymore. Her dad is drinking to stop his pain. And Sunnie is trying to help both of them. Then it shows up. A letter mixed in among the bills and junk mail. A letter written on yellow paper. A letter from her dead sister. Sunnie assumes the letter was written before Jazz was killed but when she finally gets up enough courage to open it, she can't believe what it says. Jazz is still alive and is coming home. Can this really be happening? Can Jazz really be alive? And what will happen with her parents when their favorite child returns?
This book is about more than the plight of a teenage boy through the most evil time history has witnessed. It goes beyond that. It is about the journey of a once innocent person, whose friends and family not only died, but his God as well. Elie has turned hard. He does not blink when men around him are struck and killed. He does not feel anymore. He does not have any faith in his God, whom he cannot understand could have possibly allowed this nightmare to happen.