collection of stories about young Native Americans introduces a surprising cast of
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SUMMER PICKS 2011 JUST READ! Alexie, Sherman TheToughest Indian in the World (Student Rec). ―A collection of stories about young Native Americans introduces a surprising cast of characters who live and love in two worlds, balancing their Indian heritage and traditions against the realities of the modern world.‖- NoveList.
Barnes, John. Tales of the Madman Underground (Printz Honor Book). ―In September 1973 as the school year begins in his depressed Ohio town, highschool senior Kurt Shoemaker determines to be "normal," despite his chaotic home life with his volatile, alcoholic mother and the deep loyalty and affection he has for his friends in the therapy group dubbed the Madman Underground.‖NoveList.
Bender, Aimee. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake (Alex Award). ―Discovering in childhood a supernatural ability to taste the emotions of others in their cooking, Rose Edelstein grows up to regard food as a curse when it reveals everyone's secret realities.‖ - NoveList.
Blundell, Judy. What I Saw and How I Lied (National Book Award Finalist) ―In 1947, with her jovial stepfather Joe back from the war and family life returning to normal, teenage Evie, smitten by the handsome young ex-GI who seems to have a secret hold on Joe, finds herself caught in a complicated web of lies whose devastating outcome change her life and that of her family forever.‖NoveList. Boyle, T.C. When the Killing’s Done. ―Boyle spins a grand environmental and family drama revolving around the Channel Islands off Santa Barbara in his fiery latest. His animating conflict is tense and nuanced, and his sleek prose yields a tale that is complex, thought-provoking, and darkly funny—everything we have come to expect from him.‖ – Publisher’s Weekly.
Bugliosi, Vincent. Helter Skelter. ―Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial, Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the twentieth century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. Here is the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime.‖- Amazon.com.
Butcher, Jim. Storm Front. ―A modern-day mage and consultant to the police finds his stale life suddenly enlivened by the presence of a rival in the black arts.‖ - NoveList.
Capote, Truman. Breakfast at Tiffany’s ―The tale of a fun-loving, amoral playgirl in New York City....‖-NoveList.
Card, Orson Scott. Pathfinder. (Student Rec.) ―Thirteen-year-old Rigg has a secret ability to see the paths of others' pasts, but revelations after his father's death set him on a dangerous quest that brings new threats from those who would either control his destiny or kill him.‖-NoveList.
Casey, Susan. The Wave (Book Talk). ―Part science lesson and part adrenaline rush, The Wave is an intense thrill ride that manages to take a broad look at oversized, potentially devastating waves.‖Amazon.com.
Cleave, Chris. Little Bee (Book Talk). ―Presents a tale of a precarious friendship between an illegal Nigerian refugee and a recent widow from suburban London, a story told from the alternating and disparate perspectives of both women.‖-NoveList.
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games (MS Book Club). ―In a future North America, where the rulers maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people against one another, sixteenyear-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister’s place.‖ – NoveList.
Condie, Ally. Matched. ―Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her, so when Xander appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate--until Ky Markham's face appears for an instant before the screen fades to black.‖NoveList.
Culberson, Sarah. Princess Found (Student Rec). ―Popular with her classmates and loved by her adoptive family, African-American Sarah Culberson has never truly felt that she belonged. After graduating from high school and moving away for college, she began to seek the truth about her biological parents. This eloquently written memoir covers the isolation an African-American child can feel in a predominantly white environment; the technical aspects and emotional turmoil of a search for biological parents; and the contrast between American wealth and African poverty.‖ – Amazon.com
Dashner, James. The Maze Runner. (Student Rec.) ―Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape.‖-NoveList.
Deuker, Carl. Payback Time. “Overweight, somewhat timid Mitch reluctantly agrees to be the sports reporter for the Lincoln High newspaper because he is determined to be a writer, but he senses a real story in Angel, a talented football player who refuses to stand out on the field--or to discuss his past.‖-NoveList.
Dinesen, Isak (Blixen, Karen). Out of Africa. “A true account of her life on her plantation in Kenya, Isak Dinesen tells with classic simplicity of the ways of the country and the natives: of the beauty of the Ngong Hills and coffee trees in blossom: of her guests, from the Prince of Wales to Knudsen, the old charcoal burner, who visited her: of primitive festivals: and of big game that were her near neighbors.‖ - Amazon.com.
Eugenides, Jeffrey. The Virgin Suicides (Book Talk). “The narrator and his friends piece together the events that led up to suicides of the Lisbon girls-- brainy Therese, fastidious Mary, ascetic Bonnie, libertine Lux, and saintly Cecilia.‖-NoveList.
Fisher, Catherine. Incarceron. “To free herself from an upcoming arranged marriage, Claudia, the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, a futuristic prison with a mind of its own, decides to help a young prisoner escape.‖ NoveList.
Ford, Jamie. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. “When artifacts from Japanese families sent to internment camps during World War II are uncovered during renovations at a Seattle hotel, Henry Lee embarks on a quest that leads to memories of growing up Chinese in a city rife with anti-Japanese sentiment.‖ - NoveList.
Green, Tim. Rivals. “Twelve-year-old Josh looks forward to facing a true rival in the Baseball Hall of Fame tournament, but first he and his friends, Jaden and Benji, put themselves at great risk trying to expose the truth about a conspiracy to bribe the head umpire.‖ - NoveList.
Grossman, Lev. The Magicians. ―Harboring secret preoccupations with a magical land he read about in a childhood fantasy series, Quentin Coldwater is unexpectedly admitted into an exclusive college of magic and rigorously educated in modern sorcery.‖ - NoveList.
Hamilton, Bethany. Soul Surfer. ―A true tale of courage and faith by a soft-spoken girl with a passion for surfing and the determination to overcome the loss of her arm due to a shark’s stealth attack.‖Amazon.com.
Hillenbrand, Laura. Unbroken (Book Talk). ―From the bestselling author of Seabiscuit, comes the inspiring, true story of a man who lived through a series of catastrophes almost too incredible to be believed. In evocative, immediate descriptions, Hillenbrand unfurls the story of Louie Zamperini-a juvenile delinquent-turned-Olympic runner-turned-Army hero.‖ Amazon.com.
Kamara, Mariatu. The Bite of the Mango. ―Kamara's account of the atrocities she suffered at the hands of rebel soldiers in Sierra Leone is both harrowing and hopeful. The young woman had a typical childhood in her small, rural village until she came face to face with rebels bent on destroying everything in their path. Her narrative is honest, raw, and powerful.‖ Amazon.com.
Kaufman, Moises. The Laramie Project. ―A chorus of voices brings to life the thoughts and feelings of the people of Laramie, Wyoming, in the wake of the murder of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man.‖ -NoveList.
Landy, Derek. Scepter of the Ancients. ―When twelve-year-old Stephanie inherits her weird uncle's estate, she must join forces with Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton mage, to save the world from the Faceless Ones.‖ - Novelist.
Lane, Andrew. Death Cloud (Book Talk). ―In 1868, with his army-officer father suddenly posted to India, and his mother mysteriously "unwell," fourteen-year-old Sherlock Holmes is sent to stay with his eccentric uncle and aunt in their vast house in Hampshire. His American tutor teaches him skills of observation, which combined with logical thinking, help him solve his first murder mystery and escape a diabolical villain.‖ - NoveList.
Lemmon, Gail. The Dressmaker of Khair Khana (Book Talk). ―The life Kamila Sidiqi had known changed overnight when the Taliban seized control of the city of Kabul. Banned from teaching, confined to her home, and armed only with grit and determination, she picked up a needle and thread and created a thriving business of her own.‖ - Amazon.com.
Liu, Eric. The Accidental Asian. ―In this candid, well-crafted memoir, Liu, a former speechwriter for President Clinton, explores his identity as a second-generation Chinese American. Whether he's recalling his adolescent frustration with "Chinese hair" that just wouldn't permit itself to be styled, examining the history of Chinatown, or pondering the mixture of fear and fascination with which China is viewed by Americans, Liu writes with admirable personal intensity.‖ - Amazon.com.
Lloyd, Saci. The Carbon Diaries 2015. “ In 2015, when England becomes the first nation to introduce carbon dioxide rationing in a drastic bid to combat climate change, sixteen-year-old Laura documents the first year of rationing as her family spirals out of control.‖. -NoveList.
Magoon, Kekla. The Rock and the River. ―In 1968 Chicago, fourteenyear-old Sam Childs is caught in a conflict between his father's nonviolent approach to seeking civil rights for African Americans and his older brother, who has joined the Black Panther Party.‖ - NoveList.
Marlantes, Karl. Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War. ―A powerful and compelling story of a young Marine lieutenant, Waino Mellas, and his comrades in Bravo Company, who are dropped into the mountain jungle of Vietnam as boys and forced to fight their way into manhood.‖ - NoveList.
Martinez, Victor. Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida (National Book Award). “Manny relates his coming-of-age experiences as a member of a poor Chicano family in which the alcoholic father only adds to everyone's struggle.‖ - NoveList.
Massie, Robert K. Castles of Steel (Book Talk). ―In Dreadnought, Massie chronicled the buildup of the British and German navies in the years before the First World War. Here he continues the story, showing the fleets in preparation for their inevitable decisive engagement. The clash finally came in 1916 at the Battle of Jutland, and this centerpiece battle springs to life, thanks to Massie's clear grasp of tactics and his suspenseful narration.‖ - Amazon.com
Morpurgo, Michael. Private Peaceful. ―When Thomas Peaceful's older brother is forced to join the British Army during World War I, Thomas decides to sign up as well, although he is only fourteen years old, to prove himself to his country, his family, his childhood love, Molly, and himself.‖ NoveList.
Mukherjee, Siddhartha. The Emperor of All Maladies. (Pulitzer Prize Winner) ―A comprehensive and eloquent "biography" of one of the most virulent diseases of our time that illustrates how modern treatments came into existence thanks to a century's worth of research, trials, and small, essential breakthroughs around the globe. Rich with the science and history behind the fight against cancer, it is also a meditation on illness, medical ethics, and the complex, intertwining lives of doctors and patients.‖- NoveList.
Myers, Walter Dean. Kick. “Told in their separate voices, thirteen-year-old soccer star Kevin and police sergeant Brown, who knew his father, try to keep Kevin out of juvenile hall after he is arrested on very serious charges.‖ - NoveList.
Napoli, Donna Jo. Alligator Bayou. ―Fourteen-year-old Calogero Scalise and his Sicilian uncles and cousin live in small-town Louisiana in 1898, when Jim Crow laws rule and anti-immigration sentiment is strong, so despite his attempts to be polite and to follow American customs, disaster dogs his family at every turn.‖ -NoveList.
Ness, Patrick. The Knife of Never Letting Go. ―Pursued by power-hungry Prentiss and mad minister Aaron, young Todd and Viola set out across New World searching for answers about his colony's true past and seeking a way to warn the ship bringing hopeful settlers from Old World.‖ NoveList.
Obrecht, Tea. The Tiger’s Wife. ―Struggling to understand why her beloved grandfather left his family to die alone in a field hospital far from home, a young doctor in a war-torn Balkan country takes over her grandfather's search for a mythical ageless vagabond while referring to a worn copy of Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book.".‖ - NoveList.
Peters, Julie Anne. Luna (National Book Award). ―Fifteen-year-old Regan's life, which has always revolved around keeping her older brother Liam's transsexuality a secret, changes when Liam decides to start the process of "transitioning" by first telling his family and friends that he is a girl who was born in a boy's body.‖ - NoveList.
Picoult, Jodi. Sing You Home (Student Rec). ―Picoult tackles the controversial topic of gay rights in her latest powerful tale about identity, love, marriage, and parenthood. Told from the perspectives of all three major characters, Picoult’s gripping novel explores all sides of the hot-button issue.‖-Amazon.com
Pratchett, Terry. The Wee Free Men: The Beginning. ―A young witch-to-be named Tiffany teams up with the Wee Free Men, a clan of six-inch-high blue men, to rescue her baby brother and ward off a sinister invasion from Fairyland.‖ - NoveList.
Preller, James. Bystander (Book Talk). ―Thirteen-year-old Eric discovers there are consequences to not standing by and watching as the bully at his new school hurts people, but although school officials are aware of the problem, Eric may be the one with a solution.‖ - NoveList.
Puchner, Eric. Model Home (Chadwick Alumnus). ―With penetrating insights into modern life and an uncanny eye for everyday absurdities, Eric Puchner delivers a wildly funny, heartbreaking, and thoroughly original portrait of an American family in Southern California in the 1980s.‖ -Publisher’s description.
Riordan, Rick. The Throne of Fire. Sequel to The Red Pyramid. ―In this exciting second installment of the three-book series, Carter and Sadie, offspring of the brilliant Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane, embark on a worldwide search for the Book of Ra, but the House of Life and the gods of chaos are determined to stop them.‖ - Amazon
Sapphire. Push (US Book Club). ―A courageous and determined young teacher opens up a new world of hope and redemption for sixteen-year-old Precious Jones, a young African American girl living in Harlem who overcomes her childhood abuse.‖ - NoveList.
Schmidt, Gary. Schmidt, Gary D. Okay for Now. By the author of The Wednesday Wars. ―While Doug struggles to be more than the thug that his teachers and the police think him to be, he finds and unlikely ally in Lil Spicer, as they explore Audubon's art.‖-NoveList.
Shteyngart, Gary. The Super Sad True Love Story (Book Talk). ―In a novel set in the near future, when a beautiful, yet cruel, woman that Lenny Abramov met in Italy says she is coming to stay with him in New York, even the tanks and soldiers stationed in the city and the ongoing war with Venezuela can't get him down.‖ - NoveList.
Shusterman, Neal. Unwind (MS Book Club). ―In a future world where those between the ages of thirteen and eighteen can have their lives "unwound" and their body parts harvested for use by others, three teens go to extreme lengths to uphold their beliefs--and, perhaps, save their own lives.‖ NoveList.
Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. ―A fascinating and moving story of medicine and family that examines the interplay of race, poverty, science, and important medical discoveries involving HeLa cells and the surrounding ethical issues of their source and use.‖ Amazon.com.
Smith, Patti. Just Kids (National Book Award & Student Rec). ―Just Kids begins as a love story and ends as an elegy. It serves as a salute to New York City during the late sixties and seventies and to its rich and poor, its hustlers and hellions. A true fable, it is a portrait of two young artists' ascent, a prelude to fame. Patti Smith would evolve as a poet and performer, and Robert Mapplethorpe would direct his highly provocative style toward photography.‖ – Publisher’s description.
Sonnenblick, Jordan. After Ever After (Schneider Family Award). ―Although Jeff and Tad, encouraged by a new friend, Lindsey, make a deal to help one another overcome after-effects of their cancer treatments in preparation for eighth-grade graduation, Jeff still craves advice from his older brother Stephen, who is studying drums in Africa.‖ - NoveList.
Stork, Francisco X. Marcelo in the Real World. ―Marcelo Sandoval, a seventeen-year-old boy on the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum, faces new challenges, including romance and injustice, when he goes to work for his father in the mailroom of a corporate law firm.‖ NoveList.
Vargas Llosa, Mario. The Story Teller (Book Talk). ―Seeing a photograph of an Amazon tribal storyteller, a Peruvian writer becomes certain that the man is one of his old school friends and begins to imagine his transformation from the person he knew into a central member of the Machiguenga tribe.‖ - NoveList.
Vreeland, Susan. Clara and Mr.Tiffany. ―Hoping to honor his father and the family business with innovative glass designs, Louis Comfort Tiffany launches the iconic Tiffany lamp as designed by women's division head Clara Driscoll, who struggles with the mass production of her creations.‖ NoveList.
Westerfeld, Scott. Leviathan. ―In an alternate 1914 Europe, fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.‖ - NoveList.
