Good Books for Young Adults
Following are just a few lists of recommended books. Books
on these lists have not necessarily been reviewed by Linus Pauling Middle School
library staff. However, the organizations and/or people who have published
these lists are known to include books that are enjoyed by young adults. A
link is provided to the website of each organization. At Linus Pauling we
believe in "self censorship". What is appropriate for one student may not
be suitable for another. Choose to read books that are not only at your
reading and interest level but also match your maturity level!
Young
Reader Choice Award Nominees - Young Reader Choice (YRC) is an annual
program in which students in the Pacific Northwest select their favorite books.
Nominated book lists are published at the end of each school year.
Students who have read two or more books in the Junior, Intermediate, and/or
Senior division may vote for their favorite book in the Spring. YRC
nominated books are among the favorites of Linus Pauling students.
Middle School Books -
Looking for the "best of the best" in middle school literature? This site,
created by retired librarian and language arts teacher Kathy Bjorklund,
highlights an expanding number of fiction and non-fiction books that she
believes are among the best currently available for YA readers. "I wanted a
place where parents, teachers, and kids could go to find reviews of books for
grades 5-9," says Kathy, a 25-year teaching veteran who lives in Washington
State.
ALA Awards
- Links to a variety of awards and recommended lists of books for young adults.
This site is provided by the American Library Association.
Outstanding
Books for the College Bound and Lifelong Learners - this list of books is
provided by the American Library Association.
The Oregon
Battle of the Books is a statewide reading motivation and comprehension
program sponsored by the Oregon Association of School Libraries in conjunction
with a Library Services and Technology Act grant. Students, regardless of
ability, are exposed to quality literature representing a variety of literary
styles and viewpoints. The goals of the program are to encourage and recognize
students who enjoy reading, broaden reading interests, increase reading
comprehension, and promote academic excellence.
Adam Canfield of the Slash by Michael Winerip -
Mystery/Realistic Fiction
While serving as
co-editors of their school newspaper, middle-schoolers Adam and Jennifer uncover
fraud and corruption in their school and in the city's government.
The Alchemyst by Michael Scott - Fantasy
While working at pleasant
but mundane summer jobs in San Francisco, fifteen-year-old twins, Sophie and
Josh, suddenly find themselves caught up in the deadly, centuries-old struggle
between rival alchemists, Nicholas Flamel and John Dee, over the possession of
an ancient and powerful book holding the secret formulas for alchemy and
everlasting life.
Any Small Goodness by Tony Johnston - Realistic Fiction
Arturo and his family and
friends share all kinds of experiences living in the barrio of East Los
Angeles--reclaiming their names, playing basketball, championing the school
librarian, and even starting their own gang.
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis - Realistic Fiction
Because the Taliban rulers
of Kabul, Afghanistan, impose strict limitations on women's freedom and
behavior, eleven-year-old Parvana must disguise herself as a boy so that her
family can survive after her father's arrest.
Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah -
Non-fiction/Biography
The author returns to her
roots to paint an authentic portrait of twentieth-century China as well as to
tell the story of her painful childhood and her courage and ultimate triumph
over despair.
Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey - Fantasy
In 1145 A.D., as foretold
by Merlin, fourteen-year-old Rosalind, who will be the twenty-first Pendragon
Queen of Wilde Island, has much to accomplish to fulfill her destiny, while
hiding from her people the dragon's claw she was born with that reflects only
one of her mother's dark secrets.
Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix - Science Fiction
When thirteen-year-olds
Jonah and Chip, who are both adopted, learn they were discovered on a plane that
appeared out of nowhere, full of babies with no adults on board, they realize
that they have uncovered a mystery involving time travel and two opposing
forces, each trying to repair the fabric of time.
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson -
Science Fiction
After the mutant Erasers
abduct the youngest member of their group, the "birdkids," who are the result of
genetic experimentation, take off in pursuit and find themselves struggling to
understand their own origins and purpose.
Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci - Realistic
Fiction/Graphic Novel
When transfer student Jane
is forced to move from the big city to suburbia, she thinks that her life is
over until she meets three other girls named Jane who decide to form a secret
art gang and turn the town and high school upside down.
Ranger's Apprentice: Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan -
Fantasy
When fifteen-year-old Will
is rejected by battle school, he becomes the reluctant apprentice to the
mysterious Ranger Halt, and winds up protecting the kingdom from danger.
Schooled by Gordon Korman - Realistic Fiction
After his hippie
grandmother ends up in the hospital, Cap Anderson is forced to leave the commune
where he is home schooled and attend Claverage Middle School, where his odd
looks and behavior make him the target of bullies.
So B. It by Sarah Weeks - Realistic Fiction
After spending her life
with her mentally retarded mother and agoraphobic neighbor, twelve-year-old
Heidi sets out from Reno, Nevada, to New York to find out who she is.
Trapped between the lash and the Gun by Arvella Whitmore
- Historical Fiction
Twelve-year-old Jordan is
becoming dangerously involved with a street gang when he is suddenly transported
through time to become a slave on the plantation of his ancestors.
The Wednesday Wars by
Gary D. Schmidt - Historical Fiction
During the 1967 school
year, on Wednesday afternoons when all his classmates go to either Catechism or
Hebrew school, seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood stays in Mrs. Baker's classroom
where they read the plays of William Shakespeare and Holling learns much of
value about the world he lives in.
The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy - Historical
Fiction
Twelve-year-old Joan,
worried that she will not have any friends when her family moves from
Connecticut to California, bonds right away with Sarah, a girl who prefers to be
called Fox, and the two spend a joyous summer playing outside, making up
stories, and attending a writing class.
Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick -
Realistic Fiction
When thirteen-year-old San
Lee moves to a new town and school for the umpteenth time, he is looking for a
way to stand out when his knowledge of Zen Buddhism, gained in his previous
school, provides the answer--and the need to quickly become a convincing Zen
master.
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