After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson
Try these new and classic books to keep your 12-year-olds and teenagers interested in reading.

After Tupac and D Foster
By Jacqueline Woodson*


The powerful and sustaining bonds of friendship, family and community are explored in this story of three 11-year-old girls living in a close-knit African-American neighborhood in Queens, New York, as they experience various changes in their lives as they move from childhood to adolescence.

Putnam, 2008. ISBN: 9780399246548


The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Vol. II by M.T. Anderson
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. II: The Kingdom on the Waves
By M.T. Anderson*
In elegant but complex sentence structure rich with eighteenth-century vocabulary, Octavian Nothing, a teenage black slave, narrates his heroic and compelling journey through the epic period of the founding of America. As he moves through the swirl of events around him and the birth of the nation, Octavian experiences the basic human struggles for independence, identity, freedom and love.

Candlewick, 2008. ISBN: 9780763629502

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
A Curse Dark as Gold
By Elizabeth C. Bunce*
Charlotte Miller and her sister, Rosie, have inherited the ill-fated Stirwaters Mill. The determined Charlotte refuses to give in to the constant plague of bad luck with the mill while she and her sister are further hampered by their eccentric Uncle Wheeler who mysteriously shows up after their father's death to "help the girls." A suspenseful, romantic and magical tale that keeps the reader engrossed until the end.

Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, 2008. ISBN: 9780439895767


Slam by Nick Hornby
Slam
By Nick Hornby
Sam Jones loves skateboarding and Tony Hawk. When, at the age of 15, his girlfriend, Alicia, gets pregnant, his life suddenly changes and he learns to cope. Much more than a contemporary problem novel, this book combines humor, wacky characters and an unusual writing style.

Putnam, 2007. ISBN: 9780399250484





Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham
Shark Girl
By Kelly Bingham
A shark attack dampens Jane's artistic dreams. Written in prose, she struggles to accept the reactions of her friends and family.

Candlewick, 2007. ISBN: 9780763632076








Ringside, 1925: Views from the Scopes Trial by Jen Bryant
Ringside, 1925: Views from the Scopes Trial
By Jen Bryant
As the world looks in on the small town of Dayton, Tennessee, teens and adults alike find their thoughts and beliefs challenged and affected by the famous "monkey trial" in this thoughtful and thought-provoking free-verse novel of an historic incident that still reverberates today.

Knopf, 2008. ISBN: 9780375840470





You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn
You Know Where to Find Me
By Rachel Cohn
First cousins Laura and Miles grew up like sisters and were inseparable...until Laura blossomed into a beautiful, rich, popular girl and Miles became lost, overweight and an outcast. When Laura commits suicide, Miles is devastated and needs to learn how to live her life without Laura and to find her own inner beauty.

Simon & Schuster, 2008. ISBN: 9780689878596




The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante
The Patron Saint of Butterflies
By Cecilia Galante
Agnes and Honey are best friends, but as they grow older, they grow more and more different. They live in a tightly-knit religious community filled with Believers. But while Agnes completely buys into the lifestyle, Honey wants out. Agnes' grandmother arrives suddenly and discovers a horrible secret about the community. She plans their escape from the commune, and Agnes, her little brother and Nana begin a life-altering journey.

Bloomsbury, 2008. ISBN: 9781599902494


Paper Towns by John Green
Paper Towns
By John Green
Quentin Jacobsen believes that everyone gets one miracle in life, and his is living next door to Margo Roth Spiegelman. Margo Roth Spiegelman is the epitome of Quentin's dreams, and he will do anything for her. When Margo mysteriously disappears and leaves enigmatic clues for Quentin, he feels he must drop everything and find her. But will he find the Margo he thinks he knows or someone entirely different?

Dutton, 2008. ISBN: 9780525478188



Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Found
By Margaret Peterson Haddix
Thirteen years ago, 36 babies landed at an airport under mysterious circumstances. Now they are all teenagers who have no idea that their lives are in serious danger until two of them begin to piece together the surprising truth about their pasts.

Simon & Schuster, 2008. ISBN 9781416954170






Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Book of a Thousand Days
By Shannon Hale
When Lady Saren refused to marry the man chosen for her, her father had her sealed in a tower for seven years. Her brave and clever maid tells the story of the imprisonment and of the amazing events that followed.

Bloomsbury, 2007. ISBN: 9781599900513







The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
By E. Lockhart
For decades, the Loyal Order of the Bassett Hound has been the secret club of select boys at an exclusive prep school. But when Frankie finds out about it, she devises a risky plan to infiltrate and control the mysterious society, with humorous and surprising results.

Hyperion, 2008. ISBN 9780786838189




Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy; illustrated by Tom Percival
Skulduggery Pleasant
By Derek Landy; illustrated by Tom Percival
Stephanie's uncle dies, leaving his estate to her. A storm results in the 12-year-old staying alone overnight in her uncle's empty house, where she meets and joins forces with strange skeleton detective, Skulduggery Pleasant. Action abounds in this wacky fantasy, and there's a sequel.

HarperCollins, 2007. ISBN: 9780061231155





Red Glass by Laura Resau
Red Glass
By Laura Resau
Pedro, a 6-year-old boy from Mexico, is the only survivor of a group who attempted to illegally cross the border into the United States. Facing severe dehydration, Pedro is hospitalized and comes to live with Sophie and her family until he is contacted from members of his extended family still living in Mexico. Pedro has to decide if he wants to go back or stay with his new family, a choice a 6-year-old should never have to face.

Random, 2007. ISBN: 9780385734660


Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt
Trouble
By Gary D. Schmidt
Henry Smith lives a safe and secure life in his family home until trouble arrives one day in the form of a pickup truck that strikes and severely injures his older brother. The accident leads to racial hostility, revelations of family secrets and a dangerous journey that throws Henry together with the boy who drove the vehicle that hit his brother.

Clarion, 2008. ISBN: 9780618927661




The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
The Wednesday Wars
By Gary D. Schmidt
For Holling Hoodhood, seventh grade in 1967 includes some highlights (meeting the Yankees and winning cross country races) and plenty of lowlights (yellow tights, a tough teacher and a very large rat) in this humorous coming-of-age novel.

Clarion, 2007. ISBN: 9780618724833







The Arrival by Shaun Tan
The Arrival
By Shaun Tan
Hundreds of ingeniously crafted illustrations tell the story of a man who leaves his family to explore new lands in this innovative, wordless tale. Fantastical creatures and dramatic cityscapes are the backdrop to a universal tale about family, friendship and finding a new home.

Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic, 2007. ISBN: 9780439895293




Big Fat Manifesto by Susan Vaught
Big Fat Manifesto
By Susan Vaught
Full-bodied high school senior Jamie Carcaterra is looking forward to an amazing year filled with performing in the school play, writing for the school newspaper and hanging out with her friends and boyfriend. When Jamie's boyfriend decides to have gastric bypass surgery, Jamie must explore how her body is perceived by him, others and, most importantly, herself. She has to decide how to make her way into her future without forgetting her true self.

Bloomsbury, 2007. ISBN: 9781599902067


Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
Generation Dead
By Daniel Waters
All of a sudden, teens who have died are coming back to life. Oakvale High is one of the only high schools that allows "differently biotic" (DB) students to attend. When Phoebe, a typical high school girl, becomes attracted to a DB boy, she faces criticism and hostility from her family and peers. Can the living and the dead coexist?

Hyperion, 2008. ISBN: 9781423109211



Make sure your teenagers are up to speed on their classics.

* 2009 list addition

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