Shiver

Stiefvater, M.  (2009).  Shiver.  NY:  Scholastic.
Grace is a teenage girl in love with Sam, the wolf who saved her when she was eleven.  Sam takes on human form for three months in the summer and returns to a wolf the other nine months.  As Grace learns more about the wolf world, she is determined to find a cure for Sam before he becomes a wolf forever.  Later she is bitten and in danger of turning into a wolf.  There may be a possible cure of a meningitis injection, but Olivia refuses the cure.  This is due to the fear that it could harm her, and she wants to be a wolf with Sam. Sam attempts to take the injection, but half way through he turns back into a wolf and runs away. This first book of the trilogy ends with Sam returning to Grace in human form.  I think this would be ideal for teaching plot summary and conflict.  There are many examples of man-vs-man and inner conflict.  For example, Grace and Sam both struggled internally of whether they should or should not try the cure.  The plot of this novel is a good example of  Havighurst's theory that adolescents need to learn how to get along with peers. The characters had to work together to experiment with the meningitis cure.  Their relationships were also slightly altered when once a character became a part time wolf altering his or her personality which in return affects external relationships.

Persepolis

Sartrapi, M.  (2004).  Persepolis.  NY:  Pantheon.
Marjane Satrapi's, the intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-grandaughter of one Iran's last emperors, shares her memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.  Satrapi tells the story in black and white comic strips from ages six to fourteen years that saw the overthrow of the Shah's regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq.  In the end (1994) she says her tearful goodbyes and leaves Iran forever. I found this book to be a strong read for teenagers 14 and up.  One of the major strengths of this book is that the author took serious topics and issues of her life and wrote it in such funny yet heartbreaking manner that I couldn't help but be entertained.  I also think the visual images of the comic strip would be beneficial to young readers who struggle with reading.  Good autobiography should use many of the techniques of fiction to draw the reader into the life story of the subject (Lesesne 2003).  This is evident in Persepolis for the memoir has strong character development, plot structure, dialogue and many other components that good fictional novel would also contain.

The Surrender Tree

Engle, M.  (2008).  The surrender tree.  NY:  Holt.
Engle tells the story of Cuba's troubled past of wars and slavery through a powerful narrative free verse.  Rosa, a nurse throughout three wars in Cuba, was continuously hiding from Cuban leadership who wanted her dead. One of the major strengths of this book is that teenagers ages 13 and up will be inspired by the strength of ordinary people. For example, many people thought Rosa was a witch or had magical powers. In reality, she was just an ordinary person with the knowledge and love to heal others. The clear short lines of the varying characters of the past enticed me to continue reading to see what would happen next. This is also a great poetry book because it effectively uses figurative language and imagery to help readers create mental images. For example, there was one point when Engle not only described how the hideout caves looked but went on to describe the unpleasant smells as well. The word choice made me feel I was actually there in the book experiencing the events with the characters.

Eleanor and Park (Printz Honor 2015)

Rowell, R.  (2013).  Eleanor and Park.  NY:
Eleanor, a poor teenage girl with several little siblings and an abusive dad, meets and falls in love with Park, a middle class biracial (Asian/White) teenage boy with a little brother and a dad obsessed with TaeKwando.  They meet on a school bus on Eleanor's first day of school.  In the beginning of the romance, they are too embarrassed to go public with their feelings, but this ends when Park attacks Steve who is talking about Eleanor. Their relationship grows as Eleanor tries to cope with her home life.  Eventually, it is unbearable and with the help of Park and his father, she runs away to live with her aunt and uncle.  In the end, she finally writes a letter to Park to declare her love. I would recommend this book for teenagers 14 to 16 years old.  One of the lessons I would teach with this book would be the use of dialogue. There is a great deal of dialogue which makes this a quick yet interesting read.  This fictional novel shows that readers are more alike than they are different.  Even though Eleanor and Park came from two completely different households, they still share some of the same social issues such as being accepted and loved by a parent as well as their peers at school.

Brain Camp Great Graphic Novel for Teens for 2014

Kim, S.  (2010).  Brain Camp.  NY:  First Second.
Artistic Jenna and delinquent Lucas unexpectedly find themselves at  invitation-only Camp Fielding.  Soon after their arrival, they discover there are disappearances and all of the other kids are turning into mindless brainy zombies.  At the climax of the novel, they realize the camp directors are responsible, with the permission from their parents. I could not believe their own parents would do this!Combining humor and horror this graphic novel is great for teenagers 14 and up.  If students enjoy this book, I  would suggest the "Goosebump" novels, for they have the same horror science fiction tone.  I found the pictures to be just as detailed and informative as the actual dialogue.  One important component for a good fantasy book is that there is a universal theme (Lesesne 2003).  For example, in real life parents will not be giving their child intelligence serum to make them smarter. However, the theme of living up to parent expectations and the pressure placed on the parents to have a successful child are very real.

The Crazy Horse Electric Game

Crutcher, C.  (1987).  The crazy horse electric game.  NY:  Harper Tempest.  Willie, a top highschool athlete in Montana, flees to Oakland, California after a water skiing accident leaves him physically disabled and depressed.  On his journey, he is attacked by an Asian gang, but is rescued and taken in by a pimp named "Lacey".  He ends up staying there for two years, attending a small inner city school, receiving physical therapy, and forming strong relationships with peers and adults who mentor him.   He takes a trip home to Montana and realizes there have been major changes within the two years. Willie realizes Coho, Montana does not feel like home anymore because he still feels crippled. With this realization, he packs his bags and returns to Oakland.  I believe the greatest strength of this book is that it addresses adolescent themes such as divorce, drugs, mental and physical handicaps and gang violence in such a manner that a teenager from any time era can relate. One of the main characteristics of a good back is character development.  Crutcher portrayed Willie as a dynamic character who changed and was enlightened throughout the plot of the story. He was no longer the star athlete taking his abilities for granted.  Willie also had several archetypes. They were the wise adult mentors that helped him heal physically as well as mentally and emotionally.

Schooled

Korman, G.  (2008).  Schooled.  NY:  Hyperion Paperbacks.
Naive Cap Anderson has lived on the hippie commune with his grandmother and homeschool teacher all of his life until she is hurt and placed in the hospital.  He then is sent to live with a social worker and sent to a public middle school.  Because of his innocence, he becomes the butt of many practical jokes.  However, his unusual hippie reaction, eventually wins most of the students to his side making him one of the most popular kids in school.  In the end, he returns to his hippie commune to discover he is more comfortable in his new life at C Average Middle School. His grandmother sells the commune for 17 million dollars allowing Cap to continue going to school at his new middle school.  This is a great book for students ages 12 to 15. I loved Korman's blended moments  of comedy and   reflection.  This would be a great book for teaching point of view, for Korman shifts the point of view from Cap to different characters in the book. A great novel provides young adult readers with insight into their own worlds (Lesesne 2003 p.78).  Although the average student can not relate to living in a compound, they can connect with the idea that anyone can fit in no matter the person.

Notes from the Dog

Paulsen, G. (2009).  Notes from the dog.  NY:  Wendy Lamb Books.
Fourteen year old Finn has a difficult time relating and interacting with people.  He would rather spend his time talking to his dog, until Johanna, a spirited young woman with breast cancer, becomes his neighbor. They soon become friends, and she encourages him to become more social. By sending him anonymous notes disguised from his dog, she helps him push through his insecurities, embrace life, and become part of his community.  This book was inspirational.  Students ages 12 -16 can relate to his feelings of social awkwardness and low self-esteem.  One of the major strengths of this book is that it refers to breast cancer in a non-threatening or depressing manner.  Paulsen's  theme that community and friendships are important in today's world qualifies this as a great book.  This was evident throughout the book when Johanna brought the entire community together to build a garden. Overall this is a great book inspirational with a touch of humor.

Maggot Moon (Printz Honor 2015)

Gardner, Sally.  (2012).  Maggot moon.  Somerville, MA:  Candlewick Press.
Fifteen year old dyslexic Standish Treadwell with one green and one blue eye can not read or write but has an excellent imagination. Standish lives with his grandfather in dystopian 1950's  England where violence, hunger, and enforced slavery are every day life.  Standish is devastated when his new best friend and his family disappear like many others in the neighborhood.  Eventually Standish and his grandfather are arrested and they go down fighting by trying to sabotage the regime's fake moon landing. Standish does expose the country's moon scam, but he is brutally shot and killed in the process. This theme filled novel is great for teens in grades 9-12. Reading this book I found myself on the edge in anticipation one minute and crying the next.  This book would be great for teaching not only world history but teaching metaphors and symbolism as well. For example, there are many symbols for oppression, cruelty and greed.  Characters are the heart and soul of any story (Lesesne 2003). One of the obvious archetypes in this novel is the mentor, Standish's grandfather.  Throughout the novel, Standish's grandfather is a wise older man who seems to always know the right thing to do or say in the toughest of situations.

The Suburb Beyond the Stars

Anderson, M.T. (2010).  The suburb beyond the stars.  NY:  Scholastic Press.
In this second book of a series, Brian and Gregory are caught in the middle of two alien civilizations.  Early in the story, they discover they are being stalked by monsters.  Then when they travel to a suburban neighborhood to find their friend Prudence, they find the entire neighborhood has been invaded and brainwashed by aliens.  Throughout the book, they continue to fight off monsters until they team up with their old friend Kalgrash, and together they find and save Prudence from alien brainwashing.  In the end, they all decide to work together which will lead to the third book of the series.  This is great for students in grade 6-9.  Any student who loves science fiction/horror will love this book. As a reading teacher, I find this book to be an excellent source for teaching  plot summary and conflict.  I also believe this novel addresses Havighurst's developmental task that adolescents need to learn how to get along with peers because throughout the story the characters continued develop strong bonds as they worked together to help each other.

Janice Joplin: Rise Up Singing

Angel, A. (2010).  Janis Joplin:  Rise up singing. NY:  Amulet.  This award winning biography of Janis Joplin a female rock star of the 1960's is well written.  It gives insight to her struggles as a young girl growing up and rebelling against the constraints of living in traditional bible belt Texas in the 1950's and how she found her voice. The biography is organized in a linear fashion beginning with her school years and continuing to her young adult life.  Not only is there a table of contents at the beginning, but at the end there is also a timeline from her birth to her death.  There is also a bibliography and an index in the back of the book, and photographs of Janis and entertainers she admired throughout the text.  I found the photographs helpful in bringing the facts to life and making you feel like you transcended back in time.  Middle school and high school teachers could use this book to teach biographies, musical history and non-fiction text structures.  One of the major strengths of this book is the authenticity of the facts provided by the author. The biography was based on letters and interviews with family and friends of Janis Joplin as well as previous articles written about her.

Last Night I Sang to the Monster

Saenz, B. (2009).  Last night I sang to the monster.  El Paso, TX:  Cinco Puntos Press.
Zach is an eighteen year old who is in a residential rehab center trying desperately to not recall any prior memories.  Eventually with the help of his therapist, Adam, his roommate Rafael, a father figure, and other fellow patients Zach eventually begins to allow himself to remember the domestic violence and the traumatic incident of his brother shooting his parents and himself. He slowly begins to cope with these memories as well as his alocholism.  I found this novel to be a heartbreaking but powerful story of a teen in deep emotional pain.  Due to the mature content, I would suggest this book for older teens 16 and up.  I think a major lesson readers can learn from this book is that  life is filled with second chances, and we should not give up.  What I found most intriguing about this book was the author's style and use of figurative language.  The writing is poetic with several metaphors and similes used to describe the characters setting, and tone.  There are several poems, song lyrics and a journal  written by Zach's roommate that utilizes figurative language.  My favorite lines were, "God wrote sad on my heart", and "God wrote change on my heart".

If I Stay (NYT Bestseller list for YA readers)

Forman, G. (2009).  If I stay.  NY:  Penguin.
Seventeen year old Mia copes with the aftermath of a tragic accident which kills her parents and her little brother.  In a coma, she has an out of body experience.  As she watches her family and friends, she must decide if she should wake up and lead a different life without her family or should she allow herself to die.  After frequent visits from her boyfriend, best friend and extended family, Mia decides to forge through the emotional pain and continue to live.  I think all teenagers ages 14 and up would enjoy this novel. According to Ted Hipple (1991), one of the major characteristics of a good book is character development. I specifically liked how the describes each character using the technique of intermittently flashing back to anecdotes before and after the crash. This is also a great novel for teaching conflict, for there are various conflicts throughout the novel with the major man versus self conflict with Mia deciding whether to go or stay.

The Fault in our Stars (NYT Bestseller for YA readers)

Green, J. (2012). The fault in our stars.  NY:  Penguin.
Seventeen year old Hazel Grace, a thyroid cancer patient meets teenage Augustus and a cancer support group. At this time Grace's cancer has spread to her lungs and Augustus is thought to be cancer free after a leg amputation.  They begin a romantic relationship, and Augustus arranges a trip to Amsterdam for Grace to meet the author of her favorite book which relates to her experience about cancer.  After many conflicts, they travel to Amsterdam and disappointingly discover a drunken man instead of a brilliant author.  Upon their return home, Hazel discovers Augustus's cancer has returned and spread everywhere.  His last days they became very close and he dies after requesting that Hazel write his eulogy.  This is a great book for grades 9-12. Although romance novels are not my favorite, I found this novel with its romance blended with the powerful themes of surviving and coping with life threatening illnesses to be captivating.  This novel is great to assist teenagers in their emotional development.  As stated in  Making the Match, (Lesesne 2003) books can serve as portals to help students see others struggling with similar emotions such as a loved one experiencing terminal cancer, or the simple romantic feelings the couple shared.

Monster

Myers, W.D. (1999). Monster.  NY:  Harper.
Sixteen year old Steve awaits his trial for taking part in a robbery which ended in murder.  While in jail, Steve records his experience in a screenplay format with occasional journal entries.  There are many witness for and against Steve. In order to help his case, his attorneys encouraged him to distance himself from the 23 year old King who allegedly pulled the trigger and encouraged Steve to participate in the robbery.  In the end, King was found guilty and Steve was found innocent.  The ending of this novel really made me wonder.  When the innocent verdict was given,  his lawyer O'Brien turned away from him refusing to give him a triumphant hug.  Why did she do this?  I found myself replaying the events toward the end to try to figure out why she may have found him guilty.  This would be a great discussion question for students in a class literature discussion.  The author's style and word choice add to the mood and tone of the novel.  In the journal writings, the short choppy sentences helped me share his emotion of fear and feeling overwhelmed.  I could also sense his fear by the repetition of words. Throughout the book, he repeats words related to fear more than five times within one page of the novel.

Speak

Anderson, L. H. (1999).  Speak. NY:  Penguin.
Melinda is a high school student who calls the police after being raped and busts up an end-of-summer party.  All of the the other students begin to harass and ostracize Melinda because they do not know her reasoning for calling the police.  Throughout the novel, she is withdrawn and completely silent with only her artwork as an outlet for her emotions.  Meanwhile, the students continue to treat her poorly.
In the end, the truth is revealed when Andy attempts to rape Melinda again in the abandoned janitor's closet.  Once enlightened with the truth, the other students' feeling transform from scorn to heroism.  I think this is a great book for ages 13 and up due to the mature content involving the rape.  The strong theme of finding your voice and speaking against violence and victimization could lead to a very powerful teaching lesson for high school students.  Although I knew she was emotionally suffering, I found myself encouraging her to speak up and tell everyone what happened especially when her best friend treated her poorly.  This book is characterized as good book because of the author's writing style.  This narrative in diary format often flashes back in a jumpy manner which symbolizes and emphasizes the trauma the main character experienced.

Winger

Smith, A. (2013). Winger. NY: Simon & Schuster.
Ryan Dean  is a fourteen year old junior at a boarding school. He is beginning the year in a dorm for troublemakers with the biggest bully of all Chas his rugby teammate. Throughout the novel, he faces many conflicts with old and new friends, but he slowly builds new relationships with his new dorm members and attempts to win over his best friend Annie who he is in love, but she sees him only as a little boy.  Eventually Annie begins to fall for Ryan as well, and they begin to form a strong relationship, which helps to overcome the shocking death of his gay best friend Joey.  The author did a great job of creating humor with very real and deep social issues in this book, which is why it is a great book for high school students.  I must admit, I was completely shocked and saddened when the mood switched from humorous to somber when I read that Joey was beaten to death in an angry rage by two other characters in the book.  One of Hipple's (1991) criterion for good YA literature is the book's ability to reflect real life with artistry in detail. For example, in real life there are the various character types such as: Chas the jock, Ryan the nerd in the beginning, Joey the gay friend, and Annie the scrupulous girl he chased.  Smith used humor to show us the characters in the conflicts faced throughout the novel.

Code Name Verity

Wein, Elizabeth. (2012). Code name Verity. NY: Egmont.
In this historical fiction novel set in 1943 Nazi-occupied France, two best friends a pilot, Kittyhawk, and a spy, Verity crash in a British spy plane.  Verity is captured by Nazis and forced to write a confession which is when she writes of her friendship with Maddie (Kittyhawk). Meanwhile, in the second part of the book, Maddie tells her story about the events that take place after the crash.  She plots to save her best friend from the Nazis.  However, when the best friends finally meet up in a vicious fight, Maddie shoots and kills Verity.  Although, Maddie shot her to grant her wish of being saved from further interrogation and suffering from the Nazis, she still felt devastated that her friend was killed by her hand.  I think this book is great for students ages 14 and up.  This book would be valuable for the classroom, for it is not only a companion to world history, but it also has strong themes related to friendship and patriotic loyalty. For example, Verity refused to give up important war codes.  Instead she remained loyal by creating fake information.  Maddie was a loyal friend by continuing to look for her best friend, and I can only imagine how difficult it was for her to kill her friend in order to prevent further suffering.  This book meets the criteria of being an effective historical fiction novel because it contains accurate historical facts woven into the plot, and  while reading, I felt transcended in time and place as if I were experiencing the events in person.

Reality Boy

King, A.S. (2013).  Reality boy.  NY:  Little Brown.
Gerald "the Crapper" became a reality star at the young age of 5 by defecating everywhere in his house while being filmed on Network Nanny reality show.  Throughout the novel, teenage Gerald tries desperately to shake the childhood memories and control his anger which is often sparked by his psychopathic older sister, Tasha. With the help of new found friend from the circus and his first love Hannah, he eventually runs away with Hannah  controls his anger and realizes his sister and mom are the soul reason why he has so many emotional issues in his life.  Upon his return, his father finally takes a stand, and finds another place for Gerald and he to live.  I would recommend this book for high school teen boys and girls. This would be a powerful tool for teachers to teach characterization, for Gerald, the dynamic character, continuously evolves throughout the novel.  Before meeting Hannah, Gerald's anger was out of control, and did not allow himself to look or interact with girls much less fall in love with one. With so many of our students suffering from ADHD and Anger management,  I think this book is great.  One of the qualities of a good young adult book is a solid or unique plot (Hipple 1991).  The non-linear narration from his present teen life to his childhood experience on the reality show added to the quality of the book.

Pretty Dead

Block, F. (2009). Pretty Dead. NY:  HarperCollins Publishers.
Charlotte Emerson has been a teenage vampire for the last 100 years.  After escaping her maker 10 years prior, Charlotte meets a girl named Emily, and they become close friends. Unfortunately, Emily mysteriously commits suicide, which leads to Charlotte becoming close to Emily's boyfriend, Jared in their time of mourning.  Later in the book, Char is surprised that Emily is still alive and has been turned into a vampire by her evil maker, William making her return to a mortal state in the process.  After Emily's failed attempt to persuade Jared to turn  into a vampire as well, Jared and Emily pledge their mortal love for each other.  The intended audience is for students in grade 9 and up.  Although, I do not typically gravitate to romance novels, I thoroughly enjoyed this love story with a suspenseful twist. I was not expecting Emily to still be alive in any form. Char's flashbacks gradually releasing her 100 year old story also strengthened the suspense.  This book definitely relates to Kohlberg's theory of social development.  For example, Char continued to follow William when he was murdering innocent people for their blood because she did not want him to harm or leave her (preconventional).  Eventually, she could not take it anymore and left him. She knew it was wrong to harm innocent people to feed off of them (postconventional).

Looking for Alaska

Green, J. (2005). Looking for Alaska. NY: Dutton.  Miles Halter leaves his home in Florida to attend Culver Creek Preparatory High School in Alabama for his Junior year.  Upon his arrival, he soon meets his roommate, Chip, an intelligent rapper, Takumi, and an outgoing but troubled girl named Alaska.  The four become close friends continuously rebelling against the rules of the school by drinking and smoking and by playing pranks on the rich kids of the school. On the anniversary of her mother's death, a drunk Alaska crashes her car and dies.  The gang suspects suicide, and they feel guilty because they did not stop her from driving drunk.  In the end, they forgive Alaska for dying and they put closure to her death recognizing they will never know what truly happened the night of her deadly car wreck.  This is a great book, but it is definitely for mature readers 14 to 17 due to the sexual content and alcohol abuse.  This book really made me think about the mindset of teenagers and how they so often think they are invincible. Teenagers who have lost a loved would be able to relate to this book.  It would be helpful in teaching awareness of teen substance abuse, suicide, and death of a family member. This novel relates to Havighhurst's theory that adolescents must develop morals and values. Soon upon his arrival to Culver Creek, Miles began to smoke, drink, and get involved in sexual situations.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. NY: Little Brown.   Arnold is a teenage boy who lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation.  He is very poor with only one friend, a very rough boy named Rowdy.  Desperate to one day escape the poverty of the rez, Arnold transfers to the all white school near the reservation.  Not only does his best friend turn on him, but he also has a difficult time fitting in and being accepted at his new school.  Throughout the book, he is faced with many tragedies, but in the end he makes new friends, reconciles with Rowdy, makes the basketball team and is academically successful at his new school.  The author did a great job of combining serious issues with humor.  Students 14 to 17 would enjoy this book.  This book would be great for teaching cultural awareness, bullying, and social tolerance.  Havighurst's mentions the importance of adolescents learning to get along with their peers, and how these relationships often change.  Because Arnold had physical handicaps, Rowdy was the only friend who accepted him.  However, this peer relationship changed when Rowdy felt abandoned by Arnold when left the rez to attend the school in town.

The Tequila Worm

Canales, V. (2005). The tequila worm. NY: Wendy Lamb Books/Random House.  The main character Sofia is a Mexican American who lives in a Mexican community in Texas.  From a very young age, she dreams of  making more money and rising above the economically poor conditions in which she lives.  Throughout the story, she struggles to convince her parents and extended family that attending the prestigious Saint Luke's Episcopal School (private school) would be beneficial to her and help her achieve her goal.  Her family is afraid she will lose touch with her Mexican community. When she finally attended the school, she met and befriended several students from different backgrounds but faced discrimination from one particular girl. In the end, Sofia triumphed and was very successful in school. Also from her experience she learned to accept, appreciate and love her heritage.  I think this is a great book for students ages 10 to 13. This book would be valuable for teachers attempting to promote cultural awareness not only for Mexican Americans, but it teaches children to be proud of their own unique heritage. This book also  addresses one of Havighurst's developmental tasks. Not only did Sofia have to get along with her new friends at her new school, but her relationship with her cousin (best friend) was also changing. As they grew older, their interests began to change affecting their relationship.

The Knife of Letting Go

Ness, P. (2008). The knife of never letting go. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.  Todd Hewitt is the only boy left in a town of men infected with a noise germ which consists of hearing the mens' thoughts. He learns the town is hiding a secret from him and his forced to leave town with his faithful dog with the men in pursuit of him.  Along the way he meets a girl, Viola, who is the soul survivor of a crash landing on the new world. Throughout the book Todd and Violet face many obstacles running from the men of Prentisstown, who are destroying each town as they pursue the teenagers.  Viola is attacked and wounded by a vicious man named Aaron just before they reach their destination Haven, the town that was their last chance for help or hope.  Unfortunately when they arrive, the enemy is waiting and Todd is forced to surrender in order to help a dying Viola.  The cliffhanger ending is due to the fact that it is the first book of a series. Students who enjoy suspenseful books set in a dystopian society would be fascinated with this book. Not only was I entertained with the physical conflicts Todd and Violet faced, but I was also stimulated by the attempt to put the clues together to solve the mystery or secret of Prentisstown.  Although this novel is written on the level of a fifth or sixth grade level, the content requires a mature mental reader. Due to the noise germ in the book, there were various narrations often switching from thoughts and actual dialogue of various characters.  There were even times when the dog's thoughts were being read.  Students who are not concrete thinkers would likely be confused reading this book.

Chocolate War

Cormier, R. (1974). The chocolate war. NY: Delacorte.
Jerry Renault is a teenage boy struggling with the recent death of his mom and a grieving dad. Jerry refuses to cooperate with his corrupt Catholic high school and the vicious  gang, the Vigils, by refusing to participate in the fundraiser to sell candy.  Throughout the book the other students are selling chocolates and each day he boldly states his refusal to sell. Ultimately the gang and a ruthless teacher concoct a plan to punish Jerry which not only humiliates him, but nearly costs him his life. I think this is a great book for high school teenagers, for many students today are often afraid to stand up for what is right especially if they do not have the support of the adults in their life. The act of Jerry standing up to the powerful teacher who everyone feared, with very little support from anyone else, sends the message that it is okay to stand up for your beliefs.  I also like the fact that this book seems to be ageless.  Although, the novel was written in 1974 the language transcends time with a plot that teens from modern times can relate. Students who enjoyed this book would also enjoy The Outsiders another ageless book.

Leviathan

Westerfeld, S. (2009). Leviathan. NY: Simon Pulse

The main characters Alexsander Hapsburg, an Austro-Hungarian prince, and Deryn Sharp, a common girl disguised as a boy, begin separate journeys in this fictional novel.  Alexsander is running from his own people who have turned on him, and Deryn is pretending to be a boy in order to fulfill her dream of joining the British Air Service.  When Deryn's ship crashes near Alexsander's hideout, he saves her life.  Their two groups decide to combine their technologies, the machines and living beasts, to escape from the German attackers.  Meanwhile, Deryn discovers Alex's secret of being a prince and discovers she may be starting to have romantic feelings for him. In the end of this first book of the series, both groups are in route to Constantinople with Alex guarding giant eggs that will hatch into some unknown species.  I think this book is great for middle school age boys and girls. Having dual main characters of a boy and a girl are a major strength of this book, for it teaches each gender  that boys and girls can triumph when faced with adverse situations. As psychologists have stated, books serve as portals for students experiencing similar emotions. For example, Alex and Deryn were coping with the recent loss of their parent or parents.  Unfortunately, many student readers experience the loss of a family member and can relate with the characters' emotions in the book.