Popular Paperback

Bartoletti, S. (2008). The boy who dared. New York: Scholastic Press.  Based upon the setting of Germany, in a time when Hitler rose to power, a boy name Helmuth has come to realize he opposes Hitler’s intentions and refuses to believe in what he is doing.  After being tired of listening to the lies, he decides it is time to stand up.  He, along with a few friends he has recruited for the mission, decided to rebel and expose Hitlers motives and true reflection of the person he truly was.  Not long, does he become caught and imprisoned for several years.  Tragically he is killed guillotined at the end of the story.  The book provides a great opportunity for teachers to expand knowledge on the historical background on the rise of Hitler and the role of the Hitler youth.  Students can begin this novel by exploring Hitler and making references to Brtoletti’s,  Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow.  The book is definitely geared towards older children 14-18 years old due to the context and complexity of the different perspectives of Hitler, along with its correlation to World War I and the collapse of the German economy.  Criteria: The impact of the era (setting) in which the story takes place provide the reader with the suspense of the story and how the character undergoes the headships he had to endure, reflecting real life.

ALEX Award lists

Semple, M. (2012). Where'd you go, Bernadette: A novel. New York: Little, Brown and Company.  The story revolves around a 15 year old girl named Bee in her attempt to find her missing mother, Bernadette Fox.  Author describes Bernadette as a very awkward person.  Although once a very smart woman, after a tragic event she is forced to move and live in isolation from the world.  Her daughter, after much struggles to be conceived, is asking for a family trip (in hopes to unite her family).  Her father is a workaholic and brilliant Microsoft worker, so to Bee, this would provide a great opportunity to unite her family.  As the story progresses, Bee has aced her report card and now the family trip is set.  Her mother appears responsive and begins to plan for the trip and then suddenly, she goes missing.  The story begins to unfold as Bee finds clues to get to her mother: through emails, letters, and FBI documents, Bee begins to learn more about her family.  The author does a great job at depicting her mother as strange.  However, you begin to sympathize when you learn of her experiences and the life surrounding her. This is a great book that lends itself to mysteries and finding clues to make reasonable predications on her whereabouts along with her motives.  My recommendation for this book is for students 14-18 years old.   Criteria: A mixture of plot, conflict and characters allow the storyline to stem out.  You your first introduced to the peculiar behavior of Bernadette, but gradually you begin realizing there was a conflict within, allowing the plot to have a rise and a fall at the end of the book.  

Great Graphic Novels for Teens

Hale, S. (2008). Rapunzel’s revenge. NY: Bloomsbury.  People and some children have an assumption of who or what Rapunzel is about. In this book the author has taken a different style of conveying this character.  When Rapunezel realizes the life she has been living is all a lie, she is then faced with the challenge and determination of rescuing her birth mother, at which point the story begins to deviate from the traditional character. Readers begin to feel the heroic personality within her. Her adventures with Jack allows the reader to feel the thrill and excitement of the story's plot. Repunzel possesses the attitudes of being a risk taker and is valiant to any obstacles that approach her, of course while being able to use her extensive hair to her advantage.  While the story has elements of the traditional fairly tale, the author includes references to a western style that quickly captivates the readers attention through the comical illustrations.  This book proves you’re never to too old to read a comic book and best of all, making you reminisce your to your childhood tales.  The book provides a great opportunity to discuss fairy tales, along with being able to compare and contrast this book to the traditional story.  I would suggest this book to students ages 10-14.  Criteria: Definitely the book entails a different style (graphic novel) that allows the character to captivate the reader's attention.  Immediately you are drawn to the character's different personality from what most of know. 

Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults

Hopkinson, D. (2012). Titanic: Voices from the disaster. New York: Scholastic Press.  Though most of us know the story of the Titanic, what we truly know are the main and factual details.  However, this book allows the reader to take a deeper dive into the depth of characteristics that went into the Titanic.  Furthermore, this book provides numerous quotes, photos, unknown (never before heard of) people, that clearly portray more than what we have learned or watched in the movie.  For example, the author included the exquisite style of the ship that even people in bottom class received-from the jewels in the first class dinner table to the decor surrounding the ship.  The book also includes other information that was never seen before: tickets, transcripts, and ship records.  In conclusion, this book is a must read for everyone!  Even elementary students can learn a lot from this book.  Teachers can definitely incorporate this book into a lesson for social studies.  After all, it is one of the most important historical events that have occurred.  Furthermore, teachers can also include this book to provide a compare and contrast activity with other Titanic books, while being able to emphasize the characteristics of a nonfiction book.  Criteria: The book expands on our knowledge on the minute details of the Titanic, everything the author provided in the book is a true reflection of real life.  Her style was not just providing information, but substantial evidence that make this book even more thrilling. 

Printz and Printz Honor

Lake, N. (2012). In darkness. New York: Bloomsbury.  In Darkness is a story about two boys named Shorty and Toussaint that have become stranded underneath rubble after an earthquake in Haiti.  While the story introduces Shortly as young boy that has become trapped with fear and distress underneath all the after math of the earthquake, he soon discovers comfort in Toussaint.  As opposed to Shortly, Toussaint is much older and is a freed slave that led Haiti to freedom from the French.  Together, they discover both of their lives have been impacted by their environment.  After suffering loss of family and cruelty, they realize their lives have been given a second chance at survival and a chance at beginning their live once again.  Reading the story, you realize the hardships that impacted way of living and thinking for these two characters.   I enjoyed how the author embedded each of their stories to allow the reader to understand how their lives might have occurred at different times, but are very similar, which lead you to believe they have both survived for a reason.  The book is targeted towards older readers, ages 14 and up due to the language and issues discussed.  Great story that emphasizes historical events. Criteria: The language that the story possesses and the central focus of the characters play out the plot and meaning behind the story.  

Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

Kinney, J. (2012). Diary of a wimpy kid: The third wheel. New York: Amulet Books.  To my surprise, there’s another edition to the Diary of a Wimpy Kids collection.  Same the previous books, the main characters are Greg and Rowley.  Greg’s problem is finding a  date for his middle school Valentine Dance.  After much determination and silly efforts, such as writing a crush letter and strategically planning the response, Greg is able to find a date.  However, his friend Rowley still cannot find one and unfortunately, just before the dance, he gets chicken pox.  A sudden twist occurs in the end when Rowley ends up being approached by Greg’s date.  Throughout the years, we have seen how Diary of a Wimpy kid has gained so much popularity and momentum.  The books provides an excellent method of getting your reluctant readers to read.  The book is filled with creative comic illustrations and funny quotes that accompany the text.  This book would serve as an excellent tool to address dialogue, along with addressing literary elements, such as plot.  Extensions of this book include: "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," "Rodrick Rules," "The Last Straw, Dog Days," "The Ugly Truth," "Cabin Fever," and “Hard Luck,” as well as the "The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book.”   Criteria: As a reluctant reader you want a book that is going to captivate your attention.  For this book the style does exactly that.  The book is entertaining, it has a comical style of illustrations and language usage.  

Best Fiction for Young Adults

Woolston, B. (2012). Catch & release. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Lab.  Catch and Release begins with a story about a girl named Polly.  Polly was in high school and life was great for her.  As she planned to finish high school and continue to college, which would soon lead to her marriage to her longtime boyfriend, suddenly her life was striked with a sudden disease.  Polly contracted a flesh eating infection named MRSA.  Though it killed several people, Polly was lucky enough to be saved; however, she was left with a deformity on her face.  Unfortunately, her life changed.  Her boyfriend shockingly leaves her and now she if left to wonder what will become of all this?  Polly soon finds comfort in a friendship with a boy named Odd, who had also survived the infection.  Trying to escape reality, together they take a trip where they will find in each other the support and the connection that will bring them back to the happiness of life.  The book really does a great job expressing the effects of a sudden change that comes into anybody’s life.  Regardless if it’s an event or sickness, life brings you many obstacles that brings to light that challenges that come of it.  Through Catch & Release the reader can appreciate how life’s impacts can bring an unexpected happy ending.  This book would be most appropriate for ages 14 and up and can be used to elaborate on reading genres and elements of a fictional story such as symbolism.  Criteria: The central conflict of the story and theme is finding yourself again and accepting that things have changed, but yet it is essential that you move forward.