Popular Picks for Young Adults

The Desirable Dozen
Popular Picks for Young Adults

Books of Interest for Boys

Michael Moore, Stupid White Men
ISBN: 0-06-039245-2

· New York Times Bestseller

· Michael Moore . . . returns to size up the new century -- and that big, ugly special-interest group that's laying waste to the world as we know it: stupid white men. Whether he's calling the United Nations action to overthrow The Bush Family Junta, calling on African-Americans to place WHITES ONLY signs over the entrances of unfriendly businesses, or praying that Jesse Helms will get kissed by a man, Stupid White Men is Mikes' Manifesto on Malfeasance and Mediocrity. Students who are fans of Michael Moore's movies will enjoy these books.

Kenneth Oppel, Airborn
ISBN: 0-00-639259-8

· Winner of the Governor General's Literacy Award

· Matt Cruse is the cabin boy of the Aurora, the 900-foot luxury airship he has called home for the past two years. While crossing the Pacificus, Matt fearlessly rescues the unconscious pilot of a crippled hot air balloon. Before he dies, the balloonist tells him about the fantastic, impossible creatures he has seen flying though the clouds. Matt dismisses the story as the ravings of a dying man, but when Kate de Vries arrives on the Aurora a year later, determined to prove the story true, Matt finds himself caught up in her quest. Then one night, over the middle of the ocean, deadly air pirates board the Aurora. Far from any hope of rescue, Kate and Matt are flung into adventures beyond all imagining…

Walter Dean Myers, Monster
ISBN: 0-06-440731-4

· Micheal L.Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature; Coretta Scott King Award and a National Book Award Finalist

· FADE IN: INTERIOR: Early morning in CELL BLOCK D, MANHATTAN DETENTION CENTER. STEVE (Voice -Over): Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I'll call it what the lady prosecutor called me . . . MONSTER. This story follows the life of a juvenile delinquent who is trying to get back on track.

Christopher Paolini, Eragon
ISBN: 0-375-82668-8

· Paolini was only 16 when he wrote this book.

· The New York Times, The USA Today and The Wall Street Journal Bestseller

· When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy as old as the Empire itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands. . .

Gail Giles, Shattering Glass
ISBN: 0-689-85800-0

· An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers; An ALA Best Book for Young Adults; A Booklist Top Ten Mystery for Youth

· Fat, clumsy Simon Glass is a nerd, a loser who occupied the lowest rung on the high school social latter. Everyone picks on him -- until Rob Haynes shows up. Rob, a transfer student with charisma to spare, immediately becomes the undisputed leader of the senior class. And he has plans for Simon. Rob enlists the help of his crew -- wealthy, intellectual Young, ladies' man Bob, and sweet, athletic Coop -- in a mission: Turn sniveling Simon from total freak to would-be prom king. But as Simon rises to the top of the social ranks, he shows a new confidence and a devious side that power-hungry Rob did not anticipate. And when Simon uncovers a dangerous secret, events darken. The result is disquieting, bone-chilling . . . and brutal.

Katsuhiro Otomo, Akira
ISBN: 1-56971-498-3

Welcome to Neo-Tokyo, built on the ashes of a Toyko annihilated by a blast of unknown origin that triggered World War III. The lives of two streetwise teenage friends, Tetsuo and Kaneda, change forever when paranormal abilities begin to waken in Tetsuo, making him a target for a shadowy agency who will stop at nothing to prevent another catastrophe like that which leveled Toyko. At the core of their motivation is a raw, all-consuming fear of an unthinkable, monstrous power known only as . . . Akira.

This is a graphic novel (written like a comic book). It is the first in a six part series.

Books of Interest for Girls

Amy Goldman Koss, The Cheat
ISBN: 0-14-240128-5

· Different characters narrate different chapters.

· Cheating on a geography midterm is only the beginning. It seemed simple enough -- they were given the answers from last year's test and they used them. But they got caught, and what was done without much thought leads to greater and greater consequences. Now they are facing punishment at school, tension at home, and no one is sure how or when it will end . . .

Shari Graydon, In your Face: The Culture of Beauty and You
ISBN: 1-55037-856-2

· From bedtime fairy tales and blockbuster movies to magazine advertisements and reality TV, we absorb the lesson early and often: beauty rules. What's more, the publicity machine of modern business has never before delivered so many messages glorifying the benefits of being beautiful. For teens that can mean fitting in and measuring up becomes an overpowering force. But, as Shari Graydon points out, every day, in dozens of small ways, you can choose what messages seem right to you. By putting images of beauty into perspective, In Your Face encourages readers to stop feeling so controlled by it. Engrossing, enlightening, fun, and provocative, this is a no-nonsense guide to thinking critically about beauty culture.

Ann Brashares, Girls In Pants
ISBN: 0-385-72935-9

· This is the third book in the series. Brashares two pervious novels The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and The Second Summer of the Sisterhood.

· In this breathtaking novel, which brims with sunshine and sorrow, courage and happiness, Ann Brashares takes readers on an amazing journey into a summer that will change everything for the girls and their cherished magical pants. Each chapter is narrated by one of the four girls.

Beth Goobie, The Lottery
ISBN: 1-55143-280-3

· An ALA Best Book Award, CLA YA Book of the Year, finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award.

· In this tense, complex novel Beth Goobie explores the dynamics of bullying. With a plot inspired by Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery", Goobie chronicles the actions of one student, intent on breaking the cycle of bullying in her school.

Ellis, Deborah, The Breadwinner
ISBN: 0-88899-416-8

· This is the first book in a three part series.

· Imagine living in a country in which women and girls are not allowed to leave the house without a man. Imagine having to wear clothes that cover every part of your body, including your face, whenever you go out. This is Parvana's life in Afghanistan, where the Taliban, members of an extreme religious group, run most of the country. This novel explores Parvana's life and the challenges she faces as a young girl living in this country.

· All royalties from this book will be donated to Women for Afghanistan and dedicated to the education of Afghan girls.

Pierce, Tamora, First Test
ISBN: 0-375-82907-5

· This novel is the first in a series of four.

· This novel explores the life of Kel, a medieval girl who longs to become a knight. Kel strives to overcome the prejudices of the court -- she is only accepted on a year's probation, the first injustice, and most of her fellow trainees and many of her instructors disapprove of any girl training to become a page, let alone a squire or knight. But Kel does have some allies -- her intelligence, kindness and determination endear her to many of the palace servants, some instructors and a few enlightened classmates. Kel also wins the favour of some animal friends -- a flock of sympathetic sparrows adopts her and the meanest gelding in the student stable allows her to ride him. Kel also has a mysterious benefactor who rewards her tenacity with gifts fit for a true knight.

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