Jabba The Puppett

Angleberger, T. (2013). The surprise attack of Jabba the Puppett: An Origami Yoda book. New York: Abrams.

The 7th graders at McQuarrie Middle School are very upset with their principal.  She has decided to replace art, music and band with classes that will hopefully increase standardized test scores.  The students decide to fail the test in order to botch the principals plans.

The students end up getting support from their parents against the Fun Time Classes.  Students 8-13 would enjoy this book.  Students in Texas could definitely relate to rebelling against standarized tests.  I really enjoyed the

drawings on each page as well as the origami instructions at the end of the book.

If I Stay

Forman, G. (2009). If I stay: A novel. New York: Dutton Books. 

Mia is a gifted musician.  Her first love is music, but she then meets Eric.  The two begin a whirlwhind romance.  Things turn tragic when Mia and her family get into a horrible car accident.  Mia's parents and little brother are killed.  Mia is in a state of limbo, she can see both her family and everything that is going on around her body in the living world.  She struggles on deciding whether to stay with her family or go back to the living world.  In the end, she musters all of her strength to squeeze Adam's hand. She has made her choice.  This book would be good for students 13 and up.  Readers who enjoy a good love story will enjoy this
book.

Janis Joplin: Rise up Singing

Angel, A. (2010). Janis Joplin: Rise up singing. NY: Amulet.

Rise up singing chronicles the life of Janis Joplin from her childhood in Texas to her death at only 27 years old.  Janis grew up in a very conservative town in Texas. Janis was creative, outspoken, and enjoyed dressing differently than the rest of her classmates.  As a result, she was not very well liked.  She had a hard time socially in school. Eventually, Janis moved to California where her singing career took off.  She also started drinking heavily and experimenting with drugs.  Her low self esteem and depression, contributed to her constant drinking and drug use. She tried to get clean once, but it didn't last long. Janis found success in her singing career but her success was unfortunately cut short as a result of an overdose.  The book is filled with bright vivid 60s inspired art work, 
album covers, and pictures.  These will attract any reader to the book.
The book also touches on subjects like drug abuse, sexuality, the Vietnam War, and Woodstalk.  Teen readers will not only learn about Janis' life, but will get a little bit of history as well.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. NY: Little Brown.

Junior lives on a reservation with his family. Life on the rez is wrought with poverty and alcoholism. One day in class, he notices that he has the same textbook that his mother had several years ago.  He decides that in order to get a better education, he must attend school off the reservation. It is quite a sacrifice for his family to get him to school, but they agree to send him.  In his new surroundings, Junior realizes the differences in the lives of the white people and his people. He struggles at first, but then makes friends and begins flourishing.  The differences in the races stood out to me the most in this book. The Indians on the rez are all poor, having to scrimp for the simple things such as food.  Several times, Junior and his family went without food.   Poverty and race are a big theme is this story. Although Junior is proud of his race, he sees how he must leave the reservation in order to make a better life for himself and escape the cycle of poverty and early death in his reservation.

Speak

Anderson, L. H. (1999). Speak. NY: Penguin

It's the first day of high school for Melinda.  Her friends won't speak to her, the other students laugh at her. She is holding in a secret she wishes she could tell her former friend Rachel.  Melinda's lips are swollen and bitten from trying to hold in her secret. Jane doesn't speak much in class or to other people socially. She spends much time in a janitor's supply closet.  Her grades suffer and she eventually begins skipping school in an effort to avoid contact with people.  One day, a boy she calls "IT" sneaks up behind her, calling her fresh meat. He makes her nauseous and she runs away.  Later, Melinda has a flashback of a party. First she is having a good time dancing with a boy, then he is forcing himself upon her. The boy is IT, Andy, and Melinda soon learns that she is not his only victim. This gives her confidence to tell her secret to an adult.
I would recommend this book for readers 13 and up.  Teenagers will relate to the theme of being
alone with no one to turn to.

The Surrender Tree

Engle, M. (2008). The surrender tree. NY: Holt

This story chronicles the life of Rosa who lives in Cuba during the war

between Cuba and Spain.  The book is a collection of poems. Rosa is a healer, but some consider her a witch because of her gift to heal with natural remedies.  Rosa and her husband Jose build hospitals in caves and huts Cubans have freed their slaves, but Spain does not accept it. The slaves and peasants are put into concentration camps, those that are not in the camps are killed. Rosa and Jose live in constant fear of being caught by the slave hunter, even in between wars.  Eventually, the USA becomes involved and takes control of Cuba.  The end of the story reveals that the main characters are the authors great grand parents.  She is retelling the stories that she heard from her great grandmother as a child. This book could be used in a World History or Geography class. Students may find the personal stories more interesting than

textbooks.  Hope and resilience are two important themes in this story.  The 

reader will see how the Cubans fought and didn't give up hope for freedom.

Monster

Myers, W. D. (1999). Monster. NY: Harper 

Steven Harmon is a 16 year old on trial for murder. The story is told from Steve's point of view.  It switches between a movie screenplay and his journal writings.  Being incarcerated terrifies him daily.  The dangers of jail are detailed in the book.  The book not only details jail life, but also the trial process. Steven is called a Monster by the prosecutor. He is accused of killing the store owner, he was just the lookout but is being charged with the murder.  In the end he is found innocent, but when he goes to hug his attorney, she turns away for him.  He never knows why. 

His relationship with his father is also changed as a result of the trial.
I would recommend this book for ages 13 and older. 

The Knife of Never Letting Go

Ness, P. (2008). The knife of never letting go. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press

Todd is about to have his 13th birthday.  It is well known that he becomes a man at the age of 13.  He lives in a community of only men.  All of the women have died.  Todd and all of them males in the community hear constant noise, they are able to hear the thoughts of anyone around them.  Until, one day when Todd hears a silence. He soon realizes that the silence is a girl. The pair, along with his dog are soon on the run from the men in the community.  Todd soon learns the secrets of his community. Women were killed because of their silence, the men couldn't read them and were threatened.  

The speech and purpose misspellings made this book a little frustrating to read.  I had to get used to it.  The talking dog was one of my favorite characters.

I would recommend this book for grades 8 and up.

Persepolis

Sartrapi, M. (2004). Persepolis. NY: Pantheon.

Persepolis is a coming of age story of Marjane.  However, hers is different because Marjane lives in Iran. She is forced to wear a veil and is separated from the boys.  Marjane is very independent and outspoken.  She is growing up in a place of war, political unrest, and killings.  Marjan takes solace in her books.  She loves to read. Eventually, her family sends her to Vienna after Marjane becomes extremely rebellious.  She soon returns home, but realizes that she cannot live as a subservient female. She decides to leave Iran again for good realizing that she needs her freedom, though it comes at a price. This story would be paired well with the biography I Am Malala.  Both girls are young, but
strong and independent. They both value education and wish for women to be treated equally. 

It' Perfectly Normal

Harris, R. (2009). It’s perfectly normal. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.

It's Perfectly Normal is a book about sexuality, physical maturity changes, and sexual health.  The text is simple, clear and concise. There are colorful illustrations on each page.  The illustrations are not graphic, but are perfect to help children understand what is being presented.  The book discusses body changes, sex, masturbation, STD's, homosexuality and other topics.  This book is probably not for everyone. You have to be comfortable enough to be able to discuss this book with your children.  I would rather they learn it from me than from their friends or movies.  

Kids ages 10 and up will find this book informative, but it also depends on their maturity and parents readiness to discuss the topics openly and freely.

Winger

Smith, A. (2013). Winger. NY: Simon & Schuster. 

Ryan Dean is a rugby player who lives in a boarding school.  He rooms with the biggest bully on the team and is in love with his female best friend.  Another of his friends is Joey who is openly gay. The team members all seem to accept Joey's sexual orientation.  Despite his jock status, Ryan considers himself a loser and mentions it several times throughout the story.  Most of the story is humorous detailing rugby and teenage life. However, it takes a tragic turn when Joey is beaten to death by a homophobic teammate.  It affects Ryan deeply.  I found this book quite funny, laughing out loud in some parts.  I would recommend this book 
to students 13 and older. 

Leviathan

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

Leviathan is a science fiction story set in World War I time frame.  Darwinists, who use fabricated animals such as the Leviathan set after a whale as weapons battle the Clankers who use steam fueled machines. The story revolves around Alek, a prince who is not considered royalty because his mother was a commoner and Deryn, a girl who disguises herself as a boy in order to be part of the British Airforce. When Deryn is shot down, Alek risks his chances of being captured to save her and her crewmates. A battle between the 2 sides ensues, but Alek convinces them to work together to fix the Leviathan in order to escape.  
I would recommend this book to students 13 and older.  Those students
who enjoy history and/or scifi will enjoy this book. 
I enjoyed Deryn's character. She did not bow to the conformity of a woman's place,
she wanted to become a pilot and succeeded.

Code name Verity

Wein, Elizabeth. (2012). Code name Verity. NY: Egmont.  

Verity and Kittyhawk are best friends who are also spies. The story tells the story in 2 points of view. First, Verity is a prisoner of war. She is being tortured and forced to give up secrets. She is forced to write down any information or secrets that she knows or risk getting tortured.  She tells her captors that the pilot of the plane that dropped her off crashed and died.  The second part of the book reveals that Maggie, or Kittyhawk, escaped from the crash and has found refuge with farmers.  Maggie wants to find Verity and rescue her.  Unfortunately, things don't go as planned and Maggie kills Verity to keep her from telling anymore secrets.  Maggie knows Verity will be killed by her captors anyway, so she kills her first before she can reveal anymore than she already has. I would recommend this for high school students and above.
This book may be a good choice for a history teacher when studying World
War II.

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

Crutcher, C. (1993). Staying fat for Sarah Byrnes. New York, N.Y.: Greenwillow Books.

Eric is an overweight swimmer. Despite his size, he is able to hold his own against the better swimmers.  His best friend is Sarah Byrnes, who is currently in the hospital.  Sarah refuses to speak.  No one, including Eric, knows why she stopped speaking.  Sarah has horrible burn scars all over face.  The story is that she reached for a pot of hot water when she was 3. Eric has always doubted that story, but never asks Sarah.  Sarah finally tells the truth. Her father is an awful mom who caused the burns on her face and still abuses her often.  Eric and his swim coach try to help by tracking down
Sarah's mother. She is no help.  Sarah's father attacks Eric in anger because he wants to find his daughter. He is arrested and Sarah is adopted my Ms. Lemry.
I would recommend this book for grades 7 and above.
This would be a great book to discuss outcasts and students with physical differences.
Students will see that there are sometimes reasons that students keep to themselves.  Sometimes,
they need friends to confide in.

Anderson, M. (2004). The Game of Sunken Places. New York: Scholastic Press.

Gregory and his friend Brian go to visit Gregory's Uncle Max.
The boys are soon thrown into a dangerous and confusing game.
The boys think it's a board game, but it turns into much more.  Soon they are involved in time travel, battling along side trolls, visiting ancient empires.  Brian ends up winning the game, but a new adventure is around the corner. I would recommend this book for ages 8 through 14.  This book reminded of the choose your own adventure books that I read as a child. Although the reader can't choose their own adventure, there is so much going on in the book, that it's one adventure after another.

The Book of Broken Hearts

Ockler, S. (n.d.). The Book of Broken Hearts.   

Jude is the only sister left living at home.  She spends her last summer caring for her ailing father who is suffering from Alzheimer's.  Jude decides to get her father's beloved bike fixed in order to help him feel better.  The only mechanic they can afford is a Vargas boy.  Jude has sworn to never become involved with Vargas boys, because two have already broken two of her sisters' hearts,  She soon finds Emilio to be different.  He is sweet, caring, 
and becomes someone to lean on while she deals with the 
emotional issues of caring for her father.  Emily decides to listen to her heart and take a chance with Emilio, with no regrets.
Illness and family are big themes in this book.  Jude sacrifices her 
last summer to take care of her ailing father.  She is loyal and 
committed to helping him.

Weetzie Bat

Block, F. (1989). Weetzie Bat. New York: Harper & Row.

Weetzie Bat is set in a fantazied version of Los Angeles.  She and her friend Dirk enjoy life, wearing stylish vintage clothes and spending time on the town.  However, they both desperately wish for someone to love.  Weetzie's grandmother leaves her a golden thing upon her death.  Weetzie is surprised when a genie appears and Weetzie is offered 3 wishes. Weetzie wishes for a Duck for Dirk, a secret agent man for herself and house to live 

happily ever after.  Weetzie and Duck soon find love and the

2 couples create an unconventional but loving family.  

I would recommend this book for high school age and above. The

topics of homosexuality and drugs may be too mature for younger

readers. 

Stiefvater, M. (2012). The Raven Boys. New York: Scholastic.

Blue is the daughter of a clairvoyant. She has never had the gift, 
but one night while with her aunt she sees the spirit of a boy who will die within the next 12 months. Gansey is a boy from a near by school.  The boys at this school are known as the Raven boys.  Blue has never associated with the Raven boys, but is drawn to Gansey.  Blue grows closer to Gansey and helps him in his search for the Welsh king. Gansey realizes that Blue is the piece he and his friends have been needing in order to succeed in their quest. While Blue's romantic feelings for Gansey grow, she is hesitant to let them come to fruition because she fears her love for him will cause his death.  Gansey decides to kiss her and all is well.
High schoolers who enjoy fantasy will enjoy this book.

King, A. (2012). Ask the passengers: A novel. New York: Little, Brown.

Astrid feels like an outcast in her own family.  Her mother is unreliable and favors her little sister.  Her father spends too much time smoking pot to be dependable.  Astrid has 2 friends who are gay but feel they have to hide it in their small conservative town.
Astrid herself believes she may be gay. She has feelings for a girl, but questions whether they are real or not.  Feeling she has no one to confide in, she sends messages to the passengers of airplanes who fly over her backyard. Little does she know that her messages of love do make an effect on some of the passengers.  This is good book for ages high school and above.  So many students are struggling with the same issues, whether it be feeling alone and isolated or 
questioning their sexuality. 

Westerfeld, S. (2005). Uglies. New York: Simon Pulse.

 Tally cannot wait to turn 16.  Upon turning 16, everyone in her world gets an operation to make them pretty.  While anxiously waiting for her 16th birthday, she makes a friend that is her age.  Her new friend, Shay however does not want the surgery and is fine with staying ugly. She runs away to keep from getting the surgery.  Tally is threatened by the authorities to find and report Shay's secret camp or stay ugly forever.  Tally ends up realizing that staying ugly is not as bad as she thought. She learns to enjoy life as an ugly, but soon has to endure the surgery to help fix her mistake.  This is a wonderful book for grades 6 and up.  
Students struggle so much with self image. This book displays 
how too much importance is placed on physical beauty.

The Tequila Worm

Canales, V. (2005). The tequila worm. NY: Wendy Lamb Books/Random House

Sophia lives in the barrio in McAllen, TX.  She gets teased at school and is encouraged by a teacher to get revenge by making better grades than those who tease her. She succeeds and soon earns a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school in Austin.  She is torn between her desire to see how the other half lives and staying with her close knit family.  Her father convinces her to take advantage of the opportunity, but reminds her that while the white people may have money, her family is full of love and traditions.  Sophia is homesick when at school and has to endure racial slurs at times, but soon it is Christmas break.  Her father's untimely death hits her hard and causes her to question returning to school. She ends up returning, knowing her father would want her to return and succeed.  I relate to the story very closely as I ge ew up in the barrio in a small town as well.  I dreamed of living in a large brick house.  Students 11 and up will enjoy this book. It is an easy read with no adult themes.
This book would be a good follow up or can be followed by The Absoulutely
True Story of a Part Time Indian.

The Chocolate War

Cormier, R. (1974). The chocolate war. NY: Delacorte.

Jerry is a freshman at Trinity High School.  The school is run by a group of bullies called The Vigils.  The school is having a chocolate candy fundraiser.  Jerry is told to refuse a box by the Vigils, but then get a box a few days later. Inspired by a poster in his locker, Jerry decides to refuse to sell the candy.  His defiance challenges the authority of the Vigils which makes them angry at Jerry.  Jerry is bullied and beaten as a result of his 
standing up for his beliefs.
The theme of identity is important in this book.  Jerry decides to stand up for himself and not comply with the rules set by The Vigils.  However, he soon learns that it's not always easy to change the universe.

Annie on my Mind

Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my mind. NY: FSG. 

Annie on my Mind tells the story of Liza and Annie. They meet in a museum and a friendship begins.  They each attend different schools.  Liza attends a privates school, Annie a public school.  Liza visits Annie at school one day and is surprised at the differences. The girls soon realize they are in love, but are still too insecure to show their affection in public. While house sitting for a teacher couple, they share their first kiss.  Unfortunately, their happiness is cut short when an unexpected visitor arrives. Not only is Liza and Annie's relationship discovered by also those of the women teacher couple. The teachers lose their jobs but are not angry. The teachers encourage the teens to continue their relationship and not to worry about other peoples opinions.  

This book would be a great read for any teen who is struggling with their sexuality 

or having feelings for someone of the same sex.  Acceptance and tolerance are important themes in this book.

Looking for Alaska

Green, J. (2005). Looking for Alaska. NY: Dutton  

Miles in headed to a boarding school.   He's ready to attend another school as he does not have many friends at his current school.  Only 2 people attend his going away party.  However, life at boarding school are much better.  He develops a friendship not only with his roommate Chip, but also with Alaska and Takumi.  The teens soon begin getting into minor typical teenage mischief.  Miles soon realizes that he and his friends are almost like a little family. They are always looking out for each other.  Miles begins having feelings for Alaska. One night he finally gets to kiss her.  However, the 

possible relationship is cut short when Alaska receives a phone call and 

drives off crying.  The student body is informed the next day that Alaska was

killed in a car accident. The friends all blame themselves for her death.  Miles 

goes on a quest to find out if they car accident was really an accident. This book reminds me of 

the True Story of Part Time Indian, because Miles is also going to a new school and makes

new friends. Both boys finally have a sense of belonging. I would recommend this book to students 13 and older.