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.