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Looking for a Good Book? Contemporary |
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak.
Since the beginning of the school year, high school freshman Melinda has found that it's been getting harder and harder for her to speak out loud: "My throat is always sore, my lips raw.... Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze.... It's like I have some kind of spastic laryngitis." What could have caused Melinda to suddenly fall mute?
Bauer, Joan. Rules of the Road.
Funny! Wise and touching. Sophomore Jenna has problems in her life including being too tall and an alcoholic father, but can she sell shoes! When she gets her driver's license, a wonderful road adventure results.
Bennett, Cherie. Life in the Fat Lane.
Lara is popular, athletic and beautiful. For no reason, she begins to gain weight. Soon she is up to 200 pounds despite dieting, starvation and pills. Who will stand by her and who will desert her?
Bloor, Edward. Tangerine.
"So what if he's legally blind? Even with his bottle-thick, bug-eyed glasses, Paul Fisher can see better than most people. He can see the lies his parents and brother live out, day after day. No one ever listens to Paul, though--until the family moves to Tangerine. In Tangerine, even a blind, geeky, alien freak can become cool. Who knows? Paul might even become a hero! Edward Bloor's debut novel sparkles with wit, authenticity, unexpected plot twists, and heart."
Boylan, James Finney. Getting In.
The whirlwind tour of eastern colleges by four high school seniors and three adults turns into a journey of self-discovery none of them will ever forget.
Coman, Carolyn. What Jamie Saw.
First sentence: "When Jamie saw him throw the baby, saw Van throw the little baby, saw Van throw his little sister Nin, when Jamie saw Van throw his baby sister Nin, then they moved." A short 128 page book that packs an emotional wallop.
Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War.
This award-winning, popular book narrates freshman Jerry Renault's lonely battle against the ruling powers of his school.
Crew, Linda. Children of the River.
Seventeen-year-old Sundara is torn between remaining faithful to her own Cambodian people and adjusting to her Oregon high school as a "regular" American.
Martinez, Victor. Parrot in the Oven.
Manny tells of his experiences as a member of a gang and of a poor Mexican American family in which the alcoholic father only adds to everyone's struggle.
Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels.
A 17-year-old tries to survive a tour of duty during the Vietnam War.
Myers, Walter Dean. Monster.
Featuring a handwriting-style typeface, emphasis on dialogue, and fast-paced courtroom action, this is an exciting, challenging novel. "Monster" is what the prosecutor called 16-year-old Steve Harmon for his supposed role in the fatal shooting of a convenience-store owner. But was Steve really the lookout who gave the "all clear" to the murderer, or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time? In this innovative novel, the reader becomes both juror and witness during the trial of Steve's life. To calm his nerves as he sits in the courtroom, aspiring filmmaker Steve chronicles the proceedings in movie script format. Interspersed throughout his screenplay are journal writings that provide insight into Steve's life before the murder and his feelings about being held in prison during the trial.
Sachar, Louis. Holes.
Stanley Yelnatz suffers from a curse brought on by his great-great-grandfather who stole a pig from a one-legged gypsy. Now Stanley must dig one hole every day he serves in a juvenile correctional camp for a crime he didn't even commit. Terrific, multilayered plot.
Sheldon, Dyan. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.
"Mary Elizabeth, a.k.a. Lola, is accustomed to playing the starring role in the fascinating production that is her life. Her pottery-making single mom and bratty twin sisters are merely bit players in Lola's dramatic existence. But all this changes when she is forced to move from her beloved Manhattan to the boring suburbs of New Jersey. According to Lola, "living in the suburbs is like being dead, only with cable TV and pizza delivery." The worst part is that someone has already snagged the coveted Drama Queen of Suburbia title--and that someone is Carla Santini. Carla, who is "sophisticated, beautiful, and radiates confidence the way a towering inferno radiates heat," isn't about to let anyone take away her hard-earned crown."
Spinelli, Jerry. Wringer.
"Nine-year-old Palmer dreads his upcoming 10th birthday. In his town, when boys are 10 years old they become "wringers," the boys who wring the necks of wounded pigeons at the annual Pigeon Day shoot. Palmer is sickened by the whole event. To make matters worse, his new buddies--Beans, Mutto, and Henry--have just discovered that Palmer has been hiding a pet pigeon in his room. What will Palmer do? Will he become a wringer to save face, or will he follow his heart?" A horrifying, moving tale of peer pressure at its worst.
Townsend, Sue. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 and 3/4.
British teen captures the essence of life in his diary. An international bestseller.
Trice, Dawn Turner. Only Twice I've Wished for Heaven.
Tempest doesn't like her new home in Lakeland, a planned community for African Americans. Most of her classmates are boring and their prissy airs anger and puzzle her. What saves her is a friendship with Valerie, an outsider like herself, and the secret trips she makes each day to Miss Jonetta's liquor store on fascinating 35th Street, where she discovers great courage and caring--and terrible secrets about the world of grown-ups and about her best friend.
Voigt, Cynthia. The Runner.
As a dedicated runner, a teenage boy has always managed to distance himself from other people until his teammates draw him out and show him the value of companionship.
Walter, Virginia and Roeckelein. Making Up Megaboy.
A community tries to make sense of the murder committed by 13-year-old Robbie Jones.