Reading List

Just for Teens: Realistic Fiction

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- The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

YA FIC LOCKHART, E.

E. Lockhart

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14: Debate Club. Her father's "bunny rabbit." A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school. Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15: A knockout figure. A sharp tongue. A chip on her shoulder. And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston. Frankie Landau-Banks. No longer the kind of girl to take "no" for an answer. Especially when "no" means she's excluded from her boyfriend's all-male secret society. Not when her ex-boyfriend shows up in the strangest of places. Not when she knows she's smarter than any of them. When she knows Matthew's lying to her. And when there are so many, many pranks to be done. Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16: Possibly a criminal mastermind. This is the story of how she got that way.

- Marcelo in the Real World

YA FIC STORK, F.

Francisco X. Stork

Marcelo Sandoval hears music no one else can hear--part of the autism-like impairment no doctor has been able to identify--and he's always attended a special school where his differences have been protected. But the summer after his junior year, his father demands that Marcelo work in his law firm's mailroom in order to experience "the real world." There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm. He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it's a picture he finds in a file -- a picture of a girl with half a face -- that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.

- Slam

YA FIC HORNBY, N.

Nick Hornby

British skateboarder Sam turns to his idol, Tony Hawk, when he has to face the cold hard facts of impending teenage fatherhood. This realistic story is touched with a bit of fancy as Tony whisks Sam into the future to get a glimpse of the kind of father he may become.

- The Juvie Three

YA FIC KORMAN, G.

Gordon Korman

Three boys serving time in juvenile detention are given a second chance in the form of Douglas Healy, a former juvenile delinquent who is running an experimental halfway house. After Healy is knocked unconscious trying to break up a scuffle among the boys, they hatch a crazy scheme to avoid being sent back to juvie.

- Hero Type

YA FIC LYGA, B.

Barry Lyga

When Kevin saves high school beauty Leah from a serial killer, he goes from misfit to hero. But was Kevin in the right place for the wrong reason? And what does it really mean to be a hero anyway? There are some important questions raised in the book. It will make you think!

- Hate List

YA FIC BROWN, J.

Jennifer Brown

After Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opens fire on their school cafeteria, Val is shot trying to stop him, but is implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. Now, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year.

- Does My Head Look Big in This?

YA FIC ABDEL-FATTAH, R.

Randa Abdel-Fattah

Year Eleven at an exclusive prep school in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, would be tough enough, but it is further complicated for Amal when she decides to wear the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, full-time as a badge of her faith--without losing her identity or sense of style.

- Shift

YA FIC BRADBURY, J

Jennifer Bradbury

Chris and Win embark on a post-gradation bike trek across the United States. Somewhere in Montana Win disappears and Chris returns home alone. As Win's angry father and the FBI search for Win, Chris struggles to hold it together and solve the mystery for himself.

- Would You

YA FIC JOCELYN, M.

Marthe Jocelyn

When Natalie�s beloved sister, Claire, steps in front of a car and winds up in a coma, the world is forever changed. Natalie can't help but ask herself what Claire would want and the important questions all seem to begin the same way,� Would you...?" Fans of "If I Stay" will find this story, told from the survivor's perspective, equally compelling.

- Story of a Girl

YA FIC ZARR, S.

Sara Zarr

After Deanna's father catches her in the backseat of a car with an older guy, her reputation is ruined. How long do you have to pay for one mistake? How can just one thing define you? Deanna struggles to come to terms with her past and rewrite her future in this touching story.

- Waiting for Normal

YA FIC CONNOR, L.

Leslie Connor

Addie is waiting for normal. But Addie's mom has an all-or-nothing approach to life: a food fiesta or an empty pantry, jubilation or gloom, her way or no way. All or nothing never adds up to normal. All or nothing can't bring you all to home, which is exactly where Addie longs to be, with her half sisters, every day. In spite of life's twists and turns, Addie remains optimistic. Someday, maybe, she'll find normal. Leslie Connor has created an inspiring novel about one girl's giant spirit. Waiting for Normal is a heartwarming gem.

- Thirteen Reasons Why

YA FIC ASHER, J

Jay Asher

Clay Jenkins returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers 13 cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Bakerahis classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he will find out how he made the list.

- The Brothers Torres

YA FIC VOORHEES, C.

Coert Voorhees

Sophomore Frankie finally finds the courage to ask his long-term friend, Julianne, to the Homecoming dance, which ultimately leads to a face-off between a tough senior whose family owns most of their small, New Mexico town, and Frankie's soccer-star older brother and his friends.

- Jumped

YA FIC WILLIAMS-GARCIA, R.

Rita Williams-Garcia

The lives of Leticia, Dominique, and Trina are irrevocably intertwined through the course of one day in an urban high school after Leticia overhears Dominique's plans to beat up Trina and must decide whether or not to get involved. A 2009 National Book Award Nominee.

- I am the Messenger

YA FIC ZUSAK, M.

Marcus Zusak

Meet Ed Kennedy--underage cabdriver, pathetic cardplayer, and useless at romance. He lives in a shack with his coffee-addicted dog, the Doorman, and he's hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence, until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That's when the first Ace arrives. That's when Ed becomes the messenger. . . . Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary), until only one question remains: Who's behind Ed's mission? Winner of the 2003 Children's Book Council Book of the Year Award in Australia, I Am the Messenger is a cryptic journey filled with laughter, fists, and love.

- The Rules of Survival

FIC WERLIN, N.

Nancy Werlin

Matthew's mom is crazy. He knows it, his sisters know it, and so do most of the other adults in his life. Why won't anybody help him deal with her? Can't they see things are just getting worse? Matthew struggles to protect his siblings and save himself in this tense tale of a family in turmoil.

- Hippie Chick

YA FIC MONNINGER, J.

Joseph Monninger

15-year-old Lolly (short for Lollipop) Emmerson is a free-spirit, what others call "the hippie child of a hippie woman." Her favorite thing to do is sail her Boston Whaler in the Florida Keys. One night she runs into an underwater obstacle and the boat flounders. After Lolly is knocked out and separated from the boat, she realizes that she's done for and accepts her own fate. That's when the manatees arrive.

- Godless

FIC HAUTMAN, P.

Pete Hautman

When sixteen-year-old Jason Bock and his friends create their own religion to worship the town's water tower, what started out as a joke begins to take on a power of its own.

- The One Where the Kid Nearly Jumps to his Death and lands in California

YA FIC HERSHEY, M.

Mary Hershey

In this darkly humorous coming-of-age story with one of the best titles ever, Alastair Hudson is forced to live with his estranged father and confront the truth about the accident that resulted in the amputation of Alastair's leg.

- Buddha Boy

YA FIC Koja, K. 2003

Kathe Koja

Justin spends time with Jinsen, the unusual and artistic new student whom the school bullies torment and call Buddha Boy, and ends up making choices that impact Jinsen, himself, and the entire school.

Just for Teens: Realistic Fiction			Back to Booklist


	- The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks		YA FIC LOCKHART, E.
		E. Lockhart
		Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14: Debate Club. Her father's "bunny rabbit." A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school. Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15: A knockout figure. A sharp tongue. A chip on her shoulder. And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston. Frankie Landau-Banks. No longer the kind of girl to take "no" for an answer. Especially when "no" means she's excluded from her boyfriend's all-male secret society. Not when her ex-boyfriend shows up in the strangest of places. Not when she knows she's smarter than any of them. When she knows Matthew's lying to her. And when there are so many, many pranks to be done. Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16: Possibly a criminal mastermind. This is the story of how she got that way.


	- Marcelo in the Real World		YA FIC STORK, F.
		Francisco X. Stork
		Marcelo Sandoval hears music no one else can hear--part of the autism-like impairment no doctor has been able to identify--and he's always attended a special school where his differences have been protected. But the summer after his junior year, his father demands that Marcelo work in his law firm's mailroom in order to experience "the real world." There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm. He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it's a picture he finds in a file -- a picture of a girl with half a face -- that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.


	- Slam		YA FIC HORNBY, N.
		Nick Hornby
		British skateboarder Sam turns to his idol, Tony Hawk, when he has to face the cold hard facts of impending teenage fatherhood. This realistic story is touched with a bit of fancy as Tony whisks Sam into the future to get a glimpse of the kind of father he may become.


	- The Juvie Three		YA FIC KORMAN, G.
		Gordon Korman
		Three boys serving time in juvenile detention are given a second chance in the form of Douglas Healy, a former juvenile delinquent who is running an experimental halfway house. After Healy is knocked unconscious trying to break up a scuffle among the boys, they hatch a crazy scheme to avoid being sent back to juvie.


	- Hero Type		YA FIC LYGA, B.
		Barry Lyga
		When Kevin saves high school beauty Leah from a serial killer, he goes from misfit to hero. But was Kevin in the right place for the wrong reason? And what does it really mean to be a hero anyway? There are some important questions raised in the book. It will make you think!


	- Hate List		YA FIC BROWN, J.
		Jennifer Brown
		After Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opens fire on their school cafeteria, Val is shot trying to stop him, but is implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. Now, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year.


	- Does My Head Look Big in This?		YA FIC ABDEL-FATTAH, R.
		Randa Abdel-Fattah
		Year Eleven at an exclusive prep school in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, would be tough enough, but it is further complicated for Amal when she decides to wear the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, full-time as a badge of her faith--without losing her identity or sense of style.


	- Shift		YA FIC BRADBURY, J
		Jennifer Bradbury
		Chris and Win embark on a post-gradation bike trek across the United States. Somewhere in Montana Win disappears and Chris returns home alone. As Win's angry father and the FBI search for Win, Chris struggles to hold it together and solve the mystery for himself.


	- Would You		YA FIC JOCELYN, M.
		Marthe Jocelyn
		When Natalie�s beloved sister, Claire, steps in front of a car and winds up in a coma, the world is forever changed. Natalie can't help but ask herself what Claire would want and the important questions all seem to begin the same way,� Would you...?" Fans of "If I Stay" will find this story, told from the survivor's perspective, equally compelling.


	- Story of a Girl		YA FIC ZARR, S.
		Sara Zarr
		After Deanna's father catches her in the backseat of a car with an older guy, her reputation is ruined. How long do you have to pay for one mistake? How can just one thing define you? Deanna struggles to come to terms with her past and rewrite her future in this touching story.


	- Waiting for Normal		YA FIC CONNOR, L.
		Leslie Connor
		Addie is waiting for normal. But Addie's mom has an all-or-nothing approach to life: a food fiesta or an empty pantry, jubilation or gloom, her way or no way. All or nothing never adds up to normal. All or nothing can't bring you all to home, which is exactly where Addie longs to be, with her half sisters, every day. In spite of life's twists and turns, Addie remains optimistic. Someday, maybe, she'll find normal. Leslie Connor has created an inspiring novel about one girl's giant spirit. Waiting for Normal is a heartwarming gem.


	- Thirteen Reasons Why		YA FIC ASHER, J
		Jay Asher
		Clay Jenkins returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers 13 cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Bakerahis classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he will find out how he made the list.


	- The Brothers Torres		YA FIC VOORHEES, C.
		Coert Voorhees
		Sophomore Frankie finally finds the courage to ask his long-term friend, Julianne, to the Homecoming dance, which ultimately leads to a face-off between a tough senior whose family owns most of their small, New Mexico town, and Frankie's soccer-star older brother and his friends.


	- Jumped		YA FIC WILLIAMS-GARCIA, R.
		Rita Williams-Garcia
		The lives of Leticia, Dominique, and Trina are irrevocably intertwined through the course of one day in an urban high school after Leticia overhears Dominique's plans to beat up Trina and must decide whether or not to get involved. A 2009 National Book Award Nominee.


	- I am the Messenger		YA FIC ZUSAK, M.
		Marcus Zusak
		Meet Ed Kennedy--underage cabdriver, pathetic cardplayer, and useless at romance. He lives in a shack with his coffee-addicted dog, the Doorman, and he's hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence, until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That's when the first Ace arrives. That's when Ed becomes the messenger. . . . Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary), until only one question remains: Who's behind Ed's mission? Winner of the 2003 Children's Book Council Book of the Year Award in Australia, I Am the Messenger is a cryptic journey filled with laughter, fists, and love.


	- The Rules of Survival		FIC WERLIN, N.
		Nancy Werlin
		Matthew's mom is crazy. He knows it, his sisters know it, and so do most of the other adults in his life. Why won't anybody help him deal with her? Can't they see things are just getting worse? Matthew struggles to protect his siblings and save himself in this tense tale of a family in turmoil.


	- Hippie Chick		YA FIC MONNINGER, J.
		Joseph Monninger
		15-year-old Lolly (short for Lollipop) Emmerson is a free-spirit, what others call "the hippie child of a hippie woman." Her favorite thing to do is sail her Boston Whaler in the Florida Keys. One night she runs into an underwater obstacle and the boat flounders. After Lolly is knocked out and separated from the boat, she realizes that she's done for and accepts her own fate. That's when the manatees arrive.


	- Godless		FIC HAUTMAN, P.
		Pete Hautman
		When sixteen-year-old Jason Bock and his friends create their own religion to worship the town's water tower, what started out as a joke begins to take on a power of its own.


	- The One Where the Kid Nearly Jumps to his Death and lands in California		YA FIC HERSHEY, M.
		Mary Hershey
		In this darkly humorous coming-of-age story with one of the best titles ever, Alastair Hudson is forced to live with his estranged father and confront the truth about the accident that resulted in the amputation of Alastair's leg.


	- Buddha Boy		YA FIC Koja, K. 2003
		Kathe Koja
		Justin spends time with Jinsen, the unusual and artistic new student whom the school bullies torment and call Buddha Boy, and ends up making choices that impact Jinsen, himself, and the entire school.