Adlington, L. J. The
Diary of Pelly D. Greenwillow, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
Working on a futuristic
construction site, Tony V unearths the diary of rich,
popular Pelly D, a teenage girl who recently lived in City
Five, the war-torn area he’s now helping to rebuild. In it
she recounts the life-changing year in which national gene
testing identifies her family as belonging to a lesser
race.
Alphin, Elaine Marie.
The Perfect Shot. Carolrhoda, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
Brian uses basketball to
block out memories of his girlfriend and her family, who
were gunned down a year ago, but the upcoming murder trial
and a high school history assignment force him to face the
past and decide how far he should go to see justice
served.
Anderson, Jodi Lynn.
Peaches. HarperCollins, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
Three teenaged girls from
very different backgrounds, thrown together to pick
peaches in a Georgia orchard, spend a summer in pursuit of
the right boy, the truest of friends, and the perfect
peach.
Anderson, Laurie Halse.
Prom. Viking, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
High school senior Ashley
Hannigan doesn’t care about prom, but her best friend is
on the planning committee. When the faculty advisor is
busted for taking the prom money, Ashley is roped into
putting together a gala dance.
Bradley, Alex. 24 Girls
in 7 Days. Dutton, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
When Jack, a self-described
dork, can’t find a prom date, his two best friends post an
ad for him in the online school newspaper. Shocked by the
number of replies, a nervous Jack fast and furiously
screens 24 of the most appealing applicants as he counts
down seven days until the big event.
Brashares, Ann. Girls in
Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood. Delacorte
Press, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
Bee, Lena, Carmen, and Tibby
face their last summer together before they go away to
four different colleges in four different cities. Join
them as they share the magic of the pants before they head
off to start their real lives.
Brooks, Kevin. Candy.
The Chicken House/Scholastic, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
Attraction turns to
obsession when Joe falls for the hypnotic street girl
Candy. His efforts to rescue her from a life of drugs and
crime draw him into London’s seedy, violent underworld and
threaten his family’s safety.
Canales, Viola. The
Tequila Worm. Wendy Lamb Books, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
Sofia’s life reflects her
close-knit community with its quinceaneras, cascarones,
and comadres. But as she leaves McAllen for an elite
boarding school, she must find a way to keep one world
while experiencing another.
Cheshire, Simon. Kissing
Vanessa. Delacorte, 2004. (YA) Fiction.
Fifteen-year-old Kevin has
plans to do better in school. However, when the next term
begins, he is smitten by his new classmate, Vanessa, and
he focuses all his energy on getting close to her.
Chotjewitz, David.
Daniel Half Human and the Good Nazi. Atheneum, 2004.
(YA) Historical Fiction.
Best friends Daniel and
Armin dream of the day they’re old enough to join the
Hitler Youth. When a horrified Daniel learns that his
mother is Jewish, the two young men must juggle friendship
and duty as tension mounts during the Nazi Party’s rise to
power.
Cirrone, Dorian. Dancing
in Red Shoes Will Kill You. HarperCollins, 2005.
(YA) Fiction.
Kayla hates her size double
D breasts and does everything she can to camouflage them.
When they prevent her from getting a lead role in the
upcoming school ballet, she decides to take action,
against the advice from the older sister and her best
friend.
Coben, Harlan. The
Innocent. Dutton, 2005. (AD/YA) Mystery.
As a 19-year-old college
student, Matt Hunger goes to prison for manslaughter.
Released as an ex-con, he painfully pieces together his
life and finds happiness. But a video from a cell phone
puts into play the events that will bring danger and
destruction to Matt and those around him.
DeLint, Charles. The
Blue Girl. Viking, 2004. (YA) Fiction.
Seventeen-year-old Imogene
tries to reinvent herself when she moves to a new town.
With her piercings and goth clothes, she befriends the
geeky, high school outcast. The two of them, along with
the school ghost, move back and forth between their
unforgiving high school life and the world of malicious
fairies.
Deuker, Carl. Runner.
Houghton Mifflin, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
Living on a rundown sailboat
in Puget Sound with his alcoholic father, senior Chance
Taylor struggles to make ends meet. His love of running
provides his only escape and unexpectedly leads him to a
high-paying courier job which Chance suspects might
involve smuggling.
Flinn, Alex. Fade to
Black. HarperTempest, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
When Alex and his family
move to a backward town in Florida, they are harassed by a
neighbor until Alex is attacked and lands in the hospital
because he has AIDS.
Fredericks, Mariah. Head
Games. Atheneum. 2004. (YA) Fiction.
Lonely Judith becomes
obsessed with an online role-playing game. Only after
uncovering the identity of one of her fellow gamers does
she gradually begin to face the losses and fears in her
life.
Green, John. Looking for
Alaska. Dutton, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
Miles is ready for a change
from his dull, friendless life and looks forward to
attending a private boarding school, not knowing that the
friends he makes there will forever alter his life.
Griffin, Adele. Where I
Want to Be. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
Clinging too tightly to her
boyfriend Caleb, attractive, popular Lily struggles with
guilt and grief over the recent death of her troubled
older sister Jane, a loner who spent years battling mental
demons.
Grimes, Nikki. Dark Sons.
Hyperion/Jump at the Sun, 2005. (YA) Poetry.
Poems tell the story of
Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac paralleled with the story of
Sam, whose father leaves their family to remarry and have
another son with his white wife.
Hautman, Pete.
Invisible. Simon & Schuster Books for Young
Readers. (YA) Fiction.
Doug and Andy are unlikely
best friends, one a loner obsessed by his model trains,
the other a popular student involved in football and
theater. Having grown up together, they share a bond
nothing can sever.
Hearn, Julie. The
Minister’s Daughter. Atheneum, 2005. (YA) Historical
Fiction.
In 1645 Salem,
Massachusetts, two daughters of a puritanical minister
accuse an old healer woman and her granddaughter of
witchcraft in order to conceal a pregnancy.
Hemphill, Stephanie.
Things Left Unsaid: A Novel in Poems. Hyperion,
2005. (YA) Fiction.
After a new friendship
blossoms with rebellious Robin, straight arrow Sarah
rejects her good girl image to dress in black, skip
school, and ignore old friends. A crisis in Robin’s life
finally forces Sarah to figure out what kind of lifestyle
she really wants.
Holubitsky, Katherine.
The Hippie House. Orca Books, 2004. (YA) Mystery.
Emma’s life on Ruddy Duck
farm is fairly normal for a rural teenager until a local
young woman is found murdered in an outbuilding christened
Hippie House. Suddenly Emma’s entire world is thrust into
fearful turmoil as the town worries about the next victim.
Ingold, Jeanette. Hitch.
Harcourt, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
To help his family during
the Depression and avoid becoming a drunk like his father,
Moss Trawnley joins the Civilian Conservation Corps, helps
build a new camp near Monroe, Montana, and leads the other
men in making it a success.
Jacobson, Jennifer.
Stained. Atheneum, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
In 1975 New Hampshire,
seventeen-year-old Jocelyn looks for answers when her
lifelong friend Gabe turns up missing, and she discovers
he’s been keeping terrible secrets.
Johnson, Kathleen Jeffrie.
A Fast and Brutal Wing. Roaring Brook Press,
2004. (YA) Fiction.
What happens to two troubled
siblings in the woods on Halloween night when a famous
local writer disappears and is presumed dead? Emmet’s
journal entries from a psych ward and Niki’s short story
about animal transformation reveal disturbing, conflicting
details about the possible crime.
Johnson, Maureen. 13
Little Blue Envelopes. HarperCollins, 2005. (YA)
Fiction.
When seventeen-year-old
Ginny receives a packet of mysterious envelopes from her
favorite aunt, she leaves New Jersey to criss-cross Europe
on a scavenger hunt that changes her life.
Kass, Pnina. Real Time.
Clarion, 2004. (YA) Fiction.
A tense day unfolds near
Jerusalem as the lives of a German teenager, a Russian
Jew, a Holocaust survivor, and a Palestinian suicide
bomber intersect in a violent terrorist attack on a
crowded bus, instantly changing each person’s future.
Klass, David. Dark Angel.
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
When his older brother is
released from prison after serving five years for murder,
seventeen-year-old Jeff can no longer hide his family
secret and suffers at home, school, and with his love
life.
Larbalestier, Justine.
Magic or Madness. Razorbill, 2005. (YA) Fantasy.
After her mother’s mental
breakdown, mathematical prodigy Reason Corsino moves in
with her frightening grandmother, who practices dark
rituals and believes herself to be a with. When opening a
locked door transports Reason from Sydney to NYC, she
stumbles into a world of secrets which challenge her
beliefs about magic and reality.
Lawrence, Iain. The
Convicts. Delacorte Press, 2005. (YA) Historical
Fiction.
His efforts to avenge his
father’s unjust imprisonment force fourteen-year-old Tom
Tin into the streets of nineteenth-century London, but
after he is convicted of murder, Tom is eventually sent to
Australia where he has a surprise reunion.
Lubar, David. Sleeping
Freshmen Never Lie. Dutton, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
While navigating his first
year of high school and awaiting the surprise birth of a
new baby brother, Scott juggles old and new friends, tries
out for the school play to be near a girl he likes, and
joins the newspaper staff as the least likely sports
reporter in school history.
MacCullough, Carolyn.
Stealing Henry. Roaring Brook Press, 2005. (YA)
Fiction.
After years of tolerating
physical abuse from her stepfather, Savannah hits him on
the head with a frying pan, grabs her little half-brother,
and heads out for New York City, desperate to save them
both.
Martino, Alfred C.
Pinned. Harcourt, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
Bobby Zane and Ivan Korske,
two competitive seniors from different backgrounds,
alternate viewpoints as they struggle with personal issues
throughout the New Jersey wrestling season. As their
training intensifies, each knows that only one person can
walk away with the state gold medal.
McIntosh, Fiona.
Myrren’s Gift. Eos, 2005. (AD/YA) Fantasy.
Wyl Thirsk, hereditary
General of the armies of Morgravia, aids a dying witch,
who bestows on him a mysterious gift which helps him face
challenges from his enemies.
McNaughton, Janet. The
Secret Under My Skin. Eos, 2005. (YA) Science
Fiction.
In 2368, sixteen-year-old
Blay Raintree and other homeless orphans live in
government camps formed after a great technocaust
devastates the Earth. Due to her love of reading, Blay is
chosen for a special project and leaves the work camp for
the Master’s House.
Meyer, Stephenie.
Twilight. Little, Brown, & Co., 2005. (YA) Fantasy.
What do you do if you’re the
new girl in town and attract the attention of the handsome
and mysterious Edward Cullen, only to find out he’s a
vampire? Isabella knows the dangers involved in kissing
Edward, but is she prepared for the consequences of their
love?
Moore, Peter. Caught in
the Act. Viking, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
Sophomore honors student
Ethan loves acting in school plays but finds it
increasingly harder to meet the academic pressures of
family and friends. When Lydia, the mysterious new girl
and fellow actor, blackmails a teacher for Ethan’s
benefit, he falls for her seductive charm, not realizing
the dangerous crush she has on him.
Morpurgo, Michael.
Private Peaceful. Scholastic, 2004. (YA) Historical
Fiction.
When Thomas Peaceful’s
brother is forced to join the British Army, Thomas decides
to sign up as well and prove himself to his country, even
though he’s only fourteen years old.
Noyes, Deborah, ed.
Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales. Candlewick Press,
2004. (YA) Collection.
Ten young adult authors
contribute tales of horror including ghosts, vampires,
witches, and parallel worlds.
Olsen, Sylvia. White
Girl. Sono Nis Press, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
Fifteen-year-old Josie moves
with her mother and new Native American stepfather onto a
nearby Indian reservation. Immediately singled out for her
pale skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes, she faces constant
stares, hostility, and prejudice as the “white girl”
outsider.
Patterson, James.
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment. Little, Brown, &
Company, 2005. (YA) Fantasy.
Max leads a group of humans,
ages six to fourteen, who have had their genetic make-up
combined with that of birds, resulting in their ability to
fly. After escaping the rogue laboratory where they were
created, the group seeks knowledge of their true parentage
and purpose in life.
Pearson, Mary E. A Room
on Lorelei Street. Henry Holt & Co., 2005. (YA)
Fiction.
A room is not much, but for
seventeen-year-old Zoe, struggling to shed the suffocating
responsibility of her alcoholic mother, a rented room on
Lorelei Street is a fierce grab for control of her own
future.
Qualey, Marsha. Just
Like That. Dial Books, 2005 (YA) Fiction.
Hanna’s world begins to fall
apart after she breaks up with Spence. She is
inadvertently involved in the accidental deaths of two
teenagers, her long-time friends betray her, and she meets
a fourteen-year-old boy who turns her life upside down.
Salisbury, Graham. Eyes
of the Emperor. Wendy Lamb Books, 2005. (YA)
Historical Fiction.
Lying about his age,
16-year-old Japanese-American Eddy Okubo joins the U.S.
Army during World War II before the bombing of Pearl
Harbor. He is sent to an island for a top-secret mission
to help train military dogs to track Asians, using Eddy
and his Japanese-American friends as bait.
Sandler, Martin W.
America Through the Lens: Photographers Who
Changed the Nation. Henry Holt, 2005. (YA)
Nonfiction.
Short chapters and
black-and-white photographs illustrate the history of
photography and the most famous American photographers
from Matthew Brady, chronicler of the Civil War, to
recorders of NASA’s space expeditions.
Scott, Kieran. I Was a
Non-Blonde Cheerleader. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2005.
(YA) Fiction.
Brunette Jersey girl Annisa
Grobowski moves to Florida with her family and immediately
alienates the popular all-blonde cheerleaders, attracting
the boyfriend of one and breaking the nose of another.
When an unexpected vacancy occurs on the squad, Annisa
tries out for it and shakes up the entire student body.
Sedgwick, Marcus. The
Book of Dead Days. Wendy Lamb Books, 2004. (YA)
Fantasy
Between Christmas and the
New Year lie the dead days. With only six days, Boy has no
choice but to assist the sinister Valerian in finding the
answer that separates life from death.
Shaw, Susan. The Boy
From the Basement. Dutton, 2004. (YA) Fiction.
For most of his twelve
years, Charlie has been confined to his family’s basement,
kept ignorant of the real world and convinced he’s been
punished for a wrongdoing. Now released into foster care,
Charlie must adapt to a strange world and learn to accept
unconditional love.
Simmons, Michael.
Finding Lubchenko. Razorbill, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
When his father is framed
for murder and bioterrorism, high school junior Evan,
using clues from a stolen laptop, travels from Seattle to
Paris with two friends to find the real culprit.
Sorrells, Walter. Fake
ID. Sleuth/Dutton, 2005. (YA) Mystery.
After a lifetime of moving
and assuming new identities, sixteen-year-old Chass begins
to piece together the disturbing past that haunts her
mother, which involves a mysterious tape, a deceased
popular singer, and the secrets of several people in a
small Alabama town.
Stein, Tammar. Light
Years. Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
Running from the violence,
guilt, and memories of her past, Maya leaves Israel to
study astronomy at the University of Virginia. As the
narrative switches between Virginia and Israel, we learn
about Maya’s life as a soldier, her ambiguous devotion to
Israel, and her love for the boyfriend Dov, who is
tragically killed in a suicide bombing.
Volponi, Paul. Black and
White. Viking, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
Marcus and Eddie, two best
friends and star basketball players, have bright futures
as college players. But with the act they commit together,
they find that their lives will have two dramatically
different outcomes.
Walker, Sally. Secrets
of a Civil War Submarine: Solving the Mysteries of the H.L.
Hunley. Carolrhoda Books, 2005. (YA) Nonfiction.
Archaeologists excavate the
Civil War submarine, the H.L. Hunley, off the coast of
South Carolina, finding artifacts and the remains of eight
crewmen. They reconstruct their faces and discuss their
reburial.
Walters, Eric. Juice.
Orca Soundings, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
Coach Barnes has a record
for getting high school football players into college and
then to the pros. He promises Michael and his teammates
that he’ll do whatever it takes to be divisional
champions. But will Michael have what it takes to be a
real winner?
Westerfeld, Scott.
Uglies. Simon Pulse, 2005. (YA) Science Fiction.
Tally eagerly awaits turning
sixteen, the birthday on which each teenager is surgically
transformed from an Ugly into a perfect Pretty. Before the
big day arrives, however, Tally must face a life-or-death
choice when she befriends Shay, who’d rather risk life on
the outside than turn Pretty.
Williams, Lori Aurelia.
Broken China. Simon & Schuster, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
Fourteen-year-old China
Cameron’s two-year-old daughter Amina dies suddenly and
sends China into a tailspin of guilt and blame.
Wooding, Chris. The
Haunting of Alaizabel Cray. Orchard Books, 2004.
(YA) Fantasy.
Thaniel, a wych hunter,
meets the possessed Alaizabel Cray. Together they must
stop the Fraternity from loosing powerful evils in order
to take over London and the world.
Zevin, Gabrielle.
Elsewhere. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2005. (YA)
Fantasy.
After fifteen-year-old Liz
Hall is hit by a taxi and killed, she finds herself in a
place that is both like and unlike Earth, where she must
adjust to her new status and figure out how to “live.”
Zusak, Markus. I Am the
Messenger. Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. (YA) Fiction.
Ed’s aimless life changes
when he receives an ace of diamonds in the mail, the first
in a series of playing cards with mysterious clues that he
feels compelled to follow. His curiosity and confidence
grow as each card leads him on a mission to help troubled
strangers.
