Tayshas Reading List 2006

TAYSHAS Reading List 2006-2007

The objective of the Tayshas project is to motivate young adults to become life-long readers and to participate in the community of readers in Texas.

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.

FR = Fast Reads
AD/YA = Mature Books for Young Adult Readers
YA = Books for Young Adult Readers

'TAYSHAS' takes its name from the Caddo Indian word meaning "friends or allies." Written texas, texios, tejas, teyas or tayshas, the word was applied to the Caddos by the Spanish in eastern Texas, who regarded them as friends and allies against the Apaches . (Newcomb, W.W., Jr. The Indians from Texas: Prehistoric to Modern Times. Univeristy of Texas Press, 1961).