Best Teen Books discussion

Uhmm, anyone know any good ones?? I've got 'Thirteen Reasons Why' by: Jay Asher, and 'Impulse' by: Ellen Hopkins.

Are you looking for something to make you sad or you looking for books that deal with dark issues?

You Remind Me Of You is a poetry memoir kind of like impulse, it's a great story too!

most Jodi Picoult books.

Wuthering Heights
The Memory Keeper's Daughter

Harmless by Dana Reinhardt
The Rules of Survial by Nancy Werlin

Push by Sapphire
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hossein

Im looking for something with dark issues.

Push by Sapphire has some real dark issues...

Shabanu, Haveli and House of the Djinn by Suzanne Fisher Staples.

Love You, Hate You, Miss You-Elizabeth Scott
A Walk to Remember- Nicholas Sparks
Speak-Laurie Halse Anderson
One Lonely Degree-C.K. Kelly Martin

Chris Crutcher has a lot of great titles that fit the bill.

Okay, I'm going to ask? Why depressing titles. What issues specifically are you looking for?

Ways to Live Forever is a really great book.

It's about an eleven year old boy dying of leukemia. He and his best friend make a list of all the things he wishes he could do before he died and then set out to do those things. I think the writing is great. It's sad, but also a really good read.

Susan: Because this is what I like. Im looking for things like....Thirteen Reasons Why. It's about a girl who killed herself, and she left thirteen tapes telling us why she did it. Things like that. Stuff about suicide, or cutting. I just think there interesting. That's all. Grace: Thank. I'll check it out. :]

Haley wrote: "Susan: Because this is what I like. Im looking for things like....Thirteen Reasons Why. It's about a girl who killed herself, and she left thirteen tapes telling us why she did it. Things like that..."

Okay. We all read for different reasons. Was curious. Thanks.

Haley: Have you read Shattering Glass by Gail Giles? Teen bullying, murder, etc.

Anna: No I haven't, but I'll make it a point to look for it. Im going to the book store on Monday so, I'll make sure to look for it.

Susan: No problem. It's not all I read, it's just what sounds good to me right now. Usually I read pretty much whatever I see first, that sounds good. Which is pretty much anything. What do you read for?? What do you read??

"If I Stay" by Gayle Forman. Teen and her family are in a car accident and all are killed but her. She has to decide if she wants to live.

Any Ellen Hopkins books - Crank, Glass, Identical, Burned, Impulse

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.From the author of the stunning memoir, "Lucky, " comes a fiction debut narrated from heaven. Starting with the first chapter, 14-year-old Susie Salmon recounts her rape and murder and watches her family as they cope with their grief.

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles.It's a MUST read.

Jacquelyn wrote: "I'm surprised no one has mentioned Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.From the author of the stunning memoir, "Lucky, " comes a fiction debut narrated from heaven. Starting with the first chapter, 14-yea..."

Bur..."


Oooh! That's a really good one- my co-worker and I were just talking about that book today.

"Before I Die" by Jenny Downham is a sad book. It's about a teen who is dying and makes out a list of things she wants to before she dies. Another similiar book is "Deadline" by Chris Crutcher but the character is a boy.

Sweet. I'll check them all out. Thanks.

Cut or Go ask alice

Cut



Go Ask Alice

Haley wrote: "Susan: Because this is what I like. Im looking for things like....Thirteen Reasons Why. It's about a girl who killed herself, and she left thirteen tapes telling us why she did it. Things like that..."

Haley, what is the appeal for you? Do you like that the stories seem realistic or the style of writing for most of the authors?

When I started adding these titles to our collection I did so because many girls were going through similiar circumstances.

Susan: what books do you recommend for middle schoolers that feel "invisible"? I have a couple girls that haven't reached the point of drinking and drugs, but I get concerned about that in order to fit in a group.

Susan, didn't I explain this before?!

I read "Because I am Furniture" by Thalia Chaltas. It's about a girl who is completely ignored by her abusive father and feels invisible to him & would almost rather trade places with her brother or sister who are physically abused in one way or another, just so he will notice she's alive. It is written in a poetic format like the Ellen Hopkin books. I loved it! You see the girl grow within herself.

Becky wrote: "I read "Because I am Furniture" by Thalia Chaltas. It's about a girl who is completely ignored by her abusive father and feels invisible to him & would almost rather trade places with her brother ..."Becky, I have this book on order and hopefully waiting for me at school and it got a great review in journals, but now, your is so great, I will be reading it really soon---sounds like a book my students would love!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower might work for you. It has a reveal, so I don't want to say too much, but I think it's a great read.

Blackbox by Julie Schumacher about having a depressed sister.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. A stellar book!

Swati, read the Black Box (your recommendation!!!) and Wintergirls----they were both awesome! We have 2 copies of Perks and I just haven't gotten to it....reading others that I put before it, my bad!

BJ, Glad you enjoyed them! LHA is so wonderful. Wintergirls has become an all time fav, and I think Blackbox is Julie's best work yet. I can't wait to see what she comes out with next. Perks is a bit quieter and doesn't have the page-turner quality, I don't think, but it's short so I don't count that against it.

Nancy Werlin's Rules of Survival
Susan Shaw's Safe

Gabi wrote: "Nancy Werlin's Rules of Survival
Susan Shaw's Safe
"Gabi, I love both of those books and just finished SAFE lat week---very compelling!

Haley wrote: "Susan, didn't I explain this before?! "

You said you liked them. What about them do you like? Is that a better question?

I realize we live in a world of sound bites but I actually like being able to discuss details, learning more.

If it isn't clear, I'm expressing an interest in what you read and why.

Anna wrote: "Susan: what books do you recommend for middle schoolers that feel "invisible"? I have a couple girls that haven't reached the point of drinking and drugs, but I get concerned about that in order to..."

Hi Anna, I don't interact with a lot of middle schoolers. I do recommend author, Jacqueline Woodson though because she deals with a lot of issues that young girls deal with.

Traci L. Smith wrote Standing Against The Wind. The main character, Patrice doesn't give in to peer pressure or bullying.

If you'd like more, I can ask a few friends who work with this age group.

'Schwa' I think is the title or maybe 'The Schwa Was Here'. It's about a boy that feels invisible so another boy decided to use this boy's characteristic powers for bad and asks him to be a spy at school. Good middle school book.

Thanks for the suggestions of Middle School books--it is such a hard age to stand up for your beliefs. It is also hard to make suggestions--I tend to get a stack and leave them for reading. Some resonate and get passed from girl to girl.

Anna wrote: "Thanks for the suggestions of Middle School books--it is such a hard age to stand up for your beliefs. It is also hard to make suggestions--I tend to get a stack and leave them for reading. Some re..."

It's HARD to find books for boys, I teach resource English in high school so I need interesting, simple, easy books for boys and it's hard. Usually they're too easy or too hard. Another good one is "Buried Onions". It's about an inner city Hispanic boy trying to get by on his own and stay out of gangs, talks about gangs, some violence. This would be hard for the challenaged reader, more for the experienced reader and good for 8-12 grade. Good boy book.

Yvette, I an a librarian and work with 3 Reading teachers with students in grades 10-12 and for the reluctant boy readers--the Bluford Series is great and the Orca series. Sharon Draper's books, Paul Volponi's books, Terry Truman's, Alex Flinn's, K.L. Going's Fat Kid Rules the World. Street Pharm, Tyrell, and I can think of others. I am booktalking this week!

There are a couple that I would recommend. First would be Blackbird A Childhood Lost and Found, by Jennifer Lauck. This one is a memoir written by who the story is about, so it's a non-fiction book. It tells you about her childhood and everything that she had to go through. It's sad but also very good. The second would be Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold. I'm sure you've probably heard of it. It was really good and there is know a movie coming out based on the book. Thouse are the only two that I can think of off the top of my head, but they're both amazing books.

Heather, I'm with you 100% re Blackbird A Childhood Lost and Found, by Jennifer Lauck. I don't think the sequels are as good but that book made a huge impression on me.

Susan wrote: "Haley wrote: "Susan, didn't I explain this before?! "

You said you liked them. What about them do you like? Is that a better question?

I realize we live in a world of sound bites but I actual..."

Well, I just relate to it well. (Long story I'd rather not get into right now.

How about Some new young adult novels dealing with the issues of death. I've just read Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. That's a great book. It's about this girl who died in a car accident. After that she woke up to experience her last day again and again. Each changes she made on that day showed her the reality and new knowledge about her own life. As she restart her day again and again, he discovered what she had to do.
Forever Changes by Brendan Halpin. It is about a girl with cystic fibrosis that has just experience a major complication and now see her life in a new eyes as she realized that her life will be shorter , much shorter than others'.

HI HAYLEY!!! I read the same books. they are just really appealing (amoung other things). if you would like, you can add me as a friend and scroll through my books to see which ones you'd like. anything by Ellen Hopkins is a FANTASTIC read. i just got done with 13 reasons why and it was a real page turner. if there's any one specific you were thinking about let me know. i've read a TON of those kinds of books. really they are like the only ones i can really get into for some reason. let me know if there's anything else i can do to help!

Happy READING!

bj wrote: "Yvette, I an a librarian and work with 3 Reading teachers with students in grades 10-12 and for the reluctant boy readers--the Bluford Series is great and the Orca series. Sharon Draper's books, P..."

THANK YOU!!! I'll look into your suggestions!

You might like I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME. It's about a girl whose boyfriend dies, but loves her so much, he comes back as a ghost. Many people say it's made them cry...

If I stay - Gayle Forman

depressing, but with a slightly hopeful ending