Back to Main List

.Love Bites
When you fall in love with a vampire or a werewolf, you never know if you're the love of their life -- or a tasty snack.

   Awakening by L. J. Smith

Elena : Searching for the ultimate thrill, she vowed to have Stefan. Stefan : Haunted by his tragic past, he struggled to resist her passion. Damon : Driven by revenge, he hunted the brother who betrayed him. The terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.

   Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

Having fallen for a human boy, a beautiful teenage werewolf must battle both her packmates and the fear of the townspeople to decide where she belongs and with whom.

   Bloodline by Kate Cary

In this story told primarily through journal entries, a British soldier in World War I makes the horrifying discovery that his regiment commander is descended from Count Dracula.

   By These Ten Bones by Clare B Dunkle

After a mysterious young wood carver with a horrifying secret arrives in her small Scottish town, Maddie gains his trust--and his heart--and seeks a way to save both him and her townspeople from an ancient evil.

   Circus of the Darned by Katie Maxwell

Fran isn’t your typical teenager. She can sense an object’s history and discern a person’s thoughts with a mere touch. Oh, and her boyfriend is a vampire.

   Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde

When sixteen-year-old Kerry Nowicki helps a young man escape from a group of men who claim he is a vampire, she finds herself faced with some bizarre and dangerous choices.

   Crepúsculo : un amor peligroso by Stephenie Meyer

Bueno, la novela es bastante buena, tiene esos tintes romanticos que hacen de esta autora, una escritora para las masas.

   Curse of the Romanovs by Staton Rabin

The blood of the tsars links the past and the future.

   Darkangel by Meredith Ann Pierce

The servant girl Aeriel must choose between destroying her vampire master for his evil deeds or saving him for the sake of his beauty and the spark of goodness she has seen in him.

   Demon in My View by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Seventeen-year-old Jessica Allodola discovers that the vampire world of her fiction is real when she develops relationships with an alluring vampire named Aubrey and the teenage witch who is trying to save Jessica from his clutches.

   Got Fangs? by Katie Maxwell

While vacationing with her mom, Fran encounters a cute guy on a motorcycle - a vampire who tells Fran that she is his beloved and only she can lift his curse.

   In the Forests of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Risika, a teenage vampire, wanders back in time to the year 1684 when, as a human, she died and was transformed against her will.

   Look for Me By Moonlight by Mary Downing Hahn

While staying at the remote and reputedly haunted Maine inn run by her father and pregnant stepmother, sixteen-year-old Cynda feels increasingly isolated from her father's new family and finds solace in the attentions of a charming but mysterious guest.

   Luna Nueva by Stephenie Meyer

A la mañana siguiente me sentía fatal: no había dormido bien, el brazo me ardía y tenía una jaqueca de aúpa. El hecho de que Edward se mostrara dulce pero distante cuando me besó la frente a toda prisa antes de escabullirse por la ventana no mejoró en nada mis perspectivas.

   Marked A House of Night Novel by P C Cast

Enter the dark, magical world of the House of Night, a world very much like our own, except here vampyres have always existed.

   New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

When the Cullens, including her beloved Edward, leave Forks rather than risk revealing that they are vampires, it is almost too much for eighteen-year-old Bella to bear, but she finds solace in her friend Jacob until he is drawn into a "cult" and changes in terrible ways.

   Night Road by A. M. Jenkins

he-mo-vore (HEE much vore) a human who feeds exclusively on blood; not to be confused with the fictional vampire of popular legend.

   Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause

When Zoe needs a friend, she meets Simon, a sexy three hundred-year-old vampire on a mission of revenge.

   Sucks to be Me by Kimberly Pauley

When sixteen-year-old Mina is forced to take a class to help her decide whether or not to become a vampire like her parents, she also faces a choice between her life-long best friend and the boy she has a crush on versus new friends and possible boyfriends in her mandatory "vampire lessons."

   Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

When multiple murders in Austin, Texas, threaten the grand re-opening of her family's vampire-themed restaurant, seventeen-year-old, orphaned Quincie worries that her best friend-turned-love interest, Keiren, a werewolf-in-training, may be the prime suspect.

   Thirsty by M. T. Anderson

From the moment he knows that he is destined to be a vampire, Chris thirsts for the blood of people around him while also struggling to remain human.

   Tithe by Holly Black

Sixteen-year-old Kaye, who has been visited by faeries since childhood, discovers that she herself is a magical faerie creature with a special destiny.

   Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

When seventeen-year-old Bella leaves Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Washington, she meets an exquisitely handsome boy at school for whom she feels an overwhelming attraction and who she comes to realize is not wholly human.

   Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Two years after a horrible incident made them run away, vampire princess Lissa and her guardian-in-training Rose are found and returned to St. Vladimir's Academy, where one focuses on mastering magic, the other on physical training, while both try to avoid the perils of gossip, cliques, gruesome pranks, and sinister plots.

   Wounded by Stephen Cole

Sixteen-year-old Tom Anderson and seventeen-year-old Kate Folan try to escape Kate's werewolf family--and fight becoming werewolves themselves--by making a cross-country journey in search of a mysterious man who might have a cure.

Attack of the Pods
Bring the world to you with these podcasts.

   Art Talks

Get the inside scoop about the exhibts and artists at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art.

   Authors on Tour Live

Candid chats with your favorite authors from the Tattered Cover Book Store.

   EmoGirlTalk

Produced and edited by her dad, this teen got massive thumbs down when she agreed to have a corporate sponsor for her podcast.

   MuggleCast

All the latest news on Harry Potter, J K Rowling, and the worlds of muggles and wizards.

   Teen Podcasters Network

A place to find podcasts by and for teens.

   What's your favorite podcast?

Do you have your own podcast or other favorites from the web? Email us the links and why you love them and we'll add them to the list!

Banned Books
Express your right to read.

   A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck

   Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

   Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

   Alice Series by Phyllis Raynolds Naylor

   Always Running by Luis Rodriguez

   American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

   Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell

Ask library staff how to order this book from another library.

   Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry

   Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

   Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

   Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge

   Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole

   Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher

   Beauty's Punishment by A. N. Roquelaure

   Beauty's Release by A. N. Roquelaure

   Beloved by Toni Morrison

   Bless Me, Ultima / Bendíceme, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

   Blubber by Judy Blume

   Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

   Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar

   Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy

   Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

   Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

   Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard

Place a hold on this book to get it sent from Broomfield

   Carrie by Stephen King

   Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

   Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

   Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by A. N. Roquelaure

   Color Purple by Alice Walker

   Crazy Lady by Jane Conly

   Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz

   Cujo by Stephen King

   Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen

Ask library staff how to order this book from another library.

   Dead Zone by Stephen King

   Deenie by Judy Blume

   Drowning of Stephan Jones by Bette Greene

Ask library staff how to order this book from another library.

   Earth’s Children series by Jean M. Auel

   Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney

   Fade by Robert Cormier

   Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers

   Family Secrets by Norma Klein

Ask library staff how to order this book from another library.

   Final Exit by Derek Humphry

   Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

   Forever by Judy Blume

   Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy

Ask library staff how to order this book from another library.

   Giver by Lois Lowry

   Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

   Goats by Brock Cole

   Goosebumps series by R. L. Stine

   Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

   Guess What? by Mem Fox

   Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

   Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

   Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

   House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

   How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

   I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

   In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak

   It's Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris

   Jack by A. M. Homes

Place a hold to request this item from the Louisville Library.

   James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

   Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

   Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier

   Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane

   Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan

   Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

   Lord of the Flies by William Golding

   Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole

   My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln & Christopher Collier

   Native Son by Richard Wright

   New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein

   Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

   On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer

   Ordinary People by Judith Guest

   Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

   Pigman by Paul Zindel

   Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

   Private Parts by Howard Stern

Ask library staff how to order this book from another library.

   Running Loose by Chris Crutcher

   Scary Stories series by Alvin Shwartz

   Sex by Madonna

Ask library staff how to order this book from another library.

   Sex Education by Jenny Davis

   Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

   Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

   Story of Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman

   Stupids Series by Harry Allard

Place a hold on this book to get it sent from Broomfield

   Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene

   Terrorist by Barbara Cooney

   The House of Spirits / La Casa de los Espiritus by Isabel Allende

   Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume

   To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

   View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts

   We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier

   What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Boys by Lynda Madaras

   What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Girls by Lynda Madaras

   Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle

   Where's Waldo by Martin Handford

   Witches by Roald Dahl

   Women on Top by Nancy Friday

Ask library staff how to order this book from another library.

   Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Body-Obsessed
Hide it, hate it, starve it, stuff it, hurt it, overdo it- what we think about our bodies and the lengths to which we're willing to go.

   Crosses by Shelley Stoehr

Two girls come together that like drugs, sex, cutting, and rock and roll.

   Cut by Patricia McCormick

You say it’s up to me to do the talking. You lean forward, place a box of tissues in front of me and your black leather chair groans, like a living thing. Like the cow it used to be before somebody killed it and turned it into a chair in a shrink’s office in a loony bin. Your stockinged legs make a shushing sound as you cross them. “Can you remember how it started?” you say.
I remember exactly.

   Dance of Sisters by Tracey Porter

Two sisters, one is into witchcraft and one is striving to become a classical dancer. Both are dealing with the death of their Mother and a Father that can't stop grieving.

   Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

Feeling like she does not fit in with the other members of her family, who are all thin, brilliant, and good-looking, fifteen-year-old Virginia tries to deal with her self-image, her first physical relationship, and her disillusionment with some of the people closest to her.

   Fat Kid Rules The World by K.L. Going

Troy is depressed, suicidal and almost 300 pounds. Will the invitation to be in a band save him? Will he have the strength to help save someone else?

   Girls Under Pressure by Jacqueline Wilson

Feeling like she doesn't measure up to her "drop-dead gorgeous" friends, Ellie tries to take control of her weight, and ends up battling bulimia, in Girls Under Pressure by Jacqueline Wilson, the second book in her Girls trilogy.
--Publishers Weekly

   Life Doesn't Begin 5 Pounds From Now by Jessica Weiner

Quizzes, tips and tools to help you feel better about your life and your body.

   Life in the Fat Lane by Cherie Bennett

Lara Ardeche is a beautiful homecoming queen who thinks her family is perfect. Even though she works out every day, Lara rapidly starts gaining weight until she suddenly weighs over 200 pounds. The doctor's say she a rare syndrome, then her dad says he's having an affair... her world is falling apart. Who is Lara Ardeche now?

   Luckiest Girl in the World by Levenkron Steven

Fifteen-year-old figure skater and private-school scholarship student Katie Roskova has no time for friends. Her self-sacrificing mother makes sure of that. In public, Katie wears a megawatt smile meant to fool everyone, but she hides a dark secret.
--School Library Journal

   More Than You Can Chew by Marnelle Tokio

Marty Black can do nothing to control her dysfunctional parents. But she can control what she eats- or doesn't eat. When she stop eating all together, she winds up at "Camp-Eat-a-Lot." Marty is full of rebellion- but not much will to live.

   My Cup Runneth Over: the Life of Angelica Cookson Potts by Whytcock Cherry

"I'm, um, LARGE. Yes, 'large' just about covers it, although to be quite honest, not many things do -- cover it, I mean." -Angela Cookson Potts

   No Body's Perfect

Stories by teens about body image, self-acceptance, and the search for identity.

   Parallel Universe of Liars by Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson

The cover photograph of two condoms in their wrappers gives fair warning of the content of this book.
--School Library Journal

   Perfect by Natasha Friend

Isabelle's dad just died but her family is pretending everything is okay. It's not okay: Isabelle has been binging and purging her food and her emotions. After her sister finds out, Isabelle ends up in therapy- with the most perfect girl in the 8th grade. But maybe what they have most in common is not being perfect.

   Stick Figure: a Diary of My Former Self by Lori Gottlieb

Culled from Gottlieb's pre-teen diaries, Stick Figure is a wry and engaging observation of an eating disorder and the society that contributed to it. --Jennifer Hubert

Cha Ching Summer 2009
The newest books for teens!

   3 Willows the Sisterhood Grows by Ann Brashares

Ama, Jo, and Polly, three close friends from Bethesda, Maryland, spend the summer before ninth grade learning about themselves, their families, and the changing nature of their friendship.

   A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

I was told to beware the accursed spindle, but it was so enchanting, so hypnotic...

   Achingly Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Love is more complicated than Alice ever expected.

   After the Moment by Garret Freymann-Weyr

Maia Morland is pretty, only not pretty-pretty. She's smart. She's brave. She's also a self-proclaimed train wreck.

   Alis by Naomi Rich

Raised within the strict religious confines of the Community of the Book, Alis flees from an arranged marriage to the much older Minister of her town and her life takes a series of unexpected twists before she returns to accept her fate.

   All the Broken Pieces by Ann Burg

Two years after being airlifted out of Vietnam in 1975, Matt Pin is haunted by the terrible secret he left behind and, now, in a loving adoptive home in the United States, a series of profound events forces him to confront his past.

   Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas

Anke's father is abusive. But not to her. He attacks her brother and sister, but she is ignored, forced to be the invisible witness in the house of horrors.

   Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman

What if the guy who took your breath away was the only one who could help you breathe?

   Chupacabra and the Roswell UFO by Rudolfo Anaya

Folklorist Rosa Medina investigates a purported government agency that is cloning a monster - a combination of ChupaCabras and aliens - intended to take over the world.

   Creature of the Night by Kate Thompson

Bobby's mother has just moved their family to a quaint house in an idyllic village where he's meant to reform. Only something's not rigth about that house. The previous tenant mysteriously disappeared.

   Curse of the ChupaCabra by Rudolfo Anaya

Professor Rosa Medina, a folklorist researching the ChupaCabra, goes to Mexico to track down recent sightings of the creature which kills its victims, particularly goats, by sucking their brains out.

   Dangerously Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Alice is a little sick of people thinking she's a goody-goody, so she decides to shake things up.

   Daughter of the Flames by Zoe Marriott

What if your deadliest enemy was the only one who could save you?

   Deeper by Roderick Gordon

In Tunnels, boy archaeologist Will Burrows went in search of his missing father - and discovered a sinister world. What happens in the sequel?

   Everything You Want by Barbara Shoup

Eighteen-year-old Emma's trying to survive total humiliation and heartbreak after getting ditched and punched in the face by her (ex) best friend and crush-of-a-lifetime.

   Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

Morgan Sparks and her boyfriend Cam have been best friends since they were children, but just before their shared sixteenth birthday Cam confesses that he is a fairy who was switched at birth with a human child, and now the fairies want to switch them back.

   Flygirl by Sherri Smith

Ida must use her light skin to pass as a white girl to be accepted as a member of the WASP, the Women's Air Service Pilots of World War II.

   Girlwood by Claire Dean

Deep in the woods, surrounded by a wall of thorns, is a grove of larch trees called Girlwood.

   Gym Candy by Carl Deuker

Groomed by his father to be a star player, football is the only thing that has ever really mattered to Mick Johnson, who works hard for a spot on the varsity team his freshman year, then tries to hold onto his edge by using steroids, despite the consequences to his health and social life.

   Happenstance Found by Catanese P W

A boy awakens, blindfolded, with no memory of even his name, but soon meets Lord Umber, an adventurer and inventor, who calls him Happenstance and tells him that he has a very important destiny--and a powerful enemy.

   Kind of Friends We Used to Be by Frances O'Roark Dowell

Kate and Marilyn are best friends forever ... Well, except for last year when they weren't friends anymore ... And except for this year when they both want to be friends again, but just don't know how.

   King's Rose by Alisa Libby

Catherine Howard recounts the events in her life that led to her being groomed for marriage at the age of fifteen to King Henry VIII, her failure to produce an heir to the throne, and her quick execution.

   Kiss of Life by Daniel Waters

Adam's return from death has made Phoebe's love life even weirder. Now she has to choose between two zombie boys. She knows how Adam needs her, but she still has feelings for Tommy. Meanwhile, the zombie population of Oakville, Conn., continues to grow. As their numbers rise, the undead community is becoming increasingly divided.

   Me, My Elf, and I by Heather Swain

Zephyr, a fifteen-year-old elf, moves with her family from their home in the Michigan forests, determined to adjust to living in Brooklyn among humans so that she can attend the Brooklyn Academy of Performing Arts High School.

   Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard

During a school trip to England, fifteen-year-old Callie buys a pair of Prada shoes in an effort to impress the popular girls, a scheme that backfires and sends Callie back to 1815.

   Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link

The wrong grave -- The wizards of Perfil -- Magic for beginners -- The faery handbag -- The specialist's hat -- Monster -- The surfer -- The constable of Abal -- Pretty monsters.

   Quaking by Kathryn Erskine

Don't call her Matilda. Her name is Matt. And don't even think about getting close to her. She doesn't need anybody.

   Rivers of Fire by Patrick Carman

Atherton was once a magnificent three-tiered world, but few inhabitants know the truth of its dark origin: it is a giant man-made satellite, created as a refuge from a dying Earth.

   Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon

For thirteen-year-old Sam, it's not easy being the son of a known civil rights activist Roland Childs.

   Rule of Claw by John Bridley

Ash and her friends are the only human teenagers left on earth.

   Serendipity Market by Penny Blubaugh

When the world begins to seem unbalanced, Mama Inex calls ten storytellers to the Serendipity Market.

   Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell

Wind kissed my ear, cool and soft, and I heard a voice. It sounded like clover tastes, green and new and sweet. "Where y'at, Iris?"

   Smoke by Mavis Jukes

When Colton's mom tells him that they're moving from Idaho Falls to northern California, he is sad but "takes it like a man."

   Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz

They murdered his parents. They shot him and left him for dead. And yet Alex Rider thought he was finished with the terrorist organization known as Scorpia.

   Soldier's Secret by Sheila Solomon Klass

I am just an ordinary woman who had an unusual idea. To disguise myself as a man and fight for my country.

   Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott

Shadows have fallen across the beautiful and lush kingdom. The queen was attacked and the healing skills of her daughter, Alexandra, cannot save her.

   Switch by Anthony Horowitz

When wealthy, spoiled, thirteen-year-old Tad Spencer wishes he were someone else, he awakens as Bob Snarby, the uncouth, impoverished son of carnival workers, and as he is drawn into a life of crime he begins to discover truths about himself and his family.

   tmi by Sarah Quigley

tmi the most dreaded phrase in all the land for Becca, also known as the Overshare Queen.

   Triple Shot Bettys in Love by Jody Gerhman

Geena is freaking out. After five perfect and comfortable months with Ben, he's suddenly putting the pressure on to be WAY more physical.

   Troll's Eye View - a Book of Villainous Tales by Ellen Datlow

Everyone thinks they know the real story behind villains in fairy tales - evil, no two ways about it. But the villains themselves beg to differ.

   Watersmeet by Ellen Jensen Abbott

Watersmeet. The name is a whisper for hope for Abisina. But it also holds all her fears.

   Wizard, the Witch, and Two Girls from Jersey by Lisa Papademetriou

The ancient land of galma mourns, shrouded in darkness and woe. It has been thus since the Queen of Twilight began her evil reign.

   Year My Sister Got Lucky by Aimee Friedman

When fourteen-year-old Katie and her older sister, Michaela, move from New York City to upstate New York, Katie is horrified by the country life-style but is even more shocked when her sister adapts effortlessly, enjoying their new life, unlike Katie.

Cha-Ching Spring 2009
New books and DVDs for teens!

   Burned by Ellen Hopkins

I felt angry. Frustrated. I felt I didn't belong, not in my church, not in my home, not in my skin.

   Cat Among the Pigeons by Julia Golding

Herewith you will find the second volume from me, Cat Royal, orphan and ward of the Theater Royal.

   Dead Girl Dancing by Linda Joy Singleton

I can't believe I'm in the wrong body - again!

   Death By Bikini by Linda Gerber

A bikini can be very dangerous. Could even lead Aphra Behn Connolly into a mystery she has to solve...

   Death By Latte by Linda Gerber

Coffee can kill. Aphra discovers her whole life has been a lie. And now someone just might be trying to kill her.

   Fate by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

What happens to destiny when you are fate?

   Glass Makers Daughter by V Briceland

Dark Magic. Hidden Danger. A Reluctant Heroine.

   In Mike We Trust by P E Ryan

Honesty. He wanted it. He craves it. He could barely remember what it was.

   Love and Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson

After a not-quite-peachy year apart, three Georgia peaches come home to Darlington Orchard.

   Max by James Patterson

If she lives, the planet lives. It's that simple.

   Night World Number Three by L J Smith

Vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters - they live among us without our knowledge.

   Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

Contrary to popular opinion, vampires are not sexy, romantic, or powerful. In case you hadn't noticed, vampires are dead.

   Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian

The last thing sixteen-year-old Emily wants is to pool hop and tan her way through another summer in Cherry Grove.

   Season by Sarah MacLean

Sixteen-year-old Lady Alexandra Stafford doesn't fit into the world of Regency London - she strong-willed, sharp-tongued, and she absolutely loathes dress fittings.

   Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti

Maybe it was wrong, or maybe impossible, but I wanted the truth to be one thing. One solid thing.

   Seraph of Sorrow by MaryJanice Davidson

A Jennifer Scales novel.

   Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell

Summer in Ondine, Louisiana, is always predictable: hot and boring. Not this one.

   Shelter Me by Alex McAulay

A teenage girl discovers that evil comes in many forms, when she and a group of friends run away from boarding school.

   Snitch by Allison van Diepen

In a school run by gangs, staying out was harder than joining. We knew who our friends were, and were careful what we said.

   Soul Enchilada: the devil is in the details by David Macinnis Gill

Boy meets girl at the car wash. It probably would have been a sweet teen romance. If Beals hadn't been sitting next to her in the car. If Beals hadn't been a supernatural repo man looking to repossess her car. And to possess her.

   Stargazer by Claudia Gray

The vampire in me was closer to the surface...

   Street Pharm by Allison van Diepen

If a brother wanna get ahead, he gotta use every minutes to better himself. Everything I did made me better - tougher, stronger, richer, smarter - or I didn't do it.

   Twilight Director's Notebook by Catherine Hardwicke

The story of how they made the movie Twilight from the book by Stephenie Meyer.

   You Are So Undead to Me by Stacy Jay

How many zombies does it take to ruin a social life? Not many.

   You've Got Blackmail by Rachel Wright

Stressed-out Lozzie Cracknell stumbled on something deliciously weird: a blackmail scam happening in their own backyard.

Classics That Won't Kill You
Boring? Dusty? Not these.

   Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Newly wealthy Huck has to defend his fortune from his drunkard father and protect his friend Jim, a runaway slave.

   Beloved by Toni Morrison

The wrenching story of Sethe, a former slave, and the loves of her life.

   Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

A caravan of 29 travelers, including two nuns, a shipman, and a yeoman, have a competition to see who can tell the best stories.

   Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

A man cursed with the name of Major Major Major of course joins the military.

   Color Purple by Alice Walker

Celie is poor, uneducated, black and headed for her own version of greatness - if she can just get through all the pain.

   Dante's Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

Scathing -and quite hilarious- social commentary and journey through heaven and hell.

   Dracula by Bram Stoker

The original fanged one, the famous vampire who falls in love with Mina and is hunted down by Van Helsing.

   Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Dr. Frankenstein went digging in the cemetery, sewed the pieces together, and brought it to life. Which one, however, is the monster - the Doctor or his creation?

   Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

He isn't invisible because of any accident. He is invisible because people refuse to see him.

   Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

An orphan raised by a cruel aunt, Jane thinks she will finally find happiness with the mysterious Mr. Rochester. But what secrets is he hiding, and will those secrets destroy Jane's life?

   Like Water for Chocolate / Como Agua para Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

There is magic in everyday things - even the simplest act of cooking a meal for your loved ones.

   Maus by Art Spiegelman

The Pulitzer Prize winning graphic novel that documents the Holocaust.

   Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Some days we feel less than human - but what if you woke up one day and you really weren't human anymore?

   Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

Why you need a place - your own room - where you can write, think, and just be yourself.

   Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Hester Prynne shocks the town by loving a mysterious man - so they make her wear a giant letter on her clothes hoping to shame the truth out of her.

   Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Two sisters fall in love with the men of their dreams. In very different ways, they just can't seem to make it work. Should you be sensible or follow your heart?

   Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

What is the truth and how dangerous can gossip really be?

Comics... Mythology in the Making!
Who says the post-modern culture is lacking in stories that provide meaning to our lives?! After checking out this list, do look at the website No Flying, No Tights that contains reviews of comics for teens like you!

   Arkham asylum: a serious house on serious earth by Grant Morrison

Chilling account of another Batman / Joker encounter. Amazing art, disturbing plot, Batman like you have never seen him before.

   Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon

This current incarnation features Whedon (creator of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise) and Cassaday (Planetary) at the top of their game, as they create a highly entertaining action soap opera. The plot involves elements that will be familiar to both old fans and movie viewers—antimutant sentiment; tension between team leader Cyclops and lone wolf Wolverine—but Whedon's dialogue is fresh and to the point, while Cassaday's detailed and intense art gives all the goings-on a sense of importance. The main story involves a possible cure for the mutant gene that is at the center of a struggle between the X-men and Ord, a murderous alien who has a mysterious personal grudge against the team. Complications include the cat-monkey–like Beast pondering whether to attempt to take the cure, possibly vindicating the antimutant forces' belief that mutations are a disease. For those who may not be up to speed on the minutiae of X-history, Whedon brings in returning member Kitty Pryde as a convenient viewpoint character. While a few nods to formula feel forced, this story demonstrates once again why the X-men are the top team in superhero comics. (amazon.com)

   Batman : the Dark Knight returns by Frank Miller

   Batman : the ultimate guide to the Dark Knight by Scott Beatty

Just as DK did with the people and paraphernalia of Star Wars in Star Wars: Episode I: Incredible Cross-Sections and Star Wars: Episode I: Visual Dictionary, this guide pulls apart and pokes at the many gadgets and backdrops found in the Dark Knight's world. Exploded diagrams reveal the innards of the new and old Batcaves, and stat-packed tags and captions spell out everything from how the Bat-Signal works to where Catwoman stashes her bullwhip. Batman scholar Scott Beatty has compiled hundreds of excellent panels and covers from the original comic, and he displays commanding knowledge cataloging Gotham's most colorful characters in big, splashy spreads. (And no doubt future historians will appreciate his capsulized, 1939-on Batman timeline as an uncanny window into American pop consciousness.)(amazon.com)

   Batman. Volume one : hush by Jeph Loeb

Bruce and Selena fall in love outside of their costumes that make them the known and revered Batman and Catwoman. The Croc, Poison Ivy, and newly introduced Hush make an all-star cast in a graphic novel written and drawn by two of the greatest comic book artists of our time.

   Batman. Volume two : hush by Jeph Loeb

The completion of the Hush story-arch. Be shocked and awed by the conclusion that will shape the continuing story of the Dark Knight.

   Batman: year one by Frank Miller

   Catwoman : the visual guide to the feline fatale by Scott Beatty

Psyched about Selena?! Check out this ultimate guide to the woman we know as Catwoman. Is she a villian or hero? You decide after exploring her history in the DC universe.

   Fantastic Four : redemption of the Silver Surfer by Michael Jan Friedman

   Hellboy. Wake the devil by Mike Mignola

The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. Sound like something out of the X-Files? Well, it's one better; it's Hellboy, the world's greatest paranormal investigator. A mysteriously conjured demon, he's essentially a big red guy who goes looking for trouble. The catch is that he's not really the best investigator; let's face it, he's no Agent Mulder. But Wake the Devil always manages to maintain its creepy edge, in no small part due to Mignola's art, which may seem familiar. He did the set designs for Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula. (amazon.com)

   Hopeless Savages by Jen Van Meter

Listen up all you punksters, this graphic novel's for you! No superhero shanigans, this story is that of a normal punk-rock chica who is living her life the way she wants to. Basic inks, interesting characters, independent comic publishing company... could it get any better?

   Justice League adventures by Dan Slott

All-star cast of DC universe heros. Witness the conflicts, achievements and general hilarity of being a superhero this day in age.

   League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Vol. I: 1898 by Alan Moore

Acclaimed comics author Moore (Watchmen) has combined his love of 19th-century adventure literature with an imaginative mastery of its 20th-century corollary, the superhero comic book. This delightful work features a grand collection of signature 19th-century fictional adventurers, covertly brought together to defend the empire. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen comprises such characters as Minna Murray (formerly Harker), from Bram Stoker's Dracula; Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll (and his monstrous alter ego, Mr. Hyde); and Jules Verne's Captain Nemo, restored to the dark, grim-visaged Sikh Verne originally intended. There's also Hawley Griffin, the imperceptible hero of H.G. Well's The Invisible Man, and Allan Quatermain, the daring adventurer of King Solomon's Mines and other classic yarns by H. Rider Haggard. (Publisher's Weekly)

   Magic Flute by P. Craig Russell

   Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman

Can you imagine Marvel characters attempting to survive over three centuries ago? Not to worry, Neil Gaiman has done it for you. 1602 takes all your favorite characters and sets them in the year 1602. Mystery, mayhem, murder ensue. Their mutations continue to be both a curse and blessing as they take this trip back in time.

   Maus : a survivor's tale by Art Spiegelman

Winner of the Eisner award, this graphic novel explores the psychology and sociology of the Holocaust in an overwhlemingly accessible and intense telling of a survivor's story.

   Men of tomorrow : geeks, gangsters and the birth of the comic book by Gerard Jones

The comic book's early days have received heightened attention in the wake of Michael Chabon's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Kavalier and Clay, about the cutthroat businessmen and naive artists who then populated the industry. Although Jones' history limns dozens of the young writers and artists, most from working-class Jewish neighborhoods and many still teenaged, and the bosses who exploited them, its central figures are Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who launched the superhero genre by creating Superman, only to sell the rights to the character for a pittance and spend decades in obscurity and near-poverty. Jones continues the story through the censorship that nearly destroyed the industry in the 1950s to the 1960s superhero revival that continues today. Jones' experience as a comic-book scripter, albeit decades after the period he chronicles, gives him the advantage over most previous writers on the comics milieu, and his vivid writing suits the subject. But it is his impressively thorough research that makes this one of the most valuable books on a distinctively American storytelling form. (Booklist)

   Meridian : Flying solo by Barbara Kesel

   MirrorMask by Neil Gaiman

   Murder mysteries by P. Craig Russell

This is a masterful adaptation by P. Craig Russell of a deep and dark prose short story by Gaiman, known for his wonderful, multiple award-winning Sandman and his recent novel American Gods. The original story can be found in Gaiman's collection Smoke and Mirrors and in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror (St. Martin's, 1993). In it, a stranger bums a cigarette off a young man and, in exchange, tells him an ancient story, which makes up the bulk of the book. In the city of the angels, where the universe is being prepared according to the Lord's specifications, one angel is found dead, and Raguel, the Vengeance of the Lord, is sent by Lucifer, Captain of the Host, to investigate. Russell is known for his many fine adaptations of such works as Michael Moorcock's novel Stormbringer (Dark Horse/ Topps). This showcases his marvelous pacing and exquisite artwork, along with Lovern Kindzierski's beautiful coloring. Mature elements make this for older teens and adults. Highly recommended, especially for the many fans of Sandman who want more of Gaiman's thoughtful fantasies. (Library Journal)

   Paul has a summer job by Michel Rabaglaiti

In 1979, Paul, 18, lands an unexpected job at a camp for underprivileged children. Accustomed neither to roughing it nor to youngsters, he knows that he is unprepared but falls to with a will and an open heart. Over the course of the summer on a Quebec lake, he learns about his own strengths, discovers the unaffected charms of 9- to 14-year-olds, and falls in love with a co-counselor. Subplots involve overcoming physical and emotional fears and the reality of shepherding a blind child through camp experiences.

   Robotech : from the stars by Tommy June

Robotech was a popular Japanese anime series in the mid-1980s. This book is a prequel, following the pre-Robotech life of ace pilot Roy Fokker. Roy leaves his comfortable life of local fame in a small flying circus to join the military. He hates to leave behind his adoptive family, but the world is rife with war, and Roy feels duty-bound to serve. When the wars are cut short by the crash of an alien ship, Roy signs up to be a test pilot for the new United Earth Government. As he learns more about alien technology, he discovers there may be a larger conflict looming on the horizon.

   Spyboy in trial and terror by Peter David

While teenager-turned-superspy Alex Fleming learns more about his hidden past and the battling secret organizations -- S.H.I.R.T.S. and S.K.I.N.S. -- responsible for his dual existence, Alex/SpyBoy winds up on the deadly docket of the criminal justice duo of Judge and Jury. Will SpyBoy get the mandatory minimum -- death? And why is the eye-popping assassin Barbie Q working undercover at Alex`s school? And who is she working for, the evil and exquisite Gila, mastermind of S.K.I.N.S., or the mysterious femme fatale Madam Imadam? Every guy wants to be a babe magnet, but this may not be what Alex had in mind!

   Stephen Crane's the red badge of courage : the graphic novel by Wayne Vansant

Stephen Crane was a journalist and covered wars in Mexico, Cuba, and Greece. His life was cut short by tuberculosis, the major killer from the mid 19th to the mid 20th centuries (caused by poverty and poor diets). This is his most famous novel. It tells of the thoughts and actions of Henry Fleming, who leaves his widowed mother to enlist in the war.

   Strangers in paradise : high school! by Terry Moore

Does anyone remember high school fondly? At least, anyone real? The jocks and the cheerleaders may remember riding high, but for the rest of us, high school was one long unending study in awkwardness, humiliation, and inadequacy. The same holds true for the main characters Francine and Katchoo of Strangers in Paradise, though in wildly different ways. For Francine, torture came in the forms of being a klutz, always being the odd one out, being the starry-eyed romantic when she's just a chubby girl on the fringe. Katchoo, on the other hand, is a self-declared outcast. She smokes, she rides a motorcycle, she is just as likely to punch you as to acknowledge you, and generally has no use for the people serving the same four-year term at puncture high.

   Superman : Infinite City by Mike Kennedy

When a villain uses a very powerful weapon in Metropolis, Clark and Lois trace him back to an old town called INFINITE CITY. They find the town abandoned, except for a doorway that leads to another amazing world... the true INFINITE CITY, where magic and science happily coexist. Superman and Lois step through the magic portal and become embroiled in a war for power on the other side. One faction wants to stay in its dimension, and another wants to branch out to our world.

   Superman : the ultimate guide to the Man of Steel by Scott Beatty

From the doomed planet Krypton to Smallville, Kansas, to the great (but often troubled) city of Metropolis, a powerful superhero has fought for truth, justice, and the American way for over 70 years. In this breathtaking tribute to the man of steel himself, all the nitty-gritty, fascinating details of Superman's life and career are investigated, analyzed, and celebrated. Discover just what happened back on Krypton to propel infant "Kal-El" to Earth as the one Kryptonian hope for rebirth of their civilization. Learn how a loving farm family named Kent adopted the baby, renamed him Clark, and instilled him with solid American values. And meet the many, many friends and enemies of our hero, including, fiercely independent but lovable Lois Lane, the nasty Joker, and Doomsday, the unstoppable creature that killed Superman.

   Superman Batman. Supergirl by Jeph Loeb

Batman has discovered something strange on the bottom of Gotham Bay which leads him to a mysterious and powerful teenaged girl whos bent on destroying Gotham City! Whats her connection to Superman? Why does Wonder Woman want to hide her from the outside world? Will Darkseid succeed in recruiting her into doing his bidding? This volume also includes an introduction by Loeb as well as a Kryptonian language translation key!

   Ultimate X-men

Marvel created the Ultimate universe with the idea of restarting their main superhero lines with modern sensibilities and modern appeal: to read them you do not need to have any knowledge of any of the 'classic' iterations of the characters (although having such knowledge does add another element to your reading, as you mentally compare this new take with the old). The characters and plotlines are updated to the 21st century, and some of Marvel's top talent (writing and drawing) took the reins.

   V for vendetta by Alan Moore

War has ravaged England, entire races have been eradicated, the entire British populace is under constant surveillance, and the absolute power is absolutely corrupt. On this historic day, a man with a strong resemblance to Guy Fawkes (in action and dress) blows up Parliament. The bomber, a masked character named V, saves a girl named Eve from a violent crime and takes her under his wing. Moore's dystopian, fascist version of England, ruled by one central leader and his sects (named after parts of the body, such as Finger, Nose, and Voice), is systematically dismantled by the enigmatic V. Readers must ultimately decide if V is a mad anarchist/terrorist or a freedom-fighting avenger for good. (Library Journal)

   Vampire loves by Joann Sfar

Ferdinand is a hopeless (literally) romantic, who bites with only one tooth so he won't damage his (willing) victims or become addicted to their blood. Along with his catlike paramour, a tree maiden, and some nasty humanoids, he cavorts and philosophizes his way through tales set in mansions, aboard ship, and in the forest at night. The patter is clever, thoughtful, and as gentle (for the most part) as Ferdinand's nips. The lush, painterly colors Sfar uses are beautifully produced, and the hand-drawn text amplifies the story's mood: elan tempered by ennui. Give this to older graphic novel fans. (Booklist)

   Vögelein : clockwork faerie by Jane Irwin

Clockwork Faerie collects the first five issues of Vogelein into a wonderfully creative graphic novel about Vogelein, a beautiful mechanical fairy created in the seventeenth century. Although she is immortal, she must be wound every 36 hours. After her old friend and caretaker dies, she must find someone new to take care of her. Her search introduces her to a sheltered college student, a wise street cleaner, and the bitter fairy Midhir, who has been transformed by the industrial world of Man. Through these relationships and her cherished memories, Vogelein discovers her own humanity in a modern world that often ignores the possibility of magic. This modern fable is a rare treasure that weaves fanciful imagination into themes of individuality, diversity, and independence. The art is beautifully shaded black and white, and it carries the narrative impeccably, bringing across both the emotions of the characters and the depth of their world. Great for middle readers who like graphic novels or for younger children to share with an adult. (Booklist)

   Watchmen by Alan Moore

The story concerns a group called the Crimebusters and a plot to kill and discredit them. Moore's characterization is as sophisticated as any novel's. Importantly the costumes do not get in the way of the storytelling; rather they allow Moore to investigate issues of power and control--indeed it was Watchmen, and to a lesser extent Dark Knight, that propelled the comic genre forward, making "adult" comics a reality. The artwork of Gibbons (best known for 2000AD's Rogue Trooper and DC's Green Lantern) is very fine too, echoing Moore's paranoid mood perfectly throughout. Packed with symbolism, some of the overlying themes (arms control, nuclear threat, vigilantes) have dated but the intelligent social and political commentary, the structure of the story itself, its intertextuality (chapters appended with excerpts from other "works" and "studies" on Moore's characters, or with excerpts from another comic book being read by a child within the story), the finepace of the writing and its humanity mean that Watchmen more than stands up--it keeps its crown as the best the genre has yet produced. (amazon.com)

D.I.Y.
Do-It-Yourself projects galore!

   1-2-3 Calligraphy! by Eleanor Winters

Letters and projects for beginners and beyond.

   Alternacrafts by Jessica Vitkus

20+ Hi-Style Lo-Budget Projects to Make

   Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet by Ana Paula Rimoli

Learn to crochet irresistibly amigurumi creatures- today's coolest craze in crochet.

   Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol

Crafting in an alternative way, from the author of the Angry Chicken blog.

   Casa Loca: Latino Style Comes Home by Kathy Cano-Murillo

Funky, colorful projects to plan your own fiesta or liven up any room.

   CosmoGIRL: Make It Yourself by the editors of CosmoGIRL

50 fun and funky projects: amazing clothes, bags, spa treatments & more.

   Craftster

Blogs and projects for "rebel" DIY'ers. Registration is free for this online site.

   Crafty Chica'a Art de la Soul: by Kathy Cano Murillo

Glittery ideas to liven up your life.

   Creepy Cute Crochet: Zombies, Ninjas, Robots, and More! by Christen Haden

Get your hook on!

   Cute Book by Aranzi Aronzo

Cute and easy-to-make felt mascots. Originally published in Japan in 2002.

   D.I.Y. Girl by Jennifer Bonnell

A step-by-step guide to making clothes, beauty products, fashion accessories and home decor using easy to find materials.

   Decorated Journal: Creating Beautifully Expressive Journal Pages by Gwen Diehn

Inspiration to make your own books and to jazz up your journal entries.

   Do-It-Yourself by Hannah Tofts

Transform your room into a work of art with these easy decorating projects.

   Ductigami: the Art of the Tape by Joe Wilson

The essential techniques of duct tape folding to create objects of transcendence, wonder and inspired usefulness.

   Extreme Pumpkins by Tom Nardone

A gleefully gorey guide to diabolical pumpkin carving that will amuse your friends and scare your neighbors.

   Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt by Megan Nicolay

Give those old t's some new personality.

   Get Your Crochet On: Hip Hats & Cool Caps by Afya Ibomu

"I love Afya's hats. They're like crowns and brims of creativity, of genius, of love- they're soulful, something powerful. You all gotta know that!"- Common

   Happy Hooker: Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet by Debbie Stoller

No doiles here! Everything you need to get hooked on crochet and funky projects for all levels.

   Hip Handbag Book by Sherri Haab

25 easy-to-make totes, purses and bags.

   Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts: Amigurumi by Tomoko Takamori

Kyuuto!=cute. Amigurumi=adorable crochet animals. Straight from Japan, they're quirky and cuddly and just begging to be made.

   Mr. Funky's Super Crochet Wonderful by Narumi Ogawa

Includes Supercute: Amigurumi Animals and Super-Cool Accessories

   Not Your Mama's Crochet by Amy Swenson

The cool and creative way to join the chain gang.

   One Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit & Crochet by Leigh Radford

Beginner projects using just one skein of yarn.

   Plush You: Loveable Misfit Toys to Sew & Stuff by Kristen Rask

Create your own social circle of irresistably charming, wickedly funny imaginary friends.

   Plush-O-Rama: Curious Creatures for Immature Adults by Linda Kopp

Learn to make your own nightmarish plushies.

   Pretty In Punk: 25 Punk, Rock and Goth Knitting Projects by Alyce Benevides and Jaqueline Milles

Release your inner rock star. All you need is two sticks and a ball of yarn.

   Punk Knits by Share Ross

26 hot new designs for anarchist souls and independent spirits

   Retro Revamp : Funky Projects, from Handbags to Housewares by Jennifer Knapp

Found-objects turned fabulous!

   Sewing 101 : A Beginner's Guide to Sewing

How to stitch and where to start.

   Stitch 'n Bitch : The Knitter's Handbook by Debbie Stoller

Not your grandmother's knitting book. Easy instuctions for beginners and hip patterns for all skill levels.

   Stitch 'n Bitch Nation by Debbie Stoller

Knit projects you can really use: yoga mat and laptop bags, fluffy pillows, ponchos, armwarmers, cell phone cozies and more.

   Stupid Sock Creatures by John Murphy

Making quirky lovable figures from cast-off socks.

   Super suite : The Ultimate Bedroom Makeover Guide for Girls by Mark Montano

Get inspired to completely revamp your room, or just make new accessories.

   Teen Feng Shui by Susan Levitt

Design your space, design your life.

   Teen Knitting Club: Chill Out and Knit by Wegner, Abrams & Lasher

Tips for starting your own knitting club and great patterns for kitters of all levels.

   Whatcha Mean, What's a zine? by Mark Todd & Esther Pearl Watson

The art of making zines and minicomics.

Death, Dying, and the In-between
Stories of teens, their families, and losing the people you love.

   Aimee by Mary Beth Miller

This first novel explores the aftermath of a teen suicide in the words of the dead girl's friend. It seems that everyone, even her own parents, believes that Zoe is paralyzed by loneliness, guilt, and anger at everyone's suppression of the truth.

   All That Remains by Bruce Brooks

Three novellas explore the effects of death on young lives.

   Battle of Jericho by Sharon Draper

A high school junior and his cousin suffer the ramifications of joining what seems to be a "reputable" school club.

   Before I Die by Jenny Downham

A terminally ill teenaged girl makes and carries out a list of things to do before she dies.

   Behind You by Jacqueline Woodson

After fifteen-year-old Jeremiah is mistakenly shot by police, the people who love him struggle to cope with their loss as they recall his life and death, unaware that 'Miah is watching over them.

   Blind Faith by Ellen Wittlinger

While coping with her grandmother's sudden death and her mother's resulting depression and fascination with a spiritualist church, whose ministers claim to communicate with the dead, fifteen-year-old Liz finds herself falling for a new neighbor whose mother is dying of cancer.

   Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.

   Bringing Up the Bones by Laura Zeises

Bridget Edelstein mourns the loss of her high school boyfriend who died in a car crash, and rebounds with a new love.

   Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson

Eighteen-year-old Kate, who sometimes chafes at being a preacher's daughter, finds herself losing control in her senior year as she faces difficult neighbors, the possibility that she may not be accepted by the college of her choice, and an unexpected death.

   Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

After benignly haunting a series of people for 130 years, Helen meets a teenage boy who can see her and together they unlock the mysteries of their pasts.

   Defining Dulcie by Paul Acampora

When sixteen-year-old Dulcie's father dies, her mother makes a decision to move them to California, where Dulcie makes an equally radical decision to steal her dad's old truck and head back home.

   Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

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."

   Everlost by Neal Shusterman

When Nick and Allie are killed in a car crash, they end up in Everlost, or limbo for lost souls, where although Nick is satisfied, Allie will stop at nothing--even skinjacking--to break free.

   Freak the Mighty by W. R . (Rodman) Philbrick

At the beginning of eighth grade, learning disabled Max and his new friend Freak, whose birth defect has affected his body but not his brilliant mind, find that when they combine forces they make a powerful team.

   I heart you, You haunt me by Lisa Schroeder

I'm putting on makeup. I'll be like a clown and no one will see the real face behind the mask.

   Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

Three teens who meet at Reno, Nevada's Aspen Springs mental hospital after each has attempted suicide connect with each other in a way they never have with their parents or anyone else in their lives.

   Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie.

   Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah-s voice explains that there are thirteen reasons she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.

   Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

Intellectually and athletically gifted, TJ, a multiracial, adopted teenager, shuns organized sports and the gung-ho athletes at his high school until he agrees to form a swimming team and recruits some of the school's less popular students.

   Whirligig by Paul Fleischman

While traveling to each corner of the country to build a whirligig in memory of the girl whose death he causes, sixteen-year-old Brian finds forgiveness and atonement.

Do Something
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."- Margaret Mead

   50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save The Earth by The Earth Works Group

The best way to save the Earth is to pick just one issue you care about...and make a sustained, committed effort to work on it. This book and web site show you how!

   DoSomething.org

A website for young people changing our world. Speak out, take action, and find inspiration from other teens.

   Fight for Peace: The Story of Anti-War Movements in America by Ted Gottfried

From the Civil War through operation Iraqi Freedom, Americans have taken a stance for peace in our country and in the world. Check out their efforts, and the history of anti-war protests through photos, stories and political cartoons.

   Flush by Carl Hiaasen

Noah Underwood's father has been put in jail for sinking a casino boat that he suspects has been illegally dumping sewage into the ocean. But there are two problems: the casino owner has friends in the Coast Guard so he has never been caught, and Noah's dad has a history of rash activism so the town doesn't believe him. Can Noah and his sister Abbey gather the evidence to prove the casino owner's guilt and save their dad's reputation?

   God of Beer by Garret Keizer

High schoolers in Vermont form SUDS, Students Undermining a Drunk Society, a group that aims to use nonviolent protest to "lower the drinking age, raise the drinker's awareness, and destroy the non-drinker's stigma." They can't even anticipate how their civil diobedience will change the school, the community, and themselves.

   Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian

Seventeen-year-old Josh, a loner-philosopher who wants to make a difference in the world, tries to maintain his secret identity as the author of a web site that is receiving national attention.

   Green Thumb by Rob Thomas

While spending the summer in the Amazon rain forest of Brazil doing botanical research, thirteen-year-old Grady discovers a secret language used by the trees to communicate with each other and falls afoul of the dictatorial Dr. Carter, whose motives seem questionable.

   Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

Roy, who is new to his small Florida community, becomes involved in another boy's attempt to save a colony of burrowing owls from a proposed construction site.

   It's Your World--If You Don't Like It, Change It: Activism for Teenagers by Mikki Halpin

A handbook to help YOU be the change you want in the world.

   Katie.com: my story by Katherine Tarbox

This is Katie's true story of how she was manipulated over the Internet and molested and how she fought back by prosecuting under the Communications Decency Act. Katie shares her experiences in hopes of helping other teens avoid similar dangers.

   Letters From Young Activists : Today's Rebels Speak Out by edited by Dan Berger, Chesa Boudin, and Kenyon Farrow

Meet the bold new generation of activists. Aged ten to thirty-one, these diverse authors are helping remake the world. They are atheist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, pagan; transgender, queer, heterosexual, bisexual -- Americans from every type of background and ethnicity, united in their dedication to progressive goals.

   Live From Death Row by Mumia Abu-Jamal

"Recalling the horrors of African-American history, accepting the challenges our history presently places on us, is like acknowledging a difficult, unpleasant duty or debt that's been hanging over our heads a very long time, an obligation that we know in our hearts we must deal with but that we keep putting off and evading, as if one day procrastination will make the burden, the obligation we must undertake, disappear."

   Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsburg.

Upon leaving an oppressive summer camp, twelve-year-old Margaret Rose Kane spearheads a campaign to preserve three unique towers her grand uncles have been building in their back yard for over forty years.

   Saving the Planet and Stuff by Gail Gauthier

After losing his summer job with his uncle, sixteen-year-old Michael agrees to go to work for an environmentalist magazine in Vermont run by friends of his grandparents.

   Seven Wonders : Everyday Things for a Healthier Planet by John C. Ryan

What do a clothesline, a locally grown tomato, and a microchip have in common? They’re all ordinary things that, with widespread use, can have an extraordinary impact in the fight against global warming, one of the most urgent challenges facing life on Earth in this century. This book sheds new light on our relationships to the world we inhabit and offers a powerful template for personal action.

   Teen Power Politics: Make Yourself Heard by Sara Jane Boyers

Not enough others are standing in for you to preserve your rights. The next generation up isn't voting enough. Older generations are using small numbers of you as the scapegoat for societal problems they need to fix. It's your time to step in and help yourselves - even before you can vote.

   Vote for Larry by Janet Tashjian

Not yet eighteen years old, Josh, a.k.a. Larry, comes out of hiding and returns to public life, this time to run for President as an advocate for issues of concern to youth and to encourage voter turnout.

   We All Want to Change the World: Rock & Politics from Elvis to Eminem by Tom Waldman

We all know music changes our lives- but did you know it can also change the world? Read the stories of how musicians have rocked change into society.

   What We Think: Young Voters Speak Out by Dean Robbins and Rob Grabow

This collection proves that young Americans are far from apathetic. Get young voters' views on hot topics topics including the war in Iraq, the morality of armed conflict, affirmative action and the draft, gender equality, the place of organized religion in the political arena and more.

Don't Judge a Book by Its Length
Short books with high interest for teens.

   Camp Wild by Pam Withers

He didn't want to go in the first place. See how Wilf escapes from summer camp.

   Girl Coming In For A Landing : a novel in poems by April Halprin Wayland

Follow the school year of a young girl, all written in poems.

   Green Angel by Alice Hoffman

A beautiful book about greif and solitude.

   Juice by Eric Walters

A glimpse into the world of high-school sports and steroids.

   My Time as Caz Hazard by Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Caz is going through a lot, a new school, her parent’s separation, and a new friend that thinks stealing and making fun of people are cool. How will she deal with everything in her life?

   Queen of the Toilet Bowl by Frieda Wishinsky

A bit cliche, but this is a nice book about standing up to bullies and being proud of who you are, even if your mom is a cleaning lady.

   Sticks and Stones by Beth Goobie

Is Jujube a slut? Did she or did she not sleep with a boy? See if Jujube can rise above the rumors and judgement.

   Truth by Tanya Lloyd Kyi

A man is beaten to death at a party. Everyone knows who did it, but no one wants to tell and get in trouble.

   Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block

Follows the wild adventures of Weetzie Bat and her Los Angeles punk friends, Dirk, Duck-Man, and Secret-Agent-Lover-Man.

Don't Know Much About History
Historical fiction that won't make you snore.

   Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

All Moose wants to do is protect his sister, Natalie, plus live up to his parents' expectations and stay out of trouble. But on Alcatraz, trouble is never very far away. United States, California. 1935.

   At The Sign Of The Sugared Plum by Mary Hooper

Summer 1665: It seems nothing will keep Hannah from her dreams of living in exciting London with her older sister -- or will the Plague find them no matter what? England, London. 1655.

   Becoming Rosemary by Frances M. Wood

The year 1790 is the year Rosemary makes her first true friend; it is also a time of great change for her and her entire community. Rumors have begun to spread through the serene farming village: tales of witchcraft and evil. To protect her family and her new friend, Rosemary takes action against the harmful gossip. In the process, she discovers a new, wondrous side of herself. United States, North Carolina. 1790.

   Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez

Using the strength and courage of her family, Anita must overcome her fears and fly to freedom, leaving all that she once knew behind. Dominican Republic. 1960.

   Breath by Donna Jo Napoli

Elaborates on the tale of "The Pied Piper," told from the point of view of a boy who is too ill to keep up when a piper spirits away the healthy children of a plague-ridden town after being cheated out of full payment for ridding Hameln of rats.

   Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Yellow Fever--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Fiction.
Pennsylvania--History--1775-1865--Fiction.

   Fifth Of March by Ann Rinaldi

Fourteen-year-old Rachel Marsh is an indentured servant to ambitious lawyer John Adams and his wife, Abigail. But, Rachel's loyalties are divided when she befriends British Private Matthew Kilroy, who eventually leads British soldiers in a massacre of the citizens of Boston. Five colonists are dead...and Matthew is on trial for their deaths. Boston Massacre, 1770.

   Hang A Thousand Trees With Ribbons by Ann Rinaldi

Wheatly, Phillis, 1753-1784--Fiction.

   Kite Rider: A Novel by Geraldine McCaughrean

China--History--Yuan Dynasty--1260-1368--Fiction.
Kublai Khan, 1216-1294--Fciton.

   Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli

Jews--Warsaw, Poland--Fiction.
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Ficiton.
World War, 1939-1945--Poland--Fiction.

   Minister's Daughter by Julie Hearne

Great Britain--History--Civil War, 1642-1649--Fiction.
Somerset (England)--History--Civil War, 1642-1649--Fiction.
Salem (Mass.)--HistoryColonial Period, ca. 1600-1775--Fiction.

   Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen

1850's United States. Sarny, a 12 year old slave, sees Nightjohn with a rope around his neck, covered in scars. He had escaped to the north to freedom but has returned to slavery to teach reading. She's scared, but Sarny is willing to take the risk to learn.

   Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

Adirondack Mountains (N.Y.) --Fiction.
New York (State)--History--20th Centure--Fiction.
Farm Life--New York (state)--Fiction.

   Out Of The Dust by Karen Hesse

At fourteen, Billie Jo has a great deal to forgive. Her father for causing the accident that killed her mother. Her mother for leaving when Billie Jo needed her the most. Herself for being the cause of her own sorrow. Set during the Oklahoma dust bowl of the Great Depression, ecology of both the land and heart are explored.

   Pirate's Son by Geraldine McCaughrean

All his life Nathan Gull has dreamed of pirates. So when he and his sister are orphaned and the son of a famous pirate offers them a home, they are quick to accept. With him, they sail to Madagascar and settle into a peaceful village. But, the pirate's son's dangerous past catches up with him....and the Gulls. Madagascar. 1717.

   Shabanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples

"Shabanu, you are wild as the wind. You must learn to obey. Otherwise...I am afraid for you." Cholistan Desert (Pakistan).

   Silver Bullet by Ann Finlayson

Principal Character: Sergeant John Luckless of His Majesty's Ninth Regiment of Foot. Problem: carry a message from General Burgoyne on Lake Champlain to General Howe in New York City -- through the rebel American lines. United States, Hudson River Valley. 1777.

   Stones In Water by Donna Jo Napoli

World War, 1939-1945--Fiction.

   Storm Warriors by Elisa Carbone

Pea Island (N.C.)--Fiction.
United States, 1895, Life Saving Service--History--Fiction.

   Taking Liberty by Ann Rinaldi

Washington, George, 1732-1799--Homes and Haunts--Virginia--Fairfax County--Fiction.
Washington, Martha, 1731-1802--Fiction.
Virgina--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Fiction.
Mount Vernon (Va.:Estate)--Fiction

   Transformation by Mette Newth

   Troy by Adele Geras

Trojan War.
Mythology, Greek--Fiction.

   Witch Child by Celia Rees

Massachusetts--History--Colonial Period, ca. 1600-1775--Fiction.
Witches--Fiction.
Puritans--Fiction.

   Witness by Karen Hesse

Ku Klux Klan (1915- )--Fiction.
Vermont--Fiction.

   Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

Great Britain--History--Charles II, 1660-1685--Fiction.
Plague--Fiction.

   Young Joan by Barbara Dana

Joan, or Arc, Saint, 1412-1431--Fiction.
France--History--Charles VII, 1422-1461--Fiction.

Don't Read This Too
Books mentioned in the play Don't Read This Too, based on the play Don't Read This. This play was written (or updated) by members of the library's Teen Advisory Board.

   Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Huck Finn tells of his adventures down the Mississippi River with an escaped slave.

   And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson

At New York City's Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches.

   Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden

Liza and Annie meet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and their friendship swiftly develops into a love affair.

   Crucible by Arthur Miller

Lies, truth, and Witch Trials.

   Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling

Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Wizards and Witches.

   Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

Fearing that her legal guardian plans to abandon her to return to France, ten-year-old aspiring scientist Lucky Trimble determines to run away while also continuing to seek the Higher Power that will bring stability to her life.

Email, IM & the Web
Stories told through Email and IM and tales about the Web.

   Amy: [how do you know who your true friends really are?] by Mary Hooper

   Click Here to Find Out How I Survied Seventh Grade by Denise Vega

Imagine if all your personal thoughts about crushes, fears, enemies, and even kissing practice ended up on the internet for everyone to read! That's what happens to Erin Swift when her secret blog lands on the school Web site. As if navigating the treacherous waters of seventh grade weren't enough!

   Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian

Seventeen-year-old Josh, a loner-philosopher who wants to make a difference in the world, tries to maintain his secret identity as the author of a web site that is receiving national attention.

   Heart on My Sleeve by Ellen Wittlinger

From the end of high school to the beginning of college, Chloe and Julian deal with major changes in their families and friendships and explore their feelings for each other through emails, letters, and a visit.

   Katie.com: My Story by Katherine Tarbox

This is Katie's true story of how she was manipulated over the Internet and molested and how she fought back by prosecuting under the Communications Decency Act. Katie shares her experiences in hopes of helping other teens avoid similar dangers.

   L8R G8R by Lauren Myracle

Sequel to ttfn: Throughout their senior year in high school, Zoe, Maddie, and Angela continue to share IMs with one another about their day-to-day experiences as they consider college, sex, the importance of prom, and the inevitable end of their inseparable trio.

   Love, Sara by Mary Beth Lundgren

In a series of emails and journal entries Sara, a high school junior with a history of sexual abuse and foster home care, reveals her feelings about herself and two friends who are headed for destruction.

   Planet Janet by Dyan Sheldon

Sixteen-year-old Janet Bandry keeps an e-diary as she deals with an annoying family, school, a quirky best friend, and trying to find herself through vegetarianism, literature, romance, and her "Dark Phase."

   Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper

Romiette, an African-American girl, and Julio, a Hispanic boy, discover that they attend the same high school after falling in love on the Internet, but are harassed by a gang whose members object to their interracial dating.

   Snail Mail No More by Paula Danziger and Ann M. Martin

Now that they live in different cities, thirteen-year-old Tara and Elizabeth use email to talk about everything that is occuring in their lives and to try to maintain their closeness as they face big changes.

   Sun Signs by Shelly Hrdlitschka

Fifteen-year-old Kayleigh is battling cancer, but is determined to keep up with school by taking online classes, never revealing her illness to anyone except the teacher. When she develops a science project on astrology and enlists other online learners to participate, she discovers that they all have secrets of their own.

   The Year My Life Went Down the Loo by Katie Maxwell

16-year-old Emily has just moved to dreary England from hip, cool Seattle. Forced to enter a new school where uniforms are the rule and makeup is forbidden, she reports everything via e-mail to her best friend Dru back in the U.S., including her problems with boys and stories of her seemingly absurd family.

   To JayKae: Life Stinx by Jean Davies Okimoto

Sixteen-year-old Jason feels alone and misunderstood when his best friend moves away, his father plans to remarry, and his step-brother-to-be is a high school basketball star, until he starts an online relationship with a girl from Hawaii.

   ttfn by Lauren Myracle

The sequel to ttyl: There's trouble and lots of IMs ahead for the Winsome Threesome.

   ttyl by Lauren Myracle

The first novel written entirely in IM. Follow SnowAngel, mad maddie, and zoegirl through the roller coaster ride of tenth grade.

Finding Your Way
Religions, spirituality, faith, and trying to make sense of it all.

   Ask the Rabbi: The Who, What, Where When, Why & How of Being Jewish by Rabbi Ron Isaacs

   Bar Mitzvah by Sarah Silberstein Swartz

   Buddha (graphic novel series) by Osamu Tezuka

Graphic novels about the life and teachings of Buddha.

   Buddha in Your Backpack : Everyday Buddhism for Teens by Franz Metcalf

   Bulfinch's Greek and Roman Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch

   Celtic Mythology by Thierry Bordas

   Chicken Soup for the Christian Teenage Soul by Jack Canfield

   Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft by Denise Zimmerman and Katherine A. Gleason

   Confucianism by Rodney L. Taylor

   Craft of the Wild Witch: Green Spirituality & Natural Enchantment by Poppy Palin

   Cult Awareness by David Goodnough

Gives examples of different cults and how they affect you and society.

   Cults by Daniel Cohen

What is a cult, and what happens in a cult on a daily basis?

   Elements of Witchcraft : Natural Magick for Teens by Ellen Dugan

   Essential Koran : The Heart of Islam by Thomas Cleary

   Fire in the Heart : A Spiritual Guide for Teens by Deepak Chopra

   Goddesses : A World of Myth and Magic by Burleigh Mutén

   Goddesses, Heroes and Shamans: Guide to World Mythology

   Hindu Myths by Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty

   Islam by Charles Clark

   Jesus: What He Really Said and Did by Stephen Mitchell

   Kindness : A Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom by Sarah Conover

   Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching by Ursula K. Le Guin

Lao Tzu's ancient book about the way and the power of the way in easy to understand English.

   Majoring in Life by Manfred Koehler

   Mythology of the World by Neil Philip

   Paths of Faith : Conversations About Religion and Spirituality by Michael Thomas Ford

   Piercing Proverbs: Wise Words for Today's Teens by Melody Carlson

   Putting God on Your Guest List: Bar or Bat Mitzvah by Jeffrey K. Salkin

   Religion in America : Opposing Viewpoints by William Dudley, Bonnie Szumski, and Scott Barbour

   Soul Searching: 13 Stories About Faith and Belief by Lisa Rowe Fraustino

   Spiritualized: A Look Inside the Teenage Soul by Mark Healy

   Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

   Te of Piglet by Benjamin Hoff

   Teen Sunshine Reflections: Words for the Heart and Soul by June Cotner

   Teens, Religion and Values by Gail Snyder

   Tough Questions Jews Ask : A Young Adult's Guide to Building a Jewish Life by Edward Feinstein

   Way of Youth: Buddhist Common Sense for Handling Life's Questions by Daisaku Ikeda

   When Teens Pray by Cheri Fuller and Ron Luce

   Wide Awake: A Buddhist Guide for Teens by Diana Winston

   Wild Girls: The Path of the Young Goddess by Patricia Monaghan

First Fantasies
The first book in some favorite fantasy series.

   Alanna : The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

Alanna disguises herself as a boy to be allowed to train as a knight.

   Being of Two Minds by Pamela F. Service

Connie can mysteriously share minds with the Prince of Thulgaria, which ends up being very handy when he's kidnapped.

   Birth-of-the Firebringer by Meredith Ann Pierce

Prince Algar of the unicorns must turn to fighting in order to save his people.

   Black Unicorn by Tanith Lee

Tanaquil reassembles a magical set of unicorn bones, and a stray blast of magic brings it to life.

   Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

A future-seeing pig, a pig keeper, and a great adventure.

   Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones

Wouldn't you visit a magical world, if you knew you could reach this through our own world?

   Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Tired of sitting around refusing to marry visiting princes, Princess Cimorene runs away and lives with a dragon in the Enchanted Forest.

   Five Children and It by E. Nesbit

Five children accidentally uncover a Sand-fairy capable of making wishes come true.

   Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip

Sybel, a beautiful and talented sorceress, sets out on a dangerous quest.

   Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Lyra and her Daemon travel through the fabric between worlds, in an attempt to save others from a living death.

   Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter, raised by his neglectful relatives after the death of his parents, learns on his 11th birthday that he is a wizard.

   Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

Aerin had always felt that her magical birthright skipped her, so she set out to become a dragon slayer.

   Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

"In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three."

   Lost Years of Merlin by T. A. Barron

"I don't know much about wizards, but I have learned this much: They are full of surprises."

   Riddle-Master of Hed by Patricia A. McKillip

Morgan, the Prince of Hed, must solve the ultimate riddle of the three stars on his forehead.

   Sabriel by Garth Nix

"Death and what came after death was no great mystery to Sabriel. She just wished it was."

   Sandry's Book by Tamora Pierce

Four friends must train their crafts, including their magical powers.

   Seer and the Sword by Victoria Hanley

Princess Torina can fortell the future and must use her powers to help her friend Landen regain his birthright.

   Squire's Tale by Gerald Morris

Terence becomes the squire of the famous knight Gawain and must assist him in his quest.

   Switchers by Kate Thompson

Tess has a secret she keeps even from her parents - she is a shapeshifter who can become any animal she chooses.

   Winter of Magic's Return by Pamela F. Service

A resurrected Merlin struggles to bring King Arthur back to life in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust.

   Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

Sparrowhawk, a boy from Roke Island, sets out on the path to become a great sorcerer - perhaps the greatest ever.

   Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Meg and her brother Charles, considered dumb by much of their town, set off across the sky to rescue their father.

Flesh as Canvas
Tattoos, piercing, mehndhi, scarification, and other body art.

   1000 Tattoos by Henk Schiffmacher

A unique collection of designs and photos from 19th century engravings to tribal body art, circus ladies of the 20s, classic biker designs, and more.

   7 Tattoos: A Memoir in the Flesh by Peter Trachtenberg

The author tells the stories of each of his tattoos, how each relates to his life, and includes musings about the world.

   Art of Mehndi by Jane Glicksman

An introduction to the ancient art of painting hands, ankles and more.

   Body Marks : Tattooing, Piercing, and Scarification by Kathlyn Gay and Christine Whittington

The history of various forms of body marking, how and why these are done, and some things to think about before choosing to be pierced or tattooed.

   Coping with the Dangers of Tattooing, Body Piercing, and Branding by Beth Wilkinson

Make an informed decision: facts, laws and safety regulations.

   Everything You Need to Know About Mehndi, Temporary Tattoos & Body Art by Stefanie Iris Weiss

The spiritual aspects and practical applications of mehndi, and some of the designs commonly used.

   Hot Bodies, Cool Styles : New Techniques in Self-adornment by Ted Polhemus

Painted, tattooed, scarred, ornamented, hairy, exotic, & artifical bodies. Includes a list of website and magazine resources.

   In the Paint : Tattoos of the NBA and the Stories Behind Them by Andrew Gottlieb

Get under the skin of your favorite NBA players to learn the meaning of their famous tattoos.

   Tattoo Encyclopedia : A Guide to Choosing Your Tattoo by Terisa Green

An A to Z guide list of popular tattoo imagery and symbolism.

   Temporary Tattoes by Erick Aveline

Don't want to commit? Try a temporary tat.

Gear Up for Summer - Fiction
Clockworks, steam power, the magic of science - submerge yourself in the realms of Steampunk with these great novels.

   20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

Jules Verne explores the underwater depths with a brave scientist and the gentlemanly, but crazed, submarine captain who kidnaps him.

   Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

To Sherlock Holmes she is always The Woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name.

   Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

Phileas Fogg, English gentleman, sets out to travese the globe by train, stagecoach, steamship, airship - any way he can.

   Brothers Grimm (DVD)

19th-century "folklore collectors," Wilhem and Jacob Grimm are con artists who perform bogus exorcisms of "evil enchantments" while traveling from village to village in French-occupied Germany.

   Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

The source of these outrages is known, and if they are repeated I have Mr. Holmes's authority for saying the politician, the lighthouse, and the trained cormorant will be given to the public.

   Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming

The man who brought you James Bond also brought this magical, steampunk tale of a flying car!

   City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions.

   Girl Genius by Phil Foglio

Follow the Gaslamp adventures of inventor Agatha Clay in these steampunk graphic novels.

   Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra Belacqua sets out to prevent her best friend and other kidnapped children from becoming the subject of gruesome experiments in the Far North.

   Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.

   Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

It was a secret message by an ancient alchemist, found on a crumbling scrap of parchment.

   Larklight by Philip Reeve

A rousing tale of dauntless pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space.

   League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore

Features the adventures of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen including Dr. Jekyll, Mina Murray (from Dracula), Captain Nemo, and Allan Quartermain, set in the Victorian era.

   Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

"Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?" "To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time." "The dog did nothing in the night-time." "That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes.

   Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

In the distant future, when cities move about and consume smaller towns, a fifteen-year-old apprentice is pushed out of London by the man he most admires and must seek answers in the perilous Out-Country, aided by one girl and the memory of another.

   Prestige by Christopher Priest

A bitter rivalry between two magicians turns deadly as one tries to find the secret to another's most powerful trick.

   Starcross by Philip reeve

A Stirring Adventure of Spies, Time Travel, and Curious Hats.

   Steamboy (DVD)

Set in Victorian London, a young inventor finds himself torn between two factions who are after the revolutionary "Steam ball," an item that holds a secret menacing power.
Place a hold to get a copy from Louisville or Broomfield

   Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Dr. Jekyll is trying to remove evil from mankind, but his experiments backfire when the powder transforms him into his uncontrollable evil side, Mr. Hyde.

   Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

The very first Sherlock Holmes story, where Holmes, the master of detection, and Watson, the great detective's faithful companion, are introduced.

   Time Machine by H G Wells

When a Victorian scientist propels himself into the year a.d. 802,701, he is initially delighted to find that suffering has been replaced by beauty, contentment, and peace.

   Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle

When you have one of the first brains of Europe up against you and all the powers of darkness at his back, there are infinite possibilities.

   Voyage of the Basset by James Christensen

Cassandra didn't care a jot what sensible people thought. She liked strange, mysterious, and margical things.

Guy Books
...you'll actually want to read.

   Acceleration by Graham McNamee

Me and my friend going after this guy, the crazy one who wants to attack women - well it is like the Hardy Boys going after Hannibal Lecter.

   Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

When he is forced to moved to Alcatraz (his father is a guard), Moose learns that the famous criminal Al Capone is living there.

   Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini

"See, because being Cool is obviously the most important thing on earth…It's more important than getting a job, or having a girlfriend, or political power, or money, because all those things are predicated by Coolness."

   Black Book [Diary of a Teenage Stud]: Girls, Girls, Girls by Jonah Black

How much of this book is true, and how much is Jonah's imagination?

   Bucking the Sarge by Christopher Paul Curtis

Luther T. Farrell has to find a way to get out from under the control of his slumlord boss - The Sarge - a.k.a. his mother.

   Buddha Boy by Kathe Koja

Justin's goal is to remain invisible, but then he befriends the new kid and has to decide whether to hide or stand up and fight.

   First French Kiss and Other Traumas by Adam Bagdasarian

"I tried to find a way to kiss her and breathe at the same time, but no matter where I turned my head, her nose was always there."

   Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho by John Katz

Teenage hackers Jesse Daily and Eric Twilegar star in their very own Great Escape - out of Idaho and into the lives of successful geeks.

   Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian

"Can someone please explain to me how this preoccupation with dopey athletes happens even to headstrong young women who... score 750s on their SATs?"

   Guy Book : An Owner's Manual by Mavis Jukes

Info about being a guy - how your body works, how to world works, and more. A sample: "Breaking up on a Saturday afternoon at your soon-to-be-ex's house (where support is available) would be better than springing it on a Monday morning at school."

   Hawk: Occupation: Skateboarder by Tony Hawk

"I consider skateboarding an art form, a lifestyle and a sport."

   Hole In My Life by Jack Gantos

He wanted cash quick, so he became a drug smuggler - just once, but it was enough to get him sent to prison.

   Jack's Black Book by Jack Gantos

Go Dog Go, or How I Passed the Seventh Grade.

   Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Here's the story of 16-year-old Steve Harmon told through his own movie script. "Fade In: Early morning in Cell Block D, Manhattan Detention Center."

   Out of Order by A.M. Jenkins

Since you step outside, you're fair game.

   Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

"I just need to know that someone out there listens and understands and doesn't try to sleep with people even if they could have. I need to know that these poeple exist."

   Prep by Jake Coburn

Too much money, too many girls, too many drugs, and not enough courage to change.

   Punk: The Definitive Record of a Revolution by Stephen Colegrave

Photo-essay with hundreds of photos of the history of punk, including everything from Andy Warhol to The Clash.

   Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas

"There are those males who merely fill ear holes with tiny studs hardly big enough to offend a Marine. Not me. Most days I wear big hoops. When I combine the look with a doo rag, I'm a regular pirate."

   Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman

Out on his first real date, he reaches into the trunk of his car to get a blanket to spread on the beach so he can make out with his girl, but find a body in the trunk instead.

   Teenage Guy's Survival Guide by Jeremy Daldry

The Real Deal on Girls, Growing Up and Other Guy Stuff

   Whirligig by Paul Fleischman

Rejected by the girl's he loves, Brent gets drunk, storms out of a party, and accidentally kills an innocent stranger.

   You Hear Me? Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys by Betsy Franco

Real men write poetry and this is some of the best you'll read.

Horror
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

   Beast by Peter Benchley

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, along comes a giant squid.

   Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

Destined to be the Alpha female of their pack of werewolves, Vivian instead falls in love with a Meat Boy - I mean a human.

   Boxes by William Sleator

Annie is given two boxes and forbidden to open them - so of course she does.

   Carrie by Stephen King

"Nobody was really surprised when it happened, not really, not at the subconscious level where savage things grow."

   Cat series by Joan D. Vinge

The struggles of half-human, half-alien telepaths.

   Changeover by Margaret Mahy

Convinced that her brother is being possessed by an evil spirit, Laura tries to get help from a mysterious older boy.

   Cirque du Freak series by Darren Shan

"Real life's nasty. It's cruel.... Evil often wins."

   Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde

She tries to rescue the mysterious Ethan from a gang, only to discover that they were vampire hunters hunting a vampire - Ethan!

   Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Through a mysterious door in her new house, Coraline is transported into another realm - once much more dangerous than our world.

   Creature by John Saul

Mark Tanner develops from a weakling into an aggressive hardbody at the Rocky Mountain High sports center, but is there something more than bodybuilding going on?

   Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King

"It is only the wind after all ... But the wind doesn't scratch at doors ... and whine to be let in."

   Deep End by Chris Crutcher

Are humans truly the most monstrous creatures?

   Demon in My View by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

No one is more surprised than Jessica when the new kid, Aubrey, is the handsome vampire straight out of her own vampire novel. Did she create him, or was he real all along?

   Doom Stone by Paul Zindel

"The stones and the nightmare were waiting for Jackson Cawley as the landrover raced toward the storm."

   Dracula by Bram Stoker

The original fanged one, the famous vampire who falls in love with Mina and is hunted down by Van Helsing.

   Fever by Diane Hoh

Trapped in the hospital and weakened by fever, Duffy hears another patient attacked. How will she protect herself and discover the criminal?

   Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Dr. Frankenstein went digging in the cemetery, sewed the pieces together, and brought it to life. Which one, however, is the monster - the Doctor or his creation?

   Ghostly Tales and Eerie Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door."

   Girl in the Box by Ouida Sebestyen

Jackie McGee is kidnapped and locked in an underground room with water, a little food, and a typewriter to help tell her story.

   Haunting by Joan Lowery Nixon

Their historic plantation home has more than termites and bad plumbing - it has an evil spirit that Lia must try to evict.

   Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Four people arrive at the mansion, but how many of them will the House let live?

   House Next Door by Richie Tankersley Cusick

On a dare, Emma spends the night in a haunted house and is drawn into a dangerous romance with the spirit trapped in the house.

   In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

"Until one morning in mid-November of 1959, few Americans--in fact, few Kansans--had ever heard of Holcomb. Like the waters of the river, like the motorists on the highway, and like the yellow trains streaking down the Santa Fe tracks, drama, in the shape of exceptional happenings, had never stopped there."

   In the Forests of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Risika travels back in time to witness her own transformation - into a vampire.

   Initiation by L. J. Smith

Cassie is initiated into the mysterious "in crowd," a coven of young witches whose have controlled New Salem for three hundred years.

   Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice

"Most of all I longed for death. I know that now. I invited it. A release from the pain of living. My invitation was open to anyone."

   Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells

"Mayday. Mayday. I'm being held by a pig lady."

   It by Stephen King

"The terror, which would not end for another twenty-eight years - if it ever did end - began, so far as I know or can tell, with a boat made of newspaper floating down a gutter swollen with rain."

   Jade Green by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

"Then at the end of the street, the house--the large brown house with the two eyes--made me suddenly clutch at the driver's arm as if to say, Turn back! Turn back!"

   Look for Me by Moonlight by Mary Downing Hahn

Cynda is drawn to a mysterious and appealing guest at her family's Inn. Unfortunately, he isn't quite human.

   Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore

Travis has been looking after the demon Catch for 70 years, and now he has a chance to finally get rid of him.

   Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

Will Graham, a former FBI agent who nearly lost his life to Hannibal Lecter, is dragged out of his quiet retirement to hunt down a killer.

   Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

A rookie FBI agent goes up against one of the most twisted kidnappers ever - and she gets help from the famous Hannibal The Cannibal Lecter.

   Summer of Fear by Lois Duncan

Rachel is convinced that her cousin Julia is a witch, but can she convince anyone else before it is too late?

   Thirsty by M. T. Anderson

Chris has a lot to deal with as a teen - school, friends, girls - and the fact that he's turning into a vampire.

   Tithe by Holly Black

Most human teens cannot see the realm of faerie, but as it turns out, Kaye isn't completely human.

   Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice

"I am The Vampire Lestat. I'm immortal. More or less. The light of the sun, an intense fire -- these things might destroy me, but then again, they might not."

   Watchers by Dean Koontz

Two creatures, the results of DNA experiments, roam the land and battle for supremacy.

   Witch Hill by Marcus Sedgwick

Still suffering after his family's house burns down, Jamie is pursued in his nightmares by a famous witch.

If you loved Angus Thongs...
Can't get enough of Georgia Nicolson, Princess Diaries, or Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants? Check out these read-alikes.

   All Alone in the Universe by Lynne Rae Perkins

Our town is called Seldem.
My dad likes to add, "If ever."

   Big Mouth and Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates

"It was an ordinary January afternoon, a Thursday, when they came for Matt Donaghy."

   Born Confused by Januja Desai Hidier

"Chapter 1: The reincarnation of dimple rohitbhai lala the last. I guess the whole mess started around my birthday. Amendment: my first birthday. I was born turned around..."

   Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

"1. Adam (but he doesn't count.) Adam was this boy that I used to stare at in preschool."

   Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

"January. An Exceptionally Bad Start."

   Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen by Dyan Sheldon

"My Young Life and Hard Times. It is a sad and shocking fact of my young life that my parents named me Mary Elizabeth Cep by mistake. I've known since I was five that my true name is Lola."

   Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

"Froggy Welsh the Fourth is trying to get up my shirt."

   Georgia Nicholson series by Louise Rennison

Book 1: Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging
Book 2: On the Bright Side I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God
Book 3: Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas
Book 4: Dancing in My Nuddypants
Book 5: Away Laughing on a Fast Camel
Book 6: Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers
Book 7: Startled By His Furry Shorts
Book 8: Love Is a Many Trousered Thing
Book 9: Stop in the Name of Pants

   How My Private, Personal Journal Became a Bestseller by Julia DeVillers

"Q: So how does one totally average high school girl with a B+ in English become a bestselling author freaking out on Mora Live!?..."

   Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty

Book 1: Sloppy Firsts
Book 2: Second Helpings
Book 3: Charmed Thirds
Book 4: Fourth Comings
Book 5: Perfect Fifths

   Love and Other Four Letter Words by Carolyn Mackler

"Let's say someone had waltzed up to me six months ago and asked for my definition of love."

   Mates, Dates series by Cathy Hopkins

Book 1: Mates, Dates and Inflatable Bras
Book 2: Mates, Dates and Cosmic Kisses
Book 3: Mates, Dates and Designer Divas
Book 4: Mates, Dates and Sleepover Secrets
And more! (too many to list)

   P.S. Longer Letter Later by Paula Danziger

"It's 4:02 P.M. and I'm sitting in my room at the end of the first day of seventh grade, and I can't help what I'm going to say next. I'M SO MAD AT YOU. WHY DID YOU HAVE TO MOVE AWAY???"

   Planet Janet by Dyan Sheldon

Sixteen-year-old Janet Bandry keeps a diary as she deals with an annoying family, school, a quirky best friend, and trying to find herself through vegetarianism, literature, romance, and her "Dark Phase."

   Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot

Book 1: The Princess Diaries
Book 2:Princess in the Spotlight
Book 3: Princess in Love
Book 4:Princess in Waiting
Book 5: Princess in Pink
and many more

   Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson

"Once upon a time there was an eighteen-year-old girl who dragged her butt out of bed and hauled it all the way to school on a sunny day in May. That was me. Normal kids (like me) thought school was cool for the first three days in ninth grade."

   Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Series by Ann Brashares

Book 1: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Book 2: Second Summer of the Sisterhood
Book 3: Girls In Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood
Book 4: Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood

   Tru Confessions by Janet Tashjian

"KEEP OUT! This is my private journal. My mother gave me the software package to use for homework assignments, but I can't stop playing with the journal feature."

   True Meaning of Cleavage by Mariah Fredericks

"The people I draw usually end up having horns or fangs or webbed feet. I think they're rather cool - but they certainly don't look like anybody you'd see walking down the street. Not on this planet, anyway."

   Truth or Dairy by Catherine Clark

"How hurt do you have to be to sue for emotional distress?"

   ttyl by Lauren Myracle

"it's so fake. all that clique stuff. i hate feeling like everyone knows the secret handshake but me."

   Walking Naked by Alyssa Brugman

"I am responsible for a great many things, but being put on detention for talking in history was not my fault (not technically, anyway)."

   Year My Life Went Down the Loo by Katie Maxwell

"GAH! My room is haunted! And not just haunted by any old run-of-the-mill ghost -- oh no, my ghost is an underwear pervert!"

LGBTQ & Advocates: Fiction
Novels and short stories.

   Absolutely, Positively NOT.... by David Larochelle

Steven doesn't know if he'll pass his driver's test or if he'll ever understand his parents, but there is one thing he knows for sure: He's absolutely, positively NOT gay...

   Alison, Who Went Away by Vivian Vande Velde

Susan (who calls herself Sibyl) struggles to deal with the the absence of her sister, Alison.

   Am I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence by Marion Dane Bauer

Some of the best writers for teens take on being gay.

   Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

Liza and Annie meet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and their friendship swiftly develops into a love affair.

   Baby Be-Bop by Francesca Lia Block

"Any love that is love is right."

   Bad Boy by Diana Wieler

A. J. is the hockey enforcer, the tough guy, who has always admired his best friend Tulsa Brown. But then A. J. finds out Tully is gay.

   Blue Lawn by William Taylor

David doesn't understand why he is being drawn to Theo, he only knows he feels completely differently when they're together.

   Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Imagine a high school where there really is no gay scene or straight scene and everyone just hangs out.

   Dare Truth or Promise by Paula Boock

"Dare truth or promise."
"Truth."
"Have you ever been in love?"

   Desire Lines by Jack Gantos

The bitter tale of a teen who stands up to the gay-bashers at his school until he caves and outs two girls.

   Empress of the World by Sara Ryan

Nic arrives at gifted camp and is immediately attracted to another girl. Refusing to be labeled a lesbian, Nic is also drawn to musically-gifted Kevin.

   Far From Xanadu by Julie Anne Peters

"I never, for one day, felt judged or excluded or persecuted in Coalton."

   Finding H.F. by Julia Watts

"When somebody asks what my initials stand for, I always say the same thing: "You promise not to laugh if I tell you?..."

   From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson

Melanin Sun knows that "difference matters" - from the color of his skin to the woman his mother loves.

   Geography Club by Brent Hartinger

Russell knows he's gay, and he knows to keep it secret in his small school. Then he figures out his major crush, Kevin, is gay as well.

   Gravel Queen by Tea Benduhn

Aurin's friend Fred has always known he's gay. When Aurin is drawn to the new girl, Neila, however, her self-discovery is endangered by her best friend.

   Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger

"Honest to God a shiver ran through my body... Nobody ever said that they liked me. Ever. Not even [my friend] Brian, who probably actually doesn't."

   Hello, Groin by Beth Goobie

Love, like, lust? Hello, Groin.

   House You Pass on the Way by Jacqueline Woodson

Staggerlee is already shunned because her mother is white. When her adopted cousin arrives, she begins to question the traditional happily-ever-after.

   If It Doesn't Kill You by Margaret Bechard

Ben is convinced his father is out to destroy all of their lives when he announces he is not only gay, but openly moving in with his new boyfriend.

   Kissing Kate by Lauren Myracle

"It was one thing for someone else to be gay. It was something else entirely if it was me."

   Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins by Emma Donoghue

What happens when the happily ever after involves the person you least expect?

   Love Rules by Marilyn Reynolds

Lynn wants to support her friend, but if you have a gay best friend does it mean you are gay as well?

   Luna by Julie Anne Peters

I loved my sister, Luna, and I loved my brother, Liam. Trouble was, they were the same person - one trapped inside of the other.

   My Father's Scar : A Novel by Michael Cart

Through flashbacks, Andy tells the story of how he came out.

   My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr

When one of her friends asks if her brother Link and his friend James are gay, Ellen decides: "I resolve never to ask them. Ever. I resolve to put it out of my mind. There is no reason for me to know."

   No Big Deal by Ellen Jaffe McClain

A small town allows itself to be torn apart when a favorite teacher is outed.

   Peter by Kate Walker

When does the desire to be like someone you admire turn into physical and emotional desire?

   Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez

The senior year for three gay teens, which includes best friends secretly in love with each other and an HIV scare.

   Rainbow High by Alex Sanchez

High school is ending, time to embrace the freedom of the adult world - if you think you can.

   Rainbow Kite by Marlene Fanta Shyer

Matthew tells the loving story of his older brother Bennett, and his cruel outing by fellow school students.

   Rainbow Road by Alex Sanchez

"Whoa! Miss Teen Closet-Case finally comes out during his last days of senior year and for that he wins a free trip to Hollywood?"

   So Hard to Say by Alex Sanchez

"My name is (drum roll, please) Maria Xiomara Iris Juarez Hidalgo, but nobody calls me Maria..."

   Stained by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

What happens when the adults you trust cannot be trusted?

   Talk by Kathe Koja

Kit has been acting all of his life - acting the part of being straight.

   Totally Joe by James Howe

Here is an exuberant, funny, totally original story of one boy's coming out -- and coming-of-age.

   Violet & Claire by Francesca Lia Block

Violet and Claire tell their lovestory in alternating chapters.

   What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci

"How can some people's lives look so good when they're so foul underneath?..."

   Year They Burned the Books by Nancy Garden

A conservative new school board member quiets the school newspaper and brings the health textbooks up for review.

LGBTQ & Advocates: Nonfiction
Resources and real-life experiences.

   A Woman Like That by edited by Joan Larkin

Lesbian and bisexual writers tell their coming out stories.

   Becoming Visible: by Kevin Jennings

A reader in gay and lesbian history for high school and college students.

   Changing Bodies, Changing Lives by Ruth Bell, authors of Our Bodies, Oursleves, and the Teen-Book-Project

A book for all teens on sex, relationships, physical and emotional changes.

   Full Spectrum by David Levithan & Billy Merrell

Young writers tell their own stories about gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and other identities.

   GLBTQ : The Survival Guide for Queer & Questioning Teens by Kelly Huegel

Describes challenges faced by gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered teens; offers practical advice, real-life experiences, accessible resources and support groups.

   Growing Up Gay: From Left Out to Coming Out by Funny Gay Males Jaffe Cohen, Danny McWilliams & Bob Smith

America's leading gay comedy team, Funny Gay Males, celebrates coming of age for those of us who spent our wonder years wondering just how we were going to survive our childhoods as strangers in a straight land.

   Hear Me Out

First-person accounts of negotiating sexual and gender identities, and of teens educating and confronting homophobia.

   Hearing Us Out by Roger Sutton

Interviews and stories from voices in the gay and lesbian communities.

   How it Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent by Judith E. Snow

In their own words, teens and kids of different ages talk about how and when they learned of their gay or lesbian parents' sexual orientation; and they discuss the effect it has had on them.

   Journey Out: A Guide for and About Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Teens by Rachel Pollack and Cheryl Schwartz

Suggests how gay, lesbian and bisexual teenagers may discover their sexual orientation; find self-acceptance; come out; cope with prejudice and deal with religious and political issues.

   Kings & Queens : Queers at the Prom by David Boyer

A variety of anecdotes and photos from queer teens and their experiences at the prom.

   Out & About Campus by Kim Howard and Annie Stevens

Personal accounts by lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender college students.

   Out of the Ordinary by Noelle Howey and Ellen Samuels

Essays on growing up with gay, lesbian, and transgender parents.

   Revolutionary Voices by Amy Sonnie

A multicultural queer youth anthology.

   Shared Heart by Adam Mastoon

Portraits and stories celebrating lesbian, gay, and bisexual young people.

   Transparent by Cris Beam

Love, family and living the T with transgender teenagers.

   Two Teenagers in Twenty: Writings by Gay and Lesbian Youth by Ann Heron

Two teens in twenty are GLBTQ. Here's what some of them have to say about it.

   When I Knew by edited by Robert Trachtenberg

Smart, hilarous and poignant stories about that revelation for all gay men and women: when they first knew.

   When Someone You Know Is Gay by Susan & Daniel Cohen

Describes the historical, social, religious, and political aspects of male and female homosexuality with an emphasis on the problems experienced by gay teens in coming out to family and friends. Includes a list of organizations to contact for more information.

   Who Cares If It's a Choice? by Ellen Orleans

Snappy answers to 101 nosy, intrusive and highly personal questions about lesbians and gay men.

Love and Love Stinks
Sometimes wonderful, sometimes painful, but always worthwhile.

   Accidental Love by Gary Soto

It all starts when Marissa picks up the wrong cell phone. When she returns the phone the guy it belongs to she feels something she's never felt before, something a bit like- love? They're total opposites- hardly a match made in heaven. So why can't Marissa stay away from him?

   Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

"I don't see why I can't have a lock on my bedroom door. Every time I suggest anything around this place, people start shaking their heads and tutting."

   Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden

Liza and Annie are best friends, soul mates, and meant for each other. So why is love so confusing?

   Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

What happens when you are a female werewolf and you fall in love with a Meat Boy (human)?

   Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

In a town of total acceptance, the fact that Paul has a crush on a boy is not THE problem...

   Boy Proof by Cecil Castellucci

"Egg" is a loner and cinefile who prefers to escape into the world of her favorite sf/fantasy movie character than relate to her classmates. She considers herself boy proof, until she meets Max...

   Boyfriend List by E Lockhart

1. Adam (but he doesn't count.) Adam was this boy that I used to stare at in preschool.

   Feed by M.T. Anderson

In a future where most people have computer implants in their heads to control their environment, a boy meets an unusual girl who is in serious trouble.

   Forever...: A Novel by Judy Blume

This book had been banned, censored, and stolen. Find out why this naughty book is so alluring.

   Girls For Breakfast by David Yoo

Is it all in his head or are Nick's suspicions that his heritage is keeping him from a triumphant boob fest true?

   Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian

What happens when you start a campaign to change the world- just to seduce your crush...

   Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Daisy loves Gatsby, Gatsby loves Daisy, Gatsby goes to war, Daisy marries Tom, Gatsby comes back from war, Gatsby swears to win Daisy back.

   Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger

"Honest to God a shiver ran through my body... Nobody ever said that they liked me. Ever. Not even [my friend] Brian, who probably actually doesn't."

   How Do I Love Thee? by Lurlene McDaniel

A collection of three stories in which teenagers facing life-threatening illnesses find that love can make all things bearable.

   How I Fell in Love and Learned to Shoot Free Throws by Jon Ripslinger

Danny has a plan: He's going to hustle cool, beautiful Angel McPherson, the best female player in Iowa, on the basketball court. He hopes to turn her on and maybe, just maybe, learn to shoot free throws while making her fall in love with him.

   How I Spent My Last Night on Earth by Todd Strasser

What would you do if you learned a giant asteroid was going to obliterate the Earth in 24 hours? Go find True Love, of course...

   If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson

Miah and Ellie tell their story of love at first sight. Too bad the rest of the world just sees the different colors of their skin.

   Love and Other Four Letter Words by Carolyn Mackler

Let's say someone had waltzed up to me six months ago and asked for my definition of love.

   Love: selected poems by e e cummings

Romance, lust, longing, joy, sorrow and more in poems and art.

   No Shame, No Fear by Ann Turnbull

England, 1662. In a time of religious persecution Susanna, a poor Quaker girl meets William, a wealthy Anglican, and sparks fly. But can they stand up for their love against their parents, society and even the law?

   Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

"I just need to know that someone out there listens and understands and doesn't try to sleep with people even if they could have. I need to know that these people exist."

   Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Elizabeth Bennet is the perfect Austen heroine: intelligent, generous, sensible, incapable of jealousy or any other major sin. That makes her sound like an insufferable goody-goody, but the truth is she's a completely hip character, who if provoked is not above skewering her antagonist with a piece of her exceptionally sharp -- but always polite -- 18th century wit. The point is, you spend the whole book absolutely fixated on the critical question: will Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy hook up?

   Princess in Love by Meg Cabot

"Roused by the sound of my mother vomiting. She is well into her third month of pregnancy now. According to her obstetrician, all the throwing up should stop in the third trimester. I can't wait."

   Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson

Once upon a time there was an eighteen-year-old girl who dragged her butt out of bed and hauled it all the way to school on a sunny day in May. That was me. Normal kids (like me) thought school was cool for the first three days in ninth grade.

   Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez

"Are you gay?" Jason asked, just to be sure.
The man laughed. "Of course."
Jason never imagined that someone could be gay and laugh about it.

   Romeo & Juliet by Hilary Burningham

Graphic novel version of the star-crossed lovers' tale.

   Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper

It was a fairy tale Internet romance for Romiette and Julio. When they realize they actually attend the same school, they decide they are destined to be together ... until local gang members get wind of their relationship and start harassing them for inter-racial dating.

   Royally Jacked by Niki Burnham

Can you trust a guy who has a crown in his bedroom?

   Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause

"Then he kissed her with the sharp, sleek kiss, the silver kiss, so swift and true, and razor sharp ..."

   Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Four friends, very little money, and one great pair of jeans.

   Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman

Vince Luca's life is entangled with his father's role as King of the Mob. As if things weren't crazy enough, he is is love with Kendra- and she just told him that her father is in the FBI.

   Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene

Patty is willing to risk her freedom to be with Anton, an escaped German prisoner of war.

   This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Raised by a mother who's had five husbands, eighteen-year-old Remy believes in short-term, no-commitment relationships until she meets Dexter, a rock band musician.

   Truth or Dairy by Catherine Clark

How hurt do you have to be to sue for emotional distress?

   Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

So what if it turns out that the really hot guy at school who seems to hate you is actually a vampire who can't wait to taste your blood?

   Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

Landon never thought he'd fall for quiet Jamie, daughter of the local minister.

   Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block

The many kinds, shapes, and meanings of love.

   Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

T. J. Jones forms a swim team, to get revenge, but ends up with the best friends of his life - his teammates.

   What Gloria Wants by Sarah Withrow

"I wish there was a rule book somewhere on how to be a girlfriend. I wish I could flip to the index and find 'boyfriend's mother' or 'calling weekend mornings' or 'total future management'."

Mental
Fiction exploring various psychiatric themes ranging from O.C.D and depression to suicide.

   Chinese handcuffs by Chris Crutcher

   Girl, interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

   Hour of the Wolf by Patricia Calvert

   Kissing Doorknobs by Terry Spencer Hesser

   Multiple Choice by Janet Tashjian

   Not as Crazy as I Seem by George Harrar

   Secret silent screams by Joan Lowery Nixon

   Shizuko's Daughter by Kyoko Mori

   Stone Cold by Pete Hautman

   What happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci

New Age for This Age
Teach yourself astrology, tarot, feng shui, runes and more.

   Complete Idiot's Guide to Astrology by Madeline Gerwick-Brodeur

   Complete Idiot's Guide to Tarot and Fortune-Telling by Arlene Tognetti

   Elements of Witchcraft : Natural Magick for Teens by Ellen Dugan

   Girls' Guide to Tarot by Kathleen Olmstead

   Instant Karma : 8,879 Ways to Give Yourself & Others Good Fortune Now by Barbara Ann Kipfer

   Maria Shaw's Book of Love by Maria Shaw

   Mind Over Matter by the editors of Time-Life Books

   Runes: Fortune Telling by Runes by David V. Barrett

   Teen Astrology : The Ultimate Guide to Making Your Life Your Own by M.J. Abadie

   Teen Feng Shui : Design Your Space, Design Your Life by Susan Levitt

   Wizards: An Amazing Journey Through the Last Great Age of Magic by Candace Savage

Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Roll
Need we say more?

   Art of Modern Rock: Poster Explosion by Paul Grushkin

Big glossy bible of rock and punk posters.

   Candy by Kevin Brooks

Joe is as addicted to Candy as she is to heroin. Will he risk his recording contract- and his life- to save her?

   Concrete Candy by Apollo

Fifteen year-old Apollo is your guide to hip hop, the 'hood and surving the gritty inner-city.

   Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Once she "shakes hands with the monster" (crystal meth) good girl Kristina morphs into her reckeless alter-ago "Bree" and starts to spiral out of control...

   Crosses by Shelley Stoehr

"We cut ourselves. Not by accident, we do it purposely- and regularly- because physical pain is comforting and because now it has become a habit. Like the drugs. These are, in fact, the two main things Katie and I have in common. They are how we met."

   Drugs Explained: The Real Deal on Alcohol, Pot, Ecstasy and More. by Pierre Mezinski

Get the facts.

   Fat Kid Rules the World by K. L. Going

296 pounds of insecure Troy Billings + semi-homeless addict and guitar legend Curt MacCrae = a punk band and a roller coaster friendship

   Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

What to pack for a Vegas road trip Hunter S. Thomas style: "two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half-full of cocaine and a whole galaxy of multicolored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers...A quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls."

   Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Alice could be anyone. Alice could be someone you know. Alice is a fifteen year-old addict. This is her diary.

   If You Loved Me by Marilyn Reynolds

Lauren made a promise to herself: No drugs ever, and no sex until marriage. But her boyfriend Tyler has different ideas. "If you loved me, you'd forget about that promise" he begs her... Will she?

   Journals by Kurt Cobain

Get inside the head of grunge legend Kurt Cobain through his writing and sketches.

   Love and Sex : Ten Stories of Truth

Virginity, infatuation, first times, obsession, abstinence, sexual identity and trans teens. It's all here.

   Minipops by Craig Robinson

The tiniest computer drawings of the biggest rock stars.

   Rainbow Party by Paul Ruditis

Gin is throwing a Rainbow Party. Who's going and why? Who's dreading it? What will really happen?

   Rolling Away: My Agony with Ecstasy by Lynn Marie Smith

Lynn Smith never wanted to be an addict. It just happened. One day, she was living a so-called normal life, and the next she woke up to reality. In the mirror she saw the face of a grinning skull and, in her head, the world was turned upside down. After a five-month binge on Ecstasy, Smith would never be the same.

   Rough Guide to Bob Dylan by Nigel Williamson

   Rough Guide to The Beatles by Chris Ingham

   She's a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock & Roll by Gillian G. Gaar

Women who rock and how they helped shape music today.

   Smack by Melvin Burgess

"You take more and more, and more often. Then you get sick of it and give up for a few days. And that's the really nasty thing because then, when you're clean, that's when it works so well."

   The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

"I just need to know that someone out there listens and understands and doesn't try to sleep with people even if they could have. I need to know that these poeple exist."

   This Book is about Sex by Tucker Shaw and Fiona Gibb

Inside info from Tucker and Fiona, the sex experts at alloy.com.

   Tribute to Another Dead Rock Star by Randy Powell

Grady has been invited to speak at a concert honoring the death of rock icon Debbie Grennan- his mother. But what is he supposed to say to adoring fans about a mom who abandoned her family for her musical career and drug habit?

   V Club by Kate Brian

Ardsmore High is offering college scholarships- the catch is the students "must exemplify purity of soul and body." Eva, Kai, Debbie, and Mandy all have reasons for wanting the money and think that starting a Virginity Club may be the only way to remain eligible.

Short Books - Quick Reads
When you have that book report due tomorrow, try some of these quick reads.

   Gone From Home by Angela Johnson

At fifteen, Sweetness has saved an abandoned baby in Ohio and held up a convenience store. Both on the same day.

   Humming Whispers by Angela Johnson

Sophy is fourteen, just Nicole's age when she first heard the whispers, the voices of schizophrenia.

   Running Back to Ludie by Angela Johnson

There's a video of me running through the park when I was two, looking back at my mom, Ludie.

Skin We're In: Africa
Stories from Africa.

   Chanda's Secrets by Allan Stratton

Chanda Kabelo is sixteen and she has some serious secrets. She knows the real reason that the cemeteries are overflowing. And, that's just the beginning.

   Hotel Rwanda [dvd] by Terry George & Keir Pearson

Movie based on the true story of a hotel manager turned hero when he takes in thousands of Tutsis refugees to protect them from being slaughtered in the Rwandan genocide.

   Interpreters by Wole Soyinka

"'Metal on concrete jars my drink lobes.'"

   Somehow Tenderness Survives: Stories of Southern Africa by Hazel Rochman

"At once, the snap of a trap, realization came. He stood there in an old shirt before the two policemen, and the woman was going off to prison...."

   Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

"...his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness. It was deeper and more intimate than the fear of evil and capricious gods and of magic.... It was fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father."

Skin We're In: African American
A range of stories about African Americans.

   Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes

An English class you might actually enjoy - one that is filled with poetry slams!

   Bucking the Sarge by Christopher Paul Curtis

Luther T. Farrell has to find a way to get out from under the control of his slumlord boss - The Sarge, a.k.a. his mother.

   Color Purple by Alice Walker

Celie is poor, uneducated, black and headed for her own version of greatness - if she can just get through all the pain.

   Concrete Candy: Stories by Apollo

Written when Apollo was fifteen, these six short stories reflect insight, rage, frustration and humor - and a determination to survive.

   First Part Last by Angela Johnson

16-year-old Bobby struggles to raise his daughter and give them both a good life.

   From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodsen

Melanin Sun knows that "difference matters" - from the color of his skin to the woman his mother loves.

   Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

He isn't invisible because of any accident. He is invisible because people refuse to see him.

   Land by Mildred D. Taylor

"I loved my daddy. I loved my brothers. But in the end it was Mitchell Thomas and I who were most like brothers, with a bond that couldn't be broken."

   Like Sisters on the Homefront by Rita Williams-Garcia

At 14, Gayle is already a mother and pregnant again - that's when her mother sends her south to live with her very wise and very old great-grandmother.

   Middle Passage: White Ships, Black Cargo by Tom Feelings

Artwork and stories about the people who were kidnapped, chained, and brought to the Americas to be slaves.

   Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Here's the story of 16-year-old Steve Harmon told through his own movie script. "Fade In: Early morning in Cell Block D, Manhattan Detention Center."

   Othello by Julius Lester

Jealousy, love, betrayal by friends - the best of Shakespeare retold by Lester.

   Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake

A friendship based on the strength of two women: one young, one old; and the beauty of the skin they're in.

   Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

"So the beginning of this was a woman and she had come back from burying the dead."

   Way Past Cool by Jess Mowry

"The warning wasn't needed: the other boys had already scattered among garbage cans, their boards abandoned and darting away as if seeking cover too. Gordon's stupidity would be remembered later as cool, though he never considered that. In another sort of war he might have won a medal."

Skin We're In: Arab American
Books with Arab American themes or authors.

   An Ancient Heritage: The Arab-American minority by Brent Ashabranner

Discusses the cultural experience of Arab Americans and the history of Arab immigration to the United States.

   Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye

An Arab American family that moves from St. Louis to a town between Jerusalem and Palestine faces many changes, including the tensions between Jews and Palestinians.

   In My Own Skin [videorecording]

Candid interviews with five young Arab-American women living in New York that gives a glimpse of the conflicts, joys and pressures of being a member of two very different communities.
Ask library staff if you need help placing a Prospector hold on this item.

Skin We're In: Asia
Stories that take place in China, Tibet, Japan, Korea...

   Blue Fingers :A Ninja's Tale by Cheryl Aylward Whitesel

Some people dream of being ninjas, but Koji is captured and forced to train. He resists until he finds a cause worth fighting for. (Japan)

   Bound by Donna Jo Napoli

A retelling of the Cinderella story, in which our heroine is considered ugly because she hasn't had her feet broken and bound. (China)

   Chinese Cinderella : the true story of an unwanted daughter by Adeline Yen Mah

The youngest of five siblings, Wu Mei suffers at the hands of her cruel new stepmother. (China)

   Hearsay : Strange Tales from the Middle Kingdom by Barbara Ann Porte

Retellings of traditional Chinese legends, with hints of history and tradition thrown in.(China)

   Homesick, My Own Story by Jean Fritz

"In my father's study there was a large globe with all the countries of the world running around it ... And I was on the wrong side of the globe."(China)

   Laughing Sutra by Mark Salzman

In search of the legendary Laughing Sutra, which is supposed to hold the keys to immortal life, Hsun-ching and his mentor experience the realities and amusements of the United States. (China)

   Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Follow 9 year-old Chiyo, sold with her sister into slavery by their father after their mother's death, as she becomes Sayuri, the beautiful geisha accomplished in the art of entertaining men. (Japan)

   Rebel: A Tibetan Odyssey by Cheryl Aylward Whitesel

Thunder rebels against his strict parents and he is sent to live with his uncle - in a remote Tibetan monastery. (Tibet)

   Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

Tree-ear, a thirteen-year-old orphan in medieval Korea, lives under a bridge in a potters' village, and longs to learn how to throw the delicate celadon ceramics himself.(Korea)

   Ties that Bind, Ties that Break : a novel by Lensey Namioka

After her father dies, Ailin is considered deformed and is given the choice of being a peasant's wife or a nun -- because Ailin's father allowed her to keep her feet unbound. (China)

   Wandering Warrior by Da Chen

His guardian thinks Luka is destined to be Emperor, so the teen is trained in the arts of philosophy and kung fu. (China)

   Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi

A young Korean girl survives the oppressive Japanese and Russian occupation of North Korea during the 1940s, to later escape to freedom in South Korea.(Korea)

Skin We're In: Asian American
By and about Asian Americans

   American Dragons: Twenty-five Asian American Voices by Lawrence Yep

Includes short stories, poems, and excerpts from plays that relate what it is like growing up Asian American.

   Fold by An Na

Korean American high school student Joyce Kim feels like a nonentity compared to her beautiful older sister, and when her aunt offers to pay for plastic surgery on her eyes, she jumps at the chance, thinking it will change her life for the better.

   Half and Half by Lensey Namioka

"I had to check one of the boxes that said, 'White,' 'Asian,' 'Black,' 'Hispanic,' 'Native American,' or 'Other.' None of them would be right, though, because I'm not any one of those things."

   Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo by Greg Leitich Smith

Shohei is honing his slacker skills. His adoptive parents want him to hear his ancestors - the Japanese ones; his science fair project goes badly awry (how do you get a piranha to be a vegetarian?); and then, there is Galileo's choice. All this and middle school, too.

   Step from Heaven by An Na

A young Korean girl and her family find it difficult to learn English and adjust to life in America.

   Wait for Me by An Na

As her senior year in high school approaches, Mina yearns to find her own path in life but working at the family business, taking care of her little sister, and dealing with her mother's impossible expectations are as stifling as the southern California heat, until she falls in love with a man who offers a way out.

Skin We're In: Central Asia
Stories from India & Pakistan

   God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

"... at times like these, only the Small Things are ever said. The Big Things lurk unsaid inside..." (India)

   Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan

After her sickly husband's quick death, Koly is abandoned in the widows village and is forced to support herself - at age 13. (India)

   Iqbal by Francesco D'Adamo

The fictionalized biography of thirteen-year-old Iqbal Masih. He received an international prize, traveled the world speaking about the horrors of children working in carpet factories, and was murdered when he returned home. (Pakistan)

   Roller Birds of Rampur by Indi Rama

Sheila Mehta, born in India but raised in London, goes back to her home in India at age 17 to sort out her beliefs and find a way to blend her British ways of thinking with her Indian upbrining. (East India)

Skin We're In: Latin America
Novels, short stories, and poems from Latin America.

   Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter / La Tía Julia y el Escribidor by Mario Vargas Llosa

Told in two voices, this book is the somewhat autobiographical comic story of the aspiring writer, Mario, who falls in love with his aunt-in-law, Julia; and the other hero of the story - the failing writer of radio soap operas with whom Mario works.

   Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez

At first feeling safe behind the walls of her family compound, Anita soon learns that there is little safety when you are living under a dictatorship.

   Burning Patience / El Cartero de Neruda, Ardiente Paciencia / Il Postino by Antonio Skármeta

The story of the young postman whose job it is to deliver mail to the famous Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda, living in exile in Italy.
Il Postino is the movie version.

   House of Spirits / La Casa de los Espíritus by Isabel Allende

The story of the Trueba family, which showcases 70 years of Chilean history.

   Labyrinths: Selected Stories and Other Writings by Jorge Luis Borges

Mysterious, lyrical, and magical stories and poems - and we're not just saying that because he worked in a library!

   Like Water for Chocolate / Como Agua Para Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

There is magic in everyday things - even the simplest act of cooking a meal for your loved ones.

   No One Writes to the Colonel and Other Stories by Gabriel García Márquez

Witty and compassionate stories of human frailty.

   One Hundred Years of Solitude / Cien Años de Soledad by Gabriel García Márquez

"Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice."

   Residence on Earth: Residencia en la Tierra by Pablo Neruda

Some of the finest political and surreal poems by this Nobel Prize winning poet.

   Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti by Frances Temple

"It is not quiet, here in this make-do hospital, but it is peaceful."

   Underdogs / Los de Abajo by Mariano Azuela

Revolutionaries, government troops, and truths about how war affects the people.

Skin We're In: Latino/Latina American
Books about Latinos and Latinas in the United States.

   ...and the Earth Did Not Devour Him / Y No Se Lo Tragó la Tierra by Tomás Rivera

Work, family, religion, poverty - stories of real life.

   Afterlife by Gary Soto

"When you're an ordinary-looking guy, even feo, you got to suck it up and do your best." Even after death.

   Bless Me Ultima /Bendíceme Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

"The magical time of childhood stood still, and the pulse of the living earth pressed its mystery into my living blood."

   Breaking Through / Senderos Fronterizos by Francisco Jiménez

One teen's struggle to survive in the California migrant camps and in school. Can he work through the poverty and prejudice to achieve his dreams?

   Hole In My Life by Jack Gantos

Trying to make some much needed money to pay for college, Jack Gantos attempted drug-smuggling. Bad choice. Jack went to prison. But, his life was definitely not over....

   House on Mango Street / La Casa en Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Through vignettes, read Esperanza's hope to break free from Mango Street. She explores conflicts of divided cultural loyalties, alienation and the degradation of poverty as she grows more confident during a year in her life.

   How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez

After they must flee their priviledged life in the Dominican Republic, the four Garcia sisters must adjust to a new life in the United States.

   Island Like You by Judith Ortiz Cofer

"When I was sent to spend the summer at my grandparents' house in Puerto Rico, I knew it was going to be strange, I just didn't know how strange."

Skin We're In: Middle East
Books that take place in the Middle East.

   

   19 Varieties of Gazelle by Naomi Shihab Nye

"What makes a man with a gun seem bigger than a man with almonds..."

   Beirut Blues: a Novel by Hanan al-Shaykh

Through a series of unsent letters, the narrator tells the story of how her home has been destroyed by war. (Lebanon)

   Figs and Fate by Elsa Marston

Teens tell their own stories of their homes, families and friends. (Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, a Palestinian refugee camp and Iraq)

   Habibi by Naomi Shibab Nye

An Arab American family that moves from St. Louis to a town between Jerusalem and Palestine faces many changes, including the tensions between Jews and Palestinians.

   Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

"...I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night." (Afghanistan)

   One More River by Lynne Reid Banks

   The Space Between our Footsteps by selected by Naomi Shihab Nye

Over 100 poets and artists from 19 different Middle Eastern countries share their innermost feelings about place, family, war, peace, adulthood, home, and love.

   Thura's Diary: My Life in Wartime Iraq by Thura Al-Windawi

"These are the last hours before the bombing, and everything is chcanging fast. My friends are all staying home. All the shops and streets are empty. The windows are bricked up. The government ministries are empty. We are waiting."

Skin We're In: Native America
Written by and about native peoples throughout the Americas

   Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko

"I will tell you something about stories...., they aren't just for entertainment."

   Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto by Vine Deloria

"The more we try to be ourselves the more we are forced to defend what we have never been."

   I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala by Rigoberta Menchú

"My name is Rigoberta Menchú....what has happened to me has happened to many other people too: My story is the story of all poor Guatemalans. My personal experience is the reality of a whole people."

   Indians Are Us? Culture and Genocide in Native North America by Ward Churchill

Yes, that Ward Churchill. Read it and draw your own conclusions.

   Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie

Don't forget the video "Smoke Signals," based on this book.

   Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich

"June had wedged herself so tight against the door that when she sprang the latch she fell out. Into the cold. It was a shock like being born."

   Rain Is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith

"The next day was my fourteenth birthday, and I'd never kissed a boy -- domestic-style or French. Right then, looking at that magazine, I decided to get myself a teen life."

   She Had Some Horses by Joy Harjo

"This morning she thought she woke up...."
Ask library staff if you need help placing a Prospector hold on this item.

   Skeleton Man by Joseph Bruchac

"I'm not sure if I'm a minor character or the heroine. Heck, I'm not even sure I'll be around to tell the end of it. But I don't think anyone else is going to tell this story. Wait! What was that noise?"

Skin We're In: Oceania
By and about the peoples of the islands in the southern Pacific Ocean

   Rabbit Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington (Nugi Garimara)

The true story of three mixed-race girls (including the mother of the author) taken from their community in South Western Australia; they escape the Moore River camp where they are to be assimilated to white ways. Then begins the trek of over 1000 miles to their home.

   The Bomb by Theodore Taylor

1944. The Bikini Atoll islanders are told that in the interest of peace they must leave their home for a time. They are assured that they will be able to return to the beautiful beaches and warm waters. Sixteen-year-old Sorry Rinamu believes this is a lie.

   Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera

As her beloved grandfather, chief of the Maori tribe of Whangara, New Zealand, struggles to lead in difficult times and to find a male successor, young Kahu is developing a mysterious relationship with whales, particularly the ancient bull whale whose legendary rider was their ancestor. But, will her grandfather learn to accept Kahu for who she is?

Stay Safe, Love Smart
Make sure you choose the partner who values you, instead of one who pressures or intimidates you.

   Dreamland : A Novel by Sarah Dessen

After her older sister runs away, sixteen-year-old Caitlin decides that she needs to make a major change in her own life and begins an abusive relationship with a boy who is mysterious, brilliant, and dangerous.

   Inexcusable by Chris Lynch

High school senior and football player Keir sets out to enjoy himself on graduation night, but when he attempts to comfort a friend whose date has left her stranded, things go terribly wrong.

   Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Isolated from friends who believe the worst because she has not been truthful with them, sixteen-year-old Annabel finds an ally in classmate Owen, whose honesty and passion for music help her to face and share what really happened at the end-of-the-year party that changed her life.

   Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

A remarkable novel about a teen who only lived 14 years.

   Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Why won't our heroine speak? What happened during the summer to turn her friends against her and take away her voice?

   ttyl by Lauren Myracle

A story told in IM in which a teen is starting a dangerous relationship with a teacher.

To Be Or Not To Be . . . Popular.
Cliques, outcasts, queen bees, clubs, and trying to fit in.

   Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen by Dyan Sheldon

Newcomer Lola wins the lead in the school play, and with that the wrath of the established school drama queen, snotty Carla Santini. Thus begins the war to be number one...

   Edge by Diane Tullson

14 year-old Marlie has been dropped by her best friend and deals with torment every day at school. She thinks she has finally found friends in a group of outcasts, but soon learns that they have plans for torments of their own...

   Fashion Disaster That Changed My Life by Lauren Myracle

What's worse that the first day of school? Showing up with your mom's underwear stuck to your pants! This is not how Alli hoped to get noticed.

   First French Kiss and Other Traumas by Adam Bagdasarian

"I tried to find a way to kiss her and breathe at the same time, but no matter where I turned my head, her nose was always there." Can Will survive this and other traumas?

   Goodbye, Amanda the Good by Susan Shreve

"The Club was the fringe group at Alice Deal...They were brave and daring and rebellious, afraid of nothing, and Amanda Bates, who had been a good, obedient girl for all her life, wanted to be one of them."

   I Was A Non-Blonde Cheerleader by Kieran Scott

"Would any of these people end up being my friend? Did I have anything in common with any of them? What if this school was too cliquey and no one wanted someone new to, you know, clique with?"

   On the Fringe by Donald R. Gallo

Stories about what it feels like to be on the outside and be bullied, and what it can drive you do.

   Rhymes with Witches by Lauren Myracle

Plain Jane goes from invisible to initiated into the cool-girl clique of her school. How far is she willing to go to keep the attention?

   Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

At first Micca High is enchanted by the strange and mysterious ways of Stargirl. Leo Borlock instantly falls in love with her. But when the schools turns on Stargirl, Leo has to ask her to be the one thing that could destroy her: normal.

   Tribes by Arthur Slade

Meet the Tribes of Grade 12: the Jock Tribe, the Logo Tribe, the Born-Again Tribe, the Lipstick/Hairspray Tribe, the Teacher Tribe, the Cool and Detacted Tribe, and more... as told by self proclaimed quasi-omniscinet Observer Percival Mountmount, Jr.

   ttyl by Lauren Myracle

"it's so fake. all that clique stuff. i hate feeling like everyone knows the secret handshake but me."

   Walking Naked by Alyssa Brugman

There are those who are popular. There are those who are outcasts. And there are those who must choose between the two.

Urban Lit
Stories in the city, stories from the streets... just for teens

   Afterlife by Gary Soto

A senior at East Fresno High School lives on as a ghost after his brutal murder in the restroom of a club where he had gone to dance.

   Emako Blue by Brenda Woods

(Place a hold to get this item from Broomfield or Louisville)
Monterey, Savannah, Jamal, and Eddie have never had much to do with each other until Emako Blue shows up at chorus practice, but just as the lives of the five Los Angeles high school students become intertwined, tragedy tears them apart.

   Hip Hop High School by Alan Lawrence Sitomer

Follows an African-American teenager through four years at her inner-city high school.

   Jason & Kyra by Dana Davidson

Handsome and popular Jason tries to come to terms with his irascible, often absent father and his growing attraction to the quiet, studious Kyra.

   Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Here's the story of 16-year-old Steve Harmon told through his own movie script. "Fade In: Early morning in Cell Block D, Manhattan Detention Center."

   Paranoid Park by Blake Nelson

A sixteen-year-old Portland, Oregon skateboarder, whose parents are going through a difficult divorce, is engulfed by guilt and confusion when he accidentally kills a security guard at a train yard.

   Party Girl by Lynne Ewing

The death of her best friend Ana in a drive-by shooting causes fifteen-year-old Kata to question her position in the Los Angeles gang life.

   Played by Dana Davidson

When one of Ian's boys dares him to get plain-faced Kylie Winship to sleep with him in just three weeks, he thinks it will be a breeze. If he succeeds in playing Kylie, he'll be down with the most popular crew in his high school. Kylie has a gut feeling that something's up when Ian starts pursuing her. Even though she is cautious at first, their relationship heats up quickly and soon Kylie has to decide whether to listen to her heart, or her head.

   Romiette and Julio by Sharon Draper

Romiette, an African-American girl, and Julio, a Hispanic boy, discover that they attend the same high school after falling in love on the Internet, but are harrassed by a gang whose members object to their interracial dating.

   Rose That Grew From Concrete by Tupac Shakur

A collection of poetry written by the rapper between 1989 and 1991, before he became famous. The poems are passionate, sometimes angry, and often compelling.

   Street Love by Walter Dean Myers

This story told in free verse is set against a background of street gangs and poverty in Harlem in which seventeen-year-old African American Damien takes a bold step to ensure that he and his new love will not be separated.

   Tyrell by Coe Booth

Who do you turn to when your life falls apart? Sixteen-year-old Tyrell and his family go into temporary housing and things start to unravel at the seams. He tries to get his family back on their feet, navigate a relationship with his girl who is still in high school and face the developing love with someone who understands his circumstance...

Who Dunit?
Mysteries that will challenge your inner sleuth.

   7th Knot by Kathleen Karr

Two brothers touring Europe in the 19th century become embroiled in a mystery involving Albrecht Durer's knot woodcuts and a secret German society when they go in search of their uncle's enigmatic missing valet.

   Acceleration by Graham McNamee

Stuck working in the Lost and Found of the Toronto Transit Authority for the summer, seventeen-year-old Duncan finds the diary of a serial killer and sets out to stop him.

   And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Ten people, invited to an island retreat by an unknown millionaire begin to die off, one by one.

   Black Mirror by Nancy Werlin

Convinced her brother's death was murder rather than suicide, sixteen-year-old Frances begins her own investigation into suspicious student activities at her boarding school.

   Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci

Torey Adams, a high school junior with a seemingly perfect life, struggles with doubts and questions surrounding the mysterious disappearance of the class outcast.

   Cat Who Talked To Ghosts by Lillian Jackson Braun

A former reporter and his cat discover that the death of a leading citizen was no accident.

   Close to a Killer by Marsha Qualey

Seventeen-year-old Barrie finds herself involved in a string of murders that are somehow connected to her mother's hair salon.

   Cold as Ice by Elizabeth Levy

Working at the Dome, a sports arena in New York City, during a pre-Olympic skating exhibition, Kelly meets two competitive male skaters whose lives become threatened by a string of mysterious accidents.
(Ask library staff if you need help placing a Prospector hold on this item.)

   Counterfeit Son by Elaine Alphin

(Only at the MDE library in Broomfield)
When serial killer Hank Miller is killed in a shoot-out with police, his abused son Cameron adopts the identity of one of his father's victims in order to find a better life.

   Dark and Deadly Pool by Joan Lowery Nixon

Sixteen-year-old Mary Elizabeth's summer job at an expensive health club turns out to be more exciting than she bargained for when a series of mysterious events culminate in murder.

   Dead Girls Don't Write Letters by Gail Giles

Fourteen-year-old Sunny is stunned when a total stranger shows up at her house posing as her older sister Jazz, who supposedly died out of town in a fire months earlier.

   Don't Look Behind You by Lois Duncan

Seventeen-year-old April finds her comfortable life changed forever when death threats to her father, a witness in a federal case, force her family to go into hiding under assumed names and flee the pursuit of a hired killer.

   Double Helix by Nancy Werlin

Eighteen-year-old Eli discovers a shocking secret about his life and his family while working for a Nobel Prize-winning scientist whose specialty is genetic engineering.

   Escape From Memory by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Allowing herself to be hynotized, fifteen-year-old Kira reveals memories of another time and place that may eventually cost her and her mother their lives.

   Face On The Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney

Fifteen-year-old Janie sees a picture of her younger self on a milk carton and begins to seek the truth her past.

   Facing the Dark by Michael Harrison

When his father is arrested for the murder of a rival cab driver, Simon joins forces with the victim's daughter Charley to find out what really happened.

   For Mike by Shelley Sykes

When Jeff's best friend Mike disappears in the fall of their senior year in high school, Jeff has disturbing dreams in which Mike urges him to come get him, and a secret begins to unfold.

   Gallows Hill by Lois Duncan

When seventeen-year-old Sarah works in the fortune-telling booth at a school carnival, she finds that sometimes she can really see the future in the crystal ball, a talent that disturbs some of the other students and makes them suspect her of being a witch.

   Ghost in the Tokaido Inn by Dorothy Hoobler

While attempting to solve the mystery of a stolen jewel, Seikei, a merchant's son who longs to be a samurai, joins a group of kabuki actors in eighteenth-century Japan.

   Girl in the Box by Ouida Sebestyen

When 13-year-old Jackie McGee is kidnapped and left in a dark, underground room, she is forced to draw from her inner strength and courage.

   Guardian by Dee Henderson

A federal judge has been murdered. There is only one witness. And someone wants her dead. U.S. Marshal Marcus O'Malley thought he knew the risks ... until he fell in love.

   Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

A seemingly supernatural hound and an ancient curse give Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Watson another elementary mystery.

   I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan

It was only an accident -- but it would change their lives forever. Last summer, four terrified friends made a desperate pact to conceal a shocking secret. But some secrets don't stay buried, and someone has learned the truth. Someone bent on revenge. This summer, the horror is only beginning....

   In the Stone Circle by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

While spending the summer in an old stone house in Wales, fourteen-year-old Cristyn comes to terms with the death of her mother while satisfying the request of a thirteenth-century princess.

   Jade Green: A Ghost Story by Phyllis Naylor

While living with her uncle in a house haunted by the ghost of a young woman, recently orphaned Judith Sparrow wonders if her one small transgression causes mysterious happenings.

   Loves Music, Loves To Dance by Mary Higgins Clark

Story of a murderer whose victims are found wearing one dancing shoe.

   Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Red herrings abound, and Hercule Poirot depends on his little gray cells to find the killer of an American millionaire while traveling on the Orient Express.

   Never Trust a Dead Man by Vivian Vande Velde

Wrongly convicted of murder and punished by being sealed in the tomb with the dead man, seventeen-year-old Selwyn enlists the help of a witch and the resurrected victim to find the true killer.

   Nobody's There by Joan Lowry Nixon

Following an act of vandalism against her father's girlfriend, a seventeen-year-old girl is paired by the court with an eccentric senior citizen whose hobby as a sleuth turns deadly.

   Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

In 1906, sixteen-year-old Mattie, determined to attend college and be a writer against the wishes of her father and fiance, takes a job at a summer inn where she discovers the truth about the death of a guest. Based on a true story.

   Playmaker by J.B. Cheaney

While working as an apprentice in a London theater company in 1597, fourteen-year-old Richard uncovers a mystery involving the disappearance of his father and a traitorous plot to overthow Queen Elizabeth.

   Pretend You Don't See Her by Mary Higgins Clark

What happens when a young woman, having merely been in the wrong place at the wrong time, is accidentally caught up in a dangerous murder investigation? What happens when she is placed under police protection, forced to give up her identity and move to another part of the country, at least until the killer can be positively identified and apprehended? What happens when in her new life she meets the perfect man, only she can't risk falling in love because she can't tell anyone -- even him, especially him -- who she really is?

   Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier

Trent, an ace interrogator from Vermont, works to procure a confession from an introverted twelve-year-old accused of murdering his seven-year-old friend in Monument, Massachusetts.

   Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman

In search of clues to the mystery of her father's death, 16-year-old Sally Lockhart ventures into the shadowy underworld of Victorian London. Pursued by villains at every turn, the intrepid Sally finally uncovers two dark mysteries--and realizes that she herself is the key to both.

   Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix

When a diphtheria epidemic hits her 1840 village, thirteen-year-old Jessie discovers it is actually a 1995 tourist site under unseen observation by heartless scientists, and it's up to Jessie to escape the village and save the lives of the dying children.

   She by Carol Plum-Ucci

After his parents are lost at sea, Evan Barrett and his older brother leave their seaside home in West Hook to escape bad memories, but years later even worse questions emerge when Evan is asked to help a fellow student deal with another sea-related tragedy.

   Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman

Fourteen-year-old Shawn McDaniel, who suffers from severe cerebral palsy and cannot function, relates his perceptions of his life, his family, and his condition, especially as he believes his father is planning to kill him.

   Tightrope by Gillian Cross

When she begins receiving bizarre threatening messages from someone who seems to know her every move, teenage Ashley, after seeking help from the neighborhood tough guy, comes to realize that she alone can end the stalker's reign of terror.

   Troubling a Star by Madeleine L'Engle

As she tries to stay alive after being left on an iceberg in the Antarctic, sixteen-year-old Vicky recalls the series of events that brought her to the bottom of the world and involved her in a dangerous mystery.

   Twisted Summer by Willo Davis Roberts

Fourteen-year-old Cici hopes for a romantic summer at the beach but instead finds herself trying to solve a murder which had occurred there the previous year.

   Wolf Rider: A Tale of Terror by Avi

After receiving an apparent crank call from a man claiming to have committed murder, fifteen-year-old Andy finds his close relationship with his father crumbling as he struggles to make everyone believe him.