Deenie

by Judy Blume

Deenie is a very pretty girl who wants to be a model. Her whole world is turned upside down when she finds out that she has scoliosis and has to wear a back brace for four years or more. Deenie is not sure that she can face her classmates and disappointing her mom if she has to stop modeling.

--Sasha B., Student

Marked

by P.C. & Kristin Cast

Read the whole Twilight series? Twice? Searching for the next teen vampire series? Look no further--The House of Night series ( Marked, Betrayed, and Chosen) takes a boarding school like Hogwarts, mixes it with the super-coolness of vampires, and throws in a little Mean Girls for good measure.

--Kristin McKeown, Faculty

My Sister's Keeper

by Jodi Picoult

Kate has a rare form of leukemia. Her sister Anna was conceived by her parents to become a perfect donor in a effort to prolong Kate's life. Anna decides to sue her parents because of how her body is being used. I liked the story because it was very intense.

--Oksana L., Student

The Lovely Bones

by Alice Sebold

Susie Salmon has been murdered. She now looks down upon her friends, her family, and her killer, wondering if he will ever be caught. I really enjoyed this book because it had many suprises and cool twists.

--Heather F., Student

The Giver

by Lois Lowry

The Giver is about a life with no color, no feelings, the same birthdays, and jobs which are chosen for us. One boy, Jonas, is chosen to receive all of the memories. I loved this book. It shows what our life would be like without all of these feelings.

--Bryce F., Student

Built To Grind

by Bob Denike

This book is about the birth and growth of Independant Truck Company, from basic prototypes to the modern skateboard trucks that everyone will remember. It also explores the history of the company, the founders, and the riders for Independant.

--Tyler R., Student

To Kill A Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

To Kill A Mockingbird is amazingly written. It's intense and mysterious because it is slow to give away information about some of the main characters. It definitely kept me interested until the very last page.

--Kathleen L., Student

Go Ask Alice

by Anonymous

Go Ask Alice is about a young girl's accidental introduction into the world of drugs. The book follows her downward journey from a comfortable home and life into the darkness of the streets.

--Jennifer H., Student

The Teenage Guy's Survival Guide

by Jeremy Daldry

This book talks about growing up. It deals with what happens to guys when they hit adolescence, and gives advice on everything else ranging from pimples to girls.

--Philip S., Student

Bloody Jack

by L.A. Meyer

Mary "Jacky" Faber is an orphan living on the streets of London with a gang. When she disguises herself as "Jack Faber" and lands a spot on a ship in the Royal Majesty's Navy, she takes to the high seas. Living her life as a ship's boy she has to devise plans to help keep her femininity a secret from the rest of the ship.

--Javiera P., Student

Skin

by Adrienne Maria Vrettos

This is the saddest book that I have ever read. Donnie and Karen live in a very dysfunctional family. Their parents are constantly raging at each other. Donnie is an outcast at school and becomes invisible, while Karen becomes anorexic and starves herself to death.

--Cynthia C., Student

The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch

by Joseph Delaney

The first book in the series introduces us to Thomas Ward, the seventh son of a seventh son. Thomas's parents arrange for him to become the apprentice of the Spook. Whenever scary things like witches or boggarts cause trouble in the county, Thomas gets sent to sort it all out.

--David E., Student

The Sledding Hill

by Chris Crutcher

Eddie and Billy are best friends. They still help each other out and they still meet on top of the sledding hill. Why should the accidental death of Billy change anything? I thought that the story helps teach about how some people deal with the loss of a loved one.

--Samuel K., Student

Speak

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak is about a girl named Melinda who has been shunned and scapegoated since the first day of high school. Everyone knows that she called the cops at a summer party, but she won't tell anyone why. In fact, since the party, she barely speaks at all.

--Ashley N., Student

The Catcher in the Rye

by J.D. Salinger

The book was about a kid named Holden who gets expelled from prep school and goes on some adventures in New York City. I liked the story because at some points it was funny and at others it wasn't, so it had a whole range of emotions.

--Kyle R., Student

Of Mice and Men

by John Steinbeck

The story is about two migrant workers; George and his friend Lennie who is mentally disabled. I liked the story because it tells the truth about the reality of the "American Dream."

--Nicholas H., Student

The Lord of the RIngs: The Fellowship of the Ring

by J.R.R. Tolkien

The first book of the trilogy is about a hobbit named Frodo who inherits his uncle's magical ring. Frodo's friend and mentor Gandalf, alerts him to the evil powers of the ring and tells him that it must be destroyed. Frodo gangs up with a wizard, an elf, a dwarf, a man and other companions to set out to destroy the ring. I liked the book because of the suspense and action.

--Nick J., Student

Nostradamus: The Man Who Saw Through Time.

by Lee McCann

This is the biography of Nostradamus, an astrologer and physician, and the author of books of prophecy.

--Emmanuel G., Student

Bless Me, Ultima

by Rudolfo Anaya

This story is about a young Spanish boy named Antonio and his adventures growing up with a curandera named Ultima.

--Amanda W., Student