Home  Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults

Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults 2006 annotations

Books That Don't Make You Blush, Criminal Elements, What Ails You?, GLBTQ

Books That Don’t Make You Blush

Abbott, Hailey. The Bridesmaid. 2005. Delacorte, paper, $7.95. (0-385-73220-1). Can Abby train the dreaded Bridezilla?

Bauer, Joan. Backwater. 2000. Putnam, paper, $6.99. (0-698-11865-0). Ivy battles the family legal tradition and a treacherous blizzard.

Bruchac, Joseph. The Warriors. 2003. Darby Creek, paper, $4.99. (1-58196-022-0). Jake, a star lacrosse player, enters a boarding school only to find that his Iroquois heritage is misunderstood.

Cabot, Meg. All-American Girl. 2003. HarperTrophy, paper, $6.99. (0-06-447277-9). Being a hero isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Cappo, Nan Willard. Cheating Lessons. 2003. Simon Pulse, paper, $4.99. (0-689-86018-8). Even if you’re smart, you don’t have all the answers.

Carlson, Melody. It's My Life: Diary of a Teenage Girl. 2000. Multnomah Publisher, paper, $12.99. (1-57673-735-7). Caitlin O’Connor’s journal tells about the ways her Christian faith is affected by everyday happenings.

Ferris, Jean. Love Among the Walnuts. 1998. Harcourt, paper, $5.99. (0-14-131099-5). Two parents, a girlfriend, and a chicken fall into comas after being poisoned.

Hilgartner, Beth. Murder for Her Majesty. 1992. Houghton Mifflin, paper, $5.95. (0-395-61619-0). The newest star of the Yorkshire Cathedral’s boys’ choir has a secret – she’s a girl.

Hobbs, Will. Leaving Protection. 2005. HarperCollins, paper, $5.99. (0-380-73312-9). Fishing for salmon off the coast of Alaska and hooked by danger.

Karr, Kathleen. The Boxer. 2004. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, paper, $6.95. (0-374-40886-6). Will chasing the American dream make the Chopper a champion or a chump?

Lubar, David. Dunk. 2002. Clarion Books, paper, $6.99. (0-618-43909-9). Step right up and take your best shot at dunking Chad the Bozo! Experience a summer on the Jersey shore as Chad learns there’s more to humor than being funny.

Oppel, Kenneth. Airborn. 2005. HarperEos, paper, $6.99. (0-06-053182-7). "Pirates of the Caribbean" meets "Where the Wild Things Are."

Rabb, M. E. The Rose Queen. 2004. Penguin, paper, $ 6.99. (0-14-250041-0). Lost and found: Two orphaned sisters flee New York to become Midwestern crime solvers.

Rallison, Janette. All's Fair in Love, War, and High School. 2005. Walker & Company, paper, $6.95. (0-8027-7725-2). Can head cheerleader Samantha tame her tongue during a student body election?

Schindler, Nina (translator, Rob Barrett). An Order of Amelie, Hold the Fries. 2004. Annick Press, paper, $8.95. (1-55037-860-0). Do u like me? Plz rite back soon.

Shaw, Tucker. Flavor of the Week. 2005. Hyperion, paper, $5.99. (0-7868-5698-X). If food is the way to a woman’s heart, then Cyril should be Prince Charming.

Sheldon, Dyan. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. 2005. Candlewick Press, paper, $7.99. (0-7636-2827-1). All the world’s a stage and all Lola’s friends and enemies are merely players.

Smith, Greg Leitich. Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo. 2005. Little, Brown and Company, paper, $6.99. (0-316-01181-9). Who knew a science experiment could cause so much heartache?

Takaya, Natsuki. Fruits Basket Vol. 1. 2004. Tokyopop, paper, $9.99. (1-591826-039-8). Tohru Honda finds a home with a family who has a most unusual secret.

Trottier, Maxine. Sister to the Wolf. 2004. Kids Can Press, paper, $6.95. (1-55337-520-3). Lesharo, a Pawnee slave, swears to protect a young woman and her father on a dangerous journey.

Van Draanen, Wendelin. Flipped. 2003. Knopf, paper, $8.95. (0-375-82544-4). She loves him, he loves her not. Wait! Isn’t it the other way around?

Vaughan, Brian K. Runaways Vol. 1: Pride & Joy. Illustrated by Adrian Alphona. 2004. Marvel, paper, $7.99. (0-7851-1379-7). Six teens find out that their parents are evil. No, really, really evil.

Weaver, Will. Memory Boy. 2003. HarperTrophy, paper, $5.99. (0-06-440854-x). Miles invents a fantastic vehicle to escape with his family from a worldwide ecological disaster.

Westerfeld, Scott. Uglies. 2005. Simon Pulse, paper, $6.99. (0-689-86538-4). In Tally’s world everyone is an Ugly, until they’re turned into a Pretty on their sixteenth birthday.

Criminal Elements

Brooks, Kevin. Martyn Pig. 2003. Scholastic, paper, $6.99. (0-439-50752-9). When his father dies accidentally, Martyn gets deeper and deeper in trouble as he tries to cover it up.

Cormier, Robert. Rag and Bone Shop. 2003. Laurel Leaf, paper, $6.50. (0-440-22971-5). Sociopath, or coerced victim?

Ewing, Lynne. Drive-By. 1998. HarperCollins, paper, $4.95. (0-06-440649-0). When Tito’s older brother is killed in a gang-related drive-by, Tito must keep his family safe – no matter what it takes.

Ferris, Jean. Bad. 2001. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, paper, $5.95. (0–374-40475-5). Life behind bars changes tough Dallas’s life and her attitude.

Flinn, Alex. Nothing to Lose. 2004. HarperCollins, paper, $6.99. (0-06-051752-2). The Tilt-a-whirl could never be half as thrilling as Michael’s dark secret.

Foon, Dennis. Skud. 2004. Groundwood, paper, $6.95. (0-88899-549-0). Hidden lives of bullies.

Gantos, Jack. Hole in My Life. 2004. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, paper, $8.00. (0-374-43089-6). Breaking the law is a bad idea, but it doesn’t have to ruin your life.

Hartinger, Brent. Last Chance Texaco. 2005. HarperCollins, paper, $6.99. (0-06-050914-7). Lucy’s last chance before prison is a group home that could bring her a future, romance, mystery – or total disaster.

Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. 1997. Puffin, paper, $7.99. (0-14-038572-x). It’s the rich kids vs. the greasers.

Jacobs, Thomas A. They Broke the Law, You Be the Judge: true cases of teen crime. 2003. Free Spirit, paper, $15.95. (1-57542-134-8). What’s it like to be arrested and go through the legal system?

Koertge, Ron. The Brimstone Journals. 2001. Candlewick Press, paper, $6.99. (0-7636-1742-3). Boyd’s list of his classmates is one list you never want to see your name on.

Kyi, Tanya Lloyd. Truth. 2003. Orca Soundings, paper, $7.95. (1-55143-265-X). Jen learns quickly that, when it comes to solving a murder, you’re either part of the solution or part of the problem.

McClintock, Norah. Snitch. 2005. Orca Books, paper, $7.95. (1-55143-484-9). A dog teaches obedience to an angry boy.

Mikaelsen, Ben. Touching Spirit Bear. 2002. HarperTrophy, paper, $5.99. (0-380-80560-x). Prison, or a year on a remote island? Which will Cole choose? Which would you?

Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. 2001. HarperTempest, paper, $6.99. (0-06-440731-4). Steve’s movie will be a surefire success, if he isn’t sentenced to life in prison first.

Picoult, Jodi. The Pact: A Love Story. 1998. Harper Trade, paper, $14.00. (0-688-17052-8). It was the perfect relationship – but did it end in murder?

Sachar, Louis. Holes. 2003. Random House, paper, $6.50. (0-440-41946-8). Welcome to Camp Green Lake! Did we mention that it’s not a camp, it’s not green, and there’s no lake?

Sanchez, Reymundo. My Bloody Life: The Making of a Latin King. 2001. Chicago Review Press, paper, $16.95. (1-55652-427-7). Inside the life of a Latin King gangster.

Shakur, Sanyika. Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member. 2004. Grove Press, paper, $14.00. (0-8021-4144-7). "Monster" Kody shares his story of 16 years spent growing up as a gangbanger in South Central.

Shepard, Jim. Project X: A Novel. 2005. Vintage, paper, $12.00. (1-4000-3348-9). Even guys next door can become killers.

Sikes, Gini. 8 Ball Chicks: A Year in the Violent World of Girl Gangsters. 1998. Anchor, paper, $14.95. (0-385-47432-6). Inside the lives of girl gangbangers.

Strasser, Todd. Give A Boy A Gun. 2000. Simon & Schuster, paper, $5.99. (0-689-84893-5). Behind the scenes of a high school shooting rampage.

Weber, Lori. Klepto. 2004. Lorimer, paper, $4.99. (1-55028-836-9). Hannah is the bad sister, but Kat seems to be following in her footsteps.

Whitney, Kim Ablon. See You Down the Road. 2005. Laurel Leaf, paper, $5.99. (0-440-23809-9). Bridget’s family was good at being like everyone else except when it came to one thing: Obeying the law.

Williams, Stanley "Tookie" with Barbara Cottman Becnel. Life in Prison. Illus. by D. Stevens and others. 2001. SeaStar Books, paper, $4.95. (1-58717-094-9). Crips founder Tookie Williams tells it like it is about life on Death Row.

What Ails you?

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Fever 1793. 2002. Aladdin, paper, $5.99. (0-689-84891-9). When Yellow Fever consumes Philadelphia, Matilda struggles to survive.

Armstrong, Lance and Sally Jenkins. It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life. 2001. Penguin, paper, $14.00. (0-425-17961-3). Lance Armstrong is going to kick cancer’s butt!

Benson, Ann. The Plague Tales. 1997. Dell, paper, $6.99. (0-440-22510-8). When the Black Death breaks out in the modern London, the past holds the cure.

Bull, Emma. Finder: A Novel of the Borderlands. Ed. by Nicola Griffith and Stephen Pagel. Illus. by Elmer Damaso. 2003. Tor Teen, paper, 6.99. (0-7653-4777-6). Is it a drug? Is it a disease? Can Orient find out the truth before it’s too late?

Cook, Karin. What Girls Learn: A Novel. 1998. Random House, paper, $13.00. (0-679-76944-7). Breast cancer will change their lives forever, but love will pull them through.

Ehrenhaft, Daniel. The Last Dog on Earth. 2003. Yearling Books, paper, $5.99. (0-440-41950-6). A good dog is the best friend a person could have, right? Not anymore.

Golden, Christopher & Rick Hautala. Throat Culture. 2005. Simon & Schuster, paper, $5.99 (0-689-86527-9). Everyone on campus is getting sick. Don’t eat the crab cakes!

Gottleib, Lori. Stick Figure: A Diary of My Former Self. 2000. Berkley Trade, paper, $12.00. (0-425-17890-0). Lori believes you can never be too rich or too thin.

Gregory, Julia. Sickened: The Memoir of a Munchausen by Proxy Childhood. 2004. Bantam, paper, $12.00. (0-553-38197-0). Julie is always at the doctor, but it’s her mom who really needs one.

Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. 2004. Vintage, paper, $12.00. (1-4000-3271-7). Autistic math genius Christopher Boone must solve the mystery of his neighbor's murdered poodle.

Harrar, George. Not as Crazy as I Seem. 2003. Houghton Mifflin, paper, $6.99. (0-618-49480-4). Devon has obsessive compulsive disorder. Devon has obsessive compulsive disorder. Devon has obsessive compulsive disorder. Devon has obsessive compulsive disorder.

Hart, Tony. Microterrors: The Complete Guide to Bacterial, Viral and Fungal Infections. 2004. Firefly Books Ltd, paper, $19.95. (1-55297-970-9). Worried about catching something? Wait ‘til you read this!

Hautman, Pete. Hole in the Sky. 2005. Simon & Schuster, paper, $5.99. (0-689-84428-X). Ceej and his family battle a mutant flu virus and a cult of violent survivors.

Hautman, Pete. Sweetblood. 2005. Simon Pulse, paper, $5.99. (0-689-87324-7). Where the first vampires diabetics?

Hesser, Terry Spencer. Kissing Doorknobs. 1998. Laurel-Leaf, paper, $5.99. (0-440-41314-1). Tara just can’t stop.

Hooper, Mary. At the Sign of the Sugared Plum. 2005. Bloomsbury, paper, $6.95. (1-58234-695-X). Candy, herbs, dried flowers - can anything protect Hannah from the Black Death as it worms its way through the streets of London?

It Happened to Nancy: By an Anonymous Teenager, A True Story from Her Diary. Ed. by Beatrice Sparks. 1994. Avon, paper, $5.99. (0-380-77315-5). In this retro view of AIDS, Nancy is a happy-go-lucky teen until one horrible night ruins her life.

King, Stephen. The Stand. 1980. Random House, paper, $12.99. (0-517-21901-8). A flu like no other has arrived.

Mass, Wendy. A Mango-Shaped Space. 2003. Little, Brown, paper, $6.99. (0-316-05825-4). Mia is stunned to learn her friends don’t see words and numbers in color.

McDaniel, Lurlene. Six Months to Live. 2003. Darby Creek, paper, $4.99. (1-58196-003-4). Dawn leaves her teddy bear collection, cheerleading, and her friends behind in order to beat cancer.

Napoli, Donna Jo. Breath. 2005. Simon Pulse, paper, $5.99. (0-689-86177-X). Salz has always been the sick one, until a strange disease breaks out in his medieval village and it’s up to him to save the day.

Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper. 2005. Simon and Schuster, paper, $14.00. (0-7434-5453-7). What if you were born just to save your sister’s life?

Preston, Richard. The Hot Zone. 1995. Random House, paper, $7.99. (0-385-47956-5). Ebola. There is no cure. Ninety percent of its victims die. Welcome to the Hot Zone.

Vaughn, Brian K. Y the Last Man: Unmanned. 2003. DC Comics, paper, $12.95. (1-56389-980-9). Yorick discovers that being the last man left in a world full of women is not exactly a dream come true.

Werlin, Nancy. Double Helix. 2005. Puffin, paper, $5.99. (0-14-240327-X). Eli needs to escape his own genes.

GLBTQ

Acito, Marc. How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship, and Musical Theater. 2005. Broadway Books, paper, $9.95. (0-7679-1854-1). Poor Edward – he’s juggling a girlfriend, a jock boy crush, and need for funds for Julliard. What’s a confused teen to do?

Bend, Don't Shatter : Poets on the Beginning of Desire. Ed. by T. Cole Rachel and Rita Costello. 2004. Soft Skull Press, paper, $11.95. (1-932360-17-4). Poems by gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and questioning teens.

Boyer, David. Kings and Queens: Queers at the Prom. 2004. Soft Skull Press, paper, $24.95. (1-932360-24-7). Proms, love ‘em or hate ‘em, are remembered here. Cheesy prom photos included!

Boylan, Jennifer Finney. She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders. 2004. Broadway, paper, $14.95. (0-7679-1429-5). Funny account of being transgendered before, during, and after gender reassignment surgery.

De Oliveira, Eddie, Lucky. 2004. Scholastic, paper, $6.99. (0-439-54655-9). It’s not just Toby’s fast feet that keep Sam coming back to the soccer field.

Freymann-Weyr, Garret. My Heartbeat. 2003. Puffin, paper, $7.99. (0-14-240066-1). A sister, a brother – and the boy they both love.

Hear Me Out: True Stories of Teens Educating and Confronting Homophobia. 2004. Second Story Press, paper, $9.95. (1-896764-87-8). Real-life stories in many voices about teens confronting narrow-mindedness and finding themselves along the way.

Huegel, Kelly. GLBTQ*: The Survival Guide for Queer and Questioning Teens *(Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning). 2004. Free Spirit, paper, $15.95. (1-57542-126-7). A very helpful look at challenges and issues facing GLBTQ teens.

Johnson, Maureen. The Bermudez Triangle. 2005. Razorbill, paper, $7.99. (1-59514-033-6). Nina, Mel, and Avery are best girlfriends, but a romance between two of them threatens to shatter the triangle.

Kannagi, Satoru and Odagiri, Hotaru. Only the Ring Finger Knows. 2004. Digital Manga, paper, $12.95. (1-56970-980-7). You’ll recognize your soul mate because you wear matching rings. But what if your match is another boy?

Lackey, Mercedes. Magic's Pawn : Last Herald Mage Trilogy Book 1. 1994. DAW Books, paper, $6.99. (0-88677-352-0). A young exile almost loses his life while finding his destiny as one of the legendary Herald-Mages of Valdemar.

Levithan, David. Boy Meets Boy. 2005. Knopf, paper, $8.95. (0-375-83299-8). Paul’s high school may only exist over the rainbow. Why, then, oh why can’t it be everywhere?

Loukes, Keith. Ask Dr. Keith: Candid Answers to Queer Questions. 2004. Whitecap Books, paper, $16.95. (1-55285-607-0). All kinds of gay sex questions are answered frankly, explicitly, and in a positive manner.

Moore, Terry. Strangers In Paradise: Pocket Book 1. 2005. Abstract Studios, paper, $17.95. (1-892597-26-8). Katchoo is in love with Francine. David is in love with Katchoo. Francine is…confused!

Peters, Julie Anne. Keeping You a Secret. 2005. Megan Tingley, paper, $7.99. (0-316-00985-7). Holland finds falling in love complicated because her true love is a lesbian.

Peters, Julie Anne. Luna. 2005. Little Brown, paper, $7.99. (0-316-01127-4). Not everyone is born in the right body.

Revoyr, Nina. The Necessary Hunger: A Novel. 1998. St. Martin's Press, paper, $14.95. (0-312-18142-6). Nancy’s crush on Rania, a fellow basketball player, accelerates when her Japanese-American father falls in love with Raina’s African-American mother.

Rucka, Greg. Gotham Central Vol 2: Half a Life. Illustrated by Michael Lark. 2005. DC Comics, paper, $14.99. (1-40120-438-4). Gotham Detective Renee Montoya is outed and must deal with the fallout while fighting super villains.

Sanchez, Alex. Rainbow Boys. 2003. Simon Pulse, paper, $7.99. (0-689-85770-5). The misadventures of three guys coming out in their senior year.

When I Knew. Ed. by Robert Trachtenberg. Illus. by Tom Bachtell. 2005. Regan, paper, $22.95. (0-06-057146-2). When did you first realize that you were gay?

Winick, Judd. Green Lantern: Brother’s Keeper. 2003. DC Comics, paper, $12.95. (1-40120-078-8). When his best friend is brutally gay-bashed, Kyle Rayner, a.k.a. the Green Lantern, comes to terms with the fact that his powers can’t change anything.

Woodson, Jacqueline. The House You Pass on the Way. 2003. Puffin, paper, $5.99. (0-14-250191-3). Staggerlee wonders if she could be a lesbian after her cousin comes to visit.