YALSA has announced its 2006 recommended list of Best Books for Young Adults. The list, prepared annually, was released during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in
In beautiful
The winning titles make up an extremely diverse list that includes non-fiction, science fiction and fantasy, graphic novels, contemporary and historical fiction and verse novels.
The committee also selected a Top Ten list of titles that exemplify the quality and range of literature being published for teens.
Nonfiction
Akbar, Said Hyder and
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow. Scholastic, 2005. illus. $19.95. (0-439-35379-3).
Blumenthal, Karen. Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX: The Law That Changed the Future of Girls in
Bolden, Tonya. Maritcha: A Nineteenth Century American Girl. Abrams, 2005. illus. $17.95. (0-8109-5045-6).
Deem, James M. Bodies From the Ash: Life and Death in Ancient
Delisle, Guy.
Dendy, Leslie and Mel Boring. Guinea Pig Scientists: Bold Self-Experimenters in Science and Medicine. Holt, 2005. illus. $19.95. (0-8050-7316-7).
Eisner, Will. The Plot: The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of
Farrell, Jeanette. Invisible Allies: Microbes That Shape Our Lives. Farrar, 2005. $17. (0-374-33608-3).
Fleming, Candace. Our Eleanor: A Scrapbook Look at Eleanor Roosevelt's Remarkable Life. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, 2005. illus. $19.95. (0-689-86544-9).
Frank, Mitch. Understanding the
Giblin, James Cross. Good Brother, Bad Brother: The Story of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth. Clarion, 2005. illus. $22. (0-618-09642-6).
Growing Up in Slavery: Stories of Young Slaves as Told By Themselves. Ed. by Yuval Taylor. Lawrence Hill, 2005. illus. $22.95. (1-55652-548-6).
Jurmain, Suzanne. The Forbidden Schoolhouse: The True and Dramatic Story of Prudence Crandall and Her Students. Houghton, 2005. illus. $18. (0-618-47302-5).
Lavender, Bee. Lessons in Taxidermy. Akashic Books/Punk Planet Books, 2005. $12.95. (1-888451-79-3).
Nelson, Marilyn. Fortune's Bones: The Manumission Requiem. Front Street, November 2004. illus. $16.95. (1-932425-12-8).
Nelson, Marilyn. A Wreath for Emmett Till. Illus. by Philippe Lardy. Houghton, 2005. $17. (0-618-39752-3).
O'Donnell, Joe.
Partridge,
Zenatti, Valérie. When I Was a Soldier: A Memoir.
Fiction
Adlington, L. J. The Diary of Pelly D. Greenwillow, 2005. $15.99. (0-06-076615-8).
Bechard, Margaret. Spacer and Rat. Roaring Brook/Deborah Brodie, 2005. $16.95. (1-59643-058-3).
Black, Holly. Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie. Simon & Schuster, 2005. $16.95. (0-689-86822-7).
Bray, Libba. Rebel Angels. Delacorte, 2005. $16.95. (0-385-73029-2).
Bruchac, Joseph. Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two. Dial, 2005. $16.99. (0-8037-2921-9).
Buckhanon, Kalisha. Upstate.
Castellucci, Cecil. Boy Proof. Candlewick, 2005. $15.99. (0-7636-2333-4).
Coburn, Jake. LoveSick. Dutton, 2005. $16.99. (0-525-47383-1).
Cummings, Priscilla. Red Kayak. Dutton, September 2004. $15.99. (0-525-47317-3).
Delaney, Joseph. Revenge of the Witch. Greenwillow, 2005. illus. $14.99. (0-06-076618-2).
Every Man for Himself: Ten Short Stories About Being a Guy. Ed. by Nancy E. Mercado. Dial, 2005. $16.99. (0-8037-2896-4).
Flake, Sharon G. Bang! Hyperion/Jump at the Sun, 2005. $16.99. (0-7868-1844-1).
Fleischman, Paul. Zap. Candlewick, 2005. $16.99. (0-76362-774-7).
Frank, E. R. Wrecked. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, 2005. $15.95. (0-689-87383-2).
Gaiman, Neil. Anansi Boys. HarperCollins/William Morrow, 2005. $26.95. (0-06-051518-X).
Galloway, Gregory. As Simple as Snow. Putnam, 2005. $23.95. (0-399-15231-8).
Green, John. Looking for
Griffin, Adele. Where I Want to Be. Putnam, 2005. $15.99. (0-399-23783-6).
Grimes, Nikki. Dark Sons. Hyperion/Jump at the Sun, 2005. $15.99. (0-786-81888-3).
Gruber, Michael. The Witch's Boy. HarperTempest, 2005. $16.99. (0-06-076164-4).
Halam, Ann. Siberia: A Novel. Random/Wendy Lamb, 2005. $16.95. (0-385-74650-4).
Hartnett, Sonya. Stripes of the Sidestep Wolf. Candlewick, 2005. $16.99. (0-7636-2644-9).
Hautman, Pete. Invisible. Simon & Schuster, 2005. $15.95. (0-689-86800-6).
Hearn, Julie. The Minister's Daughter. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, 2005. $16.95. (0-689-87690-4).
Hiaasen, Carl. Flush. Knopf, 2005. $16.95. (0-375-92182-6).
Holub, Josef. An Innocent Soldier. Translated by Michael Hofmann. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, 2005. $16.99. (0-439-62771-0).
Jacobson, Jennifer Richard. Stained. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, 2005. $16.95. (0-689-86745-X).
Johnson, Maureen. 13 Little Blue Envelopes. HarperCollins, 2005. $15.99. (0-06-054141-5).
Kass, Pnina Moed. Real Time. Clarion, October 2004. $15. (0-618-44203-0).
Kibuishi, Kazu. Daisy Kutter: The Last Train. Viper, 2005. illus. $10.95. (0-9754193-2-3).
Krovatin, Christopher. Heavy Metal and You. Scholastic/Push, 2005. $16.95. (0-439-73648-X).
Lanagan, Margo. Black Juice. HarperCollins/Eos, 2005. $15.99. (0-06-074390-5).
Larbalestier, Justine. Magic or Madness. Penguin/Razorbill, 2005. $16.99. (1-59514-022-0).
Larochelle, David. Absolutely Positively Not. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, 2005. $16.95. (0-439-59109-0).
Lester, Julius. Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue. Hyperion/Jump at the Sun, 2005. $15.99. (0-7868-0490-4).
Levithan, David. Are We There Yet? Knopf, 2005. $15.95. (0-375-82846-X).
Lubar, David. Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie: A Novel. Dutton, 2005. $15.99. (0-525-47311-4).
Lynch, Chris. Inexcusable. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, 2005. $16.95. (0-689-84789-0).
Lynch, Jim. The Highest Tide: A Novel.
McGhee, Alison. All Rivers Flow to the Sea. Candlewick, 2005. $15.99. (0-7636-2591-4).
Meyer, Stephanie. Twilight: A Novel. Little, Brown/Megan Tingley, 2005. $17.99. (0-316-16017-2).
Myers, Walter Dean. Autobiography of My Dead Brother. HarperCollins/Amistad, 2005. illus. $15.99. (0-06-058291-X).
Oppel, Kenneth. Skybreaker. HarperCollins/Eos, 2005. $16. (0-06-053227-0).
Pearson, Mary E. A Room on
Peet, Mal. Keeper. Candlewick, 2005. $15.99. (0-7636-2749-6).
Peña, Matt de la. Ball Don't Lie. Delacorte, 2005. $16.95. (0-385-73232-5).
Perkins, Lynne Rae. Criss Cross. Greenwillow, 2005. illus. $16.99. (0-06-009272-6).
Qualey, Marsha. Just Like That. Dial, 2005. $16.99. (0-8037-2840-9).
Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Hyperion, 2005. $17.95. (0-7868-5629-7).
Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, 2005. illus. $29.95. (0-439-78454-9).
Salisbury, Graham. Eyes of the Emperor. Random/Wendy Lamb, 2005. $15.95. (0-385-72971-5).
Spillebeen, Geert. Kipling's Choice. Translated by Terese Edelstein. Houghton, 2005. $16. (0-618-43124-1).
Staples, Suzanne Fisher. Under the Persimmon Tree. Farrar/ Frances Foster, 2005. $17. (0-374-38025-2).
Stein, Tammar. Light Years: A Novel. Knopf, 2005. $15.95. (0-375-83023-5).
Thal, Lilli. Mimus. Translated by John Brownjohn. Annick, 2005. $19.95. (1-55037-925-9).
Tiffany, Grace. Ariel. HarperCollins/Laura Geringer, 2005. $16.99. (0-06-075327-7).
Tingle, Rebecca. Far Traveler. Putnam, 2005. $17.99. (0-399-23890-5).
Tullson, Diane.
Vaughan, Brian K. Runaways: Volume 1 HC. Illus. by Adrian Alphona. Marvel, 2005. $34.99. (0-7851-1876-4).
Vaught, Susan. Stormwitch.
Volponi, Paul. Black and White. Viking, 2005. $15.99. (0-670-06006-2).
Waid, Mark and others. Superman: Birthright. DC Comics, October 2004. illus. $29.95. (1-4012-0251-9).
Weaver, Will. Full Service. Farrar, 2005. $17. (0-374-32485-9).
Westerfeld, Scott. Peeps. Penguin/Razorbill, 2005. $16.99. (1-59514-031-X).
Westerfeld, Scott. Uglies. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, 2005. $6.99. (0-689-86538-4).
Whitcomb, Laura. A Certain Slant of Light. Houghton/Graphia, 2005. $8.99. (0-618-58532-X).
Wittlinger, Ellen. Sandpiper. Simon & Schuster, 2005. $16.95. (0-689-86802-2).
Wooding, Chris. Poison. Scholastic/Orchard, 2005. $16.99. (0-439-75570-0).
Wynne-Jones, Tim. A Thief in the House of Memory. Farrar/Melanie Kroupa, 2005. illus. $17. (0-374-37478-3).
Zusak, Markus. I Am the Messenger. Knopf, 2005. $16.95. (0-375-83099-5).
Members of the 2006 Best Books for Young Adults Committee were Lynn M. Rutan, Chair, Macatawa Bay School, Holland, MI; Leslie A. Acevedo, Flint Public Library, Flint, MI; Edith E.H. Cummings, Allen County Public Library, Hessen Cassel Branch, Fort Wayne, IN; Gretchen Haynes, Kansas City Public Library Southeast Branch, Kansas City, MO; Lynn E. Evarts, Sauk Prairie High School, Prairie du Sac, WI; Rick Orsillo, King County Library System, Shoreline Branch, Shoreline, WA; Adela Peskorz, Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, MN; Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey Library for the Blind and Handicapped; Hollis Rudiger, Cooperative Children's Book Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI; Karyn Silverman, Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School, New York, NY; Edward A. Spicer, Reviewer, Michigan Reading Journal, Allegan, MI; Karen J. Tannenbaum, Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library, Evansville, IN; Deborah Taylor, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD; Cheryl Karp Ward, East Hartford High School, East Hartford, CT; Beth Wright, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, VT; Gillian Engberg, Consultant, Booklist, Chicago, IL; Cindy Dobrez, Administrative Assistant, Harbor Lights School, Holland, MI