Best Books for Young Adults 2007

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), has announced its 2007 recommended list of Best Books for Young Adults. The list, prepared annually, was released during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, Washington, held January 19-24, 2007.

In Seattle, the 14-member committee worked hard to narrow the list of 232 official nominations to the final list of 82 significant adult and young adult titles. The books, recommended for ages 12-18, meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens.

A teen session held on Sunday drew 40 teens to speak to the committee about their favorite books. A crowded audience of committee members, publishers, authors, and librarians listened to these passionate teen readers who came in groups from Shoreline Library, King County, WA; Edmonds Library, Snohomish County, WA; and Jesuit High School, Portland, OR to advise the committee.

The winning titles comprise an extremely diverse list that includes verse novels, graphic novels, fantasy, realistic fiction, comedy, historical fiction, and of course nonfiction.

The committee also selected a
Top Ten list of titles that exemplify the quality and range of literature being published for teens.

Members of the 2007 Best Books for Young Adults Committee were Karyn N. Silverman, Chair, Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School, New York, NY; Rose M. Allen, Mount Prospect Public Library, Mount Prospect, IL; Lynn E. Evarts, Sauk Prairie High School, Prairie du Sac, WI; Ashley Flaherty, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus, OH; Caroline Kienzle, Coppell, TX; Holly Koelling, King County Library System, King County, WA; Jeanette Larson, Austin, TX; Gregory Lum, Jesuit High School, Portland, OR; Rick Orsillo, King County Library System, Shoreline, WA; Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey Library for the Blind and Handicapped, Trenton, NJ; Hollis Rudiger, Cooperative Children’s Book Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI; Lynn M. Rutan, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI; Edward A. Spicer, Michigan Reading Journal, Allegan, MI; Deborah Taylor, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD; Jennifer Mattson, consultant,
Booklist, Chicago, IL; Amy Chow, Administrative Assistant, New York Public Library, New York, NY.

Fiction

Almond, David. Clay. 2006. Random House/Delacorte, $15.95. (ISBN-10, 0-385-73171-X; ISBN-13, 9780385731713).

Anderson, M.T. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1: The Pox Party. 2006. Candlewick, $17.99. (ISBN-10, 0-7636-2402-0; ISBN-13, 9780763624026).

Bondoux, Anne-Laure. The Killer's Tears. Tr. by Y. Maudet. 2006. Random House/Delacorte, $15.95. (ISBN-10, 0-385-73293-7; ISBN-13, 9780385732932).

Booth, Coe. Tyrell. 2006. Scholastic/PUSH, $16.99. (ISBN-10, 0-439-83879-7; ISBN-13, 9780439838795).

Brooks, Kevin. The Road of the Dead. 2006. Scholastic/Chicken House, $16.99. (ISBN-10, 0-493-78623-1; ISBN-13, 9780493786232).

Budhos, Marina. Ask Me No Questions. 2006. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum/Ginee Seo, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 1-4169-0351-8; ISBN-13, 9781416903512).

Cohn, Rachel and Levithan, David. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. 2006. Random House/Alfred A. Knopf, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 0-375-83531-8; ISBN-13, 9780375835315).

Cornish, D.M. Monster Blood Tattoo: Foundling. 2006. illus. Penguin Group USA/Putnam, $19.99. (ISBN-10, 0-399-24638-X; ISBN-13, 9780399246388).

Dessen, Sarah. Just Listen. 2006. Penguin Group USA/Viking, $17.99. (ISBN-10, 0-370-06105-0; ISBN-13, 9780670061051).

Eldred, Tim. Grease Monkey: A Tale of Growing Up in Orbit. 2006. illus. Tom Doherty/Tor, $27.95. (ISBN-10, 0-7653-1325-1; ISBN-13, 9780765313256).

Firebirds Rising: An Anthology of Original Science Fiction and Fantasy. Ed. Sharyn November. 2006. Penguin Group USA/Firebird, $19.99. (ISBN-10, 0-14-240549-3; ISBN-13, 9780142405499).

Fletcher, Susan. Alphabet of Dreams. 2006. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum/Ginee Seo, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 0-689-85042-5; ISBN-13, 9780689850424).

Frost, Helen. The Braid. 2006. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $16. (ISBN-10, 0-374-30962-0; ISBN-13, 9780374309626).

Gantos, Jack. The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs. 2006. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $17. (ISBN-10, 0-374-33690-3; ISBN-13, 9780374336905).

Giles, Gail. What Happened to Cass McBride? 2006. Little, Brown, $16.99. (ISBN-10, 0-316-16638-3; ISBN-13, 9780316166386).

Glass, Linzi Alex. The Year the Gypsies Came. 2006. Henry Holt, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 0-8050-7999-8; ISBN-13, 9780805079999).

Going, K.L. Saint Iggy. 2006. Harcourt, $17. (ISBN-10, 0-15-205795-1; ISBN-13, 9780152059754).

Gratz, Alan. Samurai Shortstop. 2006. Penguin Group USA/Dial, $17.99. (ISBN-10, 0-8037-3075-6; ISBN-13, 9780803730755).

Green, John. An Abundance of Katherines. 2006. Penguin Group USA/Dutton, $16.99. (ISBN-10, 0-525-47688-1; ISBN-13, 9780525476887).

Hartnett, Sonya. Surrender. 2006. Candlewick, $16.99. (ISBN-10, 0-7636-2768-2; ISBN-13, 9780763627683).

Hoffman, Alice. Incantation. 2006. Little, Brown, $16.99. (ISBN-10, 0-316-01019-7; ISBN-13, 9780316010191).

Jansen, Hanna. Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You. Tr. by Elizabeth D. Crawford. 2006. Lerner/Carolrhoda, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 1-57505-927-4; ISBN-13, 9781575059273).

Jaramillo, Ann. La Linea. 2006. Roaring Brook/Deborah Brodie, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 1-59643-154-7; ISBN-13, 9781596431546).

Johnson, Harriet McBryde. Accidents of Nature. 2006. Henry Holt, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 0-8050-7634-4; ISBN-13, 9780805076349).

Johnson, Maureen. Devilish. 2006. Penguin Group USA/Razorbill, $16.99. (ISBN-10, 1-59514-060-3; ISBN-13, 9781595140609).

Knox, Elizabeth. Dreamhunter: Book One of the Dreamhunter Duet. 2006. Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Frances Foster, $19. (ISBN-10, 0-374-31853-0; ISBN-13, 9780374318536).

Koss, Amy Goldman. Side Effects. 2006. Roaring Brook/Deborah Brodie, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 1-59643-167-9; ISBN-13, 9781596431676).

Krech, Bob. Rebound. 2006. Marshall Cavendish, $16.99. (ISBN-10, 0-7614-5319-9; ISBN-13, 9780761453192).

Lanagan, Margo. White Time. 2006. HarperCollins/EOS, $15.99. (ISBN-10, 0-06-074393-X; ISBN-13, 9780060743932).

Lansens, Lori. The Girls. 2006. Little, Brown, $23.95. (ISBN-10, 0-316-06903-5; ISBN-13, 9780316069058).

Larson, Kirby. Hattie Big Sky. 2006. Random House/Delacorte, $15.95. (ISBN-10, 0-385-73313-5; ISBN-13, 9780385733137).

Lat. Kampung Boy. 2006. illus. Roaring Brook/First Second, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 1-59643-121-0; ISBN-13, 9781596431218).

Lisle, Janet Taylor. Black Duck. 2006. Penguin Group USA/Philomel/Sleuth, $15.99. (ISBN-10, 0-399-23963-4; ISBN-13, 9780399239632).

Lynch, Scott. The Lies of Locke Lamora. 2006. Bantam Dell/Spectra, $23. (ISBN-10, 0-553-80467-7; ISBN-13, 9780553804676).

McCormick, Patricia. Sold. 2006. Hyperion, $15.99. (ISBN-10, 0-7868-5171-6; ISBN-13, 9780786851713).

Miller, Kirsten. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City. 2006. Bloomsbury, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 1-58234-960-6; ISBN-13, 9781582349602).

Mitchell, David. Black Swan Green. 2006. Random House, $23.95. (ISBN-10, 1-4000-6379-5; ISBN-13, 9781400063796).

Murdock, Catherine Gilbert. Dairy Queen. 2006. Houghton Mifflin, $16. (ISBN-10, 0-618-68307-0; ISBN-13, 9780618683079).

Murphy, Sean. Off Road. November 2005. illus. Oni Press, $11.95. (ISBN-10, 1-932644-30-0; ISBN-13, 9781932644300).

Myers, Walter Dean. Street Love. 2006. HarperCollins/Amistad/HarperTempest, $15. (ISBN-10, 0-06-028079-4; ISBN-13, 9780060280796).

Na, An. Wait for Me. 2006. Penguin Group USA/Putnam, $15.99. (ISBN-10, 0-399-24275-9; ISBN-13, 9780399242755).

Pfeffer, Susan Beth. Life as We Knew It. 2006. Harcourt, $17. (ISBN-10, 0-15-205826-5; ISBN-13, 9780152058265).

Pierce, Tamora. Terrier. 2006. Random House, $18.95. (ISBN-10, 0-375-81468-X; ISBN-13, 9780375814686).

Portman, Frank. King Dork. 2006. Random House/Delacorte, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 0-385-73291-0; ISBN-13, 97803857324918).

Pratchett, Terry. Wintersmith. 2006. HarperCollins/HarperTempest, $16.99. (ISBN-10, 0-06-089031-2; ISBN-13, 9780060890315).

Price, Charlie. Dead Connection. 2006. Roaring Brook, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 1-59643-114-8; ISBN-13, 9781596431140).

Reinhardt, Dana. A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life. 2006. Random House/Wendy Lamb, $15.95. (ISBN-10, 0-385-74698-9; ISBN-13, 9780385909404).

Rosoff, Meg. Just in Case. 2006. Random House/Wendy Lamb, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 0-385-74678-4; ISBN-13, 9780385746786).

Sayres, Meghan Nuttall. Anahita's Woven Riddle. 2006. Abrams/Amulet, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 0-8109-5481-8; ISBN-13, 9780810954816).

Sedgwick, Marcus. The Foreshadowing. 2006. Random House/Wendy Lamb, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 0-385-74646-6; ISBN-13, 9780385746465).

Selvadurai, Shyam. Swimming in the Monsoon Sea. September 2005. Tundra, $18.95. (ISBN-10, 0-88776-735-4; ISBN-13, 9780887767357).

Smelcer, John. The Trap. 2006. Henry Holt, $15.95. (ISBN-10, 0-8050-7939-4; ISBN-13, 9780805079395).

Stahler, David, Jr. Doppelganger. 2006. HarperCollins/Eos, $16.99. (ISBN-10, 0-06-087232-2; ISBN-13, 9780060872328).

Stassen, Jean-Philippe. Deogratias, a Tale of Rwanda. 2006. illus. Roaring Brook/First Second, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 1-59643-103-2; ISBN-13, 9781596431034).

Sturtevant, Katherine. A True and Faithful Narrative. 2006. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $17. (ISBN-10, 0-374-37809-6; ISBN-13, 9780374378097).

Tharp, Tim. Knights of the Hill Country. 2006. Random House/Knopf, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 0-375-83653-5; ISBN-13, 9780375836534).

Turner, Megan Whalen. The King of Attolia. 2006. HarperCollins/Greenwillow, $16.99. (ISBN-10, 0-06-083577-X; ISBN-13, 9780060835774).

Twice Told: Original Stories Inspired by Original Artwork. Illustrated by Scott Hunt. 2006. Penguin Group USA/Dutton, $19.99. (ISBN-10, 0-525-46818-8; ISBN-13, 9780525468189).

Vaught, Susan. Trigger. 2006. Bloomsbury, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 1-58234-920-7; ISBN-13, 9781582349206).

Vizzini, Ned. It's Kind of a Funny Story. 2006. Hyperion/Miramax, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 0-7868-5196-1; ISBN-13, 9780786851966).

Volponi, Paul. Rooftop. 2006. Penguin Group USA/Viking, $15.99. (ISBN-10, 0-670-06069-0; ISBN-13, 9780670060696).

Vrettos, Adrienne Maria. Skin. 2006. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 1-4169-0655-X; ISBN-13, 9781416906551).

Werlin, Nancy. The Rules of Survival. 2006. Penguin Group USA/Dial, $16.99. (ISBN-10, 0-8037-3001-2; ISBN-13, 9780803730014).

Wittlinger, Ellen. Blind Faith. 2006. Simon & Schuster, $15.95. (ISBN-10, 1-4169-0273-2; ISBN-13, 9781416902737).

Wooding, Chris. Storm Thief. 2006. Scholastic/Orchard, $16.99. (ISBN-10, 0-439-86513-1; ISBN-13, 9780439865135).

Woodrell, Daniel. Winter's Bone: A Novel. 2006. Little, Brown, $22.99. (ISBN-10, 0-316-05755-X; ISBN-13, 9780316057554).

Yang, Gene Luen. American Born Chinese. 2006. illus. Roaring Brook/First Second, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 1-59643-152-0; ISBN-13, 9780596431522).

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. 2006. illus. Random House/Alfred A. Knopf, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 0-375-83100-2; ISBN-13, 9780375831003).

Non-Fiction

Bausum, Ann. Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement. 2006. illus. National Geographic, $18.95. (ISBN-10, 0-7922-4173-8; ISBN-13, 9780792241737).

Benanav, Michael. Men of Salt: Crossing the Sahara on the Caravan of White Gold. 2006. Globe Pequot/Lyons, $23.95. (ISBN-10, 1-59228-772-7; ISBN-13, 9781592287727).

Engle, Margarita and Qualls, Sean. The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano. 2006. illus. Henry Holt, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 0-8050-7706-5; ISBN-13, 9780805077063).

Fleischman, Sid. Escape!: The Story of the Great Houdini. 2006. illus. HarperCollins/Greenwillow, $18.99. (ISBN-10, 0-06-085094-9; ISBN-13, 9780060850944).

Fradin, Judith Bloom and Fradin, Dennis Brindell. 5,000 Miles to Freedom: Ellen and William Craft's Flight From Slavery. 2006. illus. National Geographic, $19.95. (ISBN-10, 0-7922-7885-2; ISBN-13, 9780792278856).

Freedman, Russell. Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. 2006. illus. Holiday House, $18.95. (ISBN-10, 0-8034-2031-0; ISBN-13, 9780823420315).

Harper, Hill. Letters to a Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny. 2006. Penguin Group USA/Gotham, $20. (ISBN-10, 1-59240-200-3; ISBN-13, 9781592402007).

Hopkinson, Deborah. Up before Daybreak: Cotton and People in America. 2006. illus. Scholastic Nonfiction, $18.99. (ISBN-10, 0-439-63901-8; ISBN-13, 9780439639019).

Hubner, John. Last Chance in Texas: The Redemption of Criminal Youth. September 2005. Random House, $25.95. (ISBN-10, 0-375-50809-0; ISBN-13, 9780375508090).

Jacobson, Sid and Colon, Ernie. The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation. 2006. illus. Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Hill and Wang, $30. (ISBN-10, 0-8090-5738-7; ISBN-13, 9780809057382).

McClafferty, Carla Killough. Something Out of Nothing: Marie Curie and Radium. 2006. illus. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $18. (ISBN-10, 0-374-38086-8; ISBN-13, 9780374380366).

Noyes, Deborah. One Kingdom: Our Lives with Animals. 2006. illus. Houghton Mifflin, $18. (ISBN-10, 0-618-49914-8; ISBN-13, 9780618499144).

Robertson, James I., Jr. Robert E. Lee: Virginian Soldier, American Citizen. November 2005. illus. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, $21.95. (ISBN-10, 0-689-85731-4; ISBN-13, 9780689857617).

Thimmesh, Catherine. Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon. 2006. illus. Houghton Mifflin, $19.95. (ISBN-10, 0-618-50757-4; ISBN-13, 9780618507573).