YALSA - For Members Only 2003 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults Annotated List
The Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults Committee, sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) of the American Library Association (ALA), announced its 2003 selections finalized at the ALA Midwinter Meeting, held January 25 – 27 in Philadelphia. This year’s committee produced four lists of selected titles. This year’s lists are: Lock it, Lick it, Click it: Diaries, Letters and Email; Flights of Fantasy: Beyond Harry and Frodo; This Small World: a Glimpse of Many Cultures; and I’ve Got a Secret.
Lock it, Lick it, Click it: Diaries, Letters and Email are 25 stories told in the epistolary fashion. They cover a wide range of experiences, from historical to contemporary, including both the realistic and fantastic. Gail A. Richmond chaired this committee.
Flights of Fantasy: Beyond Harry and Frodo is a list born of love, created by a team of fantasy enthusiasts. Readers will find a great selection of 25 titles, including classics and hopefully some unexpected surprises. Chair Emily Dagg said “This list does not attempt to represent every significant author…this a mere smattering of our favorites.”
This Small World: a Glimpse of Many Cultures are tales of teens from across the globe. Designed to give readers perspective, the 22 books on this list take place in countries from Afganistan to Siberia. Bill Stack, chair, remarked “By showing amazing variety, the list is touching on the similarities we all share.”
I’ve Got a Secret is a list created to bring out the curiosity of readers. Who isn’t curious about the secrets of others, or doesn’t have a secret or two of their own? Though dark topics abound in these 25 books, readers will be captivated and inspired by the strength shown in the characters they meet on this list. When asked for a quote, chair Tricia Suellentrop whispered, “I’d love to comment…but it’s a secret.”
Committee chair, Dawn Rutherford, had this to say about this year’s lists: “I feel confident that teens will find these lists have much to offer, whether they are seeking a temporary escape or new ways to connect to the world around them.”
The members of the 2002-2003 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults committee are: Dawn M. Rutherford, chair, Young Adult Librarian, King County Library System, Seattle, WA; Emily Dagg, Teen Library Coordinator / Senior Young Adult Librarian, Denver Public Library, Denver, CO; Rhonda Roth Glazier, Emporia State University, William Allen White Library, Emporia, KS; Jonathan Hunt, Teacher, Golden View Elementary School, San Ramon, CA; Sally Leahey, Reference/Young Adult Services Librarian, McArthur Public Library, Biddeford, ME; Gay Ann Loesch, National Board Certified Teacher-Librarian, Independence High School, Charlotte, NC; Andrea R. Milano, Youth Librarian, Multnomah County Library, Hollywood Branch Library, Portland, OR; Michael G. Pawuk, Teen Librarian, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn Branch, Brooklyn, OH; Tom K. Reynolds, Adult/Teen Librarian, Sno-Isle Regional Library System, Edmonds Branch, Edmonds, WA; Gail A. Richmond, Library Media Teacher, Scripps Ranch High School Library San Diego, CA; Lynn M. Rutan, Macatawa Bay School, Holland, MI; Amelia J. Shelley, Laramie County Library System, Cheyenne, WY; Bill Stack, Assistant Young Adult Coordinator, Queens Borough Public Library, New York City; Tricia Suellentrop, Young Adult Librarian, Johnson County Library, Overland Park, KS; Lisa Oldoski, administrative assistant, Puyallup Public Library, Puyallup, WA.
Lock it, Lick it, Click it: Diaries, Letters and Email
Alexander, Caroline
Mrs. Chippy's Last Expedition 0-06-093261-9
The often forgotten 30th crew member tells his story.
Anonymous,
Go Ask Alice 0-689-81785-1
An explicit tale of drug abuse and self-destruction.
Black, Jonah
The Black Book: Diary of a Teenage Stud 0-06-440798-5
11th grade, take two.
Cabot, Meg
The Princess Diaries 0-380-81402-1
Mia discovers her family is a royal pain.
Clark, Catherine
Wurst Case Scenario 0-06-447287-6
It's hard to be a vegan in Wisconsin college town.
Danzinger Martin, Paula Ann M.
PS Longer Letter Later 0-590-21311-3
Can penpals honestly stay best friends?
Easton, Kelly
The Life History of a Star 0-689-85270-3
Love and loss in the 70's.
Flinn, Alex
Breathing Underwater 0-06-447257-4
Journal of an abusive boyfriend.
Frank, Anne
The Diary of A Young Girl 0-553-29698-1
A haunting voice of hope from the holocaust.
Grimes, Nikki
Jazmin's Notebook 0-14-130702-1
Witnessing the rhythms of her street.
Haddix, Margaret Peterson
Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey 0-689-81543-3
Living a lie, writing the truth.
Hesse, Karen
Letters from Rifka 0-14-036391-2
The long lonely journey of a young refugee.
Holmes, Barbara
Ware Letters to Julia 0-06-447215-9
An aspiring teen author and a publisher mentor each other by mail.
Klise, Kate
Trial by Journal 0-380-81672-5
Juvenile juror turns detective.
Kluger, Steve
Last Days of Summer 0-380-79763-1
As hilarious, poignant, and foul-mouthed as baseball and Brooklyn can get.
Lee, Tanith
Wolf Tower 0-14-230030-6
Claidi is lured away by a handsome stranger to a world beyond her imagination.
Lyons, Mary E.
Letters from a Slave Girl 0-689-80015-0
In 1842 a North Carolina slave plots a daring escape.
Maxwell, Robin
The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn 0-684-84969-0
Young Queen Elizabeth I, uncovers her mother's legacy.
McCafferty, Megan
Sloppy Firsts 0-609-80790-0
An uncensored look at Jessica Darling's complicated sophomore year.
Moriarty, Jaclyn
Feeling Sorry for Celia 0-312-28736-4
Cryptic post-its, silly penpals, runaway friends.
Pfetzer, Mark
Within Reach 0-14-130497-9
No obstacle is too big for this teenaged mountain climber.
Rees, Celia
Witch Child 0-7636-1829-2
How long can Mary hide her true nature?
Rennison, Louise
Angus Thongs and Full-frontal Snogging 0-06-447227-2
Just what you would expect from a girl who dresses up like an olive.
Stratton, Allan
Leslie's Journal 1-55037-664-0
Shocking account of a relationship gone horribly wrong.
Tashjian, Janet
Tru Confessions 0-590-96047-4
Tru dreams of being a television producer and making her disabled brother a star.
Flights of Fantasy: Beyond Harry and Frodo
Anthony, Piers
On a Pale Horse 0-345-33858-8
To kill death is to become him.
Barron, T.A.
The Lost Years of Merlin 0-441-00668-X
Who am I? Where am I? What is this power of mine?
Bull, Emma
War for the Oaks 0-7653-0034-6
A rock singer is drafted by faeries for war.
Busiek, Kurt
The Wizard's Tale 1-56389-589-7
Soft-hearted Rumple-Whisker is a total failure at being evil.
Card, Orson Scott
Seventh Son 0-8125-3305-4
Alvin lives in a pioneer America where folk magic reigns.
Colfer, Eoin
Artemis Fowl 0-7868-1707-0
Combine a twelve year old genius with underworld crime and magic, for a zany spy story.
de Lint, Charles
Jack of Kinrowan 0-312-86959-2
Jackie Rowan discovers she can cross into the world of Faerie.
Duane, Diane
So You Want to Be a Wizard 0-15-216250-X
New York teens discover they are wizards, just in time.
Eddings, David
Pawn of Prophecy 0-345-33551-1
A farm boy finds himself on a quest of unparalleled magic and danger.
Gaiman, Neil
Stardust 0-06-093471-9
Tristan will do anything to prove his love, even catch a falling star.
Jones, Diana Wynne
Howl's Moving Castle 0-06-441034-X
Bizarre things happen to Sophie when the roving black castle arrives.
Jordan, Robert
Eye of the World 0-8125-1181-6
The beginning of a massive epic.
Lackey, Mercedes
The Oathbound 0-88677-414-4
A swordswoman and sorceress join forces in the land of Valdemar.
LeGuin, Ursula K.
A Wizard of Earthsea 0-553-26250-5
Sparrowhawk had no idea what would happen when he cast that spell.
McKinley, Robin
Blue Sword 0-14-130975-X
Only she can wield the legendary blade.
Morris, Gerald
Squire, His Knight, & His Lady 0-440-22885-9
Terence, trusted squire of Sir Gawain, joins the knight on a deadly quest.
Nix, Garth
Sabriel 0-06-447183-7
The daughter of a necromancer journeys into death seeking answers to her father's disappearance.
O'Shea, Pat
The Hounds of the Morrigan 0-06-447205-1
The forces of good and evil battle over an ancient book.
Pierce, Meredith Ann
The Darkangel 0-15-201768-2
Bridesmaid to the vampire.
Pierce, Tamora
Alanna 0-614-28945-9
Alanna and her brother trade identities so she can train as a knight.
Pope, Elizabeth Marie
The Perilous Gard 0-618-15073-0
Imprisoned in remote castle a girl finds her way into a labyrinth inhabited by Druids.
Pratchett, Terry
Carpe Jugulum 0-06-102039-7
The king of Lancre makes a big mistake by inviting the vampires to come into his castle.
Pullman, Phillip
Golden Compass 0-345-41335-0
Lyra and her alethiometer are pivotal players in a clash of universes.
Whalen Turner, Megan
The Thief 0-14-038834-6
Gen's bragging about his great skills as a thief lands him in the king's prison.
Yolen, Jane
Dragon's Blood 0-15-200866-7
Dreaming of being a dragon trainer a stable boy steals an egg.
This Small World: a Glimpse of Many Cultures
Abelove, Joan
Go and Come Back 0-14-130694-7
A young tribes woman conducts her own study of anthropologists in the Amazon jungle.
Atkin, S. Beth
Voices from the Fields 0-316-05620-0
Latino youths share their hopes and hardships
Bagdasarian, Adam
The Forgotten Fire 0-14-130694-7
After witnessing the slaughter of his family an Armenian teen struggles to survive the Turkish genocide of 1915.
Chambers, Veronica
Marisol and Magdalena 0-7868-1304-0
Marisol returns to her homeland to find her father.
Chang, Pang-Mei "Natasha"
Bound Feet and Western Dress 0-385-47964-6
A young woman searches for the story of her renegade aunt.
Ellis, Deborah
The Breadwinner 0-88899-416-8
Under Taliban rule Parvana disguises herself as a boy to ensure the survival of her family
Hautzig, Esther
The Endless Steppe 0-06-440577-X
Exiled during WWII, Esther finds hope and beauty.
Ho, Minfong
The Clay Marble 0-374-41229-4
Growing up and making friends in a refuge camp.
Jiang, Ji-Li
Red Scarf Girl 0-0644-6208-0
Young girl chronicles her involvement in the Cultural Revolution.
Joseph, Lynn
The Color of My Words 0-064-47204-3
The writings of a twelve year old fuel political change in the Dominican Republic
Mazer, Anne
Walk in My World 0-89255-249-2
Sixteen stories, sixteen cultures.
Namioka, Lensey
Ties That Bind, Ties That Break 0-4404-599-3
A Chinese girl's big feet trample tradition
Namioka, Lensey
April and the Dragon Lady 0-440-41599-3
Bridging the gap to Grandma.
Quintana, Anton
The Baboon King 0-440-22907-3
A tribe of one.
Ryan, Pam Munoz
Esperanza Rising 0-439-12042-X
A riches to rags story of a pampered Mexican teen forced to become a migrant worker.
Soto, Gary
Pacific Crossing 0-15-259188-5
Latino teens attend martial arts camp in Japan.
Staples, Suzanne Fisher
Haveli 0-679-86569-1
Teenage third wife protects her daughter from family feuds.
Staples, Suzanne Fisher
Shiva's Fire 0-06-440979-1
Can't stop dancing.
Ung, Loung
First They Killed My Father 0-06-093138-8
A survivor of Pol Pot's brutal regime speaks.
Vijayaraghavan, Vineeta
Motherland 1-56947-283-1
An American teen returns to India.
Yamanaka, Lois-Ann
Name Me Nobody 0-7868-1466-7
Softball, sweethearts and slang in Hawaii.
Yumoto, Kazumi
The Friends 0-440-41446-6
Three Japanese boys curious about death begin stalking an old man …waiting for him to die.
Alphin, Elaine Marie
Counterfeit Son 0-14-230147-7
Serial killer's son assumes a victims life.
Anderson, Laurie Halse
Speak 0-141-31088-X
She's not talking.
Billingsley, Franny
Folk Keeper 0-689-84461-1
Someone has to feed the Evil.
Bunting, Eve
Blackwater 0-06-440890-6
If Brodie is a hero why does he feel so guilty?
Carroll, Jenny
Shadowland 0-671-78791-8
Dead people bug me.
Cooney, Caroline B.
Driver's Ed 0-440-21981-7
Stupid mistakes can kill.
Cormier, Robert
Fade 0-440-21091-7
Invisibility: gift or curse?
Creech, Sharon
The Wanderer 0-06-441032-3
Family secrets rock the boat.
Deaver, Julia Reece
The Night I Disappeared 0-7434-3979-1
No one knows where Jamie goes.
Dessen, Sarah
Dreamland 0-14-230067-5
The nightmare began when he hit her.
Ferris, Jean
Eight Seconds 0-14-230121-3
Sometimes the biggest secrets we have are the ones we keep from ourselves.
Glenn, Mel
Split Image 0-06-000481-9
Who knew Laura Li?
Haddix, Margaret Peterson
Among the Hidden 0-689-82475-0
In a society where families are only allowed two children, Luke is a dangerous third child.
Horowitz, Anthony
Stormbreaker 0-698-11934-7
Teen age super-spy!
Johnson, Angela
Heaven 0-689-82290-1
Not even Heaven is perfect.
Kerr, M. E.
Gentlehands 0-06-447067-9
His grandfather's secret path will shatter his dreams.
Konigsburg, E. L.
Silent to the Bone 0-689-83602-3
Connor's best friend won't say a word.
McDonald, Joyce
Swallowing Stones 0-440-22672-4
Michael suspects that he may have accidentally killed his classmate's father.
Murphy, Rita
Night Flying 0-440-22837-9
Coming-of-age in the night sky.
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
Jade Green 0-689-82002-X
Judith was warned, but she didn't listen.
Owen, David
Hidden Secrets 1-55297-564-9
Tricks of the trade used by real world spies,
Schusterman, Neal
The Dark Side of Nowhere 0-8125-6878-8
Jason discovers that the adults in his town have been hiding something terrible.
Straczynski, J. Michael
Rising Stars 1-58240-161-6
113 children born with special powers.
Werlin, Nancy
Killer's Cousin 0-440-22751-8
Death, guilt, and dark secrets haunt David.
Yolen, Jane
Briar Rose 0-7653-4230-8
Fairy tale or horror story?
