Prepared by the YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers Committee, this annual list comprises books that will attract teens who, for whatever reason, choose not to read. The 78 titles, all published between late 1998 through 1999, were selected by the 11-member committee with invaluable input from young adult reluctant readers across the country.
Bell, Karen Magnuson. Fire in Their Eyes: Wildfires and the People Who Fight Them. illus. Harcourt, $18 (0-15-201043-2); paper, $10 (0-15-201042-4).
Best Shots: The Greatest NFL Photographs of the Century. illus. DK, $30 (0-7894-4639-1).
Brewster, Hugh and Coulter, Laurie. 882 ½ Amazing Answers to Your Questions about the Titanic. illus. Scholastic, $16.95 (0-590-18730-9).
Brooke, Michael. The Concrete Wave: The History of Skateboarding. illus. Warwick, paper, $19.95 (1-894020-54-5).
Burgess-Wise, David. The Ultimate Race Car. illus. DK, $29.95 (0-7894-4182-9).
Daldry, Jeremy. The Teenage Guy's Survival Guide: The Read Deal on Girls, Growing Up, and Other Guy Stuff. illus. Little, Brown, paper, $8.95 (0-316-17824-1).
Fletcher, Ralph. Relatively Speaking: Poems about Family. illus. Orchard, $14.95 (0-531-30141-9); lib. ed., $15.99 (0-531-33141-5).
The Girl's Book of Wisdom. Ed. by Catherine Dee. illus. Little, Brown, paper, $8.95 (0-316-17956-6).
Holt, David and Mooney, Bill. Spiders in the Hairdo: Modern Urban Legends. illus. August House, paper, $7.95 (0-87483-525-9).
Jenkins, Steve. Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest. illus. Houghton, $15 (0-395-94218-7).
Jennings, Peter and Brewster, Todd. The Century for Young People. illus. Doubleday, $29.95 (0-385-32708-0).
Jordan, Michael. For the Love of the Game: My Story. 1998. illus. Crown, $50 (0-609-60206-3).
Kimmel, Elizabeth Cody. Ice Story: Shackelton's Lost Expedition. illus. Clarion, $18 (0-395-91524-4).
Lord, Trevor. Big Book of Cars. illus. DK, $14.95 (0-7894-4738-X ).
Macy, Sue and Jane Gottesman. Play Like A Girl: A Celebration of Women in Sports. illus. Holt, $15.95 (0-8050-6071-5).
Menzel, Peter and D'Alusio Faith. Man Eating Bugs: The Art and Science of Eating Insects. illus. Ten Speed, $24.95 (1-58007-051-0); paper, $19.95 (1-58008-022-7).
Meserole, Mike. Ultimate Sports Lists. illus. DK, paper, $17.95 (0-7894-3562-4).
Mitton, Jacqueline. Informania: Aliens. illus. Candlewick, $15.99 (0-7636-0492-5); paper, $7.99 (0-7636-1042-9).
Quiet Storm: Voices of Young Black Poets. Ed. by Lydia Omolola Okutoro. Hyperion/Jump at the Sun, $16.99 (0-7868-0461-0).
Oldershaw, Cally. 3-D Rocks and Minerals. illus. DK, $16.95 (0-7894-4280-9).
Pierson, Stephanie. Vegetables Rock! A Complete Guide For Teenage Vegetarians. illus. Bantam, paper, $12.95 (0-553-37924-0).
Pinsky, Drew and Adam Carolla. Dr. Drew and Adam Book: A Survival Guide to Life and Love. Dell, paper, $14.95(0-440-50836-3).
Real Teens: Diary of a Junior Year. Scholastic, paper, $4.99 (0-439-08408-3).
Reisfeld, Randi, and Morreale, Marie. Got Issues Much? Scholastic, paper, $5.99 (0-590-63274-4).
Reynolds, David West. Star Wars Episode 1: The Visual Dictionary. illus. DK, $19.95 (0-7894-4701-0).
Reynolds, David West. Star Wars Episode I: Incredible Cross-Sections. illus. DK, $19.95 (0-7894-3962-X).
Schwager, Tina and Schuerger, Michele. Gutsy Girls: Young Women Who Dare. Free Spirit, $14.95 (1-57542-059-7).
Scott, Jerry and Borgman, Jim. Growth Spurt: Zits Sketchbook 2. Andrews and McMeel, paper, $9.95 (0-8362-7848-8).
Seen and Heard: Teenagers Talk About Their Lives. Ed. by Mary Motley Kalergis. illus. Stewart Tabori & Chang, $24.95 (1-55670-834-3).
Smith, Charles R. Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and Rhythms. Dutton, $15.99 (0-525-46099-3).
Stewart, Mark. Derek Jeter: Substance and Style. Millbrook/21st. Century Books, lib ed., $22.90 (0-7613-1516-0); paper, $6.95 (0-7613-1039-8).
Stretch Your Wings: Famous Black Quotations for Teens. Ed. by Janet Chatham Bell and Lucille Usher Freeman. Little, Brown, paper, $8.95 (0-316-03825-3).
Tanaka, Shelley. Secrets of the Mummies: Uncovering the Bodies of Ancient Egyptians. illus. Hyperion, $16.99 (0-7868-0473-4).
Vankin, Jonathan. Big Book of Grimm. illus. DC Comics, paper, $14.95 (1-56389-501-3).
Wong, Janet S. Behind the Wheel: Poems about Driving. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry, $16 (0-689-82531-5).
Anderson, Laurie. Speak. Farrar, $16 (0-374-37152-0).
Applegate, K.A.
EverWorld, Books 1-4. Scholastic.
Search for Senna. Book 1, paper, $4.99 (0-590-87743-7).
Land of Loss. Book 2, paper, $4.99 (0-590-87751-8).
Enter the Enchanted. Book 3, paper, $4.99 (0-590-87754-2).
Realm of the Reaper. Book 4, paper, $4.99 (0-590-88760-7).
Atwater-Rhodes, Amelia. In the Forests of the Night. Delacorte, $8.95 (0-385-32674-2).
Avi. Midnight Magic. Scholastic, $15.95 (0-590-36035-3).
Bennett, Cherie. The Haunted Heart. Avon/Flare, paper, $4.50 (0-380-80123-X).
Block, Fancesco Lia. Violet & Claire. HarperCollins, $14.95 (0-06-027749-1).
Bunting, Eve. Blackwater. HarperCollins, $15.95 (0-06-027838-2).
Cadnum, Michael. Rundown. Viking, $15.99 (0-670-88377-8).
Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Pocket/MTV, paper, $12 (0-671-02734-4).
Cooney, Caroline. Burning Up. Delacorte, $15.95 (0-385-32318-2).
Cooney, Caroline. Hush, Little Baby. Scholastic, paper, $4.99 (0-590-81974-7).
Dressen, Sarah. Keeping the Moon. Viking, $15.99 (0-670-88549-5).
Gilmore, Kate. The Exchange Student. Houghton, $15 (0-395-57511-7).
Glenn, Mel. Foreign Exchange: A Mystery in Poems. Morrrow, $16 (0-688-16472-2).
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the Hidden. Simon & Schuster, $16 (0-689-81700-2); paper, $4.50 (0-689-82475-0).
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Just Ella. Simon & Schuster, $17 (0-689-82186-7).
Hobbs, Will. Jason's Gold. Morrow, $16 (0-688-15093-4).
Johnson, Scott. Safe at Second. Putnam/Philomel, $17.99 (0-399-23365-2).
Kehret, Peg. I'm Not Who You Think I Am. Dutton, $15.99 (0-525-46153-1).
Kimmel, Eric A. Sword of the Samurai. Harcourt /Browndeer, $15 (0-152-01985-5).
Lawrence, Iain. The Smugglers. Delacorte, $15.95 (0-385-32663-7).
Lubar, David. Hidden Talents. Tor, $16.95 (0-312-86646-1).
McDaniel, Lurlene. The Girl Death Left Behind. Dell/ Starfire, paper, $4.50 (0-553-57091-9).
McNamee, Graham. Hate You. Delacorte, $14.95 (0-385-32593-2).
Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. illus. HarperCollins, $15.95 (0-060-28077-8); lib. ed., $15.89 (0-06-028078-6).
Neufield, John. Boys Lie. DK Ink, $16.95 (0-789-42624-2).
Nixon, Joan Lowery. Who Are You? Delacorte, $15.95 (0-385-32566-5).
Paulsen, Gary. Brian's Return. Delacorte, $15.95 (0-385-32500-2).
Peel, John. Doomsday. Scholastic, paper, $4.99 (0-439-06030-3).
Qualey, Marsha. Close to a Killer. Delacorte, $15.95 (0-385-32597-5).
Scalora, Suza. Fairies: The Photographic Evidence of the Existence of Another World. illus. HarperCollins, $19.95 (0-06-028234-7).
Sheldon, Dyan. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. Candlewick, $16.99 (0-7636-0822-X).
Shusterman, Neal. Downsiders. Simon & Schuster, $16 (0-689-80375-3).
Sleator, William. Boltzmon! Dutton, $15.99 (0-525-46131-0).
Sleator, William. Rewind. Dutton, $14.99 (0-525-46130-2).
Sones, Sonya. Stop Pretending. HarperCollins, $14.95 (0-06-028387-4).
Tezuka, Osamu. Black Jack, Vol. 1. Viz Comics, paper, $15.95 (1-56931-316-4).
Thompson, Kate. Midnight's Choice. Hyperion, $15.99 (0-7868-0381-9); lib. ed., $16.49 (0-7868-2329-1); paper, $5.99 (0-7868-1266-4).
Tomey, Ingrid. Nobody Else Has to Know. Delacorte, $15.95 (0-385-32624-6).
Tomorrowland: Ten Stories about the Future. Ed. by Michael Cart. Scholastic, $15.95 (0-590-37678-0).
Velda, Vivian Vande. Never Trust A Dead Man. Harcourt, $17 (0-152-01899-9).
Wittlinger, Ellen. Hard Love. Simon & Schuster, $17 (0-689-82134-4).
Zindel, Paul. Rats. Hyperion, $15.99 (0-7868-0339-8).
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult readers, 2000, committee members: Mary Long, chair, Wilson Middle School (TX); Tammy Daubner, Perrysburg, OH; Lynn Evarts, Sauk Prairie High School (WI); Sharon Grover, Arlington County Central Library (VA); Caryl McKellar, Tower Road Branch Library (FL); Susan Raboy, Brooklyn Public Library (NY); Victor Schill, Fairbanks Branch Library (TX); Tricia Segal, Vancouver Regional Library (WA); John Sexton, Ashland Branch Library (OR); Henrietta M. Smith, University of South Florida (Delray Beach, FL); Drue Wagner-Mees, Brentwood Branch Library (CA); Diana Tixier Herald, adm. asst., Grand Junction, Colorado; Gillian Engberg, Booklist consultant.