Young Adult Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide

These novels are arranged by topics and sub-genres, mostly contemporary realistic fiction but with a special section for historical fiction. Young Adults’ Choices (YAC) books are noted in parentheses.

Adventure/Survival Stories

Campbell, Eric. 1995. The Place of Lions. Harcourt.

Hobbs, Will. 2004. Far North. HarperTrophy.

Hobbs, Will. 1995. Downriver. Laurel Leaf.

Sedgwick, Marcus. 2010. Revolver. Roaring Brook.

Smith, Roland. 2008. Peak. Harcourt. (YAC 2010)

Challenged Lives

Bray, Libba. 2009. Going Bovine. Delacorte.

Erskine, Kathryn. 2010. Mockingbird. Philomel.

Halpern, Julie. 2007. Get Well Soon. Hotzbrinck, Feiwel and Friends. (YAC 2009)

Hurwin, Davida Wills. 1997. A Time for Dancing. Puffin.

John, Antony. 2010. Five Flavors of Dumb. Dial.

Monniger, Joseph. 2010. Wish. Delacorte.

Stork, Francisco X. 2009. Marcelo in the Real World. Scholastic.

Trueman, Terry. 2001. Stuck in Neutral. HarperTeen.

Weeks, Sarah. 2004. So. B. It. HarperCollins. (YAC 2006).

Zevin, Gabrielle. 2007. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac. Farrar Straus Giroux. (YAC 2009)

Chick Lit

Brashares, Ann. 2001. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Delacorte.

Cabot, Meg. 2000. ThePrincess Diaries. HarperCollins. (YAC 2002)

DeVillers, Julia. 2004. How My Private, Personal Journal Became a Bestseller. Dutton. (YAC 2006)

Mackler, Carolyn. 2004. Vegan Virgin Valentine. Candlewick. (YAC 2006)

Mass, Wendy. 2004. Leap Day. Little, Brown. (YAC 2006)

Moriarty, Jaclyn. 2004. The Year of Secret Assignments. Scholastic. (YAC 2006)

Rallison, Janette. 2007. How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-boyfriend. Penguin/Putnam. (YAC 2009)

Rennison, Louise. 1999. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging. HarperCollins. (YAC 2002) (Sequels)

Stewart, Sean and Jordan Weisman. 2006. Cathy’s Book. Running Press.

Triana, Gaby. 2004. Backstage Pass. HarperCollins. (YAC 2006)

Dark Modern Realistic Fiction

Anderson, Laurie Halse. 1999. Speak. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. (YAC 2001)

Anderson, Laurie Halse. 2007. Twisted. Penguin/Viking. (YAC 2009)

Asher, Jay. 2007. Th1rteen R3asons Why. Razorbill. (YAC 2009)

Atkins, Catherine. 1999. When Jeff Comes Home. Putnam. (YAC 2001)

Flinn, Alex. 2004. Nothing to Lose. HarperTempest. (YAC 2006)

Garden, Nancy. 2006. Endgame. Harcourt.

Giles, Gail. 2007. Right behind You. Little, Brown. (YAC 2009)

Giles, Gail. 2006. What Happened to Cass McBride? Little, Brown. (YAC 2008)

Green, John. 2005. Looking for Alaska. Dutton. (YAC 2007)

Lester, Julius. 2002. When Dad Killed Mom. Harcourt. (YAC 2003)

Lyga, Barry. 2006. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. Houghton.

Lyga, Barry. 2007. Boy Toy. Houghton.

Lynch, Chris. 2007. Inexcusable. Simon Pulse.

Morganroth, Kate. 2004. Jude. Simon & Schuster. (YAC 2006)

Newman, Leslea. 2005. Jailbait. Delacorte.

Peters, Kimberly Joy. 2006. Painting Caitlyn. Lobster. (YAC 2008)

Rabb, Margo. 2007. Cures for Heartbreak. Delacorte.

Scott, Elizabeth. 2008. Living Dead Girl. Simon & Schuster. (YAC 2010)

Sitomer, Alan Lawrence. 2007. Homeboyz. Hyperion/Jump at the Sun. (YAC2009)

Strasser, Todd. 2000. Give a Boy a Gun. Simon Pulse. (YAC 2002)

Strasser, Todd. 2004. Can’t Get There from Here. Simon & Schuster. (YAC 2006)

Trueman, Terry. 2004. Cruise Control. Harper/Tempest. (YAC 2006)

Voigt, Cynthia. 1996. When She Hollers. Scholastic.

Volponi, Paul. 2011. Riker’s High. Speak.

Zarr, Sara. 2007. Story of a Girl. Little, Brown. (YAC 2009)

Historical Fiction

Cushman, Karen. 1994. Catherine Called Birdy. Houghton.

Jordan, Sherryl. 1999. The Raging Quiet. Aladdin. (YAC 2001)

Paterson, Katherine. 1991. Lyddie. Lodestar.

Paulsen, Gary. 1998. Soldier’s Heart: A Novel of the Civil War . Delacorte. (YAC 2000)

Peck, Richard. 1998. A Long Way from Chicago. Penguin. (YAC 2000)

Rinaldi, Ann. 1992. A Break with Charity: A Story about the Salem Witch Trials. Harcourt.

Temple , Frances . 1995. The Ramsey Scallop. HarperTrophy.

Humorous Stories

Bauer, Joan. 2000. Hope Was Here. Puffin. (YAC 2002)

Bauer, Joan. 2005. Squashed. Puffin.

Johnson, Maureen. 2011. Scarlett Fever. Point.

Kinney, Jeff. 2007. Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Abrams/Amulet. (YAC 2009)

Lynch, Chris. 1996. Slot Machine. HarperTeen.

Mackler, Carolyn. 2000. Love and Other Four-Letter Words. Laurel Leaf. (YAC 2002)

Paulsen, Gary. 2007. Harris and Me. Harcourt.

Schmidt, Gary. 2007. Wednesday Wars. Houghton Mifflin.

Spinelli, Jerry. 1982. Space Station Seventh Grade. Little, Brown.

Mysteries & Psychological Thrillers

Avi. 2008. Wolf-Rider: A Tale of Terror. Simon Pulse.

Duncan, Lois. 1978. Killing Mr. Griffin. Dell.

Harrison, Michael. 1999. Facing the Dark. Holiday House. (YAC 2001)

Jaffe, Michele. 2010. Rosebush. Razorbill.

Nixon, Joan Lowery. 2004. The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore. Harcourt.

Plum-Ucci, Carol. 2000. The Body of Christopher Creed. Harcourt.

Pullman, Philip. 1985. The Ruby in the Smoke. Knopf. (Sequels)

Werlin, Nancy. 2004. Double Helix. Dial.

Werlin, Nancy. 1998. The Killer’s Cousin. Laurel Leaf. (YAC 2000)

Windsor, Patricia. 1993. The Christmas Killer. Scholastic.

Other Modern Realistic Fiction

Anderson, Laurie Halse. 2005. Prom. Viking. (YAC 2007)

Cohn, Rachel and David Levithan. 2006. Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Knopf. (YAC 2008).

Green, John. 2008. Paper Towns. Penguin/Dutton. (YAC 2010)

Korman, Gordon. 2009. Schooled. Hyperion. (YAC 2009)

Shusterman, Neal. 2004. The Schwa Was Here. Dutton. (YAC 2006)

Zarr, Sara. 2008. Sweethearts. Little, Brown. (YAC 2010)

Romantic Love Stories

Block, Francesca Lia. 2004. Weetzie Bat. HarperTeen.

Clements, Bruce. 1990. Tom Loves Anna Loves Tom. Farrar Straus Giroux.

Garden, Nancy. 1982. Annie on My Mind. Farrar Straus Giroux.

Kerr, M. E. 1973. If I Love You, Am I Trapped Forever? HarperCollins.

Perkins, Stephanie. 2010. Anna and the French Kiss. Dutton.

Plummer, Louise. 1995. The Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman. Delacorte.

Sports Stories

Bloor, Edward. 1997. Tangerine. Harcourt.

Crutcher, Chris. 1983. Running Loose. HarperTeen.

Crutcher, Chris. 1986. Stotan. Bantam.

Crutcher, Chris. 1995. Ironman. Bantam.

Deuker, Carl. 2007. Gym Candy. Houghton Mifflin. (YAC 2009)

Duder, Teresa. In Lane Three: Alex Archer.

Deuker, Carl. 2000. Night Hoops. HarperTrophy. (YAC 2002)

Green, Tim. 2007. Football Genius. HarperCollins. (YAC 2009)

Green, Tim. 2008. Football Hero. HarperCollins. (YAC 2010)

Ritter, John. 1998. Choosing Up Sides.Philomel. (YAC 2000)

Swanson, Julie. 2004. Going for the Record. Eerdman’s Books. (YAC 2006)

Thorp, Jim. 2006. Knights of the Hill Country. Knopf.

Stories of Sexuality and Sexual Orientation

Beam, Cris. 2010. I Am J. Little, Brown.

Burgess, Melvin. 2006. Doing It. Holt.

Green, John and David Levithan. 2010. Will Grayson, Will Grayson. Speak.

Kerr, M. E. 1995. Deliver Us from Evie. HarperTeen.

Levithan, David. 2005. Boy Meets Boy. Knopf.

Nelson, R. A. 2010. Days of Little Texas. Knopf.

Pennebaker, Ruth. 1997. Don’t Think Twice. Holt.

Peters, Julie Anne. 2006. Luna. Little, Brown.

Sanchez, Alex. 2002. Rainbow Boys. Simon Pulse. (YAC 2003)

Walker, Kate. 2001. Peter. Houghton.

Wittlinger, Ellen. 1999. Hard Love. Aladdin. (YAC 2001)