The Adventures of Blue Avenger
by Norma Howe
Published 1999 by Henry Holt & Company

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On his sixteenth birthday, still trying to cope with the unexpected death of his father, David Schumacher decides--or does he--to change his name to Blue Avenger, hoping to find a way to make a difference in his Oakland neighborhood and in the world.

Anything But Ordinary
by Valerie Hobbs
Published 2007 by Farrar Straus Giroux

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From the moment their romance begins in eighth grade, Winifred and Bernie are individualists. They pride themselves on being different, and have each other for support through the tough years of high school. So when they consider college, they send off for the same catalogs, promising never to separate.... More...

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl
by Barry Lyga
Published 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company

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When Fanboy meets Kyra, a.k.a. Goth Girl, he finds an outrageous, cynical girl who shares his love of comics as well as his hatred for jocks and bullies. More...

The Decoding of Lana Morris
by Laura McNeal
Published 2007 by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

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Sixteen-year-old Lana Morris wishes her life were different, that she were somewhere else, someone else. Then Lana stumbles into Miss Hekkity's mysterious shop and begins to realize that she might actually have the power to change things--to make some of her wishes come true. More...

First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover
by Mitali Perkins
Published 2007 by Dutton Children's Books

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Sameera's dad is in the race for the White House and one of the campaign perks she enjoys is a total makeover. But some of the campaign staffers think the candidate's dark-skinned, adopted daughter could hurt his chances if she doesn't try to be more American. More...

Hole in My Life
by Jack Gantos
Published 2002 by Farrar Straus Giroux

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Author Jack Gantos ("Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key") shares the true story of how he became a writer the hard way by learning a valuable lesson while he was in college. More...

I Am the Messenger
by Markus Zusak
Published 2005 by Alfred A. Knopf

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Meet Ed Kennedy--underage cabdriver, pathetic cardplayer, and useless at romance. He lives in a shack with his coffee-addicted dog, the Doorman, and he's hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence, until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery.... More...

Keysha's Drama
by Earl Sewell
Published 2007 by Harlequin

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Sixteen-year-old Keysha Kendall has lived with her emotionally abusive mother all her life. Her world is thrown into chaos when she is forced to move in with her biological father to avoid being placed in foster care. Suddenly Keysha's feeling like an outsider and unsure whether living with her father is where she truly belongs.  More...

The Killer's Tears
by Anne-Laure Bondoux
Published 2006 by Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers

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The winner of France's prestigious Prix Sorcires, this novel follows a young boy who is taken by the man who has killed his family. Together the killer and the boy begin a new life on a remote and rugged stretch of land in Chile. More...

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
by Gary D. Schmidt
Published 2004 by Clarion Books

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Set in 1912 Maine, this historical novel is based on the true story of a community's destruction. No one in town will let Turner Buckminster forget that he's a minister's son. But then he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a smart and sassy girl from a poor nearby island community founded by former slaves, he enters a whole new world. More...

The Princess Diaries
by Meg Cabot
Published 2000 by HarperCollins Publishers

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She's just a New York City girl living with her artist mom...News Flash: Dad is prince of Genovia. (So that's why a limo meets her at the airport!) Downer: Dad can't have any more kids. (So no heir to the throne.) Shock of the Century: Like it or not, Mia Thermopolis is prime princess material.... More...

Sandpiper
by Ellen Wittlinger
Published 2005 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

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With honesty and humor, the critically acclaimed author of "Hard Love" tells the story of two outcasts--teenage girl Sandpiper Hollow Ragsdale, who meets a guy who calls himself the Walker--whose unlikely friendship gives them each a reason to keep trying. More...

Sold
by Patricia McCormick
Published 2006 by Hyperion Books

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Sold into prostitution, Lakshmi lives a nightmare and gradually forms friendships with the other girls that enable her to survive in this terrifying new world. Then the day comes when she must make a decision to risk everything for a chance to reclaim her life. More...

Strange Relations
by Sonia Levitin
Published 2007 by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

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After she asks her parents' permission to spend the summer in Hawaii with Aunt Carole and her family, Marne quickly realizes her visit isn't going to be just about learning to surf. This rich novel is a window into a different life and gets to the very heart of faith, identity, and family ties. More...

Surviving the Applewhites
by Stephanie S. Tolan
Published 2004 by HarperTrophy

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Rumor has it that Jake Semple burned down his old school. Only one place will take him now--a home school run by the Applewhites, a chaotic family of artists. Jake thinks surviving this one will be a breeze. But is he really as tough or as bad as he seems? More...

Sweethearts
by Sara Zarr
Published 2008 by Little Brown and Company

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As children, Jennifer and Cameron were best friends. After Cameron disappears, Jennifer has lost the only person who understands her. Now in high school, she is shocked when he suddenly reappears, and they are both confronted with the drastically different paths their lives have taken. More...

Things Change
by Patrick Jones
Published 2004 by Walker & Company

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Dating violence is an unfortunate, widespread reality, a problem that is coming more and more into the public's awareness. Nationally recognized librarian Patrick Jones's close work with teens shows in the realistic way he captures their actions and emotions in this novel. More...