Young Adults Choices - 2007

YAC Books Index by Title

YAC Index by Author's Last Name: A - B - C- D- EF - G - HI - JK - L - M- NO - P - QR - S - TUV - WXYZ

Bagert, Bord
Hormone Jungle
The book opens with Christine, now a high school graduate, creating the scrapbook from the poems she and her classmates wrote during middle school. The author has captured the right tone and voice for the characters we meet through Christine's story and their own poems.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
1
It could say more about the guys and less of the girls. - BMS
2
I really liked this book because I've always really liked poetry. Although the ending is really sad the book is fast paced and readable. - CMS
2
I thought it was really interesting and good because it helps sixth graraders understand middle school better and some 7th and 8th graders too. The poems were written by kids and they were pretty interesting for 7th, 6th, and 8th graders. - CMS
2
I liked the format of this book! It was fun and easy to read. - KMS
Bateson, Catherine
Boyfriend Rules of Good Behavior
Millie and her artist mother move away from their best friends to a new town, where her mother gets a proper job and a boyfriend, and Millie learns to cope with all the changes.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
1
The book started out really slow, making it very boring. But toward the middle, it started to pick up to a great story. But by the end when the story was still good, it just ended, which made me really mad. - MNHS
2
My favorite part was when Sheri messed up Brenda's accounts and files; that's funny. - BMS
2
I like the lake that she goes to; it sounds like a peaceful place. I think it would be a good place to read. - BMS
1
This book was O.K. It was very sad when Sheri gets cheated on. - BMS
Benavidez, Max


Graciela's Dream

 
This back-to-back Spanish/English guide for the college-bound student is geared toward Hispanic youth and their families. Promoting education in a culturally sensitive and non-intimidating way, the authors present the story of Graciela, a teenager with a dream that at first appears outside the scope of her working class family's means and priorities. Curiosity pushes Graciela to query her teachers and guidance counselors. Timid, but steadfast, she gathers essential information and advice.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
1
This book was just okay. - MNHS
1
The book was okay. I like how Graciela actually had her dream come true to go to college. There were some parts that I didn't like because they were boring. - BMS
2
I liked it a lot because it had interesting information about how to apply to college. I also think it's cool because it's bilingual. - CMS
Bennett, Veronica
Angelmonster
Fictionalizes the passionate eight-year relationship of Mary and Percy Bysshe Shelley, dramatizing the genesis of her classic horror novel, "Frankenstein."
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
2
It was an interesting book. - MNHS
1
It was a really well written book but it felt like it dragged. It never really had an enormous climax. - MNHS
1
The book was good. I thought some parts were a little slow. But I liked it. - MNHS
2
I loved this book! - MWHS
Berryhill, Shane
Chance Fortune and the Outlaws
Determined to become a superhero, fourteen-year-old Joshua Blevins enlists the help of Captain Fearless in order to get into the Burlington Academy for the Superhuman.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
2
It was awesome. I can't wait for the next book; it leaves you hanging. - MNHS
2
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was okay to read. - BMS
2
I really enjoyed this book because you never knew what would happen next. - KMS
Bertrand, Diane Gonzales
Ruiz Street Kids
Presents a dual language story written in both English and Spanish about the kids on Ruiz Street and the new boy named David who doesn't seem to get along very well with others.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
1
The Gonzales kids wanted to stop some kid named David because he's stealing bikes. - BMS
2
I really liked this book because it teaches you a lesson. It's a lesson of friendship. - BMS
Blacker, Terence
Parent Swap
Because his life is a bit of a mess, thirteen-year-old Danny Bell agrees to let ParentSwap(tm) try to match him with his ideal parents, but he soon realizes that the company is about more than giving adolescents a new start.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
2
It was great and had a twist. MNHS
2
I loved this book!!! It had a really good ending and it was well written. Terence Blacker - you need to keep writing. - NMS
2
It was really funny - NMS
2
The plot is excellent. It makes you really appreciate your parents. Plus, just the idea of being able to swap parents is cool. Definitely a good book! - NMS
1
A little confusing but overall a good book. The author is British so its not perfect English. Its an easy read book. It probably isn't high school level. I would recommend this book to people who like reading about family problems. - NMS
2
I liked it because he ended up tricking the agency in the end. - BMS
2
This book I thought was a good book, and I liked it. This book was about a kid named Sam. His mom dies when he is 13. He lives in California, and he leaves to live with his British relatives. He goes to a new school and has a new Identity; it is a girl. - BMS
2
This book is about Danny, an average 14 year old. He has parents who are divorced. His family is falling apart. Then one day he finds an ad in his backpack. It's advertising parent swap. That means that you can switch your parents. - BMS
2
I really liked the description of the dad, and Danny's brother likes Scooby Doo, so I really like this book. - BMS
2
I liked how he got to live with the movie star for a mother! - BMS
Block, Francesca Lia
Psyche in a Dress
A young woman, Psyche, searches for her lost love and questions her true self in a modern retelling of Greek myths. MNHS
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
0
All the references to Greek Mythology would be confusing to many readers and without that background knowledge the point of the story would be missed. Even with that backfground, I found the story to be confusing and pointless. - MNHS
2
The book was good, but confusing. The author was unclear on how she explained it. - MNHS
Bloor, Edward
London Calling
Seventh-grader Martin Conway believes that his life is monotonous and dull until the night the antique radio he uses as a night-light transports him to the bombing of London in 1940.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
1
The book had a great ending, but it didn't keep my attention for very long. I liked how at the end the boy was all grown up and doing well. His parents are now getting along. Also I am proud of his dad because he is no longer an alcoholic. - MNHS
1
I liked the story plot. The story was not the normal story or like any other ones I have read. It could have moved a little faster. - MNHS
1
It was a slow start but a good book still. - MNHS
2
Very good book. - MNHS
2
It was a great book. - BMS
2
Exciting adventure about a boy who helped another to find a reason to live. - BMS
2
Fantastic, suspenseful. - KMS
2
I really liked Jimmy the Ghost and also Mr. Harker. - KMS
2
Gread, quick read. Really good information on World War II. - KMS
Bode, N.E.
Somebodies
Continuing her magical adventures, Fern travels with Howard to an underground city to save the Anybodies from the horrible Blue Queen, who sucks the souls out of books.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
Boles, Philana
Little Divas
The summer before seventh grade, Cassidy Carter must come to terms with living with her father, who is practically a stranger, as well as her relationships with her cousins, all amidst the overall confusion of adolescence.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
2
This book is my favorite book in the year. I've never written a book like that before. I wish I could or find the second one. That would be called Little Divas #2. - BMS
2
This was an awesome book! It was funny and sad at the same time. The fun part was when Cassidy met Golden. At the party it was sad because they punished Rikki for two months!! - BMS
Bondoux, Anne-Laure
Killer's Tears, The

A young boy, Paolo, and the man who murdered his parents, Angel, gradually become like father and son as they live and work together on the remote Chilean farm where Paolo was born.

 
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
0
The book tried to be a cool, tough story, but it did nothing to capture the audience and keep them wanting more - MNHS
1
This book was just okay. - MNHS
2
Great! I was interested throughout the whole book. - MNHS
1
It was not my style, but it was pretty good. She writes well. - MNHS
2
Far out tale of heartless murderer who finds a farm where he can hide. He kills the husband and wife to take their property but keeps their young son. This relationship has a humanizing effect on the killer. - MWHS
2
I loved the book; it had lots of action in it. But, it was sad when Angel got a death ssentence and Pablo didn't even know it. It was a cool book for a person who likes blood and gross stuff. - BMS
2
It was a great book. I wonder why he killed the boy's parents then took care of the little boy. - BMS
Booth, Coe
Tyrell
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
2
I really enjoyed this book.
2
The book was very well written. I enjoyed it a lot. - MNHS
Bowsher, Melodie
My Lost and Found Life
Part sexy romance, part urban survival adventure, this long, fast-paced contemporary novel will speak to older teens about coming-of-age. At 17, Ashley is homecoming queen, has a 4.0 GPA, and is on her way to an elite college when her mom disappears after being accused of embezzling funds.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
2
This book was really sad, but girls who don't respect their mother should read this. A popular girl who has everything loses everything when her mother embezzles money and abandons her. Then she has to learn to live on her own, without designer things. - MNHS
2
At first it was boring, but then was exciting. You shouldn't judge this book by its cover - MNHS
2
One of the BEST books I've read in a long, long time! - MNHSb
2
Wow! - MNHS
2
I thought the book was good and I never lost interest in it. - MNHS
2
I really enjoyed this book. - MNHS
Boyne, John
Boy in the Stripped Pajamas
Berlin 1942
When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance.
But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
2
This book was truly thought provoking, but the ending almost had me in tears. - MWHS
0
I felt like there was a lot of reading and in all those pages there wasn't much action. Nothing too exciting happens and before you know it, the main character dies. - MNHS
2
I really liked this book because it kept me reading. It was a hard book to put down. - MNHS
2
I enjoyed this book because I'm interested in the Holocaust. It was interesting putting myself in a young boy's position during WWII. His friendship with the boy who ws a victim of the concentration camp was fascinating. - MNHS
0
I disliked this book. - MNHS
1
The book was about the Holocaust and is about a little boy's adventuer and he ends up disappearing. - MNHS
2
I really enjoyed the book because I liked following the mysteries that the character came upon. - MNHS
1
Before you even start reading, you kind of figure out that the book is about the Holocaust. However, the way anything is referred to is so twisted that it takes a long time to understand what's really going on in the story. - NMS
2
This book was very interesting. That's because Bruno had to live in a house which he disliked. Then he met Shmuel, and they became close friends. Overall, this book was fantastic. - BMS
1
This book was just okay because the ending wasn't clear for me. I didn't undestand what happened to the two boys. Did they die? Did Bruno go back to his family? That is why it was just okay. - BMS
2
A great book that kept me reading. - KMS
1
I love the book but the ending was really mean, I thought. - KMS
Brashares, Ann
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood
With unraveled embroidery and fraying hems, the Traveling Pants are back for one last, glorious summer.
Lena: Immerses herself in her painting and an intoxicating summer fling, fearing that the moment she forgets about Kostos will be the moment she sees him again.
Carmen: Falls under the spell of a sophisticated college friend for whom a theatrical role means everything and the heritage of the Pants means nothing.
Bridget: Joins a dig for an ancient city on the coast of Turkey and discovers that her archaeology professor is available in every way except one.
Tibby: Leaves behind someone she loves, wrongly believing he will stay where she has left him.
Join Ann Brashares's beloved sisterhood once again in a dazzling, fearless novel. It's a summer that will forever change the lives of Lena, Carmen, Bee, and Tibby, here and now, past and future, together and apart.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
2
This book was about four very close friends, Lena, Bee, Carmen, and Tibby. They went to college and somehow became separated. They relied on the traveling pants to unite them. - BMS
1.5
It was a good book and I really enjoyed the entire series. It wasn't the best out of the series, though. - MNHS
2
I really liked the book. But you can't really just read one - you have to read all four of them. I love the series. I even want her to make more of the mooks. The characters are cool too. The whole idea is great!!! - MNHS
2
I really liked the whole series and I thought that this book finished off the series nicely. - MNHS
1
It was fun to see how the girls lives were going as they entered colelge, but I didn't think it was as good as the first three. - MNHSt
Brennan, Herbie
Ruler of the Realm
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
2
This book was very well written. There was something for everyone in this book. - MNHS

Broach, Ellise

Desert Crossing
A summer trip across the New Mexico desert turns nightmarish for fourteen-year-old Lucy, her older brother Jamie, and his best friend Kit, as they become involved in the suspicious death of a young girl.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
1
Slightly romantic murder mystery. Didin't give as much of adrenaline rush as other books. Unpredictable, a very good book. - MNHS
2
This was awesome. I never read. This book really keeps you interested because you can relate to the characters. - MNHS
1
I thought the book was good for the most part. I didn't like how it ended so quickly. - MNHS
2
This is my favorite book of all times. - MNHS
2
This book was really good and it was a fast read. - MNHS
2
It made you want to keep reading it and it had a little of everything. - MNHS
Brooks, Kevin
The Road of the Dead
Two brothers, sons of an incarcerated gypsy, leave London traveling to an isolated and desolate village, in search of the brutal killer of their sister.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
2
I really enjoyed this book. - MNHS
2
This book kept me into it the whole time. - MNHS
1
This book was okay, and that was because it got confusing. But then - again - that was because it was interesting and had some violence and some talk. But, I would read this book again in the future. - MNHS
2
I really enjoyed this book. - MNHS
1
This book was OK, it was a little slow at first. It was not really my type of book - MNHS
1
It was a little darker than my taste, but it had a good storyline. - MNHS
1
I thought the book dragged out too long, but the parts taht were not dragged out were really interesting. - MNHS
2
Graphically violent at the end - but you are rooting for them because they are getting justice for their sister. - MNHSs
2
Amazing! - MNHS
2
This book appeals to readers who are not completely plot-driven. It is set in England and revolves around a murder. - MWHS
2
I liked how Cole and his little brother go through so much work to find out who killed their sister. - BMS
Bruhac, Joseph
Geronimo
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
2
I really enjoyed this book! - NMS
Bruchac, Joseph
Return of the Skeleton Man
When Molly and her parents attend a conference at Mohonk Mountain House, Molly begins to fear that she is being watched by the very man who kidnapped and tried to kill them all the previous year
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
2
I really liked the book because it was very entertaining and was never boring. It was suspenseful and I loved every part of it. - MNHS
2
The actors in this book were very good at drawing you in and keeping you interested in the book. - MNHS
2
This is a story of faith, love, and stories. A young Apache is on the brink of becoming a man when his tribe is captured. Now they must free themselves by telling stories. CMS
2
The book was very suspenseful and it kept me wondering what is coming next. It has a great ending you'll never expect. Great short story. - NMS
2
This was quick read. It was a good sequel. - KMS
2
Crazy sequel. - KMS
2
I liked this book. It had great story telling and was suspenseful. I enjoyed this book more than the first one. This book was particularly good because I couldn't figure out what will happen next. I'm good at THAT. On a rating of 1 - 10- I'd give it an 8.5. - NMS
2
I really enjoyed this book! - MWHS
Brugman, Alyssa
Being Bindy
In this intermittently poignant and humorous book, Australian author Brugman (Finding Grace) introduces a feisty heroine whose life is in anxiety-inducing flux. Bindy's longtime best friend Janey drops her for a mean-spirited, clothes- and boy-crazy classmate, with whom she teams up to humiliate the narrator in front of the entire school.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
1
The story line was good. I thought it related well to middle schoolers. However, I thought it was too grown up and explicit for middle schoolers and early high schoolers. - MNHS
2
This book was both funny and sad.. It was sad how Janey kept being mean to Bindy. Liz was just getting into their lives. It was a relief to know that everthing turned out right. - BMS
2
I really liked how the author describes everything. It was really funny when they found out that their dad drank the rest of the milk. And they were all fighting that each other drank the milk. They called them a milk pig. - BMS
2
The book was funny but sad. It told us that we should do what we want to do and not because someone else is doing it. We shouldn't leave out old friends cause the new ones can bail on you. - KMS
2
I finishted this book in a day. It was really good. I never new what was going to happen next! - KMS
1
This book was pretty good. - KMS
2
I lkie this because it tells you what could happen with you and your friends. You shouldn't ditch your best friend for the popular girl. Either all be friends - or don't be friends with the popular girl. - CMS
Bryant, Jen
Pieces of Georgia
A free membership to the Brandywine River Museum. That's the perfect gift for a grieving 13-year-old with artistic talent and a need to remove the "at risk"label from her permanent school record. It is also a passport for Georgia McCoy, an avenue out of her shyness, into the art world of her deceased mother, and toward an understanding of her struggling father.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
2
Loved this book! Very relatable for youth today! Easy to feel for & take in the observations of the world around her. - MNHS
2
This book had lots of good elements - and I'm really torn between giving it a 2 or 1. Overall, it was fine, speaks to some issues that students have - but it could have been more moving. MNHSb
1

This book was written as a diary, which made it really easy to read. I liked the way Georgia talked to her mom even though she was dead. At the end, Georgia did win the art contest. -BMS

2
I loved the descriptive words. The drawing Georgia drew was amazing. I was sad that Georgia's mom died. - BMS
Buckley, Michael
Problem Child, The
In the intensely infernal installment of this fairy-tale detective saga, the sisters Grimm come face to face with their parents' kidnappers. To overcome the machinations of the dreaded Scarlet Hand, the sisters must find a way to reconstruct a weapon capable of killing the Jabberwocky. Not so elementary, but a lot of fun.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
2
I absolutly love this book!! I think Red Riding Hood is nuts! - BMS
2
This book was really good and had the same amount of suspense as the other books of the others in the seriew. With the neverending mystery and the ongoing wonder of who kidnapped who - this book was a great read. - KMS
1
It's confusing if you hadn't read the first one. - KMS
2
I loved the book. I couldn't put it down. This is a book for everyone who enjoys a little fantasy and a lot of mystery. MNHS
Budhos, Marina
Ask Me No Questions
Fourteen-year-old Nadira, her sister, and their parents leave Bangladesh for New York City, but the expiration of their visas and the events of September 11, 2001, bring frustration, sorrow, and terror for the whole family.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
1
My favorite part is Bangledesh people were treated differently after 911. It wasn't really interesting to me, though. - BMS
1
It is sad that Bangladesh people were treated differently after 9/11. - BMS
Buffie, Margaret
Out of Focus
When her aunt dies and leaves her family an old lodge, sixteen-year-old Bernice Dodd, who takes care of her younger siblings whenever her mother goes on a drinking binge, convinces her family to move there so they can rebuild the house and change their lives.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
2
I really enjoyed this book. - MNHS
2
It was altogether a great book and makes you more alert about how true and sad life can be for some people. - MNHS
2
Really a good book. Really good for students who have an alcoholic parent. I could really relate to this book. I love this book and couldn't put it down. - MNHS
2
I liked how this book was written. Though some things were taken to the extreme, it was an enjoyable book that really brought things into focus. - MNHS
2
I really liked this book because it tells you about a girl who has to deal with an alcoholic mom who she forces to move to her dead great aunt Charlotte's house and they try to live there. - BMS
Burton, Rebecca
Leaving the Jetty Road
New boyfriends, worries about final exams and the future, and a possible eating disorder transform best friends Nat, Lise, and Sofia during their last year at a private high school in South Australia.
Student Rating:
Student Comments:
2
I really enjoyed this book. - MNHS
Young Adults Choices - 2007

YAC Books Index by Title

YAC Index by Author's Last Name: A - B - C- D- EF - G - HI - JK - L - M- NO - P - QR - S - TUV - WXYZ