Book Recommendations

A breakout teen author explores the true meaning of popularity and how to survive middle school in this hysterically funny, touchingly honest contemporary memoir. In her memoir, Maya describes her experiences during her 8th grade year as she tried out advice she found in a 1950's guide to popularity.

Mature Content Warning

Laurie Halse Anderson uses keen observations and vivid imagery to pull readers into the head of an isolated teenager. Divided into the four marking periods of an academic year, the novel, narrated by Melinda Sordino, begins on her first day as a high school freshman. What has caused Melinda's isolation is of a sensitive nature and may be a trigger for some students.

When a group of boys finds themselves stranded on an island without any supervision, they're forced to govern themselves. The results aren't pretty, but the savage story reveals a lot about survival and human nature.

When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. In October 2012, when she was 15, Malala almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At 16, she became a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize. This moving, inspiring story is a must-read.

Anyone of any age that hasn't read the Harry Potter series, should absolutely read it immediately. In the words of Stephen King, "It's a spellbinding saga," about a very well-crafted magical world. The first book might seem like it starts off slow and some of the later books might seem daunting, but they are well worth finishing.

Mature Content Warning

The Perks of Being a Wallflower follows observant “wallflower” Charlie as he charts a course through the strange world between adolescence and adulthood. First dates, family drama, and new friends.Devastating loss, young love, and life on the fringes. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie must learn to navigate those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the reservation to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, the novel chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.

One of my favorite books when I was in 8th grade, The Witch of Blackbird Pond is set in colonial Connecticut, tells the story of 16-year-old Kit, who is forced to leave her home and join a family she’s never met. Her quest for belonging is soon pitted against her sense of truth and friendship.