Best Selling Books by Todd Strasser

This novel dramatizes an incident that took place in a California school in 1969. A teacher creates an experimental movement in his class to help students understand how people could have followed Hitler. The results are astounding. The highly disciplined group, modeled on the principles of the Hilter Youth, has its own salute, chants, and special ways of acting as a unit and sweeps beyond the class and throughout the school, evolving into a society willing to give up freedom for regimentation and blind obedience to their leader. All will learn a lesson that will never be forgotten.

Overweight high school senior Bo decides to change her image while working on the school play with a former star football player who is also struggling to find a new identity for himself.

In the middle of the night Garrett is taken from his home to Harmony Lake, a boot camp for troubled teens. Maybe some kids deserve to be sent there, but Garrett knows he doesn''t. Subjected to brutal physical and psychological abuse, he tries to fight back, but the battle is futile. He won''t be allowed to leave until he''s admitted his "mistakes" and conformed to Harmony Lake''s standards of behavior. And there''s no way to fake it. Beaten, humiliated, and stripped of his pride, Garrett''s spirit is slowly ebbing away. Then he hears whispers of an escape plot. It''s incredibly risky -- if he''s caught, the consequences will be unthinkable -- but it may be his only way out. In this tense, riveting novel, award-winning YA author Todd Strasser reveals what really goes on in highly secretive -- and notoriously dangerous -- boot camps, a stealth prison system where any teenager under the age of eighteen can be imprisoned at his parents'' whim.

“[H]aunting and harrowing.” —Booklist (starred review) “Vivid, distressing, and all too real.” —Kirkus Reviews In this 20th anniversary edition of Todd Strasser’s gut-wrenching and critically acclaimed Give a Boy a Gun, two boys bring guns to school in search of revenge against their classmates. For as long as they can remember, Brendan and Gary have been mercilessly teased and harassed by the jocks who rule Middletown High. But not anymore. Stealing a small arsenal of guns from a neighbor, they take their classmates hostage at a school dance. In the panic of this desperate situation, it soon becomes clear that only one thing matters to Brendan and Gary: revenge. This special 20th anniversary edition includes updated backmatter and statistics on school shootings—a topic that is now more relevant than ever.

At a high school party, a girl finds her best friend murdered, only to be discovered holding the weapon and accused of the crime.

In the Frederick Douglass Project where DeShawn lives, daily life is ruled by drugs and gang violence. Dropping out of school and joining a gang is the norm and every kid knows someone who''s died. Gunshots ring out on a regular basis. DeShawn is smart enough to know he should stay in school and keep away from the gangs. But while his friends have drug money to buy anything they want, DeShawn''s family can barely afford food for the month. How can he stick to his principles when his family is hungry? In this gritty novel about growing up in the inner-city projects, award-winning author Todd Strasser opens a window into the life of a teenager struggling with right and wrong under the ever-present shadow of gangs.

“Combines terrific suspense with thoughtful depth. . . . Riveting.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) In the summer of 1962, the possibility of nuclear war is all anyone talks about. But Scott’s dad is the only one in the neighborhood who actually builds a bomb shelter. When the unthinkable happens, neighbors force their way into the shelter before Scott’s dad can shut the door. With not enough room, not enough food, and not enough air, life inside the shelter is filthy, physically draining, and emotionally fraught. But even worse is the question of what will — and won’t — remain when the door is opened again.

Tired of being hungry, cold, and dirty from living on the streets of New York City with a tribe of other homeless teenagers who are dying, one by one, a girl named Maybe ponders her future and longs for someone to care about her.

Rendered homeless by circumstances beyond his family''s control, Dan is forced to move to Tent City, where he begins fighting for better conditions only to be targeted by an adversary who wants to destroy the impoverished region.

After Chris''s car plunges into the ravine, killing him and three of his friends, everyone blames Chris for drinking. But Matt thinks there is more to it. Something is fishy about the investigation, and Matt is determined to uncover the truth.

An offer she can''t refuse. Kate Blessing is not your typical high school junior. She''s a good student who''s into guys and the latest designer jeans...and she''s also part of the mob. Her father, Bobby Blessing, is the head of the family, and her mom, Amanda, is the brains behind the operation. Kate may not partake in the "family business," but she knows what goes down. She''s proud of her family -- and of course, there are plenty of perks: her indoor pool, Caribbean vacations, expensive haircuts... But when Amanda gets fed up with Bobby''s cheating and moves out, someone needs to make decisions, give orders, and keep things running. Kate has no choice but to step into her mother''s shoes and prop her dad up. Bobby may be the face of the mob, but it''s not long before the princess is running the show.

When a rumor appears on the Internet that a giant asteroid is about to destroy Earth, Legs Hanover scrambles to meet the boy of her dreams, elusive Andros Bliss.

From award-winning author Todd Strasser comes a gripping new novel that explores the struggles of war, the price paid by those who fight in them, and what it really means to be a hero. Jake Liddell is a hero. At least, that’s what everyone says he is. The military is even awarding him a Silver Star for his heroic achievements—a huge honor for the son of a military family. Now he’s home, recovering from an injury, but it seems the war has followed him back. He needs pills to get any sleep, a young woman is trying to persuade him into speaking out against military recruitment tactics, and his grandfather is already urging him back onto the battlefield. He doesn’t know what to do; nothing makes sense anymore. There is only one thing that Jake knows for certain: he is no hero.

Have you ever seen a shape moving through the night? Do black cats always seem to cross your path? Would your heart race if a ghost sent you a text message? If so, then you might end up Too Afraid to Scream.

Riding the hottest summer trend around, the bestselling author "shoots the tub" with a new action-packed series for the "bros" featuring buff guys, hot girls, and fast surfboards. Original.

All eleven-year-old Ian and his friends want to do is play baseball on the dusty old field behind the high school. But that''s not so easy anymore. Jenny, who''s always been a good sport, has started picking fights and missing games. And the rock-throwing high school bullies won''t leave Ian and his friends alone. Ian''s friends want him to fix things. But how? In the section of town where they live, there''s only one field. How can he convince the bullies to let them play? How can he help Jenny with her problems at home? Why do things have to be so complicated? Why can''t they just play ball?

Ever since Dad died, Kelly and her sister, Sasha, have wished they could have him back again. One day, to their amazement, he does return--as a ghost! He does Kelly''s homework, gets the new boy at school to sit next to her, and even helps in her soccer games. Kelly knows she should do these things for herself, but what''s a girl to do when her dad''s a ghost?

Impact Zone: The most dangerous part of the wave You gotta beat it...or you''ll eat it. Ever since he went up against the locals and broke into the lineup, Kai has had his own crew. Spazzy is a summer kid with a lot of fancy gear. He looks like a total shubee. But on the board he''s good, really good -- despite everything going against him. The Spazz wants to be in the local competition, but he can''t do it without Kai. Kai knows there''s no way Spazzy can win against Lucas, the local hero. But Kai would never let a brah down....

IMAPCT ZONE The most dangerous part of the wave You gotta beat it...or you''ll eat it. The summer is hot, and so is action out on the line-up. There''s a big competition coming up, with some serious burrito money attached. All the brahs are in it for something. Lucas has his career and his reputation on the line. If Kai wins, he might be able to stay in Sun Haven and not have to hit the road again with his sketchy dad. For everyone it''s a chance to close out the summer as a champion. Stoked.

A house at the beach. A bunch of hot strangers. A three-month party that''s Off The Hook. Seven randoms cram into a house down the shore, and they''ve all got agendas. Curt wants a gig. Polly wants a life. Owen''s jonesing for someone he can''t have. And everyone''s geared up for one wicked summer. Surfing all day, partying all night. Here''s the real question: If your boyfriend''s cheating but you''re too busy hooking up, does it really count? And if people aren''t who they say they are, does it really matter?

Madison, a senior at a suburban New York high school, tries to uncover who is responsible for the disappearance of her friends, popular students mentioned in the posts of an anonymous blogger, while she, herself, is being stalked online and in-person.

Sixteen-year-old Jamie Gordon had a taste of praise and recognition at age fourteen when her unflattering photograph of an actress was published, but as she pursues her dream of being a celebrity photographer, she becomes immersed in the dark side of fame.

Collection of stories and poems portraying eight wicked villains from various Disney animated films.

A collection of eight scary stories for young readers.

In this convincing, crisply written novel, Strasser tackles head-on a very real middle-school predicament--the price one can be tempted to pay for popularity. Referring to herself throughout in the second person, narrator Lauren immediately draws readers into her life as she explains that she andher best friend Tara are eating lunch in that part of the cafeteria she dubs "the realm of the socially inferior," while the popular girls sit at the "Don''t-You-Wish-You-Were-Me table." Though she longs to be part of the in-crowd, Lauren lacks the confidence to even attempt to belong; she refuses to wear makeup, for example, because she fears that her classmates would "snigger and say you were trying to be an A-list girl. It''s safer not to try." The author carefully tracks the girl''s growing self-confidence after Celeste, an outgoing new girl who instantly becomes a member of the elite group, befriends Laurenand convinces her to run with her for co-treasurer in their class elections. Unlike Lauren, basking in the glow of her new popularity, readers will pick up on the numerous clues that the manipulative, plotting Celeste is hardly trustworthy. Strasser caps his story with a believable denouement, in which Laurenlearns a painful lesson about the value of genuine friendship and of confidence that comes from within.

A house at the beach. A bunch of hot strangers. A three-month party that''s Off The Hook. Seven randoms cram into a house down the shore, and they''ve all got agendas. Curt wants a gig. Polly wants a life. Owen''s jonesing for someone he can''t have. And everyone''s geared up for one wicked summer. Surfing all day, partying all night. Here''s the real question: If your boyfriend''s cheating but you''re too busy hooking up, does it really count? And if people aren''t who they say they are, does it really matter?

The summer before Scott''s senior year, when his libido is especially high, he befriends his neighbor, a troubled girl of questionable repute, and surprisingly develops a new slant on life.

The cops cracked down on illegal races, and now the only street racing around is at the hottest casino on the strip. The casino owner is starting his own high-stakes, high-payoff drift team -- and there''s little he wouldn''t do to have Sin City''s best drifter. Kennin''s under pressure to quit the scene and get his life back on track. But when he''s offered five grand to fix his ride -- and the promise of enough cash to take care of his problems -- Kennin knows exactly what he has to do. No matter what the catch.

Based on the Screenplay by Ian McEwan.

Guile and his companions find their prowess in the martial arts to be useful as they pursue an adventure in Southeast Asia.

When her intended prom date asks someone else, Nicole is faced with the challenge of turning her grungy next door neighbor into a suitable Prom King candidate. Ties in with the movie starring Melissa Joan Hart and Adrian Grenier.

Ben joins the Indian Guides with his mom''s boyfriend to try and drive Jack away, but ends up liking both the Guides and Jack.

Rock musicians Gary, Susan, Oscar, and Karl are dealt a hard blow while pursuing their dream of stardom. Sequel to Rock ''N'' Roll Nights.

A collection of poems and stories from such Disney films as Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin, and The Lion King.

After Andy presses the wrong button on a weird machine and turns into a dog, his friend Jake tries to help him turn back into a human.

"An American teen is led towards committing a terrorist act"--

Feeling increasingly alienated from his successful and affluent parents, a 17-year-old boy becomes involved in drug dealing.