Complete Reading list for teenagers (Grade 9-12)

But the truth is, Mia spends all her time doing one of three things: preparing for her nerve-racking entrée into Genovian society, slogging through the congestion unique to Manhattan in December, and avoiding further smooches from her hapless boyfriend, Kenny.

For Mia, being a princess in love is not the fairy tale it's supposed to be . . . or is it?

Nothing Like It In the World

by: Stephen E. Ambrose

release date: Jan 01, 2000

Nothing Like It in the World gives the account of an unprecedented feat of engineering, vision, and courage. It is the story of the men who built the transcontinental railroad—the investors who risked their businesses and money; the enlightened politicians who understood its importance; the engineers and surveyors who risked, and sometimes lost, their lives; and the Irish and Chinese immigrants, the defeated Confederate soldiers, and the other laborers who did the backbreaking and dangerous work on the tracks.

The U.S. government pitted two companies—the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific Railroads—against each other in a race for funding, encouraging speed over caution. Locomotives, rails, and spikes were shipped from the East through Panama or around South America to the West or lugged across the country to the Plains. In Ambrose's hands, this enterprise, with its huge expenditure of brainpower, muscle, and sweat, comes vibrantly to life.

The Hero and the Crown

by: Robin McKinley

release date: Apr 01, 1988

For over a decade, Robin McKinley's richly woven saga has gripped the imagination of readers and caused critics to hail her as a master of fantasy. It is the story of Aerin, haunted since childhood by the legend of her mother-a "witchwoman" who enspelled the king and then died of disappointment after giving birth to a daughter, rather than the heroic son the kingdom needed. But little did the young princess know the long-dormant powers of her mother would wield their own destiny. For though she was a woman, Aerin was destined to be the true hero who would one day wield the power of the Blue Sword....

Breakfast of Champions

by: Kurt Vonnegut

Breakfast of Champions is vintage Vonnegut. One of his favorite characters, aging writer Kilgore Trout, finds to his horror that a Midwest car dealer is taking his fiction as truth. The result is murderously funny satire as Vonnegut looks at war, sex, racism, success, politics, and pollution in America and reminds us how to see the truth.

Wringer

by: Jerry Spinelli

release date: Jan 01, 1997

He was not aware that he ever stopped crying.In his sleep a voice echoed down the long dark barrel of a cannon: You have run out of birthdays. In the morning he awoke suddenly to a flutter of wings.

Birthdays are an obsession where Palmer comes from, but if turning a year older means initiation into a violent practice he despises, he'd rather not. Unfortunately, Palmer cannot stop time any more than he can change tradition. So as this next and most important birthday approaches, Palmer knows that it's now or never. Something must be done.

Lirael

by: Garth Nix

release date: Jan 01, 2001

Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Abandoned by her mother, ignorant of her father's identity, Lirael resembles no one else in her large extended family living in the Clayr's glacier. She doesn't even have the Sight--the ability to See into the present and possibly futures--that is the very birthright of the Clayr.

Nonetheless, it is Lirael in whose hands the fate of the Old Kingdom lies. She must undertake a desperate mission under the growing shadow of an ancient evil--one that opposes the Royal Family, blocks the Sight of the Clayr, and threatens to break the very boundary between Life and Death itself. With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog to help her, Lirael must find the courage to seek her own hidden destiny.

Childhood's End

by: Arthur C Clarke

When the silent spacecraft arrived and took the light from the world, no one knew what to expect. But, although the Overlords kept themselves hidden from man, they had come to unite a warring world and to offer an end to poverty and crime. When they finally showed themselves it was a shock, but one that humankind could now cope with, and an era of peace, prosperity and endless leisure began. But the children of this utopia dream strange dreams of distant suns and alien planets, and begin to evolve into something incomprehensible to their parents, and soon they will be ready to join the Overmind...and, in a grand and thrilling metaphysical climax, leave the Earth behind.

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles

by: Julie Andrews Edwards

release date: Dec 16, 1996

The Whangdoodle was once the wisest, the kindest, and the most extraordinary creature in the world. Then he disappeared and created a wonderful land for himself and all the other remarkable animals -- the ten-legged Sidewinders, the little furry Flukes, the friendly Whiffle Bird, and the treacherous, "oily" Prock. It was an almost perfect place where the last of the really great Whangdoodles could rule his kingdom with "peace, love and a sense of fun"-- apart from and forgotten by people.

But not completely forgotten. Professor Savant believed in the Whangdoodle. And when he told the three Potter children of his search for the spectacular creature, Lindy, Tom, and Ben were eager to reach Whangdoodleland.

With the Professor's help, they discovered the secret way. But waiting for them was the scheming Prock, who would use almost any means to keep them away from his beloved king. Only by skill and determination were the four travelers able to discover the last of the really great Whangdoodles and grant him his heart's desire.

Julie Andrews Edwards, star of stage and screen, has written a unique and beloved story that has become a modern classic. The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles is sure to continue to delight readers everywhere. This edition includes a new foreword by the author.

A Brief History of Time

by: Stephen W. Hawking

release date: Jan 01, 1997

A Brief History of Time, published in 1988, was a landmark volume in science writing and in world-wide acclaim and popularity, with more than 9 million copies in print globally. The original edition was on the cutting edge of what was then known about the origins and nature of the universe. But the ensuing years have seen extraordinary advances in the technology of observing both the micro- and the macrocosmic world -- observations that have confirmed many of Hawking's theoretical predictions in the first edition of his book.

Now a decade later, this edition updates the chapters throughout to document those advances, and also includes an entirely new chapter on Wormholes and Time Travel and a new introduction. It make vividly clear why A Brief History of Time has transformed our view of the universe.

Catherine, Called Birdy

by: Karen Cushman

release date: Apr 01, 2000

Catherine, a spirited and inquisitive young woman of good family, narrates in diary form the story of her fourteenth year--the year 1290. A Newbery Honor Book.

In the Hand of the Goddess

release date: Mar 01, 2007

From Tamora Pierce, the second book in the Song of the Lioness Quartet, honored with the Margaret A. Edwards Award.

Alanna, disguised as a boy, becomes a squire to none other than the heir to the throne. Prince Jonathan is not only Alanna's liege lord, he is also her best friend—and one of the few who knows the secret of her true identity. But when a vicious sorcerer threatens the prince's life, it will take all of Alanna's skill, strength, and magical power to protect him, even at the risk of surrendering her dreams…

2001: A Space Odyssey

by: Arthur C. Clarke

release date: May 01, 2000

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Two astronauts find their journey into space and their very lives jeopardized by the jealousy of an extraordinary computer named Hal.

Tears of a Tiger

by: Sharon M. Draper

release date: Jan 01, 2008

Sharon Draper is a two-time Coretta Scott King Award-winning author, most recently for "Copper Sun," and previously for "Forged by Fire." She's also the recipient of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Author Award for New Talent for "Tears of a Tiger" and the Coretta Scott King Author Honor for "The Battle of Jericho "and "November Blues." Her other books include "Romiette and Julio," "Darkness Before Dawn," and "Double Dutch." She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she taught high school English for twenty-five years. She's a popular conference speaker, addressing educational and literary groups both nationally and internationally. For more information visit her online at www.sharondraper.com.

Thief Lord

by: Cornelia Funke

release date: Jan 01, 2003

Aimed at children aged nine to 12 years, this is a magical thriller set among the crumbling canals of Venice.

Tangerine

by: Edward Bloor

release date: Jan 01, 2001

Paul Fisher¹s older brother has always been the football-playing hero of the family. But when the Fishers move to Tangerine, Florida, Paul enters a place where weird is normal. And suddenly the blind can see. TANGERINE as named a 1997 American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, an ALA Top-Ten Best Book, a Horn Book Fanfare Book, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, and an Edgar Award Nominee.

First Test

release date: Jan 01, 2007

Ten-year-old Keladry of Mindalen, daughter of nobles, serves as a page but must prove herself to the males around her if she is ever to fulfill her dream of becoming a knight.

Invisible Man

by: Ralph Ellison

release date: Jan 01, 1992

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. A black man's search for success and the American dream leads him out of college to Harlem and a growing sense of personal rejection and social invisibility.

Wild Magic (Immortals)

release date: Jan 01, 2005

This first volume of the Immortals Quartet tells the adventures of Daine, a young girl on the edge of discovering her own magic-- and her powerful and strange connection to the animal world.

Brian's Winter

by: Gary Paulsen

release date: Jan 01, 2008

In Hatchet, 13-year-old Brian Robeson learned to survive alone in the Canadian wilderness, armed only with his hatchet. Finally, as millions of readers know, he was rescued at the end of the summer. But what if Brian hadn't been rescued? What if he had been left to face his deadliest enemy--winter?

Gary Paulsen raises the stakes for survival in this riveting and inspiring story as one boy confronts the ultimate test and the ultimate adventure.

A Day No Pigs Would Die

by: Robert Newton Peck

Originally published in hardcover in 1972, A Day No Pigs Would Die was one of the first young adult books, along with titles like The Outsiders and The Chocolate War. In it, author Robert Newton Peck weaves a story of
a Vermont boyhood that is part fiction, part memoir. The result is a moving coming-of-age story that still resonates with teens today.

Blood and Chocolate

by: Annette Curtis Klause

release date: Jan 01, 1999

Vivian Gandillon relishes the change, the sweet, fierce ache that carries her from girl to wolf. At sixteen, she is beautiful and strong, and all the young wolves are on her tail. But Vivian still grieves for her dead father; her pack remains leaderless and in disarray, and she feels lost in the suburbs of Maryland. She longs for a normal life. But what is normal for a werewolf?

Then Vivian falls in love with a human, a meat-boy. Aiden is kind and gentle, a welcome relief from the squabbling pack. He's fascinated by magic, and Vivian longs to reveal herself to him. Surely he would understand her and delight in the wonder of her dual nature, not fear her as an ordinary human would.

Vivian's divided loyalties are strained further when a brutal murder threatens to expose the pack. Moving between two worlds, she does not seem to belong in either. What is she really--human or beast? Which tastes sweeter--blood or chocolate?

The Hunt for Red October

by: Tom Clancy

release date: Jan 01, 1997

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Both the Americans and the Soviets commence an intense naval search when a trusted and skilled Soviet naval officer defects, using the USSR's most valuable nuclear submarine as his escape vehicle.

The Realms of the Gods

release date: Jan 01, 1998

Daine controls the fate of Tortall in this thrilling conclusion to the Immortals series, featuring an updated cover for longtime fans and fresh converts alike, and including an all-new afterword from Tamora Pierce.

During a dire battle against the fearsome Skinners, Daine and her mage teacher, Numair, are swept into the Divine Realms. Although they are happy to be alive, they are not where they want to be. They are desperately needed back home where their old enemy, Ozorne, and his army of strange creatures are waging war against Tortall.

While trapped in the perilous realms of the gods, Daine discovers her mysterious parentage. But as the secrets of her past are revealed, so is the treacherous way back to Tortall. And so Daine and Numair embark on an extraordinary journey home, where the fate of all Tortall rests with Daine and her wild magic.

Homecoming

by: Cynthia Voigt

"IT'S STILL TRUE."
That's the first thing James Tillerman says to his sister Dicey every morning. It's still true that their mother has abandoned the four Tillerman children somewhere in the middle of Connecticut. It's still true they have to find their way, somehow, to Great-aunt Cilla's house in Bridgeport, which may be their only hope of staying together as a family.
But when they get to Bridgeport, they learn that Great-aunt Cilla has died, and the home they find with her daughter, Eunice, isn't the permanent haven they've been searching for. So their journey continues to its unexpected conclusion -- and some surprising discoveries about their history, and their future.

The Contender

by: Robert Lipsyte

release date: Jan 01, 1997

After a successful start in a boxing career, a Harlem high school dropout decides that competing in the ring isn't enough of life and resolves to aim for different goals.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

by: Avi

release date: Jan 01, 2009

A vicious captain, a mutinous crew --
and a young girl caught in the middle

Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty. But I was just such a girl, and my story is worth relating even if it did happen years ago. Be warned, however: If strong ideas and action offend you, read no more. Find another companion to share your idle hours. For my part I intend to tell the truth as I lived it.

Book Details:

Format: Paperback
Publication Date: 4/1/1997
Pages: 240
Reading Level: Age 10 and Up

Prozac Nation

by: Elizabeth Wurtzel

release date: Jan 01, 2000

"A book that became a cultural touchstone." -- The New Yorker

Elizabeth Wurtzel writes with her finger in the faint pulse of an overdiagnosed generation whose ruling icons are Kurt Cobain, Xanax, and pierced tongues. In this famous memoir of her bouts with depression and skirmishes with drugs, Prozac Nation is a witty and sharp account of the psychopharmacology of an era for readers of Girl, Interrupted and Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar.

D-Day

by: Stephen E. Ambrose

release date: Jan 01, 1995

The author of Eisenhower chronicles the events, politics, and personalities of this pivotal day in World War II, shedding light on the strategies of commanders on both sides and the ramifications of the battle. 100,000 first printing. BOMC & History Main. Reader's Digest Cond Bks.

Teen Witch

by: Silver RavenWolf

release date: Jan 01, 2004

Come on, you know you'd look glamorous and powerful in black…that lighting candles and calling spirits would give you an aura of mystery…that life would be better if only you could turn your history teacher into a jiggling mound of orange (or maybe lime) Jell-O. Well, this book is here to tell you that wearing black clothing and threatening people with hexes and curses won't make you a Witch. In fact, neither will joining a coven or being initiated. What Teen Witch will show you is that how you live, how you deal with others, and how you incorporate Wiccan laws into your life determines whether or not you are a true Witch. This handbook presents everything from the Wiccan principles of belief, traditions, symbols, holidays and rituals, to spells for homework and dating.

Freak the Mighty

by: Rodman Philbrick

release date: Jan 01, 1993