Best Books for Young Adults - 2002

- chosen as one of the top 10 books published this year.

Fiction:

Bell, Hilari. A Matter of Profit
The Vivitare have conquered most of the peaceful T'chin Confederacy, but Ahvren questions the victory as he tries to trace an assassination plot in time to prevent it. (Juv Fic SF  Bell)

Brashares, Ann. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
Four lifelong high-school friends and a magical pair of jeans take summer journeys to discover love, disappointments, and self-realization. (YA Fic  Brashares)

Brooks, Bruce. All That Remains.
Three novellas highlighting teens whose lives are affected in various ways by a death in the family. (YA Fic  Brooks)

Card, Orson Scott. Shadow of the Hegemon.
Targeted for assassination, Bean escapes when the other Battle School kids are abducted from their recently-united families, leaving Petra to spearhead the fight from inside captivity. (Fic SF  Card)

Clement-Davies, David. Fire Bringer.
Rannoch, a young red deer, discovers he is the changeling destined to fulfill "the Prophecy," to defeat the evil Sgorr, and reunite the Great Herd. (Juv Fic SF  Clement-Davies)

The Color of Absence: Twelve Stories About Loss and Hope. Edited by James Howe.
Twelve stories explore the theme of loss - losing family members, friends, pets and innocence - and possibilities for healing and hope. (YA Fic  Color)

Cormier, Robert. The Rag and Bone Shop.
When twelve-year-old Jason is questioned as a witness in a young girl's murder investigation, he doesn't realize that his interrogation in the hands of a skilled detective will become a matter of life and death. (YA Fic  Cormier)

Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk.
Multiethnic T. J. leads a high-school swim team of nonconformists on a quest for a varsity letter jacket. (YA Fic  Crutcher)

Ferris, Jean. Eight Seconds.
John's eighteenth summer is complicated by his struggle to understand his feelings toward Kit, a star bull rider that he meets at rodeo camp. (YA Fic  Ferris)

Ferris, Jean. Of Sound Mind.
High-school senior Theo is tired of being the "ears" for his deaf parents, especially when it begins to interfere with his plans for college and the rest of his life. (YA Fic  Ferris)

Fleischman, Paul. Seek.
The sounds of Rob's life - a radio DJ, Mexican soap operas, his grandparents storytelling - make up this compelling radio play. (YA Fic  Fleischman)

Flinn, Alex. Breathing Underwater.
After Nick's girlfriend, Caitlin, has a restraining order issued against him, he is forced to come to grips with his anger and low self-esteem. (YA Fic  Flinn)

Geras, Adele. Troy.
Told from the point of view of the women of Troy, this book portrays the last weeks of the Trojan War. It is a modern version of the drama, complete with gods and goddesses who find ways to stir up trouble. (YA Fic  Geras)

Griffin, Adele. Amandine.
Delia is the new girl at school mid-year in ninth grade and at first Amandine seems like the perfect best friend…until things go terribly wrong. (YA Fic  Griffin)

Heneghan, James. The Grave.
A 13-year-old Irish orphan's life is changed forever when he is drawn into the past through a construction site that reveals a mass grave. (Juv Fic SF  Heneghan)

Holm, Jennifer. Boston Jane: an Adventure.
A graduate of a young ladies academy, 16-year-old Jane is forced to forget all her etiquette training when she takes a sea voyage to meet her fiance. (Juv Fic  Holm)

Jenkins, A. M. Damage.
Football star and high-school senior Austin clings to a relationship with beautiful, sexy Heather in the hope she will be his salvation. (YA Fic  Jenkins)

Jimenez, Francisco. Breaking Through.
When 14-year-old Francisco returns to California after being adopted, his hard work and inner strength bring him success. (YA Fic  Jimenez)

Jordan, Sherryl. Secret Sacrament.
After Gavriel witnesses a terrible crime against a Shinali woman, he becomes disenchanted with the rulers of the Navorran Empire and is determined to become a healer at the Citadel. (Juv Fic SF  Jordan)

Klass, David. You Don't Know Me.
John, a 14-year-old boy from a small town defends himself against an abusive home life, an outcast school life, and being a social misfit by living outside of himself. (YA Fic  Klass)

Koertge, Ron. Brimstone Journals.
In short poems, 15 students from Branston High School (known by the students as "Brimstone") write about their problems, plans, and the fears that connect them all. (YA Fic  Koertge)

Les Becquets, Diane. The Stones of Mourning Creek.
Francie's grief over her mother's mysterious death is eased by her growing friendship with an African-American teen, Ruthie, and her family. (YA Fic  Les Becquets)

Love and Sex: Ten Stories of Truth. Edited by Michael Cart.
Ten highly original stories of love, lust, intimacy, and sex - gay, straight, questioning and gender-bending. (YA Fic  Love)

Lynch, Chris. Freewill.
Why are you carving statues, Will? Do you think it's causing the suicides? Are you doing it of your own free will? Will you ever know? (YA Fic  Lynch)

McCormick, Patricia. Cut.
Callie, 13 and confined to a treatment facility for self-mutilation, gradually begins to understand some of the reasons behind her problems. (YA Fic  McCormick)

McDonald, Janet. Spellbound.
Raven, at 16, felt trapped at home with her baby until her sister suggested that she compete in a spelling bee to win a college scholarship. (YA Fic  McDonald)

McDonald, Joyce. Shades of Simon Gray.
Was the terrible crash which put Simon Gray into a coma really an accident or was he simply wishing to end the guilt he feels when his illegal computer project fails? (YA Fic M  McDonald)

Mikaelsen, Ben. Touching Spirit Bear.
After his anger erupts into violence, Cole, in order to avoid going to prison, agrees to participate in a sentencing alternative based on the native American Circle Justice, and he is sent to a remote Alaskan Island where an encounter with a huge Spirit Bear changes his life. (YA Fic  Mikaelsen)

Moriarty, Jaclyn. Feeling Sorry for Celia.
Australian teenager Elizabeth's life is revealed through notes from imaginary organizations such as The Cold Hard Truth Association, and from post-it notes from her mom and letters to a local pen pal. (YA Fic  Moriarty)

Mosher, Richard. Zazoo.
From the moment almost 14-year-old Zazoo sees the handsome young man on the black bicycle, her life is changed forever with never-explored questions about her own past and that of her beloved "Grand-Pierre." (YA Fic  Mosher)

Na, An. A Step from Heaven.
One Korean family's struggle to find its way in America as seen through the eyes of young Ju Park, from her earliest memories through the end of high school. (YA Fic  Na)

Naidoo, Beverly. The Other Side of Truth.
Sade flees Nigeria for London with her younger brother, after her mother is assassinated. Afraid to give their names, the two are both victimized and defrauded as they seek to be reunited with their family. (YA Fic  Naidoo)

Nix, Garth. Lirael.
Lirael becomes a librarian in the vast warren of a library that not only houses books but also guards monstrous dangers and arcane magic that lets her conjure up the Disreputable Dog who accompanies her on a quest when the dead start warring on the living. (Juv Fic SF  Nix)

Nolan, Han. Born Blue.
Abandoned as a toddler by her addicted mother, Janie/Leshaya finds a friend in foster brother Harmon, and solace in singing like the soulful "ladies" of Jazz and the blues. (YA Fic  Nolan)

On the Fringe. Edited by Don Gallo.
Eleven outstanding young adult authors contribute riveting stories as current as today's headlines. (YA Fic  On)

Park, Linda Sue. A Single Shard.
In twelfth-century Korea, a 13-year-old orphan, Tree-ear, becomes an apprentice to a maker of celadon pottery and finds a family through unexpected paths. (Juv Fic  Park)

Peck, Richard. Fair Weather.
Rosie's family is invited by Aunt Euterpe to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and her unpredictable grandfather decides to come along. (Juv Fic  Peck)

Pierce, Meredith Ann. Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood.
When amnesiac Hannah defies a wizard and allows the healing flora that grows in her tresses to go unplucked, she and her talking animal companions set out on a trek that brings a change of seasons back to the world. (Juv Fic SF  Pierce)

Pierce, Tamora. Squire.
Keladry of Mendalin, now 14, 5'10", and a squire to a kindly knight, faces challenges in the field and in her first romance, as she anticipates her final ordeal in the frightening magic chamber. (Juv Fic SF  Pierce)

Pratchett, Terry. The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents.
All those stories about plagues and rats and magic pipers make great advance publicity for Maurice, the talking cat, and his rat acquaintances (some more talkative than others), when they roll into town with their piper to scam yet another gullible bunch with a bit of widdling on the cheese and swimming in the fresh cream before collecting the loot and scampering out of town. (Juv Fic SF  Pratchett)

Pullman, Philip. The Amber Spyglass.
In this third and final installment of the His Dark Materials series, Lyra and Will are reunited, visit the underworld, and pursue the puzzle of Dust. (Juv Fic SF  Pullman)

Rees, Celia. Witch Child.
In 1659, having watched her grandmother hung from the gallows as a witch, Mary Newbury keeps a journal of her experiences travelling to New England and finds the same intolerance that killed her grandmother. (YA Fic M  Rees)

Rice, David.  CRAZY LOCO.
A collection of tales from Chicano life in small-town Texas - from poignant to hilarious.

Ryan, Sara. Empress of the World.
Nicola, who is studying archaeology at a summer institute for gifted high school students, meets a group of new friends, and discovers that her attraction to Battle leads to her first experience of love and heartbreak. (YA Fic  Ryan)

Salisbury, Graham. The Lord of the Deep.
13-year-old Mikey learns some hard truths about life and honor during three fateful days aboard his stepfather's deep-sea fishing boat off Hawaii. (YA Fic  Salisbury)

Sanchez, Alex. Rainbow Boys.
Three very different high-school boys deal with the issues involved in being gay: coming out to parents and friends, self-acceptance, the art of forming relationships, health-related issues, and the dangers of exploitation. (YA Fic  Sanchez)

Shinn, Sharon. Summers at Castle Auburn.
As the years pass, Coriel, the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman, who spends her summers at the castle, becomes aware of the intrigue and the dark side that surround the royalty. (Fic SF  Shinn)

Sones, Sonya. What My Mother Doesn't Know.
Writing in free verse, Sophie describes her first experiences with boyfriends, love and other hazards in her search for Mr. Right. (YA Fic  Sones)

Stratton, Allan. Leslie's Journal.
Using her English journal, Leslie records her life as it spins out of control. (YA Fic  Stratton)

Tashjian, Janet. The Gospel According to Larry.
Things spiral out of control for Josh, a loner, who masquerades as "Larry" as he espouses anti-consumerism on his anonymous Web site. (YA Fic  Tashjian)

Taylor, Mildred. The Land.
In a prequel to the Newbery-Award winner Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Cassie Logan's grandfather, Paul Edward, tells of his heart-breaking but ultimately triumphant struggle to acquire the land that would become the Logan family legacy. (Juv Fic  Taylor)

Tingle, Rebecca. The Edge On the Sword.
In ninth century Britain, 15-year-old Aethlflaed, daughter of King Alfred, finds she must assume new responsibilities, including betrothal to her father's ally, to strengthen their kingdom against Danish invaders. (YA Fic  Tingle)

Vance, Susanna. Sights.
Baby Girl has the gift to see the future and she and her beautiful mother make a new life amid the characters in small-town Cot. (YA Fic  Vance)

Vande Velde, Vivian. Being Dead.
Seven unquiet souls haunt these seven stories that chill the mind of the reader. (YA Fic M  Vande Velde)

Vijayaraghaven, Vineeta. MOTHERLAND.
Even though Maya was born in India, she is all-American. When her parents send her to visit her grandmother for the summer, she rediscovers her homeland, receives an offer of marriage, and uncovers a family secret.

Weaver, Beth. ROOSTER.
Frustrated with all her responsibilities, which include taking care of a senile grandmother to a mentally handicapped neighbor, Rooster, Kady becomes enamored with wealthy, popular, and unscrupulous Jon.

Werlin, Nancy. Black Mirror.
Frances tries to uncover the secretes at her boarding school that may hide more than just the reasons for her brother's death while she comes to terms with her own mixed heritage. (YA Fic M  Werlin)

Williams-Garcia, Rita. EVERY TIME A RAINBOW DIES.
Thulani is drawn out from his grief over the death of his mother when he comes to the aid of a rape victim and is obsessed with forming a relationship with her.

Wittlinger, Ellen. RAZZLE.
When his retired parents buy a group of tourist cabins on Cape Cod, 15-year-old Kenyon's days are filled with repair work until he becomes friends with an eccentric girl and makes her the subject of a series of photographs.

Wolff, Virginia Euwer. True Believer.
In this poetic sequel to Make Lemonade, LaVaughn finds that her changing goals and relationships bring her both pain and joy. (YA Fic  Wolff)

Zusak, Markus. Fighting Ruben Wolfe.
Two brothers from the wrong side of the tracks spar with life in defense of family and on the Australian underground boxing circuit. (YA Fic  Zusak)

Nonfiction:

Colton, Larry. Counting Coup: the True Story of Basketball and Honor on the Little Big Horn.
Sportswriter Larry Colton chronicles a season of Hardin High School (Montana) girls basketball as the players struggle with injuries, prejudice and the dismal reality of life on the Crow Indian Reservation. (796.323 C722c)

Cooper, Michael. Fighting for Honor: Japanese Americans and World War II.
The Japanese-American experience at home and on the front lines is revealed in this thoughtful book about World War II. (j940.5315  Cooper)

Fisher, Antwone, with Mim Eichler Rivas. Finding Fish.
Once an abused foster child and a homeless teen, Antwone relates his struggle to attain successful manhood and find his lost family. (921 F531Aaf)

Fradin, Dennis Brindell. Bound for the North Star: True Stories of Fugitive Slaves.
The stories of fifteen fugitive slaves who escaped to the North via the Underground Railroad and other routes. (973.711 F841b)

Greenberg, Jan and Sandra Jordan. Vincent Van Gogh: Portrait of an Artist.
An intriguing, colorful, biography of the Dutch artist's troubled life. (j759.9492  Greenberg)

Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by 20th Century American Art. Edited by Jan Greenberg.
A compilation of poems written in response to various pieces of American art. (j811.6  Heart)

Hoose, Phillip. We Were There, Too!: Young People in U.S. History.
Stories of over 70 people of diverse cultures who were present or played a role at important events in U. S. history. (j973  Hoose)

Kendall, Martha. Failure Is Impossible: the History of American Women's Rights.
A brief but lively account of the struggles for equality and opportunity faced and won by American women throughout our country's history. (j305.42  Kendall)

Ketchum, Liza. INTO THE NEW COUNTRY: EIGHT REMARKABLE WOMEN OF THE WEST.
Profiles of eight women who made fascinating contributions to the history of the American West. Includes photos, illustrations, and primary-source material.

King, Daniel. Chess: From First Moves to Checkmate.
This attractive introduction to the game of chess combines understandable explanations with stunning computer graphics. Covered are rules, strategy, famous players, history, and the chess notation. (j794.1  King)  

Lawlor, Laurie. Helen Keller: Rebellious Spirit.
Helen Keller's life - her fun-loving nature, romance, and strong political views. (j921 K281)

Lee, Bruce; selected and edited by John Little. Bruce Lee: the Celebrated Life of the Golden Dragon.
This biography of the martial arts legend includes tons of never published photos as well as Lee writing about his childhood, his family and his stardom. (921 L51Aab)

Marrin, Albert. George Washington and the Founding of a Nation.
An information-packed biography that makes Washington a real person and reveals the hard road he and his contemporaries traveled in the formation of our country. (j921 W2773ma)

Murphy, Jim. Blizzard: the Storm that Changed America.
Based on newspaper articles and personal accounts, this chronicle of the Blizzard of 1888 vividly portrays how the Northeast was crippled by snow for three days. (j974.71  Murphy)

Myers, Walter Dean. Bad Boy: a Memoir.
In a memoir that is funny, heartwrenching and unforgettable, Myers tells the story of his childhood in Harlem. (YA 921 M992AAb)

Myers, Walter Dean. The Greatest: Muhammad Ali.
A moving biography of the greatest boxer who ever lived - his unpopular political views, his fallibility, and his generous spirit. (j796.83  Myers)

Nelson, Marilyn. Carver: a Life in Poems.
A biography in poems that illuminates George Washington Carver's gentle spirit, artistic sensibility, generosity, and faith, in addition to his skills as a scientist and inventor. (j921 C256ne)

Orgill, Roxane. SHOUT, SISTER, SHOUT!: TEN GIRL SINGERS WHO SHAPED A CENTURY.
A collective musical biography of female singers that spans the decades of the twentieth century.

Owen, David. HIDDEN EVIDENCE: FORTY TRUE CRIMES AND HOW FORENSIC SCIENCE HELPED SOLVED THEM.
The evolution of forensic science and crime investigation is detailed in this study that includes famous cases from Jack the Ripper, presidential assassinations and recent serial killers.

Things I Have to Tell You: Poems and Writing by Teenage Girls. Edited by Betsy Franco.
A follow-up to You Hear Me, this collection of stories and poems by teen girls reveals the truth about boyfriends, body image and being female. (YA 810.8  Things)

Voices: Poetry and Art From Around the World. edited by Barbara Brenner.
A powerful, beautiful anthology of the universal language of poetry and art, organized by continent. (j808.81  Voices)

Words with Wings: a Treasury of African-American Poetry and Art. Edited by Belinda Rochelle.
This treasury tells a story of the African-American experience through an arresting compilation of 20 poems and 20 art works by African-American poets and artists. (j811.008  Words)

YELL-OH GIRLS!: EMERGING VOICES EXPLORE CULTURE< IDENTITY AND GROWING-UP ASIAN AMERICAN. edited by Vickie Nam.
Young women of Asian descent detail their experiences of growing up in America.

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5/13/10
Duluth Public Library, 520 W. Superior St., Duluth, MN 55802