# I seek Young Adult literature recommendations (for a class) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 16, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995 "2006-05-16T16:20:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/1 "2006-05-16T16:20:31Z")
Hello all, I’m taking a summer class on Young Adult Literature, for my MLS degree. We are expected to read two YA novels a week and write reviews of each, which shouldn’t be a problem. However, we have a long list of options and choices, and I’d love to get some recommendations so I can go straight to the good stuff. The professor wants one or two from each given genre or subcategory, so I can’t just read Judy Blume’s entire body of work (not that I think I would want to). So what do you all recommend? From the syllabus: > [@](#): > > Read one or two from the following categories to total 20. (The list below is a guide only.) > Realistic Fiction (Chap. 4) > Romance (Chap. 4) > Humor (Fiction) (see Chap. 5) > Sports (Chap. 6) > Strong female character in fiction (choose any) > Mystery/Suspense (Chap. 6) > Historical Fiction (Chap. 8) > Fantasy (Chap. 7) > Science Fiction (Chap. 7) > Ethnic experience in fiction (see p. 299) > Gay experience in fiction (see websites links) > Biography/Autobiography (Non-Fiction) (see Chap. 9 or web sites link) > Curriculum related (see Chap. 9-11) > Shocker/ challenged (you can use a challenged book) > Popular adult fiction (best seller) > Information, Poetry, or Drama (see. Chap. 5 & 9) > > (About half of your reviews should come from this list): > > Chapter 7: Rowling, J. K.; Paolini, Christopher; Lowry, Lois (The Giver); Farmer, Nancy (House of the Scorpion); Card, Orson Scott (Ender’s Game); LeGuin, Ursala; Wells, H…G.; Tolkien, J.R.R.; Lewis, C.S. any; Coffer, Eoin; Pullman, Phillip; Yolen, Jane (2041); or a graphic novel > > Chapter 4: Paulsen, Gary (Hatchet or other); Zindel, Paul (The Pigman or other); Hinton, S.E. (The Outsiders-also in VHS); Cormier, Robert; Bauer, Joan (Hope Was Here); Sachar, Louis (Holes); Myers, Walter Dean; Avi (Nothing But the Truth or other); Creech, Sharon (Walk Two Moons or other); Voigt, Cynthia; Rylant, Cynthia; Spinelli, Jerry (Wringer or other); Paterson, Katherine (Jacob Have I Loved-also in VHS) or other; Jacqueline Woodson; Draper, Sharon; Sones, Sonya > > Chapter 5: Hesse, Karen (Out of the Dust); Nelson, Marilyn (Carver: A Life in Poem); Block, Francesca Lia, any; Sachar, Louis (Holes); Paulsen, Gary (Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered); Kerr, M.E.; Korman, Gordon (Son of the Mob); Garrison, Keillor and READ one ethnic: Ryan, Pam Munoz, Esperanza Rising (Hispanic); Park, Linda Sue, A Single Chard (Korean); Ortiz, Judith, An Island Like You (Barrio); Angelou, Maya, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Afri-Amer) > > Chapter 6: Crutcher, Chris (Running Loose, The Crazy Horse Electric Game, or other); Nixon, Joan Lowery; Sleator, William; Paulsen, Gary; Hobbs, Will; Myers, Walter Dean; Grafton, Sue; Carl Hiaasen (Hoot) > > Chapters 8 & 9: - any title in chapter, i.e. Cushman, Karen; Murphy, Jim (American Plague- about plague of 1793); Avi; Hamilton, Virginia; Taylor, Mildred; O’Dell, Scott; Rinaldi, Ann; Paulsen (Soldier’s Heart); Bruchac, Joseph (The Winter People); Spinelli, Jerry (Milkweed); Kovic, Ron (Born on the Fourth of July-VHS); Piers Paul Read (Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors); Bartoletti, S.C (Black Potatoes) So far, I just finished Eoin Colfer’s _Artemis Fowl_, and I’ll probably read a graphic novel to fulfill the Sci-Fi/Fantasy requirement next. I’ll probably also read Carl Hiaasen’s _Hoot_ since I already love his work, but from here on out, any suggestions based on the above (or any other appropriate works) would be welcomed. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/2 "2006-05-16T16:46:33Z")
It’s a categorie I never really read as a YA but: **Rowling, J. K.** my kids love them so I tried them and they are very readable - terrific sti\ory values. **Hinton, S.E.** (The Outsiders-also in VHS) sometimes feels dated I think _Rumble Fish_ is the most complete. **Cormier, Robert** I read _Fade_ which isn’t YA and then read _The Chocolate War_ which must be close to the best YA book ever written because I loved it. \*\*Garrison Keillor \*\* _Lake Wobegon Days_ manages to make mundane funny. \*\*Angelou, Maya \*\* _I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings_ Interesting enough but check out _Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas_ and some of her poetry for a better appreciation. \*\*Grafton, Sue; Carl Hiaasen \*\* Anything by either of them is a joy but YA??? \*\*Piers Paul Read \*\* (Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors) terrific read that has stayed with me for decades now. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/3 "2006-05-16T17:41:20Z")
I’m not quite sure where it would fit in (Romance? Strong female character?) but I highly recommend “Stargirl” by Spinelli. I was so moved by this book. I think it may be my favorite book ever, YA or otherwise. \*\*Realistic Fiction \*\*[The Kite Runner](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594480001/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_1_1/102-9368996-2841755?%5Fencoding=UTF8) \*\*Romance \*\*[Stargirl](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/037582233X/qid=1147798782/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-9368996-2841755?s=books&v=glance&n=283155) \*\*Humor (Fiction) \*\*[No More Dead Dogs](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0786816015/qid=1147798621/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-9368996-2841755?s=books&v=glance&n=283155) **Sports (Chap. 6)** No clue. Sorry. \*\*Strong female character in fiction \*\*[Speak](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014131088X/ref=pd_sim_b_1/102-9368996-2841755?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155) \*\*Mystery/Suspense \*\*[Acceleration](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385731191/ref=cm_bg_d_9/102-9368996-2841755?v=glance&n=283155) \*\*Historical Fiction \*\*[The Midwife’s Apprentice](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006440630X/qid=1147799100/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_4/102-9368996-2841755?s=books&v=glance&n=283155) \*\*Fantasy \*\*[Alanna](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0689878559/qid=1147800594/sr=12-5/102-9368996-2841755?s=books&v=glance&n=283155) (or anything else by Tamora Pierce) \*\*Science Fiction \*\*[The Giver](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440237688/qid=1147799140/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-9368996-2841755?s=books&v=glance&n=283155) I really don’t think this is fantasy. It has clear moral ambiguities brought about by shifts in technology. But if your teacher will only accept it as fantasy, then I’d recommend [Ender’s Game](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765342294/qid=1147799577/ref=br_lf_b_20/102-9368996-2841755?n=17470&s=books&v=glance) \*\*Ethnic experience in fiction \*\*[Necessary Roughness](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060251247/qid=1147799737/ref=br_lf_b_17/102-9368996-2841755?n=17508&s=books&v=glance) \*\*Gay experience in fiction \*\*[Annie On My Mind](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374404143/qid=1147799882/ref=br_lf_b_7/102-9368996-2841755?n=17504&s=books&v=glance) \*\*Biography/Autobiography \*\*[Walking From East to West](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310259150/qid=1147800055/ref=br_lf_b_6/102-9368996-2841755?n=17424&s=books&v=glance) **Shocker/ challenged (you can use a challenged book)** I don’t know what this means \*\*Popular adult fiction (best seller) \*\*hmm… not sure. I like just about anything by Phillipa Gregory these days. \*\*Information, Poetry, or Drama \*\*[Grand Mothers : Poems, Reminiscences, and Short Stories About The Keepers Of Our Traditions](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805049037/qid=1147800899/ref=br_lf_b_8/102-9368996-2841755?n=17450&s=books&v=glance) ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/4 "2006-05-16T18:03:41Z")
I’m sorry, but I just can’t resist. You’re getting a degree in Me? ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/5 "2006-05-16T18:07:03Z")
Those are surprisingly standard and unimaginative suggestions from your professor, but hey, who am I to judge? I heartily recommend [Sabriel](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060273224/002-4569421-1752016?v=glance&n=283155) by Garth Nix. It’s the first book in his “Abhorsen Trilogy,” and I was shocked at how well-written and engrossing it was for a YA book. I was also surprised at just how **dark** it was for YA - a young girl inherits her father’s position as Necromancer after he becomes trapped in what’s essentially Hell while trying to lay spirits to rest. It inhabits that intersection of horror and fantasy, and features a strong female protagonist. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/6 "2006-05-16T18:19:05Z")
> [@VCO3](#): > > I heartily recommend [Sabriel](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060273224/002-4569421-1752016?v=glance&n=283155) by Garth Nix. It’s the first book in his “Abhorsen Trilogy,” and I was shocked at how well-written and engrossing it was for a YA book. I was also surprised at just how **dark** it was for YA - a young girl inherits her father’s position as Necromancer after he becomes trapped in what’s essentially Hell while trying to lay spirits to rest. It inhabits that intersection of horror and fantasy, and features a strong female protagonist. I just couldn’t get into it, and it’s everything I usually love about books. But I found the writing surprisingly weak and repetitive (if she “fingered her bells” once more, I’d scream - and it’s not even dirty like it sounds!). I finally gave up 2/3s of the way in. Ah, well. Guess that’s why there’s lots of books out there - to each their dozen. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/7 "2006-05-16T19:23:33Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > \*\*Realistic Fiction \*\*[The Kite Runner](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594480001/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_1_1/102-9368996-2841755?%5Fencoding=UTF8) There’s no way this is YA. Way too much anal rape. Way too much _brutal_ anal rape. This is definitely adult fiction. I would not allow a twelve year old to read this, and I can’t imagine any publisher marketing it as so. It could go in popular adult fiction, but not YA realistic fiction. All the books I’m suggesting are going to be skewed heavily towards girls, because, well, I am one. Another from Karen Cushman, aside from _The Midwife’s Apprentice_ is [Catherine, Called Birdy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064405842/qid=1147806024/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-1727227-7529745?s=books&v=glance&n=283155) . One of my most favorite books. I vastly preferred it to _The Midwife’s Apprentice_. _Little Women_ by Louisa May Alcott–I’m not sure what category that would fall into. Maybe historical, maybe strong woman character in fiction. [Sarah, Plain and Tall](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0064402053/qid=1147806333/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-1727227-7529745?v=glance&s=books) by Patricia MacLachlan (historical fiction)–Short and sweet. _Island of the Blue Dolphins_ by Scott O’Dell–There are others, but that’s my favorite. You might want to consider reading one of the Redwall books by Brian Jacques as a fantasy selection. It’s been a while since I’ve read any, but I was _way_ into them in middle school. The world’s pretty easy to grasp, though, so you could probably just pick up any book at all in the series. I heartily second _Sabriel_ and _Lake Wobegon Days_. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/8 "2006-05-16T19:29:34Z")
> [@don't ask](#): > > **Cormier, Robert** I read _Fade_ which isn’t YA and then read _The Chocolate War_ which must be close to the best YA book ever written because I loved it. Cormier wrote a lot of good stuff, if you don’t mind that most of the stories are pretty dark and depressing. In addition to “The Chocolate War,” I recommend: “I am the Cheese” “Beyond the Chocolate War” “We All Fall Down” “The Rag and Bone Shop” I also second the suggestion of Chris Crutcher (especially “Ironman”) and add a couple more recommendations: Lois Duncan, “Killing Mr. Griffin” Deborah Z. Porter, “When Dad Killed Mom” Diane Duane, the “Young Wizards” series (starting with “So You Want To Be a Wizard”) ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/9 "2006-05-16T19:54:56Z")
> [@Miss Purl McKnittington](#): > > There’s no way this is YA. Way too much anal rape. Way too much _brutal_ anal rape. This is definitely adult fiction. I would not allow a twelve year old to read this, and I can’t imagine any publisher marketing it as so. It could go in popular adult fiction, but not YA realistic fiction. I agree it’s not for 12 year olds. I do think it’s fine for 17 year olds. “YA” is a vague term on Amazon, especially when doing searches, their search engine sucks. I don’t know if there’s a more rigid guideline for this class. One of the reasons I liked it so much was that it’s about a culture I don’t see much written about, and it was one of the few books where I had nothing - nothing - in common with the protaganist, but I cared for him so deeply I couldn’t stop reading. But yeah, I’ll conceed it’s not appropriate for the young end of YA. Though the troublemaker part of me wants to ask why brutal vaginal rape is OK, but homosexual anal rape isn’t. Rape/molestation survivor stories are a huge chunk of YA fiction. It was one of my favorite genres as a young girl. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/10 "2006-05-16T20:18:42Z")
Hoot is wonderful. As is Michael Chabon’s Summerland (a baseball fantasy - sports? fantasy?) ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/11 "2006-05-16T20:22:55Z")
I think this is for younger kids (middle school age) but I suggest “My Brother Sam is Dead” - can’t remember the author, but seems timely (a boy torn about the war, in this case the Revolution). Historical Fiction ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/12 "2006-05-17T00:52:38Z")
Thank you all for the suggestions so far! Please keep 'em coming! That Garth Nix book actually sounds very cool (and I should be able to fit it in under “Horror”), and I did not know about Michael Chabon’s _Summerland_, but I loved his _Kavalier and Clay_ (not a YA novel), and I can use _Summerland_ as a “Sports” book. I was a little disappointed by _Artemis Fowl_, but I think I’m going to use Grant Morrison’s _Doom Patrol: Crawling Through the Wreckage_ for my graphic novel sci-fi/fantasy selection just because I have it here and haven’t read it yet. It’s about misunderstood outcasts and freaks, so it might be just perfect as a YA title. ---
**Author:** ![RachelChristine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@RachelChristine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RachelChristine)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/13 "2006-05-17T01:50:04Z")
These are some things I read and loved around that age, many of these were even required reading. I know that YA is broad, so some of these might be considered too young/old, I don’t know, but I’m thinking of what was required in sixth-eighth grade Gifted classes when I was there. All Louisa May Alcott All Lucy Maud Montgomery Prydain Chronicles Dark is Rising series Westing Game Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn Narnia Secret Garden Hobbit To Kill a Mockingbird Cold Sassy Tree Call of the Wild The Pigman I am the Cheese (was that the title?) Separate Peace Hmm, that’s what I remember reading at that age (well and Romeo and Juliet for class too!). Would Lemony Snicket be YA or kids? There was some other book about a girl, Dicey’s Song, maybe? I didn’t like that. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/14 "2006-05-17T02:12:53Z")
You really can’t appreciate YA SciFi without reading the Heinlein juveniles: \*Starman Jones, Have Spacesuit, Will Travel, Farmer In The Sky, The Star Beast, Citizen of the Galaxy, Red Planet, Between Planets, \* and _Podkayne of Mars_, which also qualifies as a “strong female character” book. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/15 "2006-05-17T06:05:27Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I agree it’s not for 12 year olds. I do think it’s fine for 17 year olds. “YA” is a vague term on Amazon, especially when doing searches, their search engine sucks. I don’t know if there’s a more rigid guideline for this class. One of the reasons I liked it so much was that it’s about a culture I don’t see much written about, and it was one of the few books where I had nothing - nothing - in common with the protaganist, but I cared for him so deeply I couldn’t stop reading. But yeah, I’ll conceed it’s not appropriate for the young end of YA. > > Though the troublemaker part of me wants to ask why brutal vaginal rape is OK, but homosexual anal rape isn’t. Rape/molestation survivor stories are a huge chunk of YA fiction. It was one of my favorite genres as a young girl. In my mind, YA goes until about eighth or ninth grade, and then the maturity level should be high enough to handle most anything. I couldn’t see a librarian forming a list of recommended YA books and including _The Kite Runner_ in it because some parents would pick it up for their sixth-grader. I read it originally for class this semester, and no one in the class could find a real good reason for the extent of rape there was in the book. There was no strong parallel between the rape of the land and the rape of the youth or anything like that. It just strikes me as a waste to not utilize something so bold and contentious as rape for a greater metaphorical and symbolic meaning. I guess a banana is really just a banana sometimes, but to have it be nothing more in a novel was very surprising. I actually don’t think that graphic depictions of vaginal rape in books for the middle school set is all that cool, either. I just remarked upon the anal rape in _The Kite Runner_ because that’s the only kind of rape there is in that book. I’d wager, though, that vaginal rape is more acceptable because it’s the expected rape to hear about. It’s perfectly acceptable for a woman to come out and talk about rape without it having any effect on her femininity, but a man doing the same thing would damage his identity in a totally different way. Not saying that being raped wouldn’t be a terrible ordeal for either sex, but a man faces different obstacles in current society. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/16 "2006-05-17T14:48:03Z")
I see Joan Lowery Nixon is on your list. She’s a local author here in Houston, so we all had to read a few of her mystery novels in junior high. Once she came to our school and gave a talk on writing. I read _The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore_ and _The Seance_ and I remember her books being okay, but nothing special. Rob Thomas, creator of _Veronica Mars_, wrote a few young adult novels, including _Rats Saw God_ and _Slave Day_. I haven’t read them but I’ve heard good things. If they’re half as good as the show, which was originally conceived as a novel, those might be good bets and you can spare your professor the experience of grading the one-billionth review of _Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret_. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/17 "2006-05-17T15:02:46Z")
Realistic Fiction (Chap. 4) Maniac Magee might qualify; it’s certainly quite good. (You could also fit it under “Sports,” probably). Romance (Chap. 4): dunno. Humor (Fiction) (see Chap. 5) Sports (Chap. 6) Summerland? meh. Didn’t much like it, but it’s not awful. Strong female character in fiction (choose any): _The Hero and the Crown_, definitely–one of the all-time greats! Or _To Kill a Mockingbird_. Mystery/Suspense (Chap. 6): _The Westing Game_, a classic whodunit, or _Holes_, a modern mystery (that might also fit under “humor”). Historical Fiction (Chap. 8): _Treasure Island_! A fantastic read, especially if yuou’ve not read it in years. Also almost anything by Scott O’Dell (_Island of the Blue Dolphins_ etc.) Fantasy (Chap. 7): Sounds like you’ve got this covered. I was disappointed by Artemis Fowl and Sabriel, but highly recommend _The Golden Compass_ and its sequels. I also kinda like _A Wizard of Earthsea_, but you could probably guess that :). Science Fiction (Chap. 7): I’m not really up on my YA SF. Ethnic experience in fiction (see p. 299): Annoying category, if you ask me (everybody’s ethnic!), but you might go for _Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry_. Gay experience in fiction (see websites links): Dunno. Biography/Autobiography (Non-Fiction) (see Chap. 9 or web sites link): Too many to choose from! I’m partial to PT Barnum and Mark Twain as awesome biographical subjects. Curriculum related (see Chap. 9-11) Shocker/ challenged (you can use a challenged book): Shocker? Maybe _Coraline_, by Neil Gaiman; it’s really creepy horror. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/18 "2006-05-17T15:51:59Z")
I still have and occasionally re-read Katherine Paterson’s “Jacob Have I Loved.” I kinda vaguely recall seeing the movie (after-school special, maybe?) - Bridget Fonda was in it? - but the book has stuck with me since jr. high, which was 20-some years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/19 "2006-05-17T16:00:09Z")
[You recommend _The Hero and the Crown_ over _The Blue Sword_ and _Spindle’s End_? All of them are great, but I thought THatC was the weakest one. He might be a little young, but anything by John Bellairs is good for creepy/horror. For ethnic experience, _Come a Stranger_, by Cynthia Voigt (part of her Tillerman Family sequence), or anything by Deborah Eillis. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995/20 "2006-05-17T18:50:18Z")
My first thought was _The Giver_, which is a pretty good book (I’m also reminded of another, similar one, with two groups of people–one in the trees and one below the roots. Can’t remember the name though). I didn’t realise that _Ender’s Game_ was considered YA, but I would recommend that as well. For a more original response, I’d rsuggest _Silverwing_ by Kenneth Oppel. It’s the first of a series (Sunwing and Firewing being the others–I haven’t read Firewing yet but I’d like to). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-seek-young-adult-literature-recommendations-for-a-class/356995.md?page=2)