Home  2005 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults

2005 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults Annotated List

Read 'Em & Weep, Gateway to Faerie, Own Your Freak, All Kinds of Creepy

   Read ‘Em & Weep

Get out your hankies! Here are stories of teens struggling to overcome loss, love, and disappointments. Committee Chair Walter M. Mayes offers this list for when teens want something heart-wrenching.”

Bechard, Margaret. Hanging on to Max. 2003. Simon Pulse, paper, $6.99 (0-689-86268-7). When his girlfriend decides to give their baby away, Sam is determined to raise himalone.

Brooks, Bruce. What Hearts. 1995. HarperCollins/HarperTrophy, paper, $5.99 (0-06-

447127-6).A bittersweet tale of first romance.   Asa has to grow up fast when the adults in

his life let him down. 

Carvell, Marlene. Who Will Tell My Brother?. 2004. Hyperion, paper, $5.99 (0-7868-

1657-0).   Evan continues a crusade begun by his late brother to remove the Indian as their

high school mascot. 

The Color of Absence: 12 Stories About Loss and Hope. Ed. by James Howe. 2003.

Simon Pulse, paper, $6.99 (0-689-85667-9). Short stories exploring the many faces of

loss.

Dean, Carolee. Comfort. 2004. Houghton Mifflin/Graphia, paper, $6.99 (0-618-43912-9).

Kenny hopes the power of words will help him escape his unbearable home life.

Frank, E.R. America. 2003. Simon Pulse, paper, $7.99 (0-689-85772-1).

America’s life seems overwhelmingly hopeless until he confronts his past with a caring

doctor.

Gilbert, Barbara. Stone Water. 2003. Front Street, paper $7.95 (1-886910-12-X).

His grandfather’s last request forces Grant to face difficult questions about life and death.

Hopkins, Ellen. Crank. 2004. Simon Pulse, paper, $6.99 (0-689-86519-8).

Kristina’s downward spiral from perfect daughter to drug addict is told in stark verse.  

Hrdlitschka, Shelley. Dancing Naked. 2002. Orca, paper, $6.95 (1-55143-210-2).

Pregnant Kia must make a decision that will shape her life forever.

Hurwin, Davida. A Time for Dancing. 1997. Puffin, paper, $5.99 (0-14-038618-1).

Best friends Juliana and Samantha are passionate about dancing until Juliana is afflicted

with debilitating pain that turns out to be an advanced stage of cancer.

Klass, David. You Don't Know Me. 2002. HarperTempest, paper, $6.99 (0-06-447378-3).

John is dealing with an abusive “almost” stepfather, an oblivious mother, girlfriend woes,

and an unrepentant frog masquerading as a tuba.

Lee, Marie G. Necessary Roughness. 1998. HarperTrophy, paper, $5.99 (0-06-447169-1).

Finding himself an outsider after moving from LA to Minnesota, Chan Kim succeeds at

football until things turn tragic.

McDaniel, Lurlene.   Baby Alicia is Dying. 1993. Bantam Doubleday Dell, paper, $4.99

(0-553-29605-1). Through volunteering, Desi has finally found someone to love in baby

Alicia.   But can she bear to watch her die?

Moore, Terry. Strangers in Paradise: High School!. 1999. illus. Abstract Studio, paper,

$8.95 (1-892597-07-1).   Katchoo and Francine, best friends, navigate the treacherous

emotional waters of high school in this stand-alone volume of the popular graphic novel

series.

Porter, Connie. Imani All Mine. 2000. Houghton Mifflin, paper, $12.00 (0-618-05678-5).

Only fourteen, Tasha doesn’t have much in this world except her daughter Imani, the

light of her life.

Stratton, Allan. Chanda's Secrets. 2004. Annick Press, paper, $8.95 (1-55037-834-1).

In Africa, Chanda’s world is ravaged by the reality of AIDS.

Swanson, Julie A. Going for the Record. 2004. Eerdmans, paper, $8.00 (0-8028-5273-4).

Champion soccer player Leah finds out that her father is dying of pancreatic cancer.

Thompson, Craig. Blankets: An Illustrated Novel. 2003. illus. Top Shelf Productions,

paper, $29.95 (1-891830-43-0).   A young man’s journey from fundamentalist roots

through first love to the earned wisdom of young adulthood, told in a groundbreaking

visual style.

Voigt, Cynthia. A Solitary Blue. 2003. Aladdin, paper, $5.99 (0-689-86360-8).

When his mother comes back into his life, Jeff can’t help but hope that it means she loves

him.   A devastating story of parental betrayal.

White, Ruth. Weeping Willow. 1994. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, paper, $5.95 (0-374-

48280-2).Poverty, low self-esteem, rape. Can Tiny escape it all?

Williams, Lori Aurelia. When Kambia Elaine Flew in From Neptune. 2001. Simon &

Schuster, paper, $10.00 (0-689-84593-6).   Shayla’s life is full of troubles, and she is

increasingly disturbed as she discovers her neighbor Kambia’s horrible secrets.

Yamanaka, Lois-Ann. Name Me Nobody. 2000. Hyperion, paper, $5.99 (0-7868-1466-7).

Japanese-American Emi-lou battles a disturbing sense of worthlessness in this brutal

coming-of-age story set in Hawaii.

   Gateway to Faerie

Black, Holly. Tithe: A Modern Fairy Tale. 2004. Simon Pulse, paper, $6.99 (0-689-

86704-2). In this deliciously dark urban fairytale, Kaye learns that the fairy courts’

glamour hides clever and all too often deadly traps.

Card, Orson Scott. Enchantment. 2000. Ballantine, paper, $7.99 (0-345-41688-0).

Kissing a sleeping princess brings Ivan more trouble than romance.

Dokey, Cameron. Beauty Sleep. 2002. illus. Simon Pulse, paper, $5.99 (0-7434-2221-X).

Aurore chooses to meet her fate with eyes wide open.

Dokey, Cameron. The Storyteller's Daughter. 2002. Simon Pulse, paper, $5.99 (0-7434-

2220-1). A king with a tortured soul imperils the young women of his kingdom.   Can the

storyteller’s daughter melt his heart before it’s too late?

The Essential Bordertown.   Ed. by Terri Windling and Delia Sherman. 1999. Tor, paper,

$14.95 (0-312-86703-4).   Bordertown--where you go when the city streets on the edge of

Faerie look better than home.

Faerie Tales. Ed. by Martin Greenberg and Russell Davis. 2004. DAW, paper, $6.99 (0-

7564-0182-8).   Twelve glimpses into Faerie, each with its own view of magic.

Ferris, Jean. Once Upon a Marigold. 2004. Harcourt Brace, paper, $5.95 (0-15-205084-

1).   A lost prince, a kind troll, a lonely princess, and a helpful pigeon. What else are

fairytales made of?

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Just Ella. 2001. Aladdin, paper, $5.99 (0-689-83128-5). The

prince and royal life are not as charming as Ella was led to believe.

Irwin, Jan.   Vogelein: Clockwork Faerie. 2003. Fiery Studios, paper, $12.95 (0-9743110-

0-6).   This graphic novel for all ages tells the story of a fairy who must be wound every

24 hours or lose her memory.

Jones, Diana Wynne. Fire and Hemlock. 2002. HarperTrophy, paper, $7.99 (0-06-

447352-X).Why are Polly’s memories being altered to keep her from meeting Thomas

Lynn?

Kindl, Patrice. Goose Chase. 2002. Puffin, paper, $5.99 (0-14-230208-2). Love, magic, evil, and geese.

Lynn, Tracy. Snow. 2003. Simon Pulse, paper, $5.99 (0-689-85556-7).   Jessica runs away from her sinister stepmother and finds haven with strange, half-human creatures.  Is she

really safe?

McCaffrey, Anne. An Exchange of Gifts.   illus. 1995.   Wildside, paper, $7.99 (1-880448-44-0).   A runaway princess and a poor young boy forge a new life for themselves without

revealing their magical powers.

McKinley, Robin. Deerskin. 1994. Ace, paper, $6.99 (0-441-00069-X). When Princess

Lissar’s fairytale world shatters she must become “Deerskin” to survive.

McKinley, Robin. Spindle's End. 2001. Ace, paper, $6.50 (0-441-00865-8).   Rosie is a

rough-and-tumble blacksmith’s assistant, very different from her delicate friend Peony.

Which one will make the best princess?

Napoli, Donna Jo. Beast. 2004. Simon Pulse, paper, $5.99 (0-689-87005-1). A Persian

prince angers a fairy, who turns him into a savage beast until he is redeemed by a French

beauty named Belle.

Napoli, Donna Jo. Zel. 1998. Puffin, paper, $5.99 (0-14-130116-3).   Her mother’s

overprotecting love drives Zel mad with loneliness…until she lets her hair down.

Stewart, Sean. Nobody's Son. 2000. Harcourt/Magic Carpet, paper, $6.00 (0-15-202259-

7).   When a young man with nothing breaks the curse on a kingdom, where is his

   “happily ever after”?

Vande Velde, Vivian. The Rumpelstiltskin Problem. 2002. Scholastic, paper, $4.99 (0-

439-30529-2).   Six original versions of one classic story.

Viguie, Debbie. Midnight Pearls. 2003. Simon Pulse, paper, $5.99 (0-689-85557-5).

Pearl is a foundling with an unexplainable dread of the sea and a secret friendship with a

prince.

Willingham, Bill. Fables: Legends in Exile. illus. 2002.   DC Comics, paper, $9.95 (1-

56389-942-6).   Rose Red’s missing, Bluebead’s scheming, Prince Charming’s romancing

his next wife, Snow White’s divorced, and Beauty and the Beast are in therapy.

   Own Your Freak

Feel like life has shut you out? You’re not the only one. Committee Chair, self-proclaimed freak, and freak advocate Michele Gorman says, “If you’ve got it, flaunt it!

Atkins, Catherine. Alt Ed. 2004. Puffin, paper, $5.99 (0-14-240235-4).Sluts, gays, fat kids, bullies--can they survive counseling together?

Cohn, Rachel. Gingerbread. 2003. Simon Pulse, paper, $6.99 (0-689-86020-X).

California teen seeks lost childhood in New York.

Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk. 2002. Laurel Leaf, paper, $5.50 (0-440-22938-3).

TJ gives a bunch of losers the chance to be a swim team.   Who says they need a pool?

Davis, Amanda. Wonder When You'll Miss Me. 2004. Perennial, paper, $12.95 (0-060-

53426-5).   Sometimes running away to join the circus is the only option you’ve got.

Giles, Gail. Shattering Glass. 2003. Simon Pulse, paper, $6.99 (0-689-85800-0).

“Simon Glass was easy to hate.” So it was no surprise when he turned up dead.

Going, K.L. Fat Kid Rules the World. 2004.   Puffin, paper, $6.99 (0-14-240208-7).

Punk rock legend Curt convinces fat kid Troy to join his band, and both their lives are

changed.

Hartinger, Brent. The Geography Club. 2004. HarperTempest, paper, $6.99 (0-06-

001223-4). What kind of freak would join a geography club?

Howe, James. The Misfits. 2003. Aladdin, paper, $5.99 (0-689-83956-1).

“Sticks and stones may break our bones, but names will break our spirit” unless we all

   join together for victory.

Koertge, Ron. Stoner & Spaz. 2004. Candlewick, paper, $6.99 (0-7636-2150-1).

Colleen is a stoner addicted to drugs.   Ben is a spaz with cerebral palsy.   A match made

in heaven?

Korman, Gordon. Son of the Mob. 2004. Hyperion, paper, $5.99 (0-7868-1593-0).

And you think your family is weird.

Lubar, David. Hidden Talents. 1999. Tom Doherty/Starscape, paper, $5.99 (0-7653-

4265-0). When Martin gets sent to an alternative school he discovers that his new friends

aren’t just freaks and losers…they have psychic talents!

Muharrar, Aisha.   More Than a Label: Why What You Wear and Who You're with

Doesn't Define Who You Are. 2002. Free Spirit, paper, $13.95 (1-57542-110-0).

A guide to fitting in (not) and how to define yourself despite peer pressure and self-esteem issues.

Naifeh, Ted. Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things. illus. 2003. Oni, paper, $11.95 (1-929998-60-0).   Sullen Courtney goes to live with her spooky Uncle Aloysius and gets

entangled in the affairs of wizards and “night things.”

Oates, Joyce Carol.   Big Mouth & Ugly Girl. 2003. HarperCollins, paper, $7.99 (0-06-

447347-3). Sometimes the most innocent remark blows up in your face.

On the Fringe. Ed. by Don R. Gallo. 2003. Puffin, paper, $6.99 (0-14-250026-7).

Short stories by favorite young adult authors about the outsider teen experience.

Peters, Julie Anne. Define "Normal". 2003. Little Brown, paper, $5.99 (0-316-73489-6).

Peer counseling is supposed to be with your peers, but Jazz and Tone aren’t peers.   Or are

they?

Plum-Ucci, Carol. What Happened to Lani Garver? 2002. Harcourt, paper, $6.95 (0-15-

205088-4).Claire’s fragile world is disrupted by Lani.   Boy? Girl? Angel?

Salinger, J. D.   The Catcher in the Rye. 1991. Little Brown & Co., paper, $5.99 (0-316-

76948-7).   Tired of trying to live up to his parents’ expectations, Holden tries to find

something real in a world of phoniness.

Shetterly, Will. Elsewhere. 2004. Harcourt/Magic Carpet, paper, $6.95 (0-15-205209-7).

Bordertown is halfway between the human world & Faerie, and Ron must check

   “normal” at the door.

Smith, Sherri L. Lucy the Giant. 2003. Laurel Leaf, paper, $5.50 (0-440-22927-8).

Fifteen year-old Lucy searches for a life that fits.

Spinelli, Jerry. Stargirl. 2004. Random House, paper, $6.99 (0-440-41677-9).

Which is more powerful: peer pressure or love?

Tashjian, Janet. The Gospel According to Larry. 2003. Laurel Leaf, paper, $5.99 (0-440-

23792-0).   How can you be famous when no one knows your name?

Tolan, Stephanie S. Surviving the Applewhites. 2004. HarperTrophy, paper, $5.99 (0-06-

441044-7).Is homeschooling with the Applewhites worse for Jake than juvenile

detention?

Werlin, Nancy. Black Mirror. 2003. Puffin, paper, $6.99 (0-14-250028-3). To find out the

truth about her brother’s death, Frances must confront her school’s powerful charity club

and her own distorted reflection.

Wittlinger, Ellen. Razzle. 2003. Simon Pulse, paper, $7.99 (0-689-85600-8).   Razzle doesn’t care if she’s different.   Is that why Ken finds her so fascinating?

   All Kinds of Creepy

Lots of things scare us…ghosts, vampires, serial killers, and more. The books collected in

this list share one common theme; they are tales guaranteed to make your spine tingle!

Committee Chair Sarajo Wentling wanted to comment but was too busy cowering under

the table in fear.

Atwater-Rhodes, Amelia. Shattered Mirror. 2003. Laurel Leaf, paper, $5.50 (0-440-

22940-5). Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Barker, Clive. Abarat. 2004. HarperCollins, paper, $6.99 (0-06-059637-6).   Harry Potter for the twisted.

Brunvand, Jan Harold. Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid:The Book of Scary Urban Legends.

2004. W.W. Norton, paper, $13.95 (0-393-32613-6).   Watch out…It could happen to you!

Cormier, Robert. Tenderness. 2004. Delacorte, paper $7.95 (0-385-73133-7). Who’s the real sociopath?

Duncan, Lois. I Know What You Did Last Summer. 1999. Dell, paper, $5.50 (0-440-

22844-1).   Four teens, a horrible accident, a cover up, and a mysterious killer bent on revenge.

Gaiman, Neil. Coraline. 2004. illus. HarperTrophy, paper $5.99 (0-06-057591-3).

Some doors are not meant to be opened.

Halam, Ann. Dr. Franklin's Island. 2002. Dell, paper, $5.50 (0-440-23781-5). Three teens survive a plane crash on a deserted island, but they aren’t as alone as they think.

Harris, Thomas. The Silence of the Lambs, 1991. St. Martin's, paper, $7.99 (0-312-

92458-5).   Guaranteed to turn you into a vegetarian.

Huntington, Geoffrey. Sorcerers of the Nightwing: Ravencliff Series, Book 1. 2003.

Regan, paper, $7.99, (0-06-001426-1).   The monsters in the closet aren’t real…are they?

King, Stephen. It. 1987. Signet, paper, $7.99 (0-451-16951-4).   Pennywise gives new meaning to the phrase, “I hate clowns.”

Koontz, Dean. 1986. Watchers. Berkley, paper, $7.99 (0-425-18880-9).   Bears aren’t the only beasts in the woods.

Niles, Steve. 30 Days of Night. 2003. illus. IDW, paper, $17.99 (0-9719775-5-0).   They’ll kill until the sun comes up.

Rees, Celia.   Soul Taker. 2003. Hodder, paper, $7.95 (0-340-87817-7).   What would you give up to get the girl of your dreams?

Sebold, Alice. Lovely Bones. 2004. Back Bay, paper, $13.95 (0-316-16881-5).   Beware your neighbors.

Shan, Darren. Cirque du Freak: The Saga of Darren Shan, Book 1. 2001. Little Brown,

paper, $5.99 (0-316-90571-2).   It’s love at first sight when Darren Sees Madame Octa, but sometimes love can be hazardous to your health.

Shusterman, Neal. Full Tilt. 2004. Simon Pulse, paper, $4.99 (0-689-87325-5).   Enter this deadly theme park if you dare!

Stine, R. L. Dangerous Girls. 2003. Avon Books, paper, (0-06-053082-0).   Destiny and Livvy return from camp with a thirst for blood.

Thirteen: 13 Tales of Horror. Ed. by T. Pines. 1991. Scholastic, paper, $5.99 (0-590-

45256-8).   Shivery short stories.

Vande Velde, Vivian. Being Dead. 2003. Harcourt, paper, $6.95 (0-15-204912-6).

Follow the haunted souls of yesterday beyond the grave into our world.