Home  2004 Popular Paperbacks

Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults 2004 Selection Lists

If It Weren’t For Them: Heroes, On that Note: Music and Musicians, Guess Again: Mystery and Suspense!, Simply Science Fiction

If It Weren’t For Them: Heroes

Beals, Melba Pattillo. Warriors Don't Cry:A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High. Washington Square Press, 1994. 0-671-86639-7, $14.00.  A heart wrenching account of the nine high school students who integrated Little Rock High School.

Bendis, Brian-Michael and Mark Bagley. Ultimate Spider-Man: Double Trouble. Marvel Comics, 2002. 0-7851-0879-3, $17.95. Peter Parker learns the hard way what it's like to be a hero.

Bradley and Ron Powers, James. Flags of Our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo Jima. Bantam, 2001. 0-553-38029-X, $13.00. World War II brought them together; a photograph sealed their fate.

Cormier, Robert. Heroes. Random House - Laurel Leaf, 1998. 0-440-22769-0, $5.50.  Seeking revenge on his boyhood idol, a young soldier returns from war and challenges what it means to be a hero.

Crisp, Terri. Out of Harm's Way: The Extraordinary True Story of One Woman's Lifelong Devotion to Animals. Simon & Schuster, 1997. 0-671-52278-7, $21.95.  Driven to rescue animals from disaster, Terri Crisp has saved the lives of thousands.

Defede, Jim. The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland. HarperTrade, 2003. 0-06-055971-3, $12.95.A community as hero; 9/11 closed U.S. airspace and Gander hosted 6,000 stranded passengers.

Feiffer, Jules. The Great Comic Book Heroes. Fantagraphics Books, 2003. 1-56097-501-6, $8.95.  A historical and loving look at the early days of comic books.

Garden, Nancy. Dove and Sword:A Novel of Joan of Arc. Scholastic, 1997. 0-590-92949-6, $4.99.  Joan of Arc's story, told by her peace-loving friend Gabrielle.

Holdsclaw, with Jennifer Fry, Chamique. Chamique Holdsclaw: My Story. Simon & Schuster - Aladdin. 0-689-83592-2, $4.99.  Holdsclaw's story of her struggles, strengths, and successes as a basketball star.

Holeman, Linda . Search of the Moon King's Daughter. Tundra Books , 2003. 0-88776-609-9, $9.95.  When her younger brother is sold to become a chimney sweep, young Emmaline leaves her world behind to find him.

Kunkel, Mike. Herobear and the Kid: The Inheritance. Astonish Comics, 2003. 0-9721259-1-4, $19.95.  A whimsically illustrated story of a little boy and his magically heoric stuffed bear.

McKinley, Robin. Hero and the Crown. Penguin Putnam, 2000. 0-14-130981-4, $6.99.  Aerin's story is just beginning as she strives to become the hero who would claim the Blue Sword.

Moore, Christopher. Lamb, The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. HarperPerennial, 2003. 0-380-81381-5, $13.95.  A tongue and cheek account of Christ's teenage years.

Millar, Mark and Brian Hitch. The Ultimates:Super-Human. Marvel Comics, 2002. 0-7851-0960-9, $12.99.  Hulk SMASH! Captain America kicks A$$!

Moon, Elizabeth. Once a Hero. Simon & Schuster - Baen Books. 0-671-87871-9, $7.99.  Hero or mutineer? Esmay's courage is tested when the bloodhorde takes over her spaceship.

Robinson, James Tony Harris. Starman: Sins of the Father. DC Comics, 1996. 1-56389-248-0, $12.95.  A very reluctant man takes on a mantle he never wanted.

Rottman, S. L. . Hero. Puffin, 200. 0-14-130701-3, $6.99.  Doing community service gives Sean more than he bargained for…a hero.

Sakai, Stan Stan Sakai. Usagi Yojimbo: Duel at Kitanoji. Dark Horse Comics, 2003. 1-56971-973-X, $16.95.  The lastest collected adventures of the lone samurai rabbit wandering feudal Japan.

Smith, Danny . Lost Hero:Raoul Wallenberg's Dramatic Quest to Save the Jews of Hungary. HarperCollins , 2001. 0-00-711117-7, $12.00.  He saved the lives of 100,000 Jews, but he could not save his own.

Sutcliff, Rosemary. Tristan and Iseult. Farrar Strauss and Giroux, 1971. 0-374-47982-8, $5.95.  This British hero tale mirrors the tragedy of an Arthurian love triangle. Heroic deeds do not always result in happiness.

Tingle, Rebecca. Edge on the Sword. Speak, 2003. 0-14-250058-5, $6.99.  This exciting novel imagines the childhood of one of England's greatest warrior queens.

Ullman, James Ramsey. Banner in the Sky. HarperCollins - HarperTrophy, 1995. 0-06-447048-2, $5.99.  A boy is determined to climb the mountain his father died trying to climb.

Van Essen, Editor, Thomas. In the Line of Duty: A Tribute to New York's Finest and Bravest. HarperCollins, 2001. 0-06-009363-3, $16.00.  This poignant photoessay captures the moments of heroism during 9/11

On that Note: Music and Musicians

Block, Francesca Lia. Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys. HarperCollins, 1993. 0-06-447095-4, $5.99.  A mystic Native American  imbues four friends with the courage to form an unusual punk band.

Brooks, Bruce. Midnight Hour Encores. HarperCollins, 2000. 0-06-447021-0, $6.99.  A free spirited father uses music to explain the 60s and her absent mother to his cello prodigy daughter.

Eminem. Angry Blonde: The Official Book. HarperCollins, 2002. 0-06-093451-4, $14.95.  Raunchy writings of a rap icon.

Farley, Christopher John. Aaliyah: More Than a Woman. Simon & Schuster Pocket Books, 2002. 0-7434-5566-5, $6.99.  Biography of the beautiful young singer/actress who died tragically in a plane crash.

Gilbert, Barbara Snow. Broken Chords. Random House - Laureleaf, 2001. 0-440-22887-5, $5.50.  What if you are not passionate about your talent?

Keillor, Garrison. Sandy Bottom Orchestra. Hyperion - Disney Press, 1998. 0-7868-1250-8, $5.95.  Rachel lands a spot playing violin in her father's community orchestra.

Kennedy, Pagan. The Exes. Simon & Schuster, 1999. 0-684-85442-2, $14.00.  The fights, friendships, and sex  lives of an up-and-coming Boston band.

Newton, Suzanne. I Will Call It Georgie's Blues. Puffin, 1990. 0-440-94090-7, $5.99.  Neal hides his desire for jazz from his Baptist minister father.

Nolan, Han. Born Blue. Harcourt, 2003. 0-15-204697-6, $6.95.  In this edgy novel, throw away kid Janie uses the Blues and Black culture to survive life's horrors.

Novas, Himilce & Rosemary Silva. Remembering Selena: A Tribute in Pictures and Words. St. Martin's Press , 1995. 0-312-14160-2, $9.95.  A bilingual picture biography of the life and tragic death of a beloved Tejano singer.

O'Connor, Barbara. Beethoven in Paradise. Farrar, Strauss, Giroux, 1997. 0-374-40588-3, $4.95.  Despite his demeaning father, Martin lives for music.

Paterson, Katherine. Come Sing Jimmy Jo. Penguin Putnam - Puffin, 1995. 0-14-037397-7, $5.99.  Jimmy Jo has a rough time handling his fame when he starts to perform with his country-western singing family.

Powell, Randy. Tribute to Another Dead Rock Star. Sunburst, 2003. 0-374-47968-2, $5.95.  A dead rock star's son struggles with family issues and living in his mother's shadow.

Thigpen, David E.. Jam Master Jay: The Heart of Hip-Hop. Pocket Star Books, 2003. 0-7434-7694-8, $6.99.  Biography of the Run DMC DJ who introduced hip-hop to the world.

Thompson, Dave. Never Fade Away: The Kurt Cobain Story. St. Martin's Press, 1994. 0-312-95463-8, $5.99.  At age 14, Kurt Cobain wrote, "I'm going to be a superstar musician, kill myself, and go out in a blaze of glory." And so he did.

Torres, J. and Scott Chantler. Days Like This. Oni Press  2003. 1-929998-48-1, $8.95.  Graphic novel of three girl singers who are discovered at a school talent show.

Tucker, Lisa. The Song Reader. Simon & Schuster - Pocket Books, 2003. 0-7434-6445-1, $12.00.  Mary Beth finds the meaning of the songs you can't get out of your head.

Tyler, Anne. A Slipping-Down Life. Ballantine Ivy Books, 1992. 0-8041-0886-2, $6.99.  Shy, lonely, Evie becomes obsessed with a pop singer who scars her for life.

Van Meter, Jen, Christine Norrie and Chynna Clugston-Major. Hopeless Savages. Oni Press , 2002. 1-929998-24-4, $13.95.  How can you be a rebel when your parents were punk rock's most vicious couple? Be normal!

Westbrook, Alonzo. Hip Hoptionary: The Dictionary of Hip Hop Terminology. Broadway Books - Harlem Moon, . 0-7679-0924-0, $12.95.  A funny and brash guide to the latest slang.

Wieler, Diana. Drive. Groundwood , 2001. 0-88899-348-X, $5.95.  A busker and his brother are forced to embark upon an impromptu concert tour to pay off a $5000 debt.

Wolff, Virginia Euwer. The Mozart Season. Scholastic , 1991. 0-439-16309-9, $4.99.  A violin competition opens the world to a teenage girl.

Yolen, Jane. Boots and the Seven Leaguers. Harcourt Children's Books - Magic Carpet Books, 2003. 0-15-202563-4, $5.95.  A rock and troll novel.

Guess  Again: Mystery and Suspense!

Avi. Wolf Rider: A Tale of Terror. Random House - Bantam, 1993. 0-553-57839-1, $5.00.  A 15 year-old Andy tries to identify a telephone caller who claims he is a murderer.

Braun, Lillian Jackson. Cat Who Sniffed Glue. Penguin Putnam - Jove, 1989. 0-51-509954-6, $8.00.  Quilleran, a retired newspaper reporter, and his Siamese cats sniff out the murderer of a rich banker and his wife.

Christie, Agatha. Death on the Nile. Penguin Putnam - Berkley Publishing Group, 1997. 0-42-517373-9, $6.00.  A murderer on a cruise ship means the guilty party is still on board.

Cooney, Caroline B.. Wanted!. Scholastic, 1997. 0-590-98849-2, $8.00.  Pursued by the police and her father's killer, Alice struggles to prove her innocence.

Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Great Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Penguin Putnam, 1991. 0-14-036689-X, $5.00.  Short stories featuring the original sleuth.

Duncan, Lois. Who Killed My Daughter. Random House - Dell, 1994. 0-440-21342-8, $7.50.  When fiction becomes reality: Lois Duncan's real life mystery.

Emert, Phyllis RaybinJael. Mysteries of People and Places: Strange Unsolved Mysteries. TOR Books, 2000. 0-606-11927-2, $7.00.  Amazing stories from the past that still haunt us.

Giberga, Jane S.. Friends to Die For. Penguin Putnam - Puffin Books, 1999. 0-14-038599-1, $4.99.  Murder has no economic boundaries.

Guy, Rosa. The Disappearance. Laurel-Leaf Books, 1979. 0-440-92064-7, $4.99.  Acquittal doesn't mean freedom

Haddix, Margaret. Running Out of Time. Simon and Schuster - Aladdin, 1997. 0-689-81236-1, $4.99.Jessie is in a race against time after learning her whole life is a lie.

Hamilton, Virginia. The House of Dies Drear. Simon and Schuster - Aladdin, 1984. 0-02-043520-7, $4.99.  The secrets of the Underground Railroad do not fade with time.

Holmes, Barbara Ware. Following Fake Man. Dell Yearling, 2001. 0-440-41855-0, $4.99.  Life is a mystery to 12 year-old Homer.

Hoobler, Dorothy and Thomas. The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn. Penguin Putnam - Puffin Books, 1999. 0-698-11879-0, $5.99.  Was it a ghost and did it steal the ruby?

Master's Choice, Volume II. Penguin Putnam - Berkeley Publishing Group Prime Crime, 2001. 0-42-518225-8, $7.50.  Story collection of personal favorites by some of the top crime-fiction writers.

Nickerson, Sara. How to Disappear Completely & Never Be Found. HarperTrophy, 2003. 0-06-441027-7, $5.99.  Margaret finds three clues she's convinced are related to unraveling her father's mysterious death; a key, a swimming medal, and an odd comic book.

Nixon, Joan Lowery. Name of the Game was Murder. Random House - Laurel-Leaf Books, 1994. 0-440-21916-7, $5.00.  Everyone has a motive, and one is already dead.

Nixon, Joan Lowery. Whispers from the Dead. Random House - Laurel Leaf, 1991. 0-440-20809-2, $4.99.  A tragic event links a young girl to a supernatural world and a murder.

Peretti, Frank. Hangman's Curse: Verita's Project #1. Tommy Nelson, 2002. 0-8499-7785-1, $8.99.  Twin sleuths seek the truth surrounding mysterious deaths and a legendary school ghost.

Plum-Ucci, Carol. Body of Christopher Creed. Hyperion Books for Children, 2001. 0-7868-1641-4, $6.99.  Did he run, was he kidnapped, or was he murdered?

Qualey, Marsha. Close to a Killer. Random House - Laurel Leaf, 2000. 0-440-22763-1, $4.99.  Barrie discovers who's next at "killer looks" beauty salon.

Raskin, Ellen. The Westing Game. Penguin Putnam - Puffin, 1992. 0-14-038664-5, $12.00.  Millionaire Westing is dead  - 16 suspects, 1  killer.

Reiss, Kathryn. Paperquake: A Puzzle. Harcourt, 1998. 0-15-216782-X, $6.00.  Time is of the essence.

Roberts, Willo Davis. Twisted Summer. Simon & Schuster - Aladdin, 1998. 0-689-80600-0, $4.99.  Cici may be on the right track - will she live long enough to find out?

Van Draanen, Wendelin. Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief. Random House, 1998. 0-679-89264-8, $5.00.  Sammy is not the only one with a secret to hide.

Wynne-Jones, Tim. The Boy in the Burning House. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2000. 0-374-40887-4, $5.95.  You can run from the past, but you can't escape the consequences.
 

Simply Science Fiction

Armstrong and Nancy and Jennifer Butcher. Fire-us #1:The Kindling. HarperCollins. 0-06-447273-6, $5.99.  In 2007, a small band of kids struggle to survive in a world where all the adults and dead.

Bell, Hilari. A Matter of Profit. HarperCollins, 2003. 0-06-447300-7, $6.99.  Battle-weary Ahvren arrives on a newly-conquered world only to find sinister plots unfolding.

Bujold, Lois McMaster. Warrior's Apprentice. Simon & Schuster - Baen Books, 1997. 0-671-72066-X, $4.50.  Despite brittle bones and a dwarfish physique, Miles creates a galactic mercenary force that ends up changing everything.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. Random House - Ballantine, 1987. 0-345-34296-8, $6.99.  In this futuristic society, reading is a crime  and firefighters burn books.

Brin, David. Startide Rising. Bantam, 1983. 0-553-27418-X, $6.99.  Pursued by an alien armada, a spaceship crewed by humans, dolphins and a chimp makes a discovery that shakes the universe.

Burgess, Melvin. Bloodtide. TOR Forge Books, 2002. 0-7653-4014-3, $6.99.  Set in a violent, futuristic London ruled by ganglords and surrounded by halfmen, revenge is the rule.

Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Shadow. TOR Starscape, 1998. 0-7653-4240-5, $5.99.  This companion novel to ‘Ender's Game’ retells the story from Bean's point of view.

Christopher, John. The White Mountains. Simon & Schuster, 1968. 0-02-042711-5, $4.99.  A young boy must travel a great distance, seeking freedom from the ominous Tripods.

Clarke, Arthur. Childhood's End. Random House - Ballantine, 2001. 0-345-44405-1, $12.95.  Our lives and beliefs are nothing like we could have ever imagined.

Engdahl, Sylvia Louis. Enchantress from the Stars. Penguin Putnam - Firebird, 1970 ?. 0-14-250037-2, $6.99.  When Elana joins the service, she must confront the ethical dilemmas of less evolved planetary civilizations.

Gerrold, David. Jumping off the Planet. TOR Books, 2002. 0-7653-4360-6, $5.99.  Chigger, Weird, and Stinky's vacation with their father turns ominous as they ride the elevator to the moon.

Gould, Steven. Wildside. TOR Books, 1996. 0-765-34246-4, $6.99.  When Charlie inherits a ranch from his uncle, he discovers a concealed gate that leads to a parallel world where humans have never evolved.

Heinlein, Robert. Starship Troopers. Penguin Putnam - Ace Books, 1987. 0-441-78358-9, $6.99.  Johnnie endures boot camp in space in preparation for the "Bug War."

Hoover, H. M.. Winds of Mars. Penguin Putnam - Viking, 1999. 0-14-038039-6, $4.99.  Along with her robot servant, teenager Annalyn finds that life on Mars is more complicated than she thought.

Kishiro, Yukito. Battle Angel Alita, Volume 1. VIZ, LLC, 1994. 1-56931-003-3, 2nd edition: ISBN: 1-56931-945-6, $16.95.  A nameless robot girl finds comfort in the arms of a warrior hunter in this first volume of a manga series.

Lasky, Kathryn. Star Split. Hyperion, 2001. 0-7868-1568-X, $5.99.  Darci wonders, "What's the point of living when your entire future is pre-programmed into your DNA?"

Lassiter, Rhiannon. Hex. Simon & Schuster - Archway Paperback, 2001. 0-7434-2211-2, $4.99.  Raven, a computer hacker with a mutant mind, must evade a powerful government agency seeking to destroy her.

Lowachee, Karin. Warchild. Warner Books - Aspect, 2002. 0-446-61077-1, $6.99.  Jos becomes a spy for an alien race at war with humanity.

Nix, Garth. Shade's Children. HarperCollins - HarperTrophy, 1997. 0-06-447196-9, $6.99.  Children are "harvested" for their brains and muscles on their 14th birthday. A lucky few escape to the mysterious Shade.

Price, Susan. The Sterkarm Handshake. HarperCollins - Eos, 2000. 0-06-447236-1, $6.99.  Scientists build a time tunnel to the past in order to exploit natural resources, but do they underestimate the treacherous, war-like border tribe?

Sheffield, Charles. Higher Education: A Jupiter Novel. TOR, 1997. 0-8125-3890-0, $5.99.  After getting expelled from school, Rick faces a dead-end future until he joins asteroid mining training and finds great challenge and danger.

Skurzynski, Gloria. Virtual War. Simon & Schuster - Aladdin paperbacks, 1999. 0-689-82425-4, $4.50.  Corgan, a genetically engineered soldier, is ready to fight the virtual war that will decide ownership of the only habitable lands on earth.

Tenapel, Douglas. Creature Tech. Top Shelf Productions , 2002. 1-891830-34-1, $14.95.  A Scientist finds that a zombie doctor wants the Shroud of Turin for his nerfarious plot of eternal life.

Willis, Connie. The Doomsday Book. Random House - Bantam, 1993. 0-553-56273-8, $7.50.  Did the black plague start in the past, or was it taken back from the future?

Yukimura, Makoto. Planetes, Vol. 1. Tokyopop , 2003. 1-59182-262-9, $9.99.  Somebody has to clean up all the space junk.