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Master List |
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Short List |
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Middle Grades/Picture |
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Young Adult |
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Adult |
Choose a genre of books to browse,
or just scroll down to see them all:
Middle Grades/Picture
Young Adult
¨ = Appearing on previous years’ lists
_ Niffenegger,Audrey. The Time
Traveler's Wife. Adult
Summary: A great love story about a chronological-impaired
man who randomly catapults through time to the past and the future,
encountering his wife, mother, and daughter along the way. And with a
librarian as a main character, how could you go wrong?
_Haddon, Mark. The Curious
Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Adult (suitable for YA)
Summary:
15 year old Christopher, is autistic, has a great fear of social interaction,
but is a mathematical genius. He sets out to discover who killed his neighbor's
dog and the process, uncovers secrets about his mother. The story gives insight
into the mind of an autistic young adult in a very poignant way.
_ Donnelly, Jennifer. A
Northern Light. YA
Summary:
Historical fiction that blends the real murder of Grace Brown in the
Adirondacks with the story of a teenage girl who needs to choose between doing
what is expected of her (marriage) or pursuing her dream (higher
education). Extremely well written!
_ Fforde, Jasper. The Eyre
Affair. YA
Summary: set in
a world not quite like our own, in which special agents protect
literature. Great fun adventure
sprinkled throughout with literary references galore. I'm in the middle of the third book right now - The Well of Lost
Plots - and having great fun.
_Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret
Life of Bees. Adult (Suitable for YA)
Summary:
Story of 14 year old Lily's search for self in the segregated South of the
1960's. Author's use of imagery is a delight.
_ Martel, Yann. The Life of Pi. YA (suitable for Adult)
Summary: Pi
Patel, the son of a zookeeper moving from India to Canada, survives a shipwreck
on a raft with a Bengal tiger, Richard Parker, as his companion.
_ Picoult, Jodi. My
Sister’s Keeper. Adult
(suitable for YA)
Summary:
Kate Fitzgerald has a rare form of leukemia. Anna, her sister, was conceived to
provide a donor match for procedures to try to save Kate. When a kidney
transplant is planned, Anna hires a lawyer so that she can sue her parents for
the right to make her own decisions about how her body is used.
_ ¨ Eugenides, Jeffery. Middlesex.
Adult
Summary:
An epic that beings in turn-of-the-century Greece & takes the reader to
Detroit, Michigan. The story is told through the voice of Calliope of the
Stephanides family and through her/his eyes, a buried family secret is
revealed.
_ Funke, Cornelia. Inkheart.
Middle Grades
Summary:
The ultimate book lover's book: Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father
Mo, a bookbinder, can "read" fictional characters to life when an
evil ruler named Capricorn, freed from the novel "Inkheart" years
earlier, tries to force Mo to release an immortal monster from the story.
_Grisham, John. The Last Juror.
Adult (Suitable for YA)
Summary:
Set in Mississippi, Danny Padgitt is paroled after serving less than a decade
in jail for the murder of a young woman.
Members of his jury are now being murdered.
_ Lahiri,
Jhumpa. Namesake. Adult.
Summary: A few years ago Lahiri won the
Pulitzer Prize for her book of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies. This is an
amazing book about the immigrant experience in North America, with a story that
keeps you reading into the night.
_Parkhurst, Carolyn. The Dogs of Babel. Adult
Summary:
Dealing with grief from the death of his wife, a linguist turns to the only
witness, his dog, for information.
_ ¨ Smith, Alexander McCall. Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency
series. Adult.
Summary:
Botswana's only female detective, Precious Ramotswe – culturally fascinating.
Collins,
Suzanne. Gregor the Overlander. Middle Grades.
Summary: Gregor
and his 2-year-old sister, Boots, fall into the Underland from the laundry room
of their NYC apt building. Here they
encounter the Underlanders, people who have been living underground for
centuries and "bond" with giant bats. They believe Gregor to be the warrior mentioned in one of their
ancient prophecies. He reluctantly
joins their quest, joined by a host of creatures and his sister, who is the
youngest, but sometimes the wisest (and definitely the funniest) of the
company.
Creech, Sharon. Heartbeat. Middle Grades.
Summary:
A story that deals with juxtaposition – new birth and aging, passion and
enjoying for the pure sake of enjoyment, of understanding life. Written in narrative
poetry, this book can be read on many levels.
It is the story of a young girl working through that awkward stage and
learning what life is all about as she observes the development of her mother's
pregnancy and her grandfather's mental deterioration. A powerful story.
DuPrau, Jeanne.
The City of Ember. Middle Grades
Summary: A
future setting of a created city where the sky is always dark except between
the hours of 6 am and 9pm. We meet Lina
and Doon, both 12, who are getting assigned to their first jobs in the city,
which we learn is slowly breaking down and running out of supplies. Will they figure a way out of the city
before it shuts down for good? Only the
readers know that instructions have been left by the builders.
_ Funke, Cornelia. Inkheart.
Middle Grades
Summary:
The ultimate book lover's book: Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father
Mo, a bookbinder, can "read" fictional characters to life when an
evil ruler named Capricorn, freed from the novel "Inkheart" years
earlier, tries to force Mo to release an immortal monster from the story.
Hesse, Karen. Aleutian Sparrow. Middle
Grades.
Summary:
Written in prose form, this book is
about the Aleut people during WWII when they were relocated to
internment camps by the US government.
Little, Jean. Willow
and Twig. Middle grades
Summary:
Abandoned by their drug-addicted mother, two children struggle to find a place
where they're accepted and loved.
McCaughrean, Geraldine. Stop
the Train! Middle Grades
Summary:
All historical fiction should be so funny and touching. Oklahoma settlers circa 1900 try all sorts
of ploys to get the train to stop in their newly created town.
McNamee, Graham. Acceleration. Middle Grades
Summary:
This thriller is set in Toronto where 17 year old, Duncan, works in the Lost
& Found Dept. of the Toronto subway. He stumbles across the diary of a
serial killer and sets out to stop him!
Polacco, Patricia. When Lightning Comes in a Jar.
Picture Book
Summary:
An incredibly moving autobiographical tale of a little girl's family
reunion. A little girl anticipates the
moment when her Gramma will teach her how to catch lightning in a jar. A wonderful story filled with storytelling,
watermelon seed spitting contests and meatloaves. I have used this book with students in first through fifth grade.
Shea, Pegi Deitz. Tangled Threads: A Hmong Girl's Story.
Middle grades
Summary: A
young girl and her grandmother travel from the refugee camps of southeast Asia
to the suburbs of an American city. The culture shock is immense! This is a
fascinating look at an undeveloped culture and the difficulties presented by
contemporary American life.
Van Draanen,
Wendelin. Flipped. Middle Grades/YA
Summary: Story
of a boy and girl who meet as elementary students; each tells his/her
perception of their interactions via alternate chapters. An entertaining introspective of how people
view situations differently, and it also presents what character is.
Armstrong, Jennifer. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World.
YA
Summary:
The amazing story of Shackleton's ill-fated voyage to Antarctica written for
young people. It was fascinating how they managed to survive such extreme conditions
and finally be rescued after more than a year without their ship.
Clark, Mary Higgins. Nighttime is my time. Adult
(Suitable for YA)
Summary:
As the graduates prepare for their twentieth high-school reunion, it becomes
apparent that members of a popular clique are targets of a serial killer,
"The Owl".
Clements, Andrew. Things Not Seen. YA
Summary:
A teenage boy wakes up one morning to find himself invisible. He is forced to cope with his delimma in
humorous and touching detail.
_ Donnelly, Jennifer. A
Northern Light. YA
Summary:
Historical fiction that blends the real murder of Grace Brown in the
Adirondacks with the story of a teenage girl who needs to choose between doing
what is expected of her (marriage) or pursuing her dream (higher education). Extremely well written!
_ Fforde, Jasper. The Eyre
Affair. YA
Summary: set in
a world not quite like our own, in which special agents protect
literature. Great fun adventure
sprinkled throughout with literary references galore. I'm in the middle of the third book right now - The Well of Lost
Plots - and having great fun.
Frose, Deborah.
Out of the Fire. YA
Summary: A
teen-age girl reluctantly attends a wild party in a field where there is a
giant bonfire. An accident occurs and she
is severely burned. The book chronicles
her journey back to "normalcy."
Goig, Kelly. Fat Kid Rules the World. YA
Summary:
Seventeen-year-old Troy, depressed, suicidal, and weighing nearly three hundred
pounds, gets a new perspective on life when Curt, a semi-homeless teen who is a
genius on guitar, asks Troy to be the drummer in a rock band.
_Grisham, John. The Last Juror.
Adult (Suitable for YA)
Summary:
Set in Mississippi, Danny Padgitt is paroled after serving less than a decade in
jail for the murder of a young woman.
Members of his jury are now being murdered.
_Haddon, Mark. The Curious
Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Adult (suitable for YA)
Summary:
15 year old Christopher, is autistic, has a great fear of social interaction,
but is a mathematical genius. He sets out to discover who killed his neighbor's
dog and the process, uncovers secrets about his mother. The story gives insight
into the mind of an autistic young adult in a very poignant way.
_Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret
Life of Bees. Adult (Suitable for YA)
Summary:
Story of 14 year old Lily's search for self in the segregated South of the
1960's. Author's use of imagery is a delight.
Koertge, Ron. Shakespeare Bats Cleanup. YA
Summary:
14 year-old boy is at home recovering from mononucleosis, and fills the time
writing poetry. He starts out skeptical
and fumbling, but soon comes to appreciate the outlet it gives him to process
his grief over his mother's death, his impatience with his body to heal, and
his growing interest in a girl.
Touching, beautifully written, a near-perfect book.
Mackler, Carolyn. The Earth My Butt and Other Big Round
Things. YA
Summary:
Feeling like she does not fit in with the other members of her family, who are
all thin, brilliant, and good-looking, fifteen-year-old Virginia tries to deal
with her self-image, her first physical relationship, and her disillusionment
with some of the people closest to her.
_ Martel, Yann. The Life of Pi. YA (suitable for Adult)
Summary: Pi
Patel, the son of a zookeeper moving from India to Canada, survives a shipwreck
on a raft with a Bengal tiger, Richard Parker, as his companion.
Nelson, Peter. Left For Dead: A Young Man's Search for Justice for the USS Indianapolis.
YA
Summary:
This nonfiction account of the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis details a 12
year old boys quest to clear the name of the only sea captain court-martialed
during WWII.
_ Picoult, Jodi. My
Sister’s Keeper. Adult
(suitable for YA)
Summary:
Kate Fitzgerald has a rare form of leukemia. Anna, her sister, was conceived to
provide a donor match for procedures to try to save Kate. When a kidney
transplant is planned, Anna hires a lawyer so that she can sue her parents for
the right to make her own decisions about how her body is used.
Van Draanen,
Wendelin. Flipped. Middle Grades/YA
Summary: Story
of a boy and girl who meet as elementary students; each tells his/her
perception of their interactions via alternate chapters. An entertaining introspective of how people
view situations differently, and it also presents what character is.
Albanese, Lori Pico. Blue Suburbia. Adult.
Summary:
A poetry memoir tracing the author's difficult childhood and her struggles as a
wife and mother. Beautifully written and a super-fast read.
Ali, Monica. Brick
Lane. Adult.
Summary:
It is a novel about Bangladeshi immigrants to London.
¨ Brown, Dan. The DaVinci Code. Adult
Summary:
A Harvard professor discovers clues to a murder hidden in the works of Da Vinci
-- clues visible for all to see -- yet ingeniously disguised by the painter
that may also be connected to a religious conspiracy.
Burkett, Elinor. Another Planet; A Year in the Life of a
Suburban High School. Adult
Summary:
Shortly after the Columbine tragedy, this award winning journalist went back to
public high school in suburban Minneapolis for one school year. She went to
classes, hung out with students, got to know teachers and administrators. This
is a fascinating and disturbing insider's view of American education. Must
reading for high school educators and parents.
Carr, Josephine. Dewey
Decimal System of Love. Ad.ult
Summary: This
title is particularly funny for anyone
who works in a library. I handed this
around after it was recommended to me.
Clark, Mary Higgins. Nighttime is my time. Adult
(Suitable for YA)
Summary:
As the graduates prepare for their twentieth high-school reunion, it becomes
apparent that members of a popular clique are targets of a serial killer,
"The Owl".
Clements,
Andrew. The Report Card.
Adult/Professional
Summary: In
this day and age of stressing students and teachers out over grades and
"THE TEST", I highly recommend this book.
Codell, Esme. Educating Esme and How to Get Your Child to Love Reading: For
Ravenous and Reluctant Readers Alike. Adult/Professional
Summary:
Codell’s books are great - she has one about her first year as a teacher
(Educating Esme) and one about how to encourage children to read.
Cornwall, Bernard. Grail Quest Trilogy: The Archer's Tale,
The Heretic and The Vagabond. Adult
Summary: The young archer Thomas of Hookton joins the
forces of King Edward III to fight against France in the mid-14th century at the beginning of the Hundred Years
War. Thomas' quest takes on greater
danger and significance as he makes a bitter enemy from within his own ranks,
uncovers a dark family secret, and becomes embroiled in an idealistic scheme to
reclaim the vanished Holy Grail.
Daum, Meghan. The Quality of Life Report. Adult.
Summary:
This novel depicts the transformation of a semi-successful New York cable
television reporter to a Midwesterner.
Quirky characters and humorous situations make the story a quick read.
Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee. Sister of My Heart.
Adult
Summary:
This novel, primarily about the bond
between two Indian women, also explores the cultures of modern India and
Indians in the United States.
_ ¨ Eugenides, Jeffery. Middlesex.
Adult
Summary:
An epic that beings in turn-of-the-century Greece & takes the reader to
Detroit, Michigan. The story is told through the voice of Calliope of the
Stephanides family and through her/his eyes, a buried family secret is
revealed.
Fuller,
Alexandra. Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight. Adult.
Summary: The
memoir of a woman who was raised in Africa during the time of some of the
struggles for independence. Her parents
lived a hard-scrabble life on various farms, and it was not until she was older
that she had the distance and maturity to assess the views of her white family
and friends to the Africans around her.
_Grisham, John. The Last Juror.
Adult (Suitable for YA)
Summary:
Set in Mississippi, Danny Padgitt is paroled after serving less than a decade
in jail for the murder of a young woman.
Members of his jury are now being murdered.
_Haddon, Mark. The Curious
Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Adult (suitable for YA)
Summary:
15 year old Christopher, is autistic, has a great fear of social interaction,
but is a mathematical genius. He sets out to discover who killed his neighbor's
dog and the process, uncovers secrets about his mother. The story gives insight
into the mind of an autistic young adult in a very poignant way.
Hedges, Peter. An Ocean in Iowa. Adult
Summary:
Set in 1969, this is an interesting story about a year in the life of a young
child.
Jiles,
Paulette. Enemy Women. Adult.
Summary: A
novel about the Civil War in Missouri, reminiscent of Cold Mountain. It is the story of a woman who is imprisoned
by Northern troops because of her suspected knowledge of Southern guerrilla
forces. She falls in love with her
interrogator, escapes from prison and makes her way back to her home. Haunting scenes of common folk caught
between 2 warring factions.
_Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret
Life of Bees. Adult (Suitable for YA)
Summary:
Story of 14 year old Lily's search for self in the segregated South of the
1960's. Author's use of imagery is a delight.
King, Laurie R. The Game. Adult.
Summary:
Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are afoot again, traveling to India
investigating for Mycroft Holmes. A British agent has gone missing in Colonial
India and Mary and Sherlock are to find the one and only “Kim” of Kipling fame.
Kozak, Harley Jane. Dating
Dead Men. Adult
Summary: A
greeting card shop owner finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation
while trying to complete a research project on blind dates. Hilarious! For
Janet Evanovich fans.
Lackey,
Mercedes. Fairy Godmother. Adult.
Summary: Elena
was supposed to be her kingdom's Cinderella, but when her fairytale ending
doesn't come, she's recruited by her fairy godmother to become one
herself. For anyone who grew up loving
fairy tales.
_ Lahiri, Jhumpa. Namesake. Adult.
Summary: A few years ago Lahiri won the
Pulitzer Prize for her book of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies. This is an
amazing book about the immigrant experience in North America, with a story that
keeps you reading into the night.
MacDonald, Ann-Marie. The
Way the Crow Flies. Adult
Summary:
Strong story and characterization about a girl's loss of innocence in 1960's
Canada.
_ Martel, Yann. The Life of Pi. YA (suitable for Adult)
Summary: Pi
Patel, the son of a zookeeper moving from India to Canada, survives a shipwreck
on a raft with a Bengal tiger, Richard Parker, as his companion.
Morse, Scott. The Barefoot Serpent
Summary: This graphic novel
tells the story of a family devastated by the suicide death of the older
brother and depicts the spiritual healing they experience on a vacation in
Hawaii; the framing story is a short biography of famed Japanese filmmaker
Akira Kurosawa, whose story resembles the fictional one a little. Quiet yet emotionally powerful - and the
Hawaii details are accurate.
_ Niffenegger,Audrey. The Time
Traveler's Wife. Adult
Summary: A great love story about a
chronological-impaired man who randomly catapults through time to the past and
the future, encountering his wife, mother, and daughter along the way. And with a
librarian as a main character, how could you go wrong?
O’Brien, Patrick. Aubrey/Maturin series, starting with Master
and Commander. Adult
Summary:
Twenty glorious titles, fabulous reading, great sea stories and terrific
personal accounts of the friendship between Jack Aubrey, ship's captain, and
his ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin, also Irish patriot and spy, during the
Napoleonic Wars.
_Parkhurst, Carolyn. The Dogs of Babel. Adult
Summary: Dealing
with grief from the death of his wife, a linguist turns to the only witness,
his dog, for information.
Perotta, Tom. Little
Children. Adult.
Summary: When a
man convicted of child sexual abuse moves to a quiet suburb after serving his
time, an entire community is shaken.
Perrotta explores the community in first person accounts of intertwined
members of the community that is suspenseful, sad, and surprisingly funny.
_ Picoult, Jodi. My
Sister’s Keeper. Adult
(suitable for YA)
Summary:
Kate Fitzgerald has a rare form of leukemia. Anna, her sister, was conceived to
provide a donor match for procedures to try to save Kate. When a kidney
transplant is planned, Anna hires a lawyer so that she can sue her parents for
the right to make her own decisions about how her body is used.
Rice, Luanne. The Secret Hour. Adult
Summary:
Attorney John O'Rourke has been juggling the rigors of a controversial capital
murder case and the demands of raising
eleven-year-old Maggie and fourteen-year-old Teddy. But one day a woman
arrives at the O’Rourke’s door. Kate comes to the seaside-and discovers the one
man who may be able to help her find her missing sister.
Sebold, Alice. Lucky: A Memoir. Adult.
Sebold,
author of The Lovely Bones, was raped as a college freshman, but the
police said she was "lucky." At least she wasn't murdered and
dismembered like the girl before her. Now a journalist, Sebold here details the
aftermath.
Slack, Charles. Noble Obsession. Adult
Summary:
This nonfiction book is a biography of Charles Goodyear and the great
sacrifices he made to patent a usable rubber product. It is truly a fascinating
story.
Slater, Nigel. Toast.
Adult.
Summary:
Nigel Slater is a British food writer. Toast is a memoir which follows his life
from birth to around 20 years old - I'm eagerly awaiting a follow up which will
show his transition from chef to food writer.
_ ¨ Smith, Alexander McCall. Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency
series. Adult.
Summary:
Botswana's only female detective, Precious Ramotswe – culturally fascinating.
Sparks, Nicholas. The Rescue. Adult
Summary:
A woman and her son are rescued from an automobile accident by a
firefighter. The little boy has a
communication disability, yet has an almost an instant bond with their
rescuer. However the fireman and
woman's love affair is complicated because of a haunting incident in his
past. Also by this author - Bend in
the Road.
Tyler, Anne. The Amateur Marriage. Adult
Summary:
The story of a couple who met and married during WWII. They never really
"got" each and shouldn't have married, but they struggle through life
as amateurs, have children and grandchildren, finally divorcing. A really good
story and good character development.
Vanderbes, Jennifer. Easter Island. Adult
Summary:
Story toggles between 1912 and 1973 and the stories of 2 women from those years
who visit Easter Island. You won't be able to put down this historical novel!
¨ Vreeland,
Susan. Passion of Artemisia. Adult
Summary: What
would it take to be a famous painter in Baroque Italy ... and a woman?
A wonderful
story! I just loved it! Check out her website for the paintings
talked about in the book: http://www.svreeland.com/
Wilensky, Amy. The Weight of It. Adult.
Summary:
This is the author's story of how her sister's obesity and then her extreme
weight loss after gastric bypass surgery affected her. I thought it was an
excellent account of how body image shapes not just individuals, but entire
families and especially sibling relationships.
Willett, Marcia. A Week in Winter. Adult
Summary:
A warm and cozy English countryside novel.
The characters will stay with you for a long time.
Yorke, Christy. The Wishing Garden. Adult
Summary: For
Savanna Dawson, love has always been painful. After her cheating fiancé dies in
an accident, she moves away from her hometown, only to return years later to
deal with the ghosts of past loves and future possibilities. A fast-moving plot
coupled with a touch of magic makes this an awesome literary read.
Questions?
Please contact Melissa Bergin