Best Teen & Young Adult Disabilities & Special Needs Fiction eBooks

The acclaimed author of Flipped delivers a powerful and healing story that’s perfect for the millions who watch the Olympics or anyone who’s ever thought that something was impossible. Readers will revel in the story of a girl who puts herself back together—and learns to dream bigger than ever before—after she’s told she’ll never run again. As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica feels oddly both in the spotlight and invisible. On one level the story offers inspiration to those dealing with physical changes in their own lives and the stages of recovery, fight, survival, and victory as Jessica reaches deep to push past her wall of self-pity and loathing, and moves beyond the "finish line." Readers will cheer for Jessica's recovery and be reminded to recognize people for their strengths and not overlook them because of their disabilities.-Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY (c) Copyright 2010. But she is slowly reintroduced to life, which involves being fitted for a prosthesis, returning to school, and dealing with the usual—tough teachers, mean girls, and one really hot, sensitive, supportive boy. It’s a classic problem novel in a lot of ways; accordingly, Van Draanen inserts setbacks with narrative precision, the most affecting of which (surprisingly) is the insurance battle that Jessica’s parents face.

An award-winning book from the author of Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life and The Candymakers for fans for of Wonder and Counting by Sevens. From then on, she leads a kind of double life-she eagerly attends research gatherings with other synesthetes and devours information about the condition, but continues to struggle at school, where her inadvertent pairing of particular colors with numbers and words makes math and French almost impossible to figure out. Her gradual abandonment of her frustrating school life in favor of the compelling world of fellow synesthetes and the unique things only they can experience seems quite logical, although readers may feel like shaking some sense into her. Finally, and rather abruptly, her extreme guilt at her beloved cat Mango's illness brings her back down to earth and she begins to work on some of the relationships she let crumble.

" What to Say Next reminds readers that hope can be found in unexpected places." –Bustle.com. From the New York Times bestselling author of Tell Me Three Things comes a story about two struggling teenagers who find an unexpected connection just when they need it most. Nicola Yoon, the bestselling author of Everything, Everything , calls it. "charming, funny, and deeply affecting. ." “Charming, funny, and deeply affecting all at the same time.” –Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star “Heartfelt, charming, deep, and real. Discussion of Kit's family and heritage bring additional complexity and depth to his portrait of grief and recovery." Teens who enjoy sweet, character-driven relationship stories will find their tribe with Kit and David." "Told in the alternating voices of a girl whose world has been shattered and a boy who is the only person in her life who sees her clearly, WHAT TO SAY NEXT is about the power of connection and the beauty of compassion. With sensitivity, wisdom, and heart, Julie Buxbaum weaves a story in which loss and grieving are balanced by humor and insight.

Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. In Twilight , an exquisite fantasy by Stephenie Meyer, readers discover a pair of lovers who are supremely star-crossed. But, Bella would rather be dead than part from Edward, so she risks her life to stay near him, and the novel burns with the erotic tension of their dangerous and necessarily chaste relationship. She begins with a familiar YA premise (the new kid in school), and lulls us into thinking this will be just another realistic young adult novel. They are all rescued vampires, part of a family headed by saintly Carlisle, who has inspired them to renounce human prey. For Edward's sake they welcome Bella, but when a roving group of tracker vampires fixates on her, the family is drawn into a desperate pursuit to protect the fragile human in their midst. The precision and delicacy of Meyer's writing lifts this wonderful novel beyond the limitations of the horror genre to a place among the best of YA fiction. A: Twilight was inspired by a very vivid dream, which is fairly faithfully transcribed as chapter thirteen of the book. I think the reason that I ended up with a book for teens is because high school is such a compelling time period--it gives you some of your worst scars and some of your most exhilarating memories. I keep meaning to pick up Bram Stoker's Dracula , because I get asked this question so often and I should probably start with the classics, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. It's harder to give myself just one movie, but the one I watch most frequently is Sense and Sensibility --the one with the screenplay by Emma Thompson. I'd have to have Pride and Prejudice , but I couldn't live without something by Orson Scott Card and a nice, thick Maeve Binchy , too. I have my headphones in and I'm listened to a mix of Muse , Coldplay , Travis , My Chemical Romance , and The All-American Rejects . I was never perfect at any of them, but I honestly tried to be a great mom, a loving wife, a good daughter, and a true friend. When he reveals that his specific clan hunts wildlife instead of humans, Bella deduces that she is safe from his blood-sucking instincts and therefore free to fall hopelessly in love with him. The feeling is mutual, and the resulting volatile romance smolders as they attempt to hide Edward's identity from her family and the rest of the school. This tension strips away any pretense readers may have about the everyday teen romance novel, and kissing, touching, and talking take on an entirely new meaning when one small mistake could be life-threatening. As a result, the novel's danger-factor skyrockets as the excitement of secret love and hushed affection morphs into a terrifying race to stay alive. Realistic, subtle, succinct, and easy to follow, Twilight will have readers dying to sink their teeth into it.

This first book in Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy is the novel the inspired the major motion picture starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, and Kate Winslet. Perfect for fans of the Hunger Games and Maze Runner series, Divergent and its sequels, Insurgent and Allegiant , are the gripping story of a dystopian world transformed by courage, self-sacrifice, and love. Success is a lovely thing, but your desire to say something, your worth, and your identity shouldn’t rely on it, because it’s not guaranteed and it’s not permanent and it’s not sufficient. So work hard, fall in love with the writing—the characters, the story, the words, the themes—and make sure that you are who you are regardless of your life circumstances. That way, when the good things come, they don’t warp you, and when the bad things hit you, you don’t fall apart. Q: You’re a young author--is it your current adult perspective or not-so-recent teenage perspective that brought about the factions in the development of this story? The faction system reflects my beliefs about human nature—that we can make even something as well-intentioned as virtue into an idol, or an evil thing. In a sense, Divergent is me writing through that realization—everyone in Beatrice’s society believes that virtue is the end, the answer. I think we all secretly love and hate categories—love to get a firm hold on our identities, but hate to be confined—and I never loved and hated them more than when I was a teenager. Roth: I tried to construct the factions so that they spanned a wide range of virtues. And hard-working people can certainly take their work too far, as all the factions do with their respective virtues. It’s about a girl whose sister has a powerful kind of magnetism within the confines of a particular town, and how their love for each other breaks some things apart and puts other things back together. It’s one of those books that makes you love a character and then hate a character and then love them again—that shows you that people aren’t all good or all bad, but somewhere in between.

-Millions of copies sold-. #1 New York Times Bestseller. #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller. #1 USA Today Bestseller. #1 International Bestseller. Amazon Best Books of the Month, January 2012 : In The Fault in Our Stars , John Green has created a soulful novel that tackles big subjects--life, death, love--with the perfect blend of levity and heart-swelling emotion. The two are kindred spirits, sharing an irreverent sense of humor and immense charm, and watching them fall in love even as they face universal questions of the human condition--How will I be remembered? To help her deal with this, her doctor sends her to a weekly support group where she meets Augustus Waters, a fellow cancer survivor, and the two fall in love. After announcing he would sign all 150,000 copies of this title’s first print run, it shot to the top of Amazon and Barnes & Noble’s best-seller lists six months before publication.

The first book in the blockbuster phenomenon The Maze Runner series now features chapters from the highly-anticipated series conclusion, The Fever Code, the book that finally reveals the story of how the maze was built! The Maze Runner and Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials are now major motion pictures featuring the star of MTV's Teen Wolf , Dylan O’Brien; Kaya Scodelario; Aml Ameen; Will Poulter; and Thomas Brodie-Sangster. Praise for the Maze Runner series: A #1 New York Times Bestselling Series. A USA Today Bestseller. A Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of the Year. An ALA-YASLA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book. An ALA-YALSA Quick Pick "[A] mysterious survival saga that passionate fans describe as a fusion of Lord of the Flies , The Hunger Games , and Lost . ”— Romantic Times “James Dashner’s illuminating prequel [ The Kill Order ] will thrill fans of this Maze Runner [series] and prove just as exciting for readers new to the series.”— Shelf Awareness , Starred. Unfortunately, the question of whether the teens will escape the maze is answered 30 pages before the book ends, and the intervening chapter loses momentum. That said, The Maze Runner has a great hook, and fans of dystopian literature, particularly older fans of Jeanne DuPrau's The City of Ember (Random, 2003), will likely enjoy this title and ask for the inevitable sequel.— Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH END Praise for the Maze Runner series: A #1 New York Times Bestselling SeriesA USA Today BestsellerA Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of the YearAn ALA-YASLA Best Fiction for Young Adults BookAn ALA-YALSA Quick Pick "[A] mysterious survival saga that passionate fans describe as a fusion of Lord of the Flies , The Hunger Games , and Lost . ”— Romantic Times [ STAR ] “James Dashner’s illuminating prequel [ The Kill Order ] will thrill fans of this Maze Runner [series] and prove just as exciting for readers new to the series.”— Shelf Awareness , Starred. " Take a deep breath before you start any James Dashner book.

A New York Times Notable Book • A New York Times Critics’ Top Book of the Year • An NPR Best Book of the Year • A TIME Best Book of the Year • A Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year • A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year • An Entertainment Weekly Best Book of the Year • A Seventeen Best Book of the Year • A Southern. Living Best Book of the Year • A Publishers. Weekly Best Book of the Year • A Booklist Editors' Choice Selection • A BookPage Best Book of the Year • An SLJ Best Book of the Year • An A.V. - Featured on Fresh Air, Studio 360, Good Morning Amercia, The TODAY Show “This novel is by far [Green’s] most difficult to read. A must-read for those struggling with mental illness, or for their friends and family.” — San Francisco Chronicle “A powerful tale for teens (and adults) about anxiety, love and friendship.” —The Los Angeles Times. John Green has crafted a dynamic novel that is deeply honest, sometimes painful, and always thoughtful .” – Mashable. “ A thoughtful look at mental illness and a debilitating obsessive-compulsive disorder that doesn’t ask but makes you feel the constant struggles of its main character . Turtles explores the definition of happy endings, whether love is a tragedy or a failure, and a universal lesson for us all: ‘You work with what you have.’” – USA Today. ★ “ A richly rewarding read …the most mature of Green’s work to date and deserving of all the accolades that are sure to come its way.” – Booklist. ★ “A deeply resonant and powerful novel that will inform and enlighten readers even as it breaks their hearts. The Fault in Our Stars is a love story, one of the most genuine and moving ones in recent American fiction, but it’s also an existential tragedy of tremendous intelligence and courage and sadness.” — Lev Grossman, TIME Magazine “This is a book that breaks your heart—not by wearing it down, but by making it bigger until it bursts.” — The Atlantic “Remarkable . “John Green deftly mixes the profound and the quotidian in this tough, touching valentine to the human spirit.” —The Washington Post “[Green] shows us true love—two teenagers helping and accepting each other through the most humiliating physical and emotional ordeals—and it is far more romantic than any sunset on the beach.” — New York Times Book Review. With his brother, Hank, John is one half of the Vlogbrothers and co-created the online educational series CrashCourse. You can join the millions who follow him on Twitter @johngreen and Instagram @johngreenwritesbooks or visit him online at johngreenbooks.com.

A National Book Award Longlist title with eight starred reviews! Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. ''As we continue to fight the battle against police brutality and systemic racism in America, THE HATE U GIVE serves as a much needed literary ramrod. --(Jason Reynolds, bestselling coauthor of ALL AMERICAN BOYS). ''Angie Thomas has written a stunning, brilliant, gut-wrenching novel that will be remembered as a classic of our time.''. ''Though Thomas's story is heartbreakingly topical, its greatest strength is in its authentic depiction of a teenage girl, her loving family, and her attempts to reconcile what she knows to be true about their lives with the way those lives are depicted -- and completely undervalued -- by society at large.''. ''Beautifully written in Starr's authentic first-person voice, this is a marvel of verisimilitude as it insightfully examines two worlds in collision. ''Pair this powerful debut with Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely's ALL AMERICAN BOYS to start a conversation on racism, police brutality, and the Black Lives Matter movement.''. Starr's struggles create a complex character, and Thomas boldly tackles topics like racism, gangs, police violence, and interracial dating. ''Thomas has penned a powerful, in-your-face novel that will similarly galvanize fans of Kekla Magoon's How It Went Down and Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely's All American Boys.''. ''The story of Starr Carter, a 16-year-old who sees her childhood best friend fatally shot by a police officer, is compelling, thought-provoking, and conversation-enabling.

America Singer searches for her happily ever after in this swoon-worthy YA dystopian romance, perfect for readers who loved Veronica Roth’s Divergent, Lauren Oliver’s Delirium, or Renée Ahdieh’s The Wrath & the Dawn . While the contestants are competing for Maxon's heart, many other events from the outside world transpire: America's father dies and leaves her a letter, she is shot visiting rebels outside the city, the relationship between Aspen and America shifts, and the Southern rebels begin attacking people in the castles. For general purchase in libraries where the earlier books remain popular and for devotees of beauty pageants, dystopians, and drama-filled romances.—Jesten Ray, Seattle Public Library, WA “A real page-turner.

Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoiled, piglike cousin Dudley. Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" So far it has won the National Book Award, the Smarties Prize, the Children's Book Award, and is short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, the U.K. version of the Newbery Medal. After 11 years of disregard and neglect at the hands of his aunt, uncle and their swinish son Dudley, Harry suddenly receives a visit from a giant named Hagrid, who informs Harry that his mother and father were a witch and a wizard, and that he is to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry himself.

Without expecting it, she finds love. —Tammara Webber, New York Times bestselling author of Easy "Emotionally intense and heart-achingly beautiful, Reason to Breathe will linger in your thoughts long after you turn the last page."

A National Book Award Longlist title with eight starred reviews! Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. This story is important.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) ). “Though Thomas’s story is heartbreakingly topical, its greatest strength is in its authentic depiction of a teenage girl, her loving family, and her attempts to reconcile what she knows to be true about their lives with the way those lives are depicted—and completely undervalued—by society at large.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) ). “Pair this powerful debut with Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely’s ALL AMERICAN BOYS to start a conversation on racism, police brutality, and the Black Lives Matter movement.” (School Library Journal (starred review) ). “Thomas has penned a powerful, in-your-face novel that will similarly galvanize fans of Kekla Magoon’s How It Went Down and Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely’s All American Boys.” (Horn Book (starred review) ).

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES AND INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER. **THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL, NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES** “Eerie, beautiful, and devastating.” — Chicago Tribune “A stealthy hit with staying power. thriller-like pacing.” — The New York Times “ Thirteen Reasons Why will leave you with chills long after you have finished reading.” — Amber Gibson, NPR’s “All Things Considered” You can’t stop the future. Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Asher’s novel asks us to look at how petty cruelty can deal crushing blows.” — Miami Herald “Wonderfully realistic in his writing, Asher offers teens and parents alike a great story on an important topic.” — Green Bay Press-Gazette “It is a brilliant debut that will leave readers feeling a sense of remorse for Hannah, guilt for Clay, and hope for the lasting lesson of the story.” — Bookazine “Breakneck pace and dizzying emotion.” — School Library Journal “[Hannah’s] pain is gut-wrenchingly palpable. “Readers won’t be able to pull themselves away.” — Publishers Weekly “Asher's ability to convey the anguish of someone who was left behind is truly remarkable.” — Book Page. WINNER OF Association of Booksellers for Children’s “Best Books” American Library Association’s “Best Books for Young Adults” and “Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers”Heartland Award for Excellence in Young Adult LiteratureFlorida Teens Read AwardCalifornia Book AwardKentucky Bluegrass AwardBook Sense PickInternational Reading Association’s “Young Adults' Choices” FinalistChicago Public Library’s “Best of the Best Books” Kansas State Reading Circle’s “Recommended Reading List”New York Public Library’s “Book for the Teen Age”16 State Award Master Lists. I know, in years to come, I will often return to this book.” —Sherman Alexie, bestselling author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian “Every once in a while you come across a book that you can’t get out of your mind, one you have to rush back to if you must put it down for some reason. Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why is one of those books, and is at the very top of my personal Must-Read list.” —Ellen Hopkins, bestselling author of Tricks , Identical , Crank , Burned , Impulse , and Glass “A spectacular first novel.

The first ten lies they tell you in high school. "Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." Since the beginning of the school year, high school freshman Melinda has found that it's been getting harder and harder for her to speak out loud: "My throat is always sore, my lips raw.... Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze.... Could it be due to the fact that no one at school is speaking to her because she called the cops and got everyone busted at the seniors' big end-of-summer party? While Melinda is bothered by these things, deep down she knows the real reason why she's been struck mute... Laurie Halse Anderson's first novel is a stunning and sympathetic tribute to the teenage outcast. The triumphant ending, in which Melinda finds her voice, is cause for cheering (while many readers might also shed a tear or two).

But not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up on “greasers” like Ponyboy. S. E. Hinton's classic story of a boy who finds himself on the outskirts of regular society remains as powerful today as it was the day it was first published. " The Outsiders transformed young-adult fiction from a genre mostly about prom queens, football players and high school crushes to one that portrayed a darker, truer world." Praise for The Outsiders "The Outsiders transformed young-adult fiction from a genre mostly about prom queens, football players and high school crushes to one that portrayed a darker, truer world." "What it's like to live lonely and unwanted and cornered by circumstance...There is rawness and violence here, but honest hope, too." A New York Herald Tribune Best Teenage Book. A Chicago Tribune Book World Spring Book Festival Honor Book. An ALA Best Book for Young Adults. Winner of the Massachusetts Children's Book Award.

The instant #1 New York Times bestseller--now a major motion picture starring Amandla Stenberg as Maddy and Nick Robinson as Olly. Never breathe in the fresh air, feel the sun warm your face . In Everything, Everything , Maddy is a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world, and Olly is the boy who moves in next door . It's an innovative, inspiring, and heartbreakingly romantic debut novel that unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, illustrations, and more. everythingeverythingfilm on Instagram. @everythingfilm on Twitter. @everythingeverythingmovie on Facebook. everythingeverythingmovie.com. And don’t miss Nicola Yoon's The Sun Is Also A Star , the #1 New York Times bestseller in which two teens are brought together just when it seems like the universe is sending them in opposite directions. ★ "This heartwarming story transcends the ordinary by exploring the hopes, dreams, and inherent risks of love in all of its forms." The rare novel that lifts and shatters and fills you all at once.” —Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places. “With her stunning debut, Everything, Everything, Nicola Yoon has constructed an entirely unique and beautiful reading experience. Nicola Yoon's book and voice stayed with me long after I finished reading.” —Danielle Paige, New York Times bestselling author of Dorothy Must Die. Olly and Madeline's love story stole my heart.”--Katie McGarry, author of Nowhere But Here. Tender, creative, beautifully written, and with a great twist, Everything, Everything is one of the best books I've read this year." -- Justine Magazine "A vibrant, thrilling, and, ultimately, wholly original tale that's bound to be an instant hit." teens in search of a swoonworthy read will devour.”-- Booklist “It’s tempting to drop everything everything once you’ve begun . “This tearjerker gives you feels you haven’t experienced since The Fault in Our Stars .”— Cosmopolitan “#RELATIONSHIPGOALS”— Justine Magazine “Sweetly romantic.”—Crystal Bell /MTV News. “The chemistry between Amandla Stenberg and Nick Robinson flies off the screen and has you rooting for them from beginning to end.”—Erin Gross /Fangirlish. “The sweet and undeniable chemistry between breakout stars Amandla Stenberg and Nick Robinson makes Everything, Everything a must-see.”—Sharon Tharp /JustJared. “Amandla and Nick's performance is a great reminder that it's worth taking big risks for love.”—Nina Hajian /92.3 AMP Radio’s Shoboy In The Morning. “ Everything, Everything will leave you feeling happy.”—Shaylee Henning /KCKC-FM. Gr 10 Up—From the first page, Madeline Whittier is a sympathetic character who has had to watch the world from the inside of a bubble—literally. Her diagnosed condition of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency is a life sentence that limits her to a world of two people: her mother, who is a doctor, and her nurse. Olly is the kind of inventive guy who figures out a way to communicate with Madeline, and over the course of the next few months Madeline becomes Maddy, a young woman who takes potentially deadly risks to protect Olly emotionally, if not physically. Maddy's and Olly's hastily planned trip to Maui and their tastefully described liaison while there suggests a mature teen audience, but readers of Cammie McGovern's Say What You Will (HarperCollins, 2014) and Wendy Mills's Positively Beautiful (Bloomsbury, 2015) will fall in love with this humorously engaging story of a girl who discovers life, love, and forgiveness in new places.

#1 Bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars John Green crafts a brilliantly funny and moving coming-of-age journey about true friendship and true love. Weeks before graduating from their Orlando-area high school, Quentin Jacobsen's childhood best friend, Margo, reappears in his life, specifically at his window, commanding him to take her on an all-night, score-settling spree. Just as suddenly, she disappears again, and the plot's considerable tension derives from Quentin's mission to find out if she's run away or committed suicide. Margo's parents, inured to her extreme behavior, wash their hands, but Quentin thinks she's left him a clue in a highlighted volume of Leaves of Grass. The title, which refers to unbuilt subdivisions and copyright trap towns that appear on maps but don't exist, unintentionally underscores the novel's weakness: both milquetoast Q and self-absorbed Margo are types, not fully dimensional characters. Green's prose is astounding—from hilarious, hyperintellectual trash talk and shtick, to complex philosophizing, to devastating observation and truths.

The first ten lies they tell you in high school. "Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." Since the beginning of the school year, high school freshman Melinda has found that it's been getting harder and harder for her to speak out loud: "My throat is always sore, my lips raw.... Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze.... Could it be due to the fact that no one at school is speaking to her because she called the cops and got everyone busted at the seniors' big end-of-summer party? While Melinda is bothered by these things, deep down she knows the real reason why she's been struck mute... Laurie Halse Anderson's first novel is a stunning and sympathetic tribute to the teenage outcast. The triumphant ending, in which Melinda finds her voice, is cause for cheering (while many readers might also shed a tear or two).

A fractured neighborhood unites with just a few seeds, turning a drab empty lot in Cleveland into beautiful green garden. Wasting not a single word, Fleischman unfolds a story of a blighted neighborhood transformed when a young girl plants a few lima beans in an abandoned lot. Grade 5 Up-Paul Fleischman creates a heartwarming story by weaving together a series of short vignettes about a vacant lot turned community garden. Seedfolks is a nice addition to audio collections where Fleischman's work is popular, and worthy of inclusion in libraries serving ethnically diverse communities.

The greatly anticipated final book in the New York Times bestselling Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year. While I didn't know every detail, of course, the arc of the story from gladiator game, to revolution, to war, to the eventual outcome remained constant throughout the writing process. In the novel, you never leave Katniss for a second and are privy to all of her thoughts so you need a way to dramatize her inner world and to make it possible for other characters to exist outside of her company. Q: Are you able to consider future projects while working on The Hunger Games , or are you immersed in the world you are currently creating so fully that it is too difficult to think about new ideas? A: I have a few seeds of ideas floating around in my head but--given that much of my focus is still on The Hunger Games --it will probably be awhile before one fully emerges and I can begin to develop it. Q: The Hunger Games is an annual televised event in which one boy and one girl from each of the twelve districts is forced to participate in a fight-to-the-death on live TV. A: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle Lord of the Flies by William Golding Boris by Jaapter Haar Germinal by Emile Zola Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury Grade 7 Up Following her subversive second victory in the Games, this one composed of winners from past years, Katniss has been adopted by rebel factions as their symbol for freedom and becomes the rallying point for the districts in a desperate bid to take down the Capitol and remove President Snow from power. But being the Mockingjay comes with a price as Katniss must come to terms with how much of her own humanity and sanity she can willingly sacrifice for the cause, her friends, and her family. Collins is absolutely ruthless in her depictions of war in all its cruelty, violence, and loss, leaving readers, in turn, repulsed, shocked, grieving and, finally, hopeful for the characters they've grown to empathize with and love. Mockingjay is a fitting end of the series that began with The Hunger Games (2008) and Catching Fire (2009) and will have the same lasting resonance as William Golding's Lord of the Flies and Stephen King's The Stand .

Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoiled, piglike cousin Dudley. Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" So far it has won the National Book Award, the Smarties Prize, the Children's Book Award, and is short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, the U.K. version of the Newbery Medal. After 11 years of disregard and neglect at the hands of his aunt, uncle and their swinish son Dudley, Harry suddenly receives a visit from a giant named Hagrid, who informs Harry that his mother and father were a witch and a wizard, and that he is to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry himself.

Without expecting it, she finds love. —Tammara Webber, New York Times bestselling author of Easy "Emotionally intense and heart-achingly beautiful, Reason to Breathe will linger in your thoughts long after you turn the last page."

After putting her own baby up for adoption, she goes looking for her biological family, including—. And when her adopted family’s long-buried problems begin to explode to the surface, Maya can’t help but wonder where exactly it is that she belongs. From the first page to the last, this compassionate, funny, moving, compulsively readable novel about what makes a family gets it right.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) ). ★ “Equally heartwarming and heart-wrenching... Benway ( Emmy & Oliver ) delves into the souls of these characters as they wrestle to overcome feelings of inadequacy, abandonment, and betrayal, gradually coming to understand themselves and each other.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) ). Robin Benway’s characters are authentically crafted, full of heart, hurt, and hope.” (Brandy Colbert, author of Pointe and Little & Lion). Emmy & Oliver is a genuinely sweet and funny novel bursting with the inextinguishable forces of love—between parents and children, distant and inseparable friends, new and reunited lovers.” (Stephanie Perkins, New York Times bestselling author of Isla and the Happily Ever After Stephanie Perkins, New York Times bestselling author of Isla and the Happily Ever After Stephanie Perkins, New York Times bestselling author of Isla and the Happily). Robin Benway is the author of several YA novels, including Audrey, Wait!

Carmel Fishkill becomes Fishkill Carmel, who deflects her tormenters with a strong left hook and conceals her secrets from teachers and social workers. Fishkill's guilt, anger, and abandonment only intensify as the story unfolds, leaving her desperate and unsure where to turn...Abuse is eclipsed by love in this moving novel. In Lehrer’s engrossing first novel, 12-year-old Carmel Fishkill (named after a highway exit sign her mother, Keely, glimpsed while giving birth in the back seat of a car) decides that starting seventh grade in a new school is an opportunity to toughen up her image...The plot, as well as Duck-Duck and Fishkill’s friendship, twists and turns as Keely reappears and disappears, until a tragic development changes the entire tone of the book, providing a bittersweet resolution. The deep sadness undergirding this story is held in check, rhetorically speaking, by Fishkill’s matter-of-fact, survivalist perspective and a fast-moving plot...Fans of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s rescue dramas are the audience for this. Poet Lehrer’s YA debut is a beautifully written and authentic look at rural poverty, and a great choice for fans of Kody Keplinger’s Run and Sarah Nicole Lemon’s Done Dirt Cheap .

A National Book Award Longlist title with eight starred reviews! Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family.