S.O.S. Titanic
Eve Bunting
Barry O’Neil, traveling on the Titanic, finds his life in danger when the ship begins to sink.
Crazy Lady
Jane Leslie Conly
As he comes to terms with his mother’s death, Vernon finds comfort in his relationship with the neighborhood outcasts, an alcoholic and her retarded son.
Can You Sue Your Parents for Malpractice?
Paula Danziger
Confused about her life at home and school, 14-year-old Lauren learns the importance of being her own person.
Tears of a Tiger
Sharon Draper
Andy and his classmates are affected by the death of high school basketball star Rob Washington, who was killed in a car accident when Andy was driving. See sequel, "Forged By Fire."
Fate Totally Worse Than Death
Paul Fleischman
In this horror-novel parody, three of Cliffside High School’s ruling clique are convinced that a new exchange student is the ghost of the girl whose death they caused the year before.
The Cuckoo’s Child
Suzanne Freeman
After living in Beirut, 11-year-old Mia and her two sisters are sent to live with their aunt in Tennessee when their parents are lost at sea.
Running Out of Time
Margaret Peterson Haddix
When a diptheria epidemic strikes her 1840 village, 13-year-old time traveler Jessie discovers it is a 1995 tourist site, and she must save the dying children.
Far North
Will Hobbs
After their floatplane crashes, 16-year-old Gabe and his friend, Raymond, struggle to survive a winter in the Northwest Territories.
For the Life of Laetitia
Merle Hodge
The first in her family to go to secondary school, 12-year-old Lacey has problems, including a cruel teacher and a difficult home life.
Slake’s Limbo
Felice Holman
Thirteen-year-old Aremis Slake, hounded by fears and misfortunes, goes to live in New York City’s subway tunnels.
Letters from a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs
Mary E. Lyons
A fictionalized version of the life of Harriet Jacobs, told through letters she might have written as a slave in North Carolina.
The Mighty
Rodman Philbrick
Learning-disabled eighth grader, Max, and his new friend, Freak, whose birth defect has affected his body but not his brilliant mind, find they make a powerful team.
Hold Fast to Dreams
Andrea Davis Pinkney
Twelve-year-old Deirdre, whose passion for photography has earned her the nickname “Camera Dee,” feels uncomfortable being the only black student at her school.
The Westing Game
Ellen Raskin
The death of a millionaire brings together heirs who must solve the murder before they can claim their inheritance.
A Very Personal Computer
Justine Rendal
Twelve-year-old Pollard, who is unhappy at home and school, encounters a personal computer that claims to be programmed to solve all his problems.
Oddballs
William Sleator
Stories about experiences from the author’s youth.
Definitely Cool
Brenda Wilkinson
Twelve-year-old Roxanne leaves the security of her neighborhood middle school for a school in a very upscale area.
I Am the Darker Brother
Arnold Adoff
African-American modern poetry.
Cool Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Growing Up Latino in the United States
Lori M. Carlson
Hispanic-American poets capture the Latino experience.
A Girl From Yamhill
Beverly Cleary
Beverly Cleary, who gave us the Ramona books, shares the events of her childhood. See the sequel, My Own Two Feet, which explores her early adulthood.
Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo
Zlata Filipovic
The autobiography of a girl who survived the loss of friends, and food shortages, during the siege of Sarajevo in 1992.
The Abracadabra Kid: A Writer’s Life
Sid Fleishman
The autobiography of Sid Fleishman, a Newbery Medal-winning children’s author, who set out from childhood to be a magician.
Diary of Latoya Hunter: My First Year in Junior High
Latoya Hunter
Twelve-year-old Latoya Hunter, a West Indian-American girl, tells about her first year of junior high school in the Bronx.
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