This view shows all of the books in this age group that have been selected in years past and nominated for the current year (but not yet selected). The nominations are marked by a "Nomination(not yet selected):" label.
16 year old James Whitman is depressed and anxious, for good reason: namely, his abusive parents, whom he calls "the brute" and "the banshee." Feeling a connection to Walt Whitman (no relation), James attempts to celebrate life anyway by yawping, hugging trees and joining the high school literary magazine, which brings him closer to both an attractive girl and solving the mystery around his sister's expulsion from both school and the family home. Funny, dark, and poignant. Fourteen and Up. Sylvie Shaffer
Allyson was always the "good girl," until a chance meeting with a dashing stranger leads to just one day in Paris that changes everything. Invoking the sights, smells and sounds of Paris and Amsterdam, Just One Day takes the reader away on a journey of self-discovery. As Allyson embraces freedom and finds her way, the reader is right there with her. Teen readers will identify with the experience of an overbearing parent, "friends" who are aren't always there when you need them, the experience of first passion/love and discovering new sides of your personality through life-changing experiences. Written for an older teen audience, this is the perfect read for one's senior year in high school. Fourteen and Up. Alicia Blowers
Even at Danielle’s school for kids with learning disabilities, she is an outcast. Her wild red hair and 20 extra pounds make her feel unattractive and her OCD makes her do weird things sometimes. As she starts her senior year she puts all of her school essays, e-mails, notes, and letters in a notebook which chronicles her feelings, her attempts to deal with them (or not), and her connections with people she meets. Vaughn has given Danielle the perfect words to describe what it is like to be an awkward teenage girl. Fourteen and Up. Michelle Miller
Tom is popular, has beautiful girlfriend and is the captain of the soccer team in a small town in Maine. Somali refugees settle in this town, and their children start to attend school. Some of the boys join the soccer team and Tom learns first hand about their customs and lifestyle. He grows as a person with this knowledge, but makes some errors of judgment along the way. 14 and Up. Kathie Weinberg
Carey and her much younger sister Jenessa are abandoned by their mother in a remote area. They have "hidden" with her for 10 years in a primative camper van. Rescued by their father, and abruptly brought into a modern world of schools, new step-family and friends, they have much to overcome. A sensatively told yet compelling story of survival. 14 and Up. Kathie Weinberg
Tim is a 17 year old albino, who is a senior year transfer to a co-ed prep school. He meets the school's "it" girl Vanessa on his travels to this school, setting up a love triangle with the school's alpha male. Tim is doomed to be an outsider because of his appearance, but this relationship only makes things harder for him. 14 and Up. Kathie Weinberg
After Eric's brother Duane dies, his parents and Eric agree to organ donation. Duane would have wanted that. Now Eric wants to meet some of these organ recipients. Three agree to meet him. Now their lives become intertwined in different ways. Chris Lynch knows how to portray boys, especially those going through the tough stage of teenagehood. His language is exquisit with a touch of humor in the mix. Captivating. Ages 14+ Maria E. Gentle
Josie has grown up in New Orleans, the daughter of a prostitute who could not care less about her. But Josie is smart and intent on making something of herself. Just as she starts dreaming of applying to Smith College, her world turns upside down. A man she met briefly in the bookstore where she works is found dead, her mother takes off with a low life criminal, and Josie is left to make sense of it all. This is a great portrait of the shady underbelly of 1950 New Orleans and a young girl who wants more than anything to put it in her past. Fourteen and Up. Joan Kindig
Scarlet is the second installment Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles, which began with last year's Cinder. Though a sequel and part of a planned quartet, Scarlet is able to stand on its own. The narrative in Scarlet alternates between the title story of Scarlet's search for her missing grandmother and her entanglement with Wolf and Cinder's story, which picks up from where it left off in the first book. Though Scarlet continues and builds on the previous book's story line, Meyer provides enough background information to allow readers who haven't read Cinder to easily jump right into the action. Though the two threads are at first separate, they slowly move towards each other before converging in a thrilling climax. Not to be confused with a work of fine literature, Scarlet is all about the story: the characters, the mystery and the suspense. Clocking in at 464 pages, it is a page turner that will keep readers glued to their books. Fourteen and Up. Alicia Blowers
Set in 1986 and filled with references to new wave and punk music, Eleanor & Park is the quintessential tale of first love. Told in alternating third person perspective, what makes this book stand out, are the voices of Eleanor and Park and the exquisite language. Instead of jumping right into romance, their friendship and eventual romance takes time to evolve, and is worth every page. The simple act of holding hands for the first time is world-changing event: "Holding Eleanor's hand was like holding a butterfly or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete and completely alive" (p. 71). The scene leading up to their first kiss is also memorable for its dialog and execution (p. 166-167). Eleanor’s sarcastic demeanor almost never lets up and provides for exchanges like Park: “I just…we’re alone.” Eleanor: “Sort of.” Park: “So we should be doing alone things.” Eleanor: “You sound so creepy right now.” These are just a few of the many tender, realistic and humorous moments that make the novel unforgettable and un-put-down-able. As with almost all first loves, Eleanor and Park go there separate ways (not a spoiler, you know this from the first page), but the way that it happens is both heartbreakingly sad and even suspenseful. Readers will find themselves hoping until the last word (and beyond!) that Eleanor and Park are able to find their way back to each other against all odds. Fourteen and Up. Alicia Blowers
