The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

Salinger, J. D. (1951).  The Catcher in the rye.  Toronto: Bantam Books.

ISBN: 0553250256   

Summary:  The story begins with Holden Caulfield explaining in first person narration about his final days as a Junior at Pencey Prep after getting kicked out for failing four of his five classes.  He leaves Pencey a few days earlier than planned after he gets in a fight with his room-mate about a girl. Holden takes a train in the middle of the night from Pennsylvania to New York City but chooses to not go to his apartment before the date his parents are expecting his return and to instead check into a hotel and bar hop in the city.  Everywhere he goes, Holden is quite miserable and depressed.  He meets a few characters over a few days in the city, all of whom annoy him for being "phony" and further depress him.

Additional Comments:  The Catcher in the Rye is a classic and timeless in its appeal to young adults, particularly privileged young adults who have a gripe with superficial social norms found among the upper echelons of society and who can relate to the prep school setting against which Holden Caulfield rebels.  Though nearly 60 years after its original publication, Holden remains an icon for teenage emotional turbulence and angst because of  his extreme depression, suicidal comments and daydreams, irrational ideas, impulsive behavior and remarks, utter sense of loneliness and isolation, confusion about his future, and resentment for and harsh criticism of others. 

Cuba 15, by Nancy Osa

Osa, Nancy (2003). Cuba 15. New York: Delacorte Press.

ISBN: 9780385732338 / 0-385-73233-3

Summary:  First time novelist Nancy Osa relates a light-hearted and entertaining coming-of-age novel about 15-year-old Violet Paz, whose Cuban grandmother insists on throwing a quinceanero—a traditional celebration to mark a girl’s transition to womanhood. Violet, whose father is Cuban and whose mother is Polish, initially opposes the festivity, feeling out of touch with her Cuban roots and reproachful of having to wear a fancy dress. But, she concedes to appease her abuela. 

Additional Comments:  Osa draws partially from her own experiences connecting with her Cuban heritage to create Violet, a spunky, comical American adolescent who is introduced to family customs and history and is developing a stronger sense of cultural identity. Female readers will particularly relate with Violet’s feelings towards friendships and family relationships while learning about Cuban culture and history.

Juno (Soundtrack)

Messina, Matt (2007). Music from the motion picture "Juno" (Audio recording). Rhino Records.

Summary:  This quirky film tells the story of a high school girl, Juno MacGuff,  who gets pregnant and finds a couple to adopt the baby.  The deluxe soundtrack is a collection of 35 songs from contemporary independent artists, such as Belle and Sebastian, Cat Powers, and Kimya Dawson, as well as "oldies but goodies", like Buddy Holly, the Velvet Underground, the Kinks, and Sonic Youth.   

Additional comments:  The music is often playful with simple rhyming lyrics, such as "Anyone else but you" by the Moldy Peaches and "Me and You" by Barry Louis Polisar, and childlike xylophones, like "The Lorings" by Mateo Messina and "All I want is you", by Kimya Dawson, which also has a baby crying in the background.  The music helps to keep the movie light-hearted and optimistic, despite the heaviness of the topic of teen pregnancy.  

The Geography Club, by Brent Hartinger

Hartinger, Brent (2003).  Geography Club.  New York: HarperTempest.

ISBN: 0060012234 /978-0-06-001223-6

Summary: In a high school where the jocks torment one outcast with relentless bullying, Russel views his survival at high school as dependent on hiding that he's gay.  Keeping his self-knowledge from all of his friends, he turns to gay chat rooms on the Internet at night. When he encounters another student at his high school and meets him in the park at night, his life at high school changes drastically as they form "the Geography Club", which is secretly a support group for gay students.  

Additional Comments:  A moving portrayal of the lengths teens take to fit in and feel "normal".  Normally nice, good people can cave in to extreme peer pressure.  Russel joins in the mocking of Brian Bund because he is afraid to take a stand and risk ostracism.  Russel's friend, Gunnar, lies to his best friend because of his pressure to find a girlfriend and to have sex.  What's right and what's wrong can get complicated and confused.  This is a moving book about how difficult life can be for a queer or questioning youth in a close-minded and volatile place like a school.  

Chinese Handcuffs, by Chris Crutcher

Crutcher, Chris (1989). Chinese handcuffs. New York: HarperTempest. 

ISBN 0060598395 / 9780060598396

Summary:  Dillon struggles with the memory of his older brother's gory suicide and the guilt that he was a cause, a feeling that is shared by his brother's girlfriend, Stacy.  An underachiever at school, he often stands up to the principal's pressure to "give back to the school" by putting his athletic prowess into school sports. Meanwhile, he befriends a star-basketball player, Jennifer, who confides in him that her step-father is sexually abusing her.

Additional comments:  This story is filled with complicated emotions and issues presented quite graphically.  Dillon has difficult decisions to make regarding keeping his friend safe while also respecting her trust that he'll maintain confidentiality.  Hits on a number of issues with which some teens will relate and feel less lonely.  The nice basketball coach serves as a great role model; however, her intimate conversations with her male student seem a bit unrealistic as does her response to information that she is legally bound to report. But, perhaps teen readers won't pick up on this.   

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

Alexie, Sherman (2007).  The Absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian.  New York: Little Brown and Company.

ISBN 0316013684 / 9780316013680

Summary:  Tired of being made fun of and beat up for his physical differences and tired of the poor education, resources, and opportunities around him, Junior makes the difficult decision to leave the school on the  Spokane Reservation to attend all-white high school.  Considered a traitor by the rez and ignored by his new wealthy, white class-mates, Junior persists to make the 20+ mile commute to school, often hitchhiking because there's not enough gas money without much hope that his situation will improve.

Additional comments:  Despite the humorous narration, the story is quite depressing.  The reservation is rife with alcoholism that is so severe to cause multiple deaths, and opportunities for employment are so few on the rez that the best bet for Junior is to leave. Junior's poverty becomes very clear to him when he switches to the privileged school where he tries to hide his difficulties in an attempt to fit in.  Readers will get a reality check about the dismal living conditions on Native American reservations and the deep sadness of losing one's heritage. 

Trino's Choice, by Diane Gonzales Bertrand

Bertrand, Diane Gonzales (1999). Trino's choice.  Houston: Pinata Books.  ISBN: 1558852689
/ 978-1-55885-268-6

Summary: When Trino witnesses a crime and ducks into a bookstore to hide from the perpetrator, Rosca, a tough eighth grader, Trino meets Lisana and her "school-type" friends, which introduces him to different activities and ways of interacting.  Trino is pretty miserable, living in a small trailer with his hard-working mother, three brothers, lazy cousin and never with enough food to eat.  When his mother loses her cleaning job and his baby brother gets ill, Trino has to make a difficult decision about how to get money to help the family.

Additional comments: Trino's Choice is a quick read that is fast-paced and moving.  The story provides a glimpse into a very difficult home-life without any father figure, supervision, and without consistent nutritious meals.  Trino's Choice is a great book to show life in a poor barrio and the hard life of low-waged jobs.  However, the characters are not very well developed, and although tragedy strikes at the end, the book doesn't have the emotional impact it could have if more connection were created with the characters. But, reluctant readers will be drawn into Trino's world and challenges.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares

Brashares, Ann (2001). The Sisterhood of the traveling pants. New York: Delacorte Press. 

Summary: Four best girlfriends spend their first summer apart from each other. On the eve of their separation, they ceremoniously designate a pair of "magical" jeans that fit all four of them perfectly as a way to connect them despite the distance.  They agree to take turns wearing the jeans and to mail the jeans along with a letter.  The story follows different plot lines to follow each girl's adventures:  Bridget falls for a soccer coach at her camp in Mexico, Lena tries to avoid a handsome young Greek man while staying with her grandparents in Greece, Tibby stays home in Washington, D.C. to work at a drugstore and surprises herself by befriending a young girl who is dying of leukemia, and Carmen's greatly anticipated summer alone with her bachelor father in Charleston is destroyed when she learns upon her arrival that her father is engaged and is living with his new fiancee and her two children.  

Additional comments:  Don't be turned off by the silly and melodramatic list of rules for the jeans at the beginning.  This "chick lit" gets better as it goes until you're flipping through the pages without pause and with tears streaming down your cheeks.  The well-developed characters show raw emotions and unpredictable behaviors as they are put into sad, challenging situations. Readers can continue on the characters' journeys by reading the three sequels in this series and catching the recent movie versions on DVD.

Sloppy Firsts, by Megan McCafferty

McCafferty, Megan (2001). Sloppy firsts. New York: Three Rivers Press. 

Summary: Jessica Darling is devastated that her best friend, Hope, moved away from Pineville, New Jersey shortly after her brother's drug overdose.  Jessica struggles with intense emotions and depression as her relationship with her family is strained, as she secretly loathes her friends at high school and chooses to sit with them in high school only to avoid being alone, and as she harbors a strong crush on an upperclassman on her track team. Her life takes a bizarre upswing when she begins a secret friendship with a "Dreg", who was friends with Hope's older brother.

Additional comments:  Jessica is an intelligent girl who wallows in her misery that her best friend is no longer in her everyday life, and she feels misunderstood and excluded by everyone else, particularly her family.  Jessica must come to terms with the way others--and herself--can be fake to others and can, thereby, be hurtful.  You might as well find a copy of the sequel, Second Helpings, because their is no real resolution at the end, only another dissatisfying problem. 

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer

Meyer, Stephenie (2006).  Twilight.  New York:  Little, Brown and Company. 

Summary: Bella's dreary days in rainy Forks, Washington become much more exciting when she strikes up a romance with her beautiful, mysterious lab partner, Edward.  As their relationship intensifies, she learns that he and his pale, godlike family are not human but vampires.

Additional comments:  This page-turning romance features sharp-witted dialogue between the passionate, young lovers as they unravel the mystery that the other presents.  Readers will get easily hooked and find themselves looking for the next book in the series.  The November 2008 release of the film version of Twilight will further solidify the Twilight fan base.  

Go ask Alice

Anonymous (1971).  Go ask Alice. New York: Simon Pulse. 

Summary: Based on the diary of a 15-year-old girl who becomes increasingly dependent on marijuana and LSD, runs away from home, tries to break her addiction, suffers a nervous breakdown, and eventually dies from an overdose.  Originally published in 1971 and briefly set in San Francisco, Go Ask Alice provides insight into the 1960's counter-culture movement as well as showing one person's emotional struggle with drug addiction.

Additional comments:  Go Ask Alice is written in a diary format form the point of view of a melodramatic and depressed teen-aged girl. The reader is taken on a psychological journey through the girl's internal conflicts between what she wants to do versus what she ultimately can't resist doing. Though seemingly realistic in the beginning, the book takes on a didantic tone midway through as lack of self-control brings on ill consequences and eventually her self-destruction.   

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Levithan, David (2003). Boy meets boy. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.  

Summary: Paul, a sophomore in high school, falls for Noah when they meet in a book store.  Paul's budding romance with Noah gets strained when his ex-boyfriend, Kyle, re-enters his world and results in confusing, conflicting emotions.  

Additional comments:  Paul's high school and community are optimistic examples of how things could be. . .Places where LGBT youth are normalized, and all sexual orientations are accepted without question or harassment.  Kyle, who has grown up in the community, has always been comfortable with his sexuality, but his best friend, Tony, needs his help to come out to his religious parents.  Boy Meets Boy is funny and light at times, but is also emotionally-charged by hurtful relationships.  

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Cormier, Robert (1974, 1986). The Chocolate War. New York: Laurel Leaf Books.  

Summary:  The Vigils, an underground association that bullies underclassmen at Trinity High School into performing risky pranks, demand that Jerry Renault, a freshman, refuse to participate in the legendary, annual chocolate sale.  Jerry's non-involvement in the sale results in the scorn of the fundraiser's leader, a sinister and abusive teacher, Leon. Jerry must make decisions about whether to resist or comply with physical and psychological pressure and coercion exerted by Leon, the Vigils, and the rest of the school.   

Additional comments:  A dark and twisted story about resisting peer pressure, coercion, and oppression.  Jerry wonders "Dare I disturb the universe?", a question that will persist in the readers' mind after finishing the story.