Alice, I Think
by Susan Juby
Fifteen-year-old Alice keeps a diary as she struggles to cope with the embarrassments and trials of family, dating, school, work, small town life, and a serious case of "outcastitis."
Aquamarine
by Alice Hoffman
Two girls are spending their last summer together when they discover
a mermaid at the bottom of the beach club pool.
Catherine
Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
The 14-year old daughter of an English country knight longs for
adventure and to avoid marriage with any of the suitors her father
has picked for her.
Chicks with Sticks: (it's a purl thing) by Elizabeth Lenhard
Four teenage girls from very different social cliques at their progressive Chicago high school become friends after forming a knitting club.
Chocolate
War by Robert Cormier
A high school freshman discovers the devastating consequences
of refusing to join in the school's annual fund raising drive.
A Day No Pigs Would Die
by Robert Newton Peck
A thirteen-year-old Vermont farm boy learns difficult lessons
about life and death.
Estrella's Quinceanera
by Malin Alegria
Estrella's mother and aunt are planning a gaudy, traditional quinceañera for her, even though it is the last thing she wants.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.
Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata
Chronicles the close friendship between two Japanese-American sisters growing up in rural Georgia during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and the despair when one sister becomes terminally ill.
The
Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Three brothers struggle to stay together after their parent's
death.
Party Princess by Meg Cabot
In a series of humorous diary entries, fifteen-year-old Mia tries to figure out how to raise money for the bankrupt student government at her school while also worrying about how to become a "party girl."
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
A coming of age novel about Charlie, a freshman in high school who is a wallflower, shy and introspective, and very intelligent. He deals with the usual teen problems, but also with the suicide of his best friend.
The
Pigman by Paul Zindel
A boy and girl, high school sophomores from unhappy homes, tell
of their bizarre relationship with an old man.
Princess Academy
by Shannon Hale
While attending a strict academy for potential princesses with the other girls from her mountain village, fourteen-year-old Miri discovers unexpected talents and connections to her homeland.
13: Thirteen Stories that Capture the Agony and Ecstasy of Being Thirteen edited by James Howe
Contains thirteen short stories in which the authors explore what it is like to be thirteen, including selections by Bruce Coville, Meg Cabot, James Howe, and others.
The Wednesday Wars
by Gary D. Schmidt
During the 1967 school year, on Wednesday afternoons when all his classmates go to either Catechism or Hebrew school, seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood stays in Mrs. Baker's classroom where they read the plays of William Shakespeare and Holling learns much of value about the world he lives in.
