NY Best Seller chapter books

Moriarty, Liane. (2014). Big little lies.New York: Putnam.
Big Little Lies  is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive. Madeline, Celeste and Jane are all at a crossroads in their life. I  loved the character development. Each person was distinct. The "who murdered who" kept it going. Sometimes it’s the little lies that turn out to be the most lethal. . .  A murder… . . . a tragic accident… . . . or just parents behaving badly? What’s indisputable is that someone is dead. But who did what? It does raise some serious questions about what you'd be willing to stake for your family and friends. Domestic violence is a silent epidemic that, sadly, goes on everywhere. Women need to feel empowered enough to seek help, but many don't risk it, knowing the consequences would brutal.

 
About the author:
Liane Moriarty is the author of five novels, The Last Anniversary, What Alice Forgot, The Hypnotist's Love Story, and the best-selling Three Wishes and The Husband's Secret. The Husband's Secret reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list, was a number one bestseller in the UK, sold close to two million copies worldwide, has been optioned for a film, and will be translated into more than thirty-five languages.

Moriarty lives in Sydney with her husband, son, and daughter.

Outstanding books for the College Bound: Bossypants by Tina Fey

 

Fey, Tina. (2011), Bossypants. New York: Little Brown & Co.

 I listened to this on audiobook, and I'm so glad I did! I can't imagine how much less fun this would have been without Tina's actual voice. A collection of biographical essays and thematically related humor pieces rather than a straight chronological reminiscence, it includes a women’s-magazine parody touting Fey’s beauty secrets, a tongue-in-cheek “prayer” for her daughter, a mock facts-of-life brochure for girls, a sendup of the fictional parenting concept of “me time” and so on. The writing doesn’t so much flow from one topic to another as stop for scene changes. Ms. Fey’s self-image as a smart, unyielding woman who has forced her way to the top of what is usually a man’s profession. 

Great Graphic Novel for teens award: Snow White

Phelan, Matt. (2016). Snow White. New York: Candlewick Press.

Set in New York City,1929 the classic fairy tale gets a mix of familiar but different characters.
In this retelling, the glass coffin is the window of Macy’s department store, decorated for the holidays and behind a police line. Readers are next taken back to the early years of protagonist Samantha White’s childhood, when she played in the snow in Central Park. Fast forward a decade, and Samantha, affectionately called Snow by her now dead mother, must watch her father remarry the star of the Ziegfeld Follies.There are seven dirty urchins who befriend her and "Prince Charming" is now introduced as Detective Prince. 

2015 Nonfiction Award: Popular by Maya Van Wagenen

 

Van Wagenen, Maya. (2014). Popular a memoir Vintage wisdom for a modern geek. New York: Penguin Group.
Maya has never been popular. But before starting eighth grade, she decides to begin a unique social experiment: spend the school year following a 1950s popularity guide, written by former teen model Betty Cornell.  
The book is funny, gives all kinds of "popularity tips". The definition of "popular" changes as you read the book. It's no longer about looks, it's about being kind. Being kind, friendly and caring on the inside can make you beautiful on the outside. It would be nice to implement this in our schools instead of the hyped up positive behavior incentive. People, just be nice...it's not that hard!

When describing where she fits in on the social ladder of popularity comes my favorite quote, “pretty much the lowest level of people at school who aren’t paid to be here,”. I think that is a statement that every person has experienced at some point in their life. This is told with humor and grace, Maya’s journey offers readers of all ages a thoroughly contemporary example of kindness and self-confidence.

Printz Honor-Asking for it by Louise O'Neill

O'Neill, Louise. (2015). Asking for it. London: Quercus Publishing.

Emma is just eighteen, beautiful and she knows it. Emma O’Donovan, a nasty, shallow girl from a small Irish town who has in the past encouraged a friend not to bring rape charges to those who violated her. She is a girl who loves male attention, who is a bully and who lies and cheats. She is a girl who goes to a party, who dresses provocatively, who drinks too much and who takes drugs.In her small home town in Ireland, Emma is raped by several local boys and suddenly, unjustly the ‘good girl’ reputation she worked so fiercely for is tarnished. Not only does her community blame her, Emma blames only herself. Most rape victims can justify why they are to blame, it's a horrific crime.

Rape culture is real and it’s everywhere. There is no boundary that rapists will honor. This is so real and so under-reported. It's disgusting!

Best Fiction for YA-Dumplin by Julie Murphy

Murphy, Julie. (2015). Dumplin'. New York. HarperCollins. 

Willowdean “Dumplin” Dickson is a Texan, daughter of the Miss Teen Beauty Pageant’s coordinator, and overweight.  She has best friend issues, boy issues, mommy issues but she decides to honor her aunt by entering the pageant. Dumplin is a great character. Many of the decisions she makes and the feelings she has are honest and realistic.  From having a skinny beautiful best friend to body image, I felt like her inner monologue is something teens in all weight classes can relate to.  Will had this wall of confidence but she was insecure and once again, a lot of us are like this.  She didn’t take crap from the bully, she didn’t take crap from the hot guy, she didn’t take crap from her mom.  Even though her weight could have easily made her an introvert or the extreme-the extremely extroverted trying to get people to ignore her weight, she was neither of those things.-I thought she was an awesome heroine There are many girls and women who think they are fat when they are not and I think these girls and women can relate to Dumplin.  She doesn’t want the boy to touch her back fat, she’s envious of her “skinny” friend, she doesn’t think she’s good enough to date an attractive boy. She also has honest conversations with her mother about her weight. Anyone who has a passive aggressive mother knows what I’m talking about.  Initially she bites her tongue but she slowly expresses her feelings toward her mom.

Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Relgemeier, R. (2010).  Smile.  New York:  Graphix: an Imprint of Scholastic. 

Smile details a year in the life of a early teen, in the format of a graphic novel.  Raina, the main character, is a nervous girl who falls on the pavement and injures her teeth in the first part of the story.  Following her injury, she has her teeth fixed throughout the story, which is a common theme.  Her visits to the dentist, and all other types of doctors dealing with this type of injury, seem painful and trying.  In the end, however, her teeth get fixed and she is back to looking "normal".  Throughout this time, she is faced with boy issues, body issues, and friendship problems.  She transitions from middle school to high school and experiences typical teenage fears and angst. 

Annie on My MInd

 
Garden, N. (1982).  Annie on my mind.  NY:  FSG.  Annie and Liza are two high school girls that meet at the Metropolitan Museum.  Liza attends Foster, a private school and Annie goes to a public school.  Liza is expelled from school for a week because as the school president it is her responsibility to report things and she did not report Sally's ear piercing.  Annie tells Liza that she is gay and is in love with her and Liza lets her know that she has the same feelings for her.  When Liza visits Annie at two teachers house while they are gone, Ms. Baxter finds out and reports this to the school board.  The two teachers end up losing their jobs.
       This book is great for the classroom in that it teaches tolerance among students. It portrays two nearly-adult teens from different social and economic spheres coming together in the name of love and friendship. That speaks for itself, I believe.  Though somewhat dated, it brings in a sense of reality for smaller communities in America. It is no secret nowadays that cities have pushed for tolerance among its citizens and students, but the same can’t be said for rural America.  If a student enjoyed this book I would recommend Keeping You a Secret, since it is also about high school students and relationships.  I think students would like to read a story about others going through some of the same things as them.  I think this book has a couple of different conflicts going on. The first being Liza being expelled from school, then the girls sexuality and at the end when the teachers lose their jobs.

Monster

 

Myers, W.D. (1999). Monster. New York, NY: Harper.

Felony murder is not something most sixteen year old boys have to deal with, but that is the charge Steve Harmon is currently facing.  As his trial begins Steve deals with the situation by imagining that everything that is happen is part of a movie he will later make.  Despite this coping mechanism realty creeps in when Steve returns to his cell in prison and the possibility of facing death row becomes a reality.  When everyone else involved in the murder is convicted it seems almost impossible that Steve will go free.  When he receives a verdict of not-guilty it is more than Steve can believe.  The inclusion of stage direction, setting descriptions, and script formatting makes this an ideal novel for introducing students to the drama genre without leaving the security of a novel.  There is quite a bit of mature content included in Monster and should not be recommended for students under the age of 14.

Please ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

 

King, A.S. (2010). Please ignore Vera Dietz. New York, NY: Random House. 

  Vera Dietz's best friend Charlie Kahn is dead from mysterious circumstances. There is no escaping that.  Her mother abandoned her and her father when she was barely in puberty.  And all Vera wants to do is blend into the walls at school, avoid the mistakes of her father, and possibly kiss the good looking, older guy at work.  Instead she is plagued by visions of her dead friend begging her to clear his name.  But Charlie betrayed Vera long before now and she is not in any hurry to free him.  When she does finally let the truth of what happened that night it frees Vera to connect with those still living.  Please ignore Vera Dietz is mostly narrated by Vera herself and she is a witty and very blunt narrator.  This alone would make the novel enjoyable but as Ted Hipple stated dual narratives can make the difference between an OK book and a really good book.  Spaced intermittently between Vera's narration the reader is treated to thoughts from Vera's father, Charlie's spirit, and even the pagoda in town chimes in.  All of these narrators combined make for a touching, witty, and smart story.
A.S. King's website

It's Perfectly Normal

Harris, R.  (2009). It’s perfectly normal.  Boston, MA:  Candlewick Press.  
This book is all about the human body.  It is geared towards kids to let them know what their body is going through or what their bodies will be going through.  At the beginning of the book there is a table of contents.  It is divided into 6 different parts.  Each of those parts are broken down into more specific areas of each part. This is probably one of the few books that I’ve read that you can possibly substitute for a textbook. Robie Harris provides a wealth of information to those who are willing to listen. Better yet, Michael Emberley, the illustrator, creates incredibly detailed drawings throughout the book while keeping truly explicit images to a minimum. I think a strong point of this book is also its attention to detail. The book practically discusses everything related to sex and reproduction.  In the health classroom, it could prove as a good visual tool for the instructor. I could also see it be useful in a school where child care courses are available. The vocabulary is on par with what students are thought in science as well. Overall, this is a great book that can be used in the classroom under the right guidance.

Lily and Dunkin

Gephart, Donna. (2016). Lily and Dunkin.New York: Delacorte Press. Lily and Dunkin is a wonderful book about two middle schoolers who are trying their best to navigate the world and their problems. It is about two teenagers, each with different issues that make them stand out from the crowd. They run into each other outside of the public library one day before school starts, and seem to form a fast friendship. However, bullies, popularity, and middle school pressures make it hard for them to stay friends, at least in school. As the story goes on, the two characters continue to face new hardships and problems. Will they end up being friends to each other or will they hurt each other like everyone else seems to do?

Gephart's first novel, As If Being12-3/4 Isn't Bad Enough, My Mother Is Running For President! won the prestigious Sid Fleischman Humor Award. Her novel, How To Survive Middle School, received starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal and Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen, about a girl determined to get on a TV quiz show sold to Random House.

In addition to writing books for children, Donna has written for newspapers and magazines including: Family Circle Magazine, The Los Angeles Times Newspaper, Parenting, Highlights for Children, Scholastic's Storyworks Magazine and many others.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

 

Angleberger, T. (2010). The strange case of Origami Yoda. New York, NY: Amulet Books.
Long ago, in a middle school far far away lived a boy named Dwight.  Dwight is a bit of an odd ball who has a way with origami.  It is here that Origami Yoda is born!  True Yoda is merely a paper puppet made by Dwight but soon his friends and classmates begin to realize Yoda may possess special abilities after all.  Yoda is suddenly able to predict pop quizzes, help people avoid embarrassing water spots, etc.  When it appears Yoda and Dwight might actually be using "The Force" a fellow sixth grader named Tommy begins a case file filled with entries and illustrations from his classmates.  Combined Yoda and the case file might actually be able to provide the answer to the real question: Does Sara or does she not like Tommy?   
Thank you Tom Angleberger! My husband loves Star Wars and he enjoyed reading the book when I finished it.   Not to mention the bonus of having picture instructions on how to make my very own Origami Yoda, which my husband did appreciate my efforts and Origami Yoda is on his desk at work!!  While I am not very skilled at paper folding I am sure others (most likely much younger than me) will be more successful making their own paper guru.  Changing from one person's point of view to another kept this story fresh and moving forward.  The sketches from Dwight's classmates were humorous and often made me laugh out loud.  I will be, and I highly recommend other readers, to check out the other books in this collection not to mention Art2-D2's guide to folding and doodling: An Origami Yoda activity book.

Speak

Anderson, L. (1999). Speak. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. Melinda is a high school senior who doesn't have many friends anymore.  The kids at school know that she called the police on Kyle Rodgers.  Melinda starts to neglect her school work and starts spending a lot of time in the janitor's closet.  Melinda starts to injure her body by biting her lips and nails.  When she finally tells her parents and counselor that Kyle actually raped her she feels free.  She finally opens up and starts liking school again.  At the end Melinda opens up to Mr. Freeman her art teacher.  

I would recommend this book to high school students.  I think teachers could use this book to teach students the importance of telling teachers and parents things happening in their lives.  I think this book has a great conflict.  Melinda has a big problem of keeping her secret and how it makes her feel about herself.  Also showing how keeping a problem this big can affect you.

 Laurie Halse Anderson is an award winning writer of children’s and young adult novels. Among her novels are Catalyst, Prom, and Twisted, as well as the historical novel, Fever 1793. Anderson has also published children’s books such as Turkey Pox, No Time for Mother’s Day, and The Big Cheese of Third Street.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie. S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time indian.NewYork:Little Brown and Company.

 The author introduces himself to the reader stating that he was born with water in his brain. From the beginning Arnold felt he was an outcast in the reservation. When he decides to transfer to Reardan he struggles to find his true identity between his two personalities, Junior the Indian and Arnold the traitor. When he transferred to Reardan he became a traitor to his people.  When Arnold transfers to Reardan he faces the stares of many people. Roger a tough looking guy that gets punched by Arnold after a racist joke.  Roger did not fight back; from there on he respected Arnold.  Arnold also becomes friends with Gordy, the school genius.  Gordy teaches Arnold to really read, something he was lacking.  Then when Arnold sees Penelope for the first time he was mesmerized by her blonde hair and good looks.  They eventually become friends after Arnold finds out she has an eating disorder.  Arnold feels he has two personalities,    With time he made some friends and earned respect from one of the toughest guys in school.  He also was recognized for his great basketball skills.  At the end he decides he is just multi tribal.
The True Diary of a part-time Indian was Alexie’s second novel after getting his start with a collection of shorts stories entitled The Lone Ranger and Tonto fight in Heaven . Being of Native American descent himself, all of Alexie’s works carry those themes as well.  Some of his other works include to other collections of short stories entitled, Ten Little Indians, and War Dances. His first novel is entitled Reservation blues. 

The Knife of Never Letting Go

   Ness, P. (2008).The knife of never letting go.  Boston, MA:  Candlewick Press.  Todd lives in Prentisstown.  Prentisstown is not your ordinary town, there are not women and everyone has a germ called, Noise, which allows everyone to hear your thoughts.  Todd's foster parents tell him that he has to leave Prentisstown.  While trying to escape he runs into Viola.  The two are trying to get away.  On their way to Haven Viola kills Aaron since Todd had trouble doing it himself.  When they get to Haven they were surprised to find Mayor Prentiss from Prentisstown.  I would recommend this book to high school students. I think that the setting of this story is important. 

Along with The knife of never letting go, Patrick Ness also wrote The Ask and the Answer, Monsters of Men, The New World, The Wide, Wide Sea, and Snowscape for the Chaos Walking series. Aside from these, he also wrote A Monster Calls, Doctor Who: Tip of the Tongue, More Than This, and The Rest of Us Just Live Her.  

Persepolis

Sartrapi, M. (2004).  Persepolis.  NY: Pantheon. 
 Marjane is a teenage girl living in Iran.  Her parents realize that Iran is not the place they want their daughter to grow up in.  They send her to live at a boarding school in Europe.  Because of her independent personality this is not a good fit for her.  She ends up homeless and sick.  When she overcomes this she moves back to Iran and gets married.  While there she is still unhappy so she divorces her husband and goes back to Europe.  This book would be great for a lesson on ways other countries live.  Students could compare life in Iran for a teenager to life in America.  I think this book is a good example of contemporary realistic fiction.  The problems that Marjane face are problems that some people face on a daily basis. 
Marjane Satrapi has also written Embroderies and Chicken with Plums which she was given the Angoulême Coup de Coeur Award for. Aside from writing graphic novels, Satrapi has also produced film adaption of some of her works as well

When you reach me

Stead, R. (2009). When you reach me. Wendy Lamb Books.

In her book, When you reach me, author Rebecca Stead presents the story of a young girl named Miranda. Though living a fairly typical childhood up until then, Miranda’s world is rocked when her best friend and neighbor decides he no longer wants to be friends with her.  Around this same time, she starts to receive notes from a mysterious stranger. These notes ask her to jot down future events, but she ignores them. As the story progresses, more notes are discovered and she is starting to find something is definitely weird. Through a series of crazy events, the homeless man that lives across the street from Miranda ends up saving her friend’s life by pushing him out of harm’s way and sacrificing himself in the process. It is in this way that she figures out that the homeless man was actually the future self of a boy who had bullied her friend, Sal. The letters were meant to be a guide for her to help him.

                I believe the strong points for Stead’s book are in its plot, style, and characters. The plot was very inventive and new to me based on what I’ve read in this age group. The story has definite science fiction components but somehow stays primarily anchored in reality. That is also reinforced by the description of her neighborhood in New York complete with homeless man in the street corner. The subtleness, with which the author brings in the theme of time travel, is what gives this story its unique style as well. Lastly, the characters were also very well thought out. Even Marcus’s future self is shown to have a big heart, and does what’s right. Miranda and Richard’s support for her mother is also a display of strong family ties and companionship.

Aside from this book, Rebecca Stead has When You Reach Me also written First Light, and Liar and Spy. She received a Newbery Medal in 2010 for.