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Adbooks Discussion Group has compiled this list, developed each year by the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. Please note that only selections for middle grade and older readers are included on this page.
Click on book titles for reviews and purchasing information from Amazon.com.
FICTION
Alexie, Sherman The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
Junior, a Spokane Indian, is caught between two conflicting worlds of loyalty and identity when he leaves the rez in order to fulfill his dreams.
Clement-Moore, Rosemary. Prom Dates from Hell.
This suspenseful, cleverly conceived horror story in full-on Buffy tradition sends high-schooler Maggie after a demon targeting the popular kids.
Leavitt, Martine. Keturah and Lord Death.
When village maiden Keturah meets Lord Death, she bargains with him in order to find her true love.
Peet, Mal. Tamar.
This sweeping historical novel explores the experiences of two young men in the Dutch Resistance and their legacy two generations on.
Sfar, Joann. The Professor's Daughter.
An Egyptologist’s daughter falls for a (very old) young man in swaddling clothing, and even their determined fathers can’t keep them apart in this humorous graphic-novel adventure.
Stewart, Trenton Lee. The Mysterious Benedict Society.
After a series of curious tests, four children find themselves enrolled in the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where they uncover an evil plot to take over the world.
Tan, Shaun. The Arrival.
This wordless account of an immigrant’s experiences in a fantastical new land puts the reader in the same position as the protagonist.
NON-FICTION
Lutes, Jason. Houdini: The Handcuff King.
Fans of graphic novels and amazing capers will revel in this illustrated story of one very intense day in the life of the world’s greatest escape artist.
Schlitz, Laura Amy. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village.
This original historical treat offers a set of thoughtful, evocative readers’-theater-styled monologues from various medieval occupations and walks of life.
Sis, Peter. The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain.
Noted artist Sís offers a compact, imaginative, visual evocation of his life in Communist Czechoslovakia.