June 2009: 27 books read

For ages 13 and up
The President's Daughter by Ellen Emerson White
Paisley Hanover Acts Out by Cameron Tuttle
Mare's War by Tanita S. Davis
It's Not You, It's Me by Kerry Cohen Hoffmann
Broken by Alyxandra Harvey-Fitzhenry
Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger
Breathing by Cheryl Renée Herbsman
The Longest Distance by Beth Kephart (published in the anthology No Such Thing as the Real World, which contains stories written by six different authors)

For ages 10 and up
Juicy Gossip by Erin Downing
Julia Gillian (and the Quest for Joy) by Alison McGhee, with art by Drazen Kozjan

Non-Fiction
National Geographic: How to Be an Egyptian Princess by Jacqueline Morley, illustrated by Nicholas J. Hewetson

This particular list features forthcoming titles I would like to read. The majority of the books listed below are young adult fiction and juvenile fiction. If I read and review an advanced copy, I link the title to my review. At the close of every month, I move that month's remaining titles from this list to my backlist of books to read.

July 2009
Access Denied (and Other Eighth Grade Error Messages) by Denise Vega (Sequel to Click Here: To Find Out How I Survived Seventh Grade)
Days of Little Texas by R.A. Nelson
Girl to the Core by Stacey Goldblatt
The Homeschool Liberation League by Lucy Frank
The Importance of Wings by Robin Friedman
The Little Red Elf by Barbara Barbieri McGrath, illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet
Secrets of Truth and Beauty by Megan Frazer
Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother) by Micol Ostow and Dave Ostow The Theatre Illuminata by Lisa Mantchev
The Trouble with Mark Hopper by Elissa Brent Weissman
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
X-Men Misfits #1 by Raina Telgemeier, Dave Roman, and Anzu

( Read more... )

One afternoon in the bookstore, a young woman in her late teens approached me and said, "Excuse me. Can you help me? I want some books like . . . " She named a few teen fiction titles that dealt with drug abuse and anorexia. She looked slightly uncomfortable but mostly excited. I told her that I could recommend many good books. Within minutes, she was sitting on the floor in the teen fiction section, a plastic basket full to the brim with books, with additional titles in her hand and next to her knees and her feet.

We had a great discussion. I was happy on any levels: happy that she felt comfortable enough to come to me, happy that she was open-minded, happy that I got some realistic, well-written books in her hand. This urged me to make a list of books dealing tough issues - eating disorders, loss and grieving, addiction, abuse, and so forth.

Due to their subject matter, the majority of these books are recommended for older teenagers as well as adults - be they parents, teachers, librarians, or simply avid readers.

I've read every title on this list, and have given each book a rating according to the United States movie rating guide - G, PG, PG-13, or R - based on content, and a number of stars - four being the best - based on quality (my personal opinion).

PARENTAL ABUSE OR NEGLECT - Physical or emotional abuse, alcoholism, etc.
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ABUSE BY OTHERS - physical or emotional abuse; date or acquaintance rape; accusations, secrets and lies
( Read more... )

TEACHER/STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS - romantic relationships or rumors
( Read more... )

PLATONIC TEACHER/STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS - teachers positively influencing their pupils
( Read more... )

PARENT/CHILD RELATIONSHIPS - reconnecting with absentee parents, dealing with restrictions and expectations
( Read more... )

ORIENTATION AND/OR GENDER ROLES
( Read more... )

VIOLENCE AT SCHOOL
( Read more... )

EATING DISORDERS
( Read more... )

PHYSICAL DISORDERS/INJURIES/SPECIAL NEEDS - protagonist, siblings, friends
( Read more... )

TEENAGE PREGNANCY - may also deal with adoption and/or abortion
( Read more... )

TEENAGE ALCOHOLISM
( Read more... )

MENTAL ILLNESS OF A PARENT OR RELATIVE
( Read more... )

MENTAL ILLNESS OF A PEER
( Read more... )

DEPRESSION
( Read more... )

RECOVERY/SUPPORT GROUPS
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CUTTING
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DIVORCE, SEPARATION, AND/OR STEPFAMILIES - parents dating, getting remarried, etc
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LOSS OR PHYSICAL ILLNESS OF A PARENT
( Read more... )

LOSS OR ILLNESS OF A SIBLING
( Read more... )

LOSS OR ILLNESS OF A FRIEND OR PEER
( Read more... )

LOSS OR ILLNESS OF A GRANDPARENT
( Read more... )

PROTAGONIST WITH AN ILLNESS
( Read more... )

DRUG ADDICTION
( Read more... )

AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS
( Read more... )

ADOPTION - Also foster care, group homes, and counseling
( Read more... )

KIDNAPPING
( Read more... )

CULTURAL IDENTITY
( Read more... )

SUICIDE OR SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
( Read more... )

ACADEMICS - cheating, excelling, or otherwise dealing with academic pressure
( Read more... )

SOCIAL STATUS - at school or otherwise with peers
( Read more... )

PEER PRESSURE
( Read more... )

RELIGION
( Read more... )

POLITICS
( Read more... )

ACTIVISM
( Read more... )

INTERNET SAFETY
( Read more... )

SEEKING SHELTER - family shelters, homelessness, runaways
( Read more... )

I hope that this list helps readers of all ages find books they may be too shy to openly discuss with a bookseller or librarian. I want those readers to know they may leave a comment here and tell me which books they have found valuable. Most of all, I want them to know they can talk to their friends or adults they know in order to get the answers and help they may need.

If you would like for me to add more titles about a certain subject, or if you want more information about any of the books on the list, please leave a comment.

Special thanks to those who have shown their support of this list by offering me links, comments, and compliments, such as Jen Robinson, Bookseller Chick, Robin Brande, and Sassymonkey at BlogHer.

A few years ago, my friend Claire asked for a list of YA books which focused on school life. After giving her some recommendations, I typed up this list, and kept adding more and more titles until I had a booklist populated with characters in various grade levels going through all sorts of transitions.

Elementary and middle school:

The Ramona books by Beverly Cleary - Follow Ramona from age 4 to age 10.

Sixth Grade Secrets by Louis Sachar - Classic girls vs. boys story that also encourages honesty and inspires laughter.

... and, of course, The Baby-Sitters Club. Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia and Stacey are in seventh grade when the series begins. After a handful of books, they are promoted to eighth grade, at which time they gain two additional members, Jessi and Mallory, who are sixth graders. The girls stay in middle school for the remainder of the series. The original four girls finally graduated from eighth grade at the end of the final series, Friends Forever.

Between middle school and high school:
Transitioning from middle school to high school can be exciting, scary, difficult, and overwhelming. The following stories include middle school graduations.

Lucky by Rachel Vail (the first in a trilogy about sisters)

Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet by Sherri L. Smith

Freshman year of high school:
I highly recommend all of the titles on this freshman list. They get it, they really do.

The True Meaning of Cleavage by Mariah Fredericks - The separation of two best friends. Highly recommended.

Nothing but the Truth by Avi - This documentary novel chronicles the life of a ninth grade boy whose minor disturbance in class leads to a major media story.

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar - A fantastic story, a well-written book.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - School factors heavily into this incredibly memorable story.

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson - In this case, the freshman is the protagonist's younger sister, Hannah.

So Not the Drama by Paula Chase - Four friends navigate the high school hallways. The first in a series.

Perfect Girl by Mary Hogan - A first crush, a worldly aunt, and so much more.

The Comeback Season by Jennifer E. Smith - Grieving and healing, a girl and a boy, alone and together.

Looks by Madeleine George - One of the two main characters is a freshman, the other a sophomore.

A Map of the Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell - A freshman girl, still reeling from the loss of her older brother, must enter high school without him there to help her.

Because I am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas - The only member of her family to escape her father's abuse, a quiet girl enters high school, finds her place on the volleyball court, and finds her voice.

Deep in the Heart of High School by Veronica Goldbach - Three best friends - three very different girls who play different instruments in the school marching band and have totally different families - march through their freshman year of high school.

Boarding school and/or private school - for elementary and middle school readers:

The Ballet School Diaries by Alexandra Moss - This cute and fun series for kids is set at a ballet boarding school in the UK.

Accidentally Fabulous series by Lisa Papademetriou - The fashionable protagonist goes to a private middle school on scholarship.
- Accidentally Fabulous
- Accidentally Famous
- Accidentally Fooled (April 2009)
- Accidentally Friends (July 2009)

The Gallagher Girls books by Ally Carter - A top-secret modern-day spy school for girls.
- I'd Tell You I'd Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
- Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy
- Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover

Boarding school and/or private school - for teen and adult readers:

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - Tracing the roots decades-old struggle for power between three types of kids - Jellicoe School (boarding school) students, local Townies, and Cadets from a school in Sydney - and climbing the family tree. Published as On the Jellicoe Road in Australia. Highly recommended.

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta - An all-boys school goes co-ed. Recommended.
Looking for Alaska by John Green - Coming-of-age at a modern-day Alabama boarding school. Highly recommended.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart - A fresh take on secret societies, with a young girl thwarting some smirky boys. A great book set a modern day boarding school.

The Poison Apples by Lily Archer - Three girls at boarding school bond over their family situations: each has recently acquired a stepmother. Though it uses the fairy tale metaphor, this book isn't a fantasy, nor is it magical realism. It is realistic fiction, and it is really good. Modern day.

A Great and Terrible Beauty trilogy by Libba Bray - Historical fantasy set in a Victorian girls' boarding school. Incredibly imaginative and intriguing.
- A Great and Terrible Beauty
- Rebel Angels
- The Sweet Far Thing

Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman - Two best friends consider Pride & Prejudice and get involved in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Modern day. Recommended.

Headlong by Kathe Koja - When a new girl transfers to The Vaughn School, a private school for girls, a lifelong Vaughn student starts to see her school - and her life - differently.

The Love series by Emily Franklin - Love starts going to New England boarding school when her dad becomes the principal. Modern day.

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld - Adult novel. A few decades removed from modern-day.

Classics:
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Good-Bye, Mr. Chips by James Hilton
Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Little Men by Louisa May Alcott
Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster

Even more books in which school is a supporting character:

Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters - The main characters start seeing each other before school. Literally.

Innocence by Jane Mendelsohn - Oh, the scenes in the lunchroom! I love this book so much.

Swollen by Melissa Lion - Your perceptions of your classmates may differ from the truth. From their truths. From your truths.

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan - I wish all schools were this open and accepting. I wish all people were this open and accepting.

Even more:

The Body of Evidence series by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala - In the first book, Body Bags, protagonist Jenna Blake is just about to enter college. The first line of the first chapter: "It was a beautiful day to grow up."

Follow a girl through elementary school, middle school, and high school in the Alice McKinley books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. The series has over twenty titles. The Agony of Alice was the first book and is set in middle school. The author has since written prequels, making Starting With Alice (third grade) the earliest story on the timeline. The Grooming of Alice describes the summer between her eighth grade and ninth grade years. Alice Alone starts off her freshman year. For the full breakdown of titles and grades, please click here.

Barthe DeClements had fun with her grade-oriented dramadies for young readers:
- The Fourth Grade Wizards by Barthe DeClements
- Nothing's Fair in Fifth Grade in Fifth Grade by Barthe DeClements
- Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You by Barthe DeClements
- How Do You Lose Those Ninth-Grade Blues? by Barthe DeClements

For even more stories set in school, please refer to the categories of cheating and teacher relationships within my Tough Issues for Teens booklist.

Also check out my After Graduation booklist.

There are two sides to every story - or three, or four, or more. Here are more than a dozen stories for pre-teens, teens, and adults which employ multiple narrators, listed alphabetically by author:

The Poison Apples by Lily Archer (classmates)
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (classmates)
Never Mind! by Avi and Rachel Vail (twins)
When It Happens by Susane Colasanti (classmates, then...)
Take Me There by Susane Colasanti (friends)
If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko (classmates)
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (strangers, then...)
Naomi & Ely's No-Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (friends)
Mare's War by Tanita S. Davis (grandmother and granddaughter)
The Fruit Bowl Project by Sarah Durkee (classmates)
To Be Mona by Kelly Easton (classmates)
Dirty Laundry by Daniel Ehrenhaft (classmates)
Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles (antagonists, then...)
The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante (best friends)
Split Image by Mel Glenn (classmates)
Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes (classmates)
Takeoffs and Landings by Margaret Peterson Haddix (siblings)
Grand & Humble by Brent Hartinger (classmates)
Identical by Ellen Hopkins (twins)
Impulse by Ellen Hopkins (patients)
A Time for Dancing by Davida Wills Hurwin (best friends)
Feathered by Laura Kasischke (best friends)
Going Under by Kathe Koja (siblings)
The Girls by Amy Goldman Koss (friends)
The Cheat by Amy Goldman Koss (classmates)
Poison Ivy by Amy Goldman Koss (classmates)
The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan (schoolmates)
Are We There Yet? by David Levithan (brothers)
How to Be Bad by E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski and Lauren Myracle (friends/co-workers)
Leap Day by Wendy Mass (classmates)
Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass (new friends)
The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty (best friends)
Many novels by Jodi Picoult, such as My Sister's Keeper (relatives and acquaintances)
Harmless by Dana Reinhardt (friends)
The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith (classmates, siblings, and friends)
This is What I Want to Tell You by Heather Duffy Stone (siblings)
A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone (schoolmates)
Give A Boy A Gun by Todd Strasser (schoolmates, teachers, etc.)
The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld (bandmates)
Leftovers by Laura Wiess (best friends)
Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia (classmates)
Anyone But You by Lara M. Zeises (raised like siblings)

I can often anticipate what people are going to say, want, or need. I'm a quick thinker and I'd like to think I'm pretty perceptive. I can also be very persuasive. (Please note that I use my powers for good, not evil!) With both Jules and Meg Cabot calling me psychic within 24 hours, I felt the urge to create this list.

Fictional stories about telepathy or ESP have always interested me. They often involve living characters interacting with ghosts. Here are some ghost and/or psychic stories I've enjoyed, listed alphabetically by author and split into two sections: books for kids and books for teens.

Juvenile Fiction

Gilda Joyce mysteries by Jennifer Allison
- Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator
- The Ladies of the Lake
- The Ghost Sonata

A great deal of Mary Downing Hahn's stories include ghostly visitors. I'll just list my favorites for now:

The Doll in the Garden by Mary Downing Hahn

A Time for Andrew by Mary Downing Hahn

Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn

Hidden Talents by David Lubar
- Sequel: True Talents

Lily's Ghosts by Laura Ruby

Teen Fiction

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

Golden by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- Sequel: Platinum

A Great and Terrible Beauty trilogy by Libba Bray
- A Great and Terrible Beauty
- Rebel Angels
- The Sweet Far Thing

1-800-WHERE-R-YOU? by Meg Cabot
- When Lighting Strikes
- Code Name Cassandra
- Safe House
- Sanctuary
- Missing You

Dead on Town Line by Leslie Connor

Gallows Hill by Lois Duncan

The Third Eye by Lois Duncan

Prowlers series by Christopher Golden
- Prowlers
- Laws of Nature
- Predator and Prey
- Wild Things

Soulless by Christopher Golden

The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney by Suzanne Harper

Fingerprints series by Melinda Metz
- #1 Gifted Touch
- #2 Haunted
- #3 Trust Me
- #4 Secrets
- #5 Betrayed
- #6 Revelations
- #7 Payback

Pemba's Song: A Ghost Story by Marilyn Nelson and Tonya C. Hegamin

The Immortals series by Alyson Noël
- Evermore
- Blue Moon

Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra

Dead is... series by Marlene Perez (I've read the first two books)
- Dead is the New Black
- Dead is a State of Mind
- Dead is So Last Year

The Seer series by Linda Joy Singleton (I've only read the first book)
- Don't Die Dragonfly
- Last Dance
- Witch Ball
- Sword Play
- Fatal Charm

Lily Dale series by Wendy Corsi Staub
- Awakening
- Believing
- Connecting

Blue is for Nightmares series by Laurie Faria Stolarz
- Blue is for Nightmares
- White is for Magic
- Silver is for Secrets
- Red is for Remembrance
- Black is for Beginnings (coming out in 2009)

The Touch series by Laurie Faria Stolarz
- Deadly Little Secret
- Deadly Little Lies (coming out in November 2009)

Premonitions by Jude Watson
- Sequel: Disappearance

The Midnighters by Scott Westerfeld
- #1 Secret Hour
- #2 Touching Darkness
- #3 Blue Noon

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

Classic Pick
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R.A. Dick (pseudonym of Josephine Leslie)
Read the book, then see the classic film, then watch the TV series.

Related Booklists: Sleuths and Spies, Contemporary Sci-Fi for Kids and Teens, Fantasy Novels for Kids and Teens

Melissa asked for recommendations for a 16-year-old boy, specifically realistic fiction with male protagonists. In alphabetical order by author:

Feed by M.T. Anderson
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
Funny Little Monkey by Andrew Auseon
Nothing but the Truth by Avi
Shift by Jennifer Bradbury
Candy by Kevin Brooks
13 by Jason Robert Brown and Dan Elish (inspired by the musical 13, also written by Brown and Elish)
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
Beastly by Alex Flinn (Note: This retelling of Beauty & the Beast is a contemporary fantasy)
Breaking Point by Alex Flinn
As Simple as Snow by Gregory Galloway
Playing in Traffic by Gail Giles
Shattering Glass by Gail Giles
Force Majeure by Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski
Looking for Alaska by John Green
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Paper Towns by John Green
Godless by Pete Hautman
Totally Joe by James Howe (Sequel to The Misfits)
Busted: Confessions of an Accidental Player by Antony John
Are We There Yet? by David Levithan
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
Wide Awake by David Levithan
Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar
Loser by Matthue Roth
Play Me by Laura Ruby
Flavor of the Week by Tucker Shaw
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick
The Sleeper Conspiracy by Tom Sniegoski (two-book series)
- Book One: Sleeper Code
- Book Two: Sleeper Agenda
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (Sequel: Love, Stargirl, from her POV)
Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser
The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld (Follow-up, not a direct sequel: The Last Days, from other people's POV)
So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld
Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger (Sequel: Love & Lies: Marisol's Story, from her POV)
Funny How Things Change by Melissa Wyatt
I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak

Here are some of my sci-fi/fantasy favorites with teen male protags:

The Fallen by Thomas E. Sniegoski
- Book One: The Fallen
- Book Two: Leviathan
- Book Three: Aerie
- Book Four: Reckoning

Prowlers by Christopher Golden
- Prowlers
- Laws of Nature
- Predator and Prey
- Wild Things

Straight on 'til Morning by Christopher Golden (Note: This is adult fiction, typically shelved in the horror or sci-fi/fantasy section of bookstores.)

Magical, mythical series that my customers loves:

The Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling
Percy Jackson and the Olympians books by Rick Riordan

Two protagonists, one of each gender, split the POV in these realistic novels:

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Naomi and Ely's No-Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Please consult my Multiple Narrators booklist for additional titles.

Two or more protagonists, at least one of each gender, in various genres:

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (second in His Dark Materials trilogy, following The Golden Compass)
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (third in the trilogy)
The Misfits by James Howe (then read the sequel, Totally Joe, listed above)
The Watcher by James Howe

One of my favorite books has a rather interesting POV:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Death, the first-person narrator, is genderless)

I would also like to add two with female protagonists:

The Body of Evidence series by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala - Though the main character is a teenage girl, many of the supporting characters in this intriguing murder mystery series are male, including but not limited to the medical examiner, his assistant, and one of the main detectives, not to mention Jenna's father, who is a criminology professor, and her friend Hunter. There are ten books in the series, all of which are written in third person. Start with the book Body Bags.

What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci - The title character, Lani, is the boy who befriends the main character and changes the way she views her popular friends' values and virtues (or, rather, lack thereof). This book is the anatomy of a hate crime. It is brilliant.

Related Booklist: Male Protagonists in Juvenile Fiction

A portion of this list was printed at GuysLitWire in November 2008. Thanks, Colleen!

Congratulations to all of my readers who have recently graduated from high school or college. You did it!

Times of transition can be difficult. The summer following the completion of high school is typically an interesting one as teens prepare for more changes in vocation, location, education, and life.

The following books follow characters as they live through that summer...

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
- Two guys go on a road trip and end up in an interesting little town.
This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
- One of my favorite Dessen novels, second only to The Truth About Forever.
Cubanita by Gaby Triana
- A summer filled with family, culture, heartbreak, and art.
The Temptress Four by Gaby Triana
- Four best friends take a cruise together after high school graduation.
How to Be Bad by E. Lockhart, Lauren Myracle, and Sarah Mlynowski
- Three girls take a three-day road trip.

...and/or as they make the transition between high school and college.

The Body of Evidence series by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala
- There are ten books in this series. The main character, Jenna Blake, enters college in the first book, Body Bags. The first chapter begins with the line, "It was a beautiful day to grow up." Isn't that perfect?
Cupcake by Rachel Cohn
- The third in the CC trilogy, following Gingerbread and Shrimp.
Rocky Road Trip (previously published as Wurst Case Scenario) by Catherine Clark
- Sequel to Banana Splitsville (previously published as Truth or Dairy).
It's Not About the Accent by Caridad Ferrer
- A girl reinvents herself upon entering college.
Finding Grace by Alyssa Brugman
- A high school graduate becomes a sort of caretaker to a brain-damaged woman.
Shift by Jennifer Bradbury
- Two guys go on a biking trip after high school, but only one starts college.
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
- Two of Scarlett's siblings consider college and work.

Related Booklist: Set in School

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Some of these books are comedies, some dramas, but all include characters who are dedicated to their school paper.

The Alison Rules by Catherine Clark (protagonist and two supporting characters work on the paper; contemporary realistic drama; ages 12 and up; highly recommended)

Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson (protagonist contributes columns occasionally; historical fiction; published as juvenile fiction but has been widely read by both kids and adults)

Juicy Gossip by Erin Downing (protagonist is the editor of her middle school paper, starts writing a gossip column; contemporary fiction; ages 8 and up)

Prom Kings and Drama Queens by Dorian Cirrone (protagonist and supporting lead work on the high school paper; contemporary realistic dramedy; ages 12 and up)

Paisley Hanover Acts Out by Cameron Tuttle (protagonist works on the high school paper; contemporary realistic dramedy; ages 12 and up)

Alice McKinley books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (protagonist and supporting characters work on the paper; contemporary realistic drama; ages 12 and up)

The Sweet Life of Stella Madison by Lara M. Zeises (protagonist writes restaurant reviews for the local paper; contemporary realistic drama; ages 12 and up)

Peeled by Joan Bauer (protagonist and supporting characters work on the paper; contemporary realistic drama/mystery; ages 12 and up)

Sidebar
My favorite films and plays related to newspaper workers are His Girl Friday and Newsies. His Girl Friday was based on the play The Front Page written by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. I also like the 1974 film version of The Front Page. I have yet to see the 1931 film version or the various TV versions & series. I also enjoy the film Meet John Doe.

If you're interested in a story about a school yearbook staff, check out Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin. It's captivating.

More Titles
. . . with the reporter being someone other than the protag . . .

Grace's Turn by Christy Carlson Romano (best friend is a photographer for the paper; contemporary drama; ages 12 and up)

Love Undercover by Johanna Edwards (mother who writes a relationship column; romantic comedy; ages 14 and up)

May 2009: 49 books read

For all ages
The OK Book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Charles Vess
Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn and Rosalind Beardshaw

For ages 8 and up
The Baby-Sitters Club #118: Kristy Thomas, Dog Walker by Ann M. Martin
Miss Popularity Goes Camping by Francesco Sedita
The Amy Hodgepodge series by Kim Wayans and Kevin Knotts, illustrated by Soo Jeong

For ages 10 and up
Life, Starring Me! by Robin Wasserman
Also Known as Harper by Ann Haywood Leal
Forget Me Not by Coleen Murtagh Paratore (the fourth book in the From the Life of Willa Havisham line)
Truth or Dare by Mary Wilcox (the fifth book in The Hollywood Sisters series)
Rissa Bartholomew's Declaration of Independence by Lynda B. Comerford

For ages 12 and up
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter (the third Gallagher Girls book, coming out in June)
Warrior Princess by Frewin Jones

Non-Fiction Pick
Prince of Stories: The Many Worlds of Neil Gaiman by Christopher Golden, Hank Wagner, and Stephen R. Bisette

Play Pick
Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde by Moises Kaufman

Graphic Novel Pick
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Classic Pick
The Nightingale and the Rose by Oscar Wilde