Being Nikki by Meg Cabot

Cabot, M. (2009). Being Nikki. New York: Point.

ISBN: 9780545040563 (Hardcover)

352 pages; $16.99

Other Formats: eAudiobook , paperback, and eBook.

Recommended for ages 13-16

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Awards:

• A New York Times Children's Chapter Book Best Seller
• A Publishers Weekly Best Seller
• Appeared on the Summer 2009 Kid’s Indie Next List as an "Inspired Recommendation for Kids From Indie Booksellers" (Retrieved from Author's Website)

Annotation: Emerson is a victim of a cruel experiment. In the process, she has lost her family, friends, and identity.

Emerson (she goes by Em) Watts’ life will never be the same. Ever since the mad scientists at Stark Enterprises removed Emerson’s brain and transplanted it into the body of teen fashion model Nikki Howard after a tragic accident, everything she has ever known has suddenly been transformed, besides her face. Em is trying to become adjusted to her new jet-setting lifestyle in order to avoid the wrath of Stark Enterprises, which has threatened to harm her real family if she tells the truth, but it’s getting kind of hard looking into the mirror and seeing a different appearance in its reflection. So when Nikki’s brother arrives in Manhattan and asks Em to help him search for their missing mother, Em is unsure if she can continue with this charade. Does Em have the courage to expose Stark Enterprises?

A Street Girl Named Desire by Treasure E. Blue

Blue, T. E. (2007). A street girl named Desire: A novel. New York: One World/ Ballantine Books.

ISBN: 9780345493286 (Paperback)

325 pages, $13.95

Other Formats: ebook

Recommended for ages 15 and older

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Annotation: Sometimes the past is apt to repeat itself, but history is not always destiny.

The streets of Harlem are not paved with gold, yet with Desire- desire to be loved, safe, and famous. Growing up as a kid in the system is not desirable, but Hattie Mae, a caring foster mother, makes the struggle a bit easier for Desire- a young girl whose mother is a prostitute and addicted to crack. As Desire grows into a young woman, a famous recording label recognizes her talent as a singer, and she instantly becomes a rising star. However, how high can a star climb before the brutal streets of Harlem desire to reclaim its bright light?

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Cinder by Marissa Meyer

 

Meyer, M. (2012). Cinder. New York: Feiwel and Friends.

ISBN:  9780312641894 (Hardback)

390 pages

Price: $17.99

Other Formats: Paperback, audio book, ebook, and large print

Recommended for ages 14 and up

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Awards:

ABC New Voices Title, ALA Top 10 Books for Young Adults

Annotation: In this modern retelling of Cinderella, Cinder is a teenager battling prejudices and secrets. Only her stepmother and doctor know about Cinder's past and true origins.  

Once upon a time, in the far away city of New Bejing, lived a teen girl named Cinder. Cinder is brilliant, strong, and a cyborg- half girl and half robot. Cinder was not born a cyborg, but the doctors turned her into one after her terrible accident. Now that she is a cyborg, she frequently encounters people who are prejudiced against her differences, especially her stepmother and 2 stepsisters. Cinder’s cruel stepmother forces her to work as a mechanical repair woman at the local flea market to support the family. One day, Cinder meets a handsome stranger at the market who looks a lot like Prince Kai. But this thought is ludicrous because the Prince would never show his face at a dirty market, would he? When Cinder learns that the palace will soon be hosting a formal ball in honor of the Prince, Cinder repairs a broken-down orange muscle car in the hopes of escaping her wretched family and winning the Prince’s heart. However, there is a dark family secret that has an inescapable grip on Cinder. 

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The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause

Klause, A. C. (1990). The silver kiss. New York: Delacorte Press.
ISBN: 9780385301602 (Hardcover)
198 pages
Price: $17.20
Other formats: Paperback, ebook, audio book, and Playaway.

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Awards: —An ALA Best Book for Young Adults —An ALA Quick Pick —A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year —A Booklist Children’s Editors’ Choice —Winner of the California Young Readers Medal —A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age (Awards information retrieved from Publisher's Website. )

Recommended for age 13 to 16

Annotation: Sixteen-year-old Zoe loves going to the nearby park at all hours of the night, because it is a quiet place that allows one to ponder over deep thoughts. However, she soon discovers that she is not the only person that visits the park in the middle of the night.

“The fangs slid from their sheaths.... then he kissed her with the sharp, sleek kiss, the silver kiss.” Zoe’s life has been turned upside down. First, she discovered that her mother is terminally ill, and now her Dad is stricken with grief. Next, Zoe finds out that her best friend Lorraine is moving out of state, and Zoe may never see her again. Lastly, she has learned that the dark, mysterious stranger that she is so smitten with is actually a centuries-old vampire. The vampire’s name is Simon, and he is on a mission to kill the monster that turned him into a vicious predator, but there is only one problem: The monster is Simon’s own brother. With the help of Zoe, Simon is certain that he will be able to prevent his brother from injuring any more humans. But what will Zoe ask for in return for this favor?

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

 

Whitney, D. (2010). The Mockingbirds. New York: Little, Brown, and Company.

339 pages.

ISBN: 9780316090537 (Hardback)

Price: $16.99

Other Formats: Paperback and ebook

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Awards:          

•   A Romantic Times Best Book of 2010
•   A Best Book for Young Adults - American Library Association
•  An NPR Best Book of 2010
•  An Association of Booksellers for Children New Voices Pick for 2010
•  Chicago Public Library Best of Best Books for Teens in 2010
•  Northern California Independent Booksellers Association 
• Book of the Year Award Honorable Mention
•  An Indie Next List Pick
•  A GoodReads Mover and Shaker for November 2010
• The Books-A-Million teen book club pick for January 2011
• (Retrieved from the Author's Website. )

Recommended for high school students (Ages 14-18).

Annotation: Date rape happens more often in high school than most people think, and no one is immune from being a victim of this atrocious crime.

If you are too drunk to remember giving a boy permission to have sex is it considered date rape? High School junior Alex was having the time of her life at her exclusive boarding school. She was a good student, excelled in music, and became best friends with her 2 roommates. Her life was ideal until she decided to go to a coed party and drank way too much. She ended up leaving with a boy named Carter, and the next morning, Alex cannot recall how she wound up in Carter’s bed. All she knows is that she in no longer a virgin. When Carter starts blabbing about the affair to the entire student body, Alex's sister and her best friend T.S urge her to take her case to The Mockingbirds- the school’s own personal justice league. Will the Mockingbirds be able to restore Alex's reputation and prove that Carter raped her? 

Pink by Lilli Wilkinson

Wilkinson, L. (2009). Pink. New York: Harper Collins.

310 pages

ISBN: 9780061926532 (Hardback)

Price: 16.99

Other Formats: Paperback and eBook

Awards: Highly Commended, Barbara Jefferis Award, Stonewall Award Honor Book, Amelia Bloomer Listee, and Rainbow Room Liste   
(Retrieved from the Author's Website).

Recommended for ages 13 and older.

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Annotation: Ava decides to leave her public high school and old life behind and enrolls into an elite public school. What will Chloe, Ava’s girlfriend, think when she discovers that Ava has not only reinvented her image, but she has also decided to start dating boys?

Ah, Pink- the most feminine color of the rainbow, well, it would be if it were actually in the rainbow. Oh, where did it all go wrong? I thought I had it all figured out. It all began when I decided to buy that stupid pink sweater. I was just tired of pretending to be someone that I am not, so decided to escape from my old life. I decided to enroll in a fancy private school where no one even knew my name. Instead of being the Goth lesbian chick whom only owned a wardrobe full of dark colors, I was going to wear Pink, hang out with the popular kids, and date boys at my new school. Yep, a total makeover from the inside out is exactly what I needed, and it is what I ultimately got. Now, I don’t know where I belong, but I do know that it all began with the color pink.