The Chocolate War is a young adult novel by American author Robert Cormier, published in 1974. It was adapted into a film in 1988. Although it received mixed reviews at the time of its publication, some reviewers have argued it is one of the best young adult novels of all time. Set at a fictional Catholic high school, the story depicts a secret student organization's manipulation of the student body, which descends into cruel and ugly mob mentality against a lone, non-conforming student. Because of the novel's language, the concept of a high school secret society using intimidation to enforce the cultural norms of the school and various characters' sexual ponderings, it has been embroiled in censorship controversies and appeared as third on the American Library Association's list of the "Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books in 2000–2009." A sequel was published in 1985 called Beyond the Chocolate War.
Fallen Angels is a 1988 young-adult novel written by Walter Dean Myers, about the Vietnam War. It won the 1988 Coretta Scott King Award. Fallen Angels is listed as number 16 in the American Library Association's list of 100 most frequently challenged books of 1990–2000 due to its use of profanity and realistic depiction of the war.
The Boy Who Lost His Face (ISBN 0-679-88622-2) is a novel by Louis Sachar, published in 1989 by Alfred A. Knopf. The story focuses on a group of young boys. One of them (David), joining in with the 'cool crew', helps to steal an old woman's cane. When she finds them, she cries out, "Your Doppelgänger will regurgitate on your soul!" meaning that his ghostly double would puke on his soul, according to a translation by David. Following this, the protagonist finds himself repeatedly experiencing the same misfortunes he passed on to the old woman.
ttyl is a young adult novel written by Lauren Myracle. It is the first book in the 'Internet Girls' series. In 2004, it gained attention for being the first novel written entirely in the style of instant messaging conversation. The novel was a New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and a Book Sense bestseller. "ttyl" is internet slang for "Talk to you later", usually used in texting.
Lauren Myracle is an American writer of young adult fiction. She has written many novels, including the three best-selling "IM" books, ttyl, ttfn and l8r, g8r. Her book Thirteen Plus One was released May 4, 2010.
The Great Gilly Hopkins is a realistic children's novel by Katherine Paterson. It was published by Crowell in 1978 and it won the U.S. National Book Award next year. In 2012 it was ranked number 63 among all-time children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal – the third of three books by Paterson in the top 100.
Cut is a 2000 novel by Patricia McCormick, targeted at young adults. In 2002 it was named one of the ALA's "Best Books for Young Adults" for that year.
ttfn is a young adult novel by Lauren Myracle. Published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc. in 2005, it is the sequel to ttyl, and is also written entirely in the style of instant messaging conversation. It is followed by l8r, g8r.
l8r, g8r is the third novel in a young adult series by Lauren Myracle written entirely as instant messages; the first two are ttyl and ttfn. l8r, g8r is a coming of age novel published on March 1, 2007 by Harry N. Abrams.
The Glass Castle is a 2005 memoir by American author Jeannette Walls. Walls recounts her dysfunctional and nomadic yet vibrant upbringing, emphasizing her resilience and her father's attempts toward redemption. Despite her family's flaws, their love for each other and her unique perspective on life allowed her to create a successful life of her own, culminating in a career in journalism in New York City. The book's title refers to her father's ultimate unfulfilled promise, to build his dream home for the family, a glass castle.
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America is a non-fiction book about race in the United States by the American historian Ibram X. Kendi, published April 12, 2016 by Bold Type Books, an imprint of PublicAffairs. The book won the National Book Award for Nonfiction.
I Am Jazz, published in 2014, was co-written by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings and illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas. It is based on the real-life experiences of Jazz Jennings, a transgender YouTube personality, Human Rights Campaign Youth Ambassador, and the main star of the TLC series I Am Jazz. Jazz was assigned male at birth, but from age two, she struggled with having “a girl brain but a boy body.”
Two Boys Kissing is a 2013 young adult novel written by American author David Levithan. Inspired by true events, the book follows two 17-year-old boys who set out to break a Guinness World Record by kissing for 32 hours. The book includes a "Greek chorus" of the generation of gay men who died of AIDS. Throughout the narrative, the book discusses topics such as relationships, coming out, gender identity, and hook-up culture.
Gayle E. Pitman is an American professor and children's book author. Her debut children's book, This Day in June, was one of the most banned and challenged books of its time in the United States. Pitman also teaches psychology and women/gender studies at Sacramento City College. She currently serves as the Dean in the Department of Planning, Research & Institutional Effectiveness.
Ron Koertge is an American poet and author of young adult fiction. Koertge is currently the Poet Laureate of South Pasadena, California. Koertge's honors include a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, a California Arts Council grant, and inclusion in numerous anthologies. His young-adult fiction has won many awards, including Friends of American Writers Young People’s Literature Award, New York Library’s 100 Best Children’s Books, ALA Best Book, New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age, and P.E.N. awards. In 2017, he was awarded a Pushcart Prize.
Susan Kuklin is an American photographer and award-winning writer.
Harry Allard was an American writer of children's books. Many of his books have received awards; a few have also been banned and challenged in the United States.
Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story about Racial Injustice is a children's book by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins and Ann Hazzard; illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin; and published March 1, 2018 by Magination Press. The book follows two families as they discuss a racialized police shooting in their community.
Almost Perfect is a young adult novel by Brian Katcher, published October 13, 2009 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers.
