Great Grown-Up Books for Teens
If your middle-schooler yearns to read "adult" books, try these titles that earned Alex Awards: the Young Adult Library Services Association's annual selection of adult books that offer appeal to teen readers.
An American Insurrection: The Battle of Oxford, Mississippi, 1962 by William Doyle
Experience the harrowing events that occurred when James Meredith tried to become the first black student to register at the University of Mississippi in 1962.
Black, White, and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self by Rebecca Walker
This memoir explores the author's struggle for identity and home in a world where no one could tell her who she was or where she belonged.
Chang and Eng by Darin Strauss
Meet famous Siamese twins and performers in this enthralling novel that blends fiction and astonishing facts.
Counting Coup by Larry Colton
The true story of a diverse girls' varsity basketball team and their struggles with racism, family, and their own collegiate dreams.
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
Escape with this beautiful retelling of a Celtic myth that blends history and fantasy, legend, and love.
Diamond Dogs by Alan Watt
A gripping story about a high school quarterback who commits a crime that his father covers up for him
Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley and Ron Powers
Discover the legacy of the six Marines who raised the flag at Iwo Jima, and became a part of one of the most famous photographs in military history.
Gabriel's Story by David Anthony Durham
Experience the adventures and trials of an African-American 1870s pioneer family and a son who runs away to become a cowboy.
Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
Set in 17th-century Delft, this novel explores the relationship between master artist Vermeer and his servant.
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick
A gripping account of the true story that inspired the climactic scene in Herman Melville's Moby-Dick.
Kit's Law by Donna Morrissey
Meet a 14-year-old girl, her mentally challenged mother, and her protective grandmother as they live their life in the Outer Banks of Newfoundland.
The Man Who Ate the 747 by Ben Sherwood
Delight in this story about a man who's searching for record-breaking love.
Motherland by Vineeta Vijayaraghavan
A coming-of-age tale about an American girl who returns to her birth country for a summer of discovery.
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
Discover what life looks like from the other side in this account of the author's experiences surviving on minimum wage.
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
When his older brother commits a crime and becomes a fugitive, an 11-year-old boy crippled with severe asthma discovers how far he'll go for his family.
The Rover by Mel Odom
A lowly librarian's life takes an unexpected turn when he is shanghaied and sold into slavery in this absorbing fantasy.
The Sand Reckoner by Gillian Bradshaw
Enthrall your teen with this moving, fictionalized account of Archimedes, one of the most innocent and intriguing thinkers of the ancient world.
Soldier: A Poet's Childhood by June Jordan
Explore the early life of a poet in this engaging memoir.
The Wilderness Family: At Home With Africa's Wildlife by Kobie Kruger
Spend 17 years living alongside a family in a vast nature reserve.
Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks
Witness the devastating disease through the eyes of a housemaid living in a town that isolates itself from the rest of the world.
12/6/06
