The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Catcher in the Rye is the story of teenager Holden Caulfield's turbulent last few days before his Christmas vacation. During these days, Holden leaves Pencey Prep, a boys' school he's been kicked out of, and takes off for a few nights alone in New York City. Holden tells the story as a monologue.

Rats Saw God

Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas
In hopes of graduating, Steve York agrees to complete a hundred-page writing assignment which helps him to sort out his relationship with his famous astronaut father and the events that changed him from promising student to troubled teen.

The Blue Star

The Blue Star by Tony Earley
Teenage Jim falls in love with classmate Crissie Steppe, whose boyfriend has joined the Navy on the eve of World War Two and whom Jim vows to win over in the young sailor's absence, until the sobering realities of war bring all of them a new perspective.

It's Kind of a Funny Story

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
A humorous account of a New York City teenager's battle with depression and his time spent in a psychiatric hospital.

The Wednesday Wars

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

During the 1967 school year, on Wednesday afternoons when all his classmates go to either Catechism or Hebrew school, seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood stays in Mrs. Baker's classroom where they read the plays of William Shakespeare and Holling learns much of value about the world he lives in.

Paper Towns

Paper Towns by John Green

One month before graduating from his Central Florida high school, Quentin "Q" Jacobsen basks in the predictable boringness of his life until the beautiful and exciting Margo Roth Spiegelman, Q's neighbor and classmate, takes him on a midnight adventure and then mysteriously disappears.

Skin Deep

Skin Deep by E. M. Crane
When sixteen-year-old Andrea Anderson begins caring for a sick neighbor's dog, she learns a lot about life, death, pottery, friendship, hope, and love.

Every Soul a Star : A Novel

Every Soul a Star : A Novel by Wendy Mass
Ally, Bree, and Jack meet at the one place the Great Eclipse can be seen in totality, each carrying the burden of different personal problems, which become dim when compared to the task they embark upon and the friendship they find.

After Tupac and D Foster

After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson
In the New York City borough of Queens in 1996, three girls bond over their shared love of Tupac Shakur's music, as together they try to make sense of the unpredictable world in which they live.

Trouble

Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt
Fourteen-year-old Henry, wishing to honor his brother Franklin's dying wish, sets out to hike Maine's Mount Katahdin with his best friend and dog, but fate adds another companion--the Cambodian refugee accused of fatally injuring Franklin--and reveals troubles that predate the accident.