High School Reads!

by Rita Williams-Garcia Lexile:  640 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Thulani has tried to forget Ysa.  But ever since the night he saw her brutally attacked, he can't get her out of his mind.  Now his mission is to track her down and try to find out whether or not she is okay. For Thulani, this is the first thing he's been interested in, besides his birds, since his mother died.  He is happy to have something to occupy his time and his thoughts, but will Ysa reciprocate?  Will he let her be a part of her life?

by Walter Dean Myers Lexile:  720 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Jeremy, Lil J, is watching his life spiral out of control.  First there's his drug habit.  Then there's the fact that he is a new dad.  And third, he is being hunted by the police because they think he shot a cop in an undercover drug deal gone wrong.  Jeremy admits that he has made some poor choices, but he has excuses and reasons for why he is the way he is.  He really wants to get his life back on track, but first he's going to have to take responsibility for his role in the mess his life has turned into.

by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell Lexile:  850 Genre:  Memoir/Graphic Novel John Lewis continues his memoir about his role in the Civil Rights Movement in March, Book Two . The story picks up with John's involvement with the nonviolence movement through peaceful sit-ins and freedom bus rides.  John and his fellow protestors are repeatedly attacked, punished, and jailed, but they refuse to post bond and pay their fees.  They remain determined in their quest for equal rights.

by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell Lexile:  760 Genre:  Memoir/Graphic Novel Growing up, John Lewis loved chickens and wanted to become a pastor.  He lived in the South and grew up experiencing the injustices in society between whites and blacks.  His uncle took him on a trip to the North where is eyes were opened even further to the different ways in which people were treated. He met Martin Luther King, Jr. and started to learn about nonviolent methods.  He became involved with the Civl Rights Movement because he wanted his voice to be heard and he wanted to become part of the movement to bring about change.

by Sarah Elizabeth Schantz Lexile:  890 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Fig's mother has battled schizophrenia since she turned nineteen.  Her disease makes it a challenge for her to be the kind of mother that Fig would like her to be.  Fig knows that schizophrenia runs in the family so she is worried about what will happen to her when she turns nineteen.  As she grows up, she watches as her mother turns farther and farther away from her until she eventually becomes someone who is unrecognizable.  Fig has to figure out how to survive in spite of the chaos and uncertainty in her life.

by Jo Knowles Lexile:  570 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Ellie just wants to be noticed and loved, but the way she is going about trying to do that is causing her best friend, Corrine, to be concerned. Caleb and Josh are best friends too, but when Josh makes a choice that Caleb doesn't agree with, Caleb and Josh begin to drift apart When Caleb, Josh and Corrine all learn that Ellie is pregnant, they know they are really going to need to step in and help her out.  But not everyone is ready to do that.  Caleb's mom figures out Ellie's secret and works to help three of them figure out what to do next.

by Ronda Rousey and Maria Burns Ortiz Lexile:  ??? Genre:  Biography/Memoir Ronda Rousey always wanted to fight.  First, she fought her way through opponents in judo and made it all the way to the Olympics.  Then her dream was to become a fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.  Along the way, there was struggle, pain, and heartbreak, but Ronda never gave up. By keeping her dream in sight, she was able to push through the hard times to become a champion.

by Julie Murphy Lexile:  710 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Willowdean Dickson, aka, Dumplin', has always struggled with her weight.  She has grown up with her overweight aunt Lucy and her beauty pageant queen mother.  When Lucy dies unexpectedly of a heart attack, Willowdean's life is shaken.  She and her mother needed Lucy to buffer their arguments and help maintain peace around the house.  Willowdean and her mother are going to need to figure out their relationship and when Willowdean announces that she plans to enter the town beauty pageant, her mother doesn't know what to think.  Willowdean has never shown any interest in her mother's beauty pageant world and doesn't fit what most people think of when they think beauty pageant contestant.

by Stephanie Oakes Lexile:  790 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Seventeen year old Minnow Bly has spent twelve years living isolated from the world with the Kevinian cult.  When she fought back and tried to runaway, they took her hands.  Now her cult has been burned to the ground, the leader, The Prophet, is dead, and Minnow is in jail.  Dr. Wilson, and FBI Investigator, approaches her with a deal.  If she will tell him her version of the events that destroyed her life and her cult, he will help her gain her freedom.  Minnow has to decide which parts of her past she is willing to truthfully share.