High School Reads!

by Ashley Herring Blake Lexile:  740 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Mara and Owen are twins and about as close as any brother and sister could be.  They have always shared everything and have never kept secrets from one another, except for one thing that happened on the last day of 8th grade.  When Mara's friend Hannah, accuses Owen of rape and Owen denies it, Mara doesn't know who to believe.  Mara is struggling with her own secret and now must decide how to support two people that she loves. 

by Kelly Loy Gilbert Lexile:  890 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Danny has always felt that his parents have kept secrets from him, but he never knew just how many or how big they were.  When he uncovers a box filled with old letters and a mysterious file about another family, he becomes more suspicious.  When Danny learns that he has been accepted to RISD with a full ride scholarship, he is hopeful that his life is going to move forward in the direction that he had always dreamed.  But when his dad loses his job and his parents become more and more afraid, Danny can't help but wonder what it is they are hiding.  Will their secretive past ruin his dreams of the future?

by Sophie Jordan Genre:  Realistic Fiction Willa and Flor have been best friends forever.  Willa and Zach have also been friends and neighbors for a long time.  Willa convinced Zach and Flor that they would be perfect for one another, but now that Zach and Flor have broken up, Willa is in a strange place, trying to remain friends with both of them.  Willa is trying to be supportive of Flor, but at the very same time, is questioning her own feelings about Zach. And Zach's behavior isn't making it an easier to figure things out.  When did life get so complicated?

by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera Genre: Contemporary Fiction A chance meeting between two young men in a post office should mean nothing.  Except to Arthur and Ben it means everything.  Arthur has recently come out to his friends and family, but he has never had a boyfriend.  Ben has recently broken up with his first boyfriend and is at the post office trying to mail him a box of his personal things so that he can move on with his life.  Arthur and Ben talk for only a few minutes, but it seems that the universe has intervened and brought them together for some reason.  But they part ways without exchanging names or numbers...will the universe somehow bring them back together again?

Adapted by Ari Folman Illustrated by David Polonsky Lexile:  GN800 Genre:  Memoir, Graphic Novel For those who have read The Diary of a Young Girl , this graphic novel adaptation will give the reader new insights into the two years that Anne Frank and her family spent hidden away from the world in the secret annex.  This book uses direct quotations from Anne's original diary which are paired with beautiful illustrations that only adds to this already incredible story.

by Jarrett Krosoczka Lexile:  GN510 Genre:  Memoir, Graphic Novel Through the illustrations in this graphic novel, Jarrett shares the story of his childhood that began when he lived with his mother who was a heroin addict.  Eventually, his grandfather petitioned for custody of him as his mother was in and out of jail and rehab for most of his young life.  Jarrett had his struggles living with his grandparents as well, but they were able to provide him a more stable life and were able to support him in his dream of becoming an artist.  Hey, Kiddo is the true story of how Jarrett lost his mother, found his father, and dealt with a lifetime of family addiction.

by Maggie Thrash Genre:  Fantasy, Graphic Novel Maggie doesn't know what has happened to her life...it feels as if everything is collapsing.  She's flunking the 11th grade and feels trapped in her depressing surroundings.  Her mother barely sees her and her father is at work all the time.  The only thing Maggie really cares about is her cat so when he disappears one day, Maggie feels like she has lost everything.  When she sets out to find her cat, Maggie is not prepared for what she does find.  Will Maggie be able to turn her life around?