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Recommendations based on The First Part Lastby Angela Johnson
* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans
American Born Chinese
by Gene Luen Yang
Three seemingly unrelated stories converge to explore themes of identity, assimilation, and acceptance in the American-born Chinese experience.
All Jin Wang wants is to fit in. When his family moves to a new neighborhood, he suddenly finds that he's the only Chinese American student at his school. Jocks and bullies pick on him constantly, ... (Goodreads)
Out of the Dust
by Karen Hesse
A poetic story of a young girl's endurance through a time of great hardship.
When Billie Jo is just fourteen she must endure heart-wrenching ordeals that no child should have to face. The quiet strength she displays while dealing with unspeakable loss is as surprising as it ... (Goodreads)
Before I Fall
by Lauren Oliver
A high school student relives the same day over and over, learning to appreciate life.
The story begins on a seemingly normal day for the popular 17-year-old Samantha "Sam" Kingston. On February 12, known as " Cupid's Day ," Sam goes about her day as normal with her three best ... (Wikipedia)
Grandfather's Journey
by Allen Say
A Japanese man moves to America, but misses his homeland. His grandson later moves to Japan and feels the same way.
A young man from Japan , during the Meiji era , crosses the Pacific Ocean and explores the United States. He finds that of all the places he has seen, he likes coastal California best because of the ... (Wikipedia)
Bruiser
by Neal Shusterman
A boy with a mysterious ability to absorb the pain and injuries of others becomes the target of those who want to exploit him.
The New York Times bestselling author of Challenger Deep, Neal Shusterman, delivers a suspenseful, eloquent, and thrilling novel that you won't be able to stop thinking about after you've put it ... (Barnes & Noble)
Monster
by Walter Dean Myers
A young man's journey through the criminal justice system, and his struggle to find redemption.
The novel begins with 16-year-old Steve Harmon writing in his diary awaiting for his trial for murder . Musing on his short time in prison so far, he decides to record this upcoming experience in the ... (Wikipedia)
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
A young Native American boy's struggles to survive in a difficult world.
The book follows a fourteen-year-old boy living with his family on the Spokane Indian Reservation near Wellpinit, Washington for a school year. It is told in episodic diary style, moving from the ... (Wikipedia)
Where the Heart Is
by Billie Letts
A journey of resilience and courage, as a young woman faces her struggles with poverty and hardship.
This novel opens with Novalee and Willy Jack, her then boyfriend, traveling from Tennessee to California , where Willy Jack claims he was promised by his cousin, J. Paul, a job working at a train ... (Wikipedia)
Code Name Verity
by Elizabeth Wein
Two female spies' harrowing mission during WWII and the secrets they discover.
In 1943 Nazi-occupied France, a British Lysander spy plane crashes in the fictional town of Ormaie. On board are two best friends, a pilot (Maddie, code name: Kittyhawk) and a spy (Julie, code name: ... (Wikipedia)
Twisted
by Laurie Halse Anderson
A young girl's struggle for justice against a high school culture of silence and victim-blaming.
High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background—average student, average looks, average dysfunctional family. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on ... (Goodreads)
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by Brian Selznick
An orphaned boy's journey to unravel the secrets of a mechanical man and find his place in the world.
In 1930s Paris, young Hugo Cabret and his father repair an automaton at the museum where his father works. When Hugo's father dies in a fire, his uncle brings him to live and work at the train ... (Wikipedia)
Marcelo in the Real World
by Francisco X. Stork
A young man with Asperger's Syndrome navigates the challenges of the real world.
Marcelo Sandoval, is a seventeen-year-old who hears music in his head as a result of mild autism , described as a " cognitive disorder " by his father. , He attends a school that caters to the needs ... (Wikipedia)
The Skin I'm In
by Sharon G. Flake
A teenage girl's journey to self-acceptance and understanding in a society that values conformity.
Miss Saunders, whose skin is blotched with a rare skin condition, serves as a mirror to Maleeka Madison's struggle against the burden of low self-esteem that many black girls face when they're darker ... (Goodreads)
The Thing About Jellyfish
by Ali Benjamin
A young girl's quest to reconcile the death of her best friend, and the power of human connection.
The book follows Suzy Swanson, the protagonist and narrator, who theorizes the death of her friend, Franny Jackson, was caused by a jellyfish sting. Suzy has started the seventh grade, which is the ... (Wikipedia)
Song of Solomon
by Toni Morrison
A tale of family, heritage, and identity, exploring the power of memory and its impact on the present.
Song of Solomon opens with the death of Robert Smith, an insurance agent and member of The Seven Days, an organization that kills white people in retaliation for the racial killing of black people. ... (Wikipedia)
Micro
by Michael Crichton
A group of graduate students are stranded in the rainforest and must fight for survival against deadly microorganisms created by a biotech company.
The narrative begins with a private investigator named Marcos Rodriguez pulling up to a metal building located on the island of Oahu . The building is the main headquarters of Nanigen ... (Wikipedia)
Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate DiCamillo
A girl's journey of self-discovery and healing, as she finds friendship in an unlikely companion.
Kate DiCamillo's beloved, best-selling debut novel is now available in a paperback digest edition. Kate DiCamillo's first published novel, like Winn-Dixie himself, immediately proved to be a keeper—a ... (Goodreads)
Death Match
by Lincoln Child
Detective investigates a series of mysterious deaths that leads to a complex and sinister conspiracy.
When a perfect couple commits double suicide, alarms go off in the offices of the high-tech matchmaking company. Investigation into a second couple's double suicide reveals a stunning labyrinth of ... (Goodreads)
Addicted
by Zane
A story of a woman's struggle to overcome an addiction to drugs, alcohol and sex.
For successful African-American businesswoman Zoe Reynard, finding the pleasure she wants, the way she wants it, is not worth the risk of losing everything she has: marriage to the man she has loved ... (Goodreads)
Bitterblue
by Kristin Cashore
Young Queen Bitterblue must unravel the secrets of her kingdom and confront a legacy of lies.
Enter the Graceling Realm and let it work its magic in this unforgettable novel from, New York Times, bestselling author Kristin Cashore. When Queen Bitterblue took the throne of Monsea, she was a ... (Barnes & Noble)
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf
by Ntozake Shange
A powerful collection of stories exploring the struggles and triumphs of African-American women.
In celebration of its highly anticipated Broadway revival, Ntozake Shange’s classic, award-winning play centering the wide-ranging experiences of Black women, now with introductions by two-time ... (Goodreads)
An Abundance of Katherines
by John Green
A teenage boy's quest for love and self-discovery, learning to accept himself and find happiness.
Colin Singleton, a child prodigy living in Chicago , fears he will not maintain his genius as an adult. Over the span of his life, Colin has dated nineteen girls named Katherine, all spelled in that ... (Wikipedia)
Beastly
by Alex Flinn
A modern retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" following a high school student's transformation.
Kyle Kingsbury is rich, handsome, and popular; he is also selfish, shallow, and cruel. He plays a mean practical joke on an outcast girl in his class. The girl is really a witch named Kendra in ... (Wikipedia)
Feed
by M.T. Anderson
In a future where everyone is connected to the internet through their brains, a group of teenagers rebel against the system.
The novel portrays a near-future in which the feednet , a huge computer network (apparently an advanced form of the Internet), is directly connected to the brains of about 73% of American citizens by ... (Wikipedia)
Straight Man
by Richard Russo
A university professor's humorous journey of self-discovery as he navigates campus politics.
William Henry Devereaux, Jr., spiritually suited to playing left field but forced by a bad hamstring to try first base, is the unlikely chairman of the English department at West Central Pennsylvania ... (Goodreads)
Fever 1793
by Laurie Halse Anderson
A young girl's fight for survival in the midst of a deadly fever epidemic in Philadelphia.
An epidemic of fever sweeps through the streets of 1793 Philadelphia in this novel from Laurie Halse Anderson where "the plot rages like the epidemic itself" ( The New York Times Book Review ). ... (Barnes & Noble)
Officer Buckle and Gloria
by Peggy Rathmann
A safety-conscious police officer teams up with a mischievous police dog to teach children about safety.
A rather boring police officer named Officer Buckle is assigned to take a police dog named Gloria to his safety speech at the local school. Until that time, whenever Officer Buckle tried to tell ... (Wikipedia)
Life As We Knew It
by Susan Beth Pfeffer
A teenage girl's struggle to survive an apocalyptic disaster, relying on her resilience and resourcefulness.
Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, ... (Goodreads)
The Nixie's Song
by Tony DiTerlizzi
Two siblings must rescue their kidnapped mother from the clutches of a dangerous faerie queen.
The Spiderwick Chronicles leave the old-fashioned charm of New England far behind and head south for some fiendish faerie fun in the hot Florida sun. Eleven-year-old Nicholas Vargas only thinks his ... (Barnes & Noble)
Flotsam
by David Wiesner
A boy discovers a camera with mysterious photographs, inspiring a journey of exploration.
The book has no words , but is told through pictures. A boy is at the beach and finds an old camera. He takes the film to get it developed, and sees photos of fantastical undersea cities and ... (Wikipedia)
