1. New and Noteworthy Titles in YA
and Teacher Books...
Ellen Daniel and Jen Walsh
January, 2015

2. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline
Woodson
● Big contender for the Newbery, 2015
● Novel told in verse
● Woodson’s memoir about growing up and
how she earned her strength through the
racism she experienced personally.

3. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
On a number of “best” lists for 2014,
We Were Liars examines the after-
math of tragedy in a wealthy WASP
family through their summers where denial,
jealously, and drinking muddle the voices and
the thinking of everyone involved.
~ Loved the ending - caught me by surprise

4. Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary American Voices,
Edited by: Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale
● Series of vignettes told from Native American
perspective-
“living in America”
● Very visual, almost like GN
● Deserves more than one reading

5. Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer
Set in a New England boarding school
for “fragile” teens, Meg Wolitzer’s (The
Interestings) latest novel for younger
readers draws a bit on the story of
Slyvia Plath, the power of journal
writing and the healing magic of
words.

6. Greenglass House by Kate Milford
● Mystery set in a quaint bed and breakfast
which is a frequent resting place of
smugglers
● Main character, Milo, is Chinese and
adopted
● Meets up with Meddy, who helps him try to
figure out a mystery
● One of the most wonderful cast of
characters and surprising endings I’ve
come across in a long time. Didn’t see any
of it coming.
● Masterful plot creation

7. Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse
Anderson
Anderson’s latest examines the price of
PTSD to the families of those who suffer.
This novel sensitively explores the effects
on a young woman whose father served
tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and struggles
to deal with her father’s increasing
instability.

8. Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
● Graphic Novel
● Incredible art!
● Thoroughly spooky (similar
to Anya’s Ghost but
bloodier)

9. Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
Not a YA book, but a book for those who
love books and bookstores and the
quirky people who are sometimes more
comfortable with fictional worlds than
real ones.
Highly recommended by Linda
Prieskorn, Jeri McDonald and Ellen. :-)

10. Pointe by Brandy Colbert
● Theo is an elite ballet dancer
recovering from anorexia
● Donovan returns from four years of
captivity
● All lives begin to intertwine as she
relives her relationship with Donovan’s
abductor
● For mature students

11. Searching for Sarah Rector by Tonya
Bolden
● Little known story of a young girl who
owned land worth millions
● Also about the white people who tried
to bilk her and her family out of that
money

12. Winger by Andrew Smith
● Rugby
● 14 year old in high school
● housed in “trouble maker dorm”
● Ryan Dean is described in Booklist as
“a slightly pervy but likable teen”
● includes charts, diagrams and clever
comics
● deals with growing up, insecurity,
young love, homosexuality

13. In case you missed it….
● Best Book Boyfriend of 2014-Park
● If you like 80’s music…. :)
● Movie emerging later this year…..

14. On Jen’s TBR list
I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson
(The Sky Is Everywhere)
Gabi A Girl in Pieces by
Isabel Quintero
Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future
by A.S. King Nest by Esther Ehrlich
Rain, Reign
by Ann
Martin
Fish In A Tree by Linda
Mullaly Hunt (One for the
Murphys)

15. On Ellen’s TBR list

16. Professional Titles

17. Generation Bullied 2.0: Prevention and intervention
Strategies for Our Most Vulnerable by bj miller &
● Deals with bullies on different levels:
-Size discrimination
-LGBT
-Multiculturalism
“Under The Radar” column will feature
comprehensive, annotated book lists for each
area. Upcoming in 2015

18. Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller
● From the Book Whisperer, Donalyn Miller
● Help encourage students to read

19. Falling In Love with Close Reading by Chris
Lehman and Kate Roberts
● Really interesting ways to get kids to
think more deeply about what they’re
reading.

20. 59 Reasons to Write by Kate Messner (and
Co.)
● Published on Jan. 28th (Wednesday!)
● Lots of input from real teachers who
participate in Teachers Write! during
the summer (July/August)

21. Book Love - Developing Depth, Stamina and Passion in
Adolescent Readers by Penny Kittle (2013)
Not “new” exactly but an examination of
just why kids don’t read and what
teachers can do about it.
Spectacular keynote presenter at MCTE.

22. Minds Made for Stories
“Minds Made for Stories is a needed corrective to the
narrow and compartmentalized approaches often
imposed on schools—approaches which are at odds
with the way writing really works outside school walls.”
http://www.heinemann.com/products/E04695.aspx