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My personal Top 10 young adult novels list
10. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Although perhaps not historically faithful - very thought provoking and an excellent short book for discussion. Historical inaccuracies can also prompt a discussion of importance of not relying on Historical Fiction for an accurate representation of actual history and the need for further research using credible primary sources! Filmed version is pretty faithful to the novel and visually artistic and gut wrenching at the same time.
9. The Giver by Lois Lowry
Compelling, short account of a utopian society gone wrong and a boy's attempt to supercede his circumstances and environment. The film is not strictly faithful to the plot of the novel but is equally well written.
8. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
A fun science fiction novel that promotes critical thinking and contains accounts of fairly complicated interpersonal family relationships. Filmed version is similar but not exactly faithful to the novel, though it contains some big name actors.
7. The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
A somber sci-fi plus historical fiction novel that deals with a teen girl coming to grips with her family's history and struggling with her own place in the world. Filmed version is excellent but scripted to be more suitable for an older young adult or adult audience rather than preteen or early high school aged viewers.
6. Zen the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick
Story of a 'new kid' who just moved to a school where he is one of the very few students who is of a different nationality and a child of divorce. Who is his father, really? Deals with his coming to terms with his own identity and how he is separate from his parents. No filmed version as of yet, but the Audible version is great!
5. Holes by Louis Sachar
A classic realistic fiction mixed with a small dose of fantasy story about a boy who can't seem to escape his family's bad luck (or is it a curse?) But in the process of trying, he befriends several unlikely acquaintances who turn out to be just as unlucky as him, and discovers that the past really can be changed in a way, or at least maybe redeemed. Filmed version is slightly changed but is fantastic (and written by the book's author, plus he has a cameo as one of the extra characters!) - Also, there is a sequel, Small Steps, which I have not read but plan to soon, so I will add information on it when I do.
4. A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
A brief telling of a boy from Darfur who becomes one of the "Lost Boys" and survives more danger and grief than most experience in a lifetime by the time he is only a teenager; but then he is chosen for the opportunity of a lifetime and does not waste the unexpected gift he receives. Two documentaries do a good job of explaining his and others' experiences as the Lost Boys of Sudan (The Lost Boys of Sudan and God Grew Tired of Us).
3. Drums, Girl, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
The former middle school teacher's first novel about a boy graduating 8th grade and recalling the sometimes tumultuous previous year. Like the author, the protagonist, who is also the narrator, is a drummer. The girls and the Dangerous Pie you will have to read about to understand! An excellent realistic fiction story that even my "non-readers" seem to enjoy, maybe in part due to the relatable first person narration that is more conversational than literary. Yet the book still retains a high Lexile and is full of vocabulary and figurative language. Dedicated to one of the author's former students, whose younger sibling suffered a chronic illness. Sadly, there is no filmed version yet, but the Audible version is very well done!
2. After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick
This is the sequel to the above book, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, and is narrated by one of the other characters in that novel. To me, this narrator is even more believeable and easier to empathize with, plus the supporting characters are more well-developed and dynamic. Like the first book, this one also contains plenty of good vocabulary for students to learn, along with plenty of figurative language. Again, no filmed version but the Audible version is excellent!
1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
One of my personal favorite novels of all time, in spite of its length and complexity, this book is better suited to older audiences than the previous nine in this list, but has worked well for me with students as young as 7th grade. The protagonist of this novel is a young German orphan girl named Liesel, whose antagonist is familiar to us all and is quite formidable for most. This book is very similar to The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and makes an excellent companion reading with which to compare. The filmed version is strikingly similar to the book, with only a few minor changes and the omission of most of the German swear words and the side stories that are included in the novel. The Audible version is amazing for this one, as well.
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