Nothing But the Truth : a Documentary Novel by Avi
A ninth-grader's suspension for singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" during homeroom becomes a national news story.
Hope was Here by Joan Bauer
When sixteen-year-old Hope and the aunt who has raised her move from
Brooklyn to Mulhoney, Wisconsin, to work as waitress and cook in the
Welcome Stairways diner, they become involved with the diner owner's
political campaign to oust the town's corrupt mayor.
Samir and Yonatan by Daniella Carmi
Samir,
a Palestinian boy, is sent for surgery to an Israeli hospital where he
has two otherworldly experiences, making friends with an Israeli boy,
Yonatan, and traveling with him to Mars where Samir finds peace about
his brother's death in the war.
Who Will Tell My Brother? by Marlene Carvell
During his lonely crusade to remove offensive mascots from his high
school, a Native American teenager learns more about his heritage, his
ancestors, and his place in the world.
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
A high school freshman discovers the devastating consequences of
refusing to join in the school's annual fund raising drive and arousing
the wrath of the school bullies.
Iqbal by Francesco D'Adamo
A fictionalized account of the Pakistani child who escaped from bondage
in a carpet factory and went on to help liberate other children like
him before being gunned down at the age of thirteen.
Crossing Jordan by Adrian Fogelin
Twelve-year-old Cass meets her new African-American neighbor, Jemmie,
and despite their families' prejudices, they build a strong friendship
around their mutual talent for running and a pact to read Jane Eyre.
Peace, O River by Nancy Garden
Returning to her small Massachusetts town after four years away,
sixteen-year-old Kate resumes her close relationship with her childhood
friend and together they try to stop the dangerously escalating
hostilities between their town and the less affluent community across
the river.
The Day They Came to Arrest the Book by Nat Hentoff
Students and faculty at a high school become embroiled in a censorship case over "Huckleberry Finn."
Witness by Karen Hesse
A series of poems express the views of various people in a small
Vermont town, including a young black girl and a young Jewish girl,
during the early 1920s when the Ku Klux Klan is trying to infiltrate
the town.
Secret City, U.S.A.by Felice Holman
Against all odds, Benno and his friends in the ghetto turn an abandoned house into a shelter for the homeless.
New Boy by Julian Houston
Fifteen-year-old Rob Garrett wants nothing more than to escape the
segregated South and prove himself.. While Rob is experiencing the
privilege and isolation of private school, a movement is rising back
home. Men and women are organizing, demanding an end to segregation,
and in Rob's hometown, his friends are on the verge of taking action.
There is even talk about sitting in at a lunch counter that refuses to
serve black people. How can Rob hope to make a difference when he's a
world away?
Slap Your Sides by M.E. Kerr
Life in their Pennsylvania hometown changes for Jubal Shoemaker and his
family when his older brother witnesses to his Quaker beliefs by
becoming a conscientious objector during World War II.
California Blue by David Klass
When seventeen-year-old John Rodgers discovers a new sub-species of
butterfly which may necessitate closing the mill where his dying father
works, they find themselves on opposite sides of the environmental
conflict.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The timeless classic of growing up and the human dignity.
Room in the Heart by Sonia Levitin
After German forces occupy Denmark during World War II,
fifteen-year-old Julie Weinstein and fifteen-year-old Niels Nelson and
their friends and families try to cope with their daily lives, finding
various ways to resist the Nazis and, ultimately, to survive.
The Chemo Kid by Robert Lipsyte
When the drugs that he takes as part of his chemotherapy suddenly
transform him from wimp into superhero, sixteen-year-old Fred and his
friends plot to rid the town of its most lethal environmental hazard,
toxic waste in the water supply.
The Secret Under My Skin by JanetMcNaughton
In the year 2368, humankind must struggle to survive under dire
environmental conditions and strict government control. In this
startling world, one brave young woman begins to unravel a web of lies
about life on Earth that will empower her to discover, at last, who she
really is. McNaughton vividly imagines an all-too-believable future and
celebrates the impact that one person can make on the world.
Code Name Kris by Carol Matas
After the Nazi occupation of Denmark forces his Jewish friends to flee
the country, seventeen-year-old Jesper continues his work in the
underground resistance movement. Sequel to "Lisa's War."
Lisa's War by Carol Matas
During the Nazi occupation of Denmark, Lisa and other teenage Jews
become involved in an underground resistance movement and eventually
must flee for their lives.
Girl of Kosovo by Alice Mead
Although Zana, an eleven-year-old Albanian girl, experiences the
turmoil and violence of the 1999 conflict in her native Kosovo, she
remembers her father's admonition to not let her heart become filled
with hate.
Freedom Songs by Yvette Moore
In the sixties, when Sheryl's Uncle Pete joins the Freedom Riders down
South, she organizes a gospel concert in Brooklyn to help him.
Almost a Hero by John Neufeld
Twelve-year-old Ben Derby spends his spring break volunteering at a Santa Barbara day care center for homeless children.
A Summer of Kings by Han Nolan
Over the course of the summer of 1963, fourteen-year-old Esther Young
discovers the passion within her when eighteen-year-old King-Roy
Johnson, accused of murdering a white man in Alabama, comes to live
with her family.
The Boys from St. Petri by Bjarne Reuter
In 1942, a group of young men begin a series of increasingly dangerous
protests against the German invaders of their Danish homeland.
The Education of Mary: a Little Miss of Color, 1832 by Ann Rinaldi
In 1832, Prudence Crandall begins admitting black girls to her
exclusive Connecticut school, scandalizing white society and eventually
causing her arrest and the closing of her school.
My Mother the Cheerleader by Robert Sharenow
Thirteen-year-old Louise uncovers secrets about her family and her
neighborhood during the violent protests over school desegregation in
1960 New Orleans. Mature themes.
Crash by Jerry Spinelli
Seventh-grader John "Crash" Coogan has always been comfortable with his
tough, aggressive behavior, until his relationship with an unusual
Quaker boy and his grandfather's stroke make him consider the meaning
of friendship and the importance of family.
The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian
Seventeen-year-old Josh, a loner-philosopher who wants to make a
difference in the world, tries to maintain his secret identity as the
author of a web site that is receiving national attention.
Non Fiction
Peaceful Kingdom : Random Acts of Kindness by Animals by Stephanie Laland
In these true, heartwarming stories, you will meet remarkable beings -
not only dogs and cats, but gorillas, dolphins, bears, seagulls, rats,
and even a pig - who have performed amazing acts of love and
compassion. You'll also learn fascinating facts about the inherent
kindness of animals toward humans and one another.
One Simple Act : Discovering the Power of Generosity by Debbie Macomber
Illustrates how simple acts of generosity have lasting life-changing
impact on both recipients and givers, sharing true stories of random
acts of kindness that have changed lives in unimaginable and wonderful
ways.
150 Ways Teens Can Make a Difference by Marian Salzman and Teresa Reisgies
Teenagers discuss the rewarding and sometimes frustrating experiences
of being a volunteer, including their commitment and accomplishments,
parental support, and how they incorporate volunteer activities into
their busy high school schedules.
Do One Nice Thing: Little Things You Can Do to Make the World a Lot Nicer by Debbie Tenzer
Inspired by the phenomenal success of her website, Debbie Tenzer's "Do
One Nice Thing" is a book for everyone who wants to do good but can't
find time to do it. From sending a phone card to a soldier in Iraq to
simply bringing an extra snack for the colleague in the next cubicle,
Tenzer offers readers over 100 ideas for small deeds that can yield big
results--for kids, friends, coworkers, members of your community, and
the big world beyond. Divided into seven categories with dozens of
easy-to-accomplish ideas, "Do One Nice Thing" weaves motivational
stories with quotes from the many people touched by Tenzer's
message--like the 16-year-old whose birthday party activities included
making get-well cards for sick kids at the hospital. Upbeat but never
Pollyannaish, "Do One Nice Thing" inspires all of us to make kindness a
regular habit and change the world, one small step at a time.
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace -- One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
One man's campaign to build schools in the most dangerous, remote, and
anti-American reaches of Asia: in 1993 Greg Mortenson was an American
mountain-climbing bum wandering emaciated and lost through Pakistan's
Karakoram. After he was taken in and nursed back to health by the
people of a Pakistani village, he promised to return one day and build
them a school. From that rash, earnest promise grew one of the most
incredible humanitarian campaigns of our time--Mortenson's one-man
mission to counteract extremism by building schools, especially for
girls, throughout the breeding ground of the Taliban. In a region where
Americans are often feared and hated, he has survived kidnapping, death
threats, and wrenching separations from his wife and children. But his
success speaks for itself.
Three Cups of Tea / Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Reling ; adapted for young readers by Sarah Thomson
In 1993 Greg Mortenson tried to climb K2. On the way down he became
lost in the mountains of Pakistan and stumbles into a poor village. The
villager chief offers him three cups and tea and his villages nurse
Mortenson back to health. Moved by their kindness, he promises to
return and build a school for their children. Despite death threats, a
kidnapping and more, Mortenson has built over sixty schools, especially
for girls, in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This special ed. includes a new
foreword by Jane Goodall, new illustrations, a glossary and a special
interview with Mortenson's twelve-year-old daughter Amira.
Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Greg Mortenson
In this dramatic first-person narrative, Greg Mortenson picks up where
"Three Cups of Tea" left off in 2003, recounting his relentless,
ongoing efforts to establish schools for girls in Afghanistan; his
extensive work in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan after a massive earthquake
hit the region in 2005; and the unique ways he has built relationships
with Islamic clerics, militia commanders, and tribal leaders even as he
was dodging shootouts with feuding Afghan warlords and surviving an
eight-day armed abduction by the Taliban.
However Tall the Mountain: a Dream, Eight Girls, and a Journey Home by Awista Ayub
By bringing soccer to young Afghan women, Awista reintroduced the very
traits decades of war in Afghanistan had cruelly stripped away from
them--confidence and self-worth. In However tall the mountain, she
tells her story and the stories of the eight original girls. Timely,
heartfelt, and moving, it shows how women can find strength in each
other, in teamwork, and in themselves--risking their lives to obtain
the freedom that we take for granted.
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Because the Taliban rulers of Kabul, Afghanistan, impose strict
limitations on women's freedom and behavior, eleven-year-old Parvana
must disguise herself as a boy so that her family can survive after her
father's arrest.
Parvana's Journey by Deborah Ellis
In this sequel to "The Breadwinner, " the Taliban still control
Afghanistan, but Kabul is in ruins. Twelve-year-old Parvana's father
has just died, and her mother, sister, and brother could be anywhere in
the country. Parvana sets out alone to find them, masquerading as a
boy, and she meets other children who are victims of war.
Mud City by Deborah Ellis
This final book in the trilogy begun in "The Breadwinner" and
"Parvana's Journey" paints a devastating portrait of life in refugee
camps and shows the resourcefulness of children who endure great
suffering there.
Santa Claus in Baghdad and Other Stories about Teens in the Arab World by Elsa Marston
A collection of eight stories about what it is like to grow up in the
Middle East today. Includes notes which place the stories in context.
Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qamar
When her father is injured, fourteen-year-old Nazia is pulled away from
school, her friends, and her preparations for an arranged marriage, to
help her mother clean houses in a wealthy part of Karachi, Pakistan,
where she finally rebels against the destiny that is planned for her.
Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples
When eleven-year old Shabanu, the daughter of a nomad in the Cholistan
Desert of present-day Pakistan, is pledged in marriage to an older man
whose money will bring prestige to the family, she must either accept
the decision, as is the custom, or risk the consequences of defying her
father's wishes.
Haveli by Suzanne Fisher Staples
Having relented to the ways of her people in Pakistan and married the
rich older man to whom she was pledged against her will, Shabanu is now
the victim of his family's blood feud and the malice of his other
wives. Sequel to "Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind."
Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Fisher Staples
During the 2001 Afghan War, the lives of Najmal, a young refugee from
Kunduz, Afghanistan, and Nusrat, an American-Muslim teacher who is
awaiting her huband's return from Mazar-i-Sharif, intersect at a school
in Peshawar, Pakistan.
Refugees by Catherine Stine
Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Dawn, a
sixteen-year-old runaway from San Francisco, connects by phone and
email with Johar, a gentle, fifteen-year-old Afghani who assists Dawn's
foster mother, a doctor, at a Red Cross refugee camp in Peshawar.
The Story of Tea: a Cultural History and Drinking Guide by Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss
Whether it's a delicate green tea or a bracing Assam black, a cup of
tea is a complex brew of art and industry, tradition and revolution,
East and West. In this sweeping tour through the world of tea, veteran
tea traders Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss chronicle tea's
influence across the globe and provide a complete reference for
choosing, drinking, and enjoying this beverage.