This list of Young Adult books are available from the Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library catalog.
Abelove, Joan. Saying It Out Loud: a Novel.
With the help of her best friend, 16-year-old Mindy sorts through her relationships with her solicitous mother and her detached father as she tries to come to terms with the fact that her mother is dying from a brain tumor. Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award. Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 87.
Avi. The Devil's Race.
When John begins a genealogy project at school, he learns that his ancestral namesake was an evil murderer who is not content to stay dead. BR 6500.
Avi. S.O.R. Losers.
Ed Sitrow and ten other "nonjock" classmates have avoided athletic teams since they've been at South Orange River Middle School. Now a special soccer team has been created--just for them. Ed and the other boys make the worst team in the school's history but they prove to themselves--and to their schoolmates--that there's more than one way to be a winner. BR 6317.
Bauer, Joan. Rules of the Road.
Sixteen-year-old Jenna loves selling shoes for the Chicago Gladstone Shoe Store. But when her drunken father arrives in town, Jenna jumps at the opportunity to drive ornery Mrs. Gladstone to Texas. Jenna and the elderly woman fret over the future of the store chain, now in Gladstone's son's unscrupulous hands. American Library Association Notable Book. Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award. Evergreen Young Adult Book Award. Golden Kite Awards. Golden Sower Award. Los Angeles Times Book Prizes. Maud Hart Lovelace Award. Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award. School Library Journal Best Books of the Year. Young Reader Medal. Young Reader's Choice Award. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 56.
Bauer, Joan. Squashed.
Ellie Morgan, sixteen, has two goals in life: to win the Rock River (Iowa) Pumpkin Weigh-In and to lose twenty pounds. Growing Max--her giant pumpkin--is hard enough, what with drought, insects, cold, and even pumpkin thieves to fend off. Her widowed father doesn't approve of her obsession with Max, but encourages her diet with the motivational tapes he sells. And her loving grandmother is very supportive. Mark Twain Award. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 57.
Bauer, Joan. Thwonk.
High school senior A.J. McCreary has a lot of problems. After four failed relationships, she now has a crush on unattainable Peter Terris, her father forbids her to pursue a career as a photographer, and she is running out of time to take a perfect photo for the Valentine issue of the school paper. Then A.J. receives a visit from a tiny, irritating cupid complete with arrows that go "thwonk." For junior and senior high and older readers. Iowa Teen Award. Young Reader Medal. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 59.
Bauer, Marion D. Like Mother, Like Daughter.
Leslie has trouble relating to her mother and turns instead to the school's new journalism advisor. When the mesmerized Leslie, eager for attention, focuses on an article about an inept math teacher, a crisis occurs, which puts a different perspective on things. BR 6497.
Bauer, Marion D. On My Honor.
Joel's best friend Tony goads him into a bike trek to the bluffs at the state park, and to Joel's dismay his father consents to the trip. Halfway there, Tony becomes fascinated by the dangerous Vermillion River, and convinces Joel to swim despite warnings not to go near the river. The boys race, and Tony disappears in the water. With the help of his father, Joel begins to come to grips with his guilt and sorrow, and to understand the power of choice. BR 6959.
Bauer, Marion D. A Taste of Smoke.
Thirteen-year-old Caitlan looks forward to the camping trip with her older sister in the woods of northern Minnesota, but she doesn't count on the intrusion of her sister's boyfriend or the ghost of a boy who died in the fire that destroyed the forest in 1894. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 4.
Blos, Joan. Brothers of the Heart: a Story of the Northwest.
Shem, a fourteen-year-old with a lame leg, arrives with his family in a newly settled Michigan town. Self-conscious and unsure of himself, Shem makes a well-intentioned but naive mistake, and his father becomes angry and disappointed in him. Devastated, Shem runs away and is joined by an old Ottawan Indian named Mary who teaches Shem how to care for her and for himself. BR 6815.
Boock, Paula. Dare Truth or Promise.
Louie Angelo, a Woodhaugh High prefect who plans to become a lawyer, falls in love with a girl who lives in a pub and just wants to get through her exams so she can become a chef. Lambda Literary Award Nominee 2000. BRW 91.
Bunting, Eve. Blackwater.
When a boy and girl are drowned in the Blackwater River, 13-year-old Brodie must decide whether to confess that he may have caused the accident. Junior & senior high readers. Golden Sower Award. Mark Twain Award. Maud Hart Lovelace Award. Young Reader's Award. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 93.
Burgess, Melvin. Smack.
After running away from their troubled homes, two English teenagers move in with a group of squatters in the port city of Bristol, and try to find ways to support their growing addiction to heroin. School Library Journal Best Books of the Year. Carnegie Medal. BRW 94.
Butler, Beverly. Captive Thunder.
Unable to reach an understanding with her mother, a seventeen-year-old girl runs away to her aunt's in Milwaukee where she becomes an unwilling volunteer on Project Head Start. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 7005.
Butler, Beverly. Gift of Gold.
While hoping that some of her vision may be restored, Cathy Wheeler fights the opposition of a new department chairman who insists that speech therapy is an unrealistic profession for a blind student. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 7004.
Butler, Beverly. Light a Single Candle.
Cathy's life changes drastically when she loses her sight at fourteen. It takes courage and alertness to explore an uncharted world. But adjusting to blindness is often easier for Cathy than handling the reactions of the people around her. Grades 6-9. Clara Ingram Judson Award. BRW 7.
Butler, Beverly. The Silver Key.
A young Welsh immigrant hopes for a better life with her father and new stepmother on their farm outside Ripon, Wisconsin, in 1860. There she encounters mystery, romance, and Underground Railroad activities. Clara Ingram Judson Award. BRW 115.
Carter, Alden. Growing Season.
Rick is unhappy about his parents' decision to move to a farm in the middle of his senior year. But when he meets a special girl named "Lorie," he begins to change his mind. Some strong language. BR 6416.
Carter, Alden. Up Country.
When his mother's drinking problem causes him to spend several months with country relatives in upstate Wisconsin, 16-year-old Carl begins to build a new life for himself, only to see it threatened by a serious mistake from his painful past. For junior and senior high readers. Some strong language. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 128.
Carter, Forrest. Watch for Me on the Mountain.
In this story of Apache war shaman Geronimo, Cherokee author Forrest Carter also deals with Apache spirit life and cultural values. BR 3944.
Cole, Brock. The Facts Speak for Themselves.
At the request of her social worker, 13-year-old Linda gradually reveals how her life with her unstable mother and her younger brother led to her rape and the murder she witnessed. National Book Award. New York Times Notable Books of the Year. School Library Journal Best Books of the Year. BR 11594.
Cole, Brock. The Goats.
In this multilayered survival novel, Lauren and Howie, two thirteen-year-old loners, are left on an island hungry and naked by their fellow summer campers. While on the run they learn to rely on each other and realize their own inner resources. BR 7672.
Coman, Carolyn. Many Stones.
Over a year after her older sister, Laura, was murdered in South Africa, Berry is still depressed and numb. On a trip with her estranged father to the school where Laura worked, Berry gradually becomes reconciled with her grief and her father. Newbery Honor Book. Michael Printz Honor Book 2001. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 130.
Cormier, Robert. Heroes: a Novel.
Francis Cassavant returns from World War II so terribly mangled that no one recognizes him. His only goal is to kill his personal enemy, Larry LaSalle, for a crime committed before the war. Everyone mistakenly considers the two men war heroes. BR 11993.
Crutcher, Chris. Chinese Handcuffs.
Still troubled by his older brother's violent suicide, 18-year-old Dillon becomes deeply involved in his friend Jennifer's terrible secret--she feels she cannot tell anyone what her stepfather is doing to her. ALA Best Book for Young Adults 1990. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 99.
Daly, Maureen. Acts of Love.
Retta and her parents are fighting a superhighway project that will cut through their land. She is also falling in love with Dallas Dobson, a transfer student. His father, Danny, grew up in her small Eastern town, then moved to Texas to join the rodeo. Retta finds a story written long ago by her mother telling of a near romance with a boy. The boy is Danny Dobson and the story is "Sixteen." BR 7776.
Daly, Maureen. Seventeenth Summer.
A woman recalls the leisurely summer before World War II when she was seventeen and falling in love for the very first time. For high school and adult readers. Dodd, Mead Intercollegiate Literary Fellowship Novel Award, 1942. Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, 1969. BRW 245.
Ellis, Mel. The Flight of the White Wolf.
A boy and his pet white wolf flee before a state-wide hunt to locate and destroy the animal. Grades 5-8. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 2187.
Garden, Nancy. The Year They Burned the Books.
While trying to come to terms with her own lesbian feelings, Jamie, a high school senior and editor of the school newspaper, finds herself in the middle of a battle with a group of townspeople over the new health education curriculum. Lambda Literary Award nominee. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 105.
Gutman, Dan. The Million Dollar Kick.
Thirteen-year-old Whisper Nelson hates soccer, but she has won a slogan contest that now requires her to kick a goal past a star player in front of the whole town. The prize is a million dollars. Self-styled computer nerd Jesse and Whisper's mentor come to her aid. 2001. Black-Eyed Susan Book Award. Oklahoma Book Award. Sunshine State Young Reader's Book Award. BRW 228.
Hall, Lynn. Half the Battle.
Two brothers enter a dangerous hundred-mile horseback race that has been widely publicized throughout New Mexico. For Blair, blind since birth, the race is his chance to prove to himself and everybody else that he has guts. But his brother Loren, tired of Blair getting attention simply by being blind, has a different kind of race in mind. BR 5513.
Hodgell, P.C. God Stalk.
Jaime, a young Kencyr, quests for her lost twin brother in this brilliant allegorical fantasy. Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. BR 23397.
Howe, Norma. The Adventures of Blue Avenger: a Novel.
When David Schumacher turns sixteen, he changes his name to that of a comic-book character. As the Blue Avenger, David takes on a killer-bee attack on the principal, a controversial news issue, and gun control. Yet he still has time for a philosophical debate with his kindred-spirit girlfriend. BR 12318.
Jimenez, Francisco. Breaking Through.
Having come from Mexico to California ten years ago, fourteen-year-old Francisco is still working in the fields but fighting to improve his life and complete his education. Pura Belpre Honor Book. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 180.
Kherdian, David. Bridger: The Story of a Mountain Man.
Jim Bridger [1804-1881], trapper and explorer, relates his adventures from the time he left St. Louis at age 18 to travel up the Missouri River and become a mountaineer, until his discovery in 1824 of the Great Salt Lake. BR 7030.
Kherdian, David. The Mystery of the Diamond in the Wood.
While illegally hunting squirrels, Sam and Howie find some diamond rings in a hollow tree and decide to catch the thief. BR 5710.
Kjelgaard, Jim. Big Red.
Seventeen-year-old Danny Pickett takes a shine to a big red Irish setter on a nearby ranch. Naming the dog "Red," he uses him to help hunt a dangerous bear who's been killing livestock. Boys Club Award. BR 12530.
Marsden, John. Tomorrow, When the War Began.
A group of Australian teenagers decide to spend a week in the bush instead of attending the annual fair with their families. At their remote campsite, they notice an unusual number of planes flying over but think nothing of it until they return home. There they find their families gone, their pets left to die, and the phones and electricity out. Some violence. Nevada Young Readers Award. New South Wales Talking Book Award. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 322.
Mazer, Norma. When She Was Good.
After their mother's death and their father's remarriage, Em and her sister, Pamela, run away to the city. At fourteen, Em must support and take care of her abusive, troubled older sister. When Pamela dies a few years later, Em attempts to live a normal life. Some strong language. BR 11537.
Mikaelsen, Ben. Touching Spirit Bear.
To avoid prison after viciously attacking a classmate, fifteen-year-old Cole agrees to a Native American tradition for healing--one year alone on a remote Alaskan island. There Cole confronts a huge white Spirit Bear that changes his life. Some violence. Napra Nautilus Award 2001. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 182.
Mori, Kyoko. One Bird.
After her mother abandons them, fifteen-year-old Megumi tries to understand her father's need for his mistress while dealing with her own aching isolation. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 107.
Mori, Kyoko. Shizuko's Daughter.
After her mother's suicide when she is twelve years old, Yuki spends years living with her distant father and his resentful new wife, cut off from her mother's family, and relying on her own inner strength to cope with the tragedy. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 5.
Myers, Walter D. Monster.
Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon sits in jail accused of being a lookout in a deadly robbery. An aspiring filmmaker, Steve reviews his time in jail as a movie script. He wonders if he has become the monster that the prosecutor has made him out to be. For senior high readers. Coretta Scott King Award 2000. Michael J. Printz Award 2000. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 268.
Neufeld, John. Gaps in Stone Walls.
Deaf twelve-year-old Merry Skiffe, who lives on Martha's Vineyard in the 1880s, runs away from home because she is suspected of having committed a murder. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 21296.
Neufeld, John. Twink.
Harry Walsh, 16, a rather casual "preppy," was shocked and sickened when he met his step-sister, also 16, for the first time--Twink had cerebral palsy. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 158.
Nolan, Han. A Face in Every Window.
After the death of the grandmother who held the family together, fifteen-year-old JP O'Brien is left with his mentally challenged father and free-spirited mother, who decides to change their lives. When she wins an old farmhouse in an essay contest, an assortment of outcasts moves in. 1999. BR 13030.
O'Dell, Scott. Island of the Blue Dolphins.
A young Indian girl is accidentally left behind when her people move on. Karana survives on a bleak, lonely island off the California coast for 18 years, lacking companionship, weapons, even cooking pots. Yet she discovers comfort, beauty, and joy in her solitude. Newbery Medal. BR 6230.
O'Dell, Scott. Sarah Bishop.
After her family is killed by British troops, Sarah flees to the wilderness with a musket for protection. Newbery Medal. BR 5156.
Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet.
Brian, thirteen and troubled by his parents' divorce, is flying in a single-engine plane to visit his father. As Brian is the only passenger, the pilot casually shows him how to fly the plane. When the pilot has a heart attack and dies, Brian must take control. After the plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness, Brian has only the hatchet attached to his belt to help him survive. Newbery Honor Book. Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award. Iowa Teen Award. Mark Twain Award. Maud Hart Lovelace Award. Minnesota Book Awards. Sequoyah Book Award. William Allen White Children's Book Award. BRW 24.
Raskin, Ellen. The Westing Game.
Thy mysterious death of eccentric millionaire Samuel Westing brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they may claim their inheritance. Newbery Medal. Banta Award. BR 6285.
Schmitz, James H. Undercurrents: A Tale of the Hub.
On Orado, planetary seat of the Federation's Overgovernment, Orado University law student Telzey Amberdon's roommate is a major heiress--if she lives to inherit. A murder plot is shaping up against the girl, and looks likely to succeed. Her roommate's guard dog Chomir may not be up to blocking the murderous plot. On his own level Chomir is quite a guardian: an Askanam arena hound. In the big dog's mind are some of the clues that may lead to unraveling the murder plot before it's sprung. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 264.
Shea, Pegi. Tangled Threads: A Hmong Girl's Story.
After 10 long years in a refugee camp in Thailand, 13-year-old Mai Yang and her grandmother join the family in Providence, Rhode Island. Mai Yang soon discovers that adjusting to a new life isn't easy. Drawn to both the Hmong traditions of her past and the excitement promised by the present, she wonders if she will ever find a way to untangle the threads of her life and weave them together into her own story. Brailled by the OSCI Braille Program. BRW 261.
Simak, Clifford D. Way Station.
Enoch Wallace, an immortal Civil War veteran, keeps a secret intergalactic way station in southwest Wisconsin. Hugo Award. BR 3570.
Sones, Sonya. Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy.
A younger sister has a difficult time adjusting to life after her older sister has a mental breakdown. Beehive Young Adults' Book Award. Bluegrass Award. Christopher Book Award. Evergreen Young Adult Book Award. Garden State Teen Book Award. Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Maine Student Book Award. Volunteer State Book Award. BRW 119.
Stratton, Allan. Chandra's Secrets.
Sub-Saharan Africa, early twenty-first century. The very word "AIDS" causes panic in sixteen-year-old Chanda Kabelo's community. But when her mother catches the disease, Chanda defies local conventions to bring her home to die. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. Printz Honor Book 2004. BRW 272.
Temple, Frances. Grab Hands and Run.
After his father disappears, twelve-year-old Felipe, his mother, and his younger sister set out on a difficult and dangerous journey, trying to make their way from their home in El Salvador to Canada. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 16894.
Thomas, Rob. Slave Day.
Relates the events of a southern high school's "Slave Day" auction and fund-raiser, which leads students, teachers, and even community members to rethink their approaches to life. Black-Eyed Susan Book Award. Nevada Young Readers Award. SCASL Book Award (South Carolina). Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 121.
Trueman, Terry. Stuck in Neutral.
14-year-old Shawn McDaniel, who suffers from severe cerebral palsy and cannot communicate, relates his perceptions of his life, his family, and his condition, especially as he comes to suspect his father is planning to kill him. Michael J. Printz Award finalist 2001. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 132.
Werlin, Nancy. The Rules of Survival.
Seventeen-year-old Matthew recounts his attempts, starting at a young age, to free himself and his sisters from the grip of their emotionally and physically abusive mother. A Junior Library Guild selection. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 111.
Woodson, Jacqueline. If You Come Softly.
After meeting at their private school in New York, 15-year-old Jeremiah, who is black and whose parents are separated, and Ellie, who is white and whose mother has twice abandoned her, fall in love. 1998. ALA Best Book for Young Adults. BCCB Blue Ribbon Book. Black-Eyed Susan Book Award. Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award. Volunteer State Book Award. Young Reader Medal. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 126.
Wright, Betty Ren. The Scariest Night.
When her family decides to spend the summer in Milwaukee so that her adopted brother can perfect his genius at a special piano school, Erin finds herself consumed with jealousy and turns to a medium for help. Brailled by VSVH, Inc. BRW 123.
Zolotow, Charlotte. Early Sorrow: Ten Stories of Youth.
Ten short stories about young people whose lives have been somehow touched by sorrow or grief, be it from death, or love, or the recognition of one's own limitations. Included is Katherine Mansfield's classic "The Garden Party," E. L. Doctorow's "The Writer in the Family," and Elizabeth Bowen's "The Visitor." BR 7206.
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