Rave Reviews for Teens 

These titles have been selected by the Young Adult Librarians In Monroe County (NY). These titles are considered to be among the best books for teens published in 1998-1999. Selections were based upon the excellent quality of the writing as well as on popular appeal. These and other fine books for teenagers are available at your local public library.

Skellig, by David Almond
Michael finds a mysterious man in an abandoned garage at his now home ... but is he really a man? And can he somehow cure Michael’s sick sister?

Speak, by Laurie Anderson
What would cause all of your friends to turn against you? for melinda, a high school freshman, something that happened at a summer party led to her decision to stop speaking to anyone.

Williwah, by Tom Bodett
In their father's absence, September and her brother Ivan disobey orders and get caught out on the Alaska Bay in a fierce storm called a "williwaw."

Love Among the Walnuts, by Joan Ferris
A young man, born and raised in a wealthy, eccentric, funny family, is shocked to find that he, his parents, and their servants have become the victims of a spiteful plot by his greedy uncles to gain control of the estate.

Mind’s Eye, by Paul Fleischman
Courtney, sixteen, paralyzed and living in a nursing home, learns how to live again with the help of her elderly roommate.

Exchange Student, Kate Gilmore
The year is 2049, many years after an environmental crash on earth. Fen, an intergalactic exchange student, seems overly secretive and defensive when Daria, a breeder of endangered species, asks him about wildlife on his planet.

Among the Hidden, Margaret Haddis
Luke discovers that he is not the only "shadow" child in a society where the Population Police strictly limit family size.

When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, Kimberly Willis Holt
Deserted twice in the same summer, thirteen-year-old Toby Wilson finds an unlikely friend in Zachary Beaver, the "world's fattest boy.” By helping Zachary, Toby finds his way through the most difficult and interesting summer of his life.

Adventures of a blue avenger, by Norma Howe
After David Schumacher changed his name to “Blue Avenger,” he found himself taking on the tasks of a superhero in situations requiring quick, clever action. This is a funny book with quirky characters that begs the question, “What causes things to happen-­chance or fate?”

Monster, by Walter Dean Myers
The reader becomes both the juror and witness during the trial of sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon, accused of murder. Is Steve really a "monster" or was be just in the wrong place at the wrong time?   

Tribute to a Dead Rock Star, by Randy Powell
Fifteen-year-old Grady returns to Seattle for a tribute concert to his mother, a rock star who overdosed three years before. He deals with mixed feeling for his retarded brother while beginning to face past and think about his future.

Close to a Killer, by Marsha Qualey
When two murders throw suspicion on the ex-convict employees of the Killer Looks hair salon, Barrie is drawn into the investigation of her mother and friends.

Breaking Rank, by Kristen Randle
Casey's life becomes much more complex when she is assigned to tutor Thomas “Baby” Fairbarin, a member of the Clan a gang of young men who refuse to talk to outsiders or participate in school.

Downsiders,  by Neil Shusterman
Fourteen-year-old Lindsay meets Talon, who lives in a secret city under New York City. The resulting cultural shock for both of them transforms their lives.

Never Trust a Dead Man, by Vivian Vande Velde
A funny, imaginative murder mystery that tells the story of Selwyn, entombed inside the village burial caves along with the rotting corpse of the man he has been wrongfully convicted of murdering.

Hard Love, by Ellen Wittlinger
To escape the tension of his family life, John produces Bananafish, a homemade 'zine, and falls in love with fellow ‘zine writer, Marisol,  a “Puerto Rican Cuban Yankee Lesbian.”