Adult Books for High School Students

Comprised of professionals working with teens in school and public library settings, our committee reads widely and discusses passionately the titles published for adults that we feel will not only speak to young adults' diverse reading tastes but also enrich their lives. The 23 books below were culled from the nearly 300 reviews published in the 'Adult Books for High School Students' section of SLJ throughout 2003. They include memoir, mystery, multicultural settings, short stories, and–this year, for the first time–graphic novels. We hope you agree that these visual treats encompass, expand, and complement the more traditional genres.

ALEXANDER, Dominic. Spellbound: From Ancient Gods to Modern Merlins: A Time Tour of Myth and Magic. Reader's Digest. Tr $26.95. ISBN 0-7621-0379-5.
With a broad cultural perspective and insight into human psychology, the author presents a challenging exploration of the relationship between science and the supernatural. Lavish illustrations, plus sidebars that demystify many occult subjects, make this a solid and fascinating title. (Feb.)

ALEXIE, Sherman. Ten Little Indians: Stories. Grove. Tr $24. ISBN 0-8021-1744-9.
These short stories feature Spokane Indians from many urban walks of life. Alexie's characters include a student, a lawyer, a basketball player, and a feminist mother; their stories might be angry, tragic, humorous, or ironic–but they are all believable, and irresistibly engaging. (Oct.)

BARRY, Max. Jennifer Government: A Novel. Doubleday. Tr $19.95. ISBN 0-385-50759-3.
In a satiric near future, privatization has taken over all aspects of public life. To bring down wrongdoers in Nike, and to avert a world war, a government agent goes on a madcap chase from Australia to London. A hip and funny romp. (Aug.)

DELMAN, Carmit. Burnt Bread and Chutney: Growing up between Cultures: A Memoir of an Indian Jewish Girl. One World. Tr $22.95. ISBN 0-345-44593-7.
The author shares her story of coming of age amid 'an eclectic, often eccentric potpourri of cultures.' Delman's troubled, but ultimately inspiring passage leads her to some universal truths. (Jan.)

DROOKER, Eric. Blood Song: A Silent Ballad. illus. by author. Harcourt/Harvest. pap. $20. ISBN 0-15-600884-X.
Driven by war from their rural home in Southeast Asia, a young woman and her dog ride the ocean curents to a city in the West. A deeply moving graphic novel, masterfully done. (Mar.)

DUMAS, Firoozeh. Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America. Villard. Tr $21.95. ISBN 1-4000-6040-0.
In humorous vignettes, Dumas vividly describes her introduction to American culture. What begins in a lighthearted vein becomes painfully poignant when the family is forced to face the effects of the Iranian hostage crisis. (Nov.)

FOGLIO, Phil & Kaja Foglio. Agatha Heterodyne and the Beetleburg Clank: A Gaslamp Fantasy with Adventure, Romance & Mad Science. illus. by Phil Foglio & Brian Snoddy. (Girl Genius Series). Airship Entertainment. pap. $10. ISBN 1-89085-619-3.
The Heterodyne family 'traveled the globe negotiating peace, stopping monsters, and shutting down doomsday devices' and Agatha, a student lab assistant, must deal with them. A sly and witty graphic novel. (May)

FREY, James. A Million Little Pieces. Nan A. Talese. Tr $22.95. ISBN 0-385-50775-5.
This unflinching memoir of the author's experience in a rehab for numerous addictions is at once horrific and poetic. (Aug.)

HADDON, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-Time. Doubleday. Tr $22.95. ISBN 0-385-50945-6.
A teenage sleuth uses Holmesian deduction to solve the mystery of a murdered dog and mathematical formulas to cope with his own daunting autism. Intriguing, logical, and totally involving. (Oct.)

HOFFMAN, Alice. The Probable Future. Doubleday. Tr $24.95. ISBN 0-385-50760-7.
In a New England family in which generations of women have magical powers, young Stella foresees a murder, a crime that her father is then accused of committing. A complex novel, with elements of magical realism and intriguing characters. (July)

HOSSEINI, Khaled. The Kite Runner. Riverhead. Tr $24.95. ISBN 1-57322-245-3.
Two Afghani friends are victims of a rigid social-class system. The cowardly act of one and the brutal assault on the other result in a haunting story of betrayal, guilt, and ultimate redemption. (Nov.)

KAFKA, Franz. The Metamorphosis. adapt. by Peter Kuper. illus. by adapt. Crown. Tr $18. ISBN 1-4000-4795-1.
The classic story of a man who wakes up as a cockroach is retold in a graphic-novel format. The stark black-and-white illustrations capture both the mood and detail of the original. (Dec.)

KAPLOW , Robert. Me and Orson Welles: A Novel. MacAdam/Cage. Tr $18.50. ISBN 1-93156-149-4.
Richard, 17, spends a hectic week in New York in 1938, where he gets a small part in Julius Caesar at the new Mercury Theatre and meets Orson Welles. Fast paced, entertaining, and very funny. (Dec.)

LAHIRI, Jhumpa. The Namesake: A Novel. Houghton. Tr $24. ISBN 0-395-92721-8.
For young Gogol and his sister, Boston is home, and trips to Calcutta to visit relatives are voyages to a foreign land. This story of assimilation and the tugging of family ties will resonate with teens. (Nov.)

LITTLE, Jason. Shutterbug Follies. illus. by author. Doubleday. Tr $24.95. ISBN 0-385-50346-6.
Plucky Bee turns her job as a photo technician into a sideline as a detective. This graphic novel is a page-turning, pulpy mystery. (Jan.)

MORRIS, Dave & Leo Hartas. Game Art: The Graphic Art of Computer Games. Watson-Guptill. pap. $29.95. ISBN 0-8230-2080-0.
A visual feast for artists, computer programmers, or serious or casual gamers. More than 500 color illustrations dance around a text written in a style slightly more sophisticated than Wired magazine. (Oct.)

PRINGLE, Peter. Food, Inc.: From Mendel to Monsanto–The Promises and Perils of the Biotech Harvest. S & S. Tr $24. ISBN 0-7432-2611-9.
The author satisfies curiosity and engenders concern by presenting the complexities of genetic science, academic politics, and corporate strategies. (Dec.)

ROACH, Mary. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. Norton. Tr $23.95. ISBN 0-393-05093-9.
An in-depth look at the uses of cadavers in everything from medical research and car crashes to updating military technology, spiced with slightly macabre humor. (July)

ROYAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY. Everest: Summit of Achievement . S & S. Tr $50. ISBN 0-7432-4386-2.
This sumptuous, oversized book celebrates the triumphs and tragedies of Everest explorations. The magnificent photographs and the expertly written essays bring the region, its inhabitants, and explorers before readers in vivid detail. (Sept.)

SATRAPI, Marjane. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood. illus. by author. Pantheon. Tr $17.95. ISBN 0-375-42230-7.
An autobiographical graphic novel that vividly conveys the initial hope, subsequent distress, and final fear of adolescent Marjane and her family during the Iranian Revolution and its aftermath. (Aug.)

SHOUP, Barbara. Vermeer's Daughter. Guild. Tr $18.95. ISBN 1-57860-131-2.
This compelling novel, narrated by the fictional daughter of the Dutch painter, shows Vermeer's warm, chaotic household in 17th-century Delft. Creative and independent, Carolina becomes her father's assistant, and discovers her own talent. (Sept.)

SIMON, Rachel. Riding the Bus with My Sister: A True Life Journey. Houghton. Tr $23. ISBN 0-618-04599-6.
Tagging along with her mentally retarded sister on her daily travels and facing the reactions of her fellow travelers, Simon comes to appreciate her sibling's positive qualities while cringing at some of her other behavior. (Feb.)

WINSPEAR, Jacqueline. Maisie Dobbs. Soho. Tr $24. ISBN 1-56947-330-7.
A serving girl gives up the opportunity for a Cambridge education to serve as a nurse during World War I. Period detail, a captivating heroine who becomes a private investigator, and well-drawn secondary characters result in a jolly good read. (Dec.)

(See also SLJ's Best Books 2003)