Best Books 2011: Fiction

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December 1, 2011

In This Article

Picture Books

Nonfiction

Adult Books 4 Teens

FICTION

BEDFORD, Martyn. Flip. Random/Wendy Lamb Bks. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73990-0; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-385-90808-5; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89855-6.
Gr 7 Up–Alex, 14, wakes up one day in the body of another teen and must adjust to a new family and surroundings while he tries to figure out what happened and how he might reverse the switch. This engaging, often funny, and at times poignant story grabs readers and doesn’t let go. (June)

BILLINGSLEY, Franny. Chime. Dial. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3552-1.
Gr 7 Up–Even as the Industrial Revolution has modernized much of England, belief in the Old Ones is still deeply rooted in the isolated Swampsea community. Convinced that she is a witch, 17-year-old Briony holds herself accountable for her stepmother’s death and her twin’s injury, until she is befriended by a handsome Londoner who helps her to see her world and herself in a new light. A lush, lyrical, romantic page-turner. (Mar.)

BROSGOL, Vera. Anya’s Ghost. illus. by author. First Second. Tr $19.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-713-5; pap. $15.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-552-0.
Gr 7 Up–Anya, a Russian immigrant, just wants to blend in at her high school. She meets a ghost, who seems friendly at first, but once Emily’s secrets are revealed, things take a surprising turn. This fantastic debut graphic novel has an atmospheric palette and clean, dramatic cartoon lines. (July)

DAVIES, Stephen. Outlaw. Clarion. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-39017-8.
Gr 5-8–Jake and his sister are kidnapped in Burkina Faso, where their father is the British ambassador, and must use ingenuity and their wits to survive. High technology and a modern-day Robin Hood play a part in this political thriller that exposes several social issues facing contemporary West Africa. (Nov.)

DEEDY, Carmen Agra & Randall Wright. The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale. illus. by Barry Moser. Peachtree. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-56145-595-9.
Gr 5-8– A cagey cat with a penchant for cheese pretends to be a mouser at an inn overrun by rodents and frequented by a famous author with writer’s block. Rich in lofty language and vivid characterization, and artfully embellished by Moser’s expressive illustrations, this laugh-out-loud tale is one to savor. (Sept.)

EDWARDSON, Debby Dahl. My Name Is Not Easy. Marshall Cavendish. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-0-7614-5980-4; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-7614-6091-6.
Gr 7 Up–In the early 1960s, an Inupiaq boy is sent from his home near the Arctic Circle to be educated in a Catholic-sponsored school where he struggles with homesickness and alienation as well as strange customs and an unfamiliar language. A heartrending and memorable story of a child who is thrust into a difficult and harsh environment. (Nov.)

GRIFFIN, Paul. Stay with Me. Dial. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3448-7.
Gr 9 Up–Céce dreams of getting an education, but much of her time is consumed with working and caring for her alcoholic mom. Mack has a horrible home life, but is essentially a sweet, if troubled, teen who rehabilitates abused pit bulls. The teens fall in love, only to be separated when violence toward his dog drives Mack over the edge. A powerful and haunting look at sorrow and hope. (Aug.)

HANDLER, Daniel. Why We Broke Up. illus. by Maira Kalman. Little, Brown. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-12725-7; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-19458-7.
Gr 9 Up–A romance gone wrong, a wannabe director drama queen, and a quirky assortment of relationship mementos are all part of this wickedly clever, surprisingly soulful look at young love. Handler’s debut YA novel is smart, sophisticated, and ultimately satisfying. (Nov.)

HILMO, Tess. With a Name Like Love . Farrar/Margaret Ferguson Bks. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-374-38465-4.
Gr 6-8–Olivene Love, the daughter of a traveling preacher, is tired of life on the road. However, when she takes on a mission to prove that a woman accused of murder is innocent, she realizes that family is more important than a place to call home. Set in 1957 Arkansas, this thoughtful story gives a refreshingly optimistic understanding of human nature. (Oct.)

HOWE, James. Addie on the Inside. S & S/Atheneum. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-1384-9.
Gr 6-8–Seventh-grader Addie is comfortable with her outspoken self, even though she annoys and intimidates others. When she participates in the National Day of Silence in support of GLBT teens, she learns that being quiet isn’t all bad. This perceptive novel in verse captures the ups and downs of navigating adolescence while being true to oneself. (Aug.)

HUBBARD, Jenny. Paper Covers Rock . Delacorte. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-385-74055-5; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98954-4; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89942-3.
Gr 9 Up–Alex learns about friendship, loyalty, and the burden of truth in this captivating story set in a boys’ boarding school in the 1980s. The 16-year-old is not certain what happened the day his best friend drowned, yet he feels compelled to hide his part in the tragedy even if it means destroying the career of a young female teacher. (June)

LAI, Thanhha. Inside Out & Back Again. HarperCollins. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-06-196278-3.
Gr 4-6–Ten-year-old Hà and her family flee Saigon and struggle to make a new life in Alabama. Told in verse, the story features a spirited child who misses her homeland and faces bullies, unfriendly people, and perfectly horrid American food. A tender tale, leavened with humor and hope. (Mar.)

MELOY, Colin. Wildwood. Bk. 1. illus. by Carson Ellis. (The Wildwood Chronicles Series). HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-202468-8.
Gr 3-7–When a flock of crows carries off her baby brother, 12-year-old Prue has no choice but to cross the bridge from her Oregon home into the Impassable Wilderness to save him. There, she and a friend become embroiled in a fantastical world of warring creatures, corrupt leaders, and peace-seeking mystics. A fresh and forthright modern fantasy. (Aug.)

NESS, Patrick. A Monster Calls. illus. by Jim Kay. Candlewick. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5559-4. LC 2010040741.
Gr 7 Up–With an absent father and a mother dying of cancer, Conor O’Malley has recurring nightmares that are becoming more and more real, until they transform into a monster that tells him three stories and demands one in return. Eerie illustrations help set the mood in this haunting tale of acceptance, letting go, and healing. (Sept.)

RESAU, Laura & María Virginia Farinango. The Queen of Water. Delacorte. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73897-2; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-385-90761-3; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89680-4.
Gr 9 Up–A seven-year-old indígena goes from her family in the Ecuadoran Andes to be a servant in an urban home, where she is abused verbally and physically. As a teenager, she knows she must escape–but where can she find refuge. A heartbreaking, ultimately uplifting, tale of a young woman who takes her life in her own hands. (June)

ROTH, Veronica. Divergent. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Bks. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-202402-2.
Gr 9 Up–In a futuristic Chicago, the populace is divided into distinct factions, each devoted to a particular virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. At 16, Beatrice parts ways with her family and chooses her own path, only to find that the highly structured society isn’t as perfect she’s been led to believe. A dystopian thriller filled with secrets, suspense, and romance. (June)

RYAN, Amy Kathleen. Glow. Bk. 1. (Sky Chasers Series). St. Martin’s/Griffin. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-312-59056-7; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4299-9842-0.
Gr 9 Up–Two ships are hurtling through the heavens on their way to colonize New Earth. After a violent attack that kills most of the adults, teen lovers Waverly and Kieran are separated and called upon to galvanize and rescue the traumatized younger kids and crews on their respective ships. Weighty issues of power and leadership, compassion and religion fuel this high-stakes, jet-propelled dystopian space opera. (Sept.)

Schmidt, Gary D. Okay for Now. Clarion. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-15260-8; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-53417-6.
Gr 6-9–A forced move from Long Island to upstate New York in the late 1960s leaves Doug Swieteck on his own to deal with his reprehensible dad and bad-boy older brothers. His salvation comes largely from kind strangers who help to nurture his talents and his humanity. Schmidt’s masterful characterization and balance of humor and pathos make this coming-of-age novel so memorable. (Apr.)

SEDGWICK, Marcus. White Crow. Roaring Brook. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-594-0.
Gr 9 Up–Rebecca’s vacation with her father in a small English coastal village takes a dark turn when a strange local girl befriends her. This chilling, compulsive read switches back and forth from the teens’ stories to that of an 18th-century rector obsessed with communicating with corpses. (Aug.)

SELFORS, Suzanne. Smells Like Treasure . Little, Brown. Tr $15.99. ISBN 9787-0-316-04399-1.
Gr 3-7–Aspiring treasure hunter Homer Pudding is thrilled when an invitation to join the Society of Legends, Objects, Secrets, and Treasures (L.O.S.T.) arrives at his family’s goat farm. However, when an opponent challenges him for the slot, Homer sets off on a madcap mission, accompanied by his treasure-sniffing basset hound, to prove his mettle. Zany episodes and fantastic characters add to the fun. (Sept.)

SELZNICK, Brian. Wonderstruck . illus. by author. Scholastic. Tr $29.99. ISBN 978-0-545-02789-2.
Gr 4-8–Young Rose and Ben, both deaf, find themselves at the American Museum of Natural History on similar quests though 50 years apart. Their parallel stories, one told in prose and the other in pictures, eventually intersect, but until they do readers are left hoping that Ben will find a family to love and Rose a place where she belongs. A warm, magical tale done in Selznick’s signature style. (Aug.)

SEPETYS, Ruta . Between Shades of Gray . Philomel. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25412-3.
Gr 8 Up–When teenager Lina and her family are ripped from their home in 1940s Lithuania, it’s only the beginning of a terrible journey that will take her to a labor camp in Siberia as part of Stalin’s forced relocation program. Moving, edifying, and quietly beautiful, Sepetys’s well-researched novel is an exquisite look at a devastating atrocity. (Mar.)

SILVEY, Craig. Jasper Jones. Knopf/Borzoi. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86666-1; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96666-8; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89678-1.
Gr 9 Up–Town outcast Jasper Jones shows 14-year-old Charlie Bucktin his terrible discovery–the body of Jasper’s friend Laura hanging from a tree–and the boys know they must hide her or Jasper will be blamed. A nail-biting tale told with wit and featuring two memorable teens who face difficult and life-altering decisions. (June)

STIEFVATER, Maggie. The Scorpio Races. Scholastic. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-22490-1; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-38827-6.
Gr 8 Up–When the carnivorous capaill uisce, or water horses, rise from the sea each year, the island men prepare to prove their brawn and courage by outrunning the deadly beasts. And now, Kate, the first girl to enter the race, is determined to win it, facing fierce competition from Sean, to whom she is strangely attracted. Intense action, riveting suspense, and two determined protagonists make this a competition to remember. (Nov.)

TAYLOR, Laini. Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Little, Brown. 2011. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-0-316-13402-6; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-19214-9.
Gr 9 Up–An art student in Prague who was raised by demons, 17-year-old Karou has many questions about her past. The appearance of a gorgeous male angel to whom she feels connected adds to her confusion and propels her on a quest to find answers about her heritage, rescue her demon family, and understand where she belongs. A romantic, action-filled fantasy. (Nov.)

URSU, Anne. Breadcrumbs. HarperCollins/Walden Pond. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-201505-1; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-204924-7.
Gr 5-8–When Hazel’s best friend suddenly stops talking to her, she’s devastated. Nonetheless, after Jack is taken by a witch into the woods, she plunges into an icy world filled with people, creatures, and elements that echo the books she loves to rescue him. Imaginative and brave, Hazel is a memorable and feisty heroine. (Nov.)

WYNNE-JONES, Tim. Blink & Caution. Candlewick. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-3983-9; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5455-9.
Gr 9 Up–Caution is hiding from her drug-dealer boyfriend and reeling over her brother’s death. Blink is a street kid who stumbles on what looks like a kidnapping, drawing him into a complicated political plot. When the teens’ paths cross, they decide to help each other, keeping readers on edge the entire way. A masterful noir. (Feb.)

Zarr, Sara. How to Save a Life. Little, Brown. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-03606-1; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-19291-0.
Gr 8 Up–An abused, pregnant teen works her way into the home of a widow bent on adopting her baby despite the misgivings of the woman’s teenage daughter, who is adamantly opposed. How these individuals cope with their feelings and affect one another is an emotionally compelling story of loss, renewal, and the permutations of family. (Dec.)

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