Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Books
The Black-Eyed Susan Award honors outstanding books, chosen annually by Maryland students. The purpose of this award is to promote literacy and lifelong reading habits by encouraging students to read quality, contemporary literature. The books selected to be placed on the list are expected to broaden the human experience and to provide accurate, factual information. Most titles are fiction but a number are nonfiction. The OHS Library has multiple copies of these books and they may be borrowed at any time.
2012-2013 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominees for High School Nominees ANT Antony, John. Five Flavors of Dumb. Eighteen-year-old Piper becomes the manager for her classmates' popular rock band, Called Dumb, giving her the chance to prove her capabilities to her parents and others, if only she can get the band members to get along.
REI Reinhardt, Dana. The Things a Brother Knows. Although they have never gotten along well, seventeen-year-old Levi follows his older brother Boaz, an ex-Marine, on a walking trip from Boston to Washington, D.C. in hopes of learning why Boaz is completely withdrawn.
ROT Roth, Veronica. Divergent. In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.
SCH Schreiber, Joe. Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick. Perry's parents insist that he take Gobi, their quiet, Lithuanian exchange student, to senior prom but after an incident at the dance he learns that Gobi is actually a trained assassin who needs him as a henchman, behind the wheel of his father's precious Jaguar, on a mission in Manhattan.
SEP Sepetys, Ruta. Between Shades of Gray. In 1941, 15-year-old Lina, her mother, and brother are pulled from their Lithuanian home by Soviet guards and sent to Siberia, where her father is sentenced to death in a prison camp while she fights for her life, vowing to honor her family and the thousands like hers by burying her story in a jar on Lithuanian soil. Based on the author's family; includes a historical note
SHU Shuster, Neil.Bruiser. Inexplicable events start to occur when 16-year-old twins Tennyson and Bronte befriend a troubled and misunderstood outcast, aptly nicknamed Bruiser, and his little brother, Cody. . 616 SKL Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. This nonfiction book examines the experiences of the children and husband of Henrietta Lacks, who, 20 years after her death from cervical cancer in 1951, learned doctors and researchers took cells from her cervix without consent which were used to create the immortal cell line known as the HeLa cell. It provides an overview of Henrietta's life and explores issues of experimentation on African-Americans and bioethics.
STI Stiefvater, Maggie. The Scorpio Races. It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.
STO Stork, Francisco X. The Last Summer of the Death Warriors. Seventeen-year-old Pancho is bent on avenging the senseless death of his sister, but after he meets D.Q, who is dying of cancer, and Marisol, one of D.Q.'s caregivers, both boys find their lives changed by their interactions.
SUP Supplee, Suzanne. Somebody Everybody Listens to. Upon graduating from high school in the tiny town of Starling, Tennessee, aspiring country singer Retta Lee Jones manages to get herself to Nashville, where, in spite of some bad luck and hard times, she tries to persevere in pursuing her dreams.
2011-2012 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominees for High School Winner HEN Henry, April. Girl, Stolen. When an impulsive carjacking turns into a kidnapping, Griffin, a high school dropout, finds himself more in sympathy with his wealthy, blind victim, 16-year-old Cheyenne, than with his greedy father. Nominees AVA Avasthi, Swati. Split. A teenaged boy, thrown out of his house by his abusive father, goes to live with his older brother, who ran away from home years earlier under similar circumstances.
BAC Bacigalupi, Paola. Ship Breaker. In a futuristic world, teenaged Nailer scavenges copper wiring from grounded oil tankers for a living, but when he finds a beached clipper ship with a girl in the wreckage, he has to decide if he should strip the ship for its wealth or rescue the girl.
BRO Brown, Jennifer. Hate List. Sixteen-year-old Valerie, whose boyfriend Nick committed a school shooting at the end of their junior year, struggles to cope with integrating herself back into high school life, unsure herself whether she was a hero or a villain.
CAR Carbone, Elisa. Jump. Two teenaged runaways meet at a climbing gym and together embark on a dangerous and revealing journey.
FLY Flinn, Alex. A Kiss in Time. Sixteen-year-old Princess Talia persuades Jack, the modern-day American who kissed her awake after a 300-hundred-year sleep, to take her to his Miami home, where she hopes to win his love before the witch who cursed her can spirit her away.
JAR Jarzab, Anna. All Unquiet Things. After the death of his ex-girlfriend Carly, northern California high school student Neily joins forces with Carly's cousin Audrey to try to solve her murder.
MAG Magoon, Kekla. The Rock and the River. In 1968 Chicago, 14-year-old Sam Childs is caught in a conflict between his father's nonviolent approach to seeking civil rights for African-Americans and his older brother, who has joined the Black Panther Party.
STA Standiford, Natalie. How to Say Goodbye in Robot. After moving to Baltimore and enrolling in a private school, high school senior Beatrice befriends a quiet loner with a troubled family history.
STO Stork, Francisco X. Marcelo in the Real World. Marcelo Sandoval, a 17-year-old boy on the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum, faces new challenges, including romance and injustice, when he goes to work for his father in the mailroom of a corporate law firm.
2010-2011 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominees for High School Winner COL Collins, Suzanne. Hunger Games. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen accidentally becomes a contender in the annual Hunger Games, a grave competition hosted by the Capitol where young boys and girls are pitted against one another in a televised fight to the death. Nominees BAC Bachorz, Pam. Candor. For a fee, "model teen" Oscar Banks has been secretly--and selectively--sabotaging the subliminal messages that program the behavior of the residents of Candor, Florida, until his attraction to a rebellious new girl threatens to expose his subterfuge.
FOR Forman, Gayle. If I Stay. While in a coma following an automobile accident that killed her parents and younger brother, 17- year-old Mia, a gifted cellist, weights whether to live with her grief or join her family in death.
GRE Green, John. Paper Towns. One month before graduating from his Central Florida high school, Quentin "Q" Jacobsen basks in the predictable boringness of his life until the beautiful and exciting Margo Roth Spiegelman, Q's neighbor and classmate, takes him on a midnight adventure and then mysteriously disappears.
KOR Korman, Gordon. Pop. Lonely after a midsummer move to a new town, sixteen-year-old high-school quarterback Marcus Jordan becomes friends with a retired professional linebacker who is great at training him, but whose childish behavior keeps Marcus in hot water.
MAD Madigan, M. L. Flash Burnout. Fifteen-year-old amateur photographer Blake gains self-awareness through his relationships with a girlfriend and a friend who he helps come to terms with her feelings about her homeless, methamphetamine-addicted mother.
MAN Mancuis, Maryianne. Gamer Girl. Struggling to fit in after her parents' divorce sends her from Boston to her grandmother's house in the country, 16-year-old Maddy forms a manga club at school and falls in love through an online fantasy game.
SMI Smith, Sherri L. Flygirl. During World War II, a light-skinned African American girl "passes" for white in order to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots.
STI Stiefvater, Maggie. Shiver. In all the years she has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house, Grace has been particularly drawn to an unusual yellow-eyed wolf who, in his turn, has been watching her with increasing intensity.
WAY Wyatt, Melissa. Funny How Things Change. Remy, a talented, 17-year-old auto mechanic, questions his decision to join his girlfriend when she starts college in Pennsylvania, after a visiting artist helps him realize what his family home in a dying West Virginia mountain town means to him.
2009-2010 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominees for High School Winner SHU Shusterman, Neal. Unwind. Three teens embark upon a cross-country journey in order to escape from a society that salvages body parts from children ages 13 to 18. Nominees ABE Abel-Fattah, Randa. Does My Head Look Big in This? Year 11 at an exclusive prep school in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, would be tough enough, but it is further complicated for Amal when she decides to wear the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, full-time as a badge of her faith--without losing her identity or sense of style.
BRA Bradbury, Jennifer. Shift. When best friends Chris and Win go on a cross country bicycle trek the summer after graduating and only one returns, the FBI wants to know what happened.
DRA Draper, Sharon. November Blues. A teenaged boy's death in a hazing accident has lasting effects on his pregnant girlfriend and his guilt-ridden cousin, who gives up a promising music career to play football during his senior year in high school.
HAR Harmon, Michael. The Last Exit to Normal. Yanked out of his city life and plunked down in a small Montana town with his newly outed father and his father's boyfriend, seventeen-year-old Ben, angry and resentful about the changed circumstances of his life, begins to notice something is not quite right with the little boy next door and determines to figure out what is going on.
LIP Lipsyte, Robert. Yellow Flag. When 17-year-old Kyle reluctantly succumbs to family pressure and replaces his injured brother in the family racecar, he struggles to keep up with his trumpet playing while deciding how--or if--he can continue making music with a brass quintet and headlines as a Nascar racer.
MAR Marr, Melissa. Wicked Lovely. Seventeen-year-old Aislinn, who has the rare ability to see fairies, is drawn against her will into a centuries-old battle by Keenan, the terrifying but alluring Summer King, who determines that she must become his queen and save summer from perishing.
MIT Mitchard, Jacquelyn. All We Know of Heaven. Sixteen-year-old best friends Maureen and Bridget are in a terrible accident where Bridget dies and is incorrectly identified as Maureen; but when Maureen recovers, she must deal with the repercussions of the accident as well as the loss of her best friend.
PLU Plum-Ucci, Carol. Streams of Babel. Six teens face a bioterrorist attack on American soil as four are infected with a mysterious disease affecting their small New Jersey neighborhood and two others, both brilliant computer hackers, assist the United States Intelligence Coalition in tracking the perpetrators.
SON Sonnenblick, Jordan. Notes from the Midnight Driver. After being assigned to perform community service at a nursing home, 16-year-old Alex befriends a cantankerous old man who has some lessons to impart about jazz guitar playing, love, and forgiveness.
2008-2009 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominees for High School Winner PFE Pfeffer, Susan Beth. Life As We Knew It. Through journal entries 16-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Nominees FER Ferguson, Alane. The Christopher Killer: A Forensic Mystery. On the payroll as an assistant to her coroner father, 17-year old Cameryn Mahoney uses her knowledge of forensic medicine to catch the killer of a friend while putting herself in terrible danger.
FLI Flinn, Alex. Diva. Despite her mother's objections, 16-year-old Caitlin is determined to pursue her dream of becoming an opera singer by attending a performing arts school in Miami.
HAR Harmon, Michael. Skate. Facing a disintegrating home life and trouble at school, teenager Ian McDermott runs away with his younger brother to Washington State in search of safety, justice, and their long-absent father.
HAR Hartinger, Brent. Grand & Humble. Alternating chapters follow the lives of two high school boys, whose recent nightmares and premonitions of disaster are linked to mysterious past events.
HAU Hautman, Pete. Rash. In a future society that has decided it would "rather be safe than free," 16-year-old Bo's anger management problems land him in a tundra jail where he survives with the help of his running skills and an artificial intelligence program named Bork.
MCC McCormick, Patricia. Sold. Thirteen-year-old Lakshmi leaves her poor mountain home in Nepal thinking that she is to work in the city as a maid only to find that she has been sold into the sex slave trade in India and that there is no hope of escape.
MCK McKernan, Victoria. Shackleton’s Stowaway. This fictionalized account depicts the adventures of 18-year-old Perce Blackborow, who stowed away for the 1914 Shackleton Antarctic expedition and, after their ship Endurance was crushed by ice, endured many hardships, including the loss of his toes to frostbite, during the nearly two-year return journey across sea and ice.
THA Tharp, Tim. Knights of the Hill Country. In his senior year, high school star linebacker Hampton Greene finally begins to think for himself and discovers that he might be interested in more than just football.
2007-2008 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominees for High School Winner MEY Meyer, Stephanie. Twilight. When 17-year-old Bella leaves Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Washington, she meets an exquisitely handsome boy at school for whom she feels an overwhelming attraction and who she comes to realize is not wholly human. Nominees ALP Alphin, Elaine Marie. The Perfect Shot. Brian uses basketball to block out memories of his girlfriend and her family who were murdered; however, the upcoming trial and a high school history assignment force him to face the past.
COL Cole, Stephen. Thieves Like Us. After being plucked from a juvenile prison facility in the middle of the night, Jonah Wish is initiated into a group of teenage thieves, headed by Nathaniel Coldhardt, who coordinates a lavish lifestyle for misfits and sends them on assignments around the globe.
DES Dessen, Sarah. Just Listen: A Novel. Isolated from friends who believe the worst because she has not been truthful with them, 16-year-old Annabel finds an ally in classmate Owen, whose honesty and passion for music help her to face and share what really happened at the end-of-the-year party that changed her life.
DRA Draper, Sharon M. Copper Sun. Two 15-year-old girls--one a slave and the other an indentured servant--escape their Carolina plantation and try to make their way to Fort Moses, Florida, a Spanish colony that gives sanctuary to slaves.
HAU Hautman, Pete. Invisible. Even though they are complete opposites, 17-year-old outcast Doug Hanson and football star Andy Morrow are best friends who share a secret that bonds them together.
JOH Johnson, Maureen. 13 Little Blue Envelopes. When 17-year-old Ginny receives a packet of mysterious envelopes from her favorite aunt, she leaves New Jersey to criss-cross Europe on a sort of scavenger hunt that transforms her life.
KLA Klass, David. Dark Angel. When his older brother is released from prison, 17-year-old Jeff's family secret is revealed, causing upheaval in his home, school and love life.
LEV Levitin, Sonia. The Goodness Gene. As son of the Compassionate Director of the Dominion of the Americas, Will, along with his twin brother Berk, has been groomed for leadership in a society that values genetic fitness, but he encounters information which causes him to question that society as well as his own identity.
WES Westerfield, Scott. Uglies. Tally is faced with a difficult choice when her new friend Shay decides to risk life on the outside rather than submit to the forced operation that turns 16 year old girls into gorgeous beauties, and realizes that there is a whole new side to the pretty world that she doesn't like.
2006-2007 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominees for High School Winner PIC Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper. Conceived to provide a bone marrow match for her leukemia-stricken sister, teenage Kate begins to question her moral obligations in light of countless medical procedures and decides to fight for the right to make decisions about her own body. Nominees ATW Atwater-Rhodes, Amelia. Hawksong. In a land that has been at war so long that no one remembers the reason for fighting, the shapeshifters who rule the two factions agree to marry in the hope of bringing peace, despite deep-seated fear and distrust of each other.
BRA Bradley, Alex. 24 Girls in 7 Days. When the love of his life rejects his invitation to the senior prom, Jack Grammar's so- called best friends pose as Jack and run a personal ad in the online school newspaper soliciting a date. At first, the teen is not amused, but he agrees to go along with the plan because his friends have a list of girls eager to go out with him. In fact, it is hard to avoid the young ladies who descend on him without warning.
CHO Chotjewitz, David. Daniel Half Human and the Good Nazi. In 1933, 13-year-old Daniel, the well-to-do son of a prominent lawyer, and his working-class best friend, Armin, are wildly enthusiastic about the Nazis' rise to power. Both boys are eager to join the Hitler Youth, despite their parents' opposition. Daniel is horrified when his parents reveal that his mother is Jewish. He is furious with her for being Jewish, with his father for marrying "that Jewess," and with himself for being someone considered only half human according to the Aryan doctrine. While Daniel's father insists his status as a decorated World War I hero will protect his family, his mother urges her husband to emigrate. Armin, torn between loyalty to his best friend and pressure from Nazi leadership to sever his ties with Daniel, does his best to warn him of approaching danger.
GIL Giles, Gail. Dead Girls Don't Write Letters. Fourteen-year-old Sunny is stunned when a stranger shows up at her house posing as her older sister Jazz, who supposedly died in a fire months ago.
PER Perkins, Mitali. Monsoon Summer. Secretly in love with her best friend and business partner Steve, 15-year-old Jazz must spend the summer away from him when her family goes to India during that country’s rainy season to help set up a clinic.
SIM Simmons, Michael. Pool Boy. When his father is arrested for insider trading and his family loses all their money, Brett Gerson takes a job as an assistant to a 70-something pool cleaner in his formerly wealthy California neighborhood and learns some valuable life lessons.
STR Stratton, Allan. Chanda's Secrets. Chanda, 16, remembers the good times, when she lived with both parents on a cattle post in sub-Saharan Africa and even later on when her family moved to Bonang. Her family's troubles began after her father was killed in the diamond mines. Her first stepfather abused her; the second died of a stroke; the third is a drunken philanderer. Although Chanda lives in a world in which illness and death have become commonplace, it is not one in which AIDS can be mentioned. The horror and desperation of families facing this disease is brought home when her latest stepfather's sister dumps the dying man in front of their shantytown house.
WIT Wittlinger, Ellen. Heart on My Sleeve. Eighteen-year-old, Boston-born, singer-songwriter Chloe visits a college in Connecticut as a prospective student and meets the dreamy singer-actor Julian from Florida. The two share an intense, somewhat smooch-filled weekend that blossoms into an online romance. Inconveniently, Chloe already has a boyfriend. And both of them have prom, graduation, and summer jobs to contend with. A bouquet of ill-timed roses exposes Chloe’s secret tryst, but the revelations don’t stop here.
WOO Woods, Brenda. Emako Blue. Monterey, Savannah, Jamal, and Eddie have never had much to do with each other until Emako Blue shows up at a chorus practice, but just as the lives of the five Los Angeles high school students become intertwined, tragedy tears them apart.
2005-2006 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominees for High School Winner SHU Shusterman, Neal. Full Tilt. Though brothers, 16-year-old Blake is cautious and 13-year-old Quinn is always pushing toward the edge. Yet when Quinn’s fate becomes linked to an unusual amusement park, it is Blake who must reach out beyond his safety zone or face losing his brother and his friends. Nominees CRI Crist-Evans, Craig. Amaryllis. Jimmy is trying to sort out the familial relationships in his life. His dad, when drinking— which seems to be always, is mean, angry, and dictatorial. His mom avoids life, concentrating on her “moon tan.” Frank, his much-admired older brother, reveals through his letters that he is losing his soul in the jungles of Vietnam. And Jimmy? He just wants to know who he is.
GIL Giles, Gail. Shattering Glass. Simon is fat, ugly, and nerdy. Rob is handsome, athletic, and charismatic. So when Rob decides to reinvent Simon by making him into one of the school’s elite, he and the other s are not prepared for the results. What Rob forgets is that Simon is smart--very smart--and worse yet, he has learned Rob’s secret. A clash of wills is inevitable and the results are tragic.
HOF Hoffman, Mary. Stravaganza: City of Masks. The Duchessa of Bellezza, about to “marry” the sea for the 25th time, catches sight of a young girl who reminds her of all she has lost. It is this young girl, Arianna, and her strange, young time-traveling friend, Lucien, who change the Duchessa’s predictable life.
MAC Mackler, Carolyn. The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things. Virginia Shreves feels that she can’t live up to others in her family and, in fact, wonders if she was switched at birth: she’s overweight and blond while they’re slim and brunette. When Virginia’s older god-like brother is suspended from college for date rape, Virginia begins to question her worship of family members and makes some freeing decisions on her own.
PEC Peck, Richard. The River Between Us. Young Howard Leland Hutchings learns his father’s true history when he makes a special trip to his father’s old home “astride the Devil’s Backbone.” He meets his grandmother Tilly, her husband Doctor Hutchings (his grandfather), Noah (Tilly’s twin brother), and Noah’s wife Delphine. He also discovers his family secret.
PRO Prose, Francine. After. Nothing has been the same at Central High since the student shootings at Pleasant Valley High, 50 miles away. Tom begins to wonder what is happening to his school, to his friends, and even to his father. His school implements new strict rules enforced by Dr. Wilner, the grief and crisis counselor. And the number of emails that the parents are receiving from the school seems to be having a curious, disconnecting effect on them. His friends are disappearing and he is worried.
SCH Schreiber, Ellen. Vampire Kisses. Since she was five, Raven has known that she wants to be a vampire. Now, with the arrival of the new inhabitants fresh from Romania living in the old mansion on the hill, she might have her chance, but only if she can defeat Trevor, her life-long nemesis. So it’s Goth vs. Prep – who will win?
TRU Trueman, Terry. Inside Out. Zach has problems. First, he is caught in the middle of a holdup. Second, he is schizophrenic and needs his meds. Third, his schizophrenia causes him to exist in two worlds: the world of Dirtbag and Rat in which he is a “wasteioid” and the everday world where he is that weird kid or untrustworthy idiot. So when the holdup goes bad, Zach offers to be held hostage, not realizing the danger he is in.
WER Werlin, Nancy. Double Helix. Eli has decided not to go to college right after high school. In fact, he has “lucked” into a job with Dr. Wyatt, a Nobel-prize- winning molecular biologist. His girlfriend is happy about it but not his dad, who objects vehemently. Eli realizes there is some link from the past with Wyatt and his mother’s Huntington’s disease. But what is it and is it still important today?
2004-2005 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominees for High School Winner BEC Bechard, Margaret. Hanging on to Max. In his sophomore year, Sam Pettigrew had been looking forward to making the football team, going to college, and making it with his girlfriend. Only nothing works out. Brittany, his girlfriend, gets pregnant and Sam is forced to reassess what he wants out of life. He now has to give up dreams of college because he decides not to let Brittany give up the baby. Sam elects to "hang onto Max." Nominees AUC Auch, Mary Jane. Ashes of Roses. The Nolans leave Ireland to seek the "American" dream. However, once they arrive on Ellis Island, Dad is forced to return to Ireland with his young son, Joseph, who has signs of trachoma. Meanwhile his wife and three daughters find shelter with Dad’s brother Patrick and his ‘new’ German wife and two daughters, who are not welcoming. Eventually, Mom decides to return to Ireland; however, Margaret Rose is determined to stay in New York. She knows that if she returns to Ireland, she will be expected to get married and start having babies. She wants to determine her own fate. Her younger sister, Maureen, is equally determined to stay
COL Coleman, Evelyn. Born in Sin. Fourteen-year-old Keisha has always been the "good girl," the smart one. Now, she is beginning to doubt that her smartness and goodness will get her out of the life of poverty that surrounds her. She must come to terms with her missing father and her mother’s need to do it all alone. Can she avoid making the same mistakes that her sister, Rhenda, and her mother made? Can she ‘blend’ the white world with her black world? And can she survive the code of her neighborhood and still succeed as a possible Olympic swimmer and a potential doctor?
ELL Elliott, Laura. Under a War-Torn Sky. Young Henry, 19, is the youngest co-pilot in his squadron. Yet, it is his youth that helps him most when his plane is shot down behind enemy lines. Despite a bad ankle and his father’s negative voice in his head, Henry chooses to make the attempt to return home through enemy territory.
HAL Halam, Ann. Dr. Franklin’s Island. Painfully shy, Semirah Garson wonders as the plane heads for Ecuador why she wanted to go to there with Planet Savers. Then the plane crashes leaving Semirah, Miranda, and Arnie trapped on what they think is a deserted island, facing the need to survive or die. Enter, Dr. Franklin who is in need of "volunteers" for his genetic research. Semirah’s nightmare truly begins.
KLA Klass, David. Home of the Braves. High school senior Joe Brickman sees himself as incredibly average and knows that instead of going to college (he can’t stand sitting anymore) that he is going in the car wash business with his dad Suddenly, Joe has begun to realize that he likes his best friend Kris more as a girl than as a buddy. He is reluctant to act on his feelings until a soccer phenom shows up at Lawndale High School and begins to dominate not only the field, but Kris as well. Then, Joe learns what is important.
KOR Korman, Gordon. Son of the Mob. Kendra and Vince are star-crossed lovers. She is the daughter of the FBI agent who is listening in on the family of Vince, the son of the mob king. At first, Vince elects not to tell Kendra who he is until they almost run into her father at the mall. In addition to romantic troubles, Vince has “family” problems at home. He just doesn’t want to be a part of the "vending machine " business. However, he is inadvertently drawn in and the results are a real eye-opener for him.
OAT Oates, Joyce Carol. Big Mouth & Ugly Girl. Matt, though well liked, laughs at the wrong moment and becomes belligerent when he should be cooperative. Ursula is a burning mass of insecurities and total confidence—a dangerous combination. So, when Matt is accused of “threatening to blow up the school," it is Ursula, after a great deal of thought, who comes to his rescue by telling them what she had overheard Matt actually say. Matt tries to thank her, but she brushes him off, uncomfortable with her role as his “savior.” Eventually, Ursula and Matt do get together only to clash when Matt asks Ursula to tell him the "truth." And she does...
ROT Rottman. S. L. Stetson. Stetson, 17 and on the verge of being thrown out of school, has two dreams: one to graduate, which no one else in his family has; and two, to finish fixing up his car, which he keeps padlocked in a shed. Stet’s only friend is the owner of the salvage yard where he works and has worked since he was eight. Just when Stet thinks that things might work out, he discovers that he has a younger sister, his dad might lose his job, and that Jason is very, very sick.
WIL Wild, Margaret. Jinx . Tired of being the “good girl,” Jen seeks to have fun. She meets Charlie who seems to also appeal to her friends Serena (the cool and the aloof) and Ruthless (the truth seeker). Unexpectedly, Charlie kills himself. Later, when Jen’s next boyfriend is accidentally killed, the kids at school start calling Jen "jinx." Jen then seeks to "live" up to her new nickname while trying to deal with her suppressed feelings of depression, rejection, and worthlessness. (This is written in verse.)
WIL Wilhelm, Kate. Desperate Measures. Alex is a "freak," at least physically. Despite this, Dr. Graham accepts Alex as a patient and, eventually, a friend. They leave New York together and settle in Oregon. There they live peacefully until Alex is accused of murdering his neighbor, Gus Marchand, who referred to Alex as the devil’s spawn and a freak. It takes Barbara, Alex’s lawyer, Frank, her dad, and loyal Bailey to save Alex and the children of Gus.
2003-2004 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominees and Winner for High School Winner FLI Flinn, Alex. Breathing Underwater. Sent to counseling for his hitting his girlfriend Caitlin and ordered to keep a journal, 16- year-old Nick recounts his relationship with Caitlin, examines his controlling behavior and anger, and describes living with his abusive father. Nominees BEL Bell, Hilari. Matter of Profit. Sick of the horrors of conquering beings on other planets, Ahvrem will end his service as a soldier and save his sister from an unhappy marriage if he can discover who is behind a rumored plot to assassinate the Emperor.
BRO Brooks, Bruce. All that Remains. Three novellas explore the effect of death on young lives.
COR Cormier, Robert. Rag and Bone Shop. Trent, an ace interrogator from Vermont, works to procure a confession from an introverted 12-year-old accused of murdering his seven-year-old friend in Monument, Massachusetts.
FER Ferris, Jean. Of Sound Mind. Tired of interpreting for his deaf family and resentful of their reliance on him, high school senior Theo finds support and understanding from Ivy, a new student who also has a deaf parent.
GRI Grimes. Nikki. Bronx Masquerade. While studying the Harlem Renaissance, students at a Bronx high school read aloud poems they’ve written, revealing their innermost thoughts and fears to their former clueless classmates.
NIX Nix, Garth. Lirael: Daughter of the Clayr. Fourteen-year-old Lirael is the only one of a community of clairvoyant women in the Old Kingdom not to be gifted with "the Sight," and the mystery of her parentage contributes to her alienation. (Sequel to Sabriel)
TAS Tashin, Janet. Gospel According to Larry. 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 the web site that is receiving attention.
TIN Tingle, Rebecca. Edge of the Sword. In 9th century Britain, 15-year-old Aethelflaed, daughter of King Alfred of West Saxony, finds she must assume new responsibilities much sooner than expected when she is betrothed to Ethelred of Mercia in order to strengthen a strategic alliance against the Danes.
ZIS Zusak, Markus. Fighting Ruben Wolfe. Two teenaged Australian brothers become embroiled in the ruthless world of sleazy, underground boxing.
2002-2003 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominees and Winners for High School Winner BRA Brashares, Ann. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Carmen decides to discard an old pair of jeans, but Tibby, Lena, and Bridget think they are great and decide that whoever the pants fit best will get them. When the jeans fit everyone perfectly, a sisterhood and a memorable summer begin. Nominees AND Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. A traumatic event near the end of the summer has a devastating effect on Melinda's freshman year in high school.
CRU Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk. Intellectually and athletically gifted, TJ, a multiracial, adopted teenager, shuns organized sports and the gung-ho athletes at his high school until he agrees to form a swimming team and recruits some of the school's less popular students.
DES Dessen. Sarah. Dreamland. After her older sister runs away, 16-year-old Caitlin decides that she needs to make a major change in her own life and begins an abusive relationship with a boy who is mysterious, brilliant, and dangerous.
KON Konigsburg, E. L. Silent To the Bone. When he is wrongly accused of gravely injuring his baby half-sister, 13-year-old Branwell loses his power of speech and only his friend Connor is able to reach him and uncover the truth about what really happened.
PLU Plum-Ucci, Carol. The Body of Christopher Creed. Torey Adams, a high school junior with a seemingly perfect life, struggles with doubts and questions surrounding the mysterious disappearance of the class outcast.
SCH Schwartz, Virginia Frances. Send One Angel Down. A young slave tries to hide the horrors of slavery from his younger cousin, a light-skinned slave who is the daughter of the plantation owner.
TRU Trueman, Terry. Stuck in Neutral. Fourteen-year-old Shawn McDaniel, who suffers from severe cerebral palsy and cannot function, relates his perceptions of his life, his family, and his condition, especially as he believes his father is planning to kill him.
SPI Spinelli, Jerry. Stargirl. Stargirl, a teen who animates quiet Mica High with her colorful personality, suddenly finds herself shunned for her refusal to conform.
2001-2002 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominees and Winner for High School Winner WOO 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 and then try to cope with peoples' reactions. Nominees BRO Brooks, Martha. Being With Henry. Forced out of his home by a disagreeable and bullying stepfather, 16-year-old Laker moves to another town and strikes up an unexpected friendship with a frail but determined old man.
CAR Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Shadow. Bean must overcome his past and prove to the recruiters at the Battle School that he can help save the planet from an alien invasion.
SC Dirty laundry: Stories About Family Secrets. A collection of 11 short stories by various authors dealing with DIR situations which a family or family member tries to keep secret because of an underlying problem.
HOW Howe, Norma. The Adventures of Blue Avenger: A Novel. On his 16th birthday, still trying to cope with the unexpected death of his father, David Schumacher decides--or does he--to change his name to Blue Avenger, hoping to find a way to make a difference in his Oakland neighborhood and in the world.
MYE Myers, Walter Dean. Hoops. A teenage basketball player from Harlem is befriended by a former professional player who, after being forced to quit because of a point shaving scandal, hopes to prevent other young athletes from repeating his mistake.
921 Opdyke, Irene Gut. In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer. Recounts the experiences of the author who, OPD as a young Polish girl, hid and saved Jews during the Holocaust.
QUA Qualey, Marsha. Close To A Killer. Seventeen-year-old Barrie finds herself involved in a string of murders that are somehow connected to her mother's hair salon.
RAN Randle, Kristen D. Breaking Rank. Seventeen-year-old Casey has some of her preconceived notions challenged when she begins to tutor Baby, a member of a gang-like non-conformist society called the Clan.
WIT Wittlinger, Ellen. Hard Love. After starting to publish a zine in which he writes his secret feelings about his lonely life and his parents' divorce, 16-year-old John meets an unusual girl and begins to develop a healthier personality.
2000-2001 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Winners & Nominees for High School Winners DES Dessen, Sarah. Someone Like You. Halley's junior year of high school includes the death of her best friend Scarlett's boyfriend, the discovery that Scarlett is pregnant, and Halley's own first serious relationship.
WER Werlin, Nancy. The Killer's Cousin. After being acquitted of murder, 17-year-old David goes to stay with relatives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he finds himself forced to face his past as he learns more about his strange young cousin Lily. Nominees BAU Bauer, Joan. Rules of the Road. Sixteen-year-old Jenna gets a job driving the elderly owner of a chain of successful shoe stores from Chicago to Texas to confront the son who is trying to force her to retire and along the way Jenna hones her talents as a saleswoman and finds the strength to face her alcoholic father.
CAR Carter, Alden R. Bull Catcher. Pete and Jeff continue their friendship and love of baseball as they progress from ninth grade through high school in their small Wisconsin town.
COR Cormier, Robert. Heroes: a Novel. After joining the army at 15 and having his face blown away by a grenade in a battle in France, Francis returns home to Frenchtown hoping to find--and kill--the former childhood hero he feels betrayed him.
FLE Fleischman, Paul. Whirligig. While traveling to each corner of the country to build a whirligig in memory of the girl whose death he caused, 16-year-old Brian finds forgiveness and atonement.
GIL Gilstrap, John. At All Costs. Jake and Carolyn Brighton have been on the run for 14 years when the FBI discovers that they are wanted for murdering their friends and causing an ecological disaster; Jake and Carolyn must decide whether to keep running from the law, or to turn themselves in for the sake of their son, Travis.
KOO Koontz, Dean R. (Dean Ray), 1945-. Fear Nothing. Christopher Snow's condition makes it impossible for him to be out in sunlight, so he spends his nights wandering around Moonlight Bay observing the nocturnal habits of his neighbors, and when he witnesses a bizarre crime, he realizes he is the only one who can solve it.
MYE Myers, Walter Dean, 1937-. Monster. While on trial as an accomplice to a murder, 16-year-old Steve Harmon records his experiences in prison and in the courtroom in the form of a film script as he tries to come to terms with the course his life has taken.
THO 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 their lives.
1999-2000 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Winner & Nominees for High School Winner KLA Klass, David. Danger Zone. When he joins a predominantly African-American "Teen Dream Team" that will be representing the United States in an international basketball tournament in Rome, Jimmy Doyle makes some unexpected discoveries about prejudice, racism and politics. Nominees 921 Chambers, Veronica. Mama's Girl. Memoir of the author's life growing up as an overachiever in an underpriviledged CHA family, chronicling the blessed relationship she forged with her mother after her father deserted the family.
HAD Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Leaving Fishers. After joining her new friends in the religious group called Fishers of Men, Dorry finds herself immersed in a cult from which she must struggle to extricate herself.
811 Glenn, Mel. The Taking of Room 114: A Hostage Drama in Poems. A series of poems reflect the thoughts of school GLE officials, parents, police, and especially a class of seniors who have been taken hostage by their high school history teacher.
KLA Klause, Annette Curtis. Blood and Chocolate. Having fallen for a human boy, a beautiful teenage werewolf must battle both her packmates and the fear of the townspeople to decide where she belongs and with whom.
796.52 Krakauer, Jon. Into Thin Air: a Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster. The author relates his experience of KRA climbing Mount Everest during its deadliest season and examines what it is about the mountain that makes people willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense.
McD McDonald, Joyce. Swallowing Stones. Dual perspectives reveal the aftermath of 17-year-old Michael MacKenzie's birthday celebration, during which he discharges an antique Winchester rifle and unknowingly kills the father of high school classmate Jenna Ward.
PAU Paulsen, Gary. Soldier's Heart: a Novel of the Civil War. Eager to enlist, 15-year-old Charley has a change of heart after experiencing both the physical horrors and mental anguish of Civil War combat.
PAU Pausewang, Gudrun. The Final Journey. During World War II, 11-year-old Alice, whose life has been sheltered and comfortable, discovers some important things about herself and the people she meets when she and her grandfather board a train and begin an increasingly intolerable journey to an unknown destination.
THO Thomas, Rob. Rats Saw God. In hopes of graduating, Steve York agrees to complete a 100-page writing assignment which helps him to sort out his relationship with his famous astronaut father and the events that changed him from promising student to troubled teen.