Wonder

R. J. Palacio

If August had his way, it would be Halloween every day. When you have a face that actually frightens people, it is a relief to wear a mask. Now, after a childhood of being home-schooled, August is starting middle school. When being “different” is a huge liability, is it even possible to be seen for something other than what you look like?

Am I Normal Yet?

Holly Bourne

Evie desperately wants a fresh start. After being hospitalized for a mental breakdown, caused by out-of-control OCD, Evie has got back on track. Enrolled in Sixth Form College, she has new friends and even more than one potential love interest. But being let down by one guy after another is starting to derail Evie’s recovery. Even when her friends rally to her cause, Evie feels that her facade of “normal” is showing some serious cracks.

This book contains references to sexuality and drugs/alcohol.

The Tyrant's Daughter

J.C. Carleson

After 15 years as a sheltered princess in her Muslim homeland, Laila is suddenly thrust into the life of an American teenager. Rules and expectations are completely different now. The loving father that she knew has been assassinated, and as she learns more about his brutal leadership Laila begins to question her former certainties. It is difficult to differentiate friends from enemies, and everyone seems to want something from Laila – including the CIA.

The Last Leaves Falling

Sarah Benwell

For most 17 year-olds, death is an abstract concept; for Abe Sora, it is a grim reality. After being diagnosed with ALS, Abe is trapped in his failing body and isolated in his bedroom. Longing for anonymity, he searches for connections in online chat rooms. Unexpectedly, he makes real friends there – and not just virtual ones. With the help of his friends, Abe figures out how to meet death on his own terms.

emotionally disturbing; strong language

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Mark Haddon

This unique book is told from the point of view of Christopher, a 15 year-old boy who has some form of autism. Although Christopher is talented at mathematical calculations, he struggle with emotions, physical contact and any deviation from his routine. When Christopher decides to investigate the murder of a neighbour’s dog, he becomes drawn into a much more important disappearance. To solve this mystery, Christopher will have to take a journey that challenges him on every level.

This book contains some strong language.

Seven Days

Eve Ainsworth

Kez and Jess have more in common than not, but neither of them realise it. Kez is pretty and popular, but she is hiding the truth of her unhappy home life. Jess is overweight and insecure, and she has plenty of her own worries without also being the target of Kez and her friends. As the pressure on Kez builds, so does her emotional torture of Jess. This hard-hitting but ultimately hopeful book about the problem of bullying manages to get into the heads of both a bully and her victim.

This book contains some violence and emotionally disturbing material.

Say What You Will

Cammie McGovern

Although Amy is smart and funny, most people cannot get past her disability to notice her personality. During her last year of high school, Amy has one goal: to make some friends. When Matthew signs up to be Amy’s peer tutor, he steps way outside of his own comfort zone. Hindered by his overwhelming anxieties, Matthew understands loneliness just as well as Amy does. Amy and Matthew have little experience of friendship, and even less with romance, but their very atypical love story will be the making of both of them.

Blood Family

Anne Fine

Eddie lost years of his childhood to violence and neglect. After being adopted, Eddie gets a fresh start; but can he overcome his bad beginning?

emotionally disturbing; violence; drugs/alcohol

Graffiti Moon

Cath Crowley

Lucy is determined to meet Shadow – the mysterious graffiti artist whose work she admires. How could she possibly guess that Shadow is Ed: school drop-out, unemployed, and a disastrous first date from a couple of years ago. Ed has dreams of becoming an artist, but his life feels like one frightening dead-end after another. His best friend has a desperate plan for making some money, but if they get caught it will be the end of everything.

Apple and Rain

Sarah Crossan

Apple has grown up with a large hole in her life – and heart. Living with her grandmother has been safe and predictable, but she misses the mother who abandoned her to pursue an acting career. When her mother unexpectedly returns to their seaside town, Apple thinks that everything will change for the better. Her fun, young mother is the complete opposite of her strict grandmother. But living with her mother isn’t what Apple expected, and before long it is Apple who is playing mother.

drugs/alcohol