BEST NEW BOOKS OF 2007

Award Winners and Other Not-to-Be-Missed Titles for Young Adults

Abdel-fattah, Randa
Does My Head Look Big in This?

When 16-year-old Amal asserts her Muslim faith by wearing the hijab full-time, everyone has an opinion.

Alexie, Sherman
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
A budding cartoonist leaves the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white high school.
Winner of the 2007 National Book Award.

Brooks, Martha
Mistik Lake

A web of secrets alters the lives of three generations of women in a Canadian community.

Cabot, Meg
Jinx

Jean “Jinx” Honeychurch juggles magic and high school after learning that she is a next-generation witch.

Cameron, Peter
Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You
18-year-old James wonders if he might be gay and contemplates his plans for the future.

Clarke, Judith
One Whole and Perfect Day
17-year-old Lily shares the story of the “perfect” day with her far-from-perfect family.
A 2008 Printz Honor Book.

Crocker, Nancy
Billie Standish Was Here
In rural Missouri at the dawn of the Vietnam War, the friendship of an elderly woman and a male classmate help Billie Marie make peace with a dark tragedy in her past as she grows from an awkward 11-year-old to a confident young woman. 

Dowd, Siobhan
A Swift Pure Cry
Set in a small Irish village circa 1984, a 15-year-old girl guards a dangerous secret and cares for her younger siblings after their mother dies.  Inspired by a true story.

Downham, Jenny
Before I Die
A 16-year-old girl bravely faces the final months of her life with a list of “Ten Things to Do Before I Die.”

Draper, Sharon
November Blues (sequel to The Battle of Jericho)
November Nelson mourns Josh’s death and faces an unplanned pregnancy.
A 2008 Coretta Scott King Honor Book.

Duey, Kathleen
Skin Hunger
(A Resurrection of Magic, book 1)
A dark fantasy about magic and power that weaves together the stories of two teens living in different eras. 
A 2007 National Book Award Finalist.

Felin, M. Sindy
Touching Snow
After moving from Haiti to New York, 7th grader Karina stands up to her abusive stepfather. 
A 2007 National Book Award Finalist.

Gaiman, Neil and Michael Reeves
InterWorld
14-year-old Joey learns that he has the ability to enter alternate realities.

Hemphill, Stephanie
Your Own, Sylvia
This vivid novel-in-poems chronicles the brief and brilliant life of poet Sylvia Plath, from her precocious childhood to an adulthood addled with depression and ambition to her tragic suicide at the age of 30. 
A 2008 Printz Honor Book.

Hornby, Nick
Slam!
A 15-year-old skaterboy unexpectedly becomes a father in this humorous, insightful novel.

Jenkins, A.M.
Repossessed
A fallen angel takes a vacation from guarding tormented souls to experience life as a male, American teen.
A 2008 Printz Honor Book.

Jinks, Catherine
Evil Genius
Cadel, 13, questions the moral implications of his studies at the Axis Institute for World Domination.

Kephart. Beth
Undercover
Elisa, who ghostwrites love letters, deals with family tension while searching for her own voice.

Knox, Elizabeth
Dreamquake
The Dreamhunter Duet, book 2)
After exposing a government conspiracy, a 15-year-old dreamhunter and her family attempt to restore justice in a fantasy world reminiscent of Edwardian England. 
Click here to see the first book in this series.
A 2008 Printz Honor Book.

Lanagan, Margo
Red Spikes
Fantasy meets horror in this collection of edgy, intense short stories that explore love and humanity.

McCaughrean, Geraldine
The White Darkness
14-year-old Symone's trip to Antarctica becomes a desperate struggle for survival.  Winner of the 2008 Printz Award.

Miyabe, Miyuki
Brave Story
A boy travels to a fantasy world on a quest to save his parents’ marriage.
Winner of the 2008 Batchelder Award.

 

Peet, Mal
Tamar
Parallel narratives weave together a tale of love and betrayal set in Holland during World War II with a modern teen’s quest for the truth behind her grandfather’s suicide. 
Winner of the 2005 Carnegie Medal.

Rabb, Margo
Cures for Heartbreak
Mia confronts her mother's recent death and her father's illness while she searches for friendship and love.

Rorby, Ginny
Hurt Go Happy
With the help of a signing chimpanzee, a lonely deaf girl grows into a mature animal rights activist. 
Winner of the 2008 Schneider Family Book Award for Teens.

St. James, James
Freak Show
Billy Bloom, a 17-year-old drag queen, shakes up his conservative classmates at a Florida boarding school.

Zarr, Sara
The Story of a Girl
Deanna, 16, searches for love and redemption while struggling to overcome her reputation for promiscuity. 
A 2007 National Book Award Finalist.

Zevin, Gabrielle
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac
Naomi, 16, reexamines her life after a head injury leaves her with no memories of the past 5 years.

Congratulations to
ORSON SCOTT CARD,
winner of the 2008 Margaret A. Edwards Award!

 This award honors a body of work that consistently helps young adults improve their understanding of themselves and their world. 

Card is the author of Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow.