AFTER THE DEATH OF ANNA GONZALES
Terri Fields
Henry Holt & Company
ISBN: 080507127X
Ages 12-17
128 pages

Brutally honest and authentic in tone, this collection of voices centers on the suicide of high school freshman Anna Gonzales. Each piece, read alone, portrays a classmate's or teacher's personal reaction to the loss, taken hard by some, barely noticed by others. Read together, the poems create a richly textured and moving testimony to the rippling effects of one girl's devastating choice. Terri Fields has written a thought-provoking, important work that resonates with both pain and hope. This is a book that will stay with readers long after they put it down.

BEACON HILL BOYS
Ken Mochizuki
Scholastic
ISBN: 0439267498
Ages 14-up
224 pages

Dan Inagaki is a 16-year-old Japanese-American who lives in the Beacon Hill area of Seattle during the early 1970s. His parents expect him to be an example of the "model minority." But Dan is very different from his older brother Brad, who has a 4.0 GPA, a college scholarship, and a white girlfriend. Dan is tired of being called "Oriental" by his teachers, and frustrated that no one in his family understands how invisible he feels. Dan however is not alone --- his best friends feel just as angry and isolated as he does. Together, these boys struggle to gain acceptance in a country that is involved in the Vietnam War and that would rather see Asian Americans assimilate than fit in with the American way of life. Ken Mochizuki tells a story of friendship, dignity, and discontent that teenagers can certainly relate to.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: THE SCRIPT BOOK Season Two, Vol. 3
Various
Pocket Books
ISBN: 0689854919
Ages 16-up
368 pages

Buffy the Vampire Slayer knew that her love of Angel, the vampire cursed with a soul, was ironic at best. But against all better judgment, the two were drawn to one another. And on Buffy's 17th birthday, that love pushed Angel over the edge. Now Buffy's worst enemy is her ex-boyfriend, onetime dorkus maximus Xander Harris is now a ladies' man, and her best friend Willow is having serious dating problems --- with a werewolf. These series of books contain the actual scripts to episodes you might have already seen.

DARK VENGEANCE (Charmed)
Diana Gallagher
Pocket Books
ISBN: 0689850794
Ages 12-up
192 pages

In DATE WITH DEATH, Paige is feeling romantically challenged, so she signs up with an Internet dating service. Even though she receives many responses from men, she just can't seem to find Mr. Right. Meanwhile, her powers have been neutralized. In this latest Charmed adventure, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige find themselves in a contemporary game of Hatfields vs. McCoys, as their magic is mysteriously neutralized. A rival witch triumvirate seeks to overturn the Power of Three --- and if the girls can't get their full strength back, they might not escape a final encounter with their lives.

DATING HAMLET: Ophelia's Story
Lisa Fiedler
Henry Holt & Company
ISBN: 0805070540
Ages 12-up
192 pages

It isn't easy dating a prince, especially when that prince is Hamlet. It could easily drive a young girl to madness, or so it would seem. Since the death of his father, Ophelia's beloved Hamlet has descended into a deep depression. To make matters worse, the Danish court is filled with lies and deceit. Was Hamlet's father murdered by King Claudius? Is Polonius truly the father of Laertes? Who can be trusted as a friend? And who is to be feared as an enemy? It is up to clever Ophelia, with the help of her friends, to find a way to save her prince and herself. Only then can she finally reveal the truth about what really happened in the famed castle at Elsinore.

NEVER SO GREEN
Tim Johnson
Farrar Straus & Giroux
ISBN: 0374355096
Ages 13-up
240 pages

Tex Donleavy is a kid who likes to spend his time reading books. He is very much looking forward to a happy summer with Linda Volesky, a beautiful lady who happens to be his father's girlfriend. Instead, Tex must temporarily move into his mother's house with her new husband Farley Dickerson and his two kids. Nobody is more surprised than Tex when he discovers he likes his new stepfather, that he actually wants to spend the summer at his mother's, and that he is going to play baseball on Farley's Little League team. And then there's Jack, Farley's daughter, who becomes Tex's closest friend, as well as his greatest source of confusion. In all, it's shaping up to be a summer full of surprises --- though nothing can prepare Tex for the biggest surprise of all, a secret so terrible that it will change the lives of every member of his family.

THE QUEEN OF EVERYTHING
Deb Caletti
Pocket Books
ISBN: 0743436849
Ages 12-up
480 pages

High school junior Jordan MacKenzie's life was pretty typical: a divided family, a new boyfriend, and a dead-end job. She had been living with her father ever since her mother, a hippie holdover, became too embarrasing to be around. Jordan finally felt that her life was as normal as could be. That all changed though when Gayle D'Angelo came into her life. Gayle, a married woman, was dating Jordan's father. Jordan didn't like this situation at all, but what could she do about it? Nobody, including Jordan, could have possibly guessed that this love affair would implode in such a violent and disturbing manner.

THE SONG SHOOTS OUT OF MY MOUTH: A Celebration of Music
Jaime Adoff
illustrated by Martin French
Dutton
ISBN: 0525469494
Ages 12-up
48 pages

This collection of twenty-four dynamic, original poems vividly captures a variety of musical experiences from the teen perspective. From playing in the school band to playing air guitar, from performing a favorite song to dreaming of stardom, the power of music is explored in passionate text and bold, energetic illustrations. The rhythm and language of each poem reflect a different musical genre, including classical, hip-hop, jazz, Latin, and reggae. Whether hitting drums "with more force/than a million recess bullies," rapping "no one can touch me, don't even try to front," or depicting the struggles of a garage band, this vibrant collection celebrates the importance of music for teenagers.

TAKING LIBERTY: The Story of Oney Judge, George Washington's Runaway Slave
Ann Rinaldi
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0689851871
Ages 12-up
272 pages

This extraordinary true story follows the life of Oney Judge who, at the age of 4, becomes one of George and Martha Washington's house slaves. She begins helping in the kitchen and doing simple tasks for Martha. As she grows older, her talents and responsibilities increase, and she eventually becomes Mrs. Washington's personal servant. The Washingtons are very kind to Oney, and she is a very important part of their home. Still, Oney recognizes that she is still their slave - mere property. So, as a young woman, she finally decides to fight for something that she hasn't had in quite a long time --- her freedom.