Thursday, May 7, 2009

Happy Teen Books?

I have a new goal... i want to put together a list of happy (even funny!) teen books for summer reading. This all started because I'm reading A Long Way Gone and I just can't handle anymore death and destruction. So I tried to find a good happy book for my book club and it took serious effort!!!

So let's make a list. I'd like to gear it to 7th-9th grade specifically, but older is ok too. This is what I have so far:

My Most Excellent Year by Kluger
Lemonade Mouth by Hughes
Skullduggery Pleasant by Landy
Bloody Jack by Meyer
help?

5 comments:

Alissa said...

24 Girls in 7 Days by Bradley
All-American Girl by Cabot
Teen Idol by Cabot
Son of the Mob by Korman
Girl, 15, Charming But Insane by Limb
The Year of Secret Assignments by Moriarty
Angus Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Rennison
The Gospel According to Larry by Tashijan

Brandy said...

I haven't forgotten you guys; I've just been away! :)

Gunnerkrigg Court (by Tom Siddell) is a webcomic-turned-print-comic with a lot of goofy humor in addition to the really great fantasy story.

The War at Ellsmere (by Faith Erin Hicks)--another graphic novel, again with a lot of humor, but kind of a lame ending, IMO. Fun, though.

Un Lun Dun (China Mieville): a teenage Phantom Tollbooth, lots of wordplay and plot-direction-changes.

The Magic in Manhattan series (Mlynowski... Sarah, maybe?) is pretty fun, from what I can tell (I only read the 4th one, but I doubt if that's where the series takes a turn for the silly).

I <3 the Bloody Jack series, and the audio versions are FANTASTIC. Can't recommend them highly enough!

Flora Segunda is goofy and fun but (as an adult) just a bit too much. The kids in my book group (6th-9th graders) loved it, though.

Repossessed, AM Jenkins, but it might be a little older than your target group.. hmm.

Lamarre said...

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Percy Jackson and the Olympian series by Riordan
Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson
Gallagher Girls Series by Ally Carter

mia c said...

Savvy by Ingrid Law
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

i can totally see making a reverse of this list, too, called "books to read if you want to be bummed out and feel bleak" I nominate Living Dead Girl first!

Sharon said...

OMG let's do it!