Looking for the 300 Best YA Books is a BIG Job!

I have spent several days putting together a book list for middle and high school teachers in Orange County, CA. They will be participating in a grant and will have the enviable task of choosing between $300-500 worth of books for their classrooms. They are looking to discover if and how having a good selection of appealing and readable books close at hand will impact their students’ reading comprehension.

It’s a big job for someone not very knowledgeable about YA lit. Granted, I’ve recently read Scorpio Races, Breaking Stalin’s Nose, Age of Miracles, Moon Over Manifest, A Long Walk to Water, and Between Shades of Gray, but I can’t compare with a lot of folks out there. And I take this task seriously, so I’ve been sifting through reviews; looking at lists of award winners; trying to strike a balance between “boy books” and “girl books”; seeing how far I can help the teachers stretch their dollars (limiting wonderful HC books hurts); and considering readability (that hurts, too, but the reality is that many of these inner city kids are reading below grade level).

I’ve discovered some interesting things along the way. First, I wish I could quit working and just read. And write, of course! In looking over the Alan award winners, I’ve found dozens of books that sound wonderful and that I will try to find time to read. I’ve also seen a trend in titles of new books, where the actual title is followed by a colon and the words “:a Novel.” Examples include The Language of Flowers: A Novel, Once Upon a River: A Novel, and Alice Bliss: A Novel. Is that really necessary? Unless the book could be mistaken for nonfiction, what’s the point? Furthermore, I’ve come to a conclusion (perhaps erroneously) that all these books called “Novels” are more expensive. Why?

And finally, I’ve discovered a fabulous app for my iPad called “Teen Book Finder.” What a terrific resource! If I’m not the only person in the world who didn’t know about it, I encourage all you YA book lovers out there to download it. And it’s FREE!

Any thoughts on a YA book that MUST be on my list? It’s over 300 right now, but I’m open to suggestions.