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Ages 12 & up • Young Adult Reads
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194
NAPOLI, DONNA JO
THE MAGIC CIRCLE
“A midwife-cum-sorceress simply known
as the Ugly One narrates this riveting
tale of how, tricked by the devil’s
minions, she lost her gifts for healing
and was forced to become a witch....
The author’s extraordinary craftsmanship
and originality never flag....A YA novel
of genuine magic and suspense, this will
captivate adults as well.” —Publishers
WeeklyH
Rec: AY, BL, C, H, K, NYTA, PWH, SLJ, TE, W
4 3/8 x 7 1/8 128 pp. 1995
978-0-14-037439-1 $4.99
SPINNERS
Written with Richard Tchen
“Napoli and collaborator Tchen fabricate
rich histories for the gifted 15-yearold
Saskia and the mysterious spinner
Rumplestiltskin, who rescues her...Love,
pride, greed, magic, and revenge: what a
wonderful read.” —Booklist
Rec: BL, C, K, PW, SLJ, V
4 3/8 x 7 1/8 208 pp. 2001
978-0-14-131110-4 $6.99
STONES IN WATER
“Sneaking into the cinema to see an
American Western during World War
II has grave consequences for Roberto,
a Venetian middle-school student, his
brother, and two friends. The young
male audience is trapped by German soldiers
and transported by train out of Italy
as cheap forced labor....An intense, gripping
tale.” —School Library JournalH
Rec: BL, H, K, KA, PWH, SLJH, TE, V, W
5 1/2 x 8 1/4 224 pp. 1999
978-0-14-130600-1 $5.99
ZEL
“This retelling of the story of Rapunzel
is no simple fairy tale retold for the
entertainment of children. Instead, it is a
searing commentary on the evil that can
result from human longings gone awry....
This version, with its Faustian overtones,
will challenge readers to think about this
old story on a deeper level. It begs for
discussion in literature classes.”
—School Library JournalH
Rec: C, KH, NYTA, PWH, SLJH, TE, V, W
4 3/8 x 7 1/8 240 pp. 1998
978-0-14-130116-7 $5.99
See index for more titles by Donna Jo Napoli.
NELSON, BLAKE
THE NEW RULES OF HIGH SCHOOL
Seventeen-year-old Max Caldwell has
been the perfect high school student—on
the honor roll, captain of the
debate team, and soon-to-be editor of
the school newspaper—but during his
senior year, he begins questioning his approach
to life and things start to change.
“The novel involves a wide variety of
high school types-the punks, nerds,
jocks, etc.-and successfully reflects the
ambivalence in which they coexist. The
teenage voice is dead-on, and Max pulls
readers by the hand, right into his world,
without missing a beat.”
—School Library Journal
Rec: BL, K, PWH, SLJ, V
4 1/4 x 6 3/4 240 pp. 2004
978-0-14-240242-9 $6.99
PROM ANONYMOUS
“Notwithstanding the intense focus
on prom anticipation and all the fussy
attendant details, Nelson’s story reaches
beyond light satire. All three girls are
strong characters in their own right,
and their contrasting points of view will
remind many readers of Ann Brashares’
Traveling Pants series. The big dance
turns out to be a catalyst in each of their
lives—a breakthrough experience that
clarifies relationships and propels the
prom goers to a deeper sense of their
emerging identities.” —Booklist
Rec: BL, C, K, PW, SLJ
4 1/4 x 7 272 pp. 2007
978-0-14-240745-5 $6.99
ROCk STAR SUPERSTAR
Music is Pete’s life. From playing in a
jazz band to jamming at 2 AM with his
guitar-playing dad, Pete is almost never
without his bass. Then he meets the Carlisle
brothers. They can’t sing and they
can barely play their instruments, but
somehow they have a following….. He
can’t resist, and joins their band. When
they get a chance at real superstardom,
Pete wonders if he’s ready for it. “Pete is
a fully drawn character who reveals in a
fast moving, first-person narrative what
a commitment to music can mean to a
young person.” —Booklist
Rec: BL, C, K, PW, SLJ, V
4 1/4 x 7 256 pp. 2006
978-0-14-240574-1 $6.99
NELSON, R. A.
TEACH ME
“Carolina is a high-school senior who
feels she is too smart and mature for
small-town Alabama life. Then she meets
Mr. Mann, the new language arts teacher
who is obsessed with Emily Dickinson.
After she makes him feel at ease in his
new job, she feels he is worthy of her
attention, and the two begin an intense,
clandestine affair, which is consummated
on her 18th birthday. …Nelson’s writing
is wonderfully eloquent and full of poetic
references and wry humor.”
—School Library Journal
Rec: BL, C, H, K, PW, SLJ, V
5 1/2 x 8 1/4 272 pp. 2007
978-1-59514-085-2 $8.99