2005 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

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CosmoGirl Quiz Book: All About You. $5.95 Sterling/Hearst, 2004. 1-58816-381-4.

“Figure out your social prowess and work it.”

Dr. Ernest Drake’s Dragonology. $18.99. Candlewick, 2003. 0-7363-2329-6..

“A flameproof cloak may prove invaluable.”

The Homer Book. $9.95. Harper Collins/Perennial, 2004. 0-06-073884-7.

Mmmmm . . . Homer.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not. $25.95. Mint Publishing/Ripley, 2004. 1-893951-73-1.

The twisted cousin of
Guiness Book of World Records
.

So What? The Good, the Mad and the Ugly: The Official Metallica Illustrated Chronicles. $29.95. Broadway Books, 2004. 0-7679-1881-9.

“Saint Anger’s yearbook.”

YM’s The Best of Say Anything. $6.95. Random House/Bantam, 2004. 0-553-37601-2.

“One of the fake nails was hanging halfway out of my nostril.”

Abbott, Hailey.
Summer Boys. $8.99. Scholastic, 2004. 0-439-54020-8.

It’s summer, it’s hot, and it’s time to hook up.

Brisick, Jamie.
Have Board, Will Travel. $19.95. Harper Entertainment, 2004. 0-06-056359-1. Water, snow, and street.

Burnham, Niki.
Royally Jacked. $5.99. Simon and Schuster/Simon Pulse, 2004. 0-689-86668-2.

Someday her prince will come . . . upstairs.

Choyce, Lesley.
Thunderbowl. $7.95. Orca, 2004. 1-55143-277-3

Watch the bands battle.

Coker, Cheo Hodari.
Unbelievable: The Life, Death and Afterlife of the Notorious B.I.G. $19.95. Three Rivers Press, 2004. 0-609-80835-4

The tragedy of Christopher Wallace, aka Biggie Smalls, aka Big Poppa.

Davidson, Dana.
Jason and Kyra. $16.99. Hyperion/Jump at the Sun, 2004. 0-7868-1851-4

Party boy Jason meets his his total opposite, Kyra.

De La Cruz, Melissa.
The Au Pairs. $14.95. Simon and Schuster, 2004. 0-68-987066-3

Hot chicks make big bucks babysitting for the rich and famous.

Ehrenhaft, Daniel.
Ten Things To Do Before I Die. $15.95. Random House/Delacorte, 2004. 0-385-73007-1

Ted Burger (yeah, that’s his name) has 24 hours to live and a list of things to do.

Flake, Sharon.
Who Am I Without Him? A Short Story Collection About Girls and the Boys in Their Lives.
$15.99. Hyperion, 2004. 0-7868-0693-1

Anything to get the guy.

Flinn, Alex.
Nothing to Lose. $15.99. Harper Tempest, 2004. 0-06-051751-4

From the carnival to the courtroom.

Giles, Gail.
Playing in Traffic. $16.95. Roaring Brook, 2004. 1-59643-005-2

Sexy Skye picks Matt for a very dangerous reason.

Gottlieb, Andrew.
In the Paint: Tattoos of the NBA and the Stories Behind Them. $16.95. Hyperion, 2003.
0-7868-8868-7

Who sports what and why.

Grandits, John.
Technically, It’s Not My Fault: Concrete Poems. $15.95/$18.95. Clarion, 2004. 0-618-42833-X hc 0-618-80361-7 pb.

Murray the fart and much, much more.

Hareas, John.
NBA’s Greatest. $30. DK, 2003. 0-7894-9977-0

The best of all time.

Harrison, Lisi.
The Clique. $7.99. Little, Brown, 2004. 0-316-70129-7

Seventh grade is going to be hell.

Hartinger, Brent.
Last Chance Texaco. $15.99. Harper Collins, 2004. 0-06-050912-0

Next stop, juvie.

Heimberg, Jason and Justin Heimberg.
The Official Movie Plot Generator: 27,000 Hilarious Movie Plot Combinations. $16.45. Brothers Heimberg Publishing, 2004. 0-9740439-1-5

“Single mom invades Poland with the ghost of Elvis” . . . and more.

Heneghan, James.
Hit Squad. $7.95. Orca, 2003. 1-55143-269-2

Bullying:
just can’t take it anymore.

Hirano, Kohta.
Hellsing series. $13.95 ea. Dark Horse Comics, 2003-2004.

Volume 1: 1-59307-056-X

Volume 2: 1-59307-057-8

Volume 3: 1-59307-202-3

Volume 4: 1-59307-259-7

Vampires, Nazis, zombies.

Hobbs, Valerie.
Letting Go of Bobby James, or How I Found My Self of Steam. $16. Farrar, Strauss and Giroux/Frances Foster, 2004. 0-374-34384-5

Left at gas station, sleeps in movie theater. Will she make it?

Hopkins, Cathy.
Truth or Dare series. $5.99 ea. Simon and Schuster, 2004.

The Princess of Pop. 0-689-87002-7

Teen Queens and Has-Beens. 0-689-87129-5

White Lies and Barefaced Truths. 0-689-87003-5

Which will cause the most trouble, truth…or dare?

Hopkins, Ellen.
Crank. $6.99. Simon and Schuster, 2004. 0-689-86519-8

Doing lines unleashes the monster.

Horowitz, Anthony.
Eagle Strike. $17.99. Penguin/Philomel, 2003. 0-399-23979-0

This time, Alex is on his own.

Hrdlitschka, Shelley.
Kat’s Fall. $7.95. Orca, 2004. 1-55143-312-5

After Kat’s fall, can her family land on its feet?

Jacobs, Thomas.
They Broke the Law; You Be the Judge: True Cases of Teen Crime. $15.95. Free Spirit, 2003. 1-57542-134-8

Justice is not always blind.

Johns, Geoff.
Teen Titans:
A Kid’s Game. $9.95. DC Comics, 2004. 1-4012-0308-6

“This time the kids are wearing the costumes.”

Jones, Patrick.
Things Change. $16.95. Walker, 2004. 0-8027-8901-3

Paul’s touch is not always kind.

Kenner, Rob and Pitts, George.
VX: 10 Years of Vibe Photography. $40. Abrams/Vibe Books, 2003. 0-8109-4546-0

Hot hip hop icons and more.

Klancher, Lee.
Monster Garage: How to Customize Damn Near Everything. $19.95. Motorbooks International/ MBI Publishing, 2003. 0-7603-1748-8

Small engine blocks and chrome plated springs are chick magnets.

Kool Moe Dee.
There’s a God on the Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs. $24.95. Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2003. 1-56025-5331

Kool Moe Dee rates the top MCs.

Leiker, Ken.
Unscripted. $45. Simon and Schuster, 2003. 0-7434-7761-8

Smackdown!

Lynch, Clam.
Ruby Gloom’s Keys to Happiness. $12.95. Abrams, 2004. 0-8109-5036-7

Move over, Emily the Strange.

Mackler, Carolyn.
Vegan Virgin Valentine. $16.99. Candlewick, 2004. 0-7636-2155-2

Is V really the vixen that she seems?

Manning, Sarra.
Guitar Girl. $15.99. Dutton, 2004. 0-525-47234-7

The Hormones have left the building.

McGrath, Jeremy.
Wide Open: A Life in Supercross. $23.95. Harper Entertainment, 2004. 0-06-053727-2

Nac-nacs and nuts.

McManners, Hugh.
Ultimate Special Forces. $30. DK, 2003. 0-7894-9973-8

Mission possible.

Miller, Timothy and Steve Milton.
Nascar Now. $19.95. Firefly, 2004. 1-55297-829-X

Behind the scenes and in the pits.

Milner-Halls, Kelly.
Albino Animals. $18.95/$8.95. Darby Creek, 2004. 1-58196-012-3 hc 1-58196-019-0 pb

They’re a whiter shade of pale.

Minter, J.
The Insiders. $8.95. Bloomsbury, 2004. 1-58234-895-2

Things are about to get stirred up in downtown NYC.

Morgan, David Lee.
LeBron James: The Rise of a Star. $14.95. Gray, 2003. 1-886228-74-4

All LeBron all the time

Myers, Walter Dean.
Shooter. $15.99. Harper Collins/Amistad, 2004. 0-06-029519-8

Why?

Myracle, Lauren.
TTYL.
$15.95. Abrams/Amulet, 2004. 0-8109-4821-4

IM-ing about the highs and lows of high school.

Nagatomo, Haruno.
Draw Your Own Manga: All the Basics. $20. Kodansha America, 2004. 4-7700-2951-9

Do it like they do in Tokyo.

Nash, Naomi.
You are So Cursed. $5.99. Dorchester/Leisure, 2004. 0-8439-5310-1

Back off, Sabrina.

Naylor, Caroline.
Beauty Trix for Cool Chix: Easy-to-Make Lotions, Potions, and Spells to Bring Out a Beautiful You. $9.95. Watson-Guptill, 2003. 0-8230-6957-5

Head to toe beauty to go.

Nelson, Blake.
Rock Star, Superstar. $16.99. Viking, 2004. 0-670-05933-1

From the basement to the big time.

O’Connell, Tyne.
Pulling Princes. $16.95. Bloomsbury USA, 2004. 1-58234-957-6

If you kiss a prince, will he turn into a toad?

Oppell, Kenneth.
Airborn. $16.99/$17.89 Harper Collins, 2004. 0-06-053180-0 trade 0-06-053181-9 lib bind.

Sky pirates versus cabin boy.

Parker, Daniel and Lee Miller.
Watching Alice series. $7.99 ea. Penguin/Razorbill, 2004

Break the Surface 1-59514-001-8

Walk On Water 1-59514-002-6

Lots of questions, few answers, and you can’t ask Alice.

Perez. Marlene.
Unexpected Development. $16.95. Roaring Brook, 2004. 1-59643-006-0

There are bigger problems in life than a D-cup.

Rabb, M.E.
The Missing Persons series. $5.99 ea. Penguin/Speak, 2004.

The Chocolate Lover 0-14-250042-9

The Rose Queen 0-14-250041-0

The Unsuspecting Gourmet 0-14-250044-5

The Venetian Policeman 0-14-250043-7.

You can run, but can you hide?

Riley, Andy.
The Book of Bunny Suicides. $10. Penguin/Plume, 2004. 0-452-28518-6

It’s not easy being fluffy

Rohrer, Russ.
Ten Days in the Dirt: Spectacle of Off-Road Motorcycling. $19.95. Motorbooks International, 2004. 0-7603-1803-4

Souped-up toys and the best sandboxes to play in.

Rothbart, Davy.
Found: The Best Lost, Tossed and Forgotten Items from Around the World. $14. Simon and Schuster/Fireside, 2004. 0-7432-5114-8

If you’ve lost it, someone’s found it.

Seate, Mike.
Choppers: Heavy Metal. $40. Motorbooks International, 2004.

Outlaws in the mainstream.

Shaw, Maria.
Maria Shaw's Star Gazer: Your Soul Searching, Dream Seeking, Make Something Happen Guide to the Future. $17.95. Llewellyn, 2003. 0-7387-0422-9

All about you—past, present, and future.

Shaw, Tucker.
Confessions of a Backup Dancer. $8.99. Simon and Schuster/Aladdin, 2004. 0-689-87075-2

Celebrities uncensored.

Sleator, William.
The Boy Who Couldn’t Die. $16.95. Abrams/Amulet, 2004. 0-81094-824-9

Is there a downside to living forever?

Sones, Sonya.
One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies. $15.95. Simon and Schuster, 2004. 0-689-84169-8

Not just another cliché.

Stephens, J.B.
The Big Empty series. $6.99 ea. Penguin/Razorbill, 2004.

The Big Empty 1-59514-006-9

Paradise City. 1-59514-007-7

Strain 7 killed half of the world’s population before we even had a name for it.

Stolarz, Laurie F.
Blue is for Nightmares. $8.99. Llewellyn, 2003. 0-73-870391-5

“I know your secret . . . “

Strasser, Todd.
Can’t Get There From Here. $15.95. Simon and Schuster, 2004. 0-8118-4033-6

Down and out on the streets of New York City.

Sweeney, Joyce.
Takedown. $15.95.Marshall Cavendish, 2004. 0-7614-5175-7

Serial killer holds teens hostage.

Takaya, Natsuki.
Fruits Basket series. $9.99 ea. Tokyopop, 2004.

Volume 1 1-59182-603-9

Volume 2. 1-59182-604-7

Volume 3. 1-59182-605-5

Volume 4. 1-59182-606-3

Volume 5. 1-59182-607-1

What animal would you be?

Thomson, Celia.
The Nine Lives of Chloe King series. $6.99 ea. Simon and Schuster/Simon Pulse, 2004.

The Fallen 0-689-86658-5

The Stolen 0-689-86659-3

One down . . . how many to go?

Thorley, Joe.
Avril Lavigne: The Unofficial Book. $14.95. Virgin Publishing, 2003

1-85227-0497

Turn on the TV, guess who you’ll see, sk8r grrl rockin’ on MTV.

Vizzini, Ned.
Be More Chill. $16.95.
Hyperion/Miramax, 2004. 0-7868-0995-7

Dude, you need a squip.

Walters, Eric.
Overdrive. $7.95. Orca, 2004. 1-55143-318-4

Too fast, too furious.

Westerfeld, Scott.
The Secret Hour. $15.99. Harper Collins/Eos, 2004. 0-06-051951-7

Times freezes, and the night belongs to the dark creatures.

Weyn, Suzanne.
Bar Code Tattoo. $5.99. Scholastic, 2004. 0-43-939562-3

Are you sure you want to be tattooed?

Whedon, Joss.
Fray. $19.95. Dark Horse Comics, 2003. 1-56971-751-6

Someone has a plan to let the demons out . . .

Woods, Brenda.
Emako Blue. $15.99. Penguin Putnam, 2004. 0-399-24006-3

“My friend, Emako Blue, was supposed to be a star.”

Woodson, Jacqueline.
Behind You. $15.99. Penguin Putnam, 2004. 0-399-23988-X

Sometimes it’s hard to put grief behind you.