10^th Grade:

Breathing Underwater.  Alex Flinn.  Sixteen year old Nick recounts his relationship with Caitlin, examines his controlling behavior and anger, and describes living with his abusive father. (D)

*Tyrell. Coe Booth.  A raw depiction of how cold life can really be without financial and emotional stability.  Tyrell, a 15 year old discovers how difficult being a man really is when his father is dent to prison and his family suddenly left homeless. (RLD)

*Imani All Mine.  Connie Porter.  Tasha reports her days as a young mother of a baby girl, Imani. (D)

*A Child Called It.  David Pelzer.  Tells the story of a child’s abuse at the hands of his alcoholic mother. (D) (NF)

High Heat.  Carl Deuker.  When star high school pitcher Shane Hunter’s father is arrested for money laundering, his privileged life suddenly turns upside down. (D)

Battle of Jericho.  Sharon Draper.  When Jericho is invited to pledge for the Warriors of Distinction, he thinks his life can’t get any better.  But the initiation rites grow increasingly humiliating and force Jericho to make painful choices.  How high a price will he have to pay to belong?  (RLD/S)

Dangerous Minds.  LouAnne Johnson.  Recounts how California teacher LouAnne Johnson took thirty-four inner city problem sophomores and taught them how to care about school and themselves.  (NF)

The Last Shot:  City Streets Basketball Dreams.  Darcy Frey.  Heart beating story of a year in the life of four high school seniors from Coney Island projects who are led down the primrose path of college scholarships and a possible life in the NBA.  (D)

Bleachers.  John Grisham.  A novel about high school football in a small Texas town, a place in which football has become a religion. (D)

Ttfn- (Ta-Ta for Now).  Laurne Myracle.  The sequel to the bestseller ttyl, a novel told entirely in instant messages.  It tracks Maddie, Zoe, and Angel as they navigate through the difficult waters of 11^th grade. (D)

L8r, G8r Lauren Myracle.  This is the third book in Lauren Myracle’s popular IM series.  The same three girls (Angela, Zoe, and Maddie) are still together after three years of high school and now face their senior year and prom and parting friendships as they head to college.