Best of
Young-Adult

1988

Say Goodnight, Gracie


Julie Reece Deaver - 1988
    They've been friends forever, and by now they know each other inside out. They do everything together--from cutting high school to go into the city to coaching each other at dance auditions and acting workshops. They even argue well. A perfect friendship. Best friends. For life.So how could life be so right and then be so wrong? After a terrible accident, Morgan suddenly has to face life alone. Without Jimmy around, though, it's like the best part of her has died. How could he do this to her? And why is love so hard?1989 Recommended Books for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (ALA)1988 Young Adult Editors' Choices (BL)Young Adult Choices for 1990 (IRA)Children's Books of 1988 (Library of Congress)1988 Books for the Teen Age (NY Public Library)

The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume 1


Diana Wynne Jones - 1988
    The Chants are a family strong in magic, but neither Christopher Chant nor Cat Chant can work even the simplest of spells. Who could have dreamed that both Christopher and Cat were born with nine lives--or that they could lose them so quickly?

The Worlds of Chrestomanci


Diana Wynne Jones - 1988
    Contains:Charmed Life, The Lives of Christopher Chant, Witch Week, and The Magicians of Caprona.

My Side of the Mountain Trilogy


Jean Craighead George - 1988
    This coming-of-age story about a boy and his falcon went on to win a Newbery Honor, and for the past forty years has enthralled and entertained generations of would-be Sam Gribleys. The two books that followed--On the Far Side of the Mountain and Frightful's Mountain--were equally extraordinary. Now all three books are available in one deluxe yet affordable volume for veteran devotees and brand-new fans alike.

The Good Times are Killing Me


Lynda Barry - 1988
    In The Good Times Are Killing Me, Lynda Barry reveals her masterful way with story, memory, and feelings, and anyone who lingers in Edna Arkins's world will be the better for it.

The Changeling Sea


Patricia A. McKillip - 1988
    Her mother sinks into a deep depression and spends her days gazing out at the sea. Unable to control her anger and sadness any longer, Peri uses the small magic she knows to hex the sea. And suddenly into her drab life come the King's sons—changelings with strange ties to the underwater kingdom—a young magician, and, finally, love.

Swept Away


Josepha Sherman - 1988
    Reit invents an amazing transport into other worlds, Sheila McCarthy accidentally falls through the portal into the kingdom of Arren. There, Sheila finds herself part of a band of warrior-women. Astride unicorns, they gallop toward a dazzling city made of marble. But will they arrive in time to stop the evil king and his wicked wizard henchman from carrying out their deadly plans? And will Sheila ever be able to return home?Thus begins the spellbinding story of an ordinary teenager trapped in an extraordinary place. Swept Away! and Sun Blind are the first two novels in the dazzling adventure The Secret of the Unicorn Queen.The Secret of the Unicorn Queen is the newest addition to the Del Rey Imagine program, which offers the best in fantasy and science fiction for readers twelve and up.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Quest for a Maid


Frances Mary Hendry - 1988
    Meg Wright is nine when she hides under a table and hears her sister Inge kill the King of Scotland by witchcraft, setting in motion a treacherous power struggle.

Double Crossing


Carolyn Keene - 1988
    It seems like great fun until Nancy overhears a plan to sell CIA secrets to another country. Meanwhile . . . the Hardy Boys are working undercover on the same cruise ship trying to track down a dangerous group of thieves who prey on rich passengers.

Red Sky in the Morning


Elizabeth Laird - 1988
    The doctors say Ben is profoundly disabled and will never lead a normal life. Her family struggles to come to terms with their baby, but for Anna it's love at first sight.

Mel


Liz Berry - 1988
    When her mother is hospitalized after suffering a mental breakdown, seventeen-year-old Mel redecorates the house, initiates a neighborhood clean-up, and becomes involved with a rock star.

The Devil's Arithmetic


Jane Yolen - 1988
    But this year she will be mysteriously transported into the past. Only she knows the horrors that await.

Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot


Patricia C. Wrede - 1988
    There's also the man who seems to be spying on Cecelia. (Though he's not doing a very good job of it--so just what are his intentions?) And then there's Oliver. Ever since he was turned into a tree, he hasn't bothered to tell anyone where he is.Clearly, magic is a deadly and dangerous business. And the girls might be in fear for their lives . . . if only they weren't having so much fun!

Alice


Sara Flanigan - 1988
    Young Ellie finds the courage to secretly teach a young deaf girl to speak, play, and count--transforming an entire town shadowed by ignorance and cruelty. Scheduled for a made-for-TV movie on Lifetime Television. Reissue.

Dragon Sword and Wind Child


Noriko Ogiwara - 1988
    But for 15-year old Saya, the war is far away and unimportant--until the day she discovers she is the reincarnation of the Water Maiden and a princess of the Children of the Dark. Raised to love the Light and detest the Dark, Saya must come to terms with her heritage even as she is tumbled into the very heart of the conflict that is destroying her country. Both the army of the Light and Dark seek to claim her, for she is the only mortal who can awaken the legendary Dragon Sword, the weapon destined to end the war. Can Saya make the dreadful choice between the Light and Dark, or is she doomed like all the Water Maidens who have come before her?

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg


Anne Troy - 1988
    Basil F. Frankweiler.

The Green Wind


Thurley Fowler - 1988
    The Robinsons have more problems than most of the families in the fruit growing community where they live. But this year is a year of promise. They are assured of a bumper crop, and they can finally afford to have electricity laid on - until unexpected misfortune finds them yet again ...

Mother, Please Don't Die


Lurlene McDaniel - 1988
    Her older sister, Audrey, is driving her crazy with constant talk about her upcoming wedding. When a popular girl at school takes an interest in Megan's best friend, John-Paul, Megan is surprised at her own jealousy. Was she losing her tomboy edge? But when her mother's mysterious headaches turn out to be a brain tumor, Megan's world is truly turned upside-down.

Mad, Mad Monday


Herma Silverstein - 1988
    In trying to cast a spell with a love potion designed to bewitch handsome but conceited Stormy, fourteen-year-old Miranda actually conjures up the ghost of a boy who died in 1958.

Just a Little Bit Lost


Laurel Trivelpiece - 1988
    Phillip Hargrove finds her yet they both end up lost. He hurts his leg and they learn to work together, overcoming existing dislike.

The Facts and Fictions of Minna Pratt


Patricia MacLachlan - 1988
    Minna Pratt stares at this message above her mother's typewriter every day and tries to understand it. But how can she, when her mind is already so full? She wishes her mother would ask her normal questions like "How was your day?" instead of "What is the quality of beauty?" She wishes her brother, McGrew, could catch a baseball. She wishes she had a vibrato and could play Mozart on her cello the way he deserves to be played.Then she meets Lucas Ellerby. Minna thinks Lucas has the perfect life. His home runs smoothly and evenly. Dinner conversation is full of facts, and everyone always has matching socks to wear. So why is he so intrigued by her family?Minna doesn't know, but as her friendship with Lucas grows, she discovers some important truths about herself and her family.In Patricia MacLachlan's hope-filled coming-of-age story Minna learns to value her family because of their eccentricities, and to value herself because of her own.

Book of Enchantments


Patricia C. Wrede - 1988
    This witty and charming collection of ten short fantasies includes a story, set in the Enchanted Forest, about Queen Cimorene's Frying Pan of Doom; a zany yarn about a magical blue chipmunk with a passion for chestnuts; and an eerie tale of a caliph who turns his vizier's daughter into a wolf.

Sweet Creek Holler


Ruth White - 1988
    And in the center of it all is Lou Jean Purvis, the sweetest, prettiest girl in the valley. As long as they are together, Ginny and Lou Jean are certain that nothing will ever harm them.Spanning six years in Ginny Shortt's life, this is a remarkable novel about growing up in a small mining town in Appalachia. A "novel of aspiring proportions...This is a haunting story, well written." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's BooksA "triumph." --The New York Times Book Review

Francine Pascal's Sweet Valley High Super Editions: Malibu Summer/Perfect Summer/Special Christmas/Spring Break/Boxed Set


Francine Pascal - 1988
    

The Ghosts of Stony Clove


Eileen Charbonneau - 1988
    It was rumored amongst the townsfolk that the solid rock of the area had been forged by the Devil himself who, in a fury, had fashioned it after his own cleft foot.Asher and Ginny were born and raised in this town, with its old fashioned traditions and tales. The most famous was the story of the ghost of William Sutherland and the legend that had grown around his life--and death--at Stony Clove. The mystique of the Sutherland homestead captivated Asher and Ginny, leading them to discoveries about the legend, and themselves, that would bond them together for an eternity.

Saber Dance


Ruth Glick - 1988
    Her first undercover assignment for the detective agency Charisma, Inc. sends her to the Goodwill Games to catch a spy. Posing as a TV reporter, she's interviewing all the world class athletes.One blue-eyed skier on the Russian team raises Samantha's suspicions--and sets her heart on fire. Whenever Aleksandr Danchev is near, Samantha's instincts warn her to beware. But his warm gaze melts her heart.Still, Samantha can't let her feelings interfere with her mission. She has to find the athlete carrying secret information, the key to Project Saber. Can she trust Aleksandr with the truth about her identity? Or is he one of the many obstacles in this dangerous game?

City Light


Harry Mazer - 1988
    A teenage boy makes an exploration of his identity after losing his childhood sweetheart and beginning a new relationship with the aid of a computer.

Kentucky Frontiersmen: The Adventures of Henry Ware, Hunter and Border Fighter


Joseph Alexander Altsheler - 1988
    Young Henry Ware helps to establish a pioneer settlement in early Kentucky, joins in defending it against the attack of hostile Shawnee Indians, and spends some time among the Shawnee as a somewhat willing prisoner.

Michael and the Secret War


Cassandra Golds - 1988
    Magical creatures from another world enlist the help of Michael in a secret war.

I Could Hear Chewing (Family Circus)


Bil Keane - 1988
    It is familiar fun for readers of papers everywhere and the subject of bestselling Fawcett collections! Original.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit, As Told by Roger


Walt Disney Company - 1988
    Story and music from the Original Motion Picture.

Lucy Forever And Miss Rosetree, Shrinks


Susan Richards Shreve - 1988
    But no case they ever imagined prepared them for the day a mute little girl with a scar across her throat walked through the door of Shrinks, Incorporated.

The Ice Mountain


Nicholas Walker - 1988
    

The Seven Treasures: The Quest of the Sons of Tuireann


Michael Scott - 1988
    As punishment for killing Lugh's father, Cian, the three sons of Tuireann must recover the Seven Magical Treasures of Antiquity within twenty days--or die.

Wish Come True


Ann H. Gabhart - 1988
    Now that her family has moved to a new town to take care of cranky Aunt Reva, she wishes that she could have a boyfriend, a best friend and voice lessons, and that Reva would laugh. For Lyssie's birthday, Reva gives her an antique mirror that had been her sister's. Reva drops enticing hints about her sister's death, and about the mysterious power of the mirror, which Lyssie thinks is just talk until she discovers Reva's diary. Then she realizes that there are strange forces at work, and she knows she must get rid of the mirror before another tragedy like the one that killed Reva's sister occurs.

With Date Rape and Acquaintance Rape


Andrea Parrot - 1988
    Rosen's Coping books will help teens find the strength and the resources to help them get through even the toughest situations.

The Most Beautiful Dog in the World


Jennie Abbott - 1988
    The Super Squad takes on a job getting a large ugly dog ready for a dog show in hopes that he'll win the title of "Most Beautiful Dog," only to have him disappear right before the show.

Second Best Sister


Carol Stanley - 1988
    Meg is jealous of her older, adopted sister, Julie, who seems to excel at everything, until a broken leg sidelines Julie and allows Meg a chance to earn her parents' respect.

Which Way to Nineveh


Ethel Barrett - 1988
    

Nebulae: The Birth & Death Of Stars


Necia H. Apfel - 1988
    Describes how nebulae or clouds of dust particles and gases in space form from the residue of dying stars and how some nebulae contain matter from which stars are born.