Book picks similar to
Sweet Sixteen and Never... by Jeanne Betancourt


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Parakeet Princess


Jandy Branch - 2012
    She's always been happy to be a Mormon but now, at age sixteen, she's moved to a small town where Mormons are mainstream instead of a minority. It's a shock to her system -- and her love life. Though she doesn't feel like she fits in at her new school, Heather finds friends at the restaurant where she works part-time. Her new friends aren't Mormons. But that doesn't keep some of them from being interested in more than friendship. The most tempting of them is her best friend's twin brother. His name is Wayne and he's got a natural charisma that makes Heather wonder if she'd like to follow him -- no matter where he leads. Guiding her through her growing pains is Heather's older brother's new best friend, Ben. He's an awkward, thoughtful boy who calls Heather "Parakeet" after his family's pet bird. Can Heather overcome her prejudices and Ben's reserve and find romance with him? Or will she take a giant step away from the way of life she's always known and follow Wayne? Set in the early 1990s, the story offers something for young adult readers and for older readers looking to revisit their own high school days.

Maniac Magee By Jerry Spinelli A Novel Teaching Pack


Margaret Whisnant - 2007
    Also suitable for home school programs and independent study. Reproductible. 85 Pages

The Accident


Todd Strasser - 1988
    When Bobby invites Matt to drive to a ski house, Matt refuses. A fatal accident ensues and Chris, who has a reputation for drinking and dealing drugs, is immediately blamed. However, Matt is convinced there is unseen aspect of the accident, and he is determined to expose it. Strasser conveys significant messages. His depiction of the teens and the accident is realistic and unsensational." - School Library Journal

Lula Does the Hula


Samantha Mackintosh - 2011
    But mostly people call me Lula. So, my big news is...I've finally been kissed. Eeeee! I have an actual, factual boyfriend! At least, I thought I did. But things with the perfect boy aren't going to plan - thanks to his journo gal pal, Evil Jazz. And that's not all. Hoooo no. In a few days I've got to dance the hula in public, put a stop to some seriously serious criminal activity, win a race, and stop Dad from shaming me totally with his weirdiness. Frikkly frik! Where is my normal life? Huh? Where? Please, someone, tell me I'm not jinxed forever...Laugh-out-loud funny and gorgeously romantic, Lula Does the Hula is the perfect summer read.

Sunset Island


Cherie Bennett - 1991
    In an effort to shake off the constraints of her parents' rich, self-satisfied lifestyle, Emma lands a summer job as an au pair girl on a resort island off the coast of Maine.

The Young Ancients: Books I-VI


P.S. Power - 2014
     Tor Baker is a Builder. A Wizard from the Kingdom of Noram. Follow him as he rises in the world, and discovers that things aren't even close to what he thought they were. This long running epic series is a favorite of many and not to be missed.

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.

Harry Potter - The Ultimate Quiz Book


Chris Peacock - 2011
    From questions even a muggle should know all the way through to trivia that would test Dumbledore himself, this is a fantastic way to enjoy the wizarding world even more. This version has been specially formatted for Kindle by Andrews UK.

Plague Year


Stephanie S. Tolan - 1990
    "A frightening and compelling story about prejudice, ignorance and hysteria."--Columbia Missourian

Ana of California


Andi Teran - 2015
    Fifteen-year-old orphan Ana Cortez has just blown her last chance with a foster family. It’s a group home next—unless she agrees to leave East Los Angeles for a farm trainee program in Northern California. When she first arrives, Ana can’t tell a tomato plant from a blackberry bush, and Emmett Garber is skeptical that this slight city girl can be any help on his farm. His sister Abbie, however, thinks Ana might be just what they need. Ana comes to love Garber Farm, and even Emmett has to admit that her hard work is an asset. But when she inadvertently stirs up trouble in town, Ana is afraid she might have ruined her last chance at finding a place to belong.

Summer Love


Diane Schwemm - 2005
    Ethan Wells sets his sights on the one thing he’s wanted all his life: Charlotte Ransom.Charlotte Ransom is jealous of everything Elli has. And the thing she craves most can never be hers: Sam DeWitt.Sam DeWitt could have anyone at Silver Beach . . . except the one girl who holds his heart: Elli Wells.

Project 17


Laurie Faria Stolarz - 2007
    Built in 1878 and closed in 1992, this abandoned mental institution is rumored to be the birthplace of the lobotomy. Locals have long believed the place to be haunted. They tell stories about the unmarked graves in the back, of the cold spots felt throughout the underground tunnels, and of the treasures found inside: patients' personal items like journals, hair combs, and bars of soap, or even their old medical records, left behind by the state for trespassers to view. On the eve of the hospital's demolition, six teens break in to spend the night and film a movie about their adventures. For Derik, it's an opportunity to win a filmmaking contest and save himself from a future of flipping burgers at his parents' diner. For the others, it's a chance to be on TV, or a night with no parents. But what starts as a playful dare quickly escalates into a frenzy of nightmarish action. Behind the crumbling walls, down every dark passageway, and in each deserted room, they will unravel the mysteries of those who once lived there and the spirits who still might.

Grace Happens


Jan M. Czech - 2005
    World travel, famous people, and movie sets are her life. So are bodyguards, paparazzi, and constant chaos. Grace dreams of a normal life with regular school and real friends. She also dreams of knowing her father, whose identity her mother has never revealed. When her secretive mother announces they’re going to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer, Grace doesn’t know the island holds the keys to her family history. But once the connection becomes clear, she can’t resist searching for some answers. Grace makes some surprising moves along the way, from making a friend and piercing her ears to developing a strong suspicion of who her father is.

POP!


Aury Wallington - 2006
    Being a virgin is getting in the way of holding on to a boyfriend. So who better to get it over with than her best guy friend, Jamie? They've known each other forever. It's pressure-free. But doing the deed changes everything. Jamie falls for Marit! Not only does he ruin her chances with the guy she had in her sights, now she's in danger of losing her friends too. If only there was a way to un-do it! Aury Wallington, a writer for Sex and the City and Veronica Mars, paints an entertaining and thoughtful portrait of the mess we make when we divorce sex from love.

Pretenders - FREE PREVIEW EDITION (The First 60 Page)


Lisi Harrison - 2013
    Now one of their own exposes the private entries...I am leaking these because I'm tired and I know you are too. The success bar is too high and pretending has become the only way to reach it. Instagrams are filtered, Facebook profiles are embellished, photos are shopped, reality TV is scripted, body parts get upgraded like software, and even professional athletes are cheating. The things we believe in aren't real. We are pretenders.