Book picks similar to
Bluford Series Boxed Set (20 Titles) by Paul Langan
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The Accidental Siren
Jake Vander-Ark - 2012
James Parker is the ordinary boy who discovers her power.James had his summer all planned out. He would enjoy the carefree days in the woods behind his castle home, avoid the maniacal Danny Bompensaro, and shoot an epic movie with his best friend Whit. But when he rescues a mysterious girl chained inside a normal suburban home, his summer collapses into a beautiful nightmare he'll never forget.Told from the perspective of a man recalling his youth, The Accidental Siren is a twisted fairytale about young love, growing up in the 90s, and the frightening potential of infinite beauty.
Names Will Never Hurt Me
Jaime Adoff - 2004
There's Kurt, the "freek" who tries desperately to escape bullying; Tisha, who doesn't feel she fits in with anyone; Ryan, the football jock who rules the hallways while losing control of his life; and Floater, who uses his connections to gain dangerous power. On this day, teasing, racism, loneliness, and secrets bring each of them to the breaking point. Now they must help each other prevent a tragedy. The voices of these four teens weave together in prose-poetry to create a powerful read.
Give a Boy a Gun
Todd Strasser - 2000
But not anymore. Stealing a small arsenal of guns from a neighbor, they take their classmates hostage at a school dance. In the panic of this desperate situation, it soon becomes clear that only one thing matters to Brendan and Gary: revenge.
Sweet 16
Kate Brian - 2006
No one's sweet sixteen party will be as glitzy, glamorous, decadent, and, well, obnoxious as Teagan's sweet sixteen party. She might single-handedly take the sweet out of sweet sixteen.In typical fashion, nothing is quite right for Teagan on the night of her sweet sixteen party. When a slew of unfortunate events unfold at what was supposed to be the sweet sixteen event of the century, she hits rock bottom, literally, by falling down the stairs into the wine cellar. When she comes to, a strange woman is standing over her. What happens next will bring Teagan back in time to when she was a sweet little girl with two parents, before her mother died and her father threw himself into his work.She'll be forced to face the choices she made that led her to be the person she is on her sixteenth birthday. And with the help of her fairy godmother (or whoever the heck the creepy woman in white is), this will be the sweetest of all sixteens.
A Summer to Die
Lois Lowry - 1977
Her feelings don't make it any easier for her to cope with Molly's strange illness and eventual death.
Target
Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson - 2001
Some hells just can't be shared. Searing and powerful, Target shows that people can go through unspeakable things and emerge whole-- and sometimes your friends can save you. Another "provocative tale" (Booklist) by Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson, author of The Parallel Universe of Liars.
Child X
Lee Weatherly - 2002
But at home, her life is not so happy. Her family starts to disintegrate after her father suddenly and unexpectedly leaves home. What exactly is Juliet’s relationship to her flamboyant actor uncle? And what terrible secret is her mother hiding? This is a moving and powerful story of one girl’s search for her own identity, deftly contrasted with the glamour and excitement of the theater.From the Hardcover edition.
Kissing Doorknobs
Terry Spencer Hesser - 1998
In grade school, she panicked during the practice fire drills. Practice for what?, Tara asked. For the upcoming disaster that was bound to happen?Then, at the age of 11, it happened. Tara heard the phrase that changed her life: Step on a crack, break your mother's back. Before Tara knew it, she was counting every crack in the sidewalk. Over time, Tara's "quirks" grew and developed: arranging her meals on plates, nonstop prayer rituals, until she developed a new ritual wherin she kissed her fingers and touched doorknobs....
Life on Mars
Jennifer Brown - 2014
Twelve-year-old Arcturus Betelgeuse Chambers' quest to find life on other planets seems at an end when his parents decide to move to Las Vegas, but while they look for a house he stays with his neighbor, an astronaut who soon becomes a friend.
Replay
Sharon Creech - 2005
Now with fresh and gorgeous new cover art, this touching tale has received many starred reviews, and was called a "warm, funny, philosophical novel" by Kirkus Reviews.With the backdrop of a large family and a theater as its frame, this is a story about twelve-year-old Leo, who has a talent for transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. That's why he's called "fog boy." He's always dreaming, always replaying things in his brain. As an actor in the school play, he is poised and ready for the curtain to open. But in the play that is his life, he is eager to discover what part will be his.With the universal theme of finding one's true identity, and set amid a loud, noisy, memorable family, Leo's story is one that all kids will relate to. And there's a full play at the end of the book that kids and teachers can perform!
The Road of the Dead
Kevin Brooks - 2006
Three days later, her two younger brothers set out in search of her murderer. Cole, 17, is a dark-eyed devil who doesn't care if he lives or dies, while Ruben, 14, is a strange child who sometimes, inexplicably, experiences sensations above and beyond his own. This is the story of the boys' journey from their half-gypsy home on a London junk lot to the ghostly moors of Devon, where they hope and fear to find the truth about their sister's death. It's a long road, cold and hard and violent. It's THE ROAD OF THE DEAD.
The Son of Someone Famous
M.E. Kerr - 1974
Brenda Belle Blossom is the town tomboy. After an awkward meeting, Adam and Brenda begin to discover some truths about their elders and each other. The book successfully evokes adolescence in an entertaining story with credible characterizations, animated dialogue, and a realistic New England small town setting.--Booklist.
Klepto
Jenny Pollack - 2006
During their freshman year (1981–1982) at the High School of Performing Arts in New York City, the previously unexplored world of flirting, freedom, and fashion is revealed to Julie P. through the eyes of her new best friend. Learning the secret to Julie B.’s collection of Fiorucci jeans—shoplifting — only makes Julie P. admire her more. Before long Julie P. has her own closet full of stolen clothing, and a new boyfriend. Then Julie P.’s conscience catches up with her. She wants to stop shoplifting, but Julie B. doesn’t.Without stealing, can this friendship survive?
Night Runner
Tim Bowler - 2014
Shadowy figures are following him. His parents are keeping secrets but he can't figure out why. Then his mum ends up in hospital, his dad disappears, and Zinny has to do whatever he can to save his family. Even if it means helping the very men he's been running from ...As the clock ticks, Zinny knows it's only a matter of time before someone ends up dead - and it could be him.
Dessert First
Dean Gloster - 2016
Especially now, when her beloved younger brother Beep is in his second leukemia relapse, and a bone marrow transplant from Kat may be his only chance.But Kat's worried that she and her bone marrow may not be up to the task: She can't even complete homework, and she's facing other rejection--lost friendships, a lost spot on the soccer team, and lots of heartache from her crush on her former best friend, Evan. Kat doesn't know if her bone marrow will save Beep, or whether she can save herself, let alone keep her promise to Beep that she'll enjoy life and always eat dessert first.Dessert First is a funny, moving story about coping, appreciating sweetness, and learning to forgive.