2006 ALSC Notable Children's Books - Older Readers
Discover the 2006 ALSC Notable Children's Books for Older Readers, a curated list of must-read juvenile fiction and nonfiction. From *The Inkheart Trilogy* and *The Lightning Thief* to *Day of Tears* and *Maritcha*, explore award-winning YA literature and teen picks that captivate, educate, and inspire.
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Photo by Brady
by Jennifer Armstrong
Retells the Civil War through the eyes of photographer Mathew Brady and other field photographers as they record a brutal and deadly time.
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Maritcha
by Tonya Bolden
Based on an actual memoir written by Maritcha Rimond Lyons, who was born in New York City, this poignant story tells what it was like to be a black child born free during the days of slavery. Includes photographs of Maritcha, her family, and friends, as well as archival and contemporary maps, photographs, and illustrations.
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The Tequila Worm
by Viola Canales
Sofia comes from a family of storytellers. Here are her tales of growing up in the barrio, full of the magic and mystery of family traditions: making Easter cascarones, celebrating el Dia de los Muertos, preparing for quincea–era, rejoicing in the Christmas nacimiento, and curing homesickness by eating the tequila worm. When Sofia is singled out to receive a scholarship to an elite boarding school, she longs to explore life beyond the barrio, even though it means leaving her family to navigate a strange world of rich, privileged kids. It's a different mundo, but one where Sofia's traditions take on new meaning and illuminate her path.
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The Inkheart Trilogy
by Cornelia Caroline Funke
Since Meggie's bookbinder father can "read" fictional characters to life one abducts them; Meggie "reads" herself into Inkworld as the original creator of the world tries to redirect the story; and the Book of Immortality starts to unravel.
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Flush
by Carl Hiaasen
A hilarious, high-stakes adventure involving crooked casino boats, floating fish, toxic beaches, and one kid determined to get justice. This is Carl Hiaasen's Florida—where the creatures are wild and the people are wilder! You know it's going to be a rough summer when you spend Father's Day visiting your dad in the local lockup. Noah's dad is sure that the owner of the Coral Queen casino boat is flushing raw sewage into the harbor–which has made taking a dip at the local beach like swimming in a toilet. He can't prove it though, and so he decides that sinking the boat will make an effective statement. Right. The boat is pumped out and back in business within days and Noah's dad is stuck in the clink. Now Noah is determined to succeed where his dad failed. He will prove that the Coral Queen is dumping illegally . . . somehow. His allies may not add up to much–his sister Abbey, an unreformed childhood biter; Lice Peeking, a greedy sot with poor hygiene; Shelly, a bartender and a woman scorned; and a mysterious pirate–but Noah's got a plan to flush this crook out into the open. A plan that should sink the crooked little casino, once and for all.
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An Innocent Soldier
by Josef Holub
A sixteen-year-old farmhand is tricked into fighting in the Napoleonic Wars by the farmer for whom he works, who secretly substitutes him for the farmer's own son.
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The Forbidden Schoolhouse
by Suzanne Jurmain
Describes Prudence Crandall's violently-resisted attempts to educate African-American girls in Connecticut in the 1830's.
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Day of Tears
by Julius Lester
Through flashbacks, foreshadowing, and shifting first-person points of view, readers will travel with Emma and others through time and space. They come to discover that every decision has its consequences, and final judgment is passed down not by man, but by his maker.
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Eyes of the Emperor
by Graham Salisbury
Following orders from the United States Army, several young Japanese American men train K-9 units to hunt Asians during World War II by being the dogs' bait. Reprint.
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Under the Persimmon Tree
by Suzanne Fisher Staples
During the 2001 Afghan War, the lives of Najmah, a young refugee from Kunduz, Afghanistan, and Nusrat, an American-Muslim teacher who is awaiting her huband's return from Mazar-i-Sharif, intersect at a school in Peshawar, Pakistan.
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Stanford Wong Flunks Big-time
by Lisa Yee
After flunking sixth-grade English, basketball prodigy Stanford Wong must struggle to pass his summer-school class, keep his failure a secret from his friends, and satisy his academically demanding father.
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When I Was a Soldier
by Valerie Zenatti
The story of one girl's experience in the Israeli national army where strict routines, grueling marches, poor food, and lack of sleep are the norm, but service has its rewards as well.
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Elsewhere
by Gabrielle Zevin
After fifteen-year-old Liz Hall is hit by a taxi and killed, she finds herself in a place that is both like and unlike Earth, where she must adjust to her new status and figure out how to "live." An ALA Notable Children's Book. Reprint. 75,000 first printing.