The following is a list of books developed by BPL teen librarians and presented at local middle schools. After each description, there are notes about where to find the books at the Berkeley Public Library. If copies are not available at your nearest Berkeley library, you can request to have them sent from another location.
Airman. By Eoin Colfer.
A talented boy is sent to prison and plans his escape.
Fiction Colfer, E
Teen section at Central; children’s section at all locations
Appetite for Detention. By Sloane Tanen.
Pipe-cleaner chicks go to high school.
Fiction Tanen, S
Teen section at Central, North, and West
Bleach. By Tite Kubo.
A boy encounters the supernatural.
Graphic Novel Kubo, T
Teen section at West—and coming soon to Central; Children’s section at Central and South
Carbon Diaries 2015. By Saci Lloyd.
Set in very near future London, where carbon rationing is in effect.
Fiction Lloyd, S
Teen section at Central
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer. By James L. Swanson.
It took almost two weeks to catch Lincoln’s killer.
364.1524 L638s2
Teen section at North, South, and West
The Compound. By S.A. Bodeen
For almost six years, Eli has lived in an underground bomb shelter with his parents and sisters; his dad sealed the door before his grandmother and twin brother could make it.
Fiction Bodeen, S
Young Teen section at all locations
The Deep. By Claire Nouvian.
Great photos of deep sea creatures.
591.77 D36
Teen section at North & West
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. By E. Lockhart.
After spying on a secret, males-only student group, Frankie plans the cleverest and funniest pranks that her school has ever seen.
Fiction Lockhart, E
Teen section at Central, Claremont, North, and West; Young Teen section at Central. Also available as an audio book in Central Children’s.
Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature. By Robin Brande.
Mena starts high school shunned by her former friends, kicked out of church, and on restriction at home, all because she stood up and did what she thought was the right thing. Things get worse when her former youth group starts a protest against teaching evolution, and Mena starts to develop a crush on her lab partner.
Fiction Brande, R (Teen section at Central, Claremont, North, and West; Young Teen section at Central.)
Fartiste. By Kathleen Krull.
History in verse of a talented musician.
Fiction Krull, K
Children’s section at all locations
The Graveyard Book. By Neil Gaiman.
A boy grows up in a graveyard but is in danger from the living.
Fiction Gaiman, N.
Teen section and Young Teen section at all locations; also available as an audio book in the Teen section at Central, Claremont, North, and West
Hot Girl. By Dream Jordan.
A former gang member, Kate risks getting kicked out of her foster home during the summer she becomes friends with guy-chasing hot girl Naleejah.
Fiction Jordan, D
Teen section at Central and South
The Hunger Games. By Suzanne Collins.
The teens of futuristic Panem know the rules: 24 tributes enter the arena for the annual hunger games—and only one will survive.
Fiction Collins, S
Teen section at Central, North, South, and West;Young Teen section at all locations
Hurricane Song. By Paul Volponi.
As Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans, a teenaged boy and his jazz musician father seek refuge in the Superdome. But the violence inside might be just as dangerous as the weather outside…
Fiction Volponi, P
Teen section at Central, North, South, and West
Jumped. By Rita Williams-Garcia.
Prelude to a girl fight.
Fiction Williams-Garcia, R
Teen section at Central and West
Mexican Whiteboy. By Matt de la Pena.
Danny’s mother is white. His father is Mexican – and not around.
Fiction Peña, M
Teen section at all locations
Paranoid Park. By Nelson Blake.
Skater dude agonizes over his role in an accidental homicide.
Fiction Nelson, B
Teen section at Central and Claremont
Response. By Paul Volponi.
Three guys beat up Noah Jackson – with a baseball bat.
Fiction Volponi, P
Teen section at Central and South
Runaways, Volume 1: Pride & Joy. Written by Brian K. Vaughan
An addictive comic series features aliens, mutants, time travel, a pet dinosaur, super-powerful teens and their super-villainous parents.
Graphic Novel Vaughan, B
Teen section at Central, Claremont, North, and West; Children’s section at Central and South
Swords. By Ben Boos.
Intricate illustrations combine with fascinating facts about sword-making, shields, and international swords.
623.441 B644s
Children’s section at Central and Claremont
Tales from Outer Suburbia. By Shaun Tan.
Beautifully illustrated, mythic, and mysterious stories about the strangest place of all: Suburbia!
Fiction Tan, S
Teen section at Central, Claremont, North, and West; Young Teen section at Central and North
Unwind. By Neal Shusterman.
In this society, parents can choose to have their 18-year-old sons and daughters unwound.
Fiction Shusterman, N
Teen section at Central; more copies will be ordered soon for all teen locations
Vampire Knight. By Matsuri Hino.
A love triangle blossoms in a boarding school secretly attended by vampires. Manga series.
Graphic Novel Hino, M
Teen section at Central and South