YA Book Recommendations - Cleaver Magazine

The other day my husband texted me from work for some book recommendations. One of his coworkers wanted to get his fourth grade granddaughter some books for Christmas, and my husband told him that I was a librarian-to-be who LOVES juvenile and young adult fiction. I thought of some of my favorite books from elementary school - and a few I've read recently! - and sent my husband a list of titles, authors, and brief summaries to pass on to his coworker.

I have SO much fun recommending books to others, whether someone asks me personally or if I can promote my favorites online. That's why I'm so excited to share with you all a great list of some amazing YA books from 2015. Check out my two favorites, and many more, at Cleaver Magazine!

Top 10 Banned Books of 2014

Happy Banned Books Week!
The top ten most frequently challenged books of 2014 are:

1) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie. Read and reviewed on the blog!

2) Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi. Read and reviewed on Goodreads.

3) And Tango Makes Three, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell.

4) The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison.

5) It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris

6) Saga, by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples

7) The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

8) The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

9) A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard. Read and reviewed on Goodreads.

10) Drama, by Raina Telgemeier. Read and reviewed on Goodreads.

Aaaaalmost halfway there... Have you read any of these banned books? Which would you recommend I read?

List from American Library Association.

100 most frequently challenged books: 2000-2009

Happy Banned Books Week!
Titles I've read are in bold, and favorites are denoted with an *. How many banned books have you read? Which would you recommend?

Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
Alice series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor*
The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck*
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
His Dark Materials (series), by Philip Pullman
ttyl; ttfn; l8r g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers
It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
Forever, by Judy Blume
The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous*
Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
King and King, by Linda de Haan
To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee*
Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
The Giver, by Lois Lowry*
In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak
Killing Mr. Griffen, by Lois Duncan
Beloved, by Toni Morrison
My Brother Sam Is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier
Bridge To Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline B. Cooney*
We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier
What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, by Louise Rennison
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
It’s So Amazing, by Robie Harris
Arming America, by Michael Bellasiles
Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane
Life is Funny, by E.R. Frank
Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher
The Fighting Ground, by Avi
Blubber, by Judy Blume
Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher
Crazy Lady, by Jane Leslie Conly
Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby: The First Graphic Novel by George Beard and Harold Hutchins, the creators of Captain Underpants, by Dav Pilkey
Rainbow Boys, by Alex Sanchez
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
Daughters of Eve, by Lois Duncan
The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson
You Hear Me?, by Betsy Franco
The Facts Speak for Themselves, by Brock Cole
Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Green*
When Dad Killed Mom, by Julius Lester
Blood and Chocolate, by Annette Curtis Klause
Fat Kid Rules the World, by K.L. Going
Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes
Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
Draw Me A Star, by Eric Carle
The Stupids (series), by Harry Allard
The Terrorist, by Caroline B. Cooney*
Mick Harte Was Here, by Barbara Park*
The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor
A Time to Kill, by John Grisham
Always Running, by Luis Rodriguez
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
Harris and Me, by Gary Paulsen
Junie B. Jones (series), by Barbara Park
Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
What’s Happening to My Body Book, by Lynda Madaras
The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold*
Anastasia (series), by Lois Lowry*
A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving
Crazy: A Novel, by Benjamin Lebert
The Joy of Gay Sex, by Dr. Charles Silverstein
The Upstairs Room, by Johanna Reiss
A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck
Black Boy, by Richard Wright
Deal With It!, by Esther Drill
Detour for Emmy, by Marilyn Reynolds
So Far From the Bamboo Grove, by Yoko Watkins
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, by Chris Crutcher
Cut, by Patricia McCormick
Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume
The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
Friday Night Lights, by H.G. Bissenger
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle
Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George
The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar
Bumps in the Night, by Harry Allard
Goosebumps (series), by R.L. Stine
Shade’s Children, by Garth Nix
Grendel, by John Gardner
The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende
I Saw Esau, by Iona Opte
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume*
America: A Novel, by E.R. Frank

List from American Library Association.

100 most frequently challenged books: 1990–1999

Happy Banned Books Week!
Titles I've read are in bold, and favorites are denoted with an *. How many banned books have you read? Which would you recommend?

Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
Daddy’s Roommate, by Michael Willhoite
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck*
Forever, by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
Heather Has Two Mommies, by Leslea Newman
The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
The Giver, by Lois Lowry*
My Brother Sam is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor*
Goosebumps (series), by R.L. Stine*
A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Sex, by Madonna
Earth’s Children (series), by Jean M. Auel
The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson
In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak
The Witches, by Roald Dahl
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle
The New Joy of Gay Sex, by Charles Silverstein
Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous*
The Goats, by Brock Cole
The Stupids (series), by Harry Allard
Anastasia Krupnik (series), by Lois Lowry*
Final Exit, by Derek Humphry
Blubber, by Judy Blume
Halloween ABC, by Eve Merriam
Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George
Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane
The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters, by Lynda Madaras
Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers
The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton
The Pigman, by Paul Zindel
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee*
We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier
Deenie, by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes*
Annie on My Mind, by Nancy Garden
Beloved, by Toni Morrison
The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat, by Alvin Schwartz
Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
Cujo, by Stephen King
James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl
A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein
Ordinary People, by Judith Guest
American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Sleeping Beauty Trilogy, by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Bumps in the Night, by Harry Allard
Asking About Sex and Growing Up, by Joanna Cole
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons, by Lynda Madaras
The Anarchist Cookbook, by William Powell
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume*
Boys and Sex, by Wardell Pomeroy
Crazy Lady, by Jane Conly
Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher
Killing Mr. Griffin, by Lois Duncan
Fade, by Robert Cormier
Guess What?, by Mem Fox
Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
Native Son, by Richard Wright
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies, by Nancy Friday
Curses, Hexes and Spells, by Daniel Cohen
On My Honor, by Marion Dane Bauer
The House of Spirits, by Isabel Allende
Jack, by A.M. Homes
Arizona Kid, by Ron Koertge
Family Secrets, by Norma Klein
Mommy Laid an Egg, by Babette Cole
Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Where Did I Come From?, by Peter Mayle
The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline Cooney*
Carrie, by Stephen King
The Dead Zone, by Stephen King
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain
Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
Always Running, by Luis Rodriguez
Private Parts, by Howard Stern
Where’s Waldo?, by Martin Hanford*
Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Greene*
Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume
Little Black Sambo, by Helen Bannerman
Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett
Running Loose, by Chris Crutcher
Sex Education, by Jenny Davis
Jumper, by Steven Gould
Christine, by Stephen King
The Drowning of Stephen Jones, by Bette Greene
That Was Then, This is Now, by S.E. Hinton
Girls and Sex, by Wardell Pomeroy
The Wish Giver, by Bill Brittain
Jump Ship to Freedom, by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

List from American Library Association.

Frequently Challenged Authors

Happy Banned Books Week!
I've read books by the authors whose names are in bold, and an * denotes some of my favorite writers.

How many of these frequently challenged authors have your read? Who are your favorites?

2012: Dav Pilkey, Sherman Alexie, Jay Asher, E.L. James, Ellen Hopkins, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Patricia Polacco, John Green, Luis Alberto Urrea, Alvin Schwartz, Dagberto Glib

2011: Lauren Myracle, Kim Dong Hwa, Chris Crutcher, Carolyn Mackler, Robert Greene, Sonya Sones, Dori Hillestead Butler, Sherman Alexie, Suzanne Collins, Aldous Huxley, Harper Lee*, Eric Jerome Dickey, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor*, Dav Pilkey, Cecily von Ziegesar

2010: Ellen Hopkins, Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, Sonya Sones, Judy Blume*, Ann Brasheres, Suzanne Collins, Aldous Huxley, Sherman Alexie, Laurie Halse Anderson, Natasha Friend

2009: Lauren Myracle, Alex Sanchez, P.C. Cast, Robert Cormier*, Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, Stephen Chbosky, Chris Crutcher, Ellen Hopkins, Richelle Mead, John Steinbeck*

2008: Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, Philip Pullman, Lauren Myracle, Jim Pipe, Alvin Schwartz, Chris Crutcher, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor*, Rudolfo Anaya, Stephen Chbosky, Cecily Von Ziegesar

2007: Robert Cormier*, Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, Mark Twain, Toni Morrison, Philip Pullman, Kevin Henkes, Lois Lowry*, Chris Crutcher, Lauren Myracle, Joann Sfar

2006: Chris Crutcher, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, Toni Morrison, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor*, Cecily von Ziegesar, Carolyn Mackler, Alvin Schwartz, Stephen Chbosky, Alex Sanchez, Judy Blume*

2005: Judy Blume*, Robert Cormier*, Chris Crutcher, Robie Harris, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor*, Toni Morrison, J. D. Salinger, Lois Lowry*, Marilyn Reynolds, Sonya Sones

2004: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor*, Robert Cormier*, Judy Blume*, Toni Morrison, Chris Lynch, Barbara Park, Gary Paulsen, Dav Pilkey, Maurice Sendak, Sonya Sones

2003: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor*, J. K. Rowling, Robert Cormier*, Judy Blume*, Katherine Paterson, John Steinbeck*, Walter Dean Myers, Robie Harris, Stephen King, Louise Rennison

2002: J.K. Rowling, Judy Blume*, Robert Cormier*, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor*, Stephen King, Lois Duncan, S.E. Hinton, Alvin Schwartz, Maya Angelou, Roald Dahl*, Toni Morrison

2001: J. K. Rowling, Robert Cormier*, John Steinbeck*, Judy Blume*, Maya Angelou, Robie Harris, Gary Paulsen, Walter Dean Myers, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor*, Bette Greene

List from American Library Association.

Frequently Challenged Classics

The Radcliffe Publishing Course listed the Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century, and at least 46 of those titles are banned or challenged books! I bolded ones I've read, and used a * to denote my favorites. How many of these have you read?

1. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald*
2. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
3. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
4. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee*
5. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
6. Ulysses, by James Joyce
7. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
8. The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
9. 1984, by George Orwell*

11. Lolita, by Vladmir Nabokov
12. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck*

15. Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
16. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
17. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
18. The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway
19. As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner
20. A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway

23. Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
24. Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
25. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
26. Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
27. Native Son, by Richard Wright
28. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey
29. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
30. For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway

33. The Call of the Wild, by Jack London

36. Go Tell it on the Mountain, by James Baldwin

38. All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren

40. The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien

45. The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair

48. Lady Chatterley's Lover, by D.H. Lawrence
49. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
50. The Awakening, by Kate Chopin

53. In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote

55. The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie

57. Sophie's Choice, by William Styron

64. Sons and Lovers, by D.H. Lawrence

66. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
67. A Separate Peace, by John Knowles

73. Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs
74. Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh
75. Women in Love, by D.H. Lawrence

80. The Naked and the Dead, by Norman Mailer

84. Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller

88. An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser

97. Rabbit, Run, by John Updike

If only I could count books I started and never finished! Looks like I have some required reading to brush up on...

List from American Library Association.