YA Stars 1998

Titles are arranged alphabetically by author. Titles were selected from various "best" or notable lists for ages 12 and older.

Selections were culled from the following lists: NCTE/National Council of Teachers of English Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts, YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) Best Bets for Young Adults and Quick Picks (BBYA), Publishers Weekly Best Books, Booklist Editor's Choice, VOYA Voice of Youth Advocates Outstanding Titles for Middle Grade Readers, School Library Journal (SLJ) Best Books , Bulletin for Children's Books Blue Ribbon selections, ALSC (Association for Library Services for Children) Notable Children's Books and the Horn Book Honor List.

Annotations are from Advance, the Ingram Book Magazine, from the Library of Congress annotation, or as noted.

Fiction & Nonfiction

• Go and Come Back: A Novel
  Abelove, Joan, Author
  Published April 1998 by DK Ink
  0-7894-2476-2/ $16.95 US
  Booklist PW
  Bulletin Blue Ribbon Books, Horn Book Honor List, PW Best Books, SLJ Best Books, BBYA, Booklist Editors' Choice List, Notable Children's Books
  Alicia lives much as her Isabo ancestors have lived for centuries in the Amazon jungle of Peru. One summer "two old white ladies", actually anthropologists in their 20s, come to her village to study the tribe. The adventure Alicia and the women share that summer is vividly detailed in this unique story.
• Art Attack: A Short Cultural History of the Avant-Garde
  Aronson, Marc, Author
  Published April 1998 by Clarion Books
  0-395-79729-2/ $20.00 US
  PW SLJ
  PW Best Books
  Discusses the arts, life styles, politics, and fashions while tracing the story of bohemians, radicals, hipsters, and hippies from Paris in the nineteenth century to contemporary America.
• Rules of the Road
  Bauer, Joan, Author
  Published April 1998 by Putnam Publishing Group
  0-399-23140-4 $15.99 US
  Bulletin Blue Ribbon Books, SLJ Best Books, BBYA, Quick Picks, Notable Children's Books, Voya Outstanding Titles
  Hired by Madeline Gladstone, the president of a shoe company, to help her prevent a corporate takeover, 16-year-old Jenna Boller embarks on an eye-opening adventure that teaches both of them the rules of the road--and the rules of life.
• Life in the Fat Lane
  Bennett, Cherie, Author
  Published March 1998 by Delacorte
  0-385-32274-7/ $15.95 US
  Kirkus
  BBYA
  Despite a strict diet and workout schedule, pretty and popular Lara soon weighs 200 pounds. Desperate to get her body back and find an explanation for her mysterious weight gain, Lara is diagnosed with a metabolic disorder with no known cure. Faced with the truth--she may never be thin again--Lara wonders who will be her true friends and who will shun her because of her weight.
• The Shakespeare Stealer
  Blackwood, Gary L., Author
  Published May 1998 by Dutton Books
  0-525-45863-8/ $15.99 US
  SLJ Best Books, Voya Outstanding Titles, BBYA, Notable Children's Books, NCTE Notable
  High jinks and high adventure fill every page of this exciting, panoramic novel set in Shakespeare's time. Widge, a young orphan indentured to a cold, unscrupulous master, has a special talent -- the ability to write a secret shorthand. The master is determined to acquire a script of "Hamlet" at any cost, so it becomes Widge's duty to transcribe it--or else!
• I Was a Teenage Fairy
  Block, Francesca Lia, Author
  Published October 1998 by Joanna Cotler Books
  0-06-027747-5/ $14.95 US
  PW SLJ Horn Book
  Quick Picks
  A pinkie-sized, straight-talking fairy, who may or may not be real, helps Barbie and Griffin uncover the strength beneath their pain and teaches that love--like a sparkling web of light spinning around our bodies and souls--is what can heal even the deepest scars.

  What's the Deal? Napoleon, Jefferson, and the Louisiana Purchase
  Blumberg, Rhoda, Editor
  Published October 1998 by National Geographic Society
  0-7922-7013-4 $18.95 US
  Booklist
  SLJ Best Books
  This entertaining saga brings to life the intense negotiations between Napoleon and Jefferson over this legendary land deal. Art from the period, maps, a timeline, endnotes, a bibliography, and index give young readers all the resources they need to understand the period in which the Purchase took place.

• 33 Things Every Girl Should Know: Stories, Songs, Poems, and Smart Talk by 33 Extraordinary Women
  Bolden, Tonya, Editor
  Published March 1998 by Crown Publishers Inc 0-517-70936-8/ $13.00 US
  BBYA
  Thirty-three extraordinary women offer stories, songs, poems, and smart talk in this collection that will give every adolescent girl reason to feel hopeful about making the transition from girlhood to womanhood. Contributors include Natalie Merchant, Sigourney Weaver, and Tabitha Soren.
• Fire, Bed, & Bone
  Branford, Henrietta, Author
  Published April 1998 by Candlewick Press
  0-7636-0338-4/ $16.99 US
  Booklist PW
  Voya Outstanding Titles
  In 1381 in England, a hunting dog recounts what happens to his beloved master Rufus and his family when they are arrested on suspicion of being part of the peasants' rebellion led by Wat Tyler and the preacher John Ball.
• Smack
  Burgess, Melvin, Author
  Published May 1998 by Henry Holt and Company
  0-8050-5801-X/ $16.95 US
  PW Kirkus
  Carnegie Medal Winner, Guardian Winner, PW Best Books, SLJ Best Books, BBYA
  A penetrating story about heroin use, Smack revolves around two 14-year-olds who run away from home. After Tar and Gemma try their first hit of smack, they begin an all-consuming search for the next hit--until a disaster forces Gemma to take matters into her own hands.
• I, Too Sing America
  Clinton, Catherine, Author
  Published October 1998 by Houghton Mifflin Company
  0-395-89599-5/ $20.00 US
  BBYA, VOYA Outstanding Titles
  A collection of poems by African-American writers, including Lucy Terry, Gwendolyn Bennett, and Alice Walker.
• Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts; A History of Burial
  Colman, Penny, Author
  Published December 1997 by Henry Holt and Company 0-8050-5066-3/ $17.95 US
  Booklist PW
  PW Best Books, BBYA
  This comprehensive volume examines the compelling subjects of death and burial across cultures and societies. Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts includes photographs and descriptions of famous people, a collection of literary quotes, images of death and burial in the arts, interesting epitaphs, and gravestone carvings.
• The Ancient City: Life in Classical Athens and Rome
  Connolly, Peter, Author
  Dodge, Hazel, Joint Author
  Published June 1998 by Oxford University Press
  0-19-917242-0/ $32.95 US
  Kirkus
  SLJ Best Books
  In this superbly illustrated volume, Athens and Rome, the greatest cities of antiquity, spring to life. By recreating the public buildings, temples, shops, and houses of these mighty civilizations, Connolly reveals every aspect of a person's life in glorious detail, including food, drama, religion, games, and the baths. 500 color illustrations.
• Heroes
  Cormier, Robert, Author
  Published September 1998 by Delacorte
  0-385-32590-8/ $15.95 US
  PW
  BBYA, Quick Picks
  Francis Joseph Cassavant is 18. He has just returned from WWII, and he has no face, due to a grenade in France. He does have a gun and a mission: to murder his childhood hero. In this lean and powerful novel, Cormier quietly, remorselessly, probes the nature of heroism as it is reflected through the remains of a young life forever shattered by a terrible act--and an equally terrible omissions.
• Bodies from the Bog
  Deem, James M., Author
  Published March 1998 by Houghton Mifflin Company
  0-395-85784-8/ $16.00 US
  Booklist
  Quick Picks, Notable Children's Books
  In 1952, Danish workmen digging in a peat bog made an astonishing discovery. Their shovels struck the head of a dead man. Who was he and how had he come to be there? In this fascinating glimpse into the world of the bog people, Deem answers these questions and many more.
• Someone Like You
  Dessen, Sarah, Author
  Published May 1998 by Viking Books
  0-670-87778-6/ $15.99 US
  BBYA, Quick Picks
  Best friends for years, Scarlett and Halley have shared everything. But at the beginning of their junior year in high school, Scarlett discovers she's pregnant and their friendship enters a new and challenging phase.
• Invisible Enemies: Stories of Infectious Diseases
  Farrell, Jeanette, Author
  Published April 1998 by Farrar Straus Giroux
  0-374-33637-7/ $17.00 US
  Bulletin Blue Ribbon Books, BBYA
  The story of man's fight against seven major dangerous diseases.
• The Skin I'm In
  Flake, Sharon, Author
  Published October 1998 by Jump at the Sun
  0-7868-0444-0/ $14.95 US
  PW
  BBYA, Quick Picks
  Thirteen-year-old Maleeka, uncomfortable because her skin is extremely dark, meets a new teacher with a birthmark on her face and makes some discoveries about how to love who she is and what she looks like.
• Whirligig
  Fleischman, Paul, Author
  Published May 1998 by Henry Holt and Company
  0-8050-5582-7/ $16.95 US
  PW Booklist
  PW Best Books, SLJ Best Books, BBYA, Booklist Editors' Choice List
  When 16-year-old Brent Bishop inadvertently causes the death of a young woman, he is sent on an unusual journey of repentance. In his most ambitious novel yet, Newbery winner Paul Fleischman traces Brent's healing pilgrimage from Washington State to California, Maine, and Florida, and describes the many lives set into new motion by the ingenious creations Brent leaves behind.
• Shadow Spinner
  Fletcher, Susan, Author
  Published May 1998 by Atheneum Books
  0-689-81852-1/ $17.00 US
  SLJ Best Books, Bulletin Blue Ribbon Books, BBYA, NCTE Notable
  In an adventure equal to any a storyteller might relate, a crippled serving girl faces the intrigues of the harem, the dangers of the streets, and the anger of the Sultan himself to find the needed ending to an incomplete story.
• Outspoken: Role Models from the Lesbian and Gay Community
  Ford, Michael Thomas, Author
  Published May 1998 by Beech Tree Paperback Book
  0-688-14896-4/ $16.00 US
  Booklist
  Booklist Editors' Choice List
  An actor, a teacher, a doctor, a police officer, and eight others reflect the vitality and rich diversity of the lesbian and gay community in Outspoken. All talk frankly about themselves and their careers, about coming out, and about leading a fulfilling life within and beyond the gay community.
• Samuel Adams: Father of the American Revolution
  Fradin, Dennis Brindell, Author
  Published April 1998 by Clarion Books
  0-395-82510-5/ $18.00 US
  Booklist SLJ
  Booklist Editors' Choice List, Voya Outstanding Titles
  A vivid, engaging, and detailed account of the life of a famous statesman includes his birth in Boston, Massachusetts, his education at Harvard University, his failed business as a tax collector, and his subsequent career as a politician.
• Martha Graham: A Dancer's Life
  Freedman, Russell, Author
  Published April 1998 by Clarion Books
  0-395-74655-8/ $18.00 US
  Booklist PW Kirkus
  Bulletin Blue Ribbon Books, Horn Book Honor List, PW Best Books, SLJ Best Books, Voya Outstanding Titles, Booklist Editors' Choice List, BBYA, Notable Children's Books
  A photo-biography of the American dancer, teacher, and choreographer who was born in Pittsburgh in 1895 and who became a leading figure in the world of modern dance.
• Circus: An Album
  Granfield, Linda, Author
  Published March 1998 by DK Ink
  0-7894-2453-3/ $19.95 US
  PW
  Voya Outstanding Titles
  From its early days of Minoan horn-vaulting and medieval street performers through its heyday in Europe and North America with P.T. Barnum and the Ringling family to the circus of today, this remarkable book captures the magic of performance as well as life behind the scenes. Full-color photos and archival documents.
• Chuck Close: Up Close
  Greenberg, Jan, Author
  Jordan, Sandra, Joint Author
  Published March 1998 by Dorling Kindersley Publishers
  0-7894-2486-X/ $19.95 US
  PW
  Bulletin Blue Ribbon Books, Horn Book Honor List, PW Best Books, SLJ Best Books, Voya Outstanding Titles, Notable Children's Books
  The inspiring story of a modern master who overcame tremendous challenges to become one of the most celebrated artists working today. As a child, Chuck Close struggled with severe learning disabilities and eventually developed his own way of studying--and looking at the world. Clear, thought-provoking text and full-color reproductions of Close's art make this a picture book that will enthrall children and adults alike.
• The Other Shepards
  Griffin, Adele, Author
  Published September 1998 by Hyperion Books
  0-7868-0423-8/ $14.95 US
  Booklist PW Kirkus
  Bulletin Blue Ribbon Books, PW Best Books, SLJ Best Books, BBYA, Booklist Editors' Choice List, Notable Children's Books
  
• Reaching Dustin
  Grove, Vicki, Author
  Published May 1998 by Putnam Publishing Group
  0-399-23008-4/ $16.99 US
  Kirkus
  SLJ Best Books
  The acclaimed author of The Crystal Garden and Rimwalkers delivers a powerful coming-of-age story about a frightened boy who finally reaches out for help - and the caring girl who reaches back, to right a wrong and help him.
• Among the Hidden
  Haddix, Margaret Peterson, Author
  Published September 1998 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
  0-689-81700-2/ $16.00 US
  BBYA
  Following the futuristic storylines of 1984 and Brave New World comes Among the Hidden. Luke is a third child in a family with already two boys. This is breaking a decree established by the government. He's successfully hidden in his parent's home without discovery for 12 years, but a stray glimpse through an air vent reveals his prohibited existence. Does this spell freedom from secrecy?
• Sunshine Rider: The First Vegetarian Western
  Hardman, Rick Lynden, Author
  Published March 1998 by Delacorte
  0-385-32543-6/ $15.95 US
  Booklist
  BBYA
  The author of the bestselling novel Fifteen Flags presents this fast-paced, historically accurate yet off-beat tale. In 1881, in Odessa, Texas, 17-year-old Wylie Jackson lands a job as assistant cook on a cattle drive. Only days into the drive, a disastrous stampede occurs. Fearing he's the cause, Wylie sets off by himself in this sensitive portrayal of a friendship between a young man and his pet cattalo.
• Kissing Doorknobs
  Hesser, Terry Spencer, Author
  Published June 1998 by Delacorte
  0-385-32329-8/ $15.95 US
  BBYA, Quick Picks
  From very early on, Tara Sullivan worried about everything. Over time, her "quirks" grew and developed--from arranging her meals on plates and non-stop prayer rituals to kissing her fingertips and touching doorknobs. In this compelling coming-of-age story, a girl struggles to overcome a debilitating psychiatric condition--obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• The Maze
  Hobbs, Will, Author
  Published September 1998 by Morrow Junior Books
  0-688-15092-6/ $15.00 US
  BBYA
  Stowing away in the back of a pickup, 14-year-old runaway Rick Walker finds himself at a dead end in the surreal landscape of redrock spires and deep canyons called the Maze.
• My Louisiana Sky
  Holt, Kimberly Willis, Author
  Published May 1998 by Henry Holt and Company
  0-8050-5251-8/ $15.95 US
  Booklist PW
  BBYA, VOYA, Booklist Editors' Choice List, Notable Children's List, Voya Outstanding Titles
  Set in the South of the 1950s, this tender coming-of-age novel explores a 12-year-old girl's struggle to accept her grandmother's death, her mentally deficient parents, and the changing world around her. My Louisiana Sky is filled with unforgettable characters and the importance of family and home.
• Heaven: A Novel
  Johnson, Angela, Author
  Published September 1998 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
  0-689-82229-4/ $16.00 US
  Kirkus
  BBYA
  Marley has lived in Heaven with her parents and her brother for 12 years since the accident. She can't imagine her life any other way, but she may have to. Does Marley have the perfect life, or is her life the perfect lie?
• Dark Lord of Derkholm
  Jones, Diana Wynne, Author
  Published October 1998 by Greenwillow Publishing
  0-688-16004-2/ $16.00 US
  PW SLJ
  SLJ Best Books
  Derk, an unconventional wizard, and his magical family become involved in a plan to put a stop to the devastating tours of their world arranged by the tyrannical Mr. Chesney.
• The Great Turkey Walk
  Karr, Kathleen, Author
  Published April 1998 by Farrar Straus Giroux
  0-374-32773-4/ $16.00 US
  PW
  PW Best Books, SLJ Best Books, NCTE Notable
  In 1860, a somewhat simple-minded fifteen-year-old boy attempts to herd one thousand turkeys from Missouri to Denver, Colorado, in hopes of selling them at a profit.
• The Falcon
  Koller, Jackie French, Author
  Published May 1998 by Atheneum Books
  0-689-81294-9/ $16.00 US
  BBYA
  Seventeen-year-old Luke has been having more and more accidents lately, accidents that he has no explanation for. Is the answer to be found in the here and now, or deep in the buried thoughts of another accident--one from long ago?
• Painter of the Caves
  Lauber, Patricia, Author
  Published March 1998 by National Geographic Society
  0-7922-7095-9/ $17.95 US
  Booklist
  SLJ Best Books, Booklist Editors' Choice List
  In this lavishly illustrated book, Patricia Lauber brings to life the Ice Age hunters and gatherers who were the ancestors of modern humans. Writing with clarity and enthusiasm, she examines all aspects of their lives--from what they ate to the art they created. Well-chosen images of artifacts and artists' renditions of ancient life give context to the striking cave paintings that adorn these pages. Full-color photos.
• The Wreckers
  Lawrence, Iain, Author
  Published June 1998 by Delacorte
  0-385-32535-5/ $15.95 US
  Booklist PW Kirkus
  Bulletin Blue Ribbon, SLJ Best Books, VOYA Outstanding Titles, BBYA, Quick Picks, Booklist Editors' Choice List, NCTE Notable
  From a first-time novelist comes this fast-paced adventure that weaves together shipwreck, pirates, kidnapping, mystery and ghosts. On the barren coast of Cornwall, England, lived a community who lures storm-tossed ships to crash on their shore, allowing them to feed and clothe themselves with the loot salvaged from the wreckage.
• The Quicksand Pony
  Lester, Alison, Author
  Published October 1998 by Walter Lorraine Books 0-395-93749-3/ $15.00 US
  SLJ
  SLJ Best Books
  Biddy's search takes her into wild secret country where she discovers the truth about a mysterious disappearance that happened many years ago. -publisher marketing.
• From Slave Ship to Freedom Road
  Lester, Julius, Author
  Published January 1998 by Dutton Books
  0-8037-1893-4/ $17.99 US
  Booklist Kirkus
  VOYA Outstanding Titles, Booklist Editors' Choice List, BBYA
  With a profoundly moving text and 24 magnificent paintings, Julius Lester and Rod Brown depict the course of slavery, beginning with the ships sailing from Africa and continuing through the Civil War. Invoking the memories of ancestors whose names they do not know, Lester and Brown reveal the inner life of the slaves expressed in their secret worship meetings, their heroic escapes, and their joy about freedom.
• No Pretty Pictures: A Child of War
  Lobel, Anita, Author
  Published September 1998 by Greenwillow Publishing
  0-688-15935-4/ $16.00 US
  Booklist PW
  Bulletin Blue Ribbon, PW Best Books, VOYA Outstanding Titles, Notable Children's Books, Booklist Editors' Choice List - Top of the List
  The beloved Caldecott Honor artist recounts a tale of a vastly different kind - her own gripping memoir of childhood of imprisonment and uncommon bravery in Nazi-occupied Poland. Illustrated with 12 pages of archival photos.
• Looking Back: A Photographic Memoir
  Lowry, Lois, Author
  Published October 1998 by Walter Lorraine Books
  0-395-89543-X/ $16.00 US
  PW
  PW Best Books
  The striking autobiography of Newbery Medalist Lois Lowry is about "moments, memories, fragments, falsehoods, and fantasies". She details pivotal times that affected her life, inspired her writing, and that magically evolved into rich and wonderful stories that one is reluctant to put down. Photos.
• The Sacrifice
  Matcheck, Diane, Author
  Published April 1998 by Farrar Straus Giroux
  0-374-36378-1/ $16.00 US
  Booklist
  VOYA Outstanding Titles, BBYA
  When her father's death leaves her orphaned and an outcast among her Apsaalooka (Crow) people, a fifteen-year-old sets out to avenge his death and prove that she, not her dead twin brother, is destined to be the Great One.
• The Wild Kid
  Mazer, Harry, Author
  Published September 1998 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
  0-689-80751-1/ $15.00 US
  SLJ
  SLJ Best Books, Horn Book Fanfare Honor List, SLJ Best Books
  Sammy and Kevin depend on each other for friendship and survival. Yet, Sammy longs to go home, and he's got a plan that just might save him and his friend. Mazer explores the delicate bond between two misfit kids living on their own.
• The Pirate's Son
  McCaughrean, Geraldine, Author
  Published September 1998 by Scholastic Inc
  0-590-20344-4/ $16.95 US
  Booklist Kirkus SLJ
  Bulletin Blue Ribbon, BBYA, Notable Children's Books
  It is the year 1717 in England when Nathan and his sister Maud find themselves orphaned, Tamo White, the son of a pirate, offers them refuge and extraordinary adventure in a new life on the high seas.
• The Exiles in Love
  McKay, Hilary, Author
  Published April 1998 by McElderry Books
  0-689-81752-5/ $16.00 US
  Booklist
  Horn Book Honor List
  Romantic love enters the lives of the irrepressible Conroy sisters in this sequel to The Exiles at Home. When Ruth, the eldest, begins to notice the charms of the men she sees and reads about, from the bus driver to the substitute English teacher, Big Grandma takes charge of the situation - with hilarious results.
• Ten Queens: Portraits of Women of Power
  Meltzer, Milton, Author
  Published May 1998 by Dutton Books
  0-525-45643-0/ $24.99 US
  Booklist Kirkus
  Booklist Editors' Choice List
  From the courage and beauty of Esther to the reforming spirit of Catherine the Great, these ten essays reveal the personal and political natures of women who commanded power not because they were married to a king, but because they ruled in their own right. Full color.
• Petey
  Mikaelsen, Ben, Author
  Published September 1998 by Hyperion Books
  0-7868-0426-2/ $15.95 US
  SLJ
  BBYA
  In 1922 Petey, who has cerebral palsy, is misdiagnosed as an idiot and institutionalized; sixty years later, still in the institution, he befriends a boy and shares with him the joy of life.
• Gone A-Whaling; The Lure of the Sea and the Hunt for the Great Whale
  Murphy, Jim, Author
  Published March 1998 by Clarion Books
  0-395-69847-2/ $18.00 US
  SLJ
  VOYA Outstanding Titles, Notable Children's Books
  Surveys the history of the whaling industry from its earliest days to the present, focusing on the young boys who managed to sign on for whaling voyages.
• Sirena
  Napoli, Donna Jo, Author
  Published October 1998 by Scholastic Inc
  0-590-38388-4/ $15.95 US
  SLJ
  Bulletin Blue Ribbon, BBYA
  In Donna Jo Napoli's beautiful prose, the tragic love story between a mermaid and a mortal comes to life for young readers. When Sirena meets Philoctetes, Hercules' friend, she falls in love. But the young warrior must return home to fight the Trojan War and leave his magical love behind.
• The Dark Light
  Newth, Mette, Author
  Published April 1998 by Farrar Straus Giroux
  0-374-31701-1/ $17.00 US
  Kirkus
  BBYA, Horn Book Honor List
  While enduring a bleak existence in a hospital for lepers in Norway during the early 1800s, thirteen-year-old Tora tries to find meaning in a life surrounded by death.
• Parzival: A Quest of the Grail Knight
  Paterson, Katherine, Author
  Published March 1998 by Lodestar Books Dutton
  0-525-67579-5/ $15.99 US
  PW
  PW Best Books
  Award-winning author Katherine Paterson retells a tale of high fantasy and chivalry. The Parzival story, which dates back to a thirteenth century epic poem, is about a handsome boy who becomes a knight in King Arthur's court, discovers he is of noble birth, and undertakes to seek the Holy Grail, emblem of enlightenment and redemption.
• Restless Spirit; The Life and Work of Dorothea Lange
  Partridge, Elizabeth, Author
  Published October 1998 by Viking Books
  0-670-87888-X/ $19.99 US
  Booklist
  Booklist Editors' Choice List
  Author Elizabeth Partridge weaves Dorothea Lange's own words into her text, creating not just another biography, but an intimate portrait of an artist who photographed some of the darkest episodes in America's history. 60 duotone photos.
• Strays Like Us
  Peck, Richard, Author
  Published May 1998 by Dial Books
  0-8037-2291-5/ $15.99 US
  Booklist PW
  BBYA
  From the bestselling author of Lost in Cyberspace comes this powerful story of a young girl starting over in a new place. After a lifetime of wandering from one city to another with her mother, Molly finds herself living with her great-aunt Fay. As the school year unfolds, Molly comes to learn that the world is full of strays - some just end up where they belong sooner than others.
• A Long Way from Chicago; A Novel in Stories
  Peck, Richard, Author
  Published September 1998 by Dial Books
  0-8037-2290-7/ $15.99 US
  Booklist Kirkus
  Horn Book Honor List, VOYA Outstanding Titles, BBYA, Notable Children's Books, NCTE Notable
  What happens when Joey and his sister, Mary Alice - two city slickers from Chicago--make their annual summer visit to Grandma Dowdel's seemingly sleepy Illinois town? In the tradition of American humorists Mark Twain and Flannery O'Connor, Richard Peck has created this memorable world filled with characters who, like Grandma herself, are larger than life and twice as entertaining.
• My Life in Dog Years
  Paulsen, Gary, Author
  Published February 1998 by Delacorte
  0-385-32570-3/ $15.95 US
  Booklist Kirkus
  Booklist Editors' Choice List, Quick Picks
  Gary Paulsen has owned dozens of unforgettable and amazing dogs in his lifetime. In each chapter of this wonderful book, he tells the story of one of these special animals, among them Snowball, the puppy he owned as a boy in the Philippines; Ike, his mysterious hunting companion; Electric Fred and his best friend, Pig; and Josh, the smartest dog in the world.
• Soldier's Heart: Being the Story of the Enlistment and Due Service of the Boy Charley Goddard in the First Minnesota
  Paulsen, Gary, Author
  Published October 1998 by Delacorte Press Books
  0-385-32498-7/ $15.95 US
  Booklist PW Kirkus
  PW Best Books, BBYA, Quick Picks, Booklist Editors' Choice List, Jefferson Cup Winner
  Battle by battle, Gary Paulsen shows readers one boy's war through one boy's eyes and one boy's heart, and gives a voice to all the anonymous young men who fought in the Civil War. From the acclaimed author of Nightjohn and Sarny.
• War and the Pity of War
  Philip, Neil, Editor
  Published September 1998 by Clarion Books
  0-395-84982-9/ $20.00 US
  Booklist Kirkus
  Bulletin Blue Ribbon, BBYA,
  Presents an illustrated collection of poems about the waste, horror, and futility of war as well as the nobility, courage, and sacrifice of individuals in wartime.
• Zebra and Other Stories
  Potok, Chaim, Author
  Published September 1998 by A. A. Knopf
  0-679-85440-1/ $18.00 US
  Booklist Kirkus
  Booklist Editors' Choice List, BBYA, VOYA Outstanding Titles
  A collection of stories about six different young people who each experience a life-changing event.
• Clockwork
  Pullman, Philip, Author
  Published October 1998 by Arthur A. Levine Books
  0-590-12999-6/ $14.95 US
  Booklist PW Kirkus
  SLJ Best Books, Quick Picks
  In this story about an apprentice clockmaker who sells his soul, Philip Pullman draws from classic literature to interweave elements of Frankenstein, Pinocchio, Faust and The Nightingale. This masterpiece of suspense keeps the reader's heart thumping to the very last page.
• The Door Near Here
  Quarles, Heather , Author
  Published November 1998 by Delacorte
  0-385-32595-9/ $13.95 US
  PW SLJ
  BBYA
  Life for Katherine and her three younger siblings has gotten tough. Their single mother is out of work, alcoholic and has been in bed for three days. There's no time for housework, and food and money are running out. The longer they struggle to maine their pretense of normality, the more they have to fear - and lose.
• No More Strangers Now; Young Voices from a New South Africa
  Ray, Karen, Author
  McKee, Timothy S., Author
  Published October 1998 by DK Ink
  0-7894-2524-6/ $19.95 US
  Booklist
  SLJ Best Books, BBYA, Notable Children's Books, Booklist Editors' Choice List
  In their own words, a variety of teenagers from South Africa talk about their years growing up under apartheid, and about the changes now occuring in their country.
• Discovering the Inca Ice Maiden: My Adventures on Ampato
  Reinhard, Johan, Author
  Published March 1998 by National Geographic Society
  0-7922-7142-4/ $17.95 US
  SLJ Best Books
  The discovery of a 500-year-old Inca girl on the summit of Ampato, a 20,700-foot-high volcano in Peru, provided archaeologists with new clues to the Inca Empire and electrified the world. In this unforgettable book, Johan Reinhard takes readers into the laboratory, shares the excitement of the scientific discoveries made there, and tells what the Ice Maiden has revealed about ancient Inca culture. Full-color photos.
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
  Rowling, J. K., Author
  Published September 1998 by Arthur A. Levine Books
  0-590-35340-3/ $16.95 US
  Booklist PW
  SLJ Best Books, PW Best Books, Booklist Editors' Choice List, BBYA, Notable Children's Books, NCTE Notable
  
• Holes
  Sachar, Louis, Author
  Published September 1998 by Frances Foster Books
  0-374-33265-7/ $16.00 US
  PW
  Newbery Award Winner, National Book Award Winner, Notable Children's Books, Quick Picks, Bulletin Blue Ribbon, Horn Book Honor List, PW Best Books, NCTE Notable
  A darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment, written by the author of There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom.
• Jungle Dogs
  Salisbury, Graham, Author
  Published October 1998 by Delacorte
  0-385-32187-2/ $15.95 US
  BBYA
  Sixth grader "Boy" Regis loves his family, their Hawaiian village, and the sea . . . but he's terrified of the wild dogs that lurk along his paper route. His older brother Damon calls him Sissyboy, and stirs up trouble by jumping into the middle of Boy's own battles at school. Boy is no sissy, and he's determined to face the jungle dogs. If he can do that, he can find a way to show Damon that you don't always have to fight to win a battle.
• Knots in My Yo-Yo String
  Spinelli, Jerry, Author
  Published April 1998 by A. A. Knopf
  0-679-98791-6/ $16.99 US
  PW
  BBYA, VOYA Outstanding Titles
  Newbery medalist Jerry Spinelli pens his early autobiography with all the warmth, humor, and drama of his bestselling fiction. From first memories through high school, this is not merely an account of a highly unusual childhood. Rather, like Spinelli's fiction, its appeal lies in the accessibility and universality of his life. Entertaining and fast-paced, this is a highly readable memoir.
• I Am Mordred; A Tale from Camelot
  Springer, Nancy, Author
  Published April 1998 by Philomel Books
  0-399-23143-9/ $16.99 US
  Booklist PW
  Booklist Editors' Choice List, BBYA, VOYA Outstanding Titles
  One of the most fascinating and misunderstood heroes of Arthurian lore comes to life in this epic fantasy for Camelot fans. Foretold by Merlin that he will grow up to kill his father, the beloved King Arthur, Mordred is determined to have peace in his life at any cost--even if it costs him his soul.
• Joan of Arc
  Stanley, Diane, Author
  Published September 1998 by William Morrow & Company Inc
  0-688-14329-6/ $16.00 US
  Booklist PW SLJ
  Booklist Editors' Choice List, Bulletin Blue Ribbon, Notable Children's Books, VOYA Outstanding Titles
  The inspiring story of Saint Joan of Arc, one of history's most fascinating women, sumptuously illustrated by artwork inspired by the gilded manuscripts from the 15th century.
• The Spirit Window
  Sweeney, Joyce, Author
  Published April 1998 by Delacorte
  0-385-32510-X/ $15.95 US
  BBYA
  From the acclaimed author of Free Fall. A 15-year-old girl photographer moves from apathy to passion in this story of explosive family tensions set against a backdrop of supernatural events in the wildness and mysticism of the Florida marsh.
• Behind the Mask: The Life of Queen Elizabeth I
  Thomas, Jane R., Author
  Published October 1998 by Clarion Books
  0-395-69120-6/ $19.00 US
  BBYA
  A compelling biography of Elizabeth I that describes her triumphant reign as well as the childhood that shaped the woman she became, making clear the precarious balancing act she had to perform her entire life to keep her head. Some of history's most persistent and intriguing questions are examined here and the myths surrounding Elizabeth are lifted, allowing readers an unprecedented view of this powerful queen as a human being.
• Not That I Care
  Vail, Rachel, Author
  Published November 1998 by Scholastic Inc
  0-590-03476-6/ $14.95 US
  PW Best Books
  Tough but often misunderstood, Morgan Miller struggles to come to grips with the fact that her best friend just dumped her.
• Please, Please, Please
  Vail, Rachel, Author
  Published July 1998 by Scholastic Inc
  0-590-00327-5/ $14.95 US
  Bulletin Blue Ribbon
  CJ Hurley must juggle the demands of becoming a professional ballet dancer, pleasing her mother, and having fun with her friends.
• If You Only Knew
  Vail, Rachel, Author
  Published July 1998 by Scholastic Inc
  0-590-03370-0/ $14.95 US
  PW
  PW Best Books
  Tomboyish, 12-year-old Zoe is friends with everyone in seventh grade, even the boys. She's never wanted a best friend, until now, as she tries to win over quiet, serious CJ.
• Making Up Megaboy
  Walter, Virginia, Author
  Published April 1998 by Dorling Kindersley Publishers
  0-7894-2488-6/ $16.95 US
  Booklist PW
  BBYA, Notable Children's Books, Booklist Editors' Choice List
  One day, a normally shy and withdrawn 13-year-old boy inexplicably shoots and kills a Korean store owner. This extraordinary book, an album of inquiry as terse and visually arresting as any TV news brief, sets out the particulars of the boy's actions in an attempt to understand them. Full color.
• Hard Ball
  Weaver, Will, Author
  Published March 1998 by HarperCollins Childrens
  0-06-027121-3/ $15.95 US
  BBYA
  A new Billy Baggs story by the author of Striking Out and Farm Team. After a family tragedy on the farm, Billy's life is finally back on track. Just starting high school, Billy catches the eye of the baseball coach and even a few college scouts. But blocking Billy's path is King Kenwood, town rich kid and ace pitcher.
• The Killer's Cousin
  Werlin, Nancy, Author
  Published November 1998 by Delacorte
  0-385-32560-6/ $15.95 US
  Booklist PW
  Edgar Winner, BBYA, Bulletin Blue Ribbon, Booklist Editors' Choice List, Quick Picks
  Recently acquitted of murder, 17-year-old David has moved to Massachusetts where he finds a new residence with his aunt and uncle. But his attic apartment doesn't feel like shelter and the behavior of his cousin, Lily, keeps getting more threatening. The more he learns about Lily, the harder it is to avoid thinking about his past.
• Walter Wick's Optical Tricks
  Wick, Walter, Author
  Published September 1998 by Cartwheel Books
  0-590-22227-9/ $13.95 US
  PW Kirkus
  Booklist Editors' Choice List, Bulletin Blue Ribbon, Horn Book Honor List, SLJ Best Books, Notable Children's Books, Quick Picks
  A book of impossible objects, magic mirrors, and other amazing illusions is offered by the award-winning creator of I Spy and A Drop of Water. Full color.
• I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade
  Wilson, Diane Lee, Author
  Published April 1998 by Orchard Books
  0-531-30024-2/ $17.95 US
  PW
  BBYA, VOYA Outstanding Titles
  In early fourteenth-century China, Oyuna tells her granddaughter of her girlhood in Mongolia and how love for her horse enabled her to win an important race and bring good luck to her family.
• Bat 6
  Wolff, Virginia Euwer, Author
  Published May 1998 by Scholastic Inc
  0-590-89799-3/ $16.95 US
  PW
  BBYA, VOYA Outstanding Titles
  Set in a small Oregon town just after World War II, this is the powerful tale of a community shattered by its reaction to two young newcomers, Aki and Shazam. Told from 21 different points of view, Bat 6 explores the subject of Japanese-American racial prejudice after the war.
• If You Come Softly
  Woodson, Jacqueline, Author
  Published September 1998 by Putnam Publishing Group
  0-399-23112-9/ $15.99 US
  PW
  Bulletin Blue Ribbon
  Jeremiah feels good inside his own skin. That is, when he's in his own Brooklyn neighborhood. But now he's going to be attending a fancy prep school in Manhattan, and black teenage boys don't exactly fit in there. So it's a surprise when he meets Ellie the first week of school. In one frozen moment their eves lock and after that they know they fit together - even though she's Jewish and he's black. Their worlds are so different, but to them that's not what matters. Too bad the rest of the world has to get in their way.
• Stephen Fair: A Novel
  Wynne-Jones, Tim, Author
  Published April 1998 by Dorling Kindersley Publishers
  0-7894-2495-9/ $15.95 US
  PW
  VOYA Outstanding Titles
  A masterful new novel about memory, family secrets, and the transforming power of truth. When Stephen turns 15, he is tormented by the same terrifying nightmare - a baby is trapped in a burning treehouse. Determined to unlock the meaning of his nightmare - the same one that plagued his older brother - Stephen embarks on a journey of discovery.
• Armageddon Summer
  Yolen, Jane, Author
  Coville, Bruce, Author
  Published September 1998 by Harcourt Trade Publishers
  0-15-201767-4/ $17.00 US
  SLJ
  BBYA, Quick Picks
  Reverend Beelson told the congregation that the world will end on Thursday, July 27, 2000. But "this" world has only just begun for Jed and Marina, two teenagers with more attitude than faith. Why should the world end now, when they've just fallen in love?
• Beyond the Mango Tree
  Zemser, Amy Bronwen, Author
  Published October 1998 by Greenwillow Publishing
  0-688-16005-0/ $15.00 US
  Booklist PW
  PW Best Books, Booklist Editors' Choice List
  While living in Liberia with her possessive, diabetic mother and often-absent father, twelve-year-old Sarina longs for a friend with whom to experience the world beyond her yard.

More Overbooked Best Books Reading Lists:

• Young Adult/Teen Stars Lists