Abundance of Katherines by John Green

"When it comes to girls (and in Colin's case, it so often did), everyone has a type. Colin Singleton's type was not physical but linguistic: he liked Katherines. And not Katies or Kats or Kitties or Cathys or Rynns or Trinas or Kays or Kates or, God forbid, Catherines. K-A-T-H-E-R-I-N-E. He had dated nineteen girls. All of them had been named Katherine. And all of them--every single solitary one--had dumped him."

Colin is a child prodigy--or rather was a child prodigy. Child prodigies are young people who can memorize an extraordinary amount of information. It takes a leap of original creative thought to mature from a prodigy to a genius--and how humiliating would it be if Colin, child prodigy, never moved on to become a genius? On the heels of his most recent Katherine break up, Colin embarks on a road trip with his closest friend, Hassan. ("Hassan Harbish. Sunni Muslim. Not a terrorist.") During that trip Colin and Hassan meet new friends, cope with impending adulthood, and make a discovery that just might take Colin to the realm of genius. John Green's clever use of footnotes and mathematical formulas...and his off beat sense of humor...make this a one-of-a-kind coming-of-age story.

SLJ recommends grades 9 and up.

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All the Way by Andy Behrens

"Ian began describing his courtship with Danielle, selecting the details carefully. He portrayed their relationship as something that had evolved slowly, naturally, and sweetly (when in fact it had evolved in a week, largely through deception, ans mostly because Ian had been a complete sphincter). Still, Ian gushed to his friends about all the good qualities he could only hope Danielle possessed."

Poor Ian. He's got no luck with girls. His friends have all been out of town for the summer. And he has spend most of his vacation behind the counter at Dunkin Donuts (except for the parts that he's spent inside the giant donut costume!) When he accidentally meets a real-live college girl over the internet, he can't help but tell a few fibs to make himself seem like a catch. Before he knows it, he's planning and end of the summer road trip to meet up with this mystery girl. And then his two best friends find out about it. Then things get really complicated! Andy Behrens spins a laugh out loud tale about two boys, two girls, one car, and a sad, sad donut costume.

SLJ recommends grades 9 and up.

Learn more at HCL, and Amazon.

Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney

"Scab particles were in Mitty Blake's fingerprints. He had wiped them on his cheek and rubbed them against his nose. He had breathed them in.
Every virus, although not quite alive, nevertheless has a shelf "life". The shelf life of some viruses is known; the shelf life of others is uncertain.
In this case, it was the shelf life of Mitchell John Blake that was uncertain."

As usual, Mitty Blake, mediocre high school student, has procrastinated again. While attempting to scrape together enough information to write his biology paper, he discovers an envelope filled with--ew--antique scabs. Only later does he realize what they are and what he may have done by touching them. As if coming down with an incurable disease was not enough, now mysterious men are after him. Are they government agents or terrorists? Does Mitty have a sore throat or small pox? Does the fate of the planet lie in the hands of a D student and a long forgotten envelope?

SLJ recommends grades 7 and up.

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Horseradish: bitter truths you can't avoid by Lemony Snicke

"Most schools have a system of loud bells, which startle the students and teachers at regular intervals and remind them that time is passing even more slowly than it seems."

Haven't had enough of Mr. Snicket, yet? The mysterious author returns one more time to offer a collection of musings. Some startling, some amusing, all terribly, terribly true. Snicket fans should find a few minutes to peruse this tome.

SLJ recommends grades

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Hole in the Sky by Pete Hautman

"I look toward the sound and see a pile of rags on the floor against the far wall. My eyes adjust further and the pile of rags becomes a man hugging his knees to his chest. He coughs, a dry cough that starts high in his throat, then works its way down until it becomes a bubbling chortle."

In the year 2038, only 38 million people are left on Earth. Most have fallen victim to the worst flu in history. Many others have been killed in the aftermath by the warring tribes of people left behind. Some have survived the flu, only to live without hair, or sight, or sanity. Four teens are on their own, trying to survive, and hoping to find a hole in the sky. Told, in turn, from the points of view of all four teens (including the deaf mute) this is a harrowing story of loyalty and hope.

SLJ recommends grades 7 to 10.

Learn more at HCL, Amazon, and here.