Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Lia and Cassie are the best of friends. They do everything together, including making a bet to see who can be the skinniest. After an argument causes them to stop speaking for several months, the bet isn't over. In fact, Cassie takes the bet too far. Lia is left cold and alone to remember how Cassie tried to reach out to her. Could Lia have helped her? Can Lia help herself? This is a powerful book with an all too believable cast of characters that will leave readers rooting for Lia and her recovery.

Girlfriend Material by Melissa Kantor

Sixteen-year-old Kate has big plans for her summer... until her mom announces the two of them are leaving their native Utah and traveling to Cape Cod for the summer! Kate is convinced it's going to be the worst summer of her life, but then she meets cute Adam at the local library of all places. Will she transform herself and finally be considered "girlfriend material" or will she forever be the "funny sidekick"?

Pop by Gordon Korman

High-school junior Marcus has moved to a new town (that has the defending state champion football team) in the middle of summer . He knows absolutely no one, but he really wants to make the football team. He goes to the town park and starts throwing the ball around and, in the process, meets a guy who really seems to know football. As the two of them  pass and tackle, Marcus gets better with each "pop". Who is this guy? And why is he helping Marcus when he has a son of his own at home? And why does he act so strange all the time? Even if you aren't a football fan, you'll enjoy a really good story!

Bull Rider by Suzanne Morgan Williams

15-year-old Cam O'Mara comes from a family of championship bull riders, but he has absolutely no interest in the family pasttime. Instead, he gets his adrenaline rush from skateboarding with his best friend, Mike. But when his big brother, Ben, is almost killed in Iraq and is left fighting for his life, Cam decides the only way to get Ben to start living again is to show him anything is possible. He starts riding bulls to get closer to his brother and eventually signs up to ride the ugliest, meanest bull in the state. With $15,000 at stake, not to mention the lives of two brothers, will this bull bring the family together again or will tragedy continue to strike the O'Mara family?

Check out Ms. Williams web site.

Slob by Ellen Potter

Owen Birnbaum is not your average 12-year-old. In fact, he's the fattest kid in his school, but he's also brilliant. Through scavenging building demolition sites, he is able to find enough spare parts to build a television set that he hopes will show him exactly what happened the night his parents were killed. This book is for all of those who have ever been picked on or made fun of for not being "normal". Owen shows us that "normal" is just a state of mind. Slob has been named a 2010-2011 Lone Star book.

Notes From the Dog by Gary Paulsen

This is a quick read that will leave you cheering for 14-year-old Finn as he comes to realize his life and world are better when he lets people in. The summer starts out with him wanting to "turtle up for a while" until he meets his new neighbor, Johanna. Once he discovers she is battling breast cancer, he decides he will take her advice about people. In the process, he learns more about himself than he ever wanted to know. Together with his best friends Matthew and Dylan, they vow to help Johanna in every way they can. 

Two Tearjerkers!

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor - 12-year-old Addie lives with her bipolar mother in a tiny trailer next to the train tracks in upstate New York. When the only stable person in her life (her ex-step-father) moves two hours away, she has to learn to trust the kindness of strangers to help keep her safe and teach her the meaning of family.
The Great Wide Sea by M.H. Herlong - After their mother dies, three brothers and their father set sail on a year-long voyage to the Caribbean. After their father disappears one evening, before the boys can decide what happened to him, they find themselves in the middle of a horrible storm. Finally as the storm subsides, their small sailboat washes them ashore a tiny uninhabited island. Left with little food, little water, and little chance of rescue, the three brothers are forced to face their wildest fears and put their lives at risk.

How NOT to be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler

Maggie Dempsey has moved around and changed schools... A LOT! She used to think moving every few months was fun and adventurous, but as she has gotten older and started making friends along the way, moving and changing schools is now one giant hassle. So when her parents tell her they are moving to Austin, Texas, Maggie vows to NOT make any friends in this place, thinking that will save her from heart break. But what Maggie doesn't understand is that by trying NOT to be popular, the opposite effect happens and she becomes the new "It" girl on campus.

Gym Candy by Carl Deuker

How far would you be willing to go to get what you want? For Mick Johnson, the son of an infamous high school, then college, and finally NFL football player, he's got huge shoes to fill. But can he do it himself or does he need the help of some gym candy? And what about the consequences that come with that kind of "candy"? For Mick, winning isn't everything, it's the only thing. But is it really?

Antsy Does Time by Neal Shusterman

What lengths would you go to in order to get a little attention from your family? What would you be willing to do to help a friend in need? For Anthony, a.k.a. Antsy, Bonano he knows a friend in need of help when he sees one, so he sarcastically offers to give his friend a month of his life. And what starts out as a joke gets crazily out of control... quickly!

The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas

15-year-old Antonia has two wishes: 1)to be named the first ever living saint to be named by the Pope and 2)to be movie-star kissed by the tall, dark, and handsome Andy Rotellini. While constantly petitioning an assortment of saints to intercede on her behalf in whatever matter presents itself, she is always on the lookout for an idea to propose to the Vatican that will help her become the first ever living saint. But first, that kiss... and why does that goofy Michael, with his oh-so-fake Irish accent, keep hanging around?