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Banned Books from the Past |
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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
by Maya Angelou
A distinguished African-American poet recalls the anguish of her Arkansas childhood and her adolescence in northern slums.
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A Stolen Life : a memoir
by Jaycee Lee Dugard
The woman abducted at age 11 by a man and woman who subsequently held her hostage and sexually abused her for 18 years discusses her life.
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To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
A deluxe hardcover edition commemorates the 50th anniversary of the beloved classic novel about racial justice in the Deep South, a story that inspired an equally beloved movie and inspired the generations that followed.
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The Kite Runner
by Khaled Hosseini
Traces the unlikely friendship of a wealthy Afghan youth and a servant's son, in a tale that spans the final days of Afghanistan's monarchy through the atrocities of the present day.
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Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley
Huxley's terrifying prophetic novel describes the socialized horrors of a futuristic utopian society devoid of individual freedom.
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
by Ken Kesey
McMurphy, a criminal who feigns insanity, is admitted to a mental hospital where he challenges the autocratic authority of the head nurse.
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Beloved : a novel
by Toni Morrison
Sethe, an escaped slave living in post-Civil War Ohio with her daughter and mother-in-law, is haunted persistently by the ghost of the dead baby girl whom she sacrificed, in a new edition of the Nobel Laureate's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
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The Bluest Eye
by Toni Morrison
The story of Pecola Breedlove profiles an eleven-year-old Black girl growing up in an America that values blue-eyed blondes and the tragedy that results from her longing to be accepted.
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The Catcher in the Rye
by J. D. Salinger
In an effort to escape the hypocrisies of life at his boarding school, sixteen-year-old Holden Caulfield seeks refuge in New York City.
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Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck
The tragic story of the friendship between two migrant workers, George and mentally retarded Lenny, and their dream of owning a farm.
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The Color Purple
by Alice Walker
Sisters Nettie and Celie, the former a missionary in Africa, the latter a southern woman trapped in an unhappy marriage, share their thoughts and experiences throughout a thirty-year correspondence. Reissue. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
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The Glass Castle : a memoir
by Jeannette Walls
The second child of a scholarly, alcoholic father and an eccentric artist mother discusses her family's nomadic upbringing from the Arizona desert, to Las Vegas, to an Appalachian mining town, during which her siblings and she fended for themselves while their parents outmaneuvered bill collectors and the authorities.
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Fun Home : a family tragicomic
by Alison Bechdel
An unusual memoir done in the form of a graphic novel by a cult favorite comic artist offers a darkly funny family portrait that details her relationship with her father, a historic preservation expert dedicated to restoring the family's Victorian home, funeral home director, high-school English teacher, and closeted homosexual.
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The Color of Earth series
by Dong Hwa Kim
Set in Korea, Ehwa is disturbed by the comments she hears about the way her widowed mother lives her life and tries not let it affect her, but as they both get older and her mother finds a new love, Ehwa begins to realize that having an open heart isn't something one should feel ashamed about.
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Persepolis : The Story of a Childhood
by Marjane Satrapi
The great-granddaughter of Iran's last emperor and the daughter of ardent Marxists describes growing up in Tehran in a country plagued by political upheaval and vast contradictions between public and private life.
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Bone : The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume
by Jeff Smith
Three modern cartoon cousins get lost in a pre-technological valley, spending a year there making new friends and out-running dangerous enemies, in a compilation of the creator's Bone series all in one binding.
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Drama
by Raina Telgemeier
Designing sets for her middle school's play, Callie tries to overcome limited carpentry skills, low ticket sales and squabbling crew members only to find her efforts further complicated by the arrival of two cute brothers. By the award-winning author of Smile.
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Habibi
by Craig Thompson
A graphic tale by the author of Blankets follows the relationship between two refugee child slaves who are thrown together by circumstance and who struggle to make a place for themselves in a world fueled by fear and vice, in a visual parable that touches on themes of cultural divisions and the shared heritage of Christianity and Islam.
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Saga
by Brian K Vaughan
After a dramatic time jump, Hazel begins the most exciting adventure of her life: kindergarten; meanwhile, her star-crossed family learns hard lessons of their own. A three-time Eisner Award winner for Best Continuing Series.
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
Leaving the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white high school, Junior struggles to find his place in his new surroundings in order to escape his destiny back on the reservation.
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Bless Me, Ultima
by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Chronicles the story of an alienated New Mexico boy who seeks an answer to his questions about life in his relationship with Ultima, a magical healer, in a twenty-fifth anniversary edition of the classic novel, which comes complete with a special reading group guide.
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Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Melinda finds herself an outcast at her high school for calling the cops on an end of summer party, and, although she finds comfort in her art class, she still holds a terrible secret.
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Feed
by M. T. Anderson
In a future where most people have computer implants in their heads to control their environment, Titus meets Violet, an unusual teenage girl who is in serious trouble. By the author of Burger Wuss. An ALA Best Book for Young Adults.
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Th1rteen R3asons Why : a novel
by Jay Asher
When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah's voice recounting the events leading up to her death.
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Ender's Game
by Orson Scott Card
A tie-in edition of a best-selling science-fiction classic follows the efforts of a young genius from an elite military training school who endures relentless pressure and loneliness before becoming humanity's sole protector against an alien attack.
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky
In a thought-provoking coming-of-age novel, Charlie struggles to cope with complex world of high school as he deals with the confusions of sex and love, the temptations of drugs, and the pain of losing a close friend and a favorite aunt.
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When it Happens
by Susane Colasanti
High school seniors Sara and Tobey attempt to figure out what is important in life as they try to balance their preparations for their futures with their enjoyment of the present.
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The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
Set in the cruel world in the Capital of the nation of Panem, the annual Hunger Games pits young children against one another in a battle to the death on national t.v., so when Katniss is ordered to represent her district, she knows an important decision between survival and the love of another will have to be made when she is called to enter the ring.
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Fat Kid Rules the World
by K. L. Going
When he finds his former classmate, Troy, standing on a subway platform contemplating suicide, Curt takes action and a strange friendship develops between the two where soon Troy is recruited to be the drummer for Curt’s new punk rock band, in an amusing tale of an unlikely friendship.
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Totally Joe
by James Howe
When he is given an assignment to write his autobiography on alphabetized cards during the span of a school year, Joe Bunch takes it on with little enthusiasm until his writing begins to help him understand himself, his feelings for his boyfriend Colin Briggs, and his place in the world as the misfit he thinks himself to be.
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Beyond Magenta : transgender teens speak out
by Susan Kuklin
Draws on six first-person interviews to share compassionate insights into the teen transgender experience, tracing each individual's emotional and physical journey as it was shaped by family dynamics, living situations and the transition each teen made during the personal journey toward acknowledgement of gender preference.
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The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things
by Carolyn Mackler
Feeling like she does not fit in with the other members of her family, who are all thin, brilliant, and good-looking, fifteen-year-old Virginia Shreves tries to deal with her self-image, her first physical relationship, and her disillusionment with some of the people closest to her.
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Fallen Angels
by Walter Dean Myers
Seventeen-year-old Richie Perry, just out of his Harlem high school, enlists in the Army in the summer of 1967 and spends a devastating year on active duty in Vietnam.
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Ttyl
by Lauren Myracle
Chronicles, in "instant message" format, the day-to-day experiences, feelings, and plans of three fifteen-year-old girls--Zoe, Maddie, and Angela--as they begin tenth grade. By the author of Kissing Kate.
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The Body of Christopher Creed
by Carol Plum-Ucci
When the town freak left after years of being bullied, a bad spirit remained that seemed to effect everyone in the community, thus when Torey Adam's begins to delve into this mystery, he uncovers truths that may be simply too hard for him to handle.
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The Golden Compass
by Philip Pullman
Living among scholars in the hallowed halls of Jordan College, Lyra hears rumors of a magical dust that supposedly possesses powers that can unite whole universes, and begins a difficult and dangerous journey to find it.
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A Bad Boy Can Be Good For a Girl
by Tanya Lee Stone
When a smooth-talking, handsome senior boy enters their mix, friends Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva soon find themselves in questionable situations where each girl must make the right decision before things go awry and their personal sacrifices become too great.
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Stuck in Neutral
by Terry Trueman
Part mystery, part miracle, Shawn McDaniel seemingly leads a normal life, but no one knows who he really is, not even those closest to him, in a dramatic novel that shows readers how to look beyond the obvious to discover an extraordinary character who has a powerful story to tell.
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Gossip Girl series
by Cecily Von Ziegesar
When the beautiful Serena van der Woodsen returns to Spenford after mysteriously getting kicked out of boarding school, the gossip flies among the privileged coeds at the Upper East Side private high school.
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Uncle Bobby's Wedding
by Sarah S. Brannen
Although happy that Uncle Bobby is marrying his boyfriend, Jamie, Chloe can't help but worry that her place as his favorite person may be lost upon their special union, in a simple tale featuring an alternative family.
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My Mom's Having a Baby!
by Dori Hillestad Butler
Told through the voice of the excited big sister, an informative look at how babies come about traces the embryo's development, explains conception, and shows the process of her mother going into labor.
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Julie of the Wolves
by Jean Craighead George
An Eskimo girl who becomes lost on the North Slope of Alaska is befriended by a pack of wolves.
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Flashcards of My Life : a novel
by Charise Mericle Harper
When Emily receives an unexpected birthday gift--a pack of note cards labeled "Flashcards of My Life"--she uses them for journaling inspiration to try to untangle her increasingly knotted life and finds that she might be able to brave growing up after all.
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I am Jazz!
by Jessica Herthel
Based on the young co-author's real-life experiences, the story of a transgender child traces her early awareness that she is a girl in spite of male anatomy and the acceptance she finds through a wise doctor who explains her natural transgender status.
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The Giver
by Lois Lowry
Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.
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Alice series
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Afraid of deep water but embarrassed to admit it, Alice discovers that bravery has many rewards as her friends begin to overcome their fears and expect her to do the same, and Alice's brother Lester helps her conquer her fear of the water.
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Junie B. Jones is a Graduation Girl
by Barbara Park
Junie B. Jones has just turned six and is looking forward to her kindergarten graduation, but when grape juice stains the white gown she couldn't resist trying on, she is afraid graduation is ruined.
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The Family Book
by Todd Parr
Enhanced with bright illustrations, a picture book offers a look at the different types of families there are in the world today, such as traditional families, one-parent families, families with same sex parents, and stepfamilies.
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Bridge to Terabithia
by Katherine Paterson
Jess Aarons gains the strength to cope with unexpected tragedy by going to a secret kingdom in the woods invented by Leslie Burke, a newcomer to his rural Virginia community.
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The Adventures of Captain Underpants : an epic novel
by Dav Pilkey
When George and Harold hypnotize their principal into thinking that he is the superhero Captain Underpants, he leads them to the lair of the nefarious Dr. Diaper, where they must defeat his evil robot henchmen.
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The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby : the first graphic novel
by Dav Pilkey
When a precocious tot accidently falls out of a window and into a vat of Super Power Juice, he is transformed into Super Diaper Baby and must protect his newfound powers from his arch nemesis, Deputy Doodoo, in a hilarious new series from the creator of Captain Underpants.
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And Tango Makes Three
by Justin Richardson
When male penguins Silo and Roy attempt to hatch an egg-shaped rock and find no success in their efforts, the zookeepers decide to place a fertilized penguin egg in their cage and end up with little baby Tango, in an amusing tale based on a true story from the Central Park Zoo.
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
by J. K. Rowling
A winner of England's National Book Award, the acclaimed debut novel tells the outrageously funny, fantastic adventure story of Harry Potter, who escapes a hideous foster home thanks to a scholarship to The Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.
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Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark
by Alvin Schwartz
Tapped from the oral traditions of American folklore, these ghost stories and tales of weird happenings, witches, and graveyards have startling, funny, or surprising endings.
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In the Night Kitchen
by Maurice Sendak
A little boy's dream-fantasy in which he helps three fat bakers get milk for their cake batter.
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Nasreen's Secret School : a true story from Afghanistan
by Jeanette Winter
So distraught after her parents are taken away by the Taliban from her village in Afghanistan that she suddenly ceases to speak, Nasreen's grandmother enrolls her in a secret school for girls where compassionate classmates and devoted teachers give her the support she needs to regain her voice.
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