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The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest-growing division of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA), today announced its 2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers selection list. The list is presented annually at the ¾«¶«´«Ã½Midwinter Meeting.

The Quick Picks list suggests books that teens, ages 12-18, will pick up on their own and read for pleasure; it is geared to the teenager who, for whatever reason, does not like to read.

Quick Picks also offers a
Top Ten list.

“Goths, gangs, rappers and vamps reigned supreme on this year’s list,” said H. Jack Martin, committee chair. “I’m really proud of our committee’s dedication to tapping into the interests of teen reluctant readers across the United States.”

Members of the Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers Committee are: H. Jack Martin, chair, New York Public Library; Josephine Caisse, Deschutes Public Library, Bend, Ore.; Debbie Fisher, Central Falls (R.I.) High School; Katherine Fitch, Rachel Carson Middle School, Herndon, Va.; Susan Geye, Crowley (Texas) Ninth Grade; Paulette Goodman, Kennedy Junior High School, Naperville, Ill.; Diana Tixier Herald, Center for Adolescent Reading, Glade Park, Colo.; Sally Leahey, McArthur Public Library, Biddeford, Me.; Jenine Lillian, King County Library System, Issaquah, Wash.; Joy Milliam, Fountain Valley, Calif.; Diane Monnier, Rockville (Md.) Library; and Anne Rouyer, administrative assistant, New York Public Library.

Fiction

Adams, Lenora.

Baby Girl. 2007. Simon and Schuster/ Simon Pulse, $6.99 (ISBN13: 978-1-4169-2512-5). Sheree, pregnant, confused: helping everyone but herself.

Anderson, Laurie Halse.

Twisted. 2007. Penguin Group/ Viking Press, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-670-06101-3). From naughty to hottie in one summer.

Aronson, Sarah.

Head Case. 2007. Roaring Brook Press/ Deborah Brodie, $16.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-59643-214-7). Is Frank just a head, now that he’s a quad?

Asher, Jay.

Thirteen Reasons Why. 2007. Penguin Group/ Razorbill, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-1-5951-4-1712). Listening to the suicide tapes of the girl he loved.

Barnes, Jennifer Lynn.

Tattoo. 2007. Random House/ Delacorte Press, $7.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-385-903639). Is fighting evil as easy as putting on a tattoo?

Blank, Jessica.

Almost Home. 2007. Hyperion, $15.99 (ISBN13: 978-1-4231-0642-5). Rape drives Elly to the streets.

Brewer, Heather.

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites. Penguin Group/ Dutton, $16.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-5254-7-8119). Life can really suck.

Cast, P.C. and Kristen Cast.

Marked (The House of Night, book 1). 2007. St. Martin's Press/ Griffin, $8.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-312-36026-9). Zoey’s vampy new life.

Cast, P.C. and Kristen Cast.

Betrayed (The House of Night Novel, book 2). St. Martin's Press/ Griffin, $8.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-312-36028-3). New powers, new enemies.

Castellucci, Cecil.

Beige. 2007. Candlewick Press, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-7636-3066-9). Kate, from plain to punk.

Cooney, Caroline B.

Diamonds in the Shadow. 2007. Random House/ Delacorte, $18.99 (ISBN13: 978-1-4000-7423-5). Danger and diamonds: when you invite terrorists into your home.

Cross, Shauna.

Derby Girl. 2007. Henry Holt, $15.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-8050-8023-0). Small town girl becomes roller queen, Babe Ruthless.

Crutcher, Chris.

Deadline. 2007. HarperCollins, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-06-085089-0). Ben: facing death, learning about life.

Davis, Mark, Mike Davis and Brandon Schultz.

Blokhedz: Book 1 of Genesis. 2007. Simon and Schuster/ Pocket Books, $12.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-4165-4073-1). Blak, signing his life away for a hip-hop label.

de la Cruz, Melissa.

Masquerade: A Blue Bloods Novel. 2007. Hyperion, $15.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-78683896). Schuyler discovers the secret to fighting the silver bloods.

Erskine, Kathryn.

Quaking. 2007. Penguin Group/ Philomel Books, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-399-24774-3). Goth girl + foster family = new life.

Fields, Terri.

Holdup. 2007. Roaring Brook, $16.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-59643-219-2). When fast food and crime come together.

Flinn, Alex.

Beastly. 2007. HarperCollins/ Harper Tempest, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-06087416-2). Gorgeous bully meets his match and a goth witch.

Fullerton. Alma.

Walking on Glass. 2007. HarperCollins/ HarperTempest, $15.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-06-077851-2). The aftermath: surviving his mom’s suicide attempt.

Gonzalez, Julie.

Ricochet. 2007. Random House/ Delacorte, $15.99 (ISBN13: 978-0385732284). A bully. A gun. A dare. A friendship ripped apart.

Grant, Vicki.

I.D. 2007. Orca Books, $8.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-55143-694-4). Beware of the identity you steal.

Gratz, Alan.

Something Rotten: A Horatio Wilkes Mystery. Penguin Group/ Dial Books, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-8037-3216-2). What to do when yourmom marries your uncle who killed your dad.

Halpern, Julie.

Get Well Soon. 2007. Fiewel & Friends, $16.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-312-36795-4). How is life in a loony bin like real life? More than Annacould ever imagine.

Harazin, S. A.

Blood Brothers. 2007. Random House/ Delacorte, $15.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-385733649). When your naked best friend attacks you with a shovel.

Harmon, Michael.

Skate. October, 2006. Random House/ Knopf, $15.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-375-97516-5). A skater punk and his brother hit the road.

Harvey, Sarah N.

Bull's Eye. 2007. Orca Books, $8.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-55143-679-1). Who’s your mother?

Henderson, J. A.

Bunker 10. 2007. Harcourt, $17.00 (ISBN13: 978-0-15-206240-8). A top secret military installation explodes, killing everyone. Or did it?

Hopkins, Ellen.

Glass. 2007. Simon & Schuster/ Margaret K. McElderry Books, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-1-4169-4090-6). Kristina, craving the drug that brings her alive.

Hopkins, Ellen.

Impulse. 2007. Simon and Schuster/ Margaret K. McElderry Books, $18.99 (ISBN13: 978-1-4169-0356-9). Life in the psych ward: an unlikely place for friendship.

Jacobs, Deborah Lynn.

Choices. 2007. Roaring Brook Press, $16.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-59643-217-8). How many universes would you cross to find your brother?

Johnston, Jeffry W.

Fragments. 2007. Simon & Schuster/ Simon Pulse, $6.99 (ISBN13: 978-1-4169-2486-9). Remembering isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

Knowles, Jo.

Lessons from a Dead Girl. 2007. Candlewick Press, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-7636-3279-3). When Leah dies, Laine faces the truth.

Koertge, Ron.

Strays. 2007. Candlewick Press, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-7636-2705-8). Both dogs and people can be strays.

Lane, Dakota.

The Secret Life of It Girls. 2007. Simon and Schuster/ Ginee Seo Books, $14.99 (ISBN13: 978-1-4169-1492-1). Think you know the It Girl World? Guess again.

Lubar, David.

True Talents. 2007. Tom Doherty/ Starscape, $17.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-7653-0977-8). Telekinesis: It can get you kidnapped.

Lynn, Erin.

Demon Envy. 2007. Penguin Group/ Berkley, $9.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-425-21737-5). Living with a demon is funnier than you think.

Mackler, Carolyn.

Guyaholic: The Story of Finding, Flirting, Forgetting…and the Boy Who Changes Everything. 2007. Candlewick Press, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-7636-2537-5). What happens when the hookup queen falls in love?

McClintock, Norah.

Bang! 2007. Orca Books, $8.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-55143-654-8). Framed for a murder.

McClintock, Norah.

Down. 2007. Orca Books, $8.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-55143-766-8). Everything changes while you’re in the slammer.

McKayhan, Monica.

Indigo Summer. 2007. Harlequin/ Kimani Tru, $9.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-373-83075-6). Indigo: hooking up with a football star, then dumped in the dirt.

McNab, Andy and Robert Rigby.

Avenger. 2007. Penguin Group/ Putnam, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-399-24685-2). Elena poses as a suicide bomber to trap a terrorist.

Mead, Richelle.

Vampire Academy. 2007. Penguin Group/ Razorbill, $8.99 (ISBN13: 978-1-59414-174-3). Enter the world of the Moroi, the Dhampir and the all-powerful Strigoi.

Myers, Walter Dean.

What They Found: Love on 145th Street. 2007. Random House/ Wendy Lamb Books, $15.99 (ISBN13: 978-038532189). Stories of love, stories of Harlem.

Nance, Andrew and Polhemus, Colin, illus.

Daemon Hall. 2007. Henry Holt, $16.95 (ISBN13: 978-0805081718). One night, five contestants: scariest night ever!

Plummer, Louise.

Finding Daddy . 2007. Random House/ Delacorte, $15.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-385-70392-1). Mira ‘s missing dad: more than she ever bargained for.

Pow, Tom.

Captives. 2007. Roaring Brook Press, $17.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-59643-201-7). A vacation to the Caribbean is anything but paradise when you’ve been kidnapped at gunpoint.

Reinhardt, Dana.

Harmless. 2007. Random House/ Wendy Lamb, $15.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-385-74699-1). Three friends, too many lies, and only the truth can save them.

Ryan, Darlene.

Responsible. 2007. Orca Books, $8.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-55143-685-2). New school, new friends, tough decisions.

Schreiber, Mark.

Star Crossed. 2007. Llewelyn/ Flux, $8.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-7387-1001-3). Modern-day Romeo and Juliet—will love defeat fate?

Sewell, Earl.

Keysha's Drama. 2007. Harlequin/ Kimani Tru, $9.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-373-83079-3). From foster care to first class.

Shakespeare, William, Richard Appignasi and Sonia Leong, illus.

Manga Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet. 2007. Abrams/ Amulet Books, $9.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-8109-9325-2). Star-crossed lovers in modern day Japan.

Shaw, Susan.

Safe. 2007. Penguin Group/ Dutton, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-525-47829-4). Tracy: traumatized and learning to trust again.

Showalter, Gena.

Oh My Goth. 2006. Simon and Schuster/ MTV Books, $9.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-4165-2474-8). Barbies vs. Goths, who are the real freaks?

Shusterman, Neal.

Unwind. 2007. Simon and Schuster, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-1-4169-1204-0). Three runaways find friendship while trying to keep from being sliced and diced.

Sitomer, Alan L.

Homeboyz. Hyperion/ Jump at the Sun, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-1-4231-0030-0). Teddy trades computers for revenge after his sister is gunned down in a gang fight.

Smith, Roland.

Peak. 2007. Harcourt, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-15-202417-8). Bone-shattering cold, no oxygen, frozen bodies, on Everest.

Sones, Sonya.

What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know. 2007. Simon & Schuster, $15.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-689-87602-8). Love as only a guy can tell it.

St. James, James.

Freak Show. 2007. Penguin Group/ Dutton, $18.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-525-47799-0). Billy Bloom: from twinkle queen to prom queen.

Stone, Jeff.

Crane. 2007. Random House, $15.99 (ISBN13: 978-09375-83077-8). Identity revealed in a marital arts battle.

Strasser, Todd.

Boot Camp. 2007. Simon and Schuster, $15.99 (ISBN13: 978-1-4169-0848-7). A camp for troubled teens is a living hell.

Sweeney, Joyce.

Headlock. 2006. Henry Holt, $16.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-8050-8018-6). Dreams of WWE stardom.

Tullson, Diane.

The Darwin Expedition. 2007. Orca Books, $8.95 (ISBN13: 978-155143-676-0). Snowboard slopes or grizzly jaws of danger?

Van Diepen, Allison.

Snitch. 2007. Simon and Schuster/ Simon Pulse, $6.99 (ISBN13: 978-1-4169-5030-1). Love crosses the line between Crips and Bloods.

Vande Velde, Vivian.

Remembering Raquel. 2007. Harcourt, $16.00 (ISBN13: 978-0-15-205976-7). What will they say after you’re dead?

Velez, Ivan.

Dead High Yearbook. 2007. Penguin Group/ Dutton, $18.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-525-47783-9). Assembling the student body of the high school for the dearly departed.

Volponi, Paul.

Rucker Park Setup. 2007. Penguin Group/ Viking, $15.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-670-06130-3). Betrayal on the b-ball court.

Vrettos, Adrienne Maria.

Sight. 2007. Simon and Schuster/ Margaret K. McElderry Books, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-1-4169-0657-5). She sees dead kids.

Wasserman, Robin.

Chasing Yesterday: Book 1, The Awakening. 2007. Scholastic, $5.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-439-93338-4). Hunted, and she can’t remember why.

Watson, C.G.

Quad. 2007. Penguin Group/ Razorbill, $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-1-59514-138-5). A school shooting, and everyone has a motive

Wiess, Laura.

Such A Pretty Girl. 2007. Simon & Schuster/ MTV Books, $12.00 (ISBN13: 978-1-58180-847-6). It’s hard to feel safe, when your molester gets out of jail and into your home.

Zarr, Sara.

Story of a Girl. 2007. Little, Brown & Co., $16.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-316-01453-3). Being a slut is easier than changing your rep.

Nonfiction

50 Cent.

50 x 50: 50 Cent in His Own Words. 2007. Simon and Schuster/ Pocket Books, $35.00 (ISBN13: 978-1-4165-4471-5). 50: Determined to get rich or die trying, in his words.

Alvarado, Melissa, Hope Meng and Melissa Rannels with Matthew Carden, illus.

Subversive Seamster: Transform Thrift Store Threads into Street Couture. 2007. Tauton Press, $17.00 (ISBN13: 978-1-59514-171-2). Hipster projects for tired clothes.

Aranzi, Aronzo.

The Bad Book. 2007. Vertical, Inc., $12.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-93223469-5). Bad bad bad comic book.

Ash, Russell.

Firefly's World of Facts. 2007. Firefly, $29.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-55407-313-9). The world at your fingertips.

Bey, Dawoud.

Class Pictures. 2007. Aperture, $45.00 (ISBN13: 978-1-59711-043-3). Real Teenagers: their faces, their words, their lives.

Blakeney, Faith & Justina and Ellen Schultz.

99 Ways to Cut, Sew and Deck Out Your Denim. 2007. Crown Books/ Potter Craft, $19.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-307-35170-8). Denim — it's not just for jeans anymore!

Carlowicz, Michael.

Moon. 2007. Abrams, $19.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-8109-9307-5). Moon pics: shine on, shine on.

Chryssicas, Mary Kaye.

Breathe: Yoga for Teens. 2007. DK Publishing, $15.00 (ISBN13: 978-0-756-62661-7). Downward dog, cobra, and the wheel..

Cooper, Robbie.

Alter Ego: Avatars and Their Creators. 2007. Chris Boot Ltd., $29.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-905712-02-1). Smackdown! Does reality beat the virtual?

Dingle, Adrian with Simon Basher, illus.

The Periodic Table: Elements with Style. 2007. Houghton Mifflin/ Kingfishers, $8.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-7534-6085-6). MySpace for elements.

Editors of
CosmoGirl!.
Cosmogirl! Make it Yourself: 50 Fun and Funky Projects. 2007. Sterling/ Hearst, $10.95 (ISBN13: 978-158816-624-1). From boys-of-the-week panties to a chocolate mint cookie foot scrub.

Editors of
Inside Cheerleading.

Cheerleading: From Tryouts to Championships. 2007. Rizzoli/ Universe, $29.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-7893-1565-6). All cheer! All the time!

Editors of
Seventeen Magazine.

Seventeen Real Girl, Real Life Stories: True Crime. 2007. Sterling/ Hearst, $4.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-58816-648-1). Perps and victims.

Everhart, Mike.

Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Monsters of the Deep. 2007. National Geographic, $29.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-4262-0085-4). Submerse yourself with 3D.

Gee, Joshua. Encyclopedia

Horrifica. 2007. Scholastic, $14.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-4399-2-2555). From ESP to ghost hunting to "Real Nightmares".

Golus, Carrie.

Tupac Shakur. 2007. Lerner Publications, $27.93 (ISBN13: 978-0-8225-6609-0). The life and times of a rapper and poet.

Grahame-Smith, Seth.

How to Survive a Horror Movie: All the Skills to Dodge the Kills. 2007. Chronicle Books/ Quirk, $14.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-59474-179-1). Stayin’ alive when facing lashers, possessed dolls, haunted houses, the undead, fangs and Satan.

Grandits, John.

Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems. 2007. Clarion Books, $15.00 (ISBN13: 978-0-618-56860-4). Jessie: teen angst in poems and pictures.

Greenfield, Lauren.

Thin. 2006. Chronicle Books, $35.00 (ISBN13: 978-0-8118-5633-1). Starving themselves to death.

Grody, Steve and James Prigoff.

Graffiti L.A.: Street and Art. 2007. Abrams, $34.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-8-1099-2986). L.A. tagged.

Handy, Roger and Karin Elsener.

Found Photos: Rear Ends. 2007. Abrams Image, $14.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-8109-0926-7). Check out the booty!

Harrington, Jane.

Extreme Pets. 2007. Scholastic/ Tangerine, $12.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-439-82948-9). Rats, snakes, hissing cockroaches…Oh my!

Hess, Nina.

A Practical Guide to Monsters. 2007. Wizards of the Coast/ Mirrorstone, $12.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-7869-4809-3). From Remorhazes to Coutals, vampires to werewolves, all the creatures you love to fear.

Jamal, Joseph.

Tupac Shakur Legacy. 2006. Simon and Schuster/ Atria, $45.00 (ISBN13: 978-0-7432-92603). An interactive, intimate look at the rapper’s life.

Lee, John.

Street Scene. 2007. F&W Publications/ Impact Books, $19.99 (ISBN13: 978-1-158180-847-6). From hip-hop to skaterpunk: Create your own graffiti-style art.

Lewry, Fraser and Tom Ryan.

Kittenwar. 2007. Chronicle Books, $14.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-81185980-6). Which kitty is cuter? You decide!

Pardes, Bronwen.

Doing It Right: Making Smart, Safe and Satisfying Choices about Sex. 2007. Simon and Schuster/ Simon Pulse, $14.99(ISBN13: 978-1-4169-1823). Sex simplified.

Pearce, Fred.

Earth: Then and Now. 2007. Firefly, $39.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-55407-298-9). Earth ravaged.

Pearson, Felicia "Snoop" and David Ritz.

Grace After Midnight: A Memoir. 2007. Grand Central, $22.00 (ISBN13: 978-0-446-19518-8). Snoop’s life, from prison to HBO's "The Wire".

Rogge, Hannah and Adrian Buckmaster, illus.

Save This Shirt! 2007. Stewart, Tabori and Chang, $19.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-58479-584-1). S.O.S for fab fashions.

Salant, James.

Leaving Dirty Jersey: A Crystal Meth Memoir. 2007. Simon and Schuster/ Simon Spotlight Entertainment, $21.00 (ISBN13: 978-1-4169-3629-9). Working the rehab circuit.

Shivack, Nadia.

Inside Out: Portrait of an Eating Disorder. 2007. Simon and Schuster/ Atheneum, $17.99 (ISBN13: 978-0-689-85216-9). Tracing her disease.

Simonson, Louise.

DC Comics Covergirls. 2007. Rizzoli/ Universe, $39.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-78931544-1). From Wonder Woman to the girls of Birds of Prey.

Smedman, Lisa.

From Boneshakers to Choppers: The Rip-Roaring History of Motorcycles. 2007. Annick Press, $24.95 (ISBN13: 978-1-55451-016-0). All motorcycles — all the time!

Thalia.

Thalia: Belleza!: Lessons in Lipgloss and Happiness. 2007. Chronicle Books, $19.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-8118-5829-8). Tips on fashion, beauty, and life from the Latina star.

Warren, Frank.

A Lifetime of Secrets: A PostSecret Book. 2007. HarperCollins/ William Morrow, $27.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-06123860-4). Confession is good for you.

Willett, Edward.

Jimi Hendrix: Kiss the Sky. 2006. Enslow, $27.93 (ISBN13: 978-0-7660-2449-6). The legend lives on.

Yoshinaga, Masayuki.

Gothic and Lolita. 2007. Phaidon Press, $29.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-7148-4785-6). When Bo Peep goes Goth: Japan's hot new look.