Kids and Families

Outsiders: Books for Young Teens

Alan & Naomi by Myron Levoy
Alan thinks it's bad enough the kids at school tease him for being Jewish, but if he befriends Naomi, the girl everyone calls "Crazy Cat," to get her to talk again like his parents have asked him to, then even his best friend Shaun would give up on him.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Jerry Renault refuses to participate in the annual school fund-raiser. When the ringleader of the school bullies starts threatening him, Jerry realizes he can't avoid a confrontation unless he backs down from his stand, and he won't do that.

The Dear One by Jacqueline Woodson
Afeni knows it's better not to let anyone too close. She learned that when her beloved grandmother died. When Roberta, fifteen, pregnant and scared, comes to live with Afeni and her mother, Afeni finds it impossible to keep her out.

The Dreadful Future of Blossom Culp by Richard Peck
At her new school, Blossom has been told they like "team players," but Blossom sticks out like a sore thumb. First of all, she's not rich like the other girls, and second, she's psychic, just like her mother and her grandmother before her. When the freshman class puts on a "haunted house" for Halloween, Blossom finds her own way of fitting in.

Fell by M. E. Kerr
John Fell doesn't consider himself to be a joiner, but once he hears about the group, The Sevens, at the posh boarding school he will be attending in the fall, he has to admit he wants in.

Homebird by Terence Blacker
When Nicky is sent to boarding school, he runs away, thinking he can save his parents' marriage. Then Nicky arrives in London and finds himself living in an abandoned building while he comes to terms with news he learns about his family.

Memory by Margaret Mahy
Cast out by friends and family, Jonny takes to the street, where he meets Sophie. An old loner herself, Sophie now has Alzheimer's disease and often gets confused. As Jonny stays with Sophie, he begins to take care of her and to sort out his own memories of his sister's death.

Out of Control by Norma Fox Mazer
Rollo Wingate depends on his friends, Brig and Candy. The "Lethal Threesome" couldn't care less about an outsider like Valerie-until the day she stands up to Brig's taunts. That's when things begin to get out of control.

Slake's Limbo by Felice Holman
Orphaned Slake hides away in the subways, where he makes a home for himself so that he can feel safe from the rough life on the streets.

Until Whatever by Martha Humphreys
When word gets out that Connie Tibbs has AIDS, the gossip is unbelievable. Even worse, Connie's friends desert her. Is it possible that Karen's offer of friendship could make a difference?

Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block
Travel to Shangri-L.A. to meet Weetzie with her bleach-blonde flat top and pink harlequin sunglasses, and her best friend Dirk, with his black shoe-polish mohawk and red '55 Pontiac. Weetzie and Dirk have many troublesome encounters before finding the perfect loves.