You'll find no dragons or magic, fairies or robots here. Just real people, in the real world, in real situations. In a good YA novel teens will find themselves and discover their world. A great YA novel will do both of those while respecting and appealing to its audience. We are looking for a handful of the greatest teen novels of 2007. Historical, humorous, or contemporary, they must have literary merit AND a lasting affect on their readers; something teens will press into their friends hands with fervor in their eyes and say, "You HAVE to read this book."
--Jackie Parker, organizer
Update: Read an alphabetized list of this year's nominees.
Tips on Having a Gay (ex)Boyfriend by Carrie Jones, from Flux
Posted by: Kelly Fineman | October 01, 2007 at 05:59 AM
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Posted by: Marcie Atkins | October 01, 2007 at 06:06 AM
Bad Girls Club by Judy Gregerson
Posted by: Kim Baccellia | October 01, 2007 at 06:27 AM
Boy Toy by Barry Lyga
Posted by: Teen Troves | October 01, 2007 at 06:43 AM
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
Posted by: Megan | October 01, 2007 at 06:45 AM
Blood Brothers by S.A. Harazin
Posted by: ColoradoWriter | October 01, 2007 at 06:49 AM
Lessons From A Dead Girl by Jo Knowles
Posted by: Debbi Michiko Florence | October 01, 2007 at 07:14 AM
Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
Posted by: Brenda Ferber | October 01, 2007 at 07:40 AM
Big Slick by Eric Luper
Posted by: Loree Burns | October 01, 2007 at 07:49 AM
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
Posted by: | October 01, 2007 at 07:51 AM
Before, After and Somebody in Between by Jeanine Garsee
Posted by: Pamela Reese | October 01, 2007 at 07:54 AM
Before, After, and Somebody In Between by Jeannine Garsee
Posted by: | October 01, 2007 at 07:56 AM
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Posted by: steve | October 01, 2007 at 08:10 AM
Deb Caletti The Nature of Jade
Posted by: Mary Ann | October 01, 2007 at 08:26 AM
Dramarama by E. Lockhart
Posted by: Megan | October 01, 2007 at 08:32 AM
Hunter's Heart by Julia Green
Posted by: Elizabeth | October 01, 2007 at 08:54 AM
Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande
Posted by: Jennifer R | October 01, 2007 at 08:57 AM
Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
Posted by: Amanda | October 01, 2007 at 10:35 AM
A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd
Posted by: Tasha | October 01, 2007 at 10:51 AM
Bloom by Elizabeth Scott
Posted by: Jen Barnes | October 01, 2007 at 11:21 AM
Grl2Grl by Julie Anne Peters
Posted by: | October 01, 2007 at 12:25 PM
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE ACCENT by Caridad Ferrer.
Posted by: Selah March | October 01, 2007 at 12:52 PM
I'm in a quandary. Does Stephanie Hemphill's _Your Own, Sylvia_ belong here, in Poetry, or in Non-Fiction?
If it doesn't belong here, then I'd like to nominate _In Search of Mockingbird_ by Loretta Ellsworth.
Any help?
Posted by: Brooke | October 01, 2007 at 12:58 PM
Slam by Nick Hornby
Posted by: Jessica | October 01, 2007 at 01:42 PM
In the Name of God by Paula Jolin
Posted by: robin | October 01, 2007 at 01:45 PM
Hi Brooke, that's a great question, and I absolutely understand your quandry. Your Own Sylvia is a novel in poems, so it will be considered in this category.
Would anyone else like to nominate In Search of Mockingbird? It will not be eligible unless someone else submits it.
Posted by: Jackie | October 01, 2007 at 02:20 PM
Split Screen by Brent Hartinger
Posted by: Linda | October 01, 2007 at 03:31 PM
Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes
Posted by: Kathy | October 01, 2007 at 04:09 PM
How to Get Suspended and Influence People by
Adam Selzer
Posted by: Ronni | October 01, 2007 at 04:25 PM
Beige by Cecil Castelucci
Posted by: MotherReader | October 01, 2007 at 05:15 PM
Thanks for the feedback, Robin!
It's official then: I nominate Loretta Ellsworth's IN SEARCH OF MOCKINGBIRD.
Posted by: Brooke | October 01, 2007 at 05:27 PM
PARROTFISH by Ellen Wittlinger
Posted by: Deena | October 01, 2007 at 05:49 PM
Glass by Ellen Hopkins
Posted by: bridgette | October 01, 2007 at 07:16 PM
NEFERTITI by Michelle Moran
Posted by: Kimber An | October 02, 2007 at 05:48 AM
Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Posted by: Jen | October 02, 2007 at 08:38 AM
Was Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson 2006 or 2007? If it was 2007, I nominate it. If not, I nominate Evolution, Me and Other Freaks of Nature, by Robin Brande.
Posted by: Melissa | October 02, 2007 at 10:00 AM
Jen, thanks for the nomination, but Book Thief was published last year. In fact it was one of the finalists in this category, so we agree that it is an excellent book!
Would you like to pick a 2007 title to nominate?
Posted by: Jackie | October 02, 2007 at 10:09 AM
The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean (Jan 2, 2007)
Posted by: Sara | October 02, 2007 at 12:00 PM
Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Posted by: Carmen | October 02, 2007 at 01:51 PM
QUAKING by Kathryn Erskine
Posted by: Anne Marie | October 02, 2007 at 04:42 PM
The White Darkness, Gerladine McCaughrean
Posted by: The Bibliophile | October 02, 2007 at 05:05 PM
This is what I Did by Ann Dee Ellis
Posted by: Greg Neri | October 02, 2007 at 06:00 PM
Sensitive by Nina Wright
Posted by: Marcus Newman | October 02, 2007 at 06:01 PM
Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress by Tina Ferraro
Posted by: Stephanie Hale | October 02, 2007 at 06:35 PM
Dramarama by E. Lockhart
Posted by: Ren | October 02, 2007 at 06:48 PM
WALKING ON GLASS by Alma Fullerton
Posted by: Tanya Seale | October 02, 2007 at 07:01 PM
WALKING ON GLASS by Alma Fullerton
Posted by: Tanya Seale | October 02, 2007 at 07:02 PM
Dawn and Dusk by Alice Mead
Posted by: Anne-Marie - A Readable Feast | October 02, 2007 at 07:34 PM
BEAUTY SHOP FOR RENT by Laura Bowers
Posted by: Kim | October 02, 2007 at 08:36 PM
Ren, thank you for nominating! Dramarama was actually already nominated - would you like to choose your OTHER favorite 2007 title?
Posted by: Jackie | October 02, 2007 at 09:16 PM