Books I'd like to read from YALSA's September BBYA list

The American Library Association's (ALA)Young Adult Services (YALSA) group puts out monthly nominations for the Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA)annual list. These are contenders for 2009 that I hope to read:

These summaries come from their list.

Benway, Robin. Audrey, Wait! Penguin/Razorbill. 2008. 978-1-59514-191-0 $16.99 Audrey's ex-boyfriend records a hit song about their breakup, and suddenly all eyes (and cameras) are on Audrey. Fans, Facebook, and tabloids - it's all too much for Audrey.

Bodeen, S.A. Compound. Feiwel and Friends. 2008. 978-0-312-37015-2 $16.95 Eli's billionaire megalomaniac father fakes the death of his family and seals them in an underground compound, believing that nuclear war is imminent.

Brothers, Meagan. Debby Harry Sings in French. Henry Holt. 2008. 978-0-8050-8080-3 $16.95 After Johnny’s dad dies in a car accident and an unintentional drug overdose lands him in the hospital, he moves in with an uncle, gets a girlfriend, and starts to explore his interest in cross-dressing.

Dole, Mayra Lazara. Down to the Bone. HarperCollins. 2008. 978-0-06-084311-3 $16.99 Laura’s life changes the day her Cuban-American community discovers she is a lesbian, but with courage and strength, she is able to find pride in her identity.

Fletcher, Christine. Ten Cents a Dance. Bloomsbury. 2008. 978-1-59990-164-0 $16.95 Ruby wants to support her family, but when her taxi dancing causes problems she could not have anticipated, it will take all of her strength to come out on top.

Gardner, Sally. The Red Necklace: A Story of the French Revolution. Penguin/Dial. 2008. 978-0-8037-3100-4 $16.99 During the French Revolution, Yann a 14-year-old magician's assistant, witnesses the death of his employer and the evil that ensues.

George, Jessica Day. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow. Bloomsbury. 2008. 978-1-59990-109-1 $16.95 A woodcutter's daughter agrees to live with a great white bear after he promises her impoverished family fabulous wealth. When he disappears, she begins an arduous quest for him.

Godbersen, Anna. Luxe. HarperCollins. 2007. 978-0-06-134567-8 $17.99 Set in Manhattan in 1899, the Holland sisters and their friends reveal the secrets of upper crust society in this lush historical romance.

Green, John. Paper Towns. Penguin/Dutton. 2008. 978-0-25-47818-8 $17.99 Quentin idolizes next door neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman. When she includes him in a wild night of revenge and then disappears, Q must follow the clues to find her.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Uprising. Simon & Schuster. 2007. 978-1-4169-1171-5 $16.99 Three young women defy tradition, risk jail and struggle for equality in a world dominated by men during the 1909 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory strike. Then a horrifying fire ignites.

Halpern, Julie. Get Well Soon. Feiwel and Friends. 2007. 978-0-312-36795-4 $16.95 When Anna's parents commit her to a mental hospital, she begins to see herself more fully and discovers the first real community of friends she's ever known.

Hartnett, Sonya. Ghost’s Child. Candlewick. 2008. 978-0-7636-3964-8 $16.99 A young boy appears inside Maddy's house and she feels compelled to tell him the fantastic tale of her life.

Hooper, Mary. Newes from the Dead: Being a True Story of Anne Green, Hanged for Infanticide at Oxford Assizes in 1650, Restored to the World and Died Again 1665. Roaring Brook Press. 2008. 978-1-596433557 $16.95 Having been publicly hanged (and declared dead) for murdering her illegitimate fetus, Anne Greene awoke on the table where she was to be dissected and was restored to life.

Lockhart, E. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. Hyperion. 2008. 978-0-7868-3818-9 $16.99 Frankie Landau-Banks has a chip on her shoulder and is determined to bring down the all-male Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds of Alabaster Preparatory Academy.

Mazer, Norma Fox. The Missing Girl. HarperCollins. 2008. 978-0-06-623777-0 $16.99 The five Herbert sisters find their innocent lives exploding in emotional turmoil when one of the sisters is abducted and held captive by a truly creepy child predator.

McMann, Lisa. Wake. Simon & Schuster. 2008. 978-1-4169-5357-9 $15.99 Janie can see other people's dreams, but one night she falls into a nightmare and for the first time, Janie is not just an observer, she’s part of the horror.

Meldrum, Christina. Madapple. Random House Children's Books / Alfred A. Knopf. 2008. 978-0-375-95176-3 $16.99 After growing up in almost total isolation believing she is was immaculately conceived, 15-year-old Aslaug's world begins to crumble when her mother dies.

Mitchard, Jacquelyn. All We Know of Heaven. HarperCollins/HarperTeen. 2008. 978-0-06-134578-4 $16.99 Two look-alike friends are in an accident. One dies, but they are incorrectly identified for weeks. In recovery, Maureen deals with repercussions of the accident and the mistaken identities.

Myracle, Lauren. Bliss. Harry N. Abrams. 2008. 978-0-8109-7071-7 $16.95 Bliss has been left with her grandmother as her hippie parents escape to Canada. She is enrolled in prestigious Crestview Academy, where she is haunted by a malicious dead girl.

Na, An. The Fold. Penguin. 2008. 978-0-399-24276-2 $16.99 When Joyce is offered a type of plastic surgery many young Korean-Americans would love to have, she must decide what beauty truly means to her.

Napoli, Donna Jo. Hush: An Irish Princess' Tale. Simon Pulse. 2007. 978-0-689-86176-5 $16.99 Melkorka, a 10th century Irish princess, must adapt to a harsh new life after she is stolen from her home by Russian slavers.

Taylor, Brooke. Undone. Walker. 2008. 978-0-8027-9763-6 $16.99 Best friends Serena and Kori are inseparable, but a tragic accident reveals many troubling questions about their friendship.

Werlin, Nancy. Impossible. Penguin/Dial. 2008. 978-0-8037-3002-1 $17.99 Lucy, 17, discovers the women of her family have been cursed with madness unless they complete three impossible tasks. All have failed. Will Zach's help and her resolve save her?

Zarr, Sara. Sweethearts. Little, Brown. 2008. 978-0-316-01455-7 $16.99 High school senior Jenna has successfully remade her life, but has to confront long-suppressed memories of a traumatic childhood when her only friend from childhood, Cameron, suddenly reappears.