Darkness before Dawn by Sharon Draper
As Keisha slowly overcomes the suicide of her boyfriend, Andy, she falls under the spell of the handsome, smooth track coach Jonathan Hathaway. Since Jonathan is also the principal’s son, Keisha trusts him, and doesn’t see the danger lurking under his smooth demeanor.

Dead Girls don’t Write Letters by Gail Giles
Sunny’s older sister Jazz was everything Sunny wanted to be: beautiful, smart and popular. When Jazz dies, Sunny is left to hold the family together, while dealing with the fact that Jazz was the favorite sister. Suddenly, Jazz returns, or does she?

Don’t Try this at Home by Hunter Fulghum
You probably won’t want to try any of these ridiculous tasks. But if you do, here’s how to win a sumo match, catch the Loch Ness Monster, or start your own country.

First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Nia and Bobby are a loving teenage couple, and then Nia gets pregnant. They decide to keep the baby and raise it together, but it doesn’t work out the way they had planned. Does 16-year old Bobby have enough love to give baby Feather on his own?

Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn
Cyd lives in San Francisco with her divorced Mom. But after getting in trouble yet again, and getting kicked out of school, her family decides to send her to New York for the summer to live with her real Dad, who she hasn’t seen in years. New York is a lot different than Cyd thinks it’s going to be, but that doesn’t turn out to be all bad.

Inside Out by Terry Trueman
Zack is sitting in a coffee shop, when suddenly two robbers come in and take everyone in the place hostage. This is scary enough, but Zack is also a schizophrenic and his medicine is rapidly running out. This story is suspenseful, scary and has a very surprising ending.

Mirra Images by Dave Mirra
One of the greatest BMX riders today tells his own story in his own words. Lots of action shots and hints for performing the tricks are included, as well as more about Dave Mirra than you ever knew.

Oh My Goddess! Wrong Number by Kosuke Fujishima
This graphic novel tells the story of Keichi, who calls the goddess hotline (1-555-GODDESS and finds that the goddess Belldandy is now his to keep. It’s good to have a goddess of one’s own, but it’s not without its problems.

Paint Me Like I am : Teen Poems from Writers’ Corps
Teens from San Francisco, New York and Washington D.C. share their poetry in this small book. There are also a few writing exercises to help you get in touch with your inner creativity.

Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman
17 year-old Vince has a unique family problem – his father is actually a mob boss. To make matters worse, Vince is falling for a girl whose father is an FBI agent trying to bring the “family” down.

Truth by Tanya Lloyd Kyi
After an adult is found murdered at a house party, many of the teenagers try to keep the truth from the police. What are they hiding?

What My Mother Doesn’t Know by Sonya Sones
Told in a variety of poems, this story tells the story of Sophie and all the boys she loves.

For more Quick Picks selections, check out this website:
www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/quickpicks