The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things

Virginia Shreves isn’t FAT fat, just chubby fat, which means that hooking up with Froggy Welsh must be kept a secret. Virginia lives in a penthouse in New York with a skinny, perfect family and wonders if she was switched at birth. When something happens to mar the family’s good name, Virginia starts to write her own rules, and before long, it seems like anything is possible.

Appeals: funny, girl power message, deals with tough and uncomfortable issues.

If you like books about teenangers who don't quite fit in, you might enjoy Boy Proof by Cecil Castellucci, The Astonishing Adventures of Fan Boy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga or Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.

If you like books that make you laugh like this one, you might enjoy Girl, 15, Charming but Insane by Sue Limb, Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdoch, or Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison.

Mackler, Carolyn. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things. 2005. 256 pages.

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

"It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who's just walked in to his band's show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City;and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date"(from Goodreads)

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist is a tender, quirky tale of unexpected high school love. In one night, Nick and Norah go all over the city in search of Fluffy, a much loved band, and in the process, discover each other and start to mend their once broken hearts.

Appeals: Quirky characters, witty banter, high school romance, music

If you like a tale of two high school misfits falling in love, you also might enjoy Pardon Me, You're Stepping on My Eyeball! by Paul Zindel.

If you want more tales of teenage romance, try Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler or Boy Proof by Cecil Castellucci.

Haven't seen the movie? Check out a trailer.



Cohn, Rachel and David Levithan. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. 2006. 183 pages.

Looking for Alaska

Miles is looking for the Great Perhaps--and an Alabama boarding school offers the possibility of finding it, especially after he meets the charming, unpredictable, and utterly alive Alaska. Miles is captivated by Alaska's beauty and her intelligence. In a year that unfolds with pranks and surprises, Miles must ultimately come to terms with some of life's biggest questions: why are we here? After a tragedy, how can we possibly keep faith that life is worth living?

Appeals: Funny, smart, and deals with romance and friendship. Looking for Alaska also manages to get the reader thinking about deep questions about life and our existence... without being pedantic! Simple and thought provoking.


Want more about John Green? Be sure to check out his website, sparksflyup.com.

Green, John. Looking for Alaska. 2005. 256 pages.

Rebecca

When a young woman meets and marries Maxim de Winter, the owner of the famous Manderlay estate in Corwall, she becomes haunted by the memory of her husband's deceased wife, Rebecca.

Appeals: Elements of romance, suspense, mystery, horror. Feels like a ghost story even if Rebecca does not actually appear as a ghost. Many details and descriptions of the estate bring it to life, making the estate one of the main characters.

If you like the ghost story atmosphere, you also might enjoy The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.

Like gothic romance and want more? Try Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte or Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

Du Maurier, Daphne. Rebecca. 1938. 448 pages.