1998

My Louisiana Sky

Published in 1998, and written by Kimberly Wells Holt, My Louisiana Sky tells the story of a 12-year-old girl named Tiger Parker who lives in the town of Saitter, Louisiana. Her parents are mentally challenged. When her grandmother dies, she has to choose between remaining in the small town and staying with her rich aunt in Baton Rouge. The book was turned into a film by Showtime in 2001, and starred Kelsey Keel, Shirley Knight, and Juliette Lewis. It won eight awards.

1999

Life in the Fat Lane

Published on July 13, 1999, Life in The Fat Lane tells the story of 16-year-old Lara who is what every girl dreams of becoming: pretty, thin, popular, and smart. One day, she begins gaining weight, and no matter what she does, she just keeps getting fatter. In addition to this, Lara’s home life is falling apart: her mother is obsessed with her appearance, her brother is a wild child, and her father is having an affair. Lara must deal with all of this and get to the bottom of her mysterious weight again. The novel is written by Cherie Bennett.

Treasures in the Dust

Treasures in the Dust , written by Tracey Porter, and published on March 24, 1999, follows the story of Annie and Violet, two girls who live in rural Oklahoma during the Great Depression of the 1930s. It follows their impressive friendship as their families struggle to cope through the tough times.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

The beginning of the insanely popular Harry Potter series, the first book, published by J.K. Rowling on January 1, 1999, tells the story of young Harry Potter, a seemingly ordinary boy living with his aunt and uncle who suddenly discovers he’s a wizard. Harry goes away to magic school where his life is changed forever – and he finds himself pitted against the evil being who murdered his parents. As of June 2008, the series has sold more than 400 million copies worldwide. So far, five Harry Porter movies have been released with the sixth installment, Harry Porter and the Half-Blood Prince slated to be released on July 15, 2009, and two movies making up the conclusion, scheduled for 2010 and 2011.

2000

Holes

Written by Louis Sachar and published on May 9, 2000, Holes follows a down-on-his luck teen named Stanley Yelnats who gets arrested for stealing a pair of shoes that actually fell from the sky. He gets sent to Camp Green Lake, where juvenile boys dig holes to “build character.” Stanley blames his “ no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather” for the bad luck he cursed the family with. As Stanley becomes friends with his fellow campers, he and his friend, Zero, discover there’s a lot more to the camp than meets the eye – and a lot more to their families’ histories than they could ever have imagined. The book became an instant classic; a movie version starring Shia LaBeouf was released by Walt Disney Pictures in 2003.

Pay It Forward

Written by Catherine Ryan Hyde and published in 2000, Pay It Forward takes the concept of “paying it forward” – where you do something for someone else and the only way they can repay you is to help out three more people – and personifies it. 12-year-old Trevor puts the idea to work in his hometown and although it seems to fail in the beginning, his message was embraced by the town, making many people’s lives better by the end of the book. The book was made into a film starring Kevin Spacey and Haley Joel Osment in 2000.

2001

Among the Imposters

Published on May 1, 2001, Among the Imposters is the second book in the Shadow Children series written by Margaret Peterson Haddix. It continues the story of Luke Garner, a forbidden “third child” born in a world where no family can have more than two children. In the second book, Luke has managed to get himself a false identity to enroll in a prestigious private school. Living undercover, he discovers that he isn’t the only third child out there and that they all need his help.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

The first in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, this book, published in August 2001, follows four high school students who find a pair of jeans which fit them all perfectly. When they go on summer vacation, they pass the pants around to keep in touch and the pants seem to bring them insights into their rapidly changing lives. The first two books have been made into films starring Alexis Bledel in 2005 and 2008.

The Princess Diaries

Published in June 2001 and written by Meg Calbot, The Princess Diaries is the first in the Princess Diaries series. It follows the journey of Mia Thermopolis as she discovers she is actually the princess of Genovia. Mia must decide whether or not she wants to take the throne. There are thirteen books in the series as well as two hit movies starring Anne Hathaway, released in 2001 and 2004.

2002

Shakespeare's Scribe

The second book in the Shakespeare Stealer series written by Gary Blackwood, Shakespeare’s Scribe was published on February 18, 2002. It follows Widge, a young orphan who has joined Shakespeare’s acting troupe, and is now Shakespeare’s scribe. The Black Death hits London and the troupe is forced to hit the road. Widge starts to recognize his own worth as the book progresses.

Before We Were Free

Written by Julia Alvarez and published on August 13, 2002, this book tells the story of Anita de la Torre, a young girl living in the Dominican Republic in the 1960s. She struggles to deal with the pressures of her new middle school and most of her family has immigrated to the United States while the secret police terrorize her family for their opposition to the country’s dictator.

2003

The Goblin Wood

Published in April 2003 and written by Hilari Bell, this book follows 12-year-old Makenna, a young hedge witch who flees after her mother is drowned as a witch. She accidentally upsets some goblins and they pester her until she captures one of them, putting it in her debt. She then travels with the goblin and finds herself joining the goblins’ fight against the ruling hierarchy bent on destroying magical creatures.

Eragon

The first in the Inheritance Cycle written by Christopher Paolini, Eragon tells the story of Eragon, a 15-year-old boy who discovers he is one of the last Dragon Riders, the ancient guardians of the world who were believed to be extinct. However, Eragon’s discovery of his dragon leads the evil ruler of their world, Galbatorix, to discover Eragon as well – and Eragon must try and stay out of Galbatorix’s clutches, or the world is doomed. The book was published first by Paolini's family and then published again in 2003, and a movie was produced in 2006. Eragon is one of the great examples of a self-published work gaining such a massive following.

2004

The Sea of Trolls

First published in September 2004, The Sea of Trolls is the first part of a trilogy written by Nancy Farmer. It follows a Saxon boy named Jack who’s never been good at anything until a Bard makes him his apprentice. Jack discovers he has a magic gift, but just as he is learning to use and control it, he is kidnapped. When he accidentally forces his kidnapper’s queen’s hair to fall out, he is forced to undertake a quest across the Sea of Trolls, or his sister will be murdered.

The Oracle Betrayed

The first part of the Oracle Prophecies series by Catherine Fisher was published on August 11, 2004. It tells the story of Mirany, a young girl serving the High Priestess who serves the Rain Queen. When the Archon, a god-on-earth, passes a note to Mirany before he’s sacrificed, Mirany is thrown into the middle of a murder plot she has to stop before it’s too late.

2005

The Witch's Boy

Published on March 29, 2005 and written by Michael Gruber, this book follows a witch and the ugly baby boy she adopted, Lump. The witch appoints a bear and djinn to take care of the boy and then she is forced to give up her magic to save him. However, the boy is ungrateful and the two struggle to understand each other.

The Lightning Thief

Written by Rick Riordan and published June 28, 2005, The Lightning Thief is the first book in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. It follows Percy, a 12-year-old boy who discovers he’s a demigod, the son of a human woman, and the god Poseidon. Percy embarks on quest to stop a war between Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades.

Twilight

The first book of the best selling series of the same name by Stephanie Meyer, Twilight tells the story of a girl named Bella and the strange vampire family she meets after moving to a small rainy town in Washington state. Published in 2005 the book was a huge success as were the three novels that followed and the movie released in 2008 starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.

2006

The Killer’s Tears

Written by Anne-Laure Bondoux and published on February 14, 2006, The Killer’s Tears follows the story of a man named Angel who murders a farmer and his wife, but spares their son, Paolo. He then becomes attached to the boy. The two also take in a wealthy traveler, and they become an improbably family – until the real world comes crashing in.

Just Listen

Published on April 6, 2006 and written by Sarah Dessen, Just Listen tells the story of Annabel Greene who seems to have the perfect life – until her boyfriend’s best friend tries to rape her. As her relationships collapse, she finds an unlikely friendship with her school’s loner, Owen Armstrong. Together, they try to get through life’s problems with music.

2007

Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature

Published August 28, 2007 and written by Robin Brande, the book revolves around Mena, who is ostracized when she blows the whistle on an ugly campaign to “reform” a gay classmate. As she struggles through school, she meets a boy and manages to strike a balance between science, and her deep faith.

The Wednesday Wars

Published May 21, 2007 and written by Gary D. Schmidt, The Wednesday Wars is about the only Presbyterian boy in a religious school. Holling Hoodhood struggles to come of age in 1960s Long Island with a teacher who hates him, or so it seems, until she introduces him to the New York Yankees, teaching him to look beyond his own fears.

2008

The Hunger Games

Written by Suzanne Collins and published on September 14, 2008, this is the first book in the Hunger Games series. 16-year-old Katniss scavenges food for her mother and sister in a world where the US has been replaced by a dystopic state. Her skills earn her a place in the nation’s Hunger Games, a contest where the contestants fight to the death – and Katniss must face Peeta, who has been in love with her since they were children.

The Dragon Heir

Published on August 12, 2008 and written by Cina Williams Chima, this is the third in the Heir Chronicles. It follows the story of Jason Haley, a wizard who is caught in the middle of a huge war which he can’t stop because everyone is stronger than him. He sneaks off to Raven’s Ghyll and steals some treasure as well as a dragon’s heart. Jason must learn how to control this valuable stone before the war really begins.

2009

Strange Angels

Written by Lil St. Crow and released on May 14, 2009, the book follows Dru Anderson who has “the touch.” She travels with her father to hunt supernatural creatures. When her father turns up dead – but still walking – Dru knows she’s next and she has to figure out what’s hunting her before it catches up.

The Sorceress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

The third part of the The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series written by Micahel Scott, this book was released on May 26, 2009. It follows Josh and Shophe Newman as they flee from a bounty hunter while Nicholas Flamel does his best to protect them. However, Nicholas is growing weaker and he must teach Josh about the third magic element before it’s too late.

• Young Adult Library Services Association

• The Harry Potter Phenomenon

• Horn Book Guide

• Booklists For Young Adults

• History Of Young Adult Novels

• YA Novels And Sex

• Cheap Printer Ink

• Vandergrift's YA Literature Page

• Young Adult Resource Links

• Exploring Prejudice in Young Adult Literature

• YA Literature Resources

• Focus On YA Literature

• YA Resources And Bibliographies

• Children & YA Literature Help

• Native American YA Literature Links

• Female Protagonists In YA Literature

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