Autobiography of my dead brother by Walter Dean Myers(2005)Jesse pours his heart and soul into his sketchbook to make sense of life in his troubled Harlem neighborhood and the loss of a close friend.
Bang! by Sharon Flake(2005)A teenage boy must face the harsh realities of inner city life, a disintegrating family, and destructive temptations as he struggles to find his identity as a young man.
Behind the eyes by Francisco X. Stork(2006)Sixteen-year-old Hector is the hope of his family, but when he seeks revenge after his brother's gang-related death and is sent to a San Antonio reform school, it takes an odd assortment of characters to help him see that hope is still alive.
Big Mouth & Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates(2002)When sixteen-year-old Matt is falsely accused of threatening to blow up his high school and his friends turn against him, an unlikely classmate comes to his aid.
Fade to black by Alex Flinn(2005)An HIV-positive high school student hospitalized after being attacked, the bigot accused of the crime, and the only witness, a classmate with Down Syndrome, reveal how the assult has changed their lives as they tell of its aftermath.
Give a boy a gun by Todd Strasser(2000)The horrors of teen violence are explored in this eye-opening novel through the lens of one shattering event where two armed students hold terrified classmates and teachers hostage in a school gym.
Kung Fu High School by Ryan Gattis(2005)Life at hellish "Kung Fu" High School is narrated by Jen B. who, along with her brother, Cue, belongs to one of two gangs still standing against the puppet principal and the tyrant drug kingpin.
Miracle's boys by Jacqueline Woodson(2000)Twelve-year-old Lafayette's close relationship with his older brother Charlie changes after Charlie is released from a detention home and blames Lafayette for the death of their mother.
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton(1997)The struggle of three brothers to stay together after their parent's death and their quest for identity among the conflicting values of their adolescent society.
Poison ivy by Amy Goldman Koss(2006)In a government class three popular girls undergo a mock trial for their ruthless bullying of a classmate.
Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper(1999)Romiette, an African-American girl, and Julio, a Hispanic boy, discover that they attend the same high school after falling in love on the Internet, but are harrassed by a gang whose members object to their interracial dating.
Scorpions by Walter Dean Myers(1996, c1990)Newbery Honor Book
After reluctantly taking on the leadership of the Harlem gang, the Scorpions, Jamal finds that his enemies treat him with respect when he acquires a gun--until a tragedy occurs.
