No More Dead Dogs:Humor in Young Adult LiteratureRUTH GHEYSEN , REBECCA CAUDILL SELECTION COMMITTEE

DEBORAH ALTHOFF WILL , ABRAHAM LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL BOOK AWARD NOMINATION COMMITTEE

Young adult book themes have trends.

We used to be able to count on this guy for humor!

But then this book happened, and now tears are trending.

We Want to Bring You Books That are Humorous That AlsoInclude quality writingHave characters that are believable or at least plausibleHave original voices Do NOT rely on only sexual humor to convey humorDo NOT rely on only stories about body odor or other bodily functions as humorProvide a good story as well as clever characters

Five Flavors of Dumbby Antony John

Eighteen-year-old Piper becomes the manager for her classmates' popular rock band, called Dumb, giving her the chance to prove her capabilities to her parents and others, if only she can get the band members to get along.

Schooledby Gordon Korman

Homeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Capricorn (Cap) Anderson has never watched television, tasted a pizza, or even heard of a wedgie, but when his grandmother lands in the hospital, Cap is forced to move in with a guidance counselor and attend the local middle school. While Cap knows a lot about tie-dyeing and Zen Buddhism, no education could prepare him for the politics of public school.

Better than Perfectby Simone Elkeles

Told from two viewpoints, Derek Fitzpatrick, kicked out of boarding school, must move with his stepmother to her childhood home in Illinois, where he meets Ashtyn Parker, who may be able to achieve her dream of a football scholarship with bad boy Derek's help.

Chompby Carl Hiaasen

When the difficult star of the reality television show "Expedition Survival" disappears while filming an episode in the Florida Everglades using animals from the wildlife refuge run by Wahoo Crane's family, Wahoo and classmate Tuna Gordon set out to find him while avoiding Tuna's gun-happy father.

Smileby Raina Telgemeier

An autobiography in graphic novel format describes how the author lost two of her front teeth in an accident when she was twelve, and her subsequent struggles with various corrective dental techniques throughout adolescence.

A Little Something Differentby Sandy Hall

A romance between two college students, Gabe and Lea, is told through the perspectives of fourteen onlookers, from Lea's roommate to Gabe's best friend, their creative writing teacher, and the barista at the local Starbucks.

How to Survive Middle Schoolby Donna Gephart

When thirteen-year-old David Greenberg's best friend makes the start of middle school even worse than he feared it could be, David becomes friends with Penny, who shares his love of television shows and posts one of their skits on YouTube, making them wildly popular--online, at least.

Two Parties, One Tux* aby Steven Goldman

Junior year is turning out to be eventful for Mitchell Wells: his best friend has just come out to him (and only him); he's turned in a somewhat obscene claymation short film instead of his paper on The Grapes of Wrath (didn't go over so well); andone of the most popular girls at school suddenly likes him (huh?!). Prom is coming up, and at this rate, there's no predicting what will happen. -- Description by Ellen Foreman.

*and a very short film about the Grapes of Wrath

Ways to Live Foreverby Sally Nichols

Eleven-year-old Sam McQueen, who has leukemia, writes a book during the last three months of his life, in which he tells about what he would like to accomplish, how he feels, and things that have happened to him.

Sendby Patty Blount

On his first day of school in yet another new town, Dan stops a jock, Jeff, from beating up an outcast kid named Brandon; he makes an enemy and a friend in the process, while developing a crush on a classmate, Julie.

Dear Life, You Suckby Scott Blagden

Irreverent, foul-mouthed, seventeen-year-old Cricket Cherpin, living under the watchful eye of Mother Mary at a Catholic boys' home in Maine, has such bleak prospects he is considering suicide when Wynona Bidaban steps into his world.

Rumpby Liesel Shurtliff

Relates the tale of Rumpelstiltskin's childhood and youth, explaining why his name is so important, how he is able to spin straw into gold, and why a first-born child is his reward for helping the miller's daughter-turned-queen.

Paranormalcyby Kiersten White

Evie, the only known human with the ability to see through supernatural "glamours," works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA) tracking down dangerous creatures. (Really, she finds the work dull and would rather be shopping, watching TV, or at the very least at home painting her weapons pink.) But when a mysterious shape-shifter invades the IPCA and brings news of a string of paranormal murders, things start to heat up. -- Description by Ellen Foreman.

A Tale Dark and Grimby Adam Gidwitz

If you think of fairy tales as nice, pretty little stories to bore children to sleep with, A Tale Dark & Grimm will make you think again. Weaving the disturbing bits of several Brothers Grimm tales and plenty of his own mischief into a single story, author Adam Gidwitz tells his own version of the (often gruesome) adventures of Hansel and Gretel.

Rash by Pete Hautman

In a future society that has decided it would "rather be safe than free," sixteen-year-old Bo's anger control problems land him in a tundra jail where he survives with the help of his running skills and an artificial intelligence program named Bork.

Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Readingby Tommy Greenwald

Charlie Joe Jackson may be the most reluctant reader ever born. And so far, he's managed to get through life without ever reading an entire book from cover to cover. But now that he's in middle school, avoiding reading isn't as easy as it used to be. And when his friend Timmy McGibney decides that he's tired of covering for him, Charlie Joe finds himself resorting to desperate measures to keep his perfect record intact.

Girl Partsby John M. Cusik

The lives of David, wealthy and popular but still lonely, and Charlie, a soulful outsider, intersect when Rose, the female Companion bot David's parents buy to treat his dissociative disorder, forms a bond with Charlie.

The One and Only Ivanby Katerine Applegate

When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.

Something Like Normalby Trish Doller

When Travis returns home from Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother has stolen his girlfriend and car, and he has nightmares of his best friend getting killed, but when he runs into Harper, a girl who has despised him since middle school, life actually starts looking up.

How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous

A look at the deaths of several famous people throughout history and the circumstances surrounding those deaths.

Anna and the French Kissby Stephanie Perkins

Who wouldn't jump at the chance to spend her senior year at a boarding school in Paris? Anna Oliphant, that's who. Besides barely speaking French, Anna is perfectly happy at home in Atlanta, Georgia. But Anna's father insists, so Paris it is. And Anna does warm up to the city...especially after she meets gorgeous Etienne St. Clair, who seems to return her interest but already has a girlfriend

Stupid Fastby Geoff Herbach

Just before his sixteenth birthday, Felton Reinstein has a sudden growth spurt that turns him from a small, jumpy, picked-on boy with the nickname of "Squirrel Nut" to a powerful athlete, leading to new friends, his first love, and the courage to confront his family's past and current problems.