Recommended Reading

Recommended Pleasure Reading List 
Book Recommendations on Pinterest
NoveList
Literary Awards
How to Find the Right Books for You

Pleasure Reading for Grades 6 Through 12

The Castilleja Library is pleased to offer a recommended reading list, specially selected by your librarians, to help sixth through twelfth graders find great books to read in their free time. This is our 2020 edition of the list. The new edition includes a range of genres as well as audiobooks available through our digital library. There should be something here for everyone! Click on the publication to view in fullscreen.

Book Recommendations on Pinterest

Espinosa Library has a Pinterest account with hundreds of book recommendations, all annotated and arranged by theme or subject. When you click on a book cover, you’ll see a quick synopsis and recommended grade level (from School Library Journal or another reputable review source). A sampling of just some of our themes: Movie Magic, For Fans of John Green, For Fans of Rick Riordan, Graphic Novels, and Non-Fiction…Non-Boring.

NoveList

NoveList is a database of books. You can search by keyword, author, title, or “appeal factors,” like narration style, genre, themes, and more. This amazing database then hooks you up with compiled professional book reviews, links to external reader review websites, “readalikes,” and more. Click here to access NoveList. (If you are off-campus, you will need to log in via ezproxy with your Castilleja ID and password.)

Student Reviews and Book Displays

Our students have written tons of book reviews and published them on the library website! We also create thematic book displays in the library and post about them online in honor of holidays and observances like Hispanic Heritage Month, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day. Take a look at all of our past reviews and recommendations here.

Literary Awards and Booklists

If you are interested in reading books selected by experts in the fields of children’s and young adult literature for their high literary quality, you might want to look at the archives for major national literary awards.

  • The Newbery Medal has, since 1922, been given annually to “the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.” Generally, two to four Honor books are also named.
  • The Printz Award is a newer award that is essentially the Newbery for YA literature. It is given annually to “the best book for teens, based entirely on its literary merit.” Honor books are also named.
  • The Morris Award honors and celebrates debut authors in YA literature. Up to five finalists are named annually, with one winner announced in January. The award goes to the book that “illuminate[s] the teen experience and enrich[es] the lives of its readers through its excellence.”
  • The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award is given to books in three categories for “high quality and creative excellence.” Up to two Honor books in each category can be named as well. The winners go on to headline a day-long symposium for editors, writers, and scholars of children’s and young adult literature.
  • The National Book Award for Young People’s Literature is selected by a committee of five, comprising authors, librarians, critics, and booksellers. A ten-book longlist is selected, and a five-book shortlist and single winner are announced later.
  • The Alex Award is given yearly by the Young Adult Library Services Association. It selects ten books written and published for adults that are of particular interest or appeal to teens.

Many of the organizations that sponsor these awards also sponsor others, including special ones for non-fiction, audiobooks, graphic novels, and books by or about minority groups or social justice issues. Clicking on the links will also allow you to search their websites for other prestigious awards.

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New in the Library

  • (Grades 9+) Danyal is good looking, but he’s never been that academically talented, much to his parents’ chagrin. Still, somehow he gets chosen to represent his school in a history competition, which he takes as an opportunity to impress his long-time crush, fashionable and brilliant Kaval. But the college freshman he recruits to tutor him opens his eyes to a lot more than his history classes have before. A mix of teen drama, humor and serious insights into colonialism and identity.
  • (Grades 8+) Jassie gets sent to summer camp because her parents and teachers worry that she doesn’t have enough friends, but once there she quickly becomes a member of a tight-knit trio. Jassie is confused by the ways her feelings are growing for both her new friends, and fears it may come between them when the other two girls seem to be falling for each other. But to Jassie’s surprise, there’s room in their hearts for her too. An unusual, diverse, affirming love story.
  • (Published for adults) Taking place over the course of three days in a Dublin hospital maternity ward during the 1918 flu pandemic, this is the story of relationships that thrive despite extreme circumstances. Donoghue’s writing brings vivid characters to life as we watch them tackle massive challenges amidst political uncertainty. Perhaps a perfect read for our times.
  • (Grades 9+) The emperor is dead. Traditionally, the heads of the five great houses would each send a dragon to fight for the right of ascendency. But this time outsiders are allowed to compete. Contenders include the desperate, the clever, the magical, and their many dragons, characters in their own right. As they face a series of challenges, their values will also be tested.
  • (Grades 7+) Kiku, a teenager in contemporary San Francisco, travels back in time to witness her grandmother’s harrowing confinement in a Japanese-American internment camp. Kiko is stuck there too, and her growing understanding of the fear, privations, and community in the camp are brought to life in the fine-lined artwork of this graphic novel.
  • (Grades 4+) Born inside a prison, Pong longed to see dwell in the lights of the distant city. But when he escapes he finds the city filled with corruption. Nok, the prison warden’s daughter, is on his trail. Told from each of their perspectives, this is an adventurous tale of loyalty, bravery, and social justice.

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Awards and Recognition