Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award 2009-2010 Sponsored by the Illinois School Library Media Association

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green Having been recently dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, recent high school graduate and former child prodigy Colin sets off on a road trip with his best friend to try to find some new direction in life while also trying to create a mathematical formula to explain his relationships. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

Aftershock by Kelly Easton In shock and unable to speak after being in a car accident in Oregon which has killed his parents, seventeen-year-old Adam journeys across the country to his home in Rhode Island. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

Avalon High by Meg Cabot Having moved to Annapolis, Maryland, with her medievalist parents, high school junior Ellie enrolls at Avalon High School where several students may or may not be reincarnations of King Arthur and his court. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

Christopher Killer by Alane Ferguson On the payroll as an assistant to her coroner father, seventeen-year-old Cameryn Mahoney uses her knowledge of forensic medicine to catch the killer of a friend while putting herself in terrible danger. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

Suddenly able to see demons and the Darkhunters who are dedicated to returning them to their own dimension, fifteen-year-old Clary Fray is drawn into this bizarre world when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a monster. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah Year Eleven at an exclusive prep school in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, would be tough enough, but it is further complicated for Amal when she decides to wear the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, full-time as a badge of her faith--without losing her identity or sense of style. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

The Good Guy by Dean Koontz Tim Carrier, a low-profile stonemason with a mysterious past, is drawn into a life-and-death drama when he is mistaken for a hit man and feels compelled to warn the intended victim and try to save her life. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

Gym Candy by Carl Deuker Mick Johnson works hard for a placement on the varsity team during his freshman year, and decides to use steroids in order to hold onto his edge, despite the consequences to his health and social life. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding As Thaniel, a wych-hunter, and Cathaline, his friend and mentor, try to rid the alleys of London's Old Quarter of the terrible creatures that infest them, their lives become entwined with that of a woman who may be either mad or possessed. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter As a sophomore at a secret spy school and the daughter of a former CIA operative, Cammie is sheltered from "normal teenage life" until she meets a local boy while on a class surveillance mission. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

Inexcusable by Chris Lynch High school senior and football player Keir sets out to enjoy himself on graduation night, but when he attempts to comfort a friend whose date has left her stranded, things go terribly wrong. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles In the year following one fateful night, Caleb Becker spends his time in juvenile detention while Maggie Armstrong spends hers in hospitals and physical therapy, and when the two come face-to-face once more, they must do their best to mend the past and heal their emotional wounds. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah Ishmael Beah describes his experiences after he was driven from his home by war in Sierra Leone and picked up by the government army at the age of thirteen, serving as a soldier for three years before being removed from fighting by UNICEF and eventually moving to the United States. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's Syndrome by John Elder Robison John Robison recounts his struggles to fit in and communicate with others as he grew up, describing why he had so many problems relating to others and why he often turned to machines for comfort, rather than people, and explains how his life was changed when he was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome at age forty. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen In 1899 Manhattan, the drowning of beautiful Elizabeth Holland, daughter of New York society's ruling family, brings to the surface the scandalous behavior of several teenagers of varying social class. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

Nineteen Minutes byJodi Picoult The people of Sterling, New Hampshire, are forever changed after a shooting at the high school leaves ten people dead, and the judge presiding over the trial tries to remain unbiased, even though her daughter witnessed the events and was friends with the assailant. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

Pride of Baghdad by Brian Vaughn A pride of lions escapes from the Baghdad Zoo during the Iraq War and question the meaning of freedom. Presented in graphic novel format. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

Rooftop by Paul Volponi Still reeling from seeing police shoot his unarmed cousin to death on the roof of a New York City housing project, seventeen-year-old Clay is dragged into the whirlwind of political manipulation that follows. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin Seventeen-year-old Matthew recounts his attempts, starting at a young age, to free himself and his sisters from the grip of their emotionally and physically abusive mother. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr Seventeen-year-old Aislinn, who has the rare ability to see fairies, is drawn against her will into a centuries-old battle by Keenan, the terrifying but alluring Summer King, who determines that she must become his queen and save summer from perishing. N. Mellendorf, Maine South High School Library Resource Center, Park Ridge, IL