Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers: 2009.

The Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list, compiled annually by a committee of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), suggests books that teens, ages 12–18, will pick up on their own and read for pleasure; it is geared to the teenager who, for whatever reason, does not like to read. Titles published in late 2007 are noted; all others were published in 2008. The committee’s top 10 choices are identified with a star (*).

Nonfiction

500 Manga Characters. By Yishan Li. illus. 2007. HarperCollins, paper, $19.95 (9780061256523).

Chibis, dragons, and manga mania!

Move over peeps, these chicks are cute!

Art of Modern Rock: Mini #1: A–Z. By Dennis King. illus. 2007. Chronicle, paper, $18.95 (9780811861342).

Posters that rock.

Ask CosmoGIRL! about Beauty: All the Answers to Your Questions about Hair, Makeup, Skin, and More. By the Editors of CosmoGIRL. illus. Hearst, paper, $5.95 (9781588166449).

Your beauty questions answered.

The Band Name Book. By Noel Hudson. illus. Boston Mills, paper, $29.95 (9781550464870).

The good, the bad, and the shocking.

Black Metal, v.1. By Rick Spears. Illus. by Chuck BB. 2007. Oni, paper, $11.95 (9781932664720).

Death-metal misfits invade suburbia.

* Body Drama: Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues, Real Answers. By Nancy Amanda Redd. Illus. by Kelly Kline. 2007. Gotham, paper, $20 (9781592403264).

As the subtitle says, real girls, real bodies, real issues, real answers. A 2009 Amelia Bloomer book.

Chill: Stress-Reducing Techniques for a More Balanced, Peaceful You. By Deborah Reber. Illus. by Neryl Walker. Simon & Schuster, paper, $9.99 (9781416955267).

Relax, take a deep breath . . . and chill.

Comickers Art 2: Create Amazing Manga Characters. By the Staff of Comickers Magazine. illus. Collins, paper, $24.95 (9780061452543).

Essential guide for all aspiring manga artists.

Creepy Cute Crochet: Zombies, Ninjas, Robots, and More! By Christen Haden. illus. Quirk, $14.95 (9781594742323).

Make your own zombie.

* Custom Kicks. By Kim Smits and Matthijs Maat. illus. Laurence King, paper, $19.95 (9781856695428).

Sneak peek at cool sneaks.

Do Not Open: An Encyclopedia of the World’s Best-Kept Secrets. By John Farndon. illus. 2007. DK, $24.99 (9780756632052).

South Park meets World Book.

Eat This, Not That! By David Zinczenko. illus. 2007. Rodale, paper, $19.95 (9781594868542).

Look at a pie chart in a whole new way.

Faces of Sunset Boulevard: A Portrait of Los Angeles. By Patrick Ecclesine. illus. Santa Monica, $39.95 (9781595800404).

L.A. comes alive.

Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers. Edited by Betsy Franco. Candlewick, $15.99 (9780763634377).

Love in their words.

Farts: A Spotter’s Guide. By Crai S. Bower. Illus. by Travis Millard. Chronicle, $12.95 (9780811866095).

SBDs and more: full sound effects.

Flight, v.4. Edited by Kazu Kibuishi. illus. 2007. Villard, paper, $24.95 (9780345490407).

Short stories go graphic.

Freestyle Soccer Tricks: Tricks, Flick-ups, Catches. By Sean D’Arcy. illus. Firefly, $14.95 (9781554074044).

Bend it like Beckham and then some.

Gadget Nation: A Journey through the Eccentric World of Invention. By Steve Greenberg. illus. Sterling, $19.95 (9781402736865).

Quirky innovations and inventions.

* Ghosts Caught on Film: Photographs of the Paranormal. By Melvyn Willin. illus. 2007. David & Charles, $16.99 (9780715327289).

Believe it or not.

The Good Neighbors: Kin. By Holly Black. Illus. by Ted Naifeh. Scholastic, paper, $16.99 (9780439855624).

Problem parents and faeries. A 2009 Great Graphic Novel for Teens.

How to Build a Robot Army: Tips on Defending the Earth against Alien Invaders. By Daniel H. Wilson. Illus. by Richard Horue. 2007. Bloomsbury, paper, $13.95 (9781596912816).

Robot allies are in your future.

I Could Tell You but Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed by Me. By Trevor Paglen. Melville, $22.95 (9781933633329).

Military secrets revealed.

Indognito. By Karen Ngo. illus. Little, Brown, $19.99 (9780316035507).

Doggies in costumes = irresistible.

In the Small. By Michael Hague. illus. Little, Brown, $19.99 (9780316013234).

When predator becomes prey.

It’s Complicated: The American Teenager. By Robin Bowman. Illus. by the author. 2007. Umbrage, $40 (9781884167690).

Four hundred and fourteen intriguing portraits.

Japan Ai: A Tall Girl’s Adventures in Japan. By Aimee Major Steinberger. Illus. by the author. 2007. Go! Media, paper, $16.99 (9781933617831).

The ultimate J-pop fan’s travel book. A 2009 Great Graphic Novel for Teens.

Lady Q: The Rise and Fall of a Latin Queen. By Reymundo Sanchez and Sonia Rodriguez. illus. Chicago Review, $24.95 (9781556527227).

The titles says it all.

* Life Sucks. By Jessica Abel and Gabriel Soria. Illus. by Warren Pleece. First Second, paper, $19.95 (9781596431072).

Vegetarian vampire looks for love. A 2009 Great Graphic Novel for Teens.

The Manga Cookbook. By the Manga University Culinary Institute. Illus. by Chihiro Hattori. 2007. Japanime, paper, $14.95 (9784921205072).

Japanese cooking, manga-style.

Mo’ Urban Dictionary: Ridonkulous Street Slang Defined. Compiled by Aaron Peckham. illus. 2007. Andrews McMeel, paper, $12.99 (9780740768750).

Holla! A funky, fresh, fularious book.

More Stuff on My Cat: 2x the Stuff + 2x the Cats = 4x the Awesome. By Mario Garza. illus. Chronicle, paper, $12.95 (9780811862257).

Feline high jinks.

* No Choirboy: Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row. By Susan Kuklin. illus. Holt, $17.95 (9780805079500).

Teen inmates: raw and uncensored. A 2009 Best Book for Young Adults.

Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. By Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser. illus. HarperPerennial, paper, $12 (9780061374050).

Short quips summarizing life.

* One Hundred Young Americans. By Michael Franzini. Illus. by the author. 2007. Collins, paper, $29.95 (9780061192005).

Photos and true stories, state by state.

Other People’s Love Letters: 150 Letters You Were Never Meant to See. Edited by Bill Shapiro. illus. 2007. Clarkson Potter, $22.50 (9780307382641).

Voyeuristic valentines.

* Permanence. By Kip Fulbeck. illus. Chronicle, paper, $19.95 (9780811861311).

Behind every tattoo there’s a story.

Point Blank: The Graphic Novel. By Anthony Horowitz. Illus. by Antony Johnston and others. Philomel, paper, $14.99 (9780399250262).

Alex Rider in full color.

The Quiz Life. By Marina Khidekel. Delacorte, $6.99 (9780375842634).

The real you, revealed.

Sentences: The Life of M. F. Grimm. By Percy Carey. Illus. by Ronald Wimberly. 2007. Vertigo, paper, $14.99 (9781401210472).

Sesame Street to drug dealer to rap star.

Skateboarding: Legendary Tricks. By Steve Badillo and Doug Werner. illus. Tracks, paper, $12.95 (9781884654305).

Skateboarding, trick by trick.

Skateboarding Skills: The Rider’s Guide. By Ben Powell. illus. Firefly, $16.95 (9781554073603).

All the moves, tricks, and tips to get you skating.

* Skulls. By Noah Scalin. illus. Lark, paper, $14.95 (9781600593758).

From bread slices to garbage bags.

Spider-Man the Icon. By Steve Saffel. illus. 2007. Titan, $49.95 (9781845763244).

A ginormous visual feast.

Swords: An Artist’s Devotion. By Ben Boos. Illus. by the author. Candlewick, $24.99 (9780763631482).

Amazing blades.

Take Me to Your Leader. By Ian Harrison. illus. 2007. DK, $25 (9780756632021).

Trivia and pop culture, strange but true.

Uncool: A Girl’s Guide to Misfitting In. By Erin Elisabeth Conley. Orange Avenue, paper, $9.95 (9780977266074).

When fitting in isn’t what you want.

Volcano: A Visual Guide. By Donna O’Meara. illus. 2007. Firefly, $29.95 (9781554073535).

Lava flowing around the world.

The Way I Am. By Eminem. illus. Dutton, $40 (9780525950325).

In his own words.

Fiction

Behind the Door. By Paul Kropp. HIP Edge, paper, $12.95 (9781897039267).

Trapped without a door.

Black Box. By Julie Schumacher. Delacorte, $15.99 (9780385735421).

Depression, close to home. A 2009 Best Book for Young Adults.

Chess Rumble. By G. Neri. 2007. Lee & Low, $18.95 (9781584302797).

Real-life battles, chess-style.

The Compound. By S. A. Bodeen. Feiwel & Friends, $16.95 (9780312370152).

They never thought the world would come to an end.

Dead Is the New Black. By Marlene Perez. Harcourt, paper, $7.95 (9780152064082).

Latest accessory: a mini-coffin.

Drama High (series). By L. Divine. Dafina. Individual titles, paper, $9.95.

Drama, drama, drama.

Fakie. By Tony Varrato. Orca, paper, $7.95 (9781897073797).

New town, new identity, same danger.

My Father’s Son. By Terri Fields. Roaring Brook, $16.95 (9781596433496).

Wearing the face of serial killer is tough.

Frostbite: A Vampire Academy Novel. By Richelle Mead. Razorbill, paper, $8.99 (9781595141750).

Love and jealousy collide.

Gamer Girl. By Mari Mancusi. Dutton, $16.99 (9780525479956).

Avatar or the real you?

Hot Girl. By Dream Jordan. St. Martin’s, $9.95 (9780312382841).

Things you want sometimes cost you more than you want to pay.

Hotlanta. By Denene Millner and Mitzi Miller. Scholastic/Point, paper, $8.99 (9780545003087).

Atlanta just got hotter.

The Hunger Games. By Suzanne Collins. Scholastic, $17.99 (9780439023481).

A survivor game gone deadly. A 2009 Best Book for Young Adults.

I Heart You, You Haunt Me. By Lisa Schroeder. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, paper, $7.99 (9781416955207).

Imagine having your dead boyfriend “living” at your house.

Identical. By Ellen Hopkins. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry, $17.99 (9781416950059).

Taboo, which twin has it worse?

Kaput and Zosky. By Lewis Trondheim. Tr. by Edward Gauvin. Illus. by Eric Cartier. Roaring Brook/First Second, paper, $13.95 (9781596431324).

Two rotten aliens coming to a planet near you.

Kendra. By Coe Booth. Scholastic/Push, $16.99 (9780439925365).

Looking for love in all the wrong places. A 2009 Best Book for Young Adults.

Living Dead Girl. By Elizabeth Scott. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, $16.99 (9781416960591).

Painful to the end. A 2009 Best Book for Young Adults.

Middle Row. By Sylvia Olsen. Orca, paper, $9.95 (9781551438993).

When you are not where you are supposed to be . . .

No Way Out. By Peggy Kern. Townsend, paper, $4.95 (9781591941767).

Bluford High kid desperate for money.

Outrage. By Tony Varrato. 2007. HIP Edge, paper, $12.95 (9781897039281).

Bad days sometimes just get worse.

Pain & Wastings. By Carrie Mac. Orca, paper, $9.95 (9781551439044).

Facing life with death.

Planet Pregnancy. By Linda Oatman High. Boyds Mills, $16.95 (9781590785843).

Adopting, keeping, and leaping.

Poison Ink. By Christopher Golden. Delacorte, paper, $8.99 (9780385734837).

Group tattoos gone bad.

Prey. By Lurlene McDaniel. Dell, $10.99 (9780385734530).

Who’s using whom?

Project 17. By Laurie Faria Stolarz. 2007. Hyperion, $15.99 (9780786838561).

Teens and an abandoned insane asylum take on a Blair Witch twist.

* Retaliation. By Yasmin Shiraz. Rolling Hills, paper, $14.95 (9780971817432).

Everyone’s involved when one girl gets jumped.

Right behind You. By Gail Giles. 2007. Little, Brown, $15.99 (9780316166362).

Life is rough, especially living with the knowledge that you killed a kid.

Saturday Night Dirt. By Will Weaver. Farrar, $14.95 (9780374350604).

One night can make a difference at the speedway.

Schooled. By Paul Langan. Townsend, paper, $4.95 (9781591941774).

Bluford boy has NBA dreams.

The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez. By Alan Lawrence Sitomer. Hyperion, $17.99 (9781423110729).

Sonia is everything to everyone except herself.

Suckerpunch. By David Hernandez. HarperTeen, $16.99 (9780061173301).

Road trip with a gun. A 2009 Best Book for Young Adults.

Sucks to Be Me: The All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton, Teen Vampire (Maybe). By Kimberly Pauley. Mirrorstone, $14.95 (9780786950287).

It bites when your parents are vampires.

Switch. By Carol Snow. HarperTeen, $16.99 (9780061452086).

Shocked into a gorgeous body.

Thief. By Brian James. Scholastic/Push, paper, $8.99 (9780545034005).

Foster kids forced to steal.

Torn to Pieces. By Margot McDonnell. Delacorte, $15.99 (9780385735599).

When mom disappears, secrets are revealed.

Undone. By Brooke Taylor. Walker, $16.99 (9780802797636).

Losing a friend—inheriting a friend’s to-do list.

Unleashed. By Kristopher Reisz. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, paper, $7.99 (9781416940012).

Why be a human when you can be a werewolf?

The Unspoken. By Thomas Fahy. Simon & Schuster, $15.99 (9781416940074).

Cursed with your greatest fear.

Venomous. By Christopher Krovatin. Illus. by Kelly Yates. Simon & Schuster/Ginee Seo, $16.99 (9781416924876).

When rage is in your blood.

* Wake. By Lisa McMann. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, $15.99 (9781416953579).

Stranded in other people’s dreams.

Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2009, committee members: Joy Millam, chair, Valencia High School, Placentia (CA); Amy Cheney, Alameda County (CA) Juvenile Hall Library; Erica Tang Cuyugan, Santa Monica Public Library (CA); Debbie Fisher, Central Falls High School (RI); Diana Tixier Herald, Mesa County (CO) Valley School District #51; Annisha Jeffries, Cleveland (OH) Public Library; Sally Leahey, McArthur Public Library, Biddeford (ME); Jenine Lillian, The Bush School Library, Seattle (WA); Diane Monnier, Tucson (AZ); Anne Rouyer, New York Public Library; Marie Slim, Troy High School, Fullerton (CA); and Heather Gruenthal, Administrative Assistant, Western High School, Anaheim (CA).