The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer YA AWARD FAR & YA CD SPOKEN FAR & YA PLAYAWAY FAR

Matteo Alacrán was not born; he was harvested. His DNA came from El Patrón, lord of a country called Opium -- a strip of poppy fields lying between the United States and what was once called Mexico. Matt's first cell split and divided inside a petri dish. Then he was placed in the womb of a cow, where he continued the miraculous journey from embryo to fetus to baby. He is a boy now, but most consider him a monster -- except for El Patrón. El Patrón loves Matt as he loves himself, because Matt is himself.

As Matt struggles to understand his existence, he is threatened by a sinister cast of characters, including El Patrón's power-hungry family, and he is surrounded by a dangerous army of bodyguards. Escape is the only chance Matt has to survive. But escape from the Alacran Estate is no guarantee of freedom, because Matt is marked by his difference in ways he doesn't even suspect.

Romiette and Julio by Sharon Draper YA AWARD DRA &YA PLAYAWAY DRA

A tale of forbidden love with intentional references to Shakespeare's play, perhaps especially to its West Side Story incarnation, with a similar focus on issues of race and gangs. Julio Montague, a recent Texas transplant to Cincinnati, quickly falls for ``Afroqueen'' during cyber-chats on the Internet. He soon discovers his soulmate is African-American Romiette Cappelle, who coincidentally attends his high school. The two are destined to meet and fall in love, despite warnings from the local gang who strongly disapproves of their romance.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares YA AWARD BRA & YA CD SPOKEN BRA

A pair of jeans bought at a thrift store is shared in friendship between four girlfriends. Bridget, Carmen, Tibby and Lena; all born in September, have been friends since birth. Is it magic that the same jeans mysteriously fit each of their differently shaped bodies? As these chatty teenage girlfriends prepare to spend their first summer apart, they decide to mail the pants from one girlfriend to the next. They pledge to obey the rules they made for wearing the pants such as, “don’t wash the jeans”. Add together one summer, one pair of pants, and four teenage girlfriends and you get the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli YA AWARD Spinelli, J. & YA CD SPOKEN SPI

Will Leo choose the conformity of his high school classmates, or the individuality and nonconformity of his friend, Stargirl Caraway?

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix YA AWARD HAD & YA PLAYAWAY HAD

When Luke is not a normal child. He's never been to school or had a friend. He is a "shadow child", a third child forbidden by the Population Police. In order to survive he must hide. Then he sees Jen, another "shadow child." She wants to live a normal life and is willing to risk anything to get one, including leaving her own family. Will Luke risk everything too?

Forged by Fire by Sharon Draper YA AWARD Draper, S. & YA PLAYAWAY DRA

When "After he was almost killed in an apartment fire while his mother went to buy drugs, Gerald was raised by his aunt. Then one day, six years later, his mother returns with her new husband and Angel, Gerald's little sister. As the children grow up, it becomes more and more apparent that Angel needs Gerald's protection from her father's abuse. But who will protect Gerald?" (Description from Amazon.com)

Ella Enchanted by Gail Levine YA AWARD Levine, G. & YA CD SPOKEN LEV

When Ella is no ordinary girl. At her birth she was "blessed" with the gift of obedience. She must obey every command given her. When her father sends her off to a boarding school, her travelling companions, Hattie and Olive soon realize how they can benefit by giving her commands. Life at the boarding school becomes tolerable once she meets Areida, but Hattie manages to mess that up too. With nothing left to do, Ella runs away (having realized she never promised her father she would stay at the school). On her journey she meets ogres, elves and even a prince or two. Does she live happily ever after? Read the book to find out!