Why am I passionate about this?

I have a passion for the theme of building self-esteem and finding self-identity at middle and high school age because I taught secondary English for 30 years. So many of my students struggled with this issue; reading novels about kids with similar situations offers a way for readers to help themselves work out their own problems. I deliberately chose both recent and classic novels with a wide variety of protagonists, settings and plots, each with a unique author voice to show how universal the need to build self-esteem can be. My own novel, Eaglebait, is another strong novel with a similar theme.


I wrote

Eaglebait: Can a smart kid survive school bullies?

By Susan Coryell,

Book cover of Eaglebait: Can a smart kid survive school bullies?

What is my book about?

Wardy Spinks has been a loser for as long as he can remember. Freshman year in high school Wardy becomes…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Book Thief

Susan Coryell Why did I love this book?

I liked this YA book so much that I recommended it to my adult book club who also loved it. The main character, Liesel Meminger, loses her family during the WWII Holocaust in Germany. Taken in by kind-hearted foster parents, she feels low self-esteem because she is illiterate. Learning to read her stolen books helps her find companionship and acceptance and raises her feelings about her own self-worth. I appreciate the author’s quirky style; his narrator, for example, is Death who claims to be completely objective about his task, and yet, he is concerned about Liesel. The tone is ironic and sometimes humorous in a macabre way. Zusak’s unique voice resonates with me; I know it will with my middle-grade students.

By Markus Zusak,

Why should I read it?

33 authors picked The Book Thief as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

'Life affirming, triumphant and tragic . . . masterfully told. . . but also a wonderful page-turner' Guardian
'Brilliant and hugely ambitious' New York Times
'Extraordinary' Telegraph
___

HERE IS A SMALL FACT - YOU ARE GOING TO DIE

1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier.
Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall.

SOME IMPORTANT…


Book cover of The Fault in Our Stars

Susan Coryell Why did I love this book?

The theme of this novel deals with raising self-esteem in a fascinating way: Two teenagers meet in a cancer survivor support group. Both Hazel and Augustus maintain upbeat attitudes as they face certain death and yet, as romance blooms, they constantly reaffirm each other’s worth. I admire their ability to discover mutual affinities and enjoy typical teenage activities as much as possible rather than dwelling on the dismal future—their support for friend Isaac’s misery, for example. Their discussions of a favorite novel that stops abruptly without a conclusion show Green’s brilliance, foreshadowing Augustus’ demise at the end of the novelan abrupt, unfinished life. Gus recognizes that Hazel is a real girl; readers do, too. Though sad, the novel vibrates with life, not death. What a wonderful lesson for my students and for me.

By John Green,

Why should I read it?

14 authors picked The Fault in Our Stars as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

The beloved, #1 global bestseller by John Green, author of The Anthropocene Reviewed and Turtles All the Way Down

"John Green is one of the best writers alive." -E. Lockhart, #1 bestselling author of We Were Liars

"The greatest romance story of this decade." -Entertainment Weekly

#1 New York Times Bestseller * #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller * #1 USA Today Bestseller * #1 International Bestseller

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters…


Book cover of When the Legends Die

Susan Coryell Why did I love this book?

When Ute Native American, Thomas Black Bull, is orphaned, he’s forced into a white boarding school aiming to “civilize” him by erasing every trace of his heritage, language, customs and culture. The novel is a graphic picture of what happened historically to so many Native American youths, something recently revealed with previously unknown details—a horrifying scenario. My feelings of sympathy, empathy ,and fear for young Tom grew with each page. I felt hopeless, alienated ,and angry right along with him in his struggle to break free and return to his own beliefs. The novel evoked my fury at the attempt to erase a beautiful culture because it is “different.” I love how relevant this book is, though it was written decades ago. It is a perfect way to blend the past with the present for young students.

By Hal Borland,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked When the Legends Die as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

A young Native American raised in the forest is suddenly thrust into the modern world, in this novel by the author of The Dog Who Came to Stay.
  Thomas Black Bull’s parents forsook the life of a modern reservation and took to ancient paths in the woods, teaching their young son the stories and customs of his ancestors. But Tom’s life changes forever when he loses his father in a tragic accident and his mother dies shortly afterward. When Tom is discovered alone in the forest with only a bear cub as a companion, life becomes difficult. Soon, well-meaning teachers…


Book cover of The Contender

Susan Coryell Why did I love this book?

High school dropout, Alfred Brooks, lives in the inner city. He’s hounded by street kids when he parts ways with his best friend’s involvement in drugs. Alfred finds consolation and hope at Donatelli’s gym where the owner sees potential in Alfred as a boxer. Alfred learns that making the effort can change his life and when he loses he gets up and tries again. Becoming a contender becomes his self-identity. Such an important lesson for all of us but especially vulnerable young readers, my students. I loved Alfred’s determination and Mr. Donatelli’s recognition of his potential and refusal to give up on a troubled kid. I rooted Alfred along with every boxing match and cheered his discovery of his own strengths—both physical and otherwise. The book is brutally realistic but so upbeat, I just wanted to keep reading.

By Robert Lipsyte,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Contender as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The breakthrough modern sports novel The Contender shows readers the true meaning of being a hero.

This acclaimed novel by celebrated sportswriter Robert Lipsyte, the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in YA fiction, is the story of a young boxer in Harlem who overcomes hardships and finds hope in the ring on his path to becoming a contender.

Alfred Brooks is scared. He’s a high-school dropout, and his grocery store job is leading nowhere. His best friend is sinking further and further into drug addiction. Some street kids are after him for something he didn’t…


Book cover of Fat Angie

Susan Coryell Why did I love this book?

Angie’s life is a mess. Her mother constantly taunts her as “Fat Angie.” High school classmates torment her as a “crazy, mad cow,” when she tries to slit her wrists in a high school assembly. Her heroic sister goes MIA during the Iraq War; her older brother treats her badly. Angie just wants to make it through each day until a beautiful new student arrives and befriends her, seeing the hidden beauty in Angie. I was revolted by Angie’s abusive family life and angry at the peer bullying. Where were school authorities? I was relieved when a warm friendship allowed Angie to become happy on her own. Though it seems extreme, I’ve occasionally observed similar situations among my students; the novel is horrifyingly realistic, but it moves in a positive fashion to its end.

By E.E. Charlton-Trujillo,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Fat Angie as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

Winner of a 2014 Stonewall Book Award

Her sister was captured in Iraq, she’s the resident laughingstock at school, and her therapist tells her to count instead of eat. Can a daring new girl in her life really change anything?

Angie is broken — by her can’t-be-bothered mother, by her high-school tormenters, and by being the only one who thinks her varsity-athlete-turned-war-hero sister is still alive. Hiding under a mountain of junk food hasn’t kept the pain (or the shouts of “crazy mad cow!”) away. Having failed to kill herself — in front of a gym full of kids —…


Explore my book 😀

Eaglebait: Can a smart kid survive school bullies?

By Susan Coryell,

Book cover of Eaglebait: Can a smart kid survive school bullies?

What is my book about?

Wardy Spinks has been a loser for as long as he can remember. Freshman year in high school Wardy becomes the victim of malicious bullying. Eventually, his life begins to change. First, a charismatic science teacher becomes his mentor. Then, quiet Meg seems friendly. And Big Vi takes on a life of her own. Wardy discovers his attitude makes a difference in how others treat him. If Wardy doesn’t feel like a loser, maybe he won’t be one.

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Christmas Actually

By Lisa Darcy,

Book cover of Christmas Actually

Lisa Darcy Author Of The Pact

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Cat lover Traveler Reader Amateur tennis player Foodie

Lisa's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

Every picture tells a story, but it’s not always the one we expect or remember. Christmas Actually is a festive drama about family and forgiveness and a snapshot of modern family life, addressing Instagram to motherhood and everything in between.

Why Christmas? My publisher wanted my new novel to have a festive theme, specifically set in Australia–sun, surf, sunburn, and prawns. Christmas in Australia is very different from Christmas in the UK, USA, and Canada. We typically wear shorts and t-shirts, eat salad and seafood for Christmas lunch, and play beach cricket in the afternoon. Despite the season, conflicts, secrets,…

Christmas Actually

By Lisa Darcy,

What is this book about?

Time spent with family can be challenging, especially at Christmas actually…

Kate Cavendish is stuck in a rut. That is until a former colleague contacts her and offers her a chance to fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming a successful photographer.

With her focus pulled in all directions by her children, her pregnant sister, her newly-dating mother, and the niggling worry that her husband might be having an affair, Kate is filled with self-doubt.

Then as the countdown to Christmas begins, and memories of her own childhood resurface, Kate’s anxiety deepens – both personally and professionally. Can she move on…


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