On one of his mother's nursing cases a 'misfit' teenager meets a man who gives Chris some needed lessons in life.

On one of his mother's nursing cases a misfit teenager meets a man who gives Chris someneeded lessons in life.

Analyzes homosexual characters from YA novels published between 1969 and 1982, aiming to assess their literary quality and determine if their image of homosexual characters is negative.

One of the best-selling young adult books of all time, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Paul Zindel. John Conlan is nicknamed “The Bathroom Bomber” after setting off firecrackers in the boys’ bathroom 23 times without ever getting caught. John and his best friend, Lorraine, can never please their parents, and school is a chore. To pass the time, they play pranks on unsuspecting people and it's during one of these pranks that they meet the “Pigman.” In spite of themselves, John and Lorraine soon get caught up in Mr. Pignati’s zest for life. In fact, they become so involved that they begin to destroy the only corner of the world that has ever mattered to them. Can they stop before it’s too late?'

This is a classic, standard resource for collection building and on-the-spot readers advisory absolutely indispensable for school and public libraries.

The book focuses on individuals writing in the '90s, but also includes 12 classic authors (e.g., Mark Twain, Louisa May Alcott, J.R.R. Tolkien) who are still widely read by teens. It also covers some authors known primarily for adult literature (e.g., Stephen King) and some who write mainly for middle readers but are also popular among young adults (e.g., Betsy Byars). An affordable alternative to multivolume publications, this book makes a great collection development tool and resource for author studies. It will also help readers find other books by and about their favorite writers.

"It seems like everyone else has the script. Everyone else knows what's happening and I look around and say, Duh." Of course, the truth is that no one has the script because there is no script to follow. Chances are you'd find that almost everyone else has questions and worries a lot like yours, if you could get them to admit it. This brand-new, completely updated and revised edition of Changing Bodies, Changing Lives is full of honest, accurate, nonjudgmental information on everything teenagers need to know about today. Am I the only one who can't get up the nerve to ask someone out? got my period so early? doesn't even know the right way to kiss? feels pressured to use drugs? still hasn't hit puberty yet? wants to avoid the gang scene? worries when my mom doesn't come home at night? is scared that I might have AIDS? can't decide what form of birth control to use? has no idea how to tell my friends I'm gay? goes on eating binges? has never had an orgasm? is shut out of the popular crowd? Changing Bodies, Changing Lives has helped hundreds of thousands of teenagers make informed decisions about their lives, from questions about sex, love, friendship, and how your body works to dealing with problems at school and home and figuring out who you are. It's packed with illustrations, checklists, and resources for the answers you really need. Best of all, it's filled with the voices, poems, and cartoons from hundreds of other teenagers, who tell you what makes them feel worried, angry, confused, sexy, happy, and, yes, even excited and hopeful about their lives. (Check out the first two pages for a sample of the quotes you'll find inside.) Being a teenager is tough. With the information and the ideas inside this book, you'll have what you need to make these years the best they can be.