Andre the Giant by Box Brown

Brown, B. (2014). Andre the giant. New York: FirstSecond.
Andre Roussimoff is known as  a heroic pro-wrestling figure. He was a normal guy who'd been dealt an extraordinary hand in life. At his peak, he weighed 500 pounds and stood nearly seven and a half feet tall. But the huge stature that made his fame also signed his death warrant. This graphic novel is a quick read for all students, but especially for boys and struggling readers.  It talks about Andre's life in France  and then America.  He drank a lot and had a one night stand which produced a daughter.  he was not sure that he was the father type.  When his doctor told him what would become of him, he thought of nothing but drinking and wrestling.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Bacigalupi, P. (2010). Ship breaker. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
In America's Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts, Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota--and hopefully live to see another day. But when, by luck or chance, he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life.  This realistic fiction novel is good for ages 12-18 especially for those who live in South Texas with the oil boom going on at this time.  This can show what it is like(sort of) in the oil field business.

Mexican White Boy by Matt de la Pena

de la Pena, M. (2008). Mexican white boy. New York: Delacorte.
Danny's tall and skinny.  Even though he’s not built, his arms are long enough to give his pitch a power so fierce any college scout would sign him on the spot. Ninety-five mile an hour fastball, but the boy’s not even on a team. Every time he gets up on the mound he loses it. But at his private school, they don’t expect much else from him. Danny’ s brown. Half-Mexican brown. And growing up in San Diego that close to the border means everyone else knows exactly who he is before he even opens his mouth. Before they find out he can’t speak Spanish, and before they realize his mom has blond hair and blue eyes, they’ve got him pegged. But it works the other way too. And Danny’s convinced it’s his whiteness that sent his father back to Mexico. That’s why he’s spending the summer with his dad’s family. Only, to find , that he may just have to face the demons he refuses to see--the demons that are right in front of his face. And open up to a friendship he never saw coming.
Set in the alleys and on the ball fields of San Diego County, Mexican Whiteboy is a story of friendship, acceptance, and the struggle to find your identity in a world of definitions.

My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf

 Backderf, D. (2012). My friend Dahmer. New York: Abrams.
My Friend Dahmer is considered a short read that young adults, especially reluctant readers, will enjoy reading.  This is a graphic novel that boys in particular would like to read.  Jeffrey Dahmer was a very disturbed young man.  He started out by putting any and all animals into acid ( alive or dead) because he was interested  in what the insides looked like. When his father leaves the family, his mother leaves the state and takes his younger brother with her.  His drinking and closing himself off to the rest of the world, his psychotic behavior takes over and he picks up a hitchhiker and his killing and mutilation begins.  The last meeting that Dahmer had with his friend he told his friend about going back to his car.  The friend believes that the dismembered body of the young hitchhiker was probably in the back of Dahmer's car.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing Traitor to the Nation by M. T. Anderson

Anderson, M. (2008). The astonishing life of Octavian Nothing traitor to the nation. Cambridge, Mass. Candlewick Press.
Fearing a death sentence, Octavian and his tutor, Dr. Trefusis, escape through rising tides and pouring rain to find shelter in British-occupied Boston. Sundered from all he knows — the College of Lucidity, the rebel cause — Octavian hopes to find safe harbor. Instead, he is soon to learn of Lord Dunmore's proclamation offering freedom to slaves who join the counterrevolutionary forces. As Octavian's experiences in the Revolutionary War explode around him,  he is thrust into intense battles and is tantalized by elusive visions of  liberty.  This is the second book of the series, The Kingdom on the Waves.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Aveyard, V. (2015). Red Queen. New York: HarperTeen.
The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.
Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control. But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?  A book that you may want to read after this one is The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows.  It is about a princess spy.

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Lu, M. (2014). The young elites. New York: G.P Putnam's Sons.
Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever.  A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation.  Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings.  Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was.  Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune.  But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.  Teren Santoro works for the king.  As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all. Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen. Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.  The second book in the series is The Rose Society and the third book is untitled.