2012 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

The Quick Picks list, presented annually at the ALA Midwinter Meeting 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. The 2012 list features 117 titles; the committee also selected a top ten list, denoted here by an asterisk. Here are the 2012 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers:

Nonfiction

*Almerico, Kendall and Tess Hottenroth. Whoogles: Can a Dog Make a Woman Pregnant?...and Hundreds of Other Searches That Make You Ask "Who Would Google That?” F + W Media/Adams Media, 2010. $10.95. 978-1-4405-1086-1.

Google has all the answers to every question, even the ones you never thought to ask.

Barton, Chris. Can I See Your I.D.? True Stories of False Identities. Illus. by Paul Hoppe. Penguin Group/Dial, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-8037-3310-7.

Spies, robbers, runaways . . . could you get away with it?

Beecroft, Simon. Star Wars Character Encyclopedia. DK, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-7566-8253-8.

From Admiral Ackbar to Yoda.

*Beever, Julian. Pavement Chalk Artist: The Three-Dimensional Drawings of Julian Beever. Illus. Firefly Books, 2010. $29.95. 978-1-55407-661-1.

Step into street art.

Benson, Richard. F in Exams, The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers. Chronicle Books, 2011. $9.95. 978-0-8118-7831-9.

“Where was the Declaration of Independence signed? At the bottom.”

Black, Jake. The Ultimate Guide to WWE. Penguin Group/Grosset & Dunlap, 2011. . $12.99. 978-0-448-45554-9.

Your favorite WWE wrestlers all in one place!

Bleiman, Andrew; Eastland, Chris. ZooBorns: The Newest, Cutest Animals From the World's Zoos and Aquariums. Simon & Schuster, 2010. $9.99. 978-1-4391-9531-4.

Baby animals...Awwwwww!

Brady Games. Guinness World Records, Gamers Edition 2011.  The Jim Pattison Group/ Guinness World Records LTD, 2011. $14.99. 978-0-7440-1261-3.

Top characters, high scores, and all the best games.

Bragg, Georgia. How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous. Illus. by Kevin O'Malley. Walker & Company, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-8027-9817-6.

The down and dirty on great deaths in history.

Buchholz, Rachel.  How to Survive Anything. Illus. by Chris Philpot. National Geographic, 2011. $12.95. 978-1-4263-0774-4.

From embarrassing parents to shark attacks.

Claybourne, Anna. 100 Most Awesome Things On The Planet. Scholastic, 2011.. $7.99. 978-0-545-26848-6.

Mount Everest, nanomachines, the Great Wall of China, and more.

Conrad, Lauren. Lauren Conrad Style. HarperCollins, 2010. $19.99. 978-0-06-198914-8.

Exceptional style for every day.

Cowsill, Alan. Marvel Avengers: The Ultimate Character Guide. DK/Marvel, 2010. $16.99. 978-0-7566-6740-5.

Heroes and villians, from A-Z.

DK Publishing. Big Questions.  DK Publishing /DK Children, 2011. $19.99. 978-0-7566-7579-0.

“Can you step into the same river twice?” and other deep questions.

*Dugard, Jaycee. A Stolen Life: A Memoir. Simon & Schuster, 2011. $24.99. 978-1-4516-2918-7.

Eighteen years in captivity—in her own words.

Guinness World Records. Guinness World Records 2011. Guinness Worlds Records, 2010. $28.95. 978-1-904994-58-9. T

he biggest, fastest, and strongest.

Hammond, Paula. The World's Strangest Animals. Scholastic/ Scholastic Paperbacks, 2011. $8.99. 978-0-545-34745-7.

From the tranquil seahorse to the ferocious honey badger.

*Haugen, Brenda. The Zodiac Killer: Terror and Mystery. 2010. Compass Point Books. $ 24.99. 978-0-7565-4357-0.

The killer that got away with it.

Kaelin, Lauren and Sophia Fraioli. When Parents Text, So Much Said...So Little Understood. Workman, 2011. $10.95. 978-0-7611-6604-7.

LOL!

Lee, J.H. Boo: The Life of the World’s Cutest Dog. Chronicle Books, 2011. $12.95. 978-1-4521-0306-8.

Boo’s Pomeranian life in pictures.

Levy, Joel. Phobiapedia: All the Things We Fear the Most!. Scholastic/Scholastic Paperbacks, 2011. $8.99. 978-0-545-34929-1.

Does anyone suffer from xanthophobia? The fear of yellow.

Murray, Peter and Angela Sanchez. Memorable Moments in NFL Football. Murray Books/Toots, 2010. $34.95. 978-0-9803829-8-3.

Get a feel for the game.

Murray, Peter. Soccer. Murray Books/Toots, 2010. $34.95. 978-0-9803131-7-8.

Goooooal!

Murray, Peter. Basketball. Murray Books/Toots, 2010. $34.95. 978-0-9803829-9-0.

Swish!

Murray, Peter. Memorable Moments in Baseball. Murray Books/Toots, 2010. $34.95. 978-0-9803131-1-6.

It’s out of the park.

Murrie, Steve and Matthew Murrie. Every Day on Earth. Illus. by Tom Bloom. Scholastic, 2011. $9.99. 978-0-545-29706-6.

2,740 miles of Twizzlers are made every day.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Curioddities. Scholastic, 2011. $12.99. 978-0-545-31654-5.

Off-the-wall facts like fingernails that are 33 feet long.

Scholastic. Ripley's Believe It or Not! Special Edition 2012. Scholastic, Inc./Ripley's Publishing, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-545-32975-0.

Strange but true!

Sherman, M. Zachary. Fighting Phantoms. Capstone, 2011. $18.99. 978-1-4342-2560-3.

Shot down behind enemy lines.

Shoket, Ann. Seventeen Ultimate Guide to Style: How to Find Your Perfect Look. Running Press, 2011. $19.95. 978-0-7624-4193-8.

What’s your look? Girly, glam, or indie?

Shoreline Publishing. Year in Sports 2012. Scholastic Paperbacks, 2011. $9.99. 9780545331500.

Big shots, big wins, and big buck$.

*Snider, Brandon T. DC Comics: The Ultimate Character Guide. DK, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-7566-8261-3.

From Aquaman to Wonder Woman.

Tebow, Tim. Through My Eyes: A Quarterback’s Journey. HarperCollins Publishers/Zondervan, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-310-72345-5.

Up-close and personal with a Heisman Trophy winner.

Tibballs, Geoff, Judy Barratt, and Sally McFall (eds). Ripley’s Believe it or Not!: Strikingly True. Ripley Entertainment, 2011. $28.95. 978-1-60991-000-6.

Unbelievably weird!

Willin, Melvyn, Dr. Monsters Caught on Film. David and Charles, 2010. $16.99. 978-0-7153-3774-5.

Real or not real? You decide.

Fiction

50 Cent. Playground. Illus. by Lizzi Akana. Penguin Group/Razorbill, 2011. $17.99. 978-1-59514-434-8.

How a bully became an artist.

*Aguirre, Ann. Enclave. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-312-65008-7.

The fight to survive continues underground.

Barnholdt, Lauren. Sometimes it Happens. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, 2011. $16.99. 978-1-4424-1314-6.

Sometimes you fall for your best friend's boyfriend.

Beam, Cris. I am J. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-316-05361-7.

J was born a girl but feels like a boy.

Binns, B. A. Pull. WestSide Books, 2010. $16.95. 978-1-934813-43-0.

What happens after dad murders mom?

Blake, Kendare. Anna Dressed in Blood. Tom Doherty Associates/Tor Teen, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-7653-2865-6.

Cas kills the dead, it's his job.

*Booth, Coe. Bronxwood. Scholastic/Push, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-439-92534-1.

Too much pressure, too many choices, not enough options.

Brooks, Kevin. iBoy. Scholastic/The Chicken House, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-545-31768-9.

After Tom’s head-on collision with an iPhone, he’s out for revenge.

Brosgol, Vera. Anya's Ghost. Macmillan/First Second, 2011. $15.99. 978-1-59643-552-0.

Anya's new best friend is a ghost with a secret!

Busch, Jeff. Zombie High Yearbook '64. Sterling Publishing, 2011. $14.95. 978-1-4027-8471-2.

Not your typical yearbook.

Cerrito, Angela. The End of the Line. Holiday House, 2011. 17.95. 978-0-8234-2287-6.

Can Robbie change or will he be stuck in his own prison forever?

Dean, Carolee. Take Me There. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, 2010. $8.99. 978-1-4169-8950-9.

A father and son reunion on Death Row.

*Elkeles, Simone. Chain Reaction. Walker & Company, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-8027-2087-0.

Will Luis choose the girl or the gang?

Ford, Christopher. Stickman Odyssey: An Epic Doodle Book One. Penguin Group/Philomel, 2011. $12.99. 978-0-399-25426-0.

The Odyssey, like you’ve never seen it.

Gidwitz, Adam. A Tale Dark and Grimm. Penguin Group/Penguin Young Readers Group, 2010. $16.99. 978-0-525-42334-8.

Hansel goes to hell and Gretel slays a demon.

Greenman, Catherine. Hooked. Random House/Delacorte, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-385-74008-1.

Seventeen and pregnant. Where do you turn?

Harrington, Kim. Clarity. Scholastic/Point, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-545-23050-6.

One touch can solve a murder.

Harris, Carrie. Bad Taste in Boys. Random House/Delacorte, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-385-73968-9.

Can Katie save her town from a zombie virus AND land the hot boy?

Hopkins, Ellen. Perfect. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2011. $18.99. 978-1-4169-8324-8.

What is the price of perfection?

Hunter, Travis. Two the Hard Way. Kensington/Dafina, 2010. $9.95. 978-0-7582-4250-1.

Two brothers, two paths.

Riders of the Apocalypse Series.

Kessler, Jackie Morse. Hunger. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Graphia, 2010. $8.99. 978-0-54-734124-8.

While battling anorexia, Lisabeth becomes Famine, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Kessler, Jackie Morse. Rage. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Graphia, 2011. $8.99. 978-0-547-44528-1.

Missy is a cutter, now she wields a larger blade as War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Kowalski, William. The Barrio Kings. Orca Book Publishers/Raven Books, 2010. $9.95. 978-1-55469-244-6.

Can you ever walk away?

Lancaster, Mike A. Human.4. Egmont, 2011. $16.99. 978-1-60684-099-3.

Alien invasion or something else?

Lewis, Stewart. You Have Seven Messages.  Random House/Delacorte Press, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-385-74028-9.

Was everything in Luna's life a lie?

Littman, Sarah Darer. Want to Go Private? Scholastic Press, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-545-15146-7.

Is Abby's online friend responsible for her disappearance?

Lore, Pittacus. I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1). HarperCollins Publishers/Harper, 2010. $17.99. 978-0-06-196955-3.

Numbers 1, 2, and 3 are dead. Now they are coming for number 4.

Lost Zombies. Dead Inside Do Not Enter: Notes from the Zombie Apocalypse. Chronicle Books, 2011. $19.95. 978-1-4521-0108-8.

All that remains are the notes they left behind.

Marcus, Kimberly. Exposed. Random House Children's Books, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-375-86693-7.

Who should Liz believe? Her best friend or her brother?

McClintock, Norah. She Said/She Saw. Orca, 2011. $12.95. 978-1-55469-335-1.

Two friends are dead. What did Tegan see?

McMann, Lisa. Cryer's Cross. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, 2011. $16.99. 978-1-4169-9481-7.

Missing teens and mysterious messages.

Mlynowski, Sarah. Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have). HarperCollins Publishers/HarperTeen, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-06-170124-5.

April's crazy junior year starts with one big lie.

Nelson, Blake. Recovery Road. Scholastic Press, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-545-10729-7.

Does rehab love work in real life?

Northrop, Michael. Trapped. Scholastic Press, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-545-21012-6.

Seven teens stranded. Who will survive?

*Patterson, James. Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life. Illus. by Lara Park and Chris Tebbets. Little, Brown and Company, 2011. $15.99. 978-0316101875.

It all started going wrong in middle school...

Peirce, Lincoln. Big Nate on a Roll. HarperCollins/Harper, 2011. $12.99. 978-0-06-194438-3.

Antics of a funny kid.

Proimos, James. 12 Things to Do Before You Crash and Burn. Roaring Book Press, 2011. $14.99. 978-1-56943-595-7.

The mission: find the unattainable and beautiful woman.

Reed, Amy. Clean. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, 2011. $16.99. 978-1-4424-1344-3.

Five teenagers in rehab.

Restrepo, Bettina. Illegal. HarperCollins Publishers/Katherine Tegen Books, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-06-195342-2.

Nora will do anything to find her father.

Roth, Veronica. Divergent. HarperCollins Publishers/Katherine Tegen Books, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-06-202402-2.

In a perfect world, being different can be deadly.

Rue, Ginger. Jump. Random House/Tricycle Press, 2010. $15.99. 978-1-58246-334-6.

A mean girl is about to get a taste of her own medicine.

Sanchez, Alex. Boyfriends with Girlfriends. Simon & Schuster, 2011. $16.99. 978-1-4169-3773-9.

Sergio and Kimiko, Lance and Allie—but who's attracted to whom?

Santat, Dan. Sidekicks. Scholastic, Inc./Arthur A. Levine Books, 2011. $12.99. 978-0-439-29819-3.

Captain Amazing is getting old and needs to choose a sidekick.

Urban Underground Series

Schraff, Anne. To Catch a Dream. Saddleback Educational, 2010. $8.95. 978-1-61651-269-9.

Able's job at the donut shop may be in jeopardy.

Schraff, Anne. The Unforgiven. Saddleback Educational, 2011. $8.95. 978-1-61651-586-7.

Can Naomi bring her family back together again?

Schraff, Anne. The Fairest. Saddleback Educational,2011. $8.95. 978-1-61651-007-7.

The girls at Tubman High will stop at nothing to win Princess of the Fair.

Schraff, Anne. The Quality of Mercy. Saddleback Educational, 2011. $8.95. 978-1-61651-006-0.

Alonee and Oliver investigate who is vandalizing the school.

Schraff, Anne. Wildflower. Saddleback Educational, 2010. $8.95. 978-1-61651-009-1.

Chelsea rebels against her father's rules.

Schraff, Anne. Dark Secrets. Saddleback Educational, 2010. $8.95. 978-1-61651-267-5.

Ernesto tries to save Naomi from her abusive boyfriend.

Schraff, Anne. Deliverance. Saddleback Educational, 2011. $8.95. 978-1-61651-587-4.

Naomi needs her job, but not her stalker boss.

Schraff, Anne. Leap of Faith. Saddleback Educational, 2011. $8.95. 978-1-61651-588-1.

Ernesto witnesses a robbery.

Schraff, Anne. The Lost. Saddleback Educational, 2011. $8.95. 978-1-61651-585-0.

Is Carmen’s new boyfriend in a gang?

Schraff, Anne. No Fear. Saddleback Educational, 2010. $8.95. 978-1-61651-268-2.

Naomi stands up to her abusive father.

Schraff, Anne. The Stranger. Saddleback Educational, 2010. $8.95. 978-1-61651-266-8.

Ernesto, the new boy at school, falls for Naomi.

Schraff, Anne. Time of Courage. Saddleback Educational, 2010. $8.95. 978-1-61651-270-5.

Will Ernesto do what's right for the Barrio?

Schraff, Anne. The Water's Edge. Saddleback Educational, 2011. $8.95. 978-1-61651-589-8.

Ernesto hopes for a better future after graduation.

Schroeder, Lisa. The Day Before. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, 2011. $16.99. 978-1-44241-743-4.

Amber and Cade each hope for one perfect day.

Schreiber, Joe. Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-547-57738-8.

One exchange student + 1 borrowed Jaguar + 5 assassinations = 1 epic prom night

Shepard, Sara. The Lying Game. HarperCollins Publishers/HarperTeen, 2010. $16.99. 978-0-06-186970-9.

Your best friends just may be your enemies.

Smith, Alexander Gordon. Death Sentence (Escape From Furnace #3). Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011. $15.99. 978-0-374-32494-0.

Alex fights to keep his identity while transforming into what he hates most.

Springer, Kristina. My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010. $15.99. 978-0-374-39910-8.

Tell me about your boyfriend.

Strasnick, Lauren. Her and Me and You. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, 2010. $16.99. 978-1-4169-8266-1.

Caught between a brother and a sister.

Summers, Courtney. Fall For Anything. Macmillan/St. Martin's Griffin, 2010. $9.99. 978-0-312-65673-7.

Eddie has unanswered questions about her father’s suicide.

*TenNapel, Doug. Ghostopolis. Scholastic, Inc./Graphix, 2010. $24.99. 978-0-545-21027-0.

Garth finds a new reason to live in the land of the dead.

Bluford Series

Folan, Karyn Langhorne. Breaking Point. Townsend Press, 2011. $4.95. 978-1-59194-232-0.

When trouble hits at home for Vicki, everything boils over.

Folan, Karyn Langhorne. Pretty Ugly. Townsend Press, 2011. $4.95. 978-1-59194-233-7.

Some girls will do anything to get on the cheer team.

Kern, Peggy. The Test. Townsend Press, 2011. $4.95. 978-159194-234-4.

Can Liselle handle being a mother at sixteen?

Various Authors: Night Fall Series

Atwood, Megan. Last Desserts. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-7811-2.

Can Ella use her baking skills to save herself and her best friend?

Carr, Elias. The Combination. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-7810-5.

The wrong locker combination can send you straight to hell!

Jasper, Rick. The Late Bus.  Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-7812-9.

Is the new school bus driver dead?

Harris, Ashley Rae. The Prank. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.99. 978-0-7613-7814-3.

Who’s next when practical jokes turn deadly?

Hoblin, Paul. Foul. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-7813-6.

Can Rhino make the shot when lives depend on it?

Surviving South Side Series

Fontes, Justine. Benito Runs.  Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-6165-7.

Benny's father returns from Iraq with PTSD.

Korman, Susan. Bad Deal. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-6166-4.

Everyone wants what Fish is selling.

Simon, Charnan. Shattered Star. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 2011. 978-0-7613-6168-8.

How far will Cassie go for fame?

Simon, Charnan. Plan B. 2011. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-6163-3.

When Lucy gets pregnant, will Luke do the right thing?

Weyn, Suzanne. Beaten. 2011. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-6164-0.

Paige's “perfect” boyfriend is not so perfect.

Weyn, Suzanne. Recruited. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-6167-1.

Are the offers too good to be true?

Van Cleave, Ryan G. Unlocked. Bloomsbury Publishing/Walker Books for Young Readers, 2011. $15.99. 978-0-8027-2186-0.

Will Alex betray his best friend?

Vrettos, Adrienne Maria. Burnout. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2011. $16.99. 978-1-4169-9469-5.

Halloween nightmare or reality?

Wells, Robison. Variant. HarperCollins Publishers/HarperTeen, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-06-20260-8-8.

Playing by the rules can be deadly.

Wilkerson, Lili. Pink. HarperCollins Publishers /HarperTeen, 2011. $16.99. 978-0061926532.

New school, new friends, new look.