Richies Picks: The Best of 2004
Discover Richie's Picks: The Best of 2004, a curated list of must-read books for young adults and juvenile fiction lovers. Featuring standout titles like *The Bartimaeus Trilogy: Golem's Eye* by Jonathan Stroud, *Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy* by Gary D. Schmidt, and *Bucking the Sarge* by Christopher Paul Curtis, this collection highlights compelling stories of adventure, identity, and resilience. Perfect for finding your next favorite 2004 book pick, this essential roundup spans fantasy, drama, and contemporary YA, handpicked by Richie for readers and educators alike.
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The Year of Secret Assignments
by Jaclyn Moriarty
From the author of "Feeling Sorry for Celia" comes this story of three girls and three boys, one of which is a total psycho. It's a story of teenage life as it really feels--only funnier.
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No Shame, No Fear
by Ann Turnbull
In England in 1662, a time of religious persecution, fifteen-year-old Susanna, a poor country girl and a Quaker, and seventeen-year-old William, a wealthy Anglican, meet and fall in love against all odds.
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Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
by Gary D. Schmidt
In 1911, Turner Buckminster hates his new home of Phippsburg, Maine, but things improve when he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a girl from a poor, nearby island community founded by former slaves that the town fathers--and Turner's--want to change into a tourist spot.
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Bucking the Sarge
by Christopher Paul Curtis
Luther T. Farrell has got to get out of Flint, Michigan. As his best friend Sparky says, "Flint's nothing but the Titanic." And his mother, a.k.a. the Sarge, says, "Take my advice and stay off the sucker path." The Sarge milked the system to build an empire of slum housing and group homes. Luther's just one of the many people trapped in the Sarge's Evil Empire--but he's about to bust out. If Luther wins the science fair this year, he'll be on track for college and a future as America's best-known and best-loved philosopher. All he's got to do is beat his arch rival Shayla Patrick, the beautiful daughter of Flint's finest undertaker--and the love of Luther's life. Sparky's escape plans involve a pit bull named Poofy and the world's scariest rat. Oh, and Luther. Add to the mix Chester X., Luther's mysterious roommate; Dontay Gaddy, a lawyer whose phone number is 1-800-SUE'M ALL; and Darnell Dixon, the Sarge's go-to guy who knows how to break all the rules. "Bucking the Sarge" is a story that only Christopher Paul Curtis could tell. Once again the Newbery Award-winning author of "Bud, Not Buddy" and "The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963" gives us a whole new angle on life and a world full of unforgettable and hilarious characters. Readers will root for Luther and Sparky every step of the way. Praise for "The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963": "An exceptional first novel."--"Publishers Weekly," Starred "Ribald humor . . . and a totally believable child's view of the world will make this book an instant hit."--"School Library Journal," Starred Praise for "Bud, Not Buddy": "Curtis has given a fresh, new look to a traditional orphan-finds-a-home story that would be a crackerjack read-aloud." --"School Library Journal," Starred "From the Hardcover edition."
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Sign of the Qin
by Laura Geringer
In long-ago China, Prince Zong, the mortal young Starlord chosen to save humankind from destruction, joins the twin outlaws, White Streak and Black Whirlwind, to fight the Lord of the Dead and his demon hordes.
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Doing It
by Melvin Burgess
Three teenage friends, Dino, Jonathon, and Ben, confront the confusions, fears, and joys of adolescent male sexuality.
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The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book Two: Golem's Eye
by Jonathan Stroud
The second adventure in the Bartimaeus trilogy finds our young apprentice magician Nathaniel working his way up the ranks of the government, when crisis hits. A seemingly invulnerable clay golem is making random attacks on London. Nathaniel and the all-powerful, totally irreverent djinni, Bartimaeus, must travel to Prague to discover the source of the golem's power. In the ensuing chaos, readers will chase a dancing skeleton across London's skyline, encounter the horror of the dreaded Night Police, witness a daring kidnapping, and enter the Machiavellian world of the magician's government. Eventually, Nathaniel and Bartimaeus have to go head to head with the fearsome golem before the surprise identity of his master is finally revealed.