Level identifier in parentheses at end of descriptions
PB – picture book,
I – intermediate (most can be read to primary),
M – middle school,
H – high school.

Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

Little, Brown , 2011. With her senior year nearing its end, Alex and her two best friends have been planning a trip to Colorado. Instead she falls for the new guy, Cole, who is handsome, romantic, and very attentive, however, she soon discovers he is also controlling, manipulative and physically abusive-can she love him out of that? (H)

Rage: A Love Story by Julie Anne Peters

Johanna has never had a girlfriend but falls hard for Reeve Hart even with her violent behaviors. Johanna think she can love her out of the violence but quickly becomes tangled in an abusive relationship. Alfred A. Knopf/Random House, 2009. H

Rage: Brutal by Micahel Harmon

Poe Holly, an out-spoken punker, transfers to an elitist school that validates students who are privileged students but does not protect those who are bullied. Poe feels the need to point this out at every opportunity, which doesn't win her many friends. Alfred A. Knopf/Random House, 2009. H

Lockdown by Diane Tullson. Trapped in the hallway, Adam and Zoe think the school lockdown is just another drill, until they hear gunshots. When Adam realizes he knows the shooter, he tries to stop him. For Middle School and High School. Orca Soundings, 2008. (MH)

Just One Flick of a Finger by Marybeth Lorbiecki, illustrated by David Diaz. Dial Books / Penguin, 1996. Jack is tired of Reebo bullying him and even though Sherms comes to his rescue, Jack steals his dad revolver and brings it to school. Set in high school with incredible illustrations and told in verse, this is the only picture book I could find that deals with potential violence. (PB)

The Devil's Toenail by Sally Prue. New York: Scholastic, 2004. Thirteen-year-old Steve Saunders looks for protection at his new school, but his new friends are really a gang led by Daniel, an intimidating bully. (I/M)

Freaks and Revelations by Davida Wilis Hurwin.

Little Brown, 2009. Told in two voices and in two time settings spanning several years. Doug is the angry, drug-involved kid who eventually turns hard core Punk. Jason, a gay kid, gets thrown out by his overly Christian mom. The two only meet twice in the book, once when a hate-filled, seventeen-year old Doug, beats up Jason, a fourteen-year-old kid who survives on the street as a prostitute. The second time is when both males are well into adulthood, and Jason recognizes Doug. Inspired by real lives of Matthew Boger and Tim Zaal. (H)

Gordon Yamamoto and the King of the Geeks by Gene Yang. San Jose: Amazelnk, 2004. Upper classmen, Gordon Yamamoto and Devon, practice their own hazing rituals on some unlucky freshmen and this year they choose, Miles. But after a data transfer with Miles, Gordon accidentally accesses Miles' memories and realizes that hazing isn't fun for him. This is a graphic novel. (I/M)

Jumped by Rita Williams Garcia. Amistad, 2009. The lives of three sophomore girls intersect on the day Leticia overhears Dominique threaten to beat up Trina after school. (M/H)

Kiss Me Kill Me by Lauren Henderson. New York: Delacorte Press / Random House, 2008. Scarlett Wakefield studies at a private girs school outside London where she is training in gymnastics. However, she has caught the eye of Plum Saybourne, who runs the "Smart Set." At one of Plum's posh parties, Scarlett is kissing Dan McAndrew when he has an allergic reaction and dies in her arms. Scarlett sets out to find his killer.(M/H)

New Blood by Peter McPhee. Toronto: James Lorimer & Company, Ltd., 2007 Fourteen-year-old Callum and his parents thought they could escape fear from his attack if they moved away, but on the first day of his new school in Winnipeg, Callum's Scottish accent draws the bullies' attention and he becomes a target again.(M/H)

Ricochet by Julie Gonzalez. New York: Delacorte Press, 2007. Fifteen-year-old Connor, Daniel, Ryan and Will are on top of an apartment roof when Will pulls out a gun and coerces them into a game of Russian roulette. Next he wants to play idiot's roulette, spin the chamber, point the gun at someone and bang - Daniel is dead Connor tells the story of the aftermath. (M/H)

Angels on Sunset Boulevard by Melissa de la Cruz. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007. Taj and Johnny were just two kids who loved music until they got discovered online, but now TAP.com has crossed the line into a cyber-cult; Johnny is missing and Taj is in too far to escape. (H)

Bullycide in America: Moms Speak Out About the Bullycide / Suicide Connection compiled by Brenda High. JBS Publishing, Inc., 2007. EBook:www.bullycide.org Seven mothers whose children have committed bullycide tell their stories. (H)

Burn by Suzanne Phillips. New York: Hachette / Little, Brown, and Company, 2008. Cameron Grady, fourteen and in ninth grade, faces a daily beating from the Red Jackets (letter jacket wearers) led by Rich Patterson. After he is stripped, taped, massged into an erection, and photographed with a cell phone, the rage over takes him, but an innocent student suffers. (H)

Bullyville by Francine Prose. New York: HarperCollins, 2007. Bart and his mother try to survive after his father is killed in the bombing on 9/11, and an offer of a private school scholarship seems like a step in the right direction, until Bart meets a bully so evil that Bart describes him as a terrorist. (H)

Endgame by Nancy Garden. New York: Harcourt, 2006. Fifteen-year-old Gray Wilton, bullied so viciously by the school's football heroes, took a gun to school and used it. Now he tells his story to his lawyers as he sits in jail awaiting the trial. (H)

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters. New York: Hyperion, 2008. A strange phenomenon has been added to the usual crazies of Oakdale High School - some teens who have died, have come back to life. Seniors Adam Layman, the biggest guy on the football team, and Phoebe Kindall, his best friend and neighbor, are more open minded about accepting these students than many others. When Tommy Williams, a dead kid, tries out for football the head coach puts out a hit on him! The prejudice in the school and community parallels all the real life prejudice that exists against minorities. A great book for discussion. (H)

Knights of the Hill Country by Tim Tharp. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. Hampton and Blaine have been friends for years, but their senior year on the football team brings conflict between one's belief in teamwork and sportsmanship and th eother's need for winning at any cost. (H)

Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles. Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2007. AFter Leah has died, Laine starts to replay their close childhood friendship and why they drifted apart. She realizes that what Leah did to her in their play closet, her parent's friend Sam was doing to Leah. (H)

Quad by C.G. Watson. New York: Razorbill / Penguin Group, 2007. There has been a shooting on this private school's campus and several students are hiding in a locked room listening for clues to what is happening outside, one from each of the different groups, Freaks, Choirboys, Drama Queens, Jock/Steroid Posse, Preps, and Techies. (H)

Raiders Night by Robert Lipsyte. New York: HarperCollins, 2006. A brutal hazing happens on the last night of football camp, and co-captain Matt Rydeck does nothing because he is too hazy from his steroids and the other drugs he needs to stay balanced to react to what he saw. (H)

Red Rage by Brigitte Blobel, translated by Rachel Ward. Germany: Annick Press, 2007. Mara forces people to keep their distance and interprets this as respect, but her rage is always looking for an outlet. At the day care center where she fulfills her community service requirement, she locks an unruly child in a closet. (H)

Shattering Glass by Gail Giles. Brookfield, CT: Roaring Book Press, 2002. Rob moves into town with a plan, he will use his natural charisma to manipulate the leaders out of the top clique and replace them with current losers. And someone will die. (H)

Shine bby Lauren Myracle

Amulet/Abrams, 2011. While Cat's close friend Patrick lies in a come, the victim of a violent hate crime, she decides to track down his attacker who she believes could not possibly be from her tightly-knit Southern town. (M/H)

Teenie by Christopher Grant.

Teenie, officially Martine, is a shy, smart, pretty but not self-absorbed sophomore with two very caring parents. Teenie tries to counsel her best friend Cherise who is involved with an older man who gives her gifts while Cherise convinces Teenie to wear more provocative clothing at school to attract Greg Millions, captain of the basketball team. Teenie does, Greg is, but he is also an abuser. Only Teenie's lab partner Garth, brilliant, overweight and in love with Teenie comes to her rescue. Alfred A. Knopf, 2010 (M/H)

Target by Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson. New York: Roaring Brook, 2003. Recovering from a brutal rape, Grady transfers to a different school before anyone can find out, and to keep it a secret he stops talking. Similar to Laurie Halse Anderson's SPEAK, but with a male victim.(H)

The Battle of Jericho by Sharon M. Draper. New York: Antheneum, 2003. Jericho and his cousin are impressed that they have been asked to join the Warriors of Distinction, a seemingly prestigious service club, but the initiation is degrading and dangerous.(H)

The Beckoners by Carrie Mac. Victoria, BC: Orca Book Publishers, 2004. Zoe is looking for a way to belong at her new school, but she soon realizes that in joining the Beckoners she has joined a violent girl gang.(H)

The Brimstone Journals by Ron Koertge. Cambridge: Candlewick Press, 2001. Fifteen students tell the story of the need to belong, the hate and the anger that nearly leads a suburban high school into the headlines. (H)

The Brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees. Hyperion, 2008. Frankie's older brother, Steve, is his hero and his biggest problem. After Steve starts hanging with the cholos and acting like a tough guy, Frankie has to do damage control at home; but when Frankie becomes the rich white guy's target, brother Steve is ready to protect him. (H)

The Confessional by J.L. Powers. New York: Alfred A. Knopf / Random House, 2007. Set in El Paso in a private Jesuit High School, the hidden prejudices between the Mexicans and the whites come to the surface as name-calling leads to a beating, which leads to a murder as the boys choose up sids. (H)

The Last Domino by Adam Meyer. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2005. Ever since Travis Ellroy's brother committed suicide, his family has been dysfunctional. His growing rage and the ullying he gets from P.J. Riley, the sheriff's son push him over the edge, and the voices in his head take control and tell Travis to use his father's gun. (H)

Who Am I by M.L. Rice

Bold Stroke Books, 2011. When her father dies before her senior year, Air Force brat Devin and her mom find an apartment on the edge of Beverly Hills. On Devin's first day of school, rich and privileged Jason starts harassing her, however, his sister Melanie comes to her rescue. A strong friendship quickly forms and Devin becomes aware she might be lesbian because of her attraction to Mel. (H)

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