- Oggie Cooder
by Sarah Weeks
(Middle Grade)
Oggie Cooder is a world-champion charver - that is, someone who carves cheese by chewing. His classmates think his talent is weird, until a TV show comes to town looking to spotlight people with strange abilities.
- Weetzie Bat
by Francesca Lia Block
(Young Adult)
I can't even begin to summarize this book. It's very sophisticated - definitely for older teens - and almost surreal.
- Stargirl
by Jerry Spinelli
(Middle Grade)
Stargirl, the new girl in school, is shunned for being different, but refuses to give in to classmate Leo's urgings that she should be more normal.
- Anything But Typical
by Nora Raleigh Baskin
(Middle Grade)
Twelve-year-old Jason has autism, and he worries that when he meets his online friend PhoenixBird in person, she won't be interested in him anymore.
- The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
by E. Lockhart
(Young Adult)
No longer wishing to be seen as her father's Bunny Rabbit, Frankie takes on sexism in her boarding high school.
- How to Say Goodbye in Robot
by Natalie Standiford
(Young Adult)
A non-romantic love story between two outsiders, one of whom has always been destined to leave someday.
- Tales of the Madman Underground
by John Barnes
(Young Adult)
Six days in the lives of Karl Shoemaker and the other offbeat teens in his school-mandated therapy group. My absolute favorite YA book in recent memory.
