Laurie Halse Anderson's Website 
Maybe pick your top 2 in the comments for reading next?
Young Adult
Wintergirls - A brutal and poetic deconstruction of how one girl stealthily vanishes into the depths of anorexia.
Twisted - High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded  into the background. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on the  school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands  out like you wouldn't believe. His new physique attracts the attention  of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who just so happens to be his father?s  boss?s daughter, the sister of his biggest enemy? and Tyler?s secret  crush. And that sets off a string of events and changes that have Tyler  questioning his place in school, in his family, and in the world.
Prom - Philadelphia high school who doesn’t care about the prom. It’s pretty  much the only good thing that happens there, and everyone plans to make  the most of it—especially Ash’s best friend, Natalia, who’s the head of  the committee and has prom stars in her eyes. Then the faculty advisor  is busted for taking the prom money and Ash finds herself roped into  putting together a gala dance. But she has plenty of help—from her large  and loving (if exasperating!) family, from Nat’s eccentric grandmother,  from the principal, from her fellow classmates. And in making the prom  happen, Ash learns some surprising things about making her life happen,  too.
Catalyst - Meet Kate Malone-straight-A science and math geek, minister's daughter,  ace long-distance runner, new girlfriend (to Mitchell "Early Decision  Harvard" Pangborn III), unwilling family caretaker, and emotional  avoidance champion. Kate manages her life by organizing it as logically  as the periodic table.  She can handle it all-or so she thinks. Then,  things change as suddenly as a string of chemical reactions; first, the  Malones' neighbors get burned out of their own home and move in. Kate  has to share her room with her nemesis, Teri Litch, and Teri's little  brother. The days are ticking down and she's still waiting to hear from  the only college she applied to: MIT. Kate feels that her life is  spinning out of her control-and then, something happens that truly blows  it all apart.  Set in the same community as the remarkable Speak, Catalyst is a novel that will change the way you look at the world.
Historical Thrillers
Forge - In this compelling sequel to Chains, a National Book Award  Finalist and winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction,  acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson shifts perspective from Isabel to  Curzon and brings to the page the tale of what it takes for runaway  slaves to forge their own paths in a world of obstacles—and in the midst  of the American Revolution. 
The Patriot Army was shaped and  strengthened by the desperate circumstances of the Valley Forge winter.  This is where Curzon the boy becomes Curzon the young man. In addition  to the hardships of soldiering, he lives with the fear of discovery, for  he is an escaped slave passing for free. And then there is Isabel, who  is also at Valley Forge—against her will. She and Curzon have to sort  out the tangled threads of their friendship while figuring out what  stands between the two of them and true freedom.
Chains -As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her  own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner,  she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property  of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy  for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When  Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages  her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for  invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to  Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can  provide her with freedom. 
Fever 1793 - During the summer of 1793, Mattie Cook lives above the family coffee  shop with her widowed mother and grandfather. Mattie spends her days  avoiding chores and making plans to turn the family business into the  finest Philadelphia has ever seen. But then the fever breaks out. Disease sweeps the streets, destroying everything in its path and  turning Mattie's world upside down. At her feverish mother's insistence,  Mattie flees the city with her grandfather. But she soon discovers that  the sickness is everywhere, and Mattie must learn quickly how to  survive in a city turned frantic with disease.
Thank you so much for posting this Arwen! It was great being able to compare the other books in this way.
ReplyDeleteMy first choice would have to be Fever 1793.
My second choice would be Chains.
These both sound like such a good way to learn about history through literacy. I think that not only will I learn from these books but will also gain perspective on how to talk about history in a different way.
My first choice would be twisted. Looking at high school from a boys perspective would be interesting.
ReplyDeleteI also think that Chains would be an interesting read also.
I am open to reading any of the books they all look interesting.
1. Fever 1793
ReplyDelete2. Forge
I picked these because I wanted to see how she writes for historical thrillers since we have already seen her work in high school drama.