Gift Guide: Best Books for Teens

Catherine, Called Birdy

“I am accounted to write an account of my days: I am bit by fleas and plagued by family…” So begins the diary of 14-year-old Catherine, who is to be married off by her family in 13th–century England. As she suffers a procession of unsuitable suitors, she deftly turns the tables on both her prospective husbands and her parents, pretending to be mad and blackening her teeth.

Author: Written by by Karen Cushman.

Tell It Like It Is: Period details and a strong, spirited heroine set this novel apart from other historical fiction. Teens will identify with Catherine when she balks at doing her chores and mutters, “Corpus Bones! I utterly loathe my life.” The more Catherine sets out to make herself unattractive and undesirable, the more likable she becomes.

Price: $6.99 retail, various pricing at PriceGrabber.com

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