First Kiss: romance for young teens at the Bettendorf Public Library
compiled 1/4/04

All-American Girl by Meg Cabot
YA F CABO
Samantha's pretty tired of her life. Her older sister is the most popular girl in school, her younger sister is a genius. The way Samantha sees it, the only thing she has going for her is her artistic talent; she makes money by selling celebrity portraits at school. When her mom finds out, that's the end of that. And the beginning of art lessons, since, obviously, Samantha doesn't have enough to keep her busy. And then, Samantha saves the life of the president by jumping on a would-be assassin, and her life gets way too busy!

Truth or Dairy by Catherine Clark
YA F CLAR
Courtney starts her diary after her boyfriend breaks up with her "for her benefit". Since he's heading off to college, he "doesn't want to hold her back". Courtney decides enough is enough and vows not to date at all during her senior year. A funny diary of heartbreak and healing; it gets its title from the ice cream/fruit smoothie cafe where Courtney works.

Wurst Case Scenario by Catherine Clark
YA F CLAR
In this sequel to Truth or Dairy, Courtney has decided that to broaden her horizons, she's going to school in Wisconsin. Nevermind that her boyfriend Grant is still in Colorado, nevermind that being vegan in America's Dairyland is, well, difficult at best. Courtney doesn't think of backing out - not for the first day or two, anyway.

I'll See You In My Dreams by Ilene Cooper
YA F COOP
Kristen's dreams tell the future; but she can't always understand what they're saying! She's pretty sure that her dream about the new kid in school, Mark, and his brother, Brian, are foreshadowing something bad - just like when she dreamt about her father's death. But she didn't save her father. Can she figure out enough to save Brian?

And Sometimes Why by Mame Farrell
YA F FARR
Chris (a girl) and Jack (a boy) became best friends ever since first grade when Chris explained to Jack what vowels are. Seven years later, they're still best friends, but all of a sudden, Jack has noticed that Chris has become… well… pretty! It's a great shock, and an even greater shock is that other guys are beginning to notice, too!

Of Sound Mind by Jean Ferris
YA F FERR
Theo is pretty much a loner, a condition forced on him by his family's needs. Theo is the only hearing person in a family with deaf parents and a deaf brother. Their need for him to translate takes all his spare time. When Theo meets Ivy, another student with a deaf parent, their ability to understand each other's situations make them good friends.

Once Upon A Marigold by Jean Ferris
YA F FERR
Edric the troll lives off of things he finds in the forest. Finding a small boy named Christian, however, is more than he bargained for. Can a troll be a good father to a human? Especially when that human (who is a commoner) grows up and falls in love with a princess?

Seer and the Sword by Victoria Hanley
YA SF HANL
Princess Torina receives two gifts when her father returns from conquering a nearby country: a crystal and a slave. The crystal allows her to see the possible future. The slave she sets free. But he has nowhere to go, since he was the Prince of the conquered kingdom which is no more. He vows revenge on Torina's father, but intrigues, deceit and plotting by others may rob him of the satisfaction. Can Torina use her seer powers to save her kingdom?

Samantha and the Cowboy by Lorraine Heath
YA F HEAT
When she manages to get herself hired for the cattle drive, all of Samantha's prayers seem to be answered. The hundred dollars she'll earn will pull her family's Texas farm out of ruin and pay off their debts. But keeping the cowhands fooled that she's a boy becomes harder than she'd expected where one cowboy in particular is concerned.

Boston Jane by Jennifer Holm
YA F HOLM
Jane is dismayed to hear that William, the man who first encouraged her to attend Miss Hepplewhite's Young Ladies Academy, is leaving to make his fortune in the Pacific Northwest. Jane continues her schooling, and William writes to ask if she will marry him. Jane is confident that he will be happy with the young lady that she has become, and that the talents that she learned at the Academy will be as useful in the wilderness as they were in Philadelphia. The sequel is Boston Jane : Wilderness Days.

Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson
YA F IBBO
Maia, an orphan, is off to the Amazon to live with relatives she has never met. While her schoolmates think it sounds barbaric and horrible, Maia is excited about her adventure. Unfortunately, while Brazil is everything she hoped for, her long-lost relatives leave quite a lot to be desired.

Belle and the Beau by Beverly Jenkins
YA F JENK
The state of Michigan and Belle's freedom hold many surprises for a young lady from Kentucky. One of these surprises involves Belle falling in love with someone else's beau.

Dancing with an Alien by Mary Logue
YA SF LOGU
Branko has come to Earth to find a woman. After a plague killed all the females on his planet, males identified earth women as a species they could reproduce with. In order to save their planet, males from Branko's planet come here, find a likely candidate and persuade her to return with them. Branko doesn't plan on falling in love with the woman he chooses though, and Tonia never dreamed she would fall in love with an alien.

The Great God Pan by Donna Napoli
YA F NAPO
According to Napoli, Pan is the only classic god who is ever reported to have died. Napoli ties his story in with Iphigenia, the daughter of Helen of Troy, to explain how he died and why. A riveting re-telling of classical mythology.