4. The curious incident of the dog in the night-time, by Mark Haddon

I loved the idea behind this - it's written from the perspective of a boy with Asperger's syndrome. This is what he says:
"I find people confusing. This is for two main reasons. The first main reason is that people do a lot of talking without using any words. Siobhan says that if you raise one eyebrow it can mean lots of different things. It can mean "I want to do sex with you' and it can also mean 'I think that what you just said was very stupid."

You'll have to read the book to find out the second main reason. This won the Whitbread Book of the Year, and a couple of children/teen fiction prizes, and for good reason. The insights into Aspergers are fascinating, and its so cleverly done that it doesn't feel like you are learning! I'd love to know what someone with Asperger's thinks of it. I thought I knew a bit about it, but nothing you read in textbooks can give you the feeling of having it - this book does. I thought it was brilliant.