Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde.
Freak the Mighty by Philbrick
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (I would consider it an “adult title” for YAs).
Born Blue by Han Nolan
Finding Fish: A Memoir by Antwone Fisher? It's along the Dave Pelzer lines, but with the movie as an extra programming tool. Also, Fisher's poetry book, "Who Will Cry for the Little Boy" is recommended in the Patrick Jones book, Connecting Young Adults and Libraries. Dave Pelzer's brother, Richard, also has a book out called A Brother's Journey: Surviving a Childhood of Abuse
Some of Torey Hayden's books might also work for kids who want to read more like Pelzer's books. Crying, shuddering, and screaming are all suitable reactions to what's happened to some of the kids she writes about.
If your students like to read all the Pelzer books, they will also like to read Wayne: An Abused Child's Story of Courage, Survival, and Hope by Wayne Theodore. He also writes about his first hand experience as an abused child. This book will not stay on the shelf. It is a real tearjerker.
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
Inside Out, Terry Trueman…cried at the end!
Rilla of Ingleside - several parts toward the end of the book always have me in floods.
Also, I'd suggest two by Ellen Emerson White: Long Live the Queen, and The Road Home.
Not a tear jerker...but a real gut ripper is 'A Child Called It" and its sequels by David Pelzer.
Ordinary People by Judith Guest (The tears still fall after 30 yrs)
Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter (I dare anyone to read this and not cry)
Maybe it was just me, but I balled at the before/after transition in Looking for Alaska! I do think that this might fit your list though, because it is a stark view of teens greiving the loss of a friend.
I second anything by Sharon Creech. I just finished -The Wanderer- and last summer I read -Walk Two Moons- and both brought tears to my eyes!!
Also any book by Lurlene McDaniel
Jordan Sonnenblick's Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie
Philip Pullman's The Amber Spyglass
Wilborn Hampton's September 11, 2001: attack on New York City
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
For boys: Over the Wall, Touching Spirit Bear
For girls: The Devil's Arithmetic, Searching for David's Heart
The Great God Pan by Napoli. I don't want to spoil it, but it involves parent angst (Pan & his father) and also Pan & a human, Iphigenia.
I am so with you on Nicholas Sparks! A Walk to Remember is my absolute favorite book, and I always end up bawling even though I've read the book and seen the movie a thousand times. I would second someone's suggestion of Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson. He has another book, Sam's Letters to Jennifer that is similar to Suzanne's Diary- although I have not finished it yet, so I can't say whether or not it made me cry (but since I've also been known to cry over commercials as well, I'm sure I'll be crying!)
Adult book read by teens: I cried and actually threw the book across the room when I read _The Things They Carried_ by Tim O'Brien. It was the story about the water buffalo. I did pick the book up and finish reading and crying later on.
Kids' book: My daughter cried so hard during _Where the Red Fern Grows_ by Wilson Rawls that she got a nose bleed. She also cried during _Bud, Not Buddy_ by Christopher Paul Curtis and _Love That Dog_ by Sharon Creech.
Earthshine by Theresa Nelson for an older title.
I just finished Looking for Alaska by John Green yesterday and had to explain to my boss while I was sitting at my desk crying.
First They Killed My Father by Luong Ung - this is one of the most wrenching things I've ever read. I saw in Booklist that the sequel just came out, so I need to get my hands on that, too.
How Far Would You Have Gotten If I Hadn’t Called You Back? by Valerie Hobbs
More Than You Know by Beth Gutcheon (not YA, but adult with YA appeal)
Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (I read this multiple times as a teen and cried fountains everytime)
Hanging on to Max made me cry... a lot
Say Goodnight Gracie made me sob when I was a teen.
How about an oldie: Flowers for Algernon.
"Stop Pretending: what happened when my big sister went crazy" by Sonya Sones
PUSH by Sapphire: It's a killer, a true tear-jerker, but definitely only for more mature YAs. I am currently reading INVISIBLE by Pete Hautman and that's another extremely powerful & emotionally involving book for YAs! Would certainly be appropriate on the tear-jerker list.
A Time for Dancing by Hurwin
Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood--and I don't cry easily!
The Bell Jar
If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Whale Talk , Chris Crutcher
My Sister's Keeper
Letters from Wolfie by Patty Sherlock (for all of us dog lovers) and Behind You (sequel to If You Come Softly)
The Cure by Sonia Levitin
Sex Education by Jenny Davis
Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson
Though these are not really ya fiction, which is what I think of first for tearjerkers for teens, some teens might like:Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived-wonderful non-fiction
Gingerbread made me tear up pretty good, but I cry from commercials as well... BUT, if you REALLY want to cry, have you read Faithful Elephants? This is a children's book, read out loud in one of my classes this semester. Needless to say, I had to walk out of the class to avoid sobbing.
Must your list only contain fiction? Irena Gut Opdyke's In My Hands definitely made me cry, as do all books about the Holocaust. 33 Snowfish (F by Adam Rapp) made me cry, too.
TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE and THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN both by Mitch Albom
EMAKO BLUE by Brenda Woods
The Lovely Bones
Good night, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian
Imani all mine by Connie Porter
A child called it by Dave Pelzer
They cage the animals at night by Jennings Michael Burch
Hope Was Here_ by Joan Bauer
Oh, and Vanessa, my 15-year-old says she, "Cried like a baby at the end of the FIRE-US trilogy."
Bringing Up the Bones by Lara M. Zeises
Pat Conroy's The Great Santini
The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Moss
