Just a few new titles are coming up soon:
The Struggle by L. J. Smith - Two vampire brothers struggle for the love of one beautiful young high school girl, who craves excitement. Vampire Diaries vol 2.
Blue Moon by Alyson Noel - Ever depends on Damien to guide her in the use of her newly discovered powers; when she discovers that as her powers are growing, his are fading, she is forced to make a wrenching choice. Immortals vol 2.
Alphas by Lisi Harrison - select teen girls are invited to join the exclusive and futuristic Alpha club, where they are forced to compete to maintain their standing.
Shonen Jump - both the December issue should be up very soon, and following in the next week or so, we've added a large number of gift copies of older issues, either filling in gaps in our collection or replacing worn and torn issues. Thank you to whoever gave them to us! We appreciate it.
Which reminds me - if you have graphic novels, manga, anime or other teen books that you are "done with" - that have been cared for and are only gently worn - I would be THRILLED to take a look at them, and decide if they can be added to our collection. Every year the library adds thousands of titles to the collection which are donated, but I get VERY few teen titles, let alone anime or manga.
Remember, even if I cannot add them to the collection for various reasons (they are duplicates, they're too worn, they're too old, etc...) they still go to the booksale, where we raise money for the Library. The Annual Friend's Booksale is THE reason we have Teen Game Night every summer - they bought the equipment we use.
And then the last thing I want to remind you about is the BOOKSALE itself - coming up very soon, November 12-15 at the HOT Fairgrounds. Read more about it here.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Recent Returns
A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb - Helen has haunted people for over 130 years - but no one has ever seen her before - until one special teenage boy looks straight at her. As they build a relationship, they seek to understand the secrets of their former lives... 29 circs; I'm anxious to read this one myself!
Dawn: Warriors, the New Prophecy by Erin Hunter - the cats return to a forest devastated by twolegs, and must try to convince their clan to abandon their home for a new one, even though they don't know where, or if, they will find it. 68 circs at all 4 libraries - one of the most popular series going!
End of Greys (X-Men: the New Age) by Chris Claremont - Rachel Grey and her entire family are placed on the Interagalactic Wanted list, and only the X-men stand in the way of their executioners. 28 circs for this key tale in the X-men saga.
Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher - you may have heard of Shahrazad, who told tales to the emperor for a thousand and one nights to save her life, but did you ever hear of Marjan, her faithful servant, who gathers new tales for the lady, at risk to her own life? 49 circs from all libraries. A great variation on a classic story.
The Final Warning (Maximum Ride) by James Patterson - Max and her friends, teens who can fly because of genetic engineering, take a great risk to save the world, and escape their pursuers. 76 circs!!!!
Dawn: Warriors, the New Prophecy by Erin Hunter - the cats return to a forest devastated by twolegs, and must try to convince their clan to abandon their home for a new one, even though they don't know where, or if, they will find it. 68 circs at all 4 libraries - one of the most popular series going!
End of Greys (X-Men: the New Age) by Chris Claremont - Rachel Grey and her entire family are placed on the Interagalactic Wanted list, and only the X-men stand in the way of their executioners. 28 circs for this key tale in the X-men saga.
Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher - you may have heard of Shahrazad, who told tales to the emperor for a thousand and one nights to save her life, but did you ever hear of Marjan, her faithful servant, who gathers new tales for the lady, at risk to her own life? 49 circs from all libraries. A great variation on a classic story.
The Final Warning (Maximum Ride) by James Patterson - Max and her friends, teens who can fly because of genetic engineering, take a great risk to save the world, and escape their pursuers. 76 circs!!!!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Writing contest
Are you a budding novelist?
Have a great idea for a book, but you're not sure how to get an agent to take a look?
Here's a writing contest that could help.
Have a great idea for a book, but you're not sure how to get an agent to take a look?
Here's a writing contest that could help.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Teen Top Ten Winners have been announced
Whee! They've been announced! Finally!!
1. Paper Towns by John Green (Penguin/Dutton)
2. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
4. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry)
5. Identical by Ellen Hopkins (Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry)
6. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins)
7. Wake by Lisa McMann (Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse)
8. Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast (St. Martin's Griffin)
9. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (Disney-Hyperion)
10. Graceling by Kristin Cashore (Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Which is your favorite? Mine was The Graveyard Book... but I have to admit I've only read 5 of the titles on this list, so please, if you liked something else better, please tell me, and your fellow readers, why!
1. Paper Towns by John Green (Penguin/Dutton)
2. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
4. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry)
5. Identical by Ellen Hopkins (Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry)
6. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins)
7. Wake by Lisa McMann (Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse)
8. Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast (St. Martin's Griffin)
9. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (Disney-Hyperion)
10. Graceling by Kristin Cashore (Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Which is your favorite? Mine was The Graveyard Book... but I have to admit I've only read 5 of the titles on this list, so please, if you liked something else better, please tell me, and your fellow readers, why!
Science Fiction books
I love Sci Fi, but I'm not always certain I know what to read next. Here is a list of some of my favorite titles and authors (leaning towards NEW, TRULY CLASSIC, and VERY GOOD).
Classic Titles:
From the Earth to the Moon and 20,000 Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne. If you love Scifi, and want to know how the genre got started, you can't go wrong with these. They're fun, wacky, and every scifi writer has read them and drawn from them as they learned their craft.
The Time Machine by H. G. Wells. Good enough that they're still making it into a movie every few years. Classic and timeless, and very fun, even if you know the ending.
Have Spacesuit, Will Travel by Robert Heinlein. Heinlein, Clarke, and Asimov are the Grandmasters of SciFi. If you have not read at least a couple of titles by each, you don't know science fiction. This is one of his best for teens (he wrote one teen scifi book a year for over a decade); others include Between Planets, Podkayne of Mars, Starbeast, Starman Jones, etc...
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. The adventures of Meg and Charles Murray are timeless (and not only because they travel in time). If you like your scifi on the philosophical side, this is just what you'll enjoy.
When the Tripods Came by John Christopher. This series is one that many of us who read when it was new will tell you started us reading science fiction. Invasion of the world, collapse of society, struggle for survival, and seeming hopelessness are the themes of this trilogy.
Very Good Science Fiction Titles:
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. An adult title that older teens should LOVE. Hilarity and world destruction in the style of Monte Python. Many sequels.
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Military SF at its most brutal and realistic. First in a series.
Interstellar Pig by William Sleator. A game gone wrong provokes an interstellar incident that nearly destroys our world. A great farce.
The Giver by Lois Lowry. A boy on the edge of adulthood discovers that his perfect world is not as utopian as it seemed; will he be able to fit in, or will he have to make a frightening decision? One of my all-time favorite books. I think everyone should read it.
Warrior's Apprentice by Lois Bujold. Another adult novel, but the hero, Miles, is only 16. His adventures through space are madcap, delightful, terrifying and utterly real. You'll cheer for Miles as he struggles to find his place in a universe that seems determined to slap him down. First in a multivolume series.
New Science Fiction (from the last few years):
Feed by M. T. Anderson. A seriously dystopian world in which people are wirelessly hooked directly to their television feeds. A young man meets a very strange girl and begins to question his lifelong assumptions. Political satire of the very best kind.
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. The protagonist in this novel about government control and personal freedom lives in a world just beyond our own time; when Marcus' city is attacked by terrorists, he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and things go horribly bad, very quickly. Almost too true to believe, this is another one everyone needs to read.
Saga by Conor Costick. Sequel to Epic, but readable by itself. Erik finds a new game world, but to his shock, he discovers that the people who live there are not computer programs, but free-willed beings. And a dark power is set upon destroying him, them, and the whole world in which they exist. Exciting and action-packed, but thought provoking, too, like the very best Sci Fi.
Classic Titles:
From the Earth to the Moon and 20,000 Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne. If you love Scifi, and want to know how the genre got started, you can't go wrong with these. They're fun, wacky, and every scifi writer has read them and drawn from them as they learned their craft.
The Time Machine by H. G. Wells. Good enough that they're still making it into a movie every few years. Classic and timeless, and very fun, even if you know the ending.
Have Spacesuit, Will Travel by Robert Heinlein. Heinlein, Clarke, and Asimov are the Grandmasters of SciFi. If you have not read at least a couple of titles by each, you don't know science fiction. This is one of his best for teens (he wrote one teen scifi book a year for over a decade); others include Between Planets, Podkayne of Mars, Starbeast, Starman Jones, etc...
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. The adventures of Meg and Charles Murray are timeless (and not only because they travel in time). If you like your scifi on the philosophical side, this is just what you'll enjoy.
When the Tripods Came by John Christopher. This series is one that many of us who read when it was new will tell you started us reading science fiction. Invasion of the world, collapse of society, struggle for survival, and seeming hopelessness are the themes of this trilogy.
Very Good Science Fiction Titles:
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. An adult title that older teens should LOVE. Hilarity and world destruction in the style of Monte Python. Many sequels.
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Military SF at its most brutal and realistic. First in a series.
Interstellar Pig by William Sleator. A game gone wrong provokes an interstellar incident that nearly destroys our world. A great farce.
The Giver by Lois Lowry. A boy on the edge of adulthood discovers that his perfect world is not as utopian as it seemed; will he be able to fit in, or will he have to make a frightening decision? One of my all-time favorite books. I think everyone should read it.
Warrior's Apprentice by Lois Bujold. Another adult novel, but the hero, Miles, is only 16. His adventures through space are madcap, delightful, terrifying and utterly real. You'll cheer for Miles as he struggles to find his place in a universe that seems determined to slap him down. First in a multivolume series.
New Science Fiction (from the last few years):
Feed by M. T. Anderson. A seriously dystopian world in which people are wirelessly hooked directly to their television feeds. A young man meets a very strange girl and begins to question his lifelong assumptions. Political satire of the very best kind.
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. The protagonist in this novel about government control and personal freedom lives in a world just beyond our own time; when Marcus' city is attacked by terrorists, he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and things go horribly bad, very quickly. Almost too true to believe, this is another one everyone needs to read.
Saga by Conor Costick. Sequel to Epic, but readable by itself. Erik finds a new game world, but to his shock, he discovers that the people who live there are not computer programs, but free-willed beings. And a dark power is set upon destroying him, them, and the whole world in which they exist. Exciting and action-packed, but thought provoking, too, like the very best Sci Fi.
Monday, October 19, 2009
New Playaways
Are you an audiobook fan? Love to listen to those long books you have to read for school?
Try the new Playaways we've gotten in lately: these are books on their own cute little MP3 player that you can carry around and listen to at your convenience. They're smaller and lighter than a deck of playing cards - you supply your headphones and we supply the battery.
The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti -- Quinn has heard nothing but cautionary tales about men and love; when her boyfriend suddenly and unceremoniously dumps her, she begins to think her family's tales are all too true - there's no trusting a man. And then she begins to take life into her own hands, trying to protect her sisters, prevent her father from continuing to ruin lives, and live life to the fullest.
Spy High, Episode 2: The Chaos Connection by A. J. Butcher -- Bond team is back, competing for the prestigious Sherlock Shield at Devereaux College - but Solo Team is competing, too, and they'll do anything, by the rules or not, to win.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne -- the science fiction classic - follow the adventures of a French professor and his two companions above and below the sea as the prisoners of deranged Captain Nemo.
Soul Enchilada by David MacInnis Gill -- 18 year old Eunice "Bug" Smoot is about to wreck her car, beat the devil, fall in love, lose her soul, and more, in this hilarious romatic farce, set in a San Antonio you've never met before!
Try the new Playaways we've gotten in lately: these are books on their own cute little MP3 player that you can carry around and listen to at your convenience. They're smaller and lighter than a deck of playing cards - you supply your headphones and we supply the battery.
The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti -- Quinn has heard nothing but cautionary tales about men and love; when her boyfriend suddenly and unceremoniously dumps her, she begins to think her family's tales are all too true - there's no trusting a man. And then she begins to take life into her own hands, trying to protect her sisters, prevent her father from continuing to ruin lives, and live life to the fullest.
Spy High, Episode 2: The Chaos Connection by A. J. Butcher -- Bond team is back, competing for the prestigious Sherlock Shield at Devereaux College - but Solo Team is competing, too, and they'll do anything, by the rules or not, to win.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne -- the science fiction classic - follow the adventures of a French professor and his two companions above and below the sea as the prisoners of deranged Captain Nemo.
Soul Enchilada by David MacInnis Gill -- 18 year old Eunice "Bug" Smoot is about to wreck her car, beat the devil, fall in love, lose her soul, and more, in this hilarious romatic farce, set in a San Antonio you've never met before!
Friday, October 16, 2009
New Books coming up!
Novels:
After by Amy Efaw -- in complete denial of her pregnancy, straight A student athlete Devon leaves her baby in the trash to die; afterward, when she is accused of murder, she must try to understand what caused her to behave as she did.
Hate List by Jennifer Brown -- last year, her boyfriend Nick committed the unthinkable - a school shooting - and now Valerie is trying to reintegrate herself into high school life, and decide whether or not she was a hero or a villain.
Intertwined by Gena Showalter -- Most people have friends - Aden has four people living inside him. Until he meets a girl who can quiet their voices, he's never known peace. But what will the price be?
Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley -- Zaria Tourmaline is a powerful fey, so when she uses her newly discovered abilities to find out what happened to her family three years ago, she unintentionally puts all of Feyland at risk...
Tempo Change by Barbara Hall -- When Blanche forms a band, all she really wants to do is reconnect with her famous musician father, who left when she was just a child; instead she begins to realize other things about life and growing up.
Hollywood Royalty by Zoe Dean -- first novel in the new A-list spinoff series - Jojo discovers her birth parents are famous Hollywood figures and enters a new world familiar to her until now only as the gossip pages.
Sunset Boulevard by Zoe Dean -- A-list Hollywood Royalty - Jojo and Myla work on their relationship as sisters, while Jake is cast in a film and must deal with the pressure of possibly becoming the "next hot thing".
Heart of Glass by Zoe Dean -- A-list - High School is officially over, but when Cammie and Anna are caught trespassing on a Celeb's private estate, the celebrations are cut short.
Beautiful Stranger by Zoe Dean - A-list - Anna and Sam, taking a break from their respective relationship problems, visit New York City after graduation. But not all is well in Hollywood...
California Dreaming by Zoe Dean - A-list - There are only a few precious days left of summer in LA before the A-list all head off to college. Or will they?
Step to this by Nikki Carter -- Gia wants to be popular, and a new makeover wins her a spot on the dance team, but then things go all wrong...
It is what it is by Nikki Carter -- Gia is all ready for a great year at school, but when Ricky becomes the hottest thing at school, all the girls beg Gia to help them score a date. AND, she's navigating having a new stepdad and stepsister.
Sorceress by Celia Rees -- as a descendant of the Mohawk Indians, Agnes has the powers of a healer, but she learns that they came not from her indian ancestors, but from a Colonial girl who was accused of witchcraft and fled to the Indians.
Gatekeepers by Robert Liparulo -- Xander, David and their sister, as well as an old relative who has shown up unexpectedly, keep searching for their lost mother, while their father sits in jail, accused of a crime he didn't commit.
Ruined by Paula Morris -- forced to stay with her grandmother in New Orleans, while her father travels, Rebecca is ignored by the rich girls at her fancy prep school. Finally, Rebecca makes a friend; but Lisette is a ghost, with an agenda of her own...
Day of the Pelican by Katherine Paterson -- In 1998, being an ethnic Albanian in Kosovo is not safe; when Meli's brother escapes from Serbian captors, the family flees from one refugee camp to another, in a desperate bid to emigrate to America.
Quaking by Kathryn Erskine -- Matt has come to live with a Quaker family in a town that despises their anti-war position; Matt must deal with this prejudice as well as her own troubled background as she learns to trust again.
The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness -- alternate chapters follow Todd and Viola, who are separated as the Mayor's oppressive new regime takes power in Prentisstown, where residents can hear each other's thoughts.
Eyes like Stars by Lisa Mantchev -- Bertie strives to save the Theater Illuminata, the only home she has ever known, but the spirits of the Players who live there are not always eager to help.
Dance with a Vampire (Vampire Kisses #4) -- When eleven year old Valentine, younger brother of Jagger and Luna, arrives in Dullsville, nothing will be the same...
Riot by Walter Dean Myers -- Fifteen year old Claire learns how dangerous it can be to be different when the Irish immigrants in New York City lash out against the blacks and the "swells" whom they blame for their troubles, in Civil War era New York City.
Evidence of Angels by Suza Scalora with Francesca Lia Block -- after a woman's beloved dies, she begins to see angels everywhere. A beautifully illustrated book of poetic emotion.
Willa by Heart by Coleen Paratore -- Willa finds herself with an overwhelming amount of things on her plate as her freshman year draws to an end. Can she handle all life throws at her?
Total Knockout: the tale of an ex-class president by Taylor Morris -- elected class president for the third time, Lucia thinks her life is on track; until, that is, she gets impeached.
Graphic Novels:
Hulk. Red Hulk.
Formerly Known as the Justice League
Cat Burglar Black by Richard Sala - the school K. has been transferred to is distinctly odd, and K. sets out to find out why.
Essential. Peter Parker and the Spectacular Spider-Man volume 4
Essential. Marvel Team-up volume 3
Vietnam War - a Graphic History by Dwight Zimmerman - nonfiction follows the war from its inception through the anti-war movement, assassinations, to Watergate, and the resignation of a President.
Shonen Jump volume 7 # 11 (November)
After by Amy Efaw -- in complete denial of her pregnancy, straight A student athlete Devon leaves her baby in the trash to die; afterward, when she is accused of murder, she must try to understand what caused her to behave as she did.
Hate List by Jennifer Brown -- last year, her boyfriend Nick committed the unthinkable - a school shooting - and now Valerie is trying to reintegrate herself into high school life, and decide whether or not she was a hero or a villain.
Intertwined by Gena Showalter -- Most people have friends - Aden has four people living inside him. Until he meets a girl who can quiet their voices, he's never known peace. But what will the price be?
Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley -- Zaria Tourmaline is a powerful fey, so when she uses her newly discovered abilities to find out what happened to her family three years ago, she unintentionally puts all of Feyland at risk...
Tempo Change by Barbara Hall -- When Blanche forms a band, all she really wants to do is reconnect with her famous musician father, who left when she was just a child; instead she begins to realize other things about life and growing up.
Hollywood Royalty by Zoe Dean -- first novel in the new A-list spinoff series - Jojo discovers her birth parents are famous Hollywood figures and enters a new world familiar to her until now only as the gossip pages.
Sunset Boulevard by Zoe Dean -- A-list Hollywood Royalty - Jojo and Myla work on their relationship as sisters, while Jake is cast in a film and must deal with the pressure of possibly becoming the "next hot thing".
Heart of Glass by Zoe Dean -- A-list - High School is officially over, but when Cammie and Anna are caught trespassing on a Celeb's private estate, the celebrations are cut short.
Beautiful Stranger by Zoe Dean - A-list - Anna and Sam, taking a break from their respective relationship problems, visit New York City after graduation. But not all is well in Hollywood...
California Dreaming by Zoe Dean - A-list - There are only a few precious days left of summer in LA before the A-list all head off to college. Or will they?
Step to this by Nikki Carter -- Gia wants to be popular, and a new makeover wins her a spot on the dance team, but then things go all wrong...
It is what it is by Nikki Carter -- Gia is all ready for a great year at school, but when Ricky becomes the hottest thing at school, all the girls beg Gia to help them score a date. AND, she's navigating having a new stepdad and stepsister.
Sorceress by Celia Rees -- as a descendant of the Mohawk Indians, Agnes has the powers of a healer, but she learns that they came not from her indian ancestors, but from a Colonial girl who was accused of witchcraft and fled to the Indians.
Gatekeepers by Robert Liparulo -- Xander, David and their sister, as well as an old relative who has shown up unexpectedly, keep searching for their lost mother, while their father sits in jail, accused of a crime he didn't commit.
Ruined by Paula Morris -- forced to stay with her grandmother in New Orleans, while her father travels, Rebecca is ignored by the rich girls at her fancy prep school. Finally, Rebecca makes a friend; but Lisette is a ghost, with an agenda of her own...
Day of the Pelican by Katherine Paterson -- In 1998, being an ethnic Albanian in Kosovo is not safe; when Meli's brother escapes from Serbian captors, the family flees from one refugee camp to another, in a desperate bid to emigrate to America.
Quaking by Kathryn Erskine -- Matt has come to live with a Quaker family in a town that despises their anti-war position; Matt must deal with this prejudice as well as her own troubled background as she learns to trust again.
The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness -- alternate chapters follow Todd and Viola, who are separated as the Mayor's oppressive new regime takes power in Prentisstown, where residents can hear each other's thoughts.
Eyes like Stars by Lisa Mantchev -- Bertie strives to save the Theater Illuminata, the only home she has ever known, but the spirits of the Players who live there are not always eager to help.
Dance with a Vampire (Vampire Kisses #4) -- When eleven year old Valentine, younger brother of Jagger and Luna, arrives in Dullsville, nothing will be the same...
Riot by Walter Dean Myers -- Fifteen year old Claire learns how dangerous it can be to be different when the Irish immigrants in New York City lash out against the blacks and the "swells" whom they blame for their troubles, in Civil War era New York City.
Evidence of Angels by Suza Scalora with Francesca Lia Block -- after a woman's beloved dies, she begins to see angels everywhere. A beautifully illustrated book of poetic emotion.
Willa by Heart by Coleen Paratore -- Willa finds herself with an overwhelming amount of things on her plate as her freshman year draws to an end. Can she handle all life throws at her?
Total Knockout: the tale of an ex-class president by Taylor Morris -- elected class president for the third time, Lucia thinks her life is on track; until, that is, she gets impeached.
Graphic Novels:
Hulk. Red Hulk.
Formerly Known as the Justice League
Cat Burglar Black by Richard Sala - the school K. has been transferred to is distinctly odd, and K. sets out to find out why.
Essential. Peter Parker and the Spectacular Spider-Man volume 4
Essential. Marvel Team-up volume 3
Vietnam War - a Graphic History by Dwight Zimmerman - nonfiction follows the war from its inception through the anti-war movement, assassinations, to Watergate, and the resignation of a President.
Shonen Jump volume 7 # 11 (November)
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