YALSA’s Teen Book Finder | Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA).
YALSA’s Teen Book Finder is a free app to help teens, parents, librarians and library staff, educators, and anyone who loves YA literature access to the past three years’ of YALSA’s awards and lists on their smartphone.
Have an iPod Touch, an iPhone or an iPad? Download the app now!
Book Review: Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Going Bovine is an intricately woven novel exploring the meaning of life. Now that may sound boring, but with Libba Bray the questions of ‘why are we here?’ and ‘what is our purpose?’ become a well-paced race to find a cure. The main character is relateable in an unrelateable way. Cameron is the typical, apathetic teenager just trying to scrap by without putting in too much effort, when BAM!, he is suddenly forced to ask the near impossible questions of the universe. From there on the reader follows him on his journey of discovery that could also be seen as an escape from his reality (right into another.) He is diagnosed with a terminal illness, but given a reason to hope in the form of a possibly-medically-induced-hallucination, punker-chick angel who insists there is a cure and that it’s up to him to find it. Along Cameron’s journey of self-discovery he runs into situations that are all very possible but depicted in such over-dramatized fashion that they are mostly unbelievable and even fantastical. Libba Bray satirizes everything from covertly religious cults to Reality TV and in such a hilarious, thought-provoking way that, as the reader, you are never bored. She also does a wonderful job of incorporating the different perspectives of a wide range of personality types. The plot is unpredictable and surprisingly organized. For those of you looking for a could-be-sci-fi-but-is-ultimately-a-novel-about-self-discovery that is jam-packed with funnies, but also a quite serious attempt to make you think, this is the book for you. Libba Bray is an incredible author and one to watch. This everything-n-one story is the ultimate representation of what a YA* novel should be. I give this a PG-13 rating. There is drug-usage and suggestive adult themes. A little heavy for tweens, but a definite recommendation to the 14+ audience! Check it out at the East or West Regional branch today!!
*young adult
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Something new for Twilight fans? That’s the buzz! Author Colleen Houck got her start from self-publishing the eBook. I have to say the book trailer looks pretty good.
Heard of fan fiction? Ever wish fan fiction could be published as a real book?
Listening to NPR this morning I heard about a new mystery series called The Amanda Project. New student Amanda Valentino has brought together three strangers, Callie, Nia and Hal, as her guides when she arrives as at their school. Soon, Amanda has graffitied the principal’s car, left cryptic notes in her friends’ lockers and disappeared. Why did she lie about her past and why did she vanish? Callie narrates this tale of secrets and confusing clues. And there is a TWIST.
What makes this series unique is that readers create the stories through interacting on a companion website. You create a character whose collaboration with others on the Amanda Project website help form the story lines for the books. As you delve deeper into sub plots and intrigue while solving weekly mysteries, the books’ creators reap your material for the books. Here’s a question. Do you get credit?
Book one, Invisible I, will be available in our library sometime in January. Look for the second book, Revealed, this spring!
Teenreads is a great blog for finding new things to read. Each month they post a list of new books. Check out the list. If you think we should purchase any of the titles for the library, leave a comment telling us which one!
See what October has to offer! Teenreads.com – Cool New Books.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Reviewed by Justin, age 13
Rating: Five stars.
What was the book about?
Number the Stars is about two girls, Annemarie and her friend Ellen. Ellen’s family are Jews and live in Holland. Where they live, the Germans take the Jews to concentration camps. Annemarie, her mother and sister take Ellen’s family to their uncle’s house. Their uncle brings Jews from Holland to Sweden to live. Her uncle brings Ellen’s family across the water to Sweden.
Who would you recommend this book to and what would you say to get
them to read it?
I would recommend this book for kids who are 12 and older. I would tell them that it is about a girl and her family helping her friend and her family to safety in Sweden.
Fill out this review form to submit your own book review.
It might be published on this blog!
Teens’ Top Ten is a “teen choice” list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year!
Voting is open Aug. 23 through Sept. 17, 2010. Winners will be announced in a webcast at http://www.ala.org/teenstopten during Teen Read Week, Oct. 17-23.
The winners are in! See them in more detail on the Yalsa site.
Here is a sampling.
William C. Morris YA Debut Award
For a debut book for a first-time author writing for teens.
Winner: Flash Burnout, by L.K. Madigan
Finalists:
Ash, by Melinda Lo
Beautiful Creatures, by Kami Garcia and Marharet Stohl
The Everafter, by Amy Huntley
hold still, by Nina LaCour
Michael L. Printz Award
For the most excellent book of the year written for teens.
Winner: Going Bovine, by Libba Bray
Honor Books:
Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith, by Deborah Heiligmanether.
The Monstrumologist, by Rick Yancey
Punkzilla, by Adam Rapp
Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973, by John Barnes
A Brief History of Vampires in Literature on AbeBooks
Between Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight novels and Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Mysteries (also known as the Sookie Stackhouse or True Blood books) vampires are the hottest thing in literature these days. But this genre, where gothic horror often meets romance, is no johnny-come lately; the vampire has a long, colorful history in literature.
The first instances of vampire tales originally appeared in eastern European folklore. Some of these stories began to trickle into western European literature in the 18th century, and German and English authors started to put their own spin on the myths. . .
Audrey, Wait!
By Robin Benway
Hunted
By P. C. Cast
Along For The Ride
By Sarah Dessen
King Of The Screwups
By K. L. Going
Paper Towns
By John Green
Wicked Lovely
By Melissa Marr
The Last Olympian
By Rick Riordan
Eternal
By Cynthia Leitich Smith
Leviathan
By Scott Westerfeld
Identical
By Ellen Hopkins
Audio Books
Firegirl
By Tony Abbott
Twisted
By Laurie Halse Anderson
Th1rteen R3asons Why
By Jay Asher
City Of Glass
By Cassandra Clare
Deadline
By Chris Crutcher
Breaking Dawn
By Stephenie Meyer
School’s Out Forever
By James Patterson
King Dork
By Frank Portman
The Battle Of The Labyrinth
By Rick Riordan
Impossible
By Nancy Werlin
The Rules Of Survival
By Nancy Werlin
Manga
Kingdom Hearts
By Shiro Amano
Fullmetal Alchemist
By Hiromu Arakawa
Vampire Knight
By Matsuri Hino
Vampire Doll Guilt-Na-Zan
By Erika Kari
Naruto
By Masashi Kishimoto
Bleach
By Tite Kubo
Cowboy Bebop Shooting Star
By Cain Kuga
Princess Resurrection
By Yasunori Mitsunaga
Death Note
By Tsugumi Oba
Inuyasha
By Rumiko Takahashi
Fruits Basket
By Natsuki Takaya
Graphic Novels
Janes In Love
By Cecil Castellucci
Burnout
By Rebecca Donner
Marvel 1602
By Neil Gaiman
Promethea
By Alan Moore
Moped Army
By Paul Sizer
Persepolis
By Marjane Satrapi
Black Metal
By Rick Spears
Runaways
By Brian K. Vaughan
Y: The Last Man
By Brian K. Vaughan
Clubbing
By Andi Watson
Pedro And Me
By Judd Winick
Non-Fiction
Behind The Scenes Of Nascar Racing
By William A. Burt
Vintage Tattoos: The Book Of Old-School Skin Art
By Carol Clerk
200 Projects To Get You Into Fashion Design
By Tracy Fitzgerald
Skateboarding: Ramp Tricks
By Evan Goodfellow
Fantasy Characters: How To Draw
By Jessica Peffer
Body Drama
By Nancy Amanda Redd
College Confidence With Add
By Michael Sandler
Generation Green
By Linda Silversten
Eco Craft: Recycle-Recraft-Restyle
By Susan Wasinger
Ipod Fan Book
By Notomi Yasukuni
Awards & Honors
The Astonishing Life Of Octavian Nothing
By M. T. Anderson
A Curse As Dark As Gold
By Elizabeth C. Bunce
Skin Hunger
By Kathleen Duey
Looking For Alaska
By John Green
The Disreputable History Of Frankie Landau-Banks
By E. Lockhart
Chains
By Laurie Halse Anderson
Nation
By Terry Pratchett
The Invention Of Hugo Cabret
By Brian Selznick
American Born Chinese
By Gene Luen Yang
The Book Thief
By Markus Zusak
SCPL Teen Blog 