Tuesday, December 28, 2010

NEW AUDIOBOOKS IN THE YOUNG ADULT COLLECTION

Here are 14 of 30 new audiobooks that were recently selected and purchased for the Young Adult collection.  They can be requested via the online catalog, though they are currently still in Technical Services (acquiring all their stamps and inoculations for travel:).  Click on the title, and request it now, to be first in line to listen to one of these stories.  You will need your library card barcode number and your PIN (the last 4 digits of your telephone number) to make a request.  (Don't miss The Call of Cthulhu and Other Stories, specially requested by a Teen Think Tank member during our December 2 meeting.)

After Tupac & D Foster, by Jacqueline Woodson, 2009. Realistic Fiction, Social Issues  Summary: In the New York City borough of Queens in 1996, three girls bond over their shared love of Tupac Shakur's music, as together they try to make sense of the unpredictable world in which they live.
Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver, 2010.  Personal Conduct Fiction  Summary: After she dies in a car crash, teenage Samantha relives the day of her death over and over again until, on the seventh day, she finally discovers a way to save herself.

The Call of Cthulhu and Other Stories, by H. P. Lovecraft, 2010.  Horror Fiction   Summary: A collection of creepy, gripping tales of madness & cosmic terror by one of America's finest horror authors. At the heart of these stories is the belief that the Earth was once inhabited by powerful & evil gods, just waiting for the chance to recolonise their planet.

Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins, 2009.  Science Fiction, Survival  (Hunger Games, Book 2)  Summary: By winning the annual Hunger Games, District 12 tributes Katniss & Peeta have secured a life of safety & plenty for themselves & their families, but because they won by defying the rules, they unwittingly become the faces of an impending rebellion.

Cupid: A Tale of Love and Desire, by Julius Lester, 2007.  Mythology, Romance  Summary: Cupid, the spoiled & mischievous god of love, is attracted to & marries the beautiful mortal, Psyche, & both learn many lessons about the nature of love.

Dairy Queen, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, 2006.  Realistic Fiction, Football  Summary: After spending her summer running the family farm & training the quarterback for her school's rival football team, 16 year old D.J. decides to go out for the sport herself, not anticipating the reactions of those around her.

Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson, 2010.  Historical Fiction (Sequel to: Chains.)  Summary: Separated from his friend Isabel after their daring escape from slavery, 15 year old Curzon serves as a free man in the Continental Army at Valley Forge until he and Isabel are thrown together again, as slaves once more.

I Am The Messenger, by Markus Zusak, 2006. Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Heroes  Summary: After capturing a bank robber, 19 year old cab driver Ed Kennedy begins receiving mysterious messages that direct him to addresses where people need help, & he begins getting over his lifelong feeling of worthlessness. (author of The Book Thief)

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates, Abraham Lincoln, 1809-1865.  Non-Fiction, Debates   Summary: Richard Dreyfuss & David Strathairn reenact the 7 debates of the 1858 Illinois senatorial race. The main theme was slavery. Douglas argued for popular sovereignty, with the people of each territory deciding the slavery question for themselves.  In Lincoln's view, this approach would nationalize & perpetuate slavery.

Milkweed, by Jerry Spinelli, 2003.  Historical Fiction   Summary: A tale of heartbreak, hope, and survival through the bright eyes of a young orphan in Nazi-occupied Warsaw during World War II.

Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins, 2010.  Science Fiction, Survival  (Hunger Games, Book 3)  Summary: Against all odds, Katniss has survived the Hunger Games twice. However, she is far from safe. With the Capitol & President Snow blaming her for the strife plaguing District 12, Katniss must sacrifice herself to protect her loved ones.

Three Rivers Rising: A Novel of the Johnstown Flood, by Jame Richards, 2010.  Historical Fiction   Summary: A novel that explores a cross-class romance amid a tragic event in U.S. history--the 1889 flood in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

The Wednesday Wars, by Gary D. Schmidt, 2007.  Historical Fiction, Family Life  Summary: During 1967, on Wednesday afternoons Holling's 7th grade classmates, half of whom are Jewish, the other half Catholic, leave early to attend religious training.  As the sole Presbyterian, he finds himself stranded with his teacher, Mrs. Baker where they read the plays of William Shakespeare.

When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead, 2009.  Science Fiction, Space & Time  Summary: As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, "The $20,000 Pyramid," a 12 year old NYC girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.