Friday, August 31, 2012

It's A Wrap


I hope you were able to come to one of the Library’s teen summer programs.  This year we had night photography, creative writing, babysitting instruction, astronomy, henna tattoos, and painting with pastels, plus 6 movies, 2 art exhibits, 3 meetings of the Settlers of Catan game club, and 2 meetings of the teen advisory board.  Most of these programs were made possible through generous financial help from The Friends of the Hamilton-WenhamLibrary.  Thank you Friends for another summer of teen program funding! 

Occasionally one of our program presenters will offer their program gratis: 
Thank you Holly Thompson for your wonderful 2 part creative writing program: Telling Your Stories in Verse, offered free to the Library. 
And, a galaxy of thanks to the North Shore Astronomy Club for their humorous and informative Star Party presentation featuring the Mars landing, offered free to the Library.  In particular, grateful thanks to the four Astronomy Club members who brought their huge telescopes, set them up on the field outside, and gave us the vicarious thrill of traveling through space.

Were you away this summer?  Maybe you missed the publication of the latest sequel or prequel of your favorite teen series?  Here’s a list of series titles (linked to the online catalog) published over the summer:

Bitterblue (Graceling, Book 3), by Kristin Cashore
 The Enchantress (Secrets of Nicholas Flamel, Book 6), by Michael Scott
Hide and Seek (Lying Game, Book 4), by Sara Shepard
The Kill Order (Maze Runner prequel), by James Dashner
Rapture (Fallen series, Book 4), by LaurenKate
Rift (Nightshade prequel), by Andrea Cremer
The Rise of Nine (Lorien Legacies, Book 3), by Pittacus Lore
Tiger's Destiny (Tiger's Curse series Book 4), by Colleen Houck 
Unwholly (sequel to Unwind), by Neal Shusterman

For book lists on various topics or genres such as zombies, ghosts, verse novels, dreams, road trips, dating, and more, scroll down this blog to the Label word cloud in the column on the right and click on Book ListThe school summer reading books will be out on display in the teen area until mid-September then stored in the closed stacks (you can still check them out, they just won't be crowding the shelves). 
And that's the whole delicious summer enchilada, wrrrrapped.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Dating Customs


Love is around the corner or in a book... here is a booklist for new beginnings focusing on the subject of dating and sometimes breaking up. All of the titles listed below are in the contemporary/realistic fiction genre. No paranormal romance, no vampires, no zombies, or ghosts, just the magic of relating. Visiting another country? Here are some teen dating customs from around the world.

Fiction

Along for the Ride, by Sarah Dessen, 2009.  When Auden goes to stay with her father, stepmother, and new baby sister the summer before she starts college, all the trauma of her parents' divorce is revived, even as she is making new friends and having new experiences such as learning to ride a bike and dating.

Almost Perfect, by Brian Katcher, 2009.  With his mother working long hours and in pain from a romantic break-up, 18-year-old Logan feels alone and unloved until a zany new student arrives at his small-town Missouri high school, keeping a big secret.

Beatle Meets Destiny, by Gabrielle Williams, 2010.  When superstitious 18-year-old John "Beatle" Lennon, who is dating the best friend of his twin sister, meets Destiny McCartney, their instant rapport and shared quirkiness make it seem that their fate is written in the stars.

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, by Rachel Cohn, 2010.  Told in the alternating voices of Dash and Lily, two 16-year-olds carry on a wintry scavenger hunt at Christmas-time in New York, neither knowing quite what--or who--they will find. Awards:
Flipped, by Wendelin Van Draanen, 2001. In alternating chapters, two teenagers describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years.  Awards: California Young Reader Medal: Middle School; School Library Journal Best Books,2001; South Carolina Book Awards; Virginia Readers' Choice Award: (Grades 6-9).

If I Stay, by Gayle Forman, 2009.  While in a coma following an accident that killed her parents and younger brother, 17-year-old Mia, a gifted cellist, weighs whether to live with her grief or join her family in death.

 I Wish You All the Best, by Nathan Deaver, 2019. Thrown out of their parents' home and moving in with their estranged sister after coming out as nonbinary, Ben De Backer struggles to endure an anxiety disorder and the last half of senior year while bonding with a charismatic new friend.
Jackpot, by Nic Stone, 2019. When Rico sells a jackpot-winning lotto ticket, she thinks maybe her luck will finally change, but only if she and her popular and wildly rich classmate, Zan can find the ticket holder who hasn't claimed the prize

Lola and the Boy Next Door, by Stephanie Perkins, 2011.  Budding costume designer Lola lives an extraordinary life in San Francisco with her two dads and beloved dog, dating a punk rocker, but when the Bell twins return to the house next door Lola recalls both the friendship-ending fight with Calliope, a figure skater, and the childhood crush she had on Cricket.  See also by Perkins: Anna and the French Kiss

My Life Next Door, by Huntley Fitzpatrick, 2012.  When Samantha, the seventeen-year-old daughter of a wealthy, perfectionist, Republican state senator, falls in love with the boy next door, whose family is large, boisterous, and just making ends meet, she discovers a different way to live, but when her mother is involved in a hit-and-run accident Sam must make some difficult choices.

My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, & Fenway Park, by Steve Kluger, 2008.  Three teenagers in Boston narrate their experiences of a year of new friendships, first loves, and coming into their own. Award: Rainbow Lists-Y.A.Fiction: 2009.
My So-Called Bollywood Life, by Nisha Sharma, 2018. Winnie Mehta was never really convinced that Raj was her soul mate, but their love was written in the stars. Literally, a pandit predicted Winnie would find the love of her life before her 18th birthday, and Raj meets all the qualifications. Which is why Winnie is shocked when she returns from her summer at film camp to find her boyfriend of three years hooking up with Jenny Dickens. As a self-proclaimed Bollywood expert, Winnie knows this is not how her perfect ending is scripted.

Odd One Out, by Nic Stone, 2018. High school juniors and best friends Courtney and Jupe, and new sophomore Rae, explore their sexuality and their budding attractions for one another.
Somewhere Only We Know, by Maureen Goo, 2019. Told from two viewpoints, teens Lucky, a very famous K-pop star, and Jack, a part-time paparazzo who is trying to find himself, fall for each other against the odds through the course of one stolen day.

Tell Me How You Really Feel, by Aminah Mae Safi, 2019. A tale told in alternative viewpoints and inspired by classic romantic comedies follows the unlikely on-camera romance between an overachieving cheerleader and the senior film project director who secretly hates her.
This Train is Being Held, by Ismee Williams, 2020. Told in two voices, ballet dancer and private school student Isabelle Warren and poet and baseball star Alex Rosario grow closer after meeting on a subway, bonding over their parents' expectations and their own dreams. 
 
Why We Broke Up, by Daniel Handler, 2011.  16-year-old Min writes a letter to Ed in which she breaks up with him, documenting their relationship and how items in the accompanying box, from bottle caps to a cookbook, foretell the end.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green, 2010.  When two teens, one gay and one straight, meet accidentally and discover that they share the same name, their lives become intertwined as one begins dating the other's best friend, who produces a play revealing his relationship with them both.


 Short Story Collections on Relating and Dating

Color Outside the Lines: Stories About Love, edited by Sangu Mandanna, 2019. This modern, groundbreaking YA anthology explores the complexity and beauty of interracial and LGBTQ+ relationships where differences are front and center.




How They Met, and Other Stories, by David Levithan, 2008. A collection of eighteen stories describing the surprises, sacrifices, doubts, pain, and joy of falling in love.




Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances, by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle, 2008. In three intertwining short stories, several high school couples experience the trials and tribulations along with the joys of romance during a Christmas Eve snowstorm in a small town.



Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined to Meet, 2018. Fourteen short stories celebrating “meet-cute” moments. Features when-they-first-met-stories from YA authors, including Nicola Yoon, Sara Shepard, Katie Cotugno, and more.


Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories, edited by Stephanie Perkins, 2016. Summer is the perfect time for love to bloom, and these short stories of teenagers facing the confusing maze of first love will have you dreaming of sunset strolls by the lake. The selections range from heartfelt to outlandish, as the characters find passion in some very unexpected places.


Nonfiction Relating and Dating Books

The Date Book: A Teen Girl's Complete Guide to Going Out With Someone New, by Erika Stalder, 2007. Offers girls information on dating a new guy, including creative date suggestions, fashion advice, tips on how to bargain for extended curfews, and bad date exit strategies.

Respect : Everything a Guy Needs to Know About Sex, Love, and Consent, by Inti ChavezPerez;translation by Stuart Tudball, 2019. A guide to help guys navigate sex, relationships, and consent in the post-#MeToo world.

Rookie On Love: 45 Voices on Romance, Friendship, and Self-Care, edited by Tavi Gevinson, 2018. Curated from Rookie, an online magazine dedicated to teens and founded in 2011 by a then-15-year-old Gevinson, this anthology offers tales of love from 45 different, diverse voices.

Monday, August 6, 2012

A Wide-Eyed Bump in the Night: Ghost Stories

Ghosts are the subject haunting this fourth "Own the Night" inspired booklist of the summer.  Here you will find novels, short story collections, graphic novels, and nonfiction.  There are stories about teens who see ghosts and stories about ghosts who may try to influence you for good or evil.  Need more ghostly reading suggestions?  You'll find them in the NoveList database here:  NoveList Recommended Reads: Ghosts.  Ever felt a spine tingling chill in a library? well, George Eberhart, senior editor of American Libraries, the magazine of the American Library Association; has made lists of  haunted libraries around the world for the Encyclopedia Britannica Blog.  See also: Tales from a Haunted Library: Spirits Float Among the Stacks at this Connecticut Library, by Ann Paietta, 2012.
Fiction

The Afterlife, by Gary Soto, 2003.  A senior at East Fresno High School lives on as a ghost after his brutal murder in the restroom of a club where he had gone to dance.

Anya's Ghost, by Vera Brosgol, 2011. book trailer  Embarrassed by her family and self-conscious about her body, Anya has given up on fitting in at school, but falling down a well and making friends with the ghost there just may be worse.

Being Dead, by Vivian Vande Velde, 2001.  Seven supernatural stories, all having something to do with death.

Bliss, by Lauren Myracle, 2008.  Having grown up in a California commune, Bliss sees her aloof grandmother's Atlanta world as a foreign country, but she is determined to be nice as a freshman at an elite high school, which makes her the perfect target for Sandy, a girl obsessed with the occult.
The Body Finder, by Kimberly Derting, 2011.  Book 1 in series.  High school junior Violet uses her uncanny ability to sense murderers and their victims to try to stop a serial killer who is terrorizing her town, and although her best friend and would-be boyfriend Jay promises to keep her safe, she becomes a target.

Campfire Chillers, edited by E.M. Freeman, 1994.  Gathers nine frightening stories by Edgar Allan Poe, E. F. Benson, Manley Wade Wellman, Ambrose Bierce, and H. G. Wells.
A Certain Slant of Light, by Laura Whitcomb, 2005. After benignly haunting a series of people for 130 years, Helen meets a teenage boy who can see her and together they unlock the mysteries of their pasts.

Days of Little Texas, by R.A. Nelson, 2009.  16-year-old Ronald Earl King, who has been a charismatic evangelist since he was ten years old, is about to preach at a huge revival meeting on the grounds of an old plantation, where, with confusing help from the ghost of a girl he could not heal, he becomes engaged in an epic battle between good and evil.

Dead Connection, by Charlie Price, 2006.   A loner who communes with the dead in the town cemetery hears the voice of a murdered cheerleader and tries to convince the adults that he knows what happened to her.

Deep and Dark and Dangerous, by Mary Downing Hahn, 2007. 13-year-old Ali spends the summer with her aunt and cousin, and stumbles upon a secret that her mother and aunt have been hiding for over thirty years.

Friends With Boys, by Faith Erin Hicks, 2012. book trailer  After an idyllic childhood of homeschooling with her mother and three older brothers, Maggie enrolls in public high school, where interacting with her peers is complicated by the melancholy ghost that has followed her throughout her entire life.
Ghost Flower, by Michele Jaffe, 2012.  Drawing the attention of two wealthy teens who say she resembles their missing cousin Aurora, runaway Eve is drawn into a scheme to win the lost girl's inheritance.

Ghostgirl, by Tonya Hurley, 2008.  First book in series.  After dying, high school senior Charlotte Usher is as invisible to nearly everyone as she always felt, but despite what she learns in a sort of alternative high school for dead teens, she clings to life while seeking a way to go to the Fall Ball with the boy of her dreams.

The Ghosts of Kerfol, by Deborah Noyes, 2008. Over the centuries, the inhabitants of author Edith Wharton's fictional mansion, Kerfol, are haunted by the ghosts of dead dogs, fractured relationships, and the bitter taste of revenge.

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, 2008. Nobody Owens is a normal boy, except that he has been raised by ghosts and other denizens of the graveyard.


The House of Dead Maids, by Clare B. Dunkle, 2010. Eleven-year-old Tabby, who would later serve as housekeeper for thirty years to the Brönte sisters, is taken from an orphanage to a ghost-filled house, where she and a wild young boy are needed for a pagan ritual. 
Into the Dark, by Nicholas Wilde, 1987. Matt, a 12-year-old boy, blind since birth, on a seashore holiday from London, is excited when he meets Roly, a local boy in an old graveyard. With Roly acting as his eyes, they explore the salt marshes and a boarded-up mansion. Gradually Matt comes to understand that Roly is the ghost of a boy who drowned in the sea a century before.

The Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson,2011. First book in series. Rory, of Boueuxlieu, Louisiana, is spending a year at a London boarding school when she witnesses a murder by a Jack the Ripper copycat and becomes involved with the very unusual investigation.

On the Day I Died: Stories From the Grave, by Candace Fleming, 2012. In a lonely Illinois cemetery one cold October night, teen ghosts recount the stories of their deaths in different time periods, from 1870 to the present, to 16-year-old Mike, who unknowingly picked up a phantom hitchhiker.

The Other Side of Dark, by Sarah Smith, 2010.  Since losing both of her parents, 15-year-old Katie can see and talk to ghosts, which makes her a loner until fellow student Law sees her drawing of a historic house and together they seek a treasure rumored to be hidden there by illegal slave-traders.  Awards: Agatha Awards: Best Young Adult Mystery. Massachusetts Book Awards:Young Adult Literature Award.

Picture the Dead, by Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown, 2010.  After Jennie Lovell's fiancée, Will, is killed during the Civil War, she forms an alliance with a spirit photographer and uses her ability to talk to the dead to investigate the secrets Will was hiding and how he really died.
The Screaming Staircase, by Jonathan Stroud, 2013. Follows three young operatives of a Psychic Detection Agency as they battle an epidemic of ghosts in London.

Story Time, by Edward Bloor, 2004.  George and Kate are promised the best education but instead face obsessed administrators, endless tests, and evil spirits when they are transferred to Whittaker Magnet School.

Texas Gothic, by Rosemary Clement-Moore, 2011.  17-year-old Amy Goodnight has long been the one who makes her family of witches seem somewhat normal to others, but while spending a summer with her sister caring for their aunt's farm, Amy becomes the center of weirdness when she becomes tied to a powerful ghost.  Award: YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2012.

Tighter, by Adele Griffin, 2011.  Based on Henry James's "The Turn of the Screw," tells the story of Jamie Atkinson's summer spent as a nanny in a small Rhode Island beach town, where she begins to fear that the estate may be haunted, especially after she learns of two deaths that occurred there the previous summer. 

The Unquiet, by Jeannine Garsee, 2012.  When 16-year-old Rinn, who has bipolar disorder, and her mother move back to her mother's hometown in Ohio and settle in a house where the previous owner hanged herself, Rinn discovers that both the town and her mother have some uncomfortable secrets in their past and that the ghost that supposedly haunts the school seems to be out for revenge.
 
Nonfiction
 (browse call # 133.1)
Famous Ghosts and Haunted Places, by Gordon J. Lynch, 2012. 
Ghost Hunters of New England, by Alan Brown, 2008.
Ghost Stories of New England, by Susan Smitten, 2003.