INFORMED TEENS

18 Dystopian Valentines

2012-02-09T15:53:00.000-05:00

What is a dystopia but a love gone wrong. This list of dystopian fiction is a trove of suspenseful, adventurous, anti-valentines. Some of them are brand new, just out of the box fresh; feel the angst, live the adventure. Happy Valentines!

The Hunger Games - Official Theatrical Trailer - Movie Release date: March 23, 2012

If you liked The Hunger Games, then you may like...:

The Diary of Pelly D, by L. J. Adlington, 2005. When Toni V, a construction worker on a futuristic colony, finds the diary of a teenage girl whose life has been turned upside-down by holocaust-like events, he begins to question his own beliefs.

Ship Breaker, by Paolo Bacigalupi, 2010. In a futuristic world, teen-aged Nailer scavenges copper wiring from grounded oil tankers for a living, but when he finds a beached clipper ship with a girl in the wreckage, he has to decide if he should strip the ship for its wealth or rescue the girl.

Ashes, by Ilsa Bick, 2011. Alex, a resourceful 17-year-old running from her incurable brain tumor, Tom, who has left the war in Afghanistan, and Ellie, an angry 8-year-old, join forces after an electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky and kills most of the world's population, turning some of those who remain into zombies and giving the others superhuman senses.

Matched, by Ally Condie, 2010. Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her, so when Xander appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate--until Ky Markham's face appears for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner, 2009. Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape.

Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow, 2008. After being interrogated for days by the Department of Homeland Security in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco,17-year-old Marcus, released into what is now a police state, decides to use his expertise in computer hacking to set things right.

The Eleventh Plague, by Jeff Hirsch, 2011. 20 years after the start of the war that caused the Collapse, 15-year-old Stephen, his father, and grandfather travel post-Collapse America scavenging, but when his grandfather dies and his father decides to risk everything to save the lives of two strangers, Stephen's life is turned upside down.

Epic, by Conor Kostick, 2007. On New Earth, a world based on a video role-playing game, 14-year-old Erik pursuades his friends to aid him in some unusual gambits in order to save Erik's father from exile and safeguard the futures of each of their families.

Legend, by Marie Lu, 2011. In a dark future, when North America has split into two warring nations, fifteen-year-olds Day, a famous criminal, and prodigy June, the brilliant soldier hired to capture him, discover that they have a common enemy.

The Secret Under My Skin, by Janet McNaughton, 2005. In the year 2368, humans exist under dire environmental conditions. Blay, rescued from a work camp and chosen for a special duty, uses her love of learning to discover the truth about the planet's future and her own dark past.

Cinder, by Marissa Meyer, 2012. As plague ravages the overcrowded Earth, observed by a ruthless lunar people, Cinder, a gifted mechanic and cyborg, becomes involved with Prince Kai and must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect the world in this futuristic take on the Cinderella story.

The Knife of Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness, 2008. Pursued by power-hungry Prentiss and mad minister Aaron, young Todd and Viola set out across New World searching for answers about his colony's true past and seeking a way to warn the ship bringing hopeful settlers from Old World.

Delirium, by Lauren Oliver, 2011. Lena looks forward to receiving the government-mandated cure that prevents the delirium of love and leads to a safe, predictable, and happy life, until ninety-five days before her eighteenth birthday and her treatment, when she falls in love.

Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, 2011. Amy, a cryogenically frozen passenger on the spaceship Godspeed, wakes up to discover that someone may have tried to murder her.

Under the Never Sky, by Veronica Rossi, 2012. When Aria is exiled from the enclosed city of Reverie, she forms an unlikely alliance with an Outsider named Perry, who could be her only chance of survival providing they can overcome their prejudices.

Divergent, by Veronica Roth, 2011. In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice must choose among five factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group.

Unwind, by Neal Shusterman, 2007. In a future world where those between the ages of thirteen and eighteen can have their lives "unwound" and their body parts harvested for use by others, three teens go to extreme lengths to uphold their beliefs--and, perhaps, save their own lives.

All These Things I've Done, by Gabrielle Zevin, 2011. In a future where chocolate and caffeine are contraband, teenage cellphone use is illegal, and water and paper are carefully rationed, 16-year-old Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight as heir apparent to an important New York City crime family.

BOOK AWARDS ANNOUNCED

2012-01-31T19:19:00.000-05:00

Whether you prefer your fiction to be realistic, romantic, a fantasy, or a mystery, there is something here to satisfy most every taste. Clicking on a book cover will take you to the book in the Library's online catalog, where you may place a hold, and read reviews. The descriptions for the award winners are from the catalog.

The 2012 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature is:

Where Things Come Back, by John Corey Whaley

Seventeen-year-old Cullen Witter's summer in Lily, Arkansas, is marked by his cousin's death by overdose, an alleged spotting of a woodpecker thought to be extinct, failed romances, and his younger brother's sudden disappearance. “Straightforward, yet increasingly complex, this novel masterfully weaves together themes of brotherhood, friendship, loss and religious obsession,” said Printz Award Committee Chair Erin Helmrich.
2012 Printz Award Honor Books: This group of four runner ups includes: a murder mystery set in Australia; a carnivorous horse racing fantasy; a realistic humorous story about dating, souvenirs, and breaking up; and a war story set in a medieval fictional society.

2011 Massachusetts Book Awards

The Massachusetts Center for the Book, through judging committees, each year publishes a list of "Must Reads" in each of four award categories -- fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children's/young adult literature -- that have been written by Massachusetts writers or are about Massachusetts. Then, in the Fall of each year they name a winner out of the "Must Reads" from each of the categories. The Massachusetts Center for the Book is the Commonwealth affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. There is a State Center for the Book in all 50 states.

2011 Young Adult Massachusetts Book Award winner:

The Other Side of Dark, by Sarah Smith.

Since losing both of her parents, fifteen-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. Set in Boston. Part ghost story, part romance, part historical mystery.
(I gave this book 4 stars after I read it last year. It's on the 8th grade Justice Unit bibliography.)

The other 2011 Young Adult "Must Reads" include: a dark fantasy about criminals with extra sensory powers; a realistic revenge/friendship story set in New Mexico; and a survival tale of 2 boys forced into a war in Burma. Bamboo People is also on the Justice Unit bibliography.

2012 Newbery Medal Winner:

Dead End in Norvelt, by Jack Gantos.

In the historic town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, 12-year-old Jack spends the summer of 1962 grounded for various offenses until he is assigned to help an elderly neighbor with an unusual chore involving the newly dead, molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving, lessons from history, typewriting, and countless bloody noses.

Click on the link below to hear a funny interview with Jack Gantos about winning the Newbery Medal and about his life, which aired this past weekend on the NPR show, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!.

Newbery Medal Winner Jack Gantos Plays Not My Job

Find out more about Gantos and the story he tells on NPR in his autobiography :
Hole In My Life, by Jack Gantos, 2002.
The author relates how, as a young adult, he became a drug user and smuggler, was arrested, did time in prison, and eventually got out and went to college, all the while hoping to become a writer.

Start your engines: 50 BOOK CHALLENGE & COMMUNITY READ

2012-01-11T16:44:00.003-05:00

Did you make a resolution to read more in 2012? Would you like a fun way to keep track of the books you read this year? Announcing the 2012:50 Book Challenge...there might possibly (maybe) be a prize or two at the end -- though reading is its own reward. The Challenge begins January 16, 2012.

click here to print your 50 book challenge reading log

As you turn the ignition on the 50 Book Challenge, you may want to consider reading the companion book for the Library's 2012 Community Read; a biography from the teen collection: Farewell to Manzanar, by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston.

Farewell to Manzanar: A True Story of Japanese American Experience During and After the World War II Internment, by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston, 1973. This is a short, engaging biography about a young girl and her family that were sent to a Japanese internment camp in California during the 1940s. Houston provides an opportunity to understand what it was like to live in the camp; coping with physical deprivations, and psychological difficulties within her family. It tells the story of what happened before the family was forced to go to Manzanar, the years of living in the camp, and what happened after people were allowed to leave. Farewell lets one look in to a murky corner of American history. I gave it 4 stars. Recommend!

Turn the Page

2011-12-29T18:35:00.000-05:00

Still waiting for snow... probably won't see even one tiny crystal flake till Janus shows his baby face. Meanwhile, let's count up the books from 2011. This year I am weighing in at 141 total books read (131 young adult books, and 10 books from the adult collections), -- could still (probably will) squeeze one more title in before midnight this Saturday. How do I know how many? I track and tag what I read using LibraryThing. You could also keep track in your library account using the bookbags feature. 141 total books read in 2011, works out to two and a half books a week. Yay, kudos, tra-la-la for me. Soooo, which ten from 2011 did I think were tops? :

Seven from the teen collection:

Three from the adult collection:

SHOW ME THE SNOW

2011-12-14T16:22:00.001-05:00

It's winter, and I am wishing for a little snow to lighten the days. Maybe you are too. So, until we get some of the real thing, here are a few books for icy crystals by proxy. This chilly list is a mix of genres. Wintersmith; Stork; Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow; Snow-walker; and East; are fantasy stories. Whiteout is a mystery. The White Darkness, Trapped, Revolver, and Brian's Winter are suspenseful, survival, adventure stories. Let It Snow, is a romance. Emperors of the Ice is historical fiction, based on a true story. I have read and can recommend: Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, and The White Darkness. I gave both books 4 stars. Trapped, while not a favorite of mine (I gave it 2 out of 5 stars), might appeal to those of you who enjoy survival stories. I gave Stork, three and half out of five stars. It is an urban fantasy that weaves Norse mythology into a small Minnesota town. There is a sequel titled, Frost.

Brian's Winter, by Gary Paulsen, 1996. Instead of being rescued from a plane crash, as in the author's book Hatchet, this story portrays what would have happened to Brian had he been forced to survive a winter in the wilderness with only his survival pack and hatchet.

East, by Edith Pattou, 2003. A young woman journeys to a distant castle on the back of a great white bear who is the victim of a cruel enchantment.

Emperors of the Ice: A True Story of Disaster and Survival in the Antarctic, 1910-13, by Richard Farr, 2008. Apsley Cherry-Garrard shares his adventures as the youngest member of Robert Scott's expedition to Antarctica in the early 20th century, during which he and Edward Wilson try to learn the evolutionary history of emperor penguins. Includes historical notes.

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.

Revolver, by Marcus Sedgwick, 2010. Finland, 1910: Fifteen-year-old Sig is shocked to see a hole in the frozen lake outside his family's cabin and to find his father's corpse nearby. Sig's sister and stepmother go for help, leaving Sig alone with Einar's body in the cabin. Soon after, an armed stranger barges in, demanding a share of Einar's stolen gold.

Snow-walker, by Catherine Fisher, 2004. The snow-walker Gudrun came from the swirling mists and icy depths beyond the edge of the world to rule the Jarl's people with fear and sorcery, but a small band of outlaws will fight to the death to restore the land to its rightful leader.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, by Jessica Day George, 2008. A girl travels east of the sun and west of the moon to free her beloved prince from a magic spell.

Stork, by Wendy Delsol, 2010. After her parents' divorce, Katla and her mother move from Los Angeles to Norse Falls, Minnesota, where Kat immediately alienates two boys at her high school and, improbably, discovers a kinship with a mysterious group of elderly women--the Icelandic Stork Society--who "deliver souls."

Trapped, by Michael Northrop, 2011. Seven high school students are stranded at their New England high school during a week-long blizzard that shuts down the power and heat, freezes the pipes, and leaves them wondering if they will survive.

The White Darkness, by Geraldine McCaughrean, 2007. Taken to Antarctica by the man she thinks of as her uncle for what she believes to be a vacation, Symone--a troubled fourteen year old--discovers that he is dangerously obsessed with seeking Symme's Hole, an opening that supposedly leads into the center of a hollow Earth.

Whiteout, by Walter Sorrells, 2009. Sixteen-year-old Chass makes her way through a Minnesota blizzard, seeking not only the murderer of a beloved music teacher, but also something belonging to the killer who has been chasing her mother and herself around the country.

Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett, 2006. When witch-in-training Tiffany Aching accidentally interrupts the Dance of the Seasons and awakens the interest of the elemental spirit of Winter, she requires the help of the six-inch-high, sword-wielding, sheep-stealing Wee Free Men to put the seasons aright.

TEEN THINK TANK'S TOP 44 READS FOR 2011

2011-12-09T13:52:00.001-05:00

The Library's teen advisory board met last Thursday, Dec. 1 (next meeting is in February), for pizza, and, well, to meet, and eat pizza. We talked about what the 2012 poetry contest theme might be (good ideas were generated), discussed movies, and books, ate pizza (Thank you, Friends of the Library!), and whether a homework/writing drop-in program was something people would come to here at the library (members all said no). While we ate more pizza, eleven members of the TTT wrote down their favorite reads from 2011, which I have posted below (all linked to the online catalog, of course).

To solidify that reading mood here is a video from...
Julian Smith, I'm Reading A Book:

THE TEEN THINK TANK’S

TOP 44 READS OF 2011

Fiction :

Young Samurai: Ring of Earth, by Chris Bradford

A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess

Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

Hush, by Eishes Chayil

Nightshade, by Andrea Cremer

Elixir, by Hilary Duff

Hush Hush, by Becca Fitzpatrick

Ranger's Apprentice series, by John Flanagan

Beastly , by Alex Flinn

Tyger, Tyger, by Kerstan Hamilton

Magic the Gathering : Lorwyn, by Cory J. Herndon

Seekers series, by Erin Hunter

Need, by Carrie Jones

Iron King, by Julie Kagawa

A Dragon's Awakening, by Aya Knight

The Power of Six, by Pittacus Lore

Pendragon series, by D.J. MacHale

Wildwood Dancing, by Juliet Marillier

The Murder of Bindy MacKenzie, by Jaclyn Moriarty

A Step From Heaven, by An Na

All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Remarque

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs

Heroes of Olympus series, by Rick Riordan

Holes, by Louis Sachar

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

Skinjacker trilogy, by Neal Shusterman

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien

Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut

Girl in Hyacinth Blue, by Susan Vreeland

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

Skin, by Adrienne Vrettos

Graphic Fiction and Manga :

The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman

Naruto, by Masashi Kishimoto

Bleach, by Tite Kubo

Maximum Ride, by NaRae Lee

Death Note, by Tsugumi Ōba

One Piece, by Eiichiro Oda

American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang

Graphic Format Biography :

Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi

Smile, by Raina Telgemeier

Non-Fiction :

The Anthology of Rap, by Adam Bradley

The Book of Awesome, by Neil Pasricha

Beats On Order

2011-11-30T10:28:00.001-05:00

A heavy carton arrived this week; Prince, Amy Winehouse, Common, The Doors, Joan Jett, George Harrison, Eminem, Pearl Jam, Will Smith, and a crash of rappers jostled their way out of the box. On order, still to be published, are books about Slipknot, Abba, Ludicris, Queen, Rihanna, and Kate Bush. The Library's teen advisory board, the Teen Think Tank, helped me choose these books for the Young Adult non-fiction collection. Funding was provided through the generosity of the Katlyn MacCready Bird Educational Fund.

Abba the Scrapbook, Jean-Marie Potiez, 2012. (on order, expect delivery in February) Illustrated with unique photographs and rare memorabilia, ABBA The Scrapbook gives a history of one of the best-loved pop groups of all time: including their early days in Sweden; relationships within the band; the Eurovision victory; the1970s fashion and style of ABBA; and the eventual break-up of the group.

Amy Winehouse : The Biography : 1983-2011, by Chas Newkey-Burden, 2011. A detailed biography of Winehouse's turbulent life and untimely death. Winehouse's blend of jazz, pop, and soul singing and songwriting brought her a host of awards--including two Ivor Novellos and five Grammys.

The Anthology of Rap, edited by Adam Bradley, Andrew DuBois ; foreword by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. ; afterword by Chuck D and Common, 2010. From the school yards of the South Bronx to the tops of the "Billboard" charts, rap has emerged as one of the most influential cultural forces of our time. This anthology brings together more than 300 lyrics written over 30 years, from the "old school" to the present day.

The Doors: A Lifetime of Listening to Five Mean Years, by Greil Marcus, 2011. There have been many books on the Doors. This is the first to bypass their myth, their mystique, and the death cult of both Jim Morrison and the era he was made to personify, and focus solely on the music.

The Way I Am, Eminem, 2008. A rap artist shares his private reflections, drawings, handwritten lyrics, and never-before-seen photographs.

George Harrison : living in the material world, by Olivia Harrison; foreword by Martin Scorsese, 2011. Olivia Harrison reveals George's life through his archive of photographs, letters, diaries, & memorabilia; from his guitar-obsessed boyhood in Liverpool, to the Beatles years, to his days as an independent musician and bohemian squire.

Joan Jett, by Todd Oldham, 2010. Rock-and-roll goddess, Joan Jett, started her first band, The Runaways, at age fifteen. The book chronicles all aspects of her career and passions through images--from forming The Runaways to her years of touring with her band, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts.

Ludacris, by PhilipWolny, 2009.
The rise of Christopher Bridges -- Hitting the big time -- Superstardom and beyond -- The actor, the mogul, the legacy.

One Day It'll All Make Sense: A Memoir, by Common with Adam Bradley, 2011. The Grammy Award-winning recording artist and actor shares the story of his life, from his youth on Chicago's South side and rise in the hip-hop industry to his movie appearances and the lessons he has learned as a son and a father.

Pearl Jam Twenty, by Cameron Crowe, and Pearl Jam, 2011. Published in celebration of Pearl Jam's 20th anniversary and in conjunction with Crowe's documentary film and soundtrack of the same name. Contains behind-the-scenes anecdotes, rare archival memorabilia, and the band's personal photos, tour notes, and drawings.

Prince: Inside the Music and the Masks, by Ronin Ro, 2011. In his 3 decades-long career, Prince has had nearly 30 albums hit the Billboard Top 100. He is the only artist since the Beatles to have a #1 song, movie, and album at the same time. "Prince" is the first book to give full treatment to this artist.

Queen: The Complete Works, Georg Purvis, 2012. (on order, expect delivery in March) Queen's place in history as the greatest glam band of them all is rock solid. A session-by-session, song-by-song, album-by-album, tour-by-tour record of the band's progress.

Rihanna: Rebel Flower, by Chloe Govan, 2012. (on order, expect delivery in May) An in-depth look at the life of one of pop music's international stars. The story of her transformation from schoolgirl Robyn Fenty to R&B artist. Features exclusive interviews with Rihanna's schoolfriends, producers, songwriters, video directors, journalists and many more.

Slipknot Unmasked....Again, by Joel McIver, 2012. (on order, expect delivery Summer 2012) The first edition of this book published in 2001 followed the band from their inception in Des Moines, Iowa in the mid-90s through to the release of their second album. It's now a decade since the first volume appeared, and in that time Slipknot have evolved into a different band from the one that first emerged in1999.

Under the Ivy: The Life and Music of Kate Bush, by Graeme Thomson, 2012. (on order, expect delivery Summer 2012) The first in-depth study of Bush's life and career. Features interviews with school friends, band mates, studio collaborators, former managers, producers, musicians, video directors, dance instructors and record company executives. Every aspect of her music is discussed from her albums to her solo live tour, her pre-teen poetry, and unreleased songs.

MORE SEQUELS TO SQUEAL ABOUT

2011-11-16T13:50:00.001-05:00

The new sequels below are hot titles that are not sleeping on the shelf here. However, if you request them now, you might just get a copy in time to see you through the Thanksgiving break. If you haven't read the first title in the series, (lucky you) then you'll have even better luck in borrowing a copy. All of these titles are fantasy, supernatural, or science fiction stories with varying (from tiny blip of a heartbeat to might as well call it a romance heart throb) proportions of romance running through them, except for Lola and the Boy Next Door, which is a romance set in present day San Francisco. Red ♥(s) after the author's name indicate how much romance is in the story on a scale of 1 ♥(barely there) to 5 ♥♥♥♥♥(throbs galore).

Crossed, by Ally Condie. science fiction, dystopia, ♥♥♥

Sequel to Matched.
Cassia sacrifices everything and heads to the Outer Provinces in search of Ky, where she is confronted with shocking revelations about Society and the promise of rebellion.

Death Cure, by James Dashner. science fiction, dystopia, ♥
Final Book in the Maze Runner trilogy.
As the third Trial draws to a close, Thomas and some of his cohorts manage to escape from WICKED, their memories having been restored, only to face new dangers as WICKED claims to be trying to protect the human race from the deadly FLARE virus.

Tiger's Voyage, by Colleen Houck. fantasy, ♥♥♥♥♥

Third book in the Tiger's Curse series.

After battling the villainous Lokesh, Kelsey and the Indian princes Ren and Kishan return to India, where Kelsey learns that Ren has amnesia, and five cunning dragons try to keep the trio from breaking the curse that binds them.

Silence, by Becca Fitzpatrick.
urban fantasy, supernatural, ♥♥♥♥
Third book in the Hush, Hush saga.
Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for -- and their love -- forever.

The Fox Inheritance, by Mary Peason.
science fiction, dystopia, ♥

Second book in the Jenna Fox Chronicles.
260 years after an accident destroyed their bodies, 16 year old Locke, and 17 year old Kara, have been brought back to life in newly bioengineered bodies, with many questions about the world they find themselves in and more than two centuries of horrible memories of being trapped in a digital netherworld wondering what would become of them.

Lola and the Boy Next Door, by Stephanie Perkins.
realistic fiction, romance, ♥♥♥♥♥
Characters from Anna and the French Kiss appear in Lola and the Boy Next Door.
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.

The Dark and Hollow Places, by Carrie Ryan.
fantasy, horror, dystopia, ♥♥♥

Book 3 in The Forest of Hands and Teeth series.
Alone and listening to the moaning of the Dark City dying around her, Annah wants to find her way back home, to her sister & family & their village in the Forest of Hands & Teeth.

Supernaturally, by Kierstan White.
urban fantasy, supernatural, ♥♥♥
Sequel to Paranormalcy.
Sixteen-year-old Evie thinks she has left the International Paranormal Containment Agency, and her own paranormal activities, behind her when she is recruited to help at the Agency, where she discovers more about the dark faerie prophecy that threatens her future.

PAOLINI'S FOURTH BOOK is HERE

2011-11-10T15:33:00.001-05:00

The last book of Christopher Paolini's, The Inheritance Cycle, was published this week. Our copies arrived yesterday, and are already in circulation. Currently, there is a very small wait list of Hamilton-Wenham patrons, and a very long list of patrons from other libraries in the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium. Go to the online catalog to place your hold.

FEBRUARY PROGRAMS

2011-11-10T14:33:00.001-05:00

On Wednesday, February 1, 6:30pm to 8:00pm there will be a presentation for students and parents:

Demystifying the College Application Process

presented by Laine Averbeck, of College Concierge.

****************************************************************

In concert with the above program, I am also in the process of scheduling, either for February or March, another college related workshop offered by: Jim Femia, a Certified College Planning Specialistand a member of the National Institute of Certified College Planners, which will cover the following topics:

How families of ALL income levels are receiving financial aid.
Why some families incorrectly assume they could never qualify for aid.
Which colleges give you the best financial aid packages…More gift aid and few loans.
Learn how to avoid costly mistakes on the FAFSA and CSS Profile
How some parents are sending their student to a private university for less than a state school.
How students can position themselves to be the best candidate and receive more FREE money and less loans.

The date and time for this program will be posted here on the teen page, and on the Library's online calendar of events.

****************************************************************

During the February school break

the following two programs

are scheduled on February 23rd.

To attend either or both,

please sign up at the Reference desk

or call 978-468-5577 x14.

MAGIC THE GATHERING CARD GAME

2011-10-28T12:00:00.001-04:00

A new club is forming at the Library to play Magic the Gathering. Players in 3rd grade through 6th grade are invited to learn to play or improve their game.
Ari Massos, a member of the Library's teen advisory board, the Teen Think Tank, will be leading the game.

Improve your game, Learn and Play

Magic The Gathering Cards
This is an extremely fun game involving lots of

thought and strategy, but it’s more fun than hard.

Hamilton-Wenham Library
Phoenix room

Every Friday in November & December

Beginning Friday, November 4^th

3:45pm to 4:45pm

Hope to see you there.

Please bring your decks,
if you have any.

REALISTIC FICTION that SHINES

2011-10-21T17:07:00.000-04:00

Well, I began writing this post on Monday before I heard about the controversy that happened around the multiple blunders of the National Book Awards nomination committee. All I have to say, is; the mischievous telephone spirits got it right, because Shine ought to have been on the list of nominations. The two books below contain brilliant stories that not only entertain, they thoughtfully dig into heinous situations.

Everybody Sees the Ants, by A. S. King, 2012.
Fifteen-year-old Lucky Linderman has been continuously bullied by one boy since grade school. The adults in his life are ineffectual, and worse - counter-productive. After one more particularly vicious attack which literally drops him on the ground he starts to see anthropomorphic ants. The ants become his humorous cheering section, as his mother finally takes some action and takes Lucky on a trip to Arizona to visit relatives. Throughout the story Lucky dreams about his grandfather, who went missing during the Vietnam War. The dreams seem to manifest things in his waking life giving the story a glow of magic realism. In Arizona Lucky meets Ginny, who makes him tag along to play rehearsals for The Vagina Monologues. Ginny helps him to see himself in a new way, which ultimately results in positive action in his life. Everybody Sees the Ants is by turns funny and sharply insightful.

Shine, by Lauren Myracle, 2011. Shine begins with a newspaper article: "Stunned residents of Black Creek, North Carolina, pray for seventeen-year-old Patrick Truman, beaten and left for dead outside the convenience store where he works....The slur written on Truman's chest, coupled with the placement of the gasoline nozzle in the victim's mouth, suggests that Truman's attack was motivated by anti-gay sentiments." The local law enforcement have no leads, and are ready to explain away the violent assault as the crime of a chance stranger. While Patrick is in a coma in the hospital, sixteen-year-old Cat, a childhood best friend of Patrick's, has her suspicions about what happened. Over the course of a week, Cat who has troubles of her own that she hasn't dealt with, finds the courage to move out of her passivity and fear, to uphold the life of her friend, and eventually herself.

NEW FANTASY CLUTCH-ABLES

2011-10-12T15:16:00.001-04:00

The following two titles are clutch-ables, because I did not want to let them out of my clutches. Both of them rate a delicious 4 and a half cones of almost perfect yummy creamy crunchy smoothness.

Among Others by Jo Walton, 2010.
Among Others is probably not going to draw mass readership, but if you are an enthusiastic reader of both fantasy and science fiction you won't want to miss this unique book. Keep paper and pencil handy while reading Among Others, because this girl, who loves to read, has read intelligently and deeply in the science fiction and fantasy genres, and you will find yourself wanting to jot down the titles and authors, that will constantly entice you throughout the story, to start a reading list of your own. (There should be a reading list in the back of this book, but there is not.) On the surface, this book is about a girl, Morwenna (Mori), who has grown up in Wales, and has left there under difficult and mysterious circumstances. Mori has lost her twin sister in a car accident, and run away from her mother to find her long absent father who lives in England. She is immediately packed off to a boarding school, where she is the odd girl with a limp and a cane, who doesn't do sports. Mori joins a book club at the local public library, goes for acupuncture for her leg injury, and fights the circumstances of her sister's death. Below the surface of the story the chilly supernatural world of spirits and faeries blows lightly through, more like magic realism than a full-on tale of faerie.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor, 2011.

An urban fantasy set in Prague harbors a talented art student who is the foster daughter and handmaid of a creature named Brimstone. Enter warrior angels, zombie-like chimera; a parallel universe at war; star-crossed love, heartbreak and betrayal, and the story glides you across a dancing turquoise sea of the unexpected. You will not want it to end, and will be thrilled to know that it is the first of a planned trilogy. There is already a wait list for this one, so place your hold soon.

NONFICTION CHOICES FOR GRADES 6-8

2011-09-14T09:56:00.001-04:00

This year the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for English Language Arts is emphasizing the informational text, (literary nonfiction) across the grades. Below is a short list compiled of possible choices to meet the recent requests from middle school students visiting the library seeking a "nonfiction chapter book." (Remember, nonfiction includes biographies.)
If you click on a title in the list below it will take you to our Library's online catalog, where you will be able to place a hold, or find other books on the same subject. If you need help, send me an email, stop by the library, or click here to: search the online catalog.

Click here to: Visit the NoveList Plus database for more nonfiction lists:

1) Enter your library barcode number to access this database.
2) Click on NoveList Plus.
3) Click on Advanced Search.
4) Type "narrative nonfiction" in search box, and select "Genre" in drop down search field box.
5) Check the teens box for Audience. Click Search.
You will receive about 213 results, that may then be narrowed according to your preference.
NoveList Plus also has many recommended nonfiction lists for teens by subject area/interests. Look for these lists on the NoveList Plus home page in the left hand column; select teens and nonfiction.

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream, by Tanya Lee Stone, 2008. Presents the story of the 13 women connected with NASA's Mercury 13 space mission, who braved prejudice & jealousy to make their mark & open the door for the female pilots & space commanders that would soon follow.

Blizzard: The Storm That Changed America, by Jim Murphy, 2000. Presents a history, based on personal accounts and newspaper articles, of the massive snow storm that hit the Northeast in 1888, focusing on the events in New York City.

Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong, Jen Yates, 2009. From the creator of the blog CakeWrecks.com, here are the worst cakes ever, with witty commentary & behind-the-scenes tidbits. (Ask your teacher if this is okay, -make the argument that it is about reading & interpretation.)

The Dark Game: True Spy Stories, by Paul B. Janeczko, 2010. From clothesline codes to surveillance satellites and cyber espionage, Janeczko uncovers two centuries' worth of true spy stories in U.S. history.

The Duel: The Parallel Lives of Alexander Hamilton & Aaron Burr, by Judith St. George, 2009. Examines the events that led up to the deadly duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr by reviewing both their lives and the similarities that they shared.

Game Day: Meet the People Who Make it Happen, Kevin Sylvester, 2010. Sylvester tells the stories of 19 talented and dedicated behind-the-scenes stars of the sports world.

The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact On Us, by Tanya Lee Stone, 2010. Learn about Mattel Toys and the background behind Barbie's concept and development, how it was a solution for girls who wanted to imagine adult roles rather than just play mother, and details about inventor Ruth Handler

Grayson, by Lynne Cox, 2006. One morning while the 17-year-old author was training for a long-distance swim, she became aware that something was swimming with her--a baby gray whale that had become separated from its mother. This is the tale of how Cox miraculously reunited mother and baby.

The Greatest: Muhammad Ali, by Walter Dean Myers, 2001. A portrait of one of the world's greatest boxers chronicles his childhood, his rise as a champion, his politics, and his battle against Parkinsons' disease.

The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe, by Loree Griffin Burns, 2010. Apiarist Dave Hackenberg's bees have a busy travel schedule, pollinating around the United States from February to July. So when Dave inspected 400 of his hives and found that the bees had simply vanished, a team of bee scientists got to work.

Houdini: The Handcuff King, by Jason Lutes & Nick Bertozzi, 2007. Offers a portrait of the legendary escape artist in graphic novel format, and reveals the secret behind his most amazing trick.

John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth: A Photographic Biography, by Elizabeth Partridge, 2005. The story of one of rock's biggest legends, from his birth during a 1940 World War II air raid on Liverpool, through his turbulent childhood and teen years, to his celebrated life writing, recording, and performing.

Lewis & Clark, by Nick Bertozzi, 2011. Presents, in graphic novel format, the adventures of explorers Lewis and Clark during their journey from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean.

Martha Graham, A Dancer's Life, by Russell Freedman, 1998. A photo-biography of the American dancer, teacher, and choreographer who was born in Pittsburgh in 1895 and who became a leading figure in the world of modern dance.

Revenge of the Whale: The True Story of the Whaleship Essex, by Nathaniel Philbrick, 2002. Recounts the 1820 sinking of the whaleship "Essex" by an enraged sperm whale and how the crew of young men survived against impossible odds. Adapted from the author's adult book "In the Heart of the Sea."

Smile, by Raina Telgemeier, 2010. An autobiography in graphic novel format describes how the author lost two of her front teeth in an accident when she was twelve, and her subsequent struggles with various corrective dental techniques throughout adolescence.

Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board, by Bethany Hamilton, 2011. The teenage surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack in 2003 describes how she has coped with this life-altering event with the help of her faith, the changes in her life, and her return to the sport she loves.

They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group, by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, 2010. Uses personal accounts unearthed from oral histories, congressional documents, and diaries, to unveil the creation of the Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski, Tennessee, and its spread across the American South.

Trapped: How the World Rescued 33 Miners From 2,000 Feet Below the Chilean Desert, by Marc Aronson, 2011. The story about 33 miners trapped in a copper-gold mine in San Jose, Chile, and how experts from around the world, from drillers, to astronauts, to submarine specialists, came together to make their remarkable rescue possible"

Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting, by Jim Murphy, 2009. Describes how, at Christmas, 1914, during World War I, in defiance of their officers' orders, a truce was declared by soldiers on opposing sides, who stopped fighting to engage in a spontaneous Christmas celebration with their "enemies.".

Award Winners - Where Are They?

2011-08-12T16:29:00.003-04:00

Recently there was a note in the Young Adult area's suggestion box: "There should be more prize winner books, and maybe a little more variety". I wish I could talk with the person, who left this suggestion/request, about what they mean by variety. From my view in the corner there is a comprehensive range of genres and subjects from which to choose. All of which I would be pleased to blab endlessly about, just ask. If there is something not represented I definitely want to know about it. I love collection development. I'm not sure about the request for "more prize winner books," I don't think they meant extra copies, (maybe they do?). Following is a small sample of YA fiction and nonfiction award winners, (all of which are in the Hamilton-Wenham Library collection), clicking on the book cover will take you to the catalog, where you can find out about the book, and place a hold for a copy:

Sir Terry Prachett is the recipient of the 2011 Margaret A. Edwards Award, honoring his significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens:

Jim Murphy is the recipient of the 2010 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring his significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens:

The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. The 2011 Printz Award was awarded to:

The 2011 Printz Honor books are:

To see a plethora of YA award books and top ten lists click here.

2011-08-01T14:14:00.014-04:00

My Library Thing "Read in 2011" tag counter toggled up to 75 books over the weekend. Dede McManus, a Librarian colleague, helped out by adding Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs to my book bag last week. Riggs' first novel has been on the New York Times Children's Chapter Books bestseller list for 7 weeks, and this week stands at number 4 on the list. Although "Peculiar Children" was reviewed in the adult new fiction section of some of the review journals (Booklist, Library Journal), our Consortium libraries are placing the book in their Young Adult fiction collections. After reading the book, I concur with that placement. Yes, it is a book that may appeal to many adults, however, it is at heart a story about a teen with typical teen themes such as friendship, first love, family relationship, identity, and finding your place in the world. "Peculiar Children" is a fantasy-mystery with some science fictional time loops, and some horror in the form of "tentacle-mawed" vampire-like "hollowgasts". This tale's appeal clearly hangs on the 44 weird, and quirky, atmospheric black and white photographs that accompany and illustrate the text as a freaky sideshow. This is the only way I can account for the book's ride on the best seller list, because, while the pacing and writing starts off smoothly dark, it becomes a bit lumpy towards the middle, and drags towards the end.
My rating: 2 and a ½ stars. Dede enjoyed the book more than I did and rates it: 4 stars.

This past week I also read Mindblind, by Jennifer Roy, The Space Between Trees, by Katie Williams, and The Kid Table, by Andrea Seigel. If you liked Mark Haddon's, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, or Francisco X Stork's, Marcelo in the Real World, you will probably enjoy "Mindblind," another tale in the growing lexicon of books about people (teens) with Asperger's or Autism. My rating: 3 and a ½ stars.

The Space Between Trees is a murder mystery page turner, with a surprising realistic conclusion that is not neatly wrapped up, nor particularly happy. Adults as well as teens who like murder mysteries would like this book. My rating: 3 and a ½ stars.

Lastly, but not least, The Kid Table, is a window into family dynamics over the course of one year at five various holiday and celebratory gatherings. The "kids" (or cousins) relegated to the kid table are all (but one) in high school or college, and are all only children. It is by turns charming, humorous, and serious, and lets you know that though someone has grown up knowing their cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. what one doesn't know about them, and about yourself, can be a wide field of discovery. My rating: 3 and a ½ stars.

10 Favorite Fiction Books

2011-07-26T18:23:00.006-04:00

Since the start of 2011, I have read 71 Young Adult fiction books. So, instead of another (fourth) travel related book list this week, I thought I would post my top ten favorite Young Adult fiction reads from the past six months. Some of the books on the list are newly published, and others are older titles that I have just gotten around to reading. The descriptive terms beneath the title are my quick thoughts about the book. The story abstract's (except for Abhorsen Trilogy) are from the Library's online catalog. I gave all of these books a minimum of 4 stars, or the max (5 stars), in Library Thing.

Kim's 6 Months Top 10 YA Fiction Reads :

Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix. Fantasy, Adventure, Necromancer, the line between good and evil, life and death, magic and mundane. Over the course of three books, a family of necromancers battle against evil by entering the land of the dead.

BADD by Tim Tharp. Contemporary Realistic, PTSD, Iraq War, Brother-Sister relationship, Humorous. A teen girl's beloved brother returns home from the Iraq War completely unlike the person she remembers.

Blink and Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones. Suspense, Crime, Runaways, Contemporary, set in Canada. Two teenagers who are living on the streets and barely getting by become involved in a complicated criminal plot, and make an unexpected connection with each other.

Darkangel Trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce. Fantasy, Supernatural, touch of Science Fiction, some Horror (Vampire, Wraiths, Gargoyles), Romance. The servant girl Aeriel must choose between destroying her vampire master for his evil deeds or saving him for the sake of his beauty and the spark of goodness she has seen in him.

Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge. Steampunk Fantasy, 1950s alternate history, Supernatural, set in Boston. In an alternate 1950s, mechanically gifted 15-year-old Aoife Grayson, whose family has a history of going mad at sixteen, must leave the totalitarian city of Lovecraft and venture into the world of magic to solve the mystery of her brother's disappearance and the mysteries surrounding her father and the Land of Thorn.

The Luxe series, by Anna Godbersen.

Historical Romance, social classes, set in New York and California.
In Manhattan in 1899, five teens of different social classes lead dangerously scandalous lives, despite the strict rules of society and the best-laid plans of parents and others.

Orchards by Holly Thompson. Contemporary Realistic, Bullying, Suicide, bi-polar, written in free verse, set in States and Japan. Sent to Japan for the summer after an eighth-grade classmate's suicide, half-Japanese, half-Jewish Kana Goldberg tries to fit in with relatives she barely knows and reflects on the guilt she feels over the tragedy back home.

Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt. Contemporary Realistic, Road Trip, Iraq War, Marines, PTSD, Brother-Brother relationship, set in Massachusetts. Although they have never gotten along well, seventeen-year-old Levi follows his older brother Boaz, an ex-Marine, on a walking trip from Boston to Washington, D.C. in hopes of learning why Boaz is completely withdrawn.

Trash by Andy Mulligan. Mystery, Adventure, Poverty, Corruption, Friendship, set in Phillipines. Fourteen-year-olds Raphael and Gardo team up with a younger boy, Rat, to figure out the mysteries surrounding a bag Raphael finds during their daily life of sorthing through trash in a third-world country's dump.

You Don't Know About Me by Brian Meehl. Contemporary Realistic, Road Trip, Humorous, Doubt vs. Faith, Mark Twain, Homophobia, Geochaching, Mother-Son relationship. Billy has spent his almost-sixteen years with four cardinal points--Mother, Christ, Bible, and Home-school--but when he sets off on a wild road trip to find the father he thought was dead, he learns much about himself and life.

HANGING MOBILE CONTEST

2011-07-22T16:04:00.011-04:00

It’s our birthday—we’re turning 10, and you can help celebrate in a contest
that features your favorite book or series.

TheHanging Mobile Contest is open

toteens entering grades 6 to 12, and Adults.

Contestbegins August 1, 2011,

and endsOctober 24, 2011.

Threewinning categories:

grades6-8, grades 9-12, and College/Adult.

Prizeswill be awarded at the

Library’s10th Anniversary Gala

onSunday, November 6, 2011

For contest rules & entry form click here.

mo·bile: a piece of kinetic sculpture having balanced objects/shapes, suspended in midair by wire or twine, from a number of rods, so that the individual parts can move independently, as when stirred by a breeze.

TRAVEL NON-FICTION

2011-07-06T15:48:00.005-04:00

You Are Here summer book list #3 is Non-Fiction Travel, or true tales of travels around the world. Place a hold on one of the books below by clicking on the title, which will take you to the online catalog. You will need your library card barcode, and your PIN (last 4 digits of your telephone number).

TAKE A TRUE TALES JOURNEY

The Discovery of Jeanne Baret: A Story of Science, the High Seas, and the First Woman to Circumnavigate the Globe,

by Glynis Ridley, 2010.

In a deeply researched and engagingly written narrative of science, adventure, love, and a voyage of discovery, Ridley tells the true story of Jeanne Baret, the first woman to circumnavigate the globe.

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, by Alfred Lansing, 1959.

An account of an astonishing feat of exploration and human courage. In August of 1914, the British ship, Endurance, set sail for the South Atlantic. In October, 1915, still half a continent away from its intended base, the ship was trapped, then crushed in the ice. For five months, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men, were castaways, drifting on ice packs.

Europe From a Backpack:

Real Stories From Young Travelers Abroad,

edited by Mark Pearson and Martin Westerman, 2004.

A collection of short essays by students who made the trek across the ocean in search of adventures. Maps.

Greasy Rider: Two Dudes, One Fry-Oil-Powered Car, and a Cross-Country Search for a Greener Future, by Greg Melville, 2008.

The quest: to be the first people to drive cross-country in a french-fry car. Part adventure, part investigation, of what we're doing (or not doing) to preserve the planet. Upbeat, funny, and full of surprising information.

How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less,

by writer & artist, Sarah Glidden, 2010.

A graphic memoir that chronicles the author's Israeli government sponsored trip through Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, and Masada and a non-chaperoned trip into the West Bank.

An Indian Winter, by Russell Freedman, 1992.

The experiences of a German prince, his servant, and a young Swiss artist as they traveled through the Missouri River Valley in 1833 learning about the territory and its inhabitants.

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster,

by Jon Krakauer, 1997.

The story of a disastrous expedition that claimed the lives of eight climbers. Krakauer describes his spring 1996 trek to Mt. Everest, and explains why he survived.

The Photographer: Into War-Torn Afghanistan

with Doctors Without Borders,

by Emmanuel Guibert, 2009.

In 1986, Afghanistan was torn apart by a war with the Soviet Union. This graphic novel/photo-journal is a record of one reporter’s arduous & dangerous journey through Afghanistan, accompanying the Doctors Without Borders.

Rite of Passage: Tales of Backpacking 'Round Europe,

edited by Lisa Johnson, 2003.

Backpackers on their first visit to Europe tell it like it really is. They describe crossing the language barrier in Corfu, meeting locals in Prague, hostel life in London, finding love in Paris & overindulging in Greece.

To Timbuktu: Nine Countries, Two People, One True Story,

by Casey Scieszka, 2011.

Covers the nearly two-year odyssey that Casey & Steven embarked on, after graduating from college in 2006. Explores each nation's language, politics, traditions, & food. Illustrated by Steven Weinberg.

Washed Up: The Curious Journeys of Flotsam & Jetsam,

by Skye Moody, 2006.

The travels of marine debris. From rubber ducks and beeswax to refrigerators and dead whales.

I Wouldn't Start From Here:

The 21st Century and Where It All Went Wrong,

by Andrew Mueller, 2007.

Wanting to find out why people in ravaged-torn countries turned to war as a resolution, a rock journalist heads to Kabul, Belfast, Gaza, and other war-ridden nations to get the stories straight from the source.

TIME TRAVEL

2011-06-21T13:51:00.011-04:00

"You Are Here summer book list #2 is Time Travel. Journey to the past or to the future, on this planet or off. Titles on this list will be on display, in the Young Adult area, throughout the summer. Have a comment or question? Have a suggestion for a travel book list? Tell me about it below in the comments area.

TAKE A TRIP IN TIME

Alice in Time, Penelope Bush, 2011.

As her self-centered behavior spirals out of control, 14-year-old Alice gets an unusual chance to fix her whole disastrous life when she is mysteriously spirited back in time.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, by Mark Twain, 1889.

Hank is transported from 19th century Connecticut back to 13th century England. Using knowledge of an impending eclipse, Hank escapes a death sentence, secures a position at court, and introduces 19th century technology. A satire that pokes fun at romanticized notions of chivalry.

Doomsday Box, by Herbie Brennan, 2011.

Working on a highly-classified espionage project, four English teenagers go back in time to the Cold War in 1962 to prevent a global outbreak of the bubonic plague in the twenty-first century.

Firestorm (first book in Caretaker Trilogy), by David Klass, 2006.

After learning that he has been sent from the future for a special purpose, 18-year-old Jack receives help from an unusual dog and a shape-shifting female fighter.

Key Out of Time (4th book in Time Trader series), by Andre Norton, 1963.

Time agents Gordon and Ross are on the hunt for alien artifacts, on a world where most of the surface is water. Traveling to the planet’s past, they find themselves caught in a struggle between rival cultures waged with a mixture of technology and magic.

Pathfinder, by Orson Scott Card, 2010.

13-year-old Rigg has a secret ability to see the paths of others' pasts, but revelations after his father's death set him on a quest that brings new threats from those who would either control his destiny or kill him.

Revolutions, by Jennifer Donnelly, 2010

A 17-year-old musician facing expulsion from her prestigious Brooklyn private school travels to Paris to complete a school assignment, and uncovers a diary written during the French revolution by a young actress attempting to help the young, Louis Charles, the lost king of France.

Singing the Dogstar Blues, by Alison Goodman, 2003.

In a future Australia, the 18-year-old daughter of a famous newscaster and a sperm donor, teams up with a hermaphrodite from the planet Choria in a time travel adventure that may significantly change both of their lives.

So This Is How It Ends(1st book Avatar series), by Tui Sutherland, 2006.

During an earthquake in the year 2012 five teens are transported 75 years into the future, where the end of the world is imminent, and are drawn together by a mysterious force.

Transall Saga, by Gary Paulsen, 1998.

While backpacking in the desert, 13-year-old Mark falls into a tube of blue light and is transported into a more primitive world, where he must use his knowledge and skills to survive.

When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead, 2009.

As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, "The $20,000 Pyramid," a 12-year-old New York City 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.

Winter Shadows, by Margaret Buffie, 2010.

Tells the joined stories of Cass, whose father remarried a woman with an ill-tempered daughter; and Beatrice, who more than a century earlier explores her own problems through a journal that connects both girls.

ROAD TRIPS

2011-06-15T16:01:00.014-04:00

You Are Here is the 2011 statewide summer reading theme for teens. For adults the theme is "Novel Destinations," and for children it is "One World, Many Stories." I will use "You Are Here" over the course of the summer as a launching point for a few book lists featuring travel in various forms, such as: Road Trips, Time Travel, World Travel, Space Travel, and Travel Nonfiction, etc. Titles from the lists will be on display in the Young Adult area of the Library through August.

TAKE A ROAD TRIP

As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth, by Lynne Perkins, 2010.

A teen boy encounters one comedic calamity after another when his train strands him in the middle of nowhere, & everything comes down to luck.

The Car, by Gary Paulsen, 1994.

A teenager travels west, on his own, in a kit car he built himself, and along the way picks up two Vietnam veterans, who take him on an eye-opening journey.

Going Bovine, by Libba Bray, 2009.

Cameron Smith, a disaffected 16 year-old who, after being diagnosed with Creutzfeld Jakob's (mad cow) disease, sets off on a road trip to find a cure, with a death-obsessed video gaming dwarf he meets in the hospital.

Hit the Road, by Caroline Cooney, 2005.

Sixteen-year-old Brittany acts as chauffeur for her grandmother and three other eighty-plus-year-old women going to what is supposedly their college reunion, on a long drive that involves lies, theft, and kidnappings.

How to be Bad, by E. Lockhart; Sarah Mlynowski; Lauren Myracle, 2008.
Told in alternating voices, Jesse, Vicks, & Mel, hoping to leave all their worries & woes behind, escape by taking a road trip to Miami.

In the Path of Falling Objects, by Andrew Smith, 2009.

In 1970, after their older brother is shipped off to Vietnam, sixteen-year-old Jonah and his younger brother Simon leave home to find their father, who is being released from an Arizona prison, but soon find themselves hitching a ride with a violent killer.

Paper Towns, by John Green, 2008.

One month before graduating from his Florida high school, Quentin "Q" basks in the predictable boringness of his life until the beautiful and exciting Margo, Q's neighbor and classmate, takes him on a midnight adventure and then mysteriously disappears.

Rainbow Road, by Alex Sanchez, 2007.

While driving across the United States during the summer after high school graduation, three young gay men encounter various bisexual & homosexual people & make some decisions about their own relationships & lives.

Roughing It, by Mark Twain, 1888.

From stagecoach travel to the etiquette of prospecting, Twain relates the true-ish escapades of his 5 years of travels in the American West from 1861 to 1866. Informative as well as humorous.

Solace of the Road, by Siobhan Dowd, 2009.

While running away from a London foster home just before her fifteenth birthday, Holly has ample time to consider her years of residential care and her early life with her Irish mother, whom she is now trying to reach.

The Things A Brother Knows, by Dana Reinhardt, 2010.

Three years after serving overseas in the Marines, Levi's brother, Boaz, returns to his Boston suburb a hero. After isolating himself from the family, Boaz announces his plans to hike the Appalachian Trail, yet Levi suspects his brother has another itinerary in mind.

Zigzag, by Ellen Wittlinger, 2003.

A high-school junior makes a trip with her aunt and two cousins, discovering places she did not know existed and strengths she did not know she had.

FREE Audiobook Downloads

2011-06-08T14:47:00.009-04:00

SYNC offers FREE audiobook downloads of Young Adult audiobooks and Summer Reading Classics this summer. Download for FREE (to keep) a new pair of audiobooks each week from June 23 to August 17.

Available June 23 - June 29
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare

Available June 30 - July 6
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
The Trial by Franz Kafka

Available July 7 - July 13
Where the Streets Had a Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah
A Passage to India by E. M. Forster

Available July 14 - July 20
The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney
Beowulf by Francis B. Gummere [Trans.]

Available July 21 - July 27
Chanda's Secrets by Allan Stratton
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Available July 28 - August 3
Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari
Rescue: Stories of Survival From Land and Sea by Dorcas S. Miller [Ed.]

Available August 4 - August 10
Immortal by Gillian Shields
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Available August 11 - August 17
Storm Runners by Roland Smith
The Cay by Theodore Tay

TEEN POETRY CONTEST WINNERS

2011-05-10T14:14:00.007-04:00

27 poems were entered in the Teen Poetry Contest.
20 poems were from high school students, and 7 were from middle school students.
Winning poems are posted on the Poetry page.
Many thanks to our three judges for their work in scoring the poems, Jan Dempsey, Library Director; Lorraine Der, Children's Librarian; and Daniel Sklar, Professor, Endicott College.

.... and, the winners

of the Hamilton-Wenham Library's Teen Poetry Contest are:

A Life Lost, by Anika Schaedle, for Best Entry Grades 9-12.

A Thousand Lost, by Mariah Manter, for Best Entry Grades 6-8.

The Dead Letter Office, by Anika Schaedle, tied for Best Lost Poem entry.

Icebox Heart, by Coco Young, tied for Best Lost Poem entry.

What Are We?, by Lucy Huang, tied for Best Found Poem entry.

Something Lost, by Jennifer Kong, tied for Best Found Poem entry.

Honorable Mentions go out for the following next highest scoring poems:

Where Do Balloons Go?, by Anika Schaedle.

Lost and Found: This is the Moment, by Becky Moffat

The Loss of Hope, by Caitlyn Passaretti

Fallen-Between-The-Trees, by Siobhan McDonough

Wanderer, by Lila Rose Acevedo

Rusty Memories, by Teddy Lyman

Best Friends, by Jack Huang

You are invited to hear the Poetry Contest winners read their poem aloud, at the:

TEEN ART SHOW & POETRY CONTEST RECEPTION

Tuesday, May 17, 6:30pm to 7:45pm

Students of Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School have organized an exhibit at the Hamilton-Wenham Library to showcase the work of several local visual artists and photographers. The contributing artists are all students or recent graduates of high school. A reception for the exhibit will be held in the Young Adult area of the Hamilton-Wenham Public Library. Art work will be available for sale through each artist.

During the reception, the winners of Hamilton-Wenham Library’s Teen Poetry Contest will be awarded their contest prize, and will read their winning poem aloud. The entrants to the Teen Poetry Contest had two themes to work from: lost or found. The art in the exhibit will echo this duality. Each artist plans to exhibit two works with opposite themes. Come and meet the artists, enjoy some refreshments at the reception, and hear the winning poems from the Teen Poetry Contest read aloud. The art exhibit will be on view from May 17 through July 31.

Local Teens Go to Battle

2011-04-23T09:59:00.010-04:00

Battle-Gaming of Massachusetts (BOM) was in the Salem News this past Thursday. Great article. Now I will have to assess the Warhammer series books in the Young Adult collection to see if we need some additions. Any suggestions?

To read the Salem News article about BOM
click here: Local Teens Go To Battle

More Color, New Seating in Teen Area

2011-04-14T14:32:00.005-04:00

On Sunday, April 10, Deirdre McManus and I, along with two Teen Think Tank members Josh and Ella, and their father Jon Hunt, painted the long wall that faces the Young Adult L to Z fiction, with Cupid's Dart purple. This is the same shade of purple that was painted 3 years ago on the Young Adult area's window wall. Also, in the teen area, Mr. Hunt and his daughter Ella took on the difficult task of painting the slanted triangle ceiling drop downs, with Squish Squash yellow. The yellow has warmed up, what was a cold grayish white. The purple color will help to give a visual cue that the Young Adult fiction continues across the aisle. The purple paint also connects and increases the "gallery" space available for Young Adult art displays with the addition of the hanging systems on that wall that were purchased last summer.

The teen area now has a new, cozy, comfortable booth with a full spectrum lamp, and a new colorful area rug. These additions to the teen area were purchased thanks to a recent donation to the Library that was given in memory of Rosella Coughlin. The booth, in the short time since it arrived, has become a favorite place for teens in the library, especially for tutors and students. There have been orders for fries and a soda, but all that could be served was from chef Dewey 641-642. Please stop by the teen area to see the new seating and colorful changes.

THE SCIENCE OF LOVE

2011-04-04T13:53:00.006-04:00

Check out the recent spate of new Science Fiction books below, that have arrived with a large dollop of romantic angst, and the sting of dystopia. If this trend continues, we might need a new genre: Romience?.

GIRL PARTS by John Cusick, 2010. Summary: The lives of David, wealthy and popular but still lonely, and Charlie, a soulful outsider, intersect when Rose, the female Companion bot David's parents buy to treat his dissociative disorder, forms a bond with Charlie.
My rating: 3 and a half stars.

MATCHED by Ally Condie, 2010. Summary: All her life, Cassia has never had a choice. The Society dictates everything: when and how to play, where to work, where to live, what to eat and wear, when to die, and most importantly to Cassia as she turns 17, who to marry. When she is Matched with her best friend Xander, things couldn't be more perfect. But why did her neighbor Ky's face show up on her match disk as well?
My rating: 3 and a half stars.

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis, 2011. Summary: Amy, a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed, is nearly killed when her cyro chamber is unplugged fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing. All she knows is that she must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again--and she doesn't know who she can trust on a ship ruled by a tyrant. My rating: 4 stars.

DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver, 2011. Summary: Lena looks forward to receiving the government-mandated cure that prevents the delirium of love and leads to a safe, predictable, and happy life, until ninety-five days before her eighteenth birthday and her treatment, when she falls in love.
My rating: 3 and a half stars.

WITHER by Lauren DeStefano, 2011. Summary: After modern science turns every human into a genetic time bomb with men dying at age twenty-five and women dying at age twenty, girls are kidnapped and married off in order to repopulate the world.
My rating: 3 and a half stars.

MAGAZINES PHYSICAL AND VIRTUAL

2011-02-25T15:37:00.016-05:00

THE HIDDEN MAGAZINE COLLECTION

To read back issues of popular magazines not available in the library as a physical subscription you must enter the realm of databases (be brave, it's only a few clicks till you get there):

1) Go to Hamilton-Wenham Online Databases

2) Scroll down to: InfoTrac® PowerSearch

3) Keep scrolling to: General OneFile. (click on it)

4) Click on: Browse Publications.

In the search box type in the title of a magazine you would like to read. For example: to see the publication, Guitar Player, type "guitar" in the search box, then click on Guitar Player to view past issues. To see past issues of Transworld Skateboarding magazine, type in "skateboarding" in the search box. Explore. If you have any questions, send me an email or stop by my desk in the Library.

There are MANY more magazines, journals, newspapers, etc. available to read through the Library's paid online research databases, because what are the online databases, but a scanned, digitized collection of magazines, academic journals, and newspapers.

THE PHYSICAL MAGAZINE COLLECTION

The H-W Library has over 100 magazines subscriptions. You can check them out for the same amount of time (3 weeks) as a book. H-W Library magazines are kept for 2 years. They are out on the shelves for 6 months, and then housed in the closed stacks. If you want an issue older than 6 months just request it through the online catalog or visit the Reference Desk on the 2nd floor and staff there will retrieve it for you. The Young Adult area has 12 magazine subscriptions:

February Break Library Programs for Teens

2011-01-31T14:06:00.018-05:00

Monday, February 21

Library Closed for President's Day Holiday

Tuesday, February 22

Beverly Hospital Babysitting Course 10am to 5pm

(Babysitting Course has not been canceled.)

Wednesday, February 23

Health & Happiness @ Your Library 1:30pm to 4pm

(Health and Happiness has not been canceled.)

Thursday, February 24
Toy Story movie showing has been canceled.

Teen Think Tank Movie Series: TOY STORY 3 2:30pm to 3:45pm

Teen Think Tank Meeting 6:30pm to 7:45pm

(see right side bar on this blog for more information about the Teen Think Tank)

Friday, February 25
Henna Tattoo program has been rescheduled for July 28.

Henna Tattoo Party and a Craft 1pm to 3pm

Henna Tattoo Party (with Tracey Pistorio) and a Craft is for teens ages 12-18.
You must pre-register for this event at the Library Reference desk,

or you may call 978-468-5577 x14, or send an email to Kim Claire at kclaire@mvlc.org.

Saturday, February 26

BOM Battle-Gaming of Massachusetts 10am to 4pm

P O E T R Y C O N T E S T

2011-01-26T11:37:00.015-05:00

The Hamilton-Wenham Public Library

is pleased to announce the first

TEEN POETRY CONTEST: Themes are LOSTand/or FOUND

Teen Poetry Contest is open to teens in grades 6 to 12.

Contest begins February 1,2011, and ends at midnight April 30, 2011.

Two winning gradecategories: grades 6-8, and grades 9-12.
Two winning theme categories: lost or found.

Cash prizes to be awarded
(provided by The Friends of the Hamilton-Wenham Library).
Finalists willbe notified by phone or email by May 10th.

Winners to read their poemaloud at the teen art show reception
in the Library’s Young Adult area onTuesday, May 17th, 6:30 pm.

PoetryContest Rules to qualify for judging:

Entries must be original work.
Maximum of 3 poems per person.
Poem must have one or both of the two themes: lost / found
Every poem entered in contest must have a title.
Include the title of the poem on the entry form and on the page with your poem.
Do NOT place your name anywhere on the same page as your poem. To comply with blind judging, author's name must not appear on the same page as the poem, not even on the back.
Attach EACH POEM to a copy of the entry form, or to a separate page with your name, email address, street address, phone number, school, and grade.
Deadline for submission: midnight April 30, 2011.

click here for CONTEST ENTRY FORM

Hand deliver or mail entries to:
Teen Poetry Contest c/o Young Adult Librarian
Hamilton-Wenham Public Library

14 Union Street
S. Hamilton, MA 01982

Or email entries to: kclaire@mvlc.org

For more information contact:
KimClaire, Young Adult Librarian, 978-468-5577 x14

NEW AUDIOBOOKS IN THE YOUNG ADULT COLLECTION

2010-12-28T19:54:00.007-05:00

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.

NEW GRAPHIC BIOGRAPHIES & NOVELS, and MANGA

2010-12-22T16:41:00.004-05:00

NEW GRAPHIC BIOGRAPHIES

To Dance : A Memoir, by Siena Cherson Siegel, 2006. Summary: The author describes how she first decided she wanted to be a ballerina at the age of six, & how that dream carried her from her home in Puerto Rico to dance class in Boston to performing with the New York City Ballet.

The 14th Dalai Lama : A Manga Biography, by Tetsu Saiwai, 2010. Summary: At age two, Tenzin Gyatso was recognized as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama-the manifestation of the Buddha of Compassion. This is the story of his extraordinary life, told vividly through the art of manga.

Yummy : The Last Days of a Southside Shorty, by G. Neri, 2010. Summary: A graphic novel based on the true story of Robert "Yummy" Sandifer, an eleven-year old African American gang member from Chicago who shot a young girl and was then shot by his own gang members.

NEW GRAPHIC NOVELS

Christmas Classics, edited by Tom Pomplun, 2010. Summary: Ghosts, cowboys, and killer dolls! Seven classic stories and poems to make your holiday season brighter.

Shadoweyes, written & illustrated by Ross Campbell, 2010. Summary: In the dystopian city of Dranac, moody teenager Scout Montana is an aspiring vigilante, but her first attempt is halted when she's hit in the head with a brick & knocked unconscious. When she awakens, she discovers that she's able to transform into a strange, blue, clawed, superhuman creature. In this new body she becomes the vigilante Shadoweyes...

Side-Scrollers, by writer and artist, Matthew Loux, 2006. Summary: Brian, Brad & Matt are launched off of their lazy rears & forced into a grand adventure. Determined to steer Amber away from Richard, chased by an irate football team, a vengeful troop of Girl Scouts, and a stalking evil cat that may actually be possessed by Satan, our heroes are thrust into a giant rock 'n' roll video game adventure.

Smile by Raina Telgemeier, 2010. Summary: Raina just wants to be a normal 6th grader. But one night she trips & falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. And on top of that, there's still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, & friends who turn out to be not so friendly. This true story will resonate with anyone who has ever been in middle school, & especially those who have ever had a bit of their own dental drama.

NEW MANGA

Hetalia : Axis Powers. volume 1, by Hidekaz Himaruya, 2010. Summary: Offers a collection of four-panel comic strips which, depicting the world's powers as stereotypes, presents a politically incorrect comedy of the relationships between the Axis and Allied powers during the World Wars.

Featured Author: Laurie Halse Anderson

2010-12-10T15:10:00.010-05:00

Laurie Halse (rhymes with waltz) Anderson has been publishing books since the mid 90's. She writes both historical fiction and realistic contemporary fiction. Regardless of genre, her stories are issue-oriented, serious with a small sprinkle of humor, and are hard wired to the heart and soul of a character.
Another author whose issue-oriented books tackle similar subjects such as family problems, emotional problems, death, anorexia, rape, step-families, and best friends, is Sarah Dessen.
If you like Anderson's or Dessen's writing, you may also like:
Chris Crutcher, Sharon Draper, or Carol Plum-Ucci.

Forge, by Laurie Halse Anderson, 2010. (historical fiction) Book 2 in the Seeds of America trilogy. Catalog Summary: Separated from his friend Isabel after their daring escape from slavery, fifteen-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.

Chains: Seeds of America, by Laurie Halse Anderson, 2008. (historical fiction) Book 1 in the Seeds of America trilogy. Catalog Summary: After being sold to a cruel couple in New York City, a slave named Isabel spies for the rebels during the Revolutionary War.

Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson, 2009. (realistic fiction)

My Review: This is the story of two friends, Cassie and Lia. Cassie is dead, and Lia now struggles with anorexia, and with the memories and the death of her friend Cassie. Cassie's death was the end result of bulimia. She called Lia 33 times on the night she died, and Lia did not answer. I really did not want to read this book. I was not in a frame of mind to read a story on the subject of eating disorders, so I kept passing this book up in favor of an adventurous fantasy or a humorous contemporary novel. However, when it was voted onto the Teens' Top Ten for 2010 this past October, it was time to put my squeamish feelings aside and check it out. Happily I discovered that although I felt the pain of the characters, I wasn't dragged down by the story. Anderson incorporates just enough distance in this very interior story, so that you are moved to want to understand, but are not wrung out by the distressing feelings and events, i.e. this book is emotionally intense but not completely bleak. It is a compelling story - a worthwhile and recommended read for anyone interested in these issues, or who enjoys realistic, character-driven, problem-solving, engrossing fiction. My rating: 4 stars.

The following video is part of an AdLit.org interview with Laurie Halse Anderson talking about her book Wintergirls :

Twisted, by Laurie Halse Anderson, 2007. (realistic fiction) Catalog Summary: After finally getting noticed by someone other than school bullies and his ever-angry father, seventeen-year-old Tyler enjoys his tough new reputation and the attentions of a popular girl, but when life starts to go bad again, he must choose between transforming himself or giving in to his destructive thoughts.

Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, 2006. (realistic fiction) Catalog Summary: A traumatic event near the end of the summer has a devastating effect on Melinda's freshman year in high school.

Prom, by Laurie Halse Anderson, 2005. (realistic fiction) Catalog Summary: Eighteen-year-old Ash wants nothing to do with senior prom, but when disaster strikes and her desperate friend, Nat, needs her help to get it back on track, Ash's involvement transforms her life.

Catalyst, by Laurie Halse Anderson, 2003. (realistic fiction) Catalog Summary: Eighteen-year-old Kate, who sometimes chafes at being a preacher's daughter, finds herself losing control in her senior year as she faces difficult neighbors, the possibility that she may not be accepted by the college of her choice, and an unexpected death.

Fever, 1793, by Laurie Halse Anderson, 2000. (historical fiction) Catalog Summary: In 1793 Philadelphia, sixteen-year-old Matilda Cook, separated from her sick mother, learns about perseverance and self-reliance when she is forced to cope with the horrors of a yellow fever epidemic.

Laurie Halse Anderson's website

BABYSITTERS' ADVICE SOUGHT ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BABYSITTING CLASS SCHEDULED

2010-11-30T14:53:00.004-05:00

Are you a teen who works as a babysitter?

Do you have babysitter advice for parents?

Now is your opportunity to be heard.

An editor from Boston Parents Paper is writing a story for parents about babysitting from the babysitter's perspective. For more information please see the email from Boston Parents Paper Associate Editor, Susan Flynn, which is reproduced here ------------------------>

Sign up now for the Beverly Hospital Babysitting Course scheduled here at the Hamilton-Wenham Public Library during the February school break. You must come to the Library to sign up, and to pick up the Beverly Hospital registration form. Babysitting classes fill up fast so don't wait too long to register.

CLASSIC FICTION - WHAT'S THAT?

2010-11-09T19:58:00.035-05:00

The year has rolled round to the 7th grade classic fiction assignment. Bringing the question once again to a quiet simmer: which of the books in the Young Adult collection are classics? It is probably easier for most teens to confidently identify a classic car than to find a classic book. It used to be that a classic was a literary work from ancient Greece or Rome, such as The Iliad, or The Odyssey, or Ovid's Metamorphoses. I might be wrong, however I don't think those illustrious titles are what the seventh grade teachers had in mind when they launched their students on the worthy quest to find and read a classic book. Never fear! There are many classic book lists, hibernating in cyberspace, and in reference books, which, after study, boils down to this: a classic book is one with recognized excellence (usually a book with an award), and is timeless (a book that has not gone out of print for half a century, or has stood the test of time). There are classic childhood favorites such as: Around the World in Eighty Days; Pinocchio; The Wheel on the School; Winnie the Pooh; The Secret Garden; Black Beauty; Heidi; The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, and many more (see the Must Read Classics for Older Kids link below). Did you miss one of these wonderful stories? Perhaps now is your chance to check one out to read, and get credit for a school assignment.

Currently there is a display of classic books on one of the counter tops in the Library's Young Adult area. Below are a few of the choices arranged by genre. What's your ride?:
Adventure classic: The Call of the Wild; Kidnapped
Fantasy classic: The Hobbit; Watership Down; AWizard of Earthsea
Historical Fiction classic: The Red Badge of Courage
Mystery classic: Rebecca; The Hound of the Baskervilles
Romance classic: Jane Eyre
Science Fiction classic: The Giver, A Wrinkle in Time; The Left Hand of Darkness, War of the Worlds, 1984
Supernatural classic: Dracula; The Picture of Dorian Gray

Here are a few classics in the Young Adult collection that are in Graphic Novel format: Beowulf, Fahrenheit 451, The Merchant of Venice; The Tempest, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Odyssey (Please ask your teacher if a graphic format classic is okay to choose for the reading assignment)

For more choices check out these classic lists from EBSCO's NoveList Plus database:
NoveList Must Read Classics for Teens
NoveList Must Read Classics for Older Kids

Boston Book Festival and National Novel Writing Month

2010-10-25T11:31:00.016-04:00

It took me a week, but at last there is time to share my experience attending the very worthwhile, and fun, 2nd annual (free and open to the public) Boston Book Festival. Choosing which BBF event to attend was difficult, there were so many that were tempting. I picked three: True Story: The Art of Non-Fiction; My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me; and It Books: YA Authors Discuss What's Hot. I was rewarded with entertaining, and enlightening, windows into the writing process, and the quirkiness of authors; their worries and success. Here (in no particular order) are a few highlights and ideas from the events I attended:
It is an essential exercise for any writer to be able to say what his/her book is about, while generating interest in reading the book, on nothing larger than a 2 inch square paper (or in a 140 character tweet), even if the novel is about the history of the sun or Being Wrong; Kristin Cashore writes all her books using a pen (and sometimes pencil because then she doesn't have to press as hard) and notebooks (which she numbers), and then she uses word recognition software to put them in electronic format (oh, and she hides from the mailman); do we really only want perfect (seeming) (and consequently bland) people serving us in the world of politics and law? or do we need, and can we tolerate flawed risk takers?; fairy tales are mini-myths; Kathryn Lasky is writing a new series about wolves that takes place in the same world as the Guardians of Ga'Hoole; Francisco Stork (a personal favorite) goes to bookstores in June to see what is on the summer reading table, and he hopes to one day find one of his books among the chosen; Noni Carter, a 19 year old at Harvard, just published her first book, Good Fortune.

Which brings me to the second part of this post: National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo) starts November 1. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel by midnight November 30. Teens are welcome to participate in all of the nanowrimo write-in sessions scheduled on Saturdays here at the Library. Come when you can, leave when you like, snack, socialize, and boost your word count. You can sign up in the Young Writer's Program of the National Novel Writing website, and set your own word count goal. Sarah Lauderdale, our Reference Librarian, is organizing and running the nanowrimo write-ins here. Stop by the Reference desk or call her at 978-468-5577 x19, if you want more information.

YALSA ANNOUNCES 2010 TEENS' TOP TEN WINNERS

2010-10-19T14:50:00.010-04:00

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) announced the 2010 Teens' Top Ten winners yesterday; nominated and selected by teens from libraries across the country : "More than 8,000 teens voted in the 2010 Teens' Top Ten, with Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins topping the list. Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year (published in 2009). (Nominators are members of teen book groups in fifteen school and public libraries around the country.) Nominations are then posted (online) on Support Teen Literature Day during National Library Week (in April), and teens across the country (read and) vote on their favorite titles (from May to September) each year." The 2010 winning titles listed below are linked to the library catalog to make it easy to find and request these books.

The 2010 Teens' Top Ten Winners are :

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
Heist Society by Ally Carter
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Fire by Kristin Cashore
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

What do you think about this list? Have you read these books? Do you agree or is your favorite missing? Did you vote? Post your comment or review below. I have read all but 2 of the books on this list. Wintergirls and Heist Society are on my list to read next. What's on your list to read?
To see the list of all 2010 nominations click here.

Young Adult Library Collection Circulates!

2010-10-12T18:49:00.008-04:00

The graph below reveals a dramatic 4 year increase (from October 2006 to September 2010) in the Young Adult fiction collection circulation at the Hamilton-Wenham Public Library - a 93% increase. Over the same 4 year period, teen nonfiction circulation has increased 37%, and graphic/manga book circulation has increased 60%. Overall, the circulation in the Young Adult collection has increased 78% in 4 years. (Numbers on graph are total number of items in a category in the Young Adult collection that circulated over a 12 month period, Oct.-Sept.)

Winter Shadows by Margaret Buffie

2010-10-06T11:49:00.018-04:00

Winter Shadows, by Margaret Buffie, 2010.

Connected by family, situation, and location, Cass and Beatrice find and help each other across the space of 150 years. Both girls have lost their mothers, and are struggling with a new stepmother, and the loss of their secure place in the family home. It is the beginning of winter in Canada, a few weeks before Christmas, and the holiday brings troubles to a boil for both girls. Fortunately, Cass and Beatrice both receive support from other family members, from each other across time, and from budding romances. Beatrice has her Cree grandmother and lives during a time of frontier and social integration, and Cass who lives in the present time has her mother's sister nearby. This book is a little predictable but is very enjoyable on many levels particularly for the historical information that is interwoven through the story about the life of the people living in Canada during the 19th century. There are many Cree Indian words sprinkled throughout the book with a glossary at the back. Though I could guess that everything would resolve positively I still wanted to know who Beatrice finally marries, and whether life at home improves for sassy Cass.
My rating 3 and a half stars.

Books by Margaret Buffie available through the Library's online catalog.
Margaret Buffie's website.

Featured Author: Cassandra Clare

2010-10-04T11:52:00.019-04:00

Clockwork Angel, by Cassandra Clare, 2010.

Clockwork Angel is the beginning of a new series called The Infernal Devices, by Cassandra Clare. It takes place 150 years before Clare's Mortal Instruments series: City of Bones, City of Ashes, & City of Glass. The fourth book in the Mortal Instrument series: City of Fallen Angels is scheduled for publication in April 2011. If you liked Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series you may also enjoy reading Cassandra Clare's books. Personally I like The Mortal Instruments series more than the Twilight series. Compared to the Twilight series the Mortal Instruments are similarly dark and romantic (with a love triangle), however, there are more twists, mystery, and magic in the Mortal Instruments, with a large cast of characters including vampires, warlocks, werewolves, shadowhunters, and demons.

Clockwork Angel is a supernatural urban fantasy, and since it is set in the Victorian era with futuristic technology, in this case automatons (robots), it also falls into the steampunk genre. The story begins with 16 year old Tessa Gray, who has traveled from New York to London in search of her older brother. As soon as she steps off the ship in London she is kidnapped by the Dark Sisters. The Sisters force her to begin training to use a rare ability to shape shift; an ability of which she was previously unaware. Tessa is soon rescued from the Dark Sisters by the Shadowhunters. Shadowhunters are warriors, half angel and half human, dedicated to ridding the world of demons. Tessa is sheltered by the Shadowhunters in their hidden London Institute, where she continues the search for her brother, her own identity, and battles further abduction attempts. Clockwork Angel is like an excellent box of dark chocolates, with just the right amount of crunchy and smooth filling. My rating 4 stars.

Cassandra Clare books and audiobooks available through the Library Consortium.
Cassandra Clare's website

Holly Black interviews Cassandra Clare. July 28, 2009:

Cassandra Clare answers questions from her fans. October 9, 2009:

OCTOBER 1 POETRY SLAM

2010-09-01T16:29:00.017-04:00

The Poetry Slam was canceled due to low sign up.

The Poetry Slam is open to both teens (ages 13-19) and adults.

There will be a winning teen entrant and a winning adult entrant.

Winners will receive a prize.

Participation is limited to 20 contestants.

or send an email to Kim at kclaire@mvlc.org

or call the Library at 978-468-5577 x14

RULES:

Bring 3 original poems no longer than 3 minutes each.

Three judges will be chosen randomly from the audience.

Slam is judged on content and performance.

No props or accompaniment of any kind allowed, just you, your poem, and the microphone.
Everyone participates in the first round; advancement to the next round depends on score and/or number of participants.

Poetry Slam Poster
click here to see: Pictures from the Library's April 2010 Poetry Slam

For inspiration you may like to watch this film:

Documentary Film of the National Poetry Slam

(Director's Cut), 14:08 minutes

The National Poetry Slam is the largest performance poetry festival in the world, and in 2005, 75 teams from the US, Canada and Europe decended on Albuquerque, New Mexico to compete for the title of National Poetry Slam Champion.Orginally broadcast on New Mexico PBS station KNME.

4 STAR SCIENCE FICTION

2010-08-20T15:50:00.006-04:00

POD, by Stephen Wallenfels, 2009. One morning at 5 AM gray black spheres dot the sky, and any human or car outside is instantly zapped in a flash light "no explosion, no ball of flame, just gone". Strangely animals and plants are not affected. Those who are caught in buildings must find a way to survive, like 16 year old Josh and his father trapped in their house in Washington, and 12 year old Megs caught in the parking garage of a hotel in California. Although the pods seem menacing, the human beings in the story are often more scary. If you like Science Fiction straight up, (no fantasy funny business), or you like survival stories this book will dish it out. The ending is surprising, and satisfying. This is Mr. Wallenfels first book. According to his website, he is currently working on POD 2. My rating: 4 stars
Stephen Wallenfels website

Ship Breaker, by Paolo Bacigalupi, 2010.
Nailer Lopez lives on a Gulf Coast beach in a dystopian future. To survive he works on a crew that scavenges beached ships and oil tankers for wire, scrap metal, and fuel. It is a harsh, primitive, and dangerous way of life. Out in the distance Nailer can see the modern clipper ships that fly over the waves, and longs to be on one. In this future world there are also human/dog hybrid slaves, crews who salvage body parts, the very wealthy "swank", and the very poor. At the center of the story is Nailer's love/hate relationship with his abusive drug-addicted father. One day a storm shipwrecks one of the clipper ships. The wreck could be Nailer's "Lucky Strike", however, he discovers the owner, a girl, still alive in the wreck. Thus begins a series of events that require Nailer to make life and death decisions, in this fast paced gritty Sci-Fi adventure story. My rating: 4 stars

Seeing Beauty : An Art and Photography Reception in the Young Adult Area

2010-08-09T16:02:00.000-04:00

Seeing Beauty: An Exploration of the Aesthetics of Beauty,

Expressed Through the Lens of a Photographer and the Pencil of an Artist

In preparation for next week's exhibit, the new hanging system arrived and was installed in the Young Adult area today. The Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School Business Club is hosting an exhibit here at the Library to showcase the work of student visual artists and photographers. Come enjoy an exhibit of art and photography at the reception on Thursday, August 19, in the Young Adult area of the Library, from 6:30pm to 8pm. Meet the artists and enjoy some refreshments. Art and photography will be for sale. Artwork will be on view until September 30th.

Business Club Art Exhibit Information

Featured Author: Neal Shusterman

2010-07-30T14:44:00.012-04:00

Mr. Shusterman's books reward the reader with a rich bounty of things to think or wonder about that are sometimes intense, sometimes humorous:

Bruiser by Neal Shusterman, 2010.
In Bruiser, Mr. Shusterman has taken an intriguing concept and built a supernatural story that may leave you thinking long after the final page is turned. What happens when any pain, physical or emotional, is taken away? While reading this book I kept thinking of the Bible phrase, "he taketh away the sins of the world." And then wondering - Is there a flip side, a dark side, to salvation? Brewster Rawlins aka Bruiser is described as a sasquatch, a hulking teenager of 16 years, with eyes that are an ugly pea green. Voted by his classmates as "Most Likely to Receive the Death Penalty." What no one knows, since Brewster keeps to himself, is that if he cares about you, he automatically takes away your injuries or pain as his own. Bruiser is told from four points of view; Tennyson and Bronte who are twins, and Brewster and his brother Cody. Tennyson and Bronte live with parents on the verge of divorce, and Brewster and Cody live with their abusive Uncle Hoyt. Brewster's point of view is told in free verse. The first chapter starts with Tennyson's point of view when Brewster asks his sister Bronte out on a date to play miniature golf. Every book I've read by Neal Shusterman has been a thought-generating, and a gratifying read. Bruiser is no exception. My rating: 3 and a half stars

Everlost by Neal Shusterman published in 2006 is the first book in the Skinjacker Trilogy. Everfound, the third book in the Skinjacker Trilogy, is scheduled for publication in May 2011. Everlost begins with two cars that accidentally crash. A passenger in each car dies; Nick and Allie. As they feel themselves moving through a tunnel towards a light, they bump each other off course and don't get to where they are going. They wake up in Everlost, an in between place for lost souls where there are only children and teenagers. Nick and Allie take different approaches to the people and circumstances of their new existence. Will they choose complacency, choose to be in Everlost, or will they find the strength to get to where they are going? Everlost is a terrific adventure-fantasy in an unpredictable setting. My rating, so far, for this trilogy: 4 stars

Unwind by Neal Shusterman, 2007. Unwind takes place in a dystopian society where organ harvesting of every part of the body is not viewed as death for the donor. In this future society a war was fought between the Pro-life and the Pro-choice armies over reproductive rights, and now there is no abortion. A "Bill of Life" was passed that ended the war. The Bill of Life gives parents the right to choose, when their child is between the ages of 13 and 18, to have them "unwound". Every part of the body is used to help someone else, including brain parts, skin, nerves, limbs, etc. so that technically the unwound person is still living. One of the horrifying parts of this story is that that the person being unwound is awake and conscious (pain-free) during the whole procedure. Sometimes the body parts retain a memory of skills, thoughts, or emotions, that the recipient then experiences. This is a story of dismembering as well as remembering. Three teens, Connor, Risa, and Lev, who do not want to be "unwound" try to escape. Unwind is a science fiction thriller that gives one serious moral issues to think about as we move out of the current infancy of organ harvesting. My rating: 4 stars Unwind movie website

Antsy Does Time by Neal Shusterman, 2008.
I have not read this - write your review in the comments section below. Library Catalog Summary: Fourteen-year-old Anthony "Antsy" Bonano learns about life, death, and a lot more when he tries to help a friend with a terminal illness feel hopeful about the future.

Darkness Creeping: Twenty Twisted Tales by Neal Shusterman, 2007. A collection of horror tales. Tell your tale, write your review in the comments below! Library Catalog Summary: Imagine being trapped forever in someone else's nightmare, with no means of escape. Or caught on one of the most terrifying roller coasters of all time, when suddenly the tracks ahead just disappear. Enter the world of Darkness Creeping, where hollow-eyed skulls arrive in the mail and nothing is as it seems... a collection of masterfully creepy stories so horrifying, you may have to read them twice to remind yourself they're not real.

The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman, 2004.
I have not yet had a chance to read this book. It won the 2005 Boston Globe Horn Book Award. Library Catalog Summary: A Brooklyn eighth-grader nicknamed Antsy befriends the Schwa, an "invisible-ish" boy who is tired of blending into his surroundings and going unnoticed by nearly everyone. Write your review in the comments section below.

Neal Shusterman Books & Audiobooks in the Library Consortium
Neal Shusterman website

Neal Shusterman conducts a tour of his home including his awards, where he writes, art work, and home theater, May 15, 2009.

Seaside Thriller

2010-07-23T14:14:00.003-04:00

The She by Carol Plum-Ucci
The She is thriller that takes place along and off the South Jersey shore. Something called Ella Diablo Agujero (she-devil of the hole) has been eating boats to freighter ships for over a century. Since Evan Barrett was a child he can sense and hear when The She is present. "My dad says he believes in something out there, though he doesn't say it when Mom's around, because she starts in on him. I don't talk about The She, but I'm always listening, waiting." (page 8) One night when Evan is nine he hears his parents on the ship to shore radio as something takes their freighter and sucks it under. The story does a fast forward to Evan, who is now seventeen, and living with his older brother Emmett. Evan is sent to visit Grey, a classmate who has checked herself in to a mental-health facility after a boating accident. Evan and Grey begin to help each other with their personal demons and nightmarish experiences. The She treads a creepy line between reality and the unexplained and possibly supernatural. Is there a rational explanation for The She, or is there a hungry and jealous being in the deep sea? My rating: 3 stars

Carol Plum-Ucci author website

SYNC YA Literature into Your Earphones

2010-07-12T09:57:00.014-04:00

2 FREE Audiobook Downloads Each Week

July 1 - September 1, 2010

Teens and other readers of Young Adult Literature have the opportunity to download and listen to bestselling titles and classics this summer. Each week from July 1 - September 1, SYNC is offering two FREE audiobook downloads. The audiobook pairings will include a popular YA title and a classic that connects with the YA title's theme. For example, Frank Beddor's The Looking Glass Wars, a popular series with strong allusions to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, will be paired with Lewis Carroll's classic. There's no required sign-up, personal details, or credit card information required.

If you miss the week for an audiobook that you want you may also be able to borrow the audiobook through Merrimack Valley Library Consortium's (MVLC) Overdrive, using your library card barcode.

SYNC will also invite listeners (13+) into online discussions with librarians, publishers, authors, narrators, and other listeners about the featured books. Visit SYNC to download the following books to your player to take wherever summer might lead you.

Available July 1 - July 7
The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Available July 8 - July 14
Over the End Line by Alfred C. Martino
The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay

Available July 15 - July 21
Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Available July 22 - July 28
The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Available July 29 - August 4
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

Available August 5 - August 11
Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Available August 12 - August 18
Beastly by Alex Flinn
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Available August 19 - August 25
Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

Available August 26 - September 1
Handbook for Boys by Walter Dean Myers
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

New Historical Fiction by Karen Cushman

2010-07-09T14:18:00.003-04:00

From the first sentences, through dialect and authentic description, Newbery Medal winner Karen Cushman's newest historical fiction, Alchemy and Meggy Swann, conveys you to 1573. Elizabeth I is on the throne, but Shakespeare has not yet begun his plays. Medieval ideas are beginning to fade, and a new way of thinking and beliefs are starting to take hold. Meggy arrives from the country at her father's impoverished house on Crooked Lane, in London, with her goose Louise, and little else, only to discover that her alchemist father does not welcome her there. Meggy is crippled and uses two sticks to walk. She possesses a quick wit and a sharp tongue, and uses them to protect herself, and to forge a new life in a crowded and dirty city. Cushman includes a quote by Carl Jung at the beginning of the story : "The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances; if there is any reaction, both are transformed." Meggy the true alchemist in the story both transforms and is transformed through her choices, and the people she meets, during her struggles with life in London. This book includes a map of old London, and an author's note with historical resources. A fast, highly enjoyable read. My rating: 3 and a half stars

Karen Cushman's website

Peter Abrahams' Mystery: REALITY CHECK

2010-06-29T17:45:00.010-04:00

Take a summer plunge into mystery writer Peter Abrahams' Reality Check. Meet 16 year olds: Cody; blue collar, high school quarterback, and Clea; wealthy, class president, assistant editor for the school paper, as they leap off a Colorado cliff into a river, re-emerging in Vermont. It is the end of the school year and Cody and Clea are anticipating a summer spent together. However, Clea's father, who is not pleased with their relationship, sends Clea off to Hong Kong for the summer, and then to a boarding school in Vermont. A month after her arrival in Vermont, Clea goes missing. Back in Colorado, Cody receives a letter from Clea sent the morning that Clea disappeared. He immediately packs up his car and drives to Vermont to join the search to find Clea. Though Cody is not much of a scholar (one wonders if maybe he might be dyslexic?), his instincts and intuition are sharp. This suspenseful, love story won the 2010 Young Adult Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. My rating: 3 and a half stars

Bullet Point by Peter Abrahams is on order. Look for it in the YA area's Fresh Fiction display in July, or request it through the Library's online catalog.

Peter Abrahams website

Holly Black's: The WHITE CAT

2010-06-22T19:01:00.021-04:00

The White Cat is the first book in a new urban fantasy trilogy from Holly Black. No faerie world this time, but a 1920s mobster world where one out of a thousand people is a "curse worker" with a paranormal ability. One of the concepts in the story, that I liked, is that curse workers must contend with blow-back when they use their abilities. Cassel, a boy from a con artist family where everyone has a paranormal ability, but him, is struggling against his dreams and memories that are forcing him into dangerous situations. When you are from a con artist family it is hard to know who to trust. There are enough twists to this cat's tale to be an enjoyable read. I recommend it to those who like urban fantasy. Rating: 3 and a half stars.

Holly Black's website Library Thing reader reviews Novelist database

New Books Reviewed

2010-06-18T14:53:00.028-04:00

The Cardturner by Louis Sachar A new book from the author of Holes. 17 year old Alton spends his summer between 11th and 12th grade as a chauffeur and card turner for his blind, very rich, bridge playing, great-uncle Lester. The Cardturner is realistic fiction with a twinkle of magic realism. It made me want to learn how to play bridge or at least try the game sometime. Loved this book! My rating : 4 stars.

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell A long story to get Carrie where she's going, which is New York City. If you are a fan of the television series, Sex and the City, then you will probably want to read this book, however, if you are looking for a contemporary coming of age story about a girl in high school, there are better ones out there to spend time with than this book. There are many I could recommend, just ask. My rating: 2.5 stars.

How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford A platonic love story with a midnight radio connection. Humorous and sometimes sad. About a girl coping with moving to a new town, a new school, and family relationships, and a boy coping with the loss of his twin, and his relationship with his father. Recommend! My rating: 4 stars.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer The SSL of Bree Tanner was a short breezy snack back into Meyer's Twilight series. Since it is from a newborn vampire's point of view it adds some depth to the series, particularly to Eclipse. This novella does not have the same dreamlike quality, and romantic tension, of the other Twilight books that keeps you turning page after page into the night, but if you liked the Twilight series, you will enjoy this book. Now I want to know what happens with Fred - the only talented newborn who escapes from the pack. My rating: 3 stars.

Until July 5th you can read this book online. Stephenie Meyer's website.

Witch & Wizard by James Patterson A dystopian fantasy. This is the worst book I have read in 2010 (61 books in 2010, so far). A jumbled, bumpy - who cares ride. Awful! My rating: half a star.