Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

Charlie had never really spoken to Jasper Jones, the town “troublemaker”, before the night he came to Charlie’s window. He had been looking forward to a lazy summer with his best friend, Jeffrey, but now he is in the middle of a murder mystery. Someone hung the daughter of the shire’s president, and Jasper is sure he will be blamed unless he and Charlie can figure out who did it first. The boys deal with murder, prejudice, incest and first loves. They also get to know each other and themselves much better over the course of this summer. This book takes place in a small Australian town in the 1960s, and while a lot of very serious things happen in the story, it’s also a very funny story. This book had me laughing out loud, quoting it to my friends, on the edge of my seat, and thinking long after I put it down.

Reviewed by Claire, Youth Outreach Coordinator

Saturn Apartment Vol 1 by Hisae Iwaoka

If you want to dip your toe into the vast pool of Manga out there then a good place to start is Saturn Apartments.  Many years in the future, Mitsu has just joined the window's washers guild, which takes care of cleaning the multilevel glass ring 35 kilometer above the earth that everyone now lives in.  Everyone lives in this glass enclosed world because Earth has been deemed environmentally protected.  In the this new world status isn't measure by how big your house is it's how high up in the ring structure your apartment is located.  Now Mitsu has took over the window washing position after this father tragically died on the job under questionable circumstances.  As he begins his new job Mitsu gains a new view of his world, which begins to unlock secrets not just in his life, but in others' too. 

 

Posted by Renee, Teen Outreach Librarian

Want to see the cover of Ellen Hopkins' next novel?

Ew.com's blog, Shelf Life, recently posteda look at cover of Ellen Hopkins' next novel, Tilt, which will hit bookshelves in September.  Check out the cover:

Also, click here to find Crank, one of Hopkins' most popular novels, in the Library. 

posted by Colleen, Teen Services Librarian

Book Trailer of the Week-- Death Cloud by Andrew Lane

This week's book trailer is for Death Cloud by Andrew Smith.  Click here to find Death Cloud in the Library!

 

posted by Colleen, Teen Services Librarian

Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher

Katcher tells an amazing story in Almost Perfect.  It can be difficult to read because it has some very harsh realities in it.  The story centers on Logan and Sage. Logan's still reeling from a painful breakup with his longtime girl friends Brenda, when Sage walks into his life.  He immediately feels drawn to her. While she's amazing, Sage comes with some restrictions.  She's not allowed to date or leave the house by herself at all.  At first this just seems like a case of strict parents- but then it turns about much much more than that.  Once Logan finds Sage's "secret" out - it changes everything. Logan tries to work through his feelings about who he is and how Sage's secret affects that.  While Logan is often caught up with himself and his own feelings there are tons of different things Sage is dealing with and coping with too.  Logan and Sage's parents are often concerned about how Sage will make them look - not about Sage.  Sage is battling with being her true self, whether or not society will ever accept her and whether she can accept all the hardships that come with just being herself or if perhaps it's not worth it.  

Posted by Renee, Teen Outreach Librarian

Book Trailer of the Week-- The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

This week's book trailer is for The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour.  Click here to find The Disenchantments in the Library!

 

posted by Colleen, Teen Services Librarian

2011 Cybils announced yesterday!

Yesterday, the 2011 Cybils were announced.  The Cybils are the children's and young adult bloggers literary awards.  According to their website, "instead of telling kids what we think they should be reading, we take a look at what they already are reading (or likely will read) -- and then pick out the best of them."  Check out the teen titles that won below and click on the cover or the title link to find them in the Library!

Young Adult Fiction Winner

Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach

Just before his sixteenth birthday, Felton Reinstein has a sudden growth spurt that turns him from a small, jumpy, picked-on boy with the nickname of "Squirrel Nut" to a powerful athlete, leading to new friends, his first love, and the courage to confront his family's problems.

Fantasy and Science Fiction Winner

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

In a distant future, eighteen-year-old Lugh is kidnapped, and while his twin sister Saba and nine-year-old Emmi are trailing him across bleak Sandsea they are captured, too, and taken to brutal Hopetown, where Saba is forced to be a cage fighter until new friends help plan an escape.

Graphic Novel Winner

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Anya, embarrassed by her Russian immigrant family and self-conscious about her body, has given up on fitting in at school but falling down a well and making friends with the ghost there just may be worse.

Poetry Winner

Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto by Paul B. Janeczko

Presents a collection of poetry inspired by the history of the people in the Terezín concentration camp during the holocaust.

posted by Colleen, Teen Services Librarian 

A Special Valentine for Fans of the Iron Fey Series!

If you've read or are reading Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series here's a little treat- a letter  detailing the events of Ash and Megan's first date! After you check out the letter be sure to explore the rest of the Iron Fey website, which is filled with unpublished parts of the books, playlists and more.

 

 

 

 

Posted by Renee, Teen Outreach Librarian

Okay For Now by Gary Schmidt

Doug Swieteck is a character you may have first come across in Gary Schmidt’s The Wednesday Wars. He wasn’t exactly lovable in that story, but you are left wondering what happened to him. Okay For Now focuses on just that – what happened to Doug and what’s his deal? First off I freakin’ loved this book. It definitely stands apart from the rest. It touches on a lot of issues that can be hard to read about, but it does it in subtle way.
The story starts off with Doug’s family having to move to “stupid” Marysville suddenly after his father loses his job. Doug’s father has “fast hands” that lash out at his family and fast mouth that runs his mostly negative opinions about everything. He is not someone Doug or you is going to be very fond of. Doug’s mother has the “most beautiful smile,” and is a beautiful person for everything she does for her family. Doug has two brothers, Chris and Lucas. Chris is still living at home and has reputation for trouble, which everyone also places on Doug after some suspicious incidents start occurring in Marysville once the Swieteck’s arrive. Lucas has been serving in Vietnam and when he finally comes home it creates major changes within Doug’s family, especially since Lucas doesn’t come home in condition he left in.
Back to Doug- Doug’s first encounter with someone in Marysville is Lil, who’s dad owns Spicer’s Deli. They’re relationship doesn’t get off the best start, but then Lil offers Doug a job delivering ice cream and groceries around the neighborhood on Saturdays for her dad. After that they become pretty good pals with some amusing banter.

 Now there’s one place Doug can escape from all the craziness in his life- the library. It’s at the library where he first encounters John Audubon’s Bird’s of America. Now you wouldn’t think a bird book could change someone’s life, but in this case a bird book does change Doug’s. It’s not just the book but also all the people and relationships that are created because of it. Whether it’s with Mr. Powell the librarian who spending Saturdays with Doug teaching his how to draw using the illustrations in the book, or the president of company that Doug’s dad works on, who happened to purchase one of the pages of the book or  the eccentric playwright Mrs. Windermere, the bird book pulls the story together. It’s all of these people and more from “stupid” Marysville who start to chip away at Doug’s hard outside shell and begin to see everything that Doug’s been covering up inside. With the help of fiery spirited Lil and a many other endearing characters Doug might just decide that things are more than just Okay For Now.

Reviewed by Renee, Teen Outreach Librarian

Book Trailer of the Week-- Shelter by Harlan Coben

This week's book trailer is for Shelter by Harlan Coben.  Click here to find Shelter in the Library!

 

posted by Colleen, Teen Services Librarian