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Teen Blog

Award Winning Teen Books!

Yesterday morning the Youth Media Awards were held at the American Library’s Association’s Midwinter Conference.  These awards are held annually and recognize some of the best books written for the year for kids and teens.  Check out the recording of the awards ceremony and then take a look at the winning Teen books below!

The Michael L. Printz Award

Given for excellence in literature written for young adults.

Winner:

IllGiveYouSun

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Four Printz Honor Books also were named:

AndWeStayCarnivalAtBraygrasshopper jungleThisOneSummer

And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard

The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki

This One Summer also was named a Caldecott Honor Book: the Randolph Caldecott Medal is for the most distinguished American picture book for children.

 

William C. Morris Award

Given for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens.

Winner:

Gabi

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

Four other books were finalists for the award:

CarnivalAtBrayStoryofOwenscarboysstrangebeautifulsorrows

The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley

The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim by E.K. Johnston

The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

 

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults

Winner:

Popular

Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek by Maya Van Wagenen

Four other books were finalists for the award:

laughingatmynightmareFamilyRominovIdaMTarbellPortChicago50

Laughing at My Nightmare by Shane Burcaw

The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming

The Family Romanov was also named a Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor Book, for most distinguished informational book for children and teens:

Ida M. Tarbell: The Woman Who Challenged Big Business—and Won! by Emily Arnold McCully

The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin

 

2015 list of Best Fiction for Young Adults (BFYA)

These books, recommended for ages 12-18, meet the criteria of both quality literature and appeal to teens, while comprising a wide range of genres, styles and subjects. Click here to find the full list!

Top Ten list from the final selections:

crossoverCarnivalAtBrayvangoStoryofOwenGospel of WinterWeWereLiarsYoungElitesIllGiveYouSunjackabyNoggin

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley
Vango by Timothee de Fombelle
The Story of Owen Dragonslayer of Trondheim by  E.K. Johnston
The Gospel of Winter by Brendan Kiely
We Were Liars by e. lockhart
The Young Elites by Marie Lu
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Jackaby by William Ritter
Noggin by John Corey Whaley

 

Coretta Scott King Honor Book:  The Coretta Scott Kind Book Award recognizes an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:

HowitWentDown

How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon

 

John Steptoe New Talent Author Award: The John Steptoe New Talent Award recognizes new talent and is determined by the Coretta Scott King Task Force:

When I Was The Greatest

When I Was the Greatest written by Jason Reynolds

 

Schneider Family Book Award’s Teen Selection: for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:

GirlsLikeUs

Girls Like Us by Gail Giles

 

Stonewall Honor Books:  given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience:

BeyondMagentaIllGiveYouSun

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

 

Teen Advisory Board Picks for January

Check out the books, movies, TV shows, and music that come highly recommended by our Teen Advisory Board Members!

Books

1984

Will: 1984 by George Orwell

InherittheWind

Kelsey: Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee

Lightning ThiefMockingjay

Matt: Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

WintergirlsMockingjay

Julia: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

empty

Veronika: Empty by Suzanne Weyn

Insurgent

Ashley: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

londoneyemys

Katie: The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

Movies & TV

OnceUponTime

Will: Once Upon a Time

ForestGumpCriminalMindsoffice

Kelsey: Forest Gump, Criminal Minds, The Office

GOTHAMFlashsimpsonsWinter SoldierModernFamily

Matt: Gotham, Flash, The Terminator, The Simpsons, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Modern Family

LawOrder

Julia: Law & Order

IfIStaymovie

Chloe: If I Stay

FriendsBlackishbigbangtheory

Katie: Friends, Blackish, Big Bang Theory

Music

45secondsdivergentsoundtrack

Barbara: FourFiveSeconds by Rhianna, Kanye, and Paul McCartney; I Need You by M83

Symphonysoldieratworldsendscoredeadmanschest

Kelsey: Symphony Soldier by The Cab, Pirates of the Caribbean film scores by Hans Zimmer

fellowshipoftheringunexpectedjourney

Will: The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film scores

bigbang

Julia: The Big Bang by Rock Mafia

ForYouSledgehammerJustifiedShawnMendes

Katie: The Heart Wants What it Wants and My Dilemma 2.0 by Selena Gomez; Sledgehammer by Fifth Harmony;  Cry Me a River by Justin Timberlake; Something Big by Shawn Mendes

 

By Colleen, Teen Services Librarian on January 28, 2015 Categories: Action/Adventure, Drama, Dystopian, Fantasy, Fiction, Funny, Movies, Music, Mystery, Nonfiction, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, TAB Picks

Book Trailer of the Week– Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Click here to find Dorothy Must Die in the Library!

By Colleen, Teen Services Librarian on January 9, 2015 Categories: Action/Adventure, Book Trailer, Fantasy, Fiction, Funny

Pick up a Winter Romance!

ShiverShiver by Maggie Stiefvater

YA STIEFVATER, M.

In all the years she has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house, Grace has been particularly drawn to an unusual yellow-eyed wolf who, in his turn, has been watching her with increasing intensity.

WinterLongingWinter Longing by Tricia Mills

YA MILLS, T.

Tundra, Alaska, high school senior Winter learns about love, loss, and starting over when her boyfriend, who has been her best friend since second grade, is killed in a plane crash the day after they declared their love for each other.

WinterTownWinter Town by Stephen Emond

YA EMOND, S.

Evan and Lucy, childhood best friends who grew apart after years of seeing one another only during Christmas break, begin a romance at age seventeen but his choice to mindlessly follow his father’s plans for an Ivy League education rather than becoming the cartoonist he longs to be, and her more destructive choices in the wake of family problems, pull them apart.

SurviveSurvive by Alex Morel

YA MOREL, A.

A troubled girl is stranded in an arctic winter terrain after a plane crash and must fight for survival with the only other boy left alive.

mytrueloveMy True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories edited and with a story by Stephanie Perkins

YA SS MY

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by the international bestselling Stephanie Perkins. Whether you enjoy celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or New Years, there’s something here for everyone. So curl up by the fireplace and get cozy. You have twelve reasons this season to stay indoors and fall in love

LetItSnowLet It Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle

YA LET

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.

coldspellCold Spell by Jackson Pearce

YA PEARCE, J.

When her boyfriend disappears with a mysterious girl, seventeen-year-old Ginny leaves her hometown of Atlanta and fights wolves, escapes thieves, and braves the cold to rescue him.

BlackIceBlack Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

YA FITZPATRICK, B.

Britt goes hiking in the Grand Tetons of Wyoming with her ex-boyfriend Calvin, but trouble arises when she is caught in a blizzard, taken hostage by fugitives, finds evidence of murders, and learns whom to trust and whom to love.

UndercoverUndercover by Beth Kephart

YA KEPHART, B.

High school sophomore Elisa is used to observing while going unnoticed except when classmates ask her to write love notes for them, but a teacher’s recognition of her talent, a “client’s” desire for her friendship, a love of ice skating, and her parent’s marital problems draw her out of herself.

DashLilyDash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

YA COHN, R.

Told in the alternating voices of Dash and Lily, two sixteen-year-olds carry on a wintry scavenger hunt at Christmas-time in New York, neither knowing quite what–or who–they will find.

PrinceSnowgirlThe Prince and the Snowgirl by Simon Cheshire

YA CHESHIRE, S.

Tom Miller has been performing as a look-alike of Prince George of England for several years, but he finally decides to change his appearance and try to figure out who he really is when the real prince makes a surprise appearance while Tom is competing at the UK Inter-Schools Ski Championships in Scotland.

FinnishLineThe Finnish Line by Linda Gerber

YA GERBER, L.

Ski jumper Mo Clark goes to Finland with the Scholar Athlete Exchange Program, trying to get away from her famous and accomplished family and seeking equality in her male-dominated sport.

CoffeehouseAngelsCoffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

YA SELFORS, S.

Sixteen-year-old Katrina’s kindness to a man she finds sleeping behind her grandmother’s coffeehouse leads to a strange reward as Malcolm, who is actually a teenage guardian angel, insists on rewarding her by granting her deepest wish.

FrozenFrozen by by Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston

YA SF DE LA CRUZ, M.

More than a century after a catastrophic disaster wiped out most of humanity and covered much of the earth with ice, fifteen-year-old Cass yields to the voice in her head urging her to embark on a dangerous journey across a poisoned sea to the mythical land, Blue.

TragedyPaperThe Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban

YA LABAN, E.

While preparing for the most dreaded assignment at the prestigious Irving School, the Tragedy Paper, Duncan gets wrapped up in the tragic tale of Tim Macbeth, a former student who had a clandestine relationship with the wrong girl, and his own ill-fated romance with Daisy.

VanishingSeasonThe Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson

YA ANDERSON, J.

Girls started vanishing in the fall. For Maggie Larsen, the town of Gill Creek is only a stopgap before college and freedom. Until she meets Pauline and Liam. What starts as an uneventful year suddenly changes. Someone is killing teenaged girls, and the town reels from the tragedy. As Maggie’s and Pauline’s worlds collide and change around them, they will both experience love and loss. And by the end of the book, only one of them will survive

By Colleen, Teen Services Librarian on January 8, 2015 Categories: Action/Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Fiction, Funny, Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Supernatural/Paranormal

Novels for Teen Gamers

EpicEpic by Conor Kostick

YA SF KOSTICK, C.

On New Earth, a world based on a video role-playing game, fourteen-year-old Erik persuades 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.

GamerGirlGamer Girl by Mari Mancusi

YA MANCUSI, M.

Struggling to fit in after her parents’ divorce sends her from Boston to her grandmother’s house in the country, sixteen-year-old Maddy forms a manga club at school and falls in love through an online fantasy game.

Eye of MindsThe Eye of Minds by James Dashner

YA SF DASHNER, J.

Michael is a skilled internet gamer in a world of advanced technology. When a cyber-terrorist begins to threaten players, Michael is called upon to seek him and his secret’s out.

DontTurnAroundDon’t Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon

YA GAGNON, M.

After waking up on an operating table with no memory of how she got there, Noa must team up with computer hacker Peter to stop a corrupt corporation with a deadly secret.

For the WinFor the Win by Cory Doctorow

YA SF DOCTOROW, C.

A group of teens from around the world find themselves drawn into an online revolution arranged by a mysterious young woman known as Big Sister Nor, who hopes to challenge the status quo and change the world using her virtual connections.

readyplayeroneReady Player One by Ernest Cline

YA CLINE, E.

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the virtual utopia known as the Oasis. Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines – puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade’s going to survive, he’ll have to win – and confront the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.

InsigniaInsignia by S.J. Kincaid

YA SF KINCAID, S.

Tom, a fourteen-year-old genius at virtual reality games, is recruited by the United States Military to begin training at the Pentagon Spire as a Combatant in World War III, controlling the mechanized drones that do the actual fighting off-planet.

HeirApparentHeir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde

YA SF VANDE VELDE, V.

While playing a total immersion virtual reality game of kings and intrigue, fourteen-year-old Giannine learns that demonstrators have damaged the equipment to which she is connected, and she must win the game quickly or be damaged herself.

HeadGames2Head Games by Mariah Fredericks

YA FREDERICKS, M.

Two teenagers connect online in a role-playing game which leads them into their own face-to-face, half-acknowledged courtship.

feedFeed by M.T. Anderson

YA SF ANDERSON, M.

In a future where most people have computer implants in their heads to control their environment, a boy meets an unusual girl who is in serious trouble.

evilgeniusEvil Genius by Catherine Jinks

YA SF JINKS, C.

Child prodigy Cadel Piggot, an antisocial computer hacker, discovers his true identity when he enrolls as a first-year student at an advanced crime academy.

RushRush by Eve Silver

YA SF SILVER, E.

Rochester, New York, high schooler Miki Jones is pulled into a sort of a game in which she and other teens battle real-life aliens and the consequences of each battle could be deadly.

CodaCoda by Emma Trevayne

YA SF TREVAYNE, E.

Ever since he was a young boy, music has coursed through the veins of eighteen-year-old Anthem — the Corp has certainly seen to that. By encoding music with addictive and mind-altering elements, the Corp holds control over all citizens, particularly conduits like Anthem, whose life energy feeds the main power in the Grid. Anthem finds hope and comfort in the twin siblings he cares for, even as he watches the life drain slowly and painfully from his father. Escape is found in his underground rock band, where music sounds free, clear, and unencoded deep in an abandoned basement. But when a band member dies suspiciously from a tracking overdose, Anthem knows that his time has suddenly become limited. Revolution all but sings in the air, and Anthem cannot help but answer the call with the chords of choice and free will. But will the girl he loves help or hinder him?

freetofallFree to Fall by Lauren Miller

YA SF MILLER, L.

In a near-future world where everyone is controlled by their smartphones, sixteen-year-old Rory Vaughn suddenly begins listening to the voice within–which kids are taught to ignore–and discovers a terrible plot at the heart of the corporation that makes the devices.

zZ by Michael Thomas Ford

YA SF FORD, M.

In the year 2032, after a virus that turned people into zombies has been eradicated, Josh is invited to join an underground gaming society, where the gamers hunt zombies and the action is more dangerous than it seems.

 

By Colleen, Teen Services Librarian on December 4, 2014 Categories: Action/Adventure, Dystopian, Fantasy, Fiction, Funny, Guys Reads, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction, Supernatural/Paranormal, Zombies

Reviews by You!

Maze RunnerThe Maze Runner by James Dashner
YA SF DASHNER, J.
This book is so exciting and really keeps you at the edge of your seat! I’m not done yet, but I’m excited to see what the ending brings!
Review by Grace

fourFour by Veronica Roth
YA SF ROTH, V.
The book Four was a good addition to the Divergent series . It gave you all of Tobias’ thoughts and helped you see what Dauntless was like before Tris gets there. Also, you get to see Tris jumping into the net from Tobias’ point of view.
Review by Mia

fault in our starsThe Fault in Our Stars by John Green
YA GREEN, J.
A girl with cancer named Hazel finds a boy her age. They fall in love instantly. In this book you will find romance, comedy, and tragedy. I recommend this book for people in 7th grade and up.
Review by Seamus

ThingsNotSeenThings Not Seen by Andrew Clements
YA SF CLEMENTS, A.
The book is about a boy named Bobby who becomes invisible after he goes in the shower one morning. When he is invisible, he meets this girl that is blind. His parents tell him not to tell anybody but he told the girl anyway, so she told her parents, and they made a club to turn Bobby back to normal.
Review by Aidan

SchwaThe Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman
YA SHUSTERMAN, N.
This book was awesome! I loved all twists and turns that made you want to read more. It is about a boy named Antsy and he meets someone named Schwa and there is something unique about him and it’s so cool to see that they become friends.
Review by Caitlin

Fahrenheit451Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
YA SF BRADBURY, R.
Fahrenheit 451 – the approximate temperature for books to burn in. Books cannot exist in this world. They are meant to be burned by firemen. “Why?”, you ask. Well, then read the story of our protagonist, Guy Montag. You’ll find out about a different world that may just exist.
Review by Dev

 

InsurgentInsurgent by Veronica Roth
YA ROTH, V.
It was a really good book with lots of actions and sad scenes.
Review by Beetal

By Colleen, Teen Services Librarian on November 6, 2014 Categories: Action/Adventure, Dystopian, Fantasy, Fiction, Funny, Guys Reads, Realistic Fiction, Reviews By You, Romance, Science Fiction

Achieving Dreams–Inspirational Teen Reads

Running DreamThe Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

YA VAN DRAANEN, W.

When a school bus accident leaves sixteen-year-old Jessica an amputee, she returns to school with a prosthetic limb and her track team finds a wonderful way to help rekindle her dream of running again.

StargirlStargirl by Jerry Spinelli

YA SPINELLI, J.
In this story about the perils of popularity, the courage of nonconformity, and the thrill of first love, an eccentric student named Stargirl changes Mica High School forever.

CardturnerThe Cardturner by Lois Sachar

YA SACHAR, L.

When his wealthy uncle, a champion bridge player who has lost his vision, asks seventeen-year-old Alton to be a cardturner for him, Alton has no idea how much he will ultimately learn from his eccentric relative. Includes appendix by Syd Fox with information about bridge.

DairyQueenDairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

YA MURDOCK, C.

After spending her summer running the family farm and training the quarterback for her school’s rival football team, sixteen-year-old D.J. decides to go out for the sport herself, not anticipating the reactions of those around her.

deadlineDeadline by Chris Crutcher

YA CRUTCHER, C.

Given the medical diagnosis of one year to live, high school senior Ben Wolf decides to fulfill his greatest fantasies, ponders his life’s purpose and legacy, and converses through dreams with a spiritual guide known as “Hey-Soos.”

CurveballCurveball: the Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick

YA SONNENBLICK, J.

After an injury ends former star pitcher Peter Friedman’s athletic dreams, he concentrates on photography which leads him to a girlfriend, new fame as a high school sports photographer, and a deeper relationship with the beloved grandfather who, when he realizes he’s becoming senile, gives Pete all of his professional camera gear.

SharkGirlShark Girl by Kelly Bingham

YA BINGHAM, K.

After a shark attack causes the amputation of her right arm, fifteen-year-old Jane, an aspiring artist, struggles to come to terms with her loss and the changes it imposes on her day-to-day life and her plans for the future.

saywhatyouwillSay What You Will by Cammie McGovern

YA MCGOVERN, C.
Born with cerebral palsy, Amy can’t walk without a walker, talk without a voice box, or even fully control her facial expressions. Plagued by obsessive-compulsive disorder, Matthew is consumed with repeated thoughts, neurotic rituals, and crippling fear. Both in desperate need of someone to help them reach out to the world, Amy and Matthew are more alike than either ever realized. When Amy decides to hire student aides to help her in her senior year at Coral Hills High School, these two teens are thrust into each other’s lives. As they begin to spend time with each other, what started as a blossoming friendship eventually grows into something neither expected.

LockKeyLock and Key by Sarah Dessen

YA DESSEN, S.

When she is abandoned by her alcoholic mother, high school senior Ruby winds up living with Cora, the sister she has not seen for ten years, and learns about Cora’s new life, what makes a family, how to allow people to help her when she needs it, and that she too has something to offer others.

hatchetHatchet by Gary Paulsen

YA PAULSEN, G.

After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive initially with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents’ divorce.

 

 

By Colleen, Teen Services Librarian on October 15, 2014 Categories: Action/Adventure, Drama, Fiction, Funny, Guys Reads, High School, Inspirational, Realistic Fiction, Staff Pics

Book Trailer of the Week– Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen

Click here to find Evil Librarian in the Library!

 

By Colleen, Teen Services Librarian on October 3, 2014 Categories: Book Trailer, Fiction, Funny, Supernatural/Paranormal

Reviews by You!

TwilightTwilight by Stephenie Meyer
YA MEYER, S.
I found that this book was just amazing. I loved all of the descriptions of Edward’s appearance and his emotions. My favorite part in the book was when Edward showed Bella the meadow and how he attracted animals to himself. 5 stars.
Review by Julia

Maze RunnerThe Maze Runner by James Dashner
YA SF DASHNER, J.
For roughly 3 years, I’d been planning on reading The Maze Runner. People told me that it was an awful book. I have to disagree! I was impressed by Dashner’s ability to create such a complicated plot-line! The book felt like I was sprinting through the maze and discovering the mysteries “myself”, it was that good.
Review by Gabrielle

DivergentDivergent by Veronica Roth
YA ROTH, V.
It was amazing! It was the perfect blend of romance and action, so that I was interested the whole time.
Review by Mary

six months laterSix Months Later by Natalie D. Richards
YA RICHARDS, N.
I found it an interesting book! I love the mystery concept and the whole idea!
Review by Cora

fault in our starsThe Fault in Our Stars by John Green
YA GREEN, J.
I absolutely loved this book! It was about these two teens, Hazel and Augustus, who both had cancer and how they helped each other through it and fell in love. This book is a MUST READ!
Review by Clarke

EvermoreEvermore by Alyson Noel
YA NOEL, A.
This is another great series by Alyson Noel. This is about Ever. She has powers that cause her head to hurt. But everything changes when she meets Damen. She doesn’t know what he is but she is drawn to him.
Review by Emily

saywhatyouwillSay What You Will by Cammie McGovern
YA MCGOVERN, C.
Amy has been dealing with cerebral palsy her whole life. She is tired of having a teacher helping her. Her mother comes up with a plan; peer helpers. That’s when she meets Matthew. From that point on, it’s a whirlwind of events. Surprises are on their way.
Review by Julia

Wednesday WarsThe Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
YA SCHMIDT, G.
An amazing book about a kid that spends Wednesday afternoons with his teacher. The student believes that his teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates his guts. He learns that both of them have things in common. They both soon enjoy each others company. I definitely recommend.
Review by Lester

allegiantAllegiant by Veronica Roth
YA ROTH, V.
This is a very good book, but sad in some parts. It is the third book in the Divergent series. At the beginning, everybody is trying to figure out how to live in a factionless society. Then some members of a rebel group venture outside the city to the Bureau of Genetic Welfare. There they learn that their city is an experiment to correct bad genes. Can they convince everyone that even if your genes are “damaged”, you are still a whole and complete person without destroying life as they know it? Read Allegiant and find out! Secrets will be revealed, and lives will be changed.
Review by Theresa

Lightning ThiefThe Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
YA RIORDAN, R.
Percy Jackson finds out that he is a demigod. His mother is also kidnapped by Hades. He goes on a quest to rescue her. This series is great. Make sure you read the book before you watch the movie.
Review by Emily

Reviews by You!

Maze RunnerThe Maze Runner by James Dashner
YA SF DASHNER, J.
Thomas, a 16-year-old boy, finds himself in a box. He was surrounded by a bunch of boys outside the box. They’re trying to find a way out of what they call The Glade. They’ll do anything, even take their own lives, to get out of there.
Review by Brigitte

alispllAli’s Pretty Little Lies by Sara Shepard
YA SHEPARD, S.
Sibling rivalry. You would think is just hitting or spitting harsh words at each other…but when two twins, Alison and Courtney, fight, they really fight. Courtney practically chokes her sister. That’s when their parents decide to send Courtney away but Courtney doesn’t want to go so she switches their lives.
Review by Elizabeth

killyoulastKill You Last by Todd Strasser
YA STRASSER, T.
Shelby thinks she is living in one of the safest towns, but then, three girls who all used her father’s photography go missing and are soon discovered dead. With the media all blaming her father, who Shelby believes is innocent, she is determined to find the person responsible and get the truth at all costs.
Review by Paige

GiverThe Giver by Lois Lowry
YA SF LOWRY, L.
A great book. A story of a “perfect” town that’s not so perfect. So when Jonas discovers some big secrets about his town, he realizes that his town is a lot more than meets the eye.
Review by Kyra

warlockThe Warlock by Michael Scott
YA SCOTT, M.
Part of an awesome series. For magic and adventure lovers. Full of excitement, twists and turns, betrayal, and alliances. An eternal battle between good and evil.
Review by Natalie

fault in our starsThe Fault in Our Stars by John Green
YA GREEN, J.
I absolutely loved this book! It was about these two teens, Hazel and Augustus, who both had cancer and how they helped each other through it and fell in love. This book is a MUST READ!
Review by Clarke

Me and EarlMe and Earl and The Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
YA ANDREWS, J.
This book was funny and entertaining from page one. It was impossible to put down and made the grim reality of life and death a little more bearable, all the while portraying it extremely accurately.
Review by Cassidy

eastEast by Edith Pattou
YA PATTOU, E.
This was a five star book! I love the way that the author, Edith Pattou, describes the feelings and weather in this book. I would recommend this book to any middle school student who enjoys reading books about never giving up. I loved this book!
Review by Julia

nowandzenNow and Zen by Linda C. Gerber
YA GERBER, L.
Nori Tanaka travels to Japan where everyone thinks she is native there, even though she isn’t. Overall, this book is 3.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.
Review by Marissa

smallstepsNFSmall Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret
YA 362.1968 KEH
This is an autobiography. Kehret tells us about her journey against polio. The whole time you’re reading this you are just rooting for her to get better. I won’t spoil it but you should read it to find out what eventually happens to her.
Review by Emily
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