A former school librarian shares recent young adult novels to boost kids’ resilience or give them some laughs. A few dystopian picks may provide a new perspective on the current situation.
Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell Simon & Schuster, 2013. 277 pgs. Fiction When the ship on which she and her mother were passengers sank, the baby girl who became known as Sophie was discovered floating in a cello case and was rescued by Charles Maxim, a down-at-the-heels professor who decided since he found her, he must raise her. Charles doesn't know much about children, but he knows how to love Sophie, and they live happily together for a number of years until the British version of social services decides a bachelor doesn't know anything about raising children and decides to remove her to an orphanage. Sophie is so angry she whangs away at her cello case and as bits fall off, she finds a plaque that says the case was made in France. Suddenly, for the first time in her life, she has a lead for finding her lost mother, who was on the ship with her and presumably drowned. Charles and Sophie run headlong into a stonewalling bureaucracy in France, from whom they have to hide, so Sophie takes to the rooftops where she meets a group of runaways who will help her in her heart's quest. Katherine Rundell's book is a pure delight, the eccentric Charles and his ward with the "hair the color of lightning," are characters you wish were your friends. "Why is she so pale?" asks the harpy from the State. "She isn't pale," he replies. " She is cut from the stuff of moonlight," as is this charming, old-fashioned, Dickensian with a lighter heart, story. (A bit of minor league swearing, totally justified.)
YALSA's Teen Book Finder is a free online database and app to help teens, parents, librarians and library staff, educators, and anyone who loves YA literature access nearly 4,000 titles recognized YALSA's awards and lists on their smartphone. Have an Android phone? Download the Android version now! Have an iPod Touch or an iPhone? Download the iOS app now! App features include: a homepage featuring three titles from the database, refreshed each day the ability to search for books by author, title, award/list year, genre, by award, and by book list a Find It!YALSA's Teen Book Finder is a free app to help teens, parents, librarians and library staff, educators, and anyone who loves YA literature access to the past three years' of YALSA's awards and lists on their smartphone. YALSA's Teen Book Finder is available in the App Store at itunes.apple.com/us/app/yalsas-teen-book-finder/id527674308?mt=8.
Eleven of our favorite challenged titles.
Genre: Sports Fiction Age Level: 12 and up # of Pages: 244 p. RAC Book: Yes In this sequel to Travel Team Danny Walker and his friends go to a summer camp to play basketball for the summer. Danny i…
A former school librarian shares recent young adult novels to boost kids’ resilience or give them some laughs. A few dystopian picks may provide a new perspective on the current situation.
About the Alex Award The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. The winning titles are selected from the previous year's publishing. The Alex Awards were first given annually beginning in 1998 and became an official ALA award in 2002. The award is sponsored by the Margaret A. Edwards Trust. Edwards pioneered young adult library services and worked for many years at the Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore.
Las mejores novelas juveniles de todos los tiempos para tu entretenimiento y tu inspiración. ¡Novelas que también son para adultos!
Frozen By Melissa De La Cruz Putnam Juvenile. 2013. 336 pgs. Young Adult This new series from Melissa de la Cruz's new series starts off dystopian, goes into a seafaring adventure, and ends with a bit of fantastical dragon magic. It makes for a really entertaining read and I ended it not wanting to wait for the next one. It also helped that the frozen city it takes place in is New Vegas, and my hometown is old Vegas. The author does a great job of building a creative and dark world in this new Ice Age and forming a new government, a group of violent mercenaries, and a world of magic all in the same book. Nat deals black jack in one of the New Vegas casinos and believes she can find a place where water is still clean, trash isn't piked everywhere, and there is sun. She hires a mercenary, Ryan Wesson to take her there. The characters that are introduced as part of his crew and later as additions to the group are memorable and bring their own clever story line to each encounter. The story is really one adventure to find the Blue and with some romance and difficult choices to make, Nat is a likable main character that I can't wait to see more of. EW
Springtime in Bugland! By David A. Carter Simon Spotlight, 2012. Unpaged easy reader. Busy Bug, who loves spring most of all, goes around town proclaiming the happy news to everyone that spring is finally here! "Hooray for spring in Bugland!" the little bugs shout. All the bugs are happy, from Blooming Bug to Spelling Bees. There are traditional bugs, such as worms and ladybugs, but also some new bugs, including Cactus Bug and Skateboard Bug! The text rhymes well, and the illustrations are sweet and happy. If you will allow me one pun, this is one BEE-utiful book!
Amazon.com: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie: A Novel: 9781728234304: Benedict, Marie: Books
Confession: I judge books by their covers. I can’t help it. It makes my job as a reader easier (am I in the mood for unattainable romance, or dystopian society? Just check the illustration on the front!) and helps me figure out what to read next. Plus, I appreciate good-looking books on my bookshelf. I’ve found that
About the Printz Award The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a Topeka, Kansas school librarian who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association. The award is sponsored by Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association. Learn more about Michael Printz via this video from cjonline.com. Seal Licensing Individuals who wish to buy small quantities of seals can find them in the ALA Online Store.Michael L. Printz Award
Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin Roaring Book Press, 2012. 266 pgs. Non-fiction. Several fine books have been written for older children and young adults about the creation of the atomic bomb and its aftermath, but Sheinkin's may be the first to combine accounts of the work at the University of Chicago, at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and at Los Alamos with Allied efforts to sabotage Germany's work on the bomb, and Russia's (successful) efforts to steal bomb-making secrets from the Americans. Any young person who thinks history is boring ought to be able to find something interesting here--secret agents, double agents, Norwegian saboteurs skiing to Germany's heavy water plant and blowing it sky high, then sinking the remaining cargo bound for Germany. Along with all the derring-do and perfidy of espionage and counter-espionage, the fits and starts of building the bomb itself, and the frightening Trinity blast, when no one really knew whether the bomb would explode or not, or if the explosion would just keep going and destroy the earth. Bomb . . . is a fascinating account of the beginning of what could easily become the end, thrilling and chilling, necessary reading for young and old.
English Language Arts Classrooms Just Got Colorful! There are many beautiful Pinterest boards of elementary school classrooms with the most wonderful themes, colors, decoration, and inspiration. Let’s face it, decorating a secondary classroom is different.How is decorating a secondary classroom different? You might not stay in the same room all day. Therefore, you are sharing a teaching […]
** Contact us if you would like to have one of our engaging mentor text sessions come to your campus! ** Almost a year ago, I reviewed The Crossover with lesson ideas and then began shoving it (som…
The Miyamoto family has had a year of bad luck, 12 year old Summer tells the reader, a year without Kouun. Summer came down with near fatal malaria after being bitten by a mosquito, her parents have had to leave Kansas to care for her great grandparents in Japan and now she and younger brother Jaz, 10, have to go on the wheat harvest with their grandparents, Jiichan and Obaachan. Working as "wheaties" to get money to pay the mortgage, grandfather Jiichan drives a combine and grandmother Obaachan cooks for all the "wheaties" with help from Summer. Narrated from Summer's point of view, the novel is more thought driven than plot driven. Summer reflects on mosquitoes, about which she is completely obsessed, even keeping a book of her mosquito drawings and slathering herself in DEET. She worries about Jaz's inability to make friends, even while she thinks about how annoying he can be. Jaz has been diagnosed with ADHD and OCD. His obsession of the moment is LEGOS and as Summer points out: who would Jaz be without his obsessions? It seems that Obaachan is always mad at Summer, and Summer is always annoyed with her grandmother. Yet, she willingly helps Obaachan, even taking over the cooking when her grandmother's back pain gets unbearable. There are two Obaachans, Summer decides, a good one and a bad one. The good Obaachan stayed by her bedside when Summer was so sick with malaria, the bad just finds continuous fault with everything she does. Yes, Summer devotes quite a bit of space to this generational tension. And bad luck continues when Summer's first kiss turns out to be a bust and the guy a jerk. A year without luck is hard. But this is Summer's coming of age summer, so when a crisis comes up, she realizes that it is up to her to finally help change the families luck, to get a little Kouun back. Is she up to the challenge? And it is a big one. Oh, and in case you were wondering what the wheat harvest is all about, or what a combine is, she devotes quite a bit of space to explaining all about, the vehicles used and how it is done, complete with drawings. Sound dull? Amazingly, it isn't. The Thing About Luck is a very agreeable novel and homage to the migrant workers that harvest our wheat. Kadohata's characters are wonderfully strong, and the dynamic between Summer and her grandmother is funny, poignant, snarky and completely realistic. Summer's obsession with mosquitoes after receiving a malaria carrying bite from one the previous year is just spot on behavior for a somewhat hypocondrical a 12 year old. But Summer is also a hard worker who understands that her elderly grandparents may not be about to do the kind of hard manual labor that harvesting requires and that life could easily change for the worst for the Miyamoto family. One of the things I found most interesting in The Thing about Luck is that no one really thinks about their Japanese identity. Jiichan, Obaachan and Summer all seem to just accept their life in America and Japanese culture, traditions don't seem to factor into it very much. On the other hand, the Miyamotos are not stereotypical either. I found this to be a excellent, well written novel. And now, The Thing about Luck is the 2013 National Book Award winner. This book is recommended for readers age 10+ This book was borrowed from the NYPL
The only thing that these books have in common is that NPR's go-to librarian likes them a lot. Nancy Pearl's self-described "higgledy-piggledy" list includes a book of cartoons, a Civil War history, a coming-of-age story, a spy novel and more.
The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen (who is only writing this because his therapist said he had to, which stinks) By Susin Nielsen Tundra Books, c2012. 243 pages. Realistic fiction. Henry K. Larsen, 13 years old, attends regular therapy sessions to deal with "IT." IT, which author Susin Nielsen deftly reveals bit by bit, is the event that changed everything. IT happened when Henry's older brother, Jesse, after years of bullying, took a gun to the high school and killed his tormentor and himself. Even after moving to a new town, the event casts a shadow over Henry's reputation. As he grows into adolescence, he has his own growing pains to deal with, including keeping his family together and experiencing bullying at his new school. Though the premise is dark, there is honesty and humor in this novel. Boys will especially love Henry and his sarcastic sense of humor, his enjoyment of televised wrestling and the discovery of his first crush. The subject matter at the heart of the novel is geared toward an older audience, but is universally understood. How do you grow up and form your own identity, when the world wants you to fall in line or risk being a target? I would recommend that parents take the opportunity to read this with their middle schoolers. It's a chance to create a lasting, meaningful dialogue about the effects our actions have on others.
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Bear and Bee Written and Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier Disney Hyperion Books, c2013. Unpaged picture book. When the late, great Maurice Sendak says, "I Bee-lieve Sergio Ruzzier is a big BEAR of a talent," you know the book will be good! Bear and Bee is about a newly-formed friendship between unlikely creatures. Bear has a bit of an identity crisis when he feels that his large size, long claws, and big teeth must make him a bee (he's never met a bee before!), but Bee sets him straight and the two become fast friends. The illustrations are adorable, from the orange-sunset sky to Bear's stylin' red sandals. The text is funny and just right for beginning readers, making this a definite Geisel contender.
In 1972 home is a cozy nest on Cape Cod for eleven-year-old Naomi “Chirp” Orenstein, her older sister, Rachel; her psychiatrist father; and her dancer mother. But then Chirp’s mom develops symptoms of a serious disease, and everything changes. Chirp finds comfort in watching her beloved wild birds. She also finds a true friend in Joey, the mysterious boy who lives across the street. Together they create their own private world and come up with the perfect plan: Escape. Adventure. Discovery. -Publisher Description This story was nothing short of beautiful. Chirp's mom develops MS and then spirals into a clinical depression. Chirp, her sister Rachel, and her father are doing their best to cope in a world that seems to be fighting against them. Their story was touching, inspiring, and thoughtful. I loved Chirp and Joey's friendship. The subject matter is a smidge heavy at times, but it ends up being so profound. I'd recommend this to both children and adults alike. If you'd like to check Nest out, you can find it in our catalog by clicking here. -Kilie
Teach My Kid to Read members sat down with Children's librarian, Faye Lieberman, of Franklin Square Public Library, to discuss the state of children's literature.
Visit LitPick Book Reviews to read about Keesha's House. Genre: Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Poetry Age level: 12 and up
Official 2013 Teens' Top Ten titles [video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1k2G3pe9UQ width:350 height:350] Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (Disney/Hyperion) The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen (Scholastic/Scholastic Press) Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Harper Collins/Katherine Tegen Books) Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry (Harlequin Teen) Poison Princess by Kresley Cole (Simon & Schuster) The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic/Scholastic Press) Crewel by Gennifer Albin (Macmillan/Farrar Straus Giroux) Every Day by David Levithan (Random House/Alfred A.
rcReviewer signed off 7/26...
I have 38 YA Graphic Novels for Reluctant Readers {Both Boys & Girls Will Love}. No jokes, this kid is going read again--like crazy.
