Annotation: When murders keep happening in the city of Ludlow, Hannah is pressured by her best friend's ghost to get to the bottom of these crimes and unmask the real killer.
Awards: None
Booktalk: If your best friend passed away, would you want them to haunt you? Hannah lost her best friend Lillian six months ago, but can't seem to move on because Lillian's ghost is always around. When a string of murders begins to take place in town and are linked only to a paper valentine, Lillian's ghost pushes Hannah to investigate the disasters further. Hannah can barely get a hold of her own life- where she stands at school and figuring out Finny Boone and what his deal is, but now she finds herself surrounded by secrets and ghosts. Will confronting this killer and solving these murders be what it takes for Hannah to finally have closure and move on from her best friend's death?
Long, Ruth Frances. The Treachery of Beautiful Things. New York: Dial Books, 2012. ISBN 978-0-8037-3580-4. $17.99. Ages 12+
Formats Available: Paperback, Hardover, ebook
Annotation: Jenny enters the world of The Realm and must fight for independence and love.
Awards: none
Booktalk: Can a beautiful forest really swallow someone alive? Jenny and her brother Tom, a magnificent flute player, are walking home one evening, when the forest floor opens up and swallows Tom whole. Jenny could barely believe her own eyes, but she knows what she saw. Having to return home without her brother, life is never quite the same as an only child. Being paraded in front of numerous psychiatrists and doctors, seven years later Jenny decides the best future for her is far away at college and out of her parents' hair. Before she is ready to leave, she visits the forest where Tom disappeared to say her final goodbye. As she strolls along, she suddenly hears beautiful music played by a flute. Could it be Tom? Jenny follows the music until she comes to a thick patch of trees. She notices a locket similar to her own and watches as it is sucked inside. Jenny remembers the night of Tom's disappearance. Could he still be alive? With that thought, she crosses into the trees and lets them pull her inside.
When Jenny awakens, she finds herself among a beautiful forest with little memory of how she got there. As she begins to investigate her surroundings she encounters creatures of the forest, and after a run in with some mischievous faeries, meets Jack. But can she trust him? Follow Jenny as she explores this mystical, faerie world. A world where nothing is what it seems and no one is who they say, will Jenny ever find Tom?
Annotation: Two misfits. One extraordinary love. Booktalk: Two teenagers meet on the bus on their way to school. Both a bit alternative, the girl comes from a poor and sometimes frightening home life. She's teased and ridiculed about her hair and hand me down clothes, but she tries to remain as invisible as she can. The boy is more popular. He likes comic books and punk rock music. His home life is normal. His parents love him and he doesn't have to worry much when it comes to buying clothes and music. When he offers this strange girl a seat next to him on the bus, his immediate reaction isn't love at first sight. Over time the two connect as she reads his comic books over his shoulder. It's through this connection that he begins to see more than this girl's appearance. Follow their journey as they embark on a new friendship that will turn into the most epic love story of all time. The love story of Eleanor & Park. Awards: none Teen Quote: "It is so amazing! I'm afraid about the ending though. I'm worried that we won't ever find out what happens after the end!" ---Gianna, age 14
Andrews, Jesse. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: A Novel. New York: Amulet, 2012. Print.
Annotation: Follow Greg as he recounts the time in during his high school career that ruined his life but made him realize the true meaning what having real friendships is all about.
Booktalk: Greg Gaines tries his best to be invisible. His main goal is to get through high school without having any kind of run-ins with the various clicks at his high school. He stays away from any kind of relationships except Earl. Only Earl, according to Greg, is his business partner and he hardly considers him a friend. When Greg's mother comes to him with news that a girl Rachel he once knew has Leukemia, she forces him to make contact and spend some time with her. Greg was just managing to get by without anyone having any sort of opinion about him, but now he must make friends with a sick girl. Will Greg be able shed his invisibility cloak and comfort Rachel during this frightening time in her life? Or will he keep his walls up and keep Rachel out? Join Greg as he recounts his story in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.
Awards: none
Multimedia:
Check out my book talk on Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews!
Here's the official trailer for the feature film, released in 2015
Annotation: Questlove writes about his life growing up in Philadelphia and how music has always been his number one.
Booktalk: This is the story all about how...wait a minute, wrong musician. Born and raised in West Philadelphia (mostly) Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson has been influenced by all music from a very young age. Drummer and co-founder of the legendary hip hop group The Roots, you may know Questlove from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon's house band The Roots Crew. Questlove with the help of journalist and critic, Ben Greenman of The New Yorker, takes you on a musical journey and visits the moments in time that mattered to him most and how music was always right there beside him. A must read for all lovers of music, join Questlove and uncover the meaning of having Mo' Meta Blues.
Awards: Lambda Literary Award and Stonewall Book Award for LGBT fiction
Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award honor
Pura Belpre Narrative Medal for Latino fiction
Michael L. Printz Award honor for Young Adult fiction
Annotation: A coming of age story between two friends, Ari and Dante face the confusing and emotional time as they grow from boys to adults.
Booktalk: Aristotle keeps to himself while constantly thinking about his older brother whom his parents and sisters have seem to forgotten. Dante is an only child who isn't afraid to be himself. Aristotle is pensive and is always inside his own head. Dante is eloquent and isn't afraid to express himself creatively. When the two boys meet on a hot summer day at the pool in 1987, neither one of them could imagine the friendship that was about to be born. As their friendship develops so do their desires, but do they desire the same things? A coming of age story between two boys who play by different rules, find out what is to come as Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.
Alifirenka, Caitlin, Ganda, Martin, and Welch, Liz. I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives. New York, Little Brown and Company, 2015. ISBN-13: 978-0316241311. Hardback. $18.00. Ages 12+
Formats Available: Hardcover, Audio, Ebook
Annotation: The true story of an all-American girl and a boy from Zimbabwe and the letter that changed both of their lives forever.
Review: In 1997, Caitlin was assigned to choose a country and write a letter to a pen pal there. At the end of the list was the country of Zimbabwe. For some reason this country stood out to Caitlin. As someone who usually didn't raise their hand first, she shot her hand up in the air to claim her country. Caitlin was an average student who came from a modest home in Hatfield, Pennsylvania. She wrote her first letter with excitement and sent it out in hope of a reply from a brand new friend. Across the Atlantic Ocean in Zimbabwe, we meet Martin. Martin is a very bright student. He is at the top of his class and hopes to one day be the first in his family to go to university. He is delighted to receive Caitlin's letter and writes his reply as fast as he can. As their correspondence grows stronger, Caitlin and Martin form a friendship thousands of miles away from each other. While friends teased her for having an "African boyfriend", Caitlin knew Martin's friendship was deeper than any she ever had. As Martin struggles for school fees and to care for his family, Caitlin with the support of her own family begin to provide more than Martin could ever imagine.
Unexpected friendships are the best kind. When you meet someone that you immediately bond with, it is incredibly special for anyone. Reading about how Caitlin and Martin's friendship blossomed, it isn't hard to get wrapped up in what will become of this special duo. Caitlin's family can see the care and concern she has for Martin and his family's well being all the way over in Africa. It is especially wonderful to read this journey of such an unlikely pair and learn of their success as individuals, and as friends. A perfect match for those interested in international lifestyles and how reaching out to those you normally would not think to, can make for a wildly exceptional experience no matter who you are. Readers 12 years and older will treasure the bond between Caitlin and Martin and will walk away with the feeling that they too, have made two very special connections.
Watch an Interview with Caitlin and Martin following the release of their book!
Awards: 1965: Media and Methods Maxi Award, ALA Best Young Adult Books 1967: New York Herald Tribune Best Teenage Books List, Chicago Tribune Book World Spring Book Festival Honor Book 1979: Massachusetts Children’s Book Award
Annotation: Ponyboy deals with growing up and facing the trouble being part of the Greasers will get you into.
Review: Ponyboy knows he is an outsider, a Greaser. He knows that he doesn't have fancy clothes and he doesn't come from a family with lots of money. He knows he and his brothers and friends don't belong in the popular group of kids known as the Socs, or Socials. He and his Greaser friends spend their time defending themselves against the Socs and messing about on the outskirts of town. Life is harder for these guys. They come from broken homes with little money and poor education. Ponyboy tells the story of these Greaser kids and how they try to remain afloat in a world where they feel they just don't belong. But what will happen when a run in with the Socs suddenly takes a turn for the worse? Ponyboy suddenly finds himself deeper in a world of pain and fear and the realization that everyone can feel these emotions no matter where they come from.
We've all been there. Struggling to find a place where we fit in. A place where there is constant tension between groups of different people. The Outsiders shares the story of Ponyboy and the Greasers as they handle their situation in their own way, until it gets away from them and goes horribly wrong. Take this journey with Ponyboy and discover the courage and strength it takes to be "different". This book touches on the ideas of brotherhood, friendship, social differences, violence and what it takes to come together and work through those differences we all find in ourselves. A perfect story for readers as they enter middle school and begin to experience what finding yourself really means. For readers 12 years old and beyond, The Outsiders remains a classic for a reason. The Greasers live an unforgettable lifestyle and will relate to anyone who finds they have the same troubles of fitting in.
Check out the official film trailer for The Outsiders!
Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. Print. ISBN: 978-0-375-83100-3, $12.99. Ages 12+.
Formats Available: Paperback, Hardcover, E-Book, Large Print, Audio
Awards:
2006: Commonwealth Writer's Prize for Best Book (South East Asia & South Pacific), School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, Daniel Elliot Peace Award, Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book of the Year, National Jewish Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book
2007: Michael L. Printz Honor Book, Book Sense Book of the Year Award for Children's Literature
Annotation: Liesel Meminger discovers a new love of books and words. She will go to great lengths to get her hands on any book she can find, no matter how dangerous it is.
Review: Told through the eyes of Death, we meet Liesel Meminger- the book thief. Following her brother's death she is taken away to live with a foster family in Molching, Germany. With nothing left from her past, Liesel finds new comfort in one thing; a single book she's stolen from the graveyard; The Gravedigger's Handbook. As Liesel struggles with nightmares and sleepless nights, her foster father reads her the handbook which acts as a lullaby and with his help, she learns to read. This begins her passion for books and words. Wherever books are found, Liesel must find a way to get her hands on them- including putting herself in danger during the Nazi book burnings and sneaking into the Mayor's wife's library. As Adolf Hitler rises to power, Liesel attempts to make sense of what will become of her, her new family and Max; the Jewish man her father has hidden in the basement of their own home.
Filled with warmth and beauty, The Book Thief tells the haunting story of Liesel and her escapades during WWII and Germany's submission to the terrifying power of Adolf Hitler. Suited for readers aged 12 years old and up, Liesel Meminger's powerful story of taking action and fighting the good fight during a time of horror and instability will speak to readers well beyond the young adult years. While a dark tale through and through, Zusak manages to work in subtle imagery that portrays the essence of how the struggle to survive can incoporate pure, innocent and beautiful moments. This title would be a wonderful literary supplement to those learning and teaching the history of WWII.
Teen Quote: "Liesel is probably my favorite character ever. She uses something so simple like reading to reach all of these people during such a scary time. Everyone should read this book." ---Gianna, Age 14.
Here's the official film trailer for The Book Thief
Annotation: Layken is just settling in to her new town and getting into a routine following her father's death. She even meets a boy who lives across the street, but a shocking discovery will cause their connection to come to a sudden halt. Booktalk: Eighteen year old Layken has just moved to a cold, blustery small town in Michigan all the way from the dry hot state of Texas. It's just Layken, her mother and her younger brother following the sudden death of her father. She is the backbone in the family, and spends most of her time caring for her brother while her mom works. On a cold night, Layken meets her new neighbor, Will, and the two share an immediate connection. Their quick connection suddenly breaks when the two discover a tremendous problem with their relationship. Through poetry, and heartfelt words Layken and Will's feelings are put to the test as they try to ride out this storm until the coast is clear. Will their strength seem them through, or will their feelings get the best of them? Multimedia:
