I just finished Annexed by Sharon Dogar and I LOVED IT! When I think about the myriad of mediocre teen fiction published these days, I get kind of cranky. Teens deserve quality literature!! Lots of things are just getting published because publishers know they will sell, even though the writing is blah. So I am super excited to find a book that I love! I honestly believe Annexed is one of the best written books published in 2010. Enough of my gushing, let me tell you about the book.

Annexed is the imagined story of Peter van Pels, the real life boy who was stuck in the attic with Anne Frank. Sharon Dogar uses Anne Frank's diary and historical facts to imagine Peter's side of the story. Ms. Dogar imagines what life must have been like for Peter, a teenaged boy stuck in an attic with two girls and so she imagines him falling in love with Anne Frank. At first, Peter thinks of Anne as an annoying child who is always going through his "room" to get to the attic. After Anne and Peter are in hiding for several months, they can't really avoid each other and become friends. They spends lots of time in the attic looking out at a little peice of sky trying to remember the outside. Peter starts to notice things about Anne, like how she smells, and he begins to fall in love with her. Make no mistake, this is a story about the Holocaust and if you are familiar with Anne Frank's story, you know this story does not have a happy ending. But...I loved reading this book from Peter's perspective and will recommend it to everyone I see!

I actually wrote a review of Annexed for VOYA. When I have to write a professional review, I never look the book up online or talk about it with anyone because I dont want anything to sway my opinion of the book. I decided to write this blog post and went in search of some links, I found some interesting articles that note that Annexed has caused some controversy:

The Guardian has an article titled 'Sharon Dogar fights back over 'sexed up' Anne Frank Novel"

The NYDailyNews.com also published an article called "Anne Frank's cousin angry about racy fictional Peter van Pels diary, 'Annexed,' by Sharon Dogar"

I've read the book and never ever came away with the idea that Peter and Anne had sex. They do share a kiss, but definitely no sex. I wonder if the people criticizing Annexed really read it. Hmm....check it out (it comes out in October 2010) and decide for yourself.

Who would you vote for to win a "Hunger Games" like challenge, Edward Cullen or  Hermione Granger? How about Percy Jackson vs Eragon? Christiana C. (children's librarian at Northwest Library) sent the teen librarians a link to The Secret Adventures of WriterGirl (blog about books and more). The athor of the blog, Heather Zundel, is a HUGE HUGE Hunger Games fan and to pass time between books she came up with a game that people will get to vote on. YA Fantasy Showdown pits 'famous'  fanstasy characters from young adult books in a tournament. The voting and the tournament start August 10.

Here is a quick peek at the homepage of the YA Fantasy Showdown. None of the team names have been chosen but teams have been picked. Katsa and Edward Cullen (Team #1) vs. Christopher Grant and Hermione Granger (Team #2)  There are 16 teams in the tournament. It will be interesting to see who reigns supreme.

Mockingjay (The Final Book of the Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins comes out August 24th

A coworker brought to my attention a great blog Persnickety Snark that has been discussing an interesting list for the past few weeks. The creator of Persnickety Snark polled her readers, librarians, teachers and more this past spring to nominate/vote for their Top 100 YA titles. She gathered all the data using a point system and is now posting the results on her website. Each blog post lists 5 titles, starting with 100 and working down to 1.

The very first book (#100) listed was The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (1985). 

               As of July 29 the list is down to (#51) Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (2000).

The list is pretty interesting, do I necessarily agree with some of the choices, no, but as with every "Top" list people will argree to disagree on the choices.

I just finished reading Fat Cat, by Robin Brande, and absolutely loved it! It's about an overweight high school science lover (named Cat), who is in a hard core science class where she has to do a whole term project based on the picture she picks out of a hat at the beginning of the year. When she sees that her picture is of early humans, she's inspired to live like early humans did (giving up everything from foods that weren't available then to cars and telephones. When all that walking and eating whole foods has an effect on Cat, ans she starts dropping the pounds... the boys take notice! She goes from never dating anyone, to making out all night at the winter formal! But there's only one guy that truly catches Cat's eye, and they hate each other. I couldn't help but root for him, and so wanted a happy ending, but you'll have to read the book to find out!

Check it out, and tell us about your favorite romances!

Know how most people get star-struck when they meet someone famous? Well, that's how I feel about certain authors! I recently attended the American Library Association's Annual Conference in Washington DC where I got to meet a bunch of awesome young adult authors. I wanted to mention them here. Some you might have heard of, others not so much, but it was really cool to get to meet and chat with them all. To find out more about each author, click on their name to get to their website.

Holly Black               Simone Elkeles 

Jessica Day George               John Green    

David Levithan                   Kekla Magoon 

Elizabeth Scott                            Andrew Smith

Jeri Smith-Ready                           Carol Lynch Williams 

Peace. Love. READ!

Who's going to see Eclipse opening day? Anyone hitting the midnight showing? The library gals are not seeing the movie until next week so PLEASE don't spoil the plot for us

I saw the cover of Entertainment Weekly today. Eclipse mania!!! They are even quoted as saying this movie is the best Twilight movie so far. I look forward to seeing if the critics are right. Check out the two covers.

I got a text yesterday from Jen (teen librarian at Worthington Park) who is in Washington D.C for the annual American Library Association conference. She is having a GREAT time.  The reason for the text, GLEE is coming out with a book series in August/September.The first of a five book series is aptly titled, Glee: The Beginning.

Overkill or are you excited??!!!

Jen is meeting some of her favorite teen authors and I can't wait to read all about her trip when she gets back!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jen!

Is anyone else out there a fan of fairy tale retellings?  I've just started reading Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce, a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, and am loving it!  It's about two sisters, Scarlett and Rosie, who hunt and kill the Fenris werewolves who prey on young girls.  Scarlett, armed with a blood red cloak, a hatchet, and a thirst for revenge (one of the Fenris took her eye), is determined to kill every last Fenris.  But there's a strange love connection brewing between Scarlett's best friend, Silas, and her sister Rosie.  Rosie has to figure out which is more important -- loyalty to Scarlett, or love for Silas?

I'm still only in the first quarter of the book, but I cannot put it down!  Check it out yourselves:  http://catalog.worthingtonlibraries.org/?q=sisters+red

What if you could see the date that someone was going to die just by looking in their eyes?

I just heard about this book called Numbers by Rachel Ward where the main character, a fiteen year old girl named Jem, sees numbers when she looks into peoples' eyes. One she figures out that the numbers she sees are actually the date that person will die, she decides to just aviod people altogether. Until she meets Spider, a fellow loner who just won't give up until he's her friend. Even though she can clearly see that his death date is only a few months away, she decides not to tell him and lets him into her life. One day, the two ditch school and decide to check out the London Eye, a local tourist attraction. There, Jem notices something strange: all the numbers that she sees are the same, and they are all that day's date. Panicked that something horrible is about to happen, she and Spider flee the scene. The London Eye then blows up, and when the media picks up the story, Jem and Spider are caught on tape making a run for it. They become suspects in the bombing, so they decide to run away. I guess the ending is a real shocker. I, for one, can't wait to read this book! I just reserved it.

Thanks, Sarah C., for the awesome recommendation! 

For all of you Hunger Games fans out there who can't wait for Mockingjay to come out, try this one to tide you over.  In Winter's End by Jean-Claude Mourlevat, Helen and Milena are orphans in a sadistic boarding school, where you are punished by having a classmate go into solitary confinement -- which often results in death.  After they meet Bart and Milos, they decide the can't go on without each other, and run away into the unknown.  But when Bart learns that all the orphans in the boarding schools are orphans on purpose, the group of runaways find themselves at the heart of a resistence to the Phalange government (the same government that killed all of their parents).  Milena's angelic voice calls all the rebels back into action and Bart's leadership skills enable him to lead the new resistence.  But when Milos is captured by the Phalange and forced to be a gladiator for their entertainment, Helen vows to find some way to rescue him before he has to fight to his death.  With various chapters being told from different points of view, you really get an interesting look into how this group of runaways fit together, and how they are going to change this post-apocalyptic world as they know it.  A nail-biter till the end!

As a teen librarian, the FAVORITE part of my job is reading keeping up with the new teen literature being published and see what is hot and what is not.  Here are a few new teen books that are on my TO READ LIST (besides the obvious Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins)

• Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony   The year is 2041, and sixteen-year-old Molly McClure has lived a relatively quiet life on an isolated farming island in Canada, but when her family fears the worst may have happened to her grandparents in the US, Molly must brave the dangerous, chaotic world left after global economic collapseaone of massive oil shortages, rampant crime, and abandoned cities.
• Hothouse a novel by Chris Lynch (release date August 2010)  Russell and DJ lose their firefighter fathers in a major fire and must cope with their private grief and the community’s adulation of their fathers. And then there’s backlash.
• Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson In a Perrault fairy tale reset to fascinating pre-British India, impoverished stepsisters encounter a goddess whose gifts bless, or curse. Diribani returns speaking jewels and flowers; Tana, toads and snakes.

Ever start a book that's so good you can't put it down until it's finished? It's so strange how that happens. It seems like I'll go through months of books that are just so-so, and then I find one that has me fully engaged in the story and I can't put the book down until I reach the last page and know what happens at the end. I just started and finished a book yesterday called The Body Finder, by Kimberly Derting. It was really good.

The book starts off when Violet is 8 years old and she stumbles upon a dead body in the park. As she grows up, it becomes obvious that Violet has inherited her Grandmother Louise's talent of sensing dead things.  So as she gets older, she has a weird habit of finding dead animals and giving them proper burials in her backyard. Eventually she grows out of this habit, but she still senses death, hearing what she calls "echoes" whenever she's near something that died. In addition to her sensing dead things, she can also sense an "imprint" on killers. Old war veterans, some police officers, and even others who have accidentally killed someone- she can sense it by being around them.

Violet, now a teenager and grappling with a confusing boyfriend/friend conflict (Does Jay just LIKE her? Or does he LIKE-LIKE her?) happens upon another dead body while out at a lake with some friends. This is just the beginning of her uncovering a murder mystery in her state, where teenage girls are disappearing and being found dead. Violet decides to use her senses to help find the killer.

The best part of this book? Some chapters are written from the perspective of the killer she's trying to find. It's spooky and really provides great suspense and intrigue.

Check out the Book Trailer on Youtube!

If you liked The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, I think you'd like this book. Check it out at your library!

"Just because it's taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one else has spotted I'm a girl!" - Hermione Granger

Emma Watson, aka Hermione Granger, is all grown up and slated to star in the film version of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," a controversial teen novel, by Stephen Chbosky. This will be Miss Watson's first "feature role" since playing Hermione. Read about it on this Variety.com article.

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower,"  is number 10 on the American Library Association's Top 100 Banned/Challenged books list. Other books on the list include none other than Harry Potter which is coming in at #1! Interesting!

Do you think Emma can pull off a leading role, especially a role that does not include a magic wand?

I've got some juicy book news for you!

Libba Bray, author of A Great and Terrible Beauty, is coming out with a four book series called The Diviners. According to Publisher's Weekly, the first one is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2012. I love Bray's writing and can not wait. 2012 feels like forever!

Here is a little blurb from the Publisher's Weekly site about Bray's new series:

“In The Diviners, a supernatural fantasy series set in Manhattan during the 1920s, Bray follows a teen heroine she says is reminiscent of two of the era's most famous literary women—Zelda Fitzgerald and Dorothy Parker. Bray, who admitted to having always been fascinated by the Jazz Age, said she's looking forward ‘to offering readers a wild new ride full of dames and dapper dons, jazz babies and Prohibition-defying parties, conspiracy and prophecy—and all manner of things that go bump in the neon-drenched night.’”

Some other exciting news...Madeleine L'Engle's grandaughter, Lena Roy, is publishing her first teen novel this coming December titled Edges. Ms. Roy has a lot to live up to. Hopefully she inherited her grandma's writing genes. Madeleine L'Engle is famous for her fantasy writing including A Wrinkle in Time.

I just finished one of the most powerful graphic novels I have ever read. I picked the book for our 7th grade Book and Bag discussion group and I am so PLEASED to be able to share it with them and will you.

The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan   

Please check it out and let me know what you think. Pages 123-131 OMG that is all I have to say. Author/illustrator Matt Phelan's artwork conveys in very small ways the powerful emotions of the men, women and children living through this heartwrenching time in American history.  It is not a history lesson but a book that will make everyone want to learn more the Dust Bowl and the 1930's.

For more information check these sites out.

                            Surviving the Dust Bowl

                            Farming in the 1930s

                            Works Progress Administration

Tired of vampires? Werewolves? Twilight? Supernatural romance? I AM   I just want a good ole romance or mystery or science fiction or fantasy without the vampires attacking.

The pubishing world is thankfully starting to feel the same way as me. It is now on to bigger dilemmas, 'it's the end of the world as we know it!"  Though the dystopian genre has been around for awhile in teen literature I am so happy it is making a return.

POST APOCALYPSE/DYSTOPIAN      

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins with the sequels Catching Fire and Mockingjay (August 2010)

 Here are a few more that are either in your local library or will be released later this spring. 

• Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden
• The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
• This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
• Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
• Maze Runner by James Dashner
• The Carbon Diaries 2017 by Saci Lloyd
• The Line by Teri Hall (March 4, 2010)
• Epitaph Road by David Patneaude (March 23, 2010)
• Dark Life by Kat Falls (May 1, 2010)
• The Gardener by S. A. Bodeen (May 25, 2010)
• Nomansland by Lesley Hauce (June 22, 2010)   

 Here is the cover for Mockingjay, the third book in the Hunger Trilogy! I am so excited. For mor information, check the Huger Games website through Scholastic.

More and more book winners! This time it is the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults.

The winner: Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman

After creating a list of the pros and cons of marriage, science-minded Charles  Darwin chooses to marry his strictly religious first cousin. Little does he know that he is about to embark upon the most loving, creative, and intellectually important relationship of his life.

 Finalists

• Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tonya Lee Stone
• Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
• The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum by Candace Fleming
• Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland by Sally M. Walker

I just finished the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Lightning Thief. I admit it wasn't half bad though from what I have heard about the movie, fans are annoyed that Annabeth's hair is the wrong color. It will be interesting to see the movie after reading the book though WOW couldn't the producers of the movie have gotten someone who looks at least like he is in middle school. OMG the actor looks like he could be in high school and he is supposed to be a SIXTH GRADER. Argh!

Enough of my quick rant, the trailor does look good and yes I will see the movie (especially since one of my favorite actors, Sean Bean,  is playing Zeus).  I look forward to reading the second book soon.

In 2008 I had the pleasure of serving on the Best Books for Young Adults(BBYA) selection committee to choose the best books of 2009. Lots and lots of books to be read and enjoyed. Well, the 2010 BBYA list is out and here are the top ten choices. 

1. Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees  Brennan
2. The Orange Houses by Paul Griffin
3. The Great Wide Sea by M.H. Herlong
4. The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks
5. Alligator Bayou by Donna Jo Napoli
6. Stitches: A Memoir by David Small
7. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
8. Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
9. Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor
10. Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland by Sally M. Walker

William C. Morris Award for best book by a first-time author writing for teens

     Winner: Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan

Finalists:

• Ash by Malinda Lo
• Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
• The Everafter by Amy Huntley
• hold still by Nina LaCour

Last night the Golden Globes were announced with all the glamour and glitz of Hollywood (yes I watched the show, yay Sandra Bullock) and then this morning more awards were announced!  These awards are very important, at least for teen librarians across the globe.

The 2010 Michael L. Printz award for excellence in young adult literature.

And the winner is....  GOING BOVINE BY LIBBA BRAY

The honor books (runners-up):

• Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman
• The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
• Punkzilla by Adam Rapp
• Tales of the Madman Underground: A Historical Romance, 1973 by John Barnes

So did everyone trick-or-treat on Beggar's Night in Worthington last night? I thought it was a little odd that Trick-or-Treat night didn't actually fall on Halloween night, which is this Saturday. What did you all dress up as? Get some good candy? I hope everyone gets a chance to dress up and celebrate the fun holiday and opportunity to be in costume!

Did you know that every month we highlight some newer books and materials available at the library? It's in the New and Now section of our webpage. Go there each month to see new stuff that's available through Worthington Libraries.

Speaking of new books- has anyone read this one?

The author is a producer of The Daily Show (one of my favorite shoes on Comedy Central) and I think the title alone is hilarious. I checked out the book's website (http://sheldrakeindustries.com/) and found it pretty funny as well.

Here's the summary from our catalog:

"Omaha, Nebraska, twelve-year-old Oliver Watson has everyone convinced that he is extremely stupid and lazy, but he is actually a very wealthy, evil genius, and when he decides to run for seventh-grade class president, nothing will stand in his way."

I'll be interested to see if it's any good!

I'm on the reserve list, so I'll let you know once I get it.

If it looks like something you'd like to reserve, too- click here!

Hello all,

Though the week is almost over, I think it's worth noting that this week was Teen Read Week!

So if you read books this week- great! If you celebrated Teen Read Week at all- fantastic! There's still one and a half more days to read so have at it and pick up a book!

Each year teens vote on their favorite books from the previous year and they are compiled into a list of 10 books that the American Library Association makes into a booklist. You can see previous booklists from Teen Read Week compilations here.

The 2009 Teen Top Ten is:

1. Paper Towns by John Green
2. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
4. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
5. Identical by Ellen Hopkins
6. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
7. Wake by Lisa McMann
8. Untamed by PC and Kristin Cast
9. The Disreputable history of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart
10. Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Have you read any of these? All of them? Do you think it's a good list?

I just saw the preview for the upcoming movie, Cirque du Freak: Vampire's Assistant.!!! It looks really good and I am a big fan of the book series by Darren Shan.The movie opens October 23

For those who know me or have heard me talk about the book, you will remember that I LOVE the first page. 

  "I've always been fasinated by spiders... Going to sleep, I used to imaging the spider creeping down, crawling into my mouth, sliding down my throat, and laying loads of eggs in my belly. "

(Cirque du Freak: the saga of Darren Shan, book 1, page 1)          

First and foremost I am extremely excited to have in my hands the sequel to one of my favorite books of 2008 (Red Necklace), titled SILVER BLADE!!!!! I am a happy gal.

After Silver Blade the lists narrows to...

• Pop by Gordon Korman 
• Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser
• Riot by Walter Dean Myers
• Break by Hannah Moskowitz

 There are so many great books coming out this fall keep checking back b/c my list will be growing.

Contrary to popular belief, GUYS DO READ, though some studies show that guys score worse on reading tests then girls. Why?? Many of the books assigned in school don't appeal to guys.  Author Jon Scieszka is on a mission to motivate guys to read and has developed a wonderful website to let guys know there are some great books being published. Do you want to start a Guys Read book group? The website has suggestions on how to begin a great guys read group. Need a suggestion on a great title to pick up from the library? The website has book suggestions from favorite male authors and also a "book of the month".

Exciting news! Book Divas will be hosting a Live Chat with Shannon Hale, author of favs like Forest Born, Princess Academy, The Goose Girl, Book of a Thousand Days, Enna Burning and many, many more!

You can participate in the live chat with Shannon Hale on September 21 from 3-4pm at bookdivas.com. This will kick off their 3-week visit with Shannon Hale.

The other day I discovered these webisodes of Private, based on the book series by Kate Brian. There are currently 18 episodes. They are only about 4-8 minutes long, but they are pretty fun to watch. They are made by the producers Gossip Girl.  If you can get past the blatant product placement, you get sucked into the drama pretty quickly.

Check out privatetheseries.com to watch all the webisodes... 

Reed Brennan can't believe her luck when she's accepted to Easton Academy, an exclusive New England boarding school. Life on campus is an endless parade of cute boys, parties, and special privileges—especially for Easton's elite Billings Girls. Reed is dying to become one of them, but the Billings Girls aren't nearly as perfect as they seem. The girl who used to live in Reed's room met a tragic end, and with shocking discoveries and dark secrets lurking around every corner, Reed will be lucky if she survives her first semester.

WATCH IT NOW! Catch new epies every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, the long awaited and highly anticipated sequel to The Hunger Games is finally here! I am so excited. I've actually already started reading Catching Fire and I love it...almost as much as I loved The Hunger Games. The reserve list for Catching Fire is at 274 right now. I don't remember the Capitol being so coniving and manipulative in The Hunger Games, but they certainly seem to have it out for Katniss in Catching Fire. I don't want to give too much away since most of you have not read it, but I want to talk about it soon...so hurry up and read it already!

In order to celebrate the release of Catching Fire, Northwest Library will be hosting a Catching Fire release party on Saturday September 12. Please join us for games, trivia, contests and more!

Catching Fire Release Party

9.12.09

Northwest Library

3pm

Tomorrow is Free Book Friday!   Every friday, freebookfriday.com gives away free books!

This week, enter to win an autographed copy of Read my Lips by Teri Brown! 

Serena just wants to fly under the radar at her new school. But Serena is deaf, and she can read lips really well-even across the busy cafeteria. So when the popular girls discover her talent, there's no turning back.
From skater chick to cookie-cutter prep, Serena's identity has done a 180...almost. She still wants to date Miller, the school rebel, and she's not ready to trade her hoodies for pink tees just yet. But she is rising through the ranks in the school's most exclusive clique.  With each new secret she uncovers, Serena feels pressure to find out more. Reading lips has always been her greatest talent, but now Serena just feels like a gigantic snoop... 
   

I love it when authors give readers a sneak peak at their upcoming works by posting first chapters online. I recently came across two first chapters that I think you might like.

Cinda Williams Chima, author of The Warrior Heir, has a new book coming out in October titled The Demon King. The Demon King is the beginning of a new fantasy series.

Maybe some of you remember when Ms. Chima came to visit Worthington Libraries in July 2006 just after The Warrior Heir was released. We are so lucky!

You can read the first chapter of The Demon King HERE!

You can also get a sneak peak at Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl. This book is getting LOTS of buzz and it does not come out until December 2009.

Alex Flinn's book Beastly is being remade on the silver screen! Alex Flinn is one of my (and Ann's ) all time favorite authors.  Beastly the movie is set to premiere next summer and  I am soo excited.

Beastly is a modern retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" from the point of view of the Beast, a vain Manhattan private school student who is turned into a monster and must find true love before he can return to his human form. It is a really awesome retelling!

It looks like Vaness Hudgens, High School Musical, and Alex Pettyfer, Stormbreaker, will star in the movie.

Get the latest scoop from Facebook or Twitter

I just reading one of my library Listserves and there is talk about an article in the last School Library Journal which was an "open letter to kids publishers" from school librarian, Diantha McBride. In the letter Diantha gives publishers a few tips on how to make teen/kids books more reader friendly and librarian friendly. Good covers was one of the tips. Another tip has created a small wave of controversy amongst librarians, More boy books. Boys are not going to read books that have a female main character! Hmm, I truely hope this is not the case.

" I've noticed that lots of books with female characters aren't really about being female. In fact, in many cases, the main characters could just as easily have been males—..." SLJ,  7/1/2009 

Do you agree with the belief that boys read boy books and girls read girl books? I hope boys have read "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak or "Sold" by Patricia McCormick. I also hope girls have read the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz or "Breathing Underwater" by Alex Flinn.

Any thoughts?

  Write Naked  by Peter L. Gould

MySpace/Our Planet: Change is Possible by the Myspace Community with Jeca Taudte 

Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life by Linda Siversten and Tosh Siversten

*  Lays out the inside scoop on the biggest issues affecting our planet, such as global warming and overflowing landfills

*  Offers dozens of tips on how to shop, dress, eat, and travel the green way

*  Includes interviews with teens like you who are involved with fun, innovative green causes

*  Shows that being environmentally conscious can be a natural part of your life -- and your generation's contribution to turning things around. -- From Amazon.com

Whirlwind by David Klass

So the most recent teen book I read was If I Stay By Gayle Forman.  You can get on the reserve list for the library's copy by clicking here.

It's the story of Mia, who gets into a terrible car wreck with her family and grapples with the decision of whether to hang-on-to, or let-go-of her life. It's pretty depressing. But I kind of like depressing books for some reason! It looks like I'm not the only person who likes depressing story lines though, because according to this article in the Wall Street Journal, depressing (and "grisly") teen fiction is becoming more and more popular. What is it about sad and horrible stories that teens (and I) find so appealing I wonder???? (P.S. I heard they're turning this book into a movie so it should be a real tear-jerker if they do it right!)

I decided to read it after reading a blog posting- from a blogger that I read fairly often, to get ideas for new YA books that sound good. So most of the time when I get book suggestions, I get them from book reviews in either Blogs that I read fairly often (the bloggers are usually other Teen Librarians), from magazines like Booklist or Publisher's Weekly, or from GoodReads. Are you familiar with GoodReads? It's a great way to keep up with what my friends are reading...but it requires people to have an account, sign in, and update quite often. I have to admit I'm not the best at remembering to update what-I'm-currently-reading. But it's nice to have that option.

So my question is: what do you use to get book suggestions/recommendations? Websites-- which ones? Magazines? Friends? Librarians? Teachers?

Don't forget to ask your librarians! We also have great book lists updated and put together specifically for the Summer Reading Program, so check out the Teen Areas and ask us for some Good Reads! You can also check out our Good Reads account and become a "friend" of Worthingteens here.

I am trying to get back in the swing of things and am looking for some good books to read. So I thought I would ask you to share the last five things you've read. Perhaps if enough people share, we can all find something new.

The last five things I've read:

1. Wonder Woman: Love and Murder by Jodi Picoult.

I did a double take when I saw Jodi Picoult, author of one my favorite books My Sister's Keeper wrote a graphic novel!

2. Two Girls of Gettysburg by Lisa Klein.

When the Civil War breaks out, two cousins, Lizzie and Rosanna, find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict until the war reunites them in the town of Gettysburg. Lisa Klein wrote Ophelia and continues to be one of my favorite authors. She just writes so good!

3. Graceling by Kristin Cashore.

In a world where some people are born with extreme and often-feared skills called Graces, Katsa struggles for redemption from her own horrifying Grace, the Grace of killing, and teams up with another young fighter to save their land from a corrupt king. I loved this book and it totally deserved all the hype!

4. Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle.

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. I know I know, its a holiday book and its March, but I did read this in December. Hey cut me some slack, I just had a baby.

5. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

When she is cast out of Wonderland by her evil aunt Redd, young Alyss Heart finds herself living in Victorian Oxford as Alice Liddell and struggles to keep memories of her kingdom intact until she can return and claim her rightful throne. An excellent fantasy! I love re-tellings and this Alice in Wonderland retelling is fabulous.

So now it's your turn! What are the last 5 things you've read?

Although I haven't been reading as much as Ann, I've been reading my fair share of teen books. In fact, I just talked about some of them yesterday to a group of teachers via video-conference. I thought I'd share a few of them with you as well, in case you're looking for some extra books to curl up with while it's SO COLD OUT THIS WEEK!!!! Stay Warm!

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Clay by David Almond

Rat Life by Ted Arnold

Nick of Time by Ted Bell

Gone by Michael Grant

Test by William Sleator

All the Lovely Bad Ones: a Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn

Nine days and counting until I head to Denver to vote on the 2009 Best Books for Young Adults. Though the title of the committee is "2009", the lists actually will consist of books published between September 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008. Over 220 books were nominated this year and within four days, the committee members will trim the list to around 80 "best books" for young adults. I have read so many books this year that it is really hard to pick my "favorite" of 2008. Still, there are definitely some that I can recommend.

Below are my top books of 2008:

1.	The Red Necklace: a Story of the French Revolution by Sally Gardner		6.	Playing with Matches by Brian Katcher
2.	Ringside, 1925: Views from the Scopes Trial by Jen Bryant		7.	What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundall
3.	Remember This by S.T. Underdahl		8.	Wake by Lisa McMann
4.	Graceling by Kristin Cashore		9.	Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
5.	Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd		10.	Pitch Black: Don't Be Skerd by Youme Landowne

Bear in mind: everyone is entitled to their own opinion and what I think is a 'best' book might not be something you like. I always tell my book groups, read outside of your comfort level because you might find a title really worthwhile that you would have never ever picked up otherwise.

Forepeak, boom, shoal, sloop, quarterberth, tiller. Do you know what they all have in common?  BOATS and SEA and WATER.

I read a book last night that has been nominated for the Best Books for Young Adults list: Seaborn by Craig Moodie. I am not a huge water groupie or even a lover of water (bad memories from an incident at a waterpark) but I started this book @ 8pm and could not put it down 'til I finished the adventure on the sea.

Synopsis:

Luke's is not looking forward to the yearly trip on the family boat, The Piper, with his geeky father. He would rather stay home. His sister is in Europe for the summer and his mom just left the family with no explanation. Grumbling all the way, Luke and his father head out for Nantucket on a two week pleasure cruise along the coast (sound familiar? i.e. "a three hour tour"?)

Winds pick up, water pump dies, engine dies, man overboard . . .

The 2008 National Book Award Winners were announced this week and I am incredibly pleased to announce the recipient of the Young People's Literature award:

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

	Other 2008 Young People's Literature Nominees
		Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson			The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
		The Spectacular Now by Tim Thrarp			The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

Book Chat Begins Again!

FINALLY! It's out and about and John Green's third novel has received some great reviews from readers, librarians and professional book critics alike!

If you don't know who John Green is, I HIGHLY suggest checking out his blog and his other books, and finding out more about Brotherhood 2.0, the year of vlogs (video blogs) he and his brother Hank created to post on the internet and communicate with one another. They're hilarious. In addition to being a fan (and a secret nerdfighter) of his "publicity" I'm also a big fan of his other award winning books: Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines. And in September, John Green CAME TO NORTHWEST LIBRARY to eat pizza and talk to us about his writing. It was definitely a Night of Awesome.

At any rate, John Green is a great Teen author, and his latest book Paper Towns, indicates that fact even further. The book just came out, so if you haven't gotten a chance to read it yet get on the reserve list at the library! Call 614-807-2626!

SUMMARY (no spoilers, so don't worry):

Paper Towns (realistic fiction) starts off introducing the reader to Quentin, a seemingly regular guy, who's been in love with Margo Roth Speigelman for years. Of course he's never told her, he's just kept admiring her and thinking about her without her knowledge.Then one night Margo needs his "help" in a strange plot she's created to get revenge…and it's a hysterically funny joyride as she systematically gets-back at the people who've wronged her. Quentin's help lands them almost getting caught…and gives him the suspicion that they've connected on some level…maybe he has a shot at something???? But then Margo never comes back to school. She's disappeared. Quentin then begins and internal search for Margo: who is she? Where did she go? And attempts to piece together the clues she's left behind to guide him.

I loved this book. It was hard for me, though, because I kept hearing the voice of John Green (author) as I read it to myself. I have watched SO many Brotherhood 2.0 videos that I kept hearing him talk throughout the entire thing. Did anyone else have this problem?

So here are my questions to get this month's Book Chat started:

• What did you think about the revenge Margo sought? Did she cross the line?
• Why do you think Margo picks Quentin on her quest for revenge?
• Did you feel like Margo was being selfish by leaving? Or do you think she wanted to be found?
• Would you ever go on a kind of quest to find someone you cared about like Quentin does? Even to the lengths he goes to?
• What did you like most and least about the book and why?
• How did this book stack up with the likes of John Green's other two books?

I can't wait to hear your responses and find out what you all thought of the book!

Have a great Halloween!

"Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one's opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met."

The 10 most challenged books of 2007 were:

1.	And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson / Peter Parnell Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-Family, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group		6.	The Color Purple by Alice Walker Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language
2.	The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence		7.	TTYL by Lauren Myracle Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
3.	Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes Reasons: Sexually Explicit and Offensive Language		8.	I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Reasons: Sexually Explicit
4.	The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman Reasons: Religious Viewpoint		9.	It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris Reasons: Sex Education, Sexually Explicit
5.	The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Reasons: Racism		10.	The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

Today is the first day of Book Chat, our new online book discussion. During the month of September we will be discussing Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. I am sure several of you have read the book and have LOTS of opinions, both good and bad. If you would like to participate in the discussion of Breaking Dawn, just click on the comments section of this post to participate in the discussion! We've never tried an online book discussion, so please help us make this a success. In October, we will be discussing Airman by Eoin Colfer. If you need a copy of the book, I've reserved copies for you to pick up at the Northwest Library.

Upcoming Online Book Chat Discussions:

Oct 1, 2008: Airman by Eoin Colfer
Nov 1, 2008: Paper Towns by John Green

With all the reading I have been doing for the National Best Books for Young Adults committee, there have been quite a few WOW moments along the way. This is why I love teen literature. What makes a great teen book? Welllll, it needs to engage the reader, challenge the teen to learn more and above all else, it needs to have TEEN APPEAL

Here are a few WOW books for me:

	After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson		Wake by Lisa McMann
	The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner		Airman by Eoin Colfer
	Sweethearts by Sara Zarr		Ringside, 1925: Views from the Scopes Trial by Jennifer Bryant

If you want to look at the official nomination list for the BBYA committee, head to the ALA/YALSA site.

So recently The Other Paper and Columbus Monthly released their "Best of Columbus" lists for the year. It always has a LOOONNNG list of great places to eat, and the winners are chosen based on readers' opinions. So the  readers vote on each category and submit their answers to the magazine or newspaper.

I started to re-create the list, putting my own opinions/votes in there- example: "Best Greek Food- Jimmy V's in Grandview" (that would be MY choice). They have listings for the best-everything!  After I started creating my own "Best of" list, I realized that part of the reason I was enjoying it so much was that it was similar to those online surveys/emails that you answer by copying and pasting, then replacing the answers with your own.

I LOVE THOSE TYPES OF SURVEYS! They're so fun, even if the questions are silly, and it's a time-waster, I still like reading other people answers and of course filling in my own.

So, I decided to create my own mini-survey regarding the library and books. Feel free to make one of your own, or post your answers in the comments!

• What's the best book you've read this summer? This summer so far I would say Home: a Memoir of my Early Years by Julie Andrews. It was a memoir about her early years growing up during WWII in London, which was just fascinating to me. It was also really cool to learn about her growing up as a child actress in the theatre in England.
• What's the best book you've read EVER? That's SO HARD! I would have to say Beach Music by Pat Conroy—a really sad story but very good.
• Where's your favorite spot to read? Definitely on my front porch when it's warm out, and on my couch wrapped up in my favorite fuzzy blanket when it's cold. If I read in bed I always fall asleep.
• What's your LEAST favorite thing to read? I don't really mind reading anything, but sometimes reading about sports is a little boring to me. I'd rather watch or play.
• Which library do you go to most often? I USED to go to Northwest most, but now I (obviously) go to Worthington Park Library since I work here now. But I'm a semi-regular patron at Grandview Heights Library, because it's super close to my house. I love it there!
• What's the last book you bought? I bought The Winners Manual by Jim Tressel. And he signed it for me!!! I also bought a book for a friend's birthday, about grizzly bear attacks called Night of the Grizzlies by Jack Olsen. It looks really creepy but (for some weird reason) my friend loves that kind of thing. He watches Animal Planet nonstop.
• What's the last book you checked out from the library? I just checked out The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler. I started reading on my lunch break and it's pretty funny so far!
• What's the best snack to eat while reading? Anything that can be dipped in peanut butter. (i.e. celery, pretzels, apple slices, etc.)
• If you've ever listened to an audiobook, which was your favorite? I don't listen to audiobooks much, but I wish that I did! I need to start doing that again in my car.
• What's the best book-turned-movie you've ever seen? I have yet to find a book-turned-movie that is as good as the book. Maybe some upcoming movies will change my mind????
• What's the best program you've ever attended at a library (or: which one was the most fun you've had)? Last year at Northwest we had a Haunted House/Cirque Du Freak party and it was a blast! I also had a lot of fun at a Pirate party we had last year at Northwest.

Can't wait to see your answers!

The attendees of Caffe Libri: Middle School Book Discussion Group have picked the books for the upcoming middle school book discussions. Its not too late to join! Books are available at the Northwest Library, just ask for them at the Information Desk.

	June 23: So You Want to Be a Wizard? by Diane Duane
	July 7: Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey
	July 21: Beka Cooper: Terrier by Tamora Pierce
	August 4: Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson OR The Silenced by James Devita, whichever comes in first!

The High School Book Discusion Group, Cafe Livris, meets this Monday June 16 at 2pm in the Northwest Library. Bring some books you would like the group to discuss and we will vote on them at the first meeting.

I just read a really great Newsweek article that talks about the current explosion of teen literature.

According to the Newsweek Article "Generation R is for Reader"

"Young-adult fiction (ages 12-18) is enjoying a bona fide boom with sales up more than 25 percent in the past few years, according to a Children's Book Council sales survey. Virtually every major publishing house now has a teen imprint, many bookstores and libraries have created teen reading groups and an infusion of talented new authors has energized the genre."

The article cites several reasons why teen literature has boomed, some are: 

1. todays teens are more sophisticated and emotional mature
2. MySpace, Facebook, blogs and authors' and publishers' Web sites have allowed teens a coomunity to interact with authors like never before
3. teen books have become an integral part of today's overall pop-culture entertainment menu...meaning tons of books are being made into movies and tv show (or vice versa) prompting teens to read
4. (my favorite) teen books are simply better and more diverse than ever

As a teen reader, what do you think of the teen books that are being published today? Do you agree with the reasons stated above? Why or why not?

Check out this article from the New York Times!

Of last year's 10 best-selling novels in Japan, five were originally cellphone novels! One of the authors is 21-year-old woman named Rin, who wrote If You over six-months during her senior year in high school. While commuting to her part-time job, she tapped out passages on her cellphone and uploaded them on a Web site for would-be authors. The article is fascinating.

How many of you would read novels in your cellphone? I think it would hurt my eyes after a while.

The American Library Association announced it's annual book awards.

The 2008 Michael Printz Teen Book Awards are in and the winner is:

The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean

	2008 Honor Books
		Dreamquake: Book Two of the Dreamhunter Duet by Elizabeth Knox			Repossessed by A. M. Jenkins
		Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath by Stephanie Hemphill			One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke

I just accomplished a task that's 6 years in the making. I have finally read the entire book of the science fiction classic, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. I will be honest: it has taken me a looonnnngg time to finish this book (for those that know me, science fiction is not my favorite genre—especially sci/fi with aliens).

I must admit that the book wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be (hmmm . . . no "real" aliens in the book). Who knew that Buggers were actually bugs—just big bugs? I now have been challenged to read the second book, Speaker for the Dead, which I have been informed is better.

Did you like the book? Is it your favorite science fiction title? If not, what is your all time favorite sci/fi book? Dune? Starship Troopers?  Inquiring minds want to know!

• October 4th: Lorie Ann Grover
• October 5th: K.L. Going
• October 6th: Nikki Grimes

• October 7th: Ellen Hopkins
• October 8th: Justina Chen Headley
• October 9th: Chris Crutcher
• October 10th: Ann Brashares
• October 11th: Sarah Mlynowski
• October 12th: Cecil Castellucci
• October 13th: Kirby Larson

Book Divas will be hosting an online discussion with E. Lockhart!

E. Lockhart will be discussing her latest novel, Dramarama. She will be taking questions and comments, so gather a list of questions that you would like to ask and join the discussion now through July 21. Don't miss the opportunity to chat with one of the most acclaimed YA authors to date!

And don't forget: I got to meet Ms. Lockhart back in November at the ALAN conference! I love being a librarian!

Have you ever wondered where Dr. Evil, the Penguin and Dr. Who got there training? How does someone learn about mutations, manipulation, forgery, and overall evilness? Why, at the Axis Insitute for World Domination, founded by Dr. Phineas Darkkon!

In the new book by Catherine Jinks, Evil Genius, the "hero" Cadel learns how to manipulate his classmates, create traffic jams and hack into any and all computers by the age of 14.

"Imagine Harry Potter's Hogwarts in reverse..." —VOYA

If you are interested in seeing if you have evil tendencies, check out the website: www.axisinstitute.org

NEW books!   NEW Books!   NEW Books!

	Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson High-school junior Clio Ford reluctantly gives up her dream job and a potential first kiss to take a working vacation with her estranged father on a yacht in Italy.
	Does My Head look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah Year Eleven at an exclusive prep school in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, would be tough enough, but it is further complicated for Amal when she decides to wear the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, full-time as a badge of her faith—without losing her identity or sense of style.
	Jango by William Nicholson Seeker, the Wildman, and Morning Star discover that the mysterious warrior sect they had been so desperate to join is not quite what it appears from the outside. Book Two of the Noble Warriors series

Here are some new books we received at the library today! There are some great reads here!!

	Broken Moon by Kim Antieau When her little brother is kidnapped and taken from Pakistan to race camels in the desert, eighteen-year-old Nadira overcomes her own past abuse and, dressed as a boy and armed with knowledge of the powerful storytelling of the legendary Scheherazade, is determined to find and rescue him.
	The Game by Diana Wynne Jones A new book by Diana Wynne Jones!! Sent to a boisterous family gathering in Ireland by her overly strict grandmother, orphaned Hayley feels out of place until her unruly cousins include her in a special game involving travel through the mythosphere, the place where all the world's stories can be found, and where some secrets of her past are revealed.
	The Invisible by Mats Wahl A Swedish teenager is assaulted and killed, but returns as a ghost to find his killer. The Invisible has been made into a major motion picture!
	Montmorency's Revenge by Eleanor Updale The fourth Montmorency book is in! As Queen Victoria lies dying and with her family in danger, a group of friends races to track down the anarchists responsible for George's death, even as Montmorency seeks to teach a new generation to forgive.
	Now You See Her by Jacquelyn Mitchard A teen book from the author who wrote the adult novel The Deep End of the Ocean. In Now You See Her, Fifteen-year-old Hope describes events leading her to agree to her boyfriend's plan to stage her abduction, and the consequences for their relationship, her family life, and her budding career as an actress.

You probably know which show won the award for Best T.V. Comedy at the Golden Globes (ABC's UGLY BETTY by the way); but do you know the 2007 Michael Printz Teen Book Award? I bet you did not even know that there was a teen book award!

And the winner is:

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang!

	2007 Honor Books
		The Book Thief by Markus Zusak			An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
		Surrender by Sonya Hartnett			The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson

Teens Cook: How to Cook What You Want to Eat by Megan and Jill Carle

The other day I took home a copy of Teens Cook. I love to try new recipes. So far I've made Veggie Lasagna and the Mexican Lasagna (made with tortillas.) Both required minimal ingredients and very little preparation. These are my kind of recipes! Both recipes were DELICIOUS! If I can make them and have them taste good, anyone can. I can't wait to try more. And I also can't wait to try something from Teens Cook Dessert.

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

I just finished this book the other day and I can't stop thinking about it. Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. When she described how hungry and cold they were it made me feel as if I were freezing and starving too. This book will definitely live with me for awhile.

Twelve books have been nominated by Ohio teens for the Teen Buckeye Book Award. The Teen Buckeye Book Award program is designed to encourage students in Ohio to read literature critically, to promote teacher and librarian involvement in young adult literature programs, and to commend authors of such literature. Teens may vote for their favorite title through January 2007. The winner will be announced in February 2007.

Vote online at http://bcbookaward.info/teens/

Click here to read the entire entry. >>

So I was at the high school this week talking about teen books and as always I asked my favorite question......"What was the last book you read for PLEASURE?"  Here were a few responses after the initial snickering.

Nicholas Sparks, Da Vinci Code, New Moon, R.L. Stine, and Dr. Suess. The majority of the almost 100 students ranging from freshmen to seniors answered:  "Are you kidding? I don't read for pleasure!"

Now here is the question of the week: WHY?

Why is it that y'all don't read for pleasure? Too many activities, sports, video games, Internet and so on? Or is it because in a group setting you don't want to admit that you read?   Please let me know—I am really curious!!

“Science fiction fans, mothers of teenage girls, and librarians all know something you don't: Teen books can be great reading for adults, too.”

Here is a news article from The Philadelphia Inquirer that I thought was interesting. I have always argued that teen books make the best reading. Even when I read for pleasure, I read teen books. They have amazing characters, interesting storylines and tend to be better written than most “adult” books. Yeah for teen literature!

The books mentioned in the article include The Gossip Girl series by Cecily Von Ziegesar, Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, Stick Figure by Lori Gottlieb, Among the Imposters by Margaret Peterson Haddix, and Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. Click on any of the titles if you want to see if it is available in the library.

The full article will be available on the Web for a limited time:
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/magazine/daily/15345075.htm
© 2006 Philadelphia Inquirer and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.

Here are some *5 Star* book reviews you wrote for the summer reading program:

So I just finished Rash by Pete Hautman. The story is a mix of sci-fi, sports, and a satirical social commentary. Its 2074 and Bo lives in the USSA (United Safer States of America) where everyone is overly obsessed with being safe. For example, pedestrians wear walking helmets, football has been banned, littering and verbal abuse are misdemeanors, and obesity is a felony.  After several verbal assaults with a guy at school, Bo ends up at a work prison in the tundra where he makes pizzas for McDonald's. There's no escape, since the place is surrounded by ferocious and hungry polar bears.

In prison, Bo is forced to eat pizza everyday until he is recruited as a member of the Gold Shirts, the illegal football team led by the head guard of the prison. It just gets crazier from there. Pete Hautman is the author of many books including Mr. Was (a book about a kid who goes back in time and meets his grandfather), Godless (a book about a guy who starts his own religion worshipping a water tower), and Invisible (a really disturbing book that be can't be described in a short sentence.) Where does Pete Hautman come up with these things? If you haven't read a Pete Hautman book yet, Rash is a good one to start with. I can't say its my favorite book, but I certainly couldn't put it down and I certainly can't stop talking about it! I recommend this book for 9th grade and up. It does have some foul language; reader be warned.