Weekend Book Give-Away: The Shadow Society

I love books that take place somewhere I have lived.  So this week's book ... The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski, that takes place in Chicago is especially intriguing to me.

Darcy Jones doesn't remember anything before the day she was abandoned as a child outside a Chicago firehouse. She has never really belonged anywhere - but she couldn't have guessed that she comes from an alternate world where the Great Chicago Fire didn't happen and deadly creatures called Shades terrorize the human population. Memories begin to haunt Darcy when a new boy arrives at her high school, and he makes her feel both desire and desired in a way she hadn't thought possible. But Conn's interest in her is confusing. It doesn't line up with the way he first looked at her. As if she were his enemy. When Conn betrays Darcy, she realizes that she can't rely on anything - not herself, not the laws of nature, and certainly not him. Darcy decides to infiltrate the Shadow Society and uncover the Shades' latest terrorist plot. What she finds out will change her world forever...

For a chance to win this book, tell me about a time you didn't feel you belonged, and how you coped

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Thursday January 10, 2013. Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

Trailer Tuesday: Reached by Ally Condie

And now, the much awaited conclusion to the Matched Trilogy:

BTW: Merry Christmas!

Weekend Book Give-Away: The Innocents AND Burn for Burn

This week I'm cleaning out my office and came across two Advance Reader Copies for books that came out a few months ago, but look too good not to give away.  So as a holiday season bonus, two of you can win this week!

The first book is Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian:

Postcard-perfect Jar Island is home to charming tourist shops, pristine beaches, amazing oceanfront homes--and three girls secretly plotting revenge. KAT is sick and tired of being bullied by her former best friend. LILLIA has always looked out for her little sister, so when she discovers that one of her guy friends has been secretly hooking up with her, she's going to put a stop to it. MARY is perpetually haunted by a traumatic event from years past, and the boy who's responsible has yet to get what's coming to him. None of the girls can act on their revenge fantasies alone without being suspected. But together…anything is possible.

Looks pretty good, eh?

The second book is The Innocents by Lili Peloquin:

Nothing ever came between sisters Alice and Charlie. Friends didn't. Boys couldn't. Their family falling apart never would. Until they got to Serenity Point. In a town built on secrets and lies, it's going to be hard to stay innocent. Charlie and Alice find themselves drawing apart from each other after their mother remarries their stepfather, Richard, a rich and lonely man with a previous life of which he seldom speaks--and that haunts him still. 

So for a chance to win (one or maybe both!), tell me which sounds better to you, and why!

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator onThursday  December 27, 2012. Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

Trailer Tuesday: Dancers Among Us by Jordan Matter

We don't often feature non-fiction books on Trailer Tuesday, largely because there just aren't as many of them made (have one you like? Send it to jparker [at] sno-isle.org!). The awesomeness of this one makes me wish that wasn't true. Behold behind-the-scenes action for Dancers Among Us : a celebration of joy in the everyday by Jordan Matter:

Dancers Among Us goes around the USA in Ninety Seconds from Jordan Matter on Vimeo.

Weekend Book Give-Away: Heaven

This week we are giving away another popular sequel (there seem to be so many these days!)  Have any of you read the first two books in the Halo series by Alexandra Adornetto?  Here is the final chapter:  Heaven.

Only sixteen when she started the series, Ally Adornetto knows how teen hearts beat, and this long-awaited conclusion is certain to be her most popular book yet. Bethany, an angel sent to Earth, and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier, have been to Hell and back. But now their love will be put to its highest test yet, as they defy Heavenly law and marry. Will Bethany be called back to Heaven - forever - and face leaving the love of her life?

For a chance to win a copy of this book, tell me what is the most romantic thing that has ever happen to you...or what you think of romance.

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday December 18, 2012. Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

Trailer Tuesday: Who Could That Be at this Hour? by Lemony Snicket

From the publisher: "In a fading town, far from anyone he knew or trusted, a young Lemony Snicket began his apprenticeship in an organization nobody knows about. He started by asking questions that shouldn't have been on his mind. Now he has written an account that should not be published, in four volumes that shouldn't be read. This, Who Could That Be at this Hour, is the first volume."

Weekend Book Give-Away: Sapphire Blue

Judging by the 30 holds on this week's title, it looks like a lot of you enjoyed the first book in this series, Ruby Red.  Sapphire Blue is the newest title by Kerstin Gier in this series to be translated from the original German.   And apparently Ruby Red has been made into a movie in Germany too, where it is super popular!

Sixteen-year-old Gwen, the newest and final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve, searches through history for the other time-travelers, aided by friend Lesley, James the ghost, Xemerius the gargoyle demon, and Gideon, the Diamond, whose fate seems bound with hers.

For a chance to win a gorgeous pristine hardcover copy of this book, tell me when you would want to go if you were a time-traveler, and what you would want to see then.
 
Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday December 11, 2012.. Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

Trailer Tuesday: Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Julie Kagawa hit big with the first in her Iron Fey series, now that there's five full novels and some extras out in that series, the author has given some attention to starting a new series. Here's the trailer for Immortal Rules:

Can You Tell a Book by its Cover?

The Mukilteo Library's Teen Advisory Board has been a Teens' Top Ten review group for almost two years and in that time the teens have reviewed over 700 books for publishers. Unexpectedly, one of the most interesting questions on the review form turned out to be "What did you like or not like about the cover?" I had no idea readers were so passionate about the covers! One girl said the cover of a book was so suggestive that she had to cover it with brown paper. Two teens returned a zombie book because the cover was so scary they couldn't look at it for more than a couple of minutes. Many of the girls said they never wanted to see another book with either a girl's face staring at them or a girl's torso.

What do they like? Covers that tell you something about the book, but don't give away the whole plot. Covers that suggest the time period or genre without looking like every other book set in that time period or written in that genre. Covers that look like these--25 of the most wonderful book covers of the year. Is it a coincidence that we thought these were great books as well as great covers? Probably not. This is my favorite from the list...what's yours?

Weekend Book Give-Away: Crewel

This weekend's book is Crewel by Gennifer Albin, and sounds just facinating:

Enter a tangled world of secrets and intrigue where a girl controls other's destinies, but not her own Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has always been special. When her parents discover her gift--the ability to weave the very fabric of reality--they train her to hide it. For good reason, they don't want her to become one of the elite, beautiful, and deadly women who determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die. But Adelice is forced to into this powerful group, and she must learn to navigate the dangerous politics at play. Caught in a web of lies and forbidden romance, she must unravel the sinister truth behind her own unspeakable power. Her world is hanging by a thread, and Adelice, alone, can decide to save it--or destroy it.

To win  a lovely brand new hardback of this title (which otherwise has a waiting list on it), tell me this: if you could weave the fabric of reality, what are the first three things you would change?

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday December 4, 2012. Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

The Hobbit

If you don't know that the movie The Hobbit is being released on December 14th I would like to kindly encourage you climb out from beneath the rock you are living under and get out into the world more.

Those of you that know about the movie might not realize it is being created by the same man who gave us the Lord of the Rings movies, Peter Jackson.

 

It is interesting to note that Peter Jackson took the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which all together is more than 1100 pages and turned it into three movies. He is now taking The Hobbit, a book which is only a little more than 250 pages and turning it into....three movies!

This has fans of Tolkien (like me) equally excited and terrified.

I am excited because I am fairly certain Jackson will be including events that happen "off stage" during The Hobbit. In the middle of the story Gandalf disappears for a period of time and when he returns he doesn't really explain what he was doing. I don't want to be a movie spoiler but if you are curious and don't mind possible spoilers, follow this link. (Hint: Bilbo's adventures in The Hobbit are also called The Quest for Erebor.)

So why am I also terrified? Because Tolkien has given us only snippets of information about what happened on Gandalf's adventures. We can piece together information from the appendices of the Lord of the Rings books and other works. However, this lack of detail gives Peter Jackson the freedom to create his own story, something hard core Tolkien fans are nervous about.

All that being said.....I can't wait!

Trailer Tuesday: The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi

For those of you who read Ship Breaker, you've probably already pounced on The Drowned Cities, but for those of you who haven't, GOOD NEWS! It's never too late!

Trailer Tuesday: Adaptation by Malinda Lo

This looks like quite a departure from Malinda Lo's last two books (which were fantasy). I think I'll check Adaptation out.

Weekend Book Give-Away: Poison Princess

Looking for something fresh and interesting to read?  This week's book Poison Princess by Kresley Cole, looks like it has lots of potential:

Sixteen year old Evangeline "Evie" Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future--and they're still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

Clearly our readers are getting excited about this one as we have 14 people waiting for it and it just came out!  If you are excited to read this one and want a chance to win your own Advanced Readers Copy, tell me what you are thankful for this week.


Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday November 27, 2012 (we are taking a little break for Thanksgiving). Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

Featured Teen Book Review of the Week: Beautiful Music for Ugly Children

AK reviewed this book before the library even got its copy, I'm impressed!  Been hearing good things about this book, so glad to get a review of it.

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children 
 4 stars. 
 
Describe the book: Gabe is a transgender male who gets a volunteer radio job for one hour each week, Fridays at midnight, from a good radio friend and neighbor of his named John. Being a radio DJ is his first experience being Gabe in public, and even gains a fanbase, but things get stirred up when a student finds out that Gabe is also Liz from their high school. 

What did you think: I read this book in 4 short hours, I couldn't put it down. I like to read lgbtq books, and the huge musical part of the book also grabbed me too because I love music, so it holds two things that grab my interest. I also like how it's not about accepting yourself as trans, but beginning the process of showing the world your true identity. 

Who would you recommend it to: gr8+, lgbtq, music, friends, relationships, family

 - A.K. (Grade 10) from Mill Creek Library

AK...I'll be sending you a book tomorrow, care of Danielle at the Mill Creek Library :)

Trailer Tuesday: 52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody

I have to say that this looks like a really expensive trailer to produce. But I bet 52 Reasons to Hate My Father is worth at least a couple laughs. Have you read it?

Weekend Book Give-Away: Promised

This week's book is the third in the Birthmarked series, Promised by Caragh M. O'Brien, which I'm sure some of you must be excited about, as there are 19 holds on this book right now!

After defying the ruthless Enclave, surviving the wasteland, and upending the rigid matriarchy of Sylum, Gaia Stone now faces her biggest challenge ever.  She must lead the people of Sylum back to the Enclave and persuade the Protectorat to grant them refuge from the wasteland.  In Gaia's absence, the Enclave has grown more cruel, more desperate to experiment on mothers from outside the wall, and now the stakes of cooperating or rebelling have never been higher.  Is Gaia ready, as a leader, to sacrifice what--or whom--she loves most?

For a chance to win this book, tell me what has been your biggest challenge ever, and how you dealt with it.  Just three or four sentences will do.

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday November 13 , 2012. Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

Featured Teen Book Review of the Week: Whirligig

This week's book review of the week features a title I've long been a fan of, and am delighted to see people are still discovering!  

Whirligig

3 stars.

Describe the book: Brent, a 17 yr old, gets in a car crash and kills the person in the other car. For repentance the deceased Lea's mother asked him to build whirligigs in the 4 corners of the US, as doing so he slowly heals...and his whirligigs have some interesting effects on the people who find them.

What did you think: I loved it, specifically the last whirligig he built in Main, I'm not ruining it, but its interesting, and has a small sense of closure.

Who would you recommend it to: People who like books that are probable.

 - B.K. (Grade 9) from Arlington Library


B...I'll be sending you a surprise book to the Arlington Library.  Jocelyn, our teen librarian there, will let you know when it arrives!

2012 Art Contest Winners

Wow!  You guys really came through with some amazing entries this year.  There have been some challenging years for our judges to pick just four winners, but I honestly think this was the hardest for them.  We had 173 entries this year (which I think is a record) and SO MANY of them were fantastic!  I am so proud of the creativity and artistic flair possessed by the teens in our community.  Thank you so much for sharing your talents with us.

So, with no further ado, our 2012 Teen Read Month "It Came from a Book" art contest winners are:



Megan M. from Lynnwood



  






Chana K. from Mill Creek



 
 






Emily B. from Marysville




  





Jake T. from Mountlake Terrace



 





The winning art will be posted on our website very soon, and in a few weeks will be showcased on posters throughout our two counties in libraries and schools!  


Each winner will be recognized at their local library with a special ceremony and receive a $50 gift card for Amazon.com provided by the Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation.

Thanks again to everyone who entered, and to the Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation for its continued generous support of teen programs and activities!

Trailer Tuesday: Eve & Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

Normally I bore you with some ramblings in my own words about books, but the publisher description for Eve & Adam is so good, I'd rather share that:

In the beginning, there was an apple --

And then there was a car crash, a horrible injury, and a hospital. But before Evening Spiker's head clears a strange boy named Solo is rushing her to her mother's research facility. There, under the best care available, Eve is left alone to heal.

Just when Eve thinks she will die -- not from her injuries, but from boredom—her mother gives her a special project: Create the perfect boy.

Using an amazingly detailed simulation, Eve starts building a boy from the ground up. Eve is creating Adam. And he will be just perfect . . . won't he?

Thinking About College

As I write, about 36 teens are taking a practice SAT at the Mukilteo Library. That's an amazing number of teens giving up a Saturday afternoon to take a test! Some of them look pretty calm, others are tense, but all of them are thinking about college.

Our web site offers practice for college tests, too. Take a look at LearningExpress Library (find it at the Teen Homework Resources) for eBooks, eCourses and sample SAT and ACT exams. All you need is a computer with an Internet connection and your library card to get started. The Gale Virtual Reference Library (find it under Electronic Media) lets you search the full text of Scholarships, Fellowships and Loans and The College Blue Book to find out about what colleges offer and ways to pay for it all.

And then there's my favorite, the book Colleges that Change Lives by Loren Pope. Everyone knows about the University of Washington and Harvard and Stanford, but there are many, many colleges that aren't so familiar. This book will tell you about 40 fine colleges that could be a wonderful fit for you even if you don't have straight A's and aren't the captain of the football team and don't have your own charitable foundation. Take a look--and ask your local librarian for more information about applying to college. We're here to help!

Weekend Book Give-Away: Monstrous Beauty

Looking for something both magical and spooky to read?  Maybe you would like Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama:

Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences. Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.

For a chance to win a lovely new hardcover copy of this book, tell me the biggest thing that would you be willing to give up for love?  Creative answers encouraged!  Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday November 6, 2012. Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

Do you like to write?

I don't know about you, but I really really like the idea of writing, but rarely actually do any. So NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month has always appealed to me.  It is a great opportunity to find support online to get motivated to actually get some writing done.

This year we aren't offering any NaNoWriMo programs at our libraries, but I have got a few questions from folks about this.  If we were to offer weekly support groups next year, do you think you would participate?

What do you plan to write about if you are doing it this year?

Do you plan to do the regular NaNoWriMo, or participate in the Young Writers Program

Have you done this before?  I'd love to hear about how that went for you.

Featured Teen Book Review of the Week: Crank

 I love the enthusiasm AL brings to this review, and that she is willing to give the novel-in-verse "poem-type writing" a chance.

Crank
4 stars.

Describe the book: Crank is about a girl named Kristina who is taken over by a 'monster' that controls her life. This monster is the drug meth. As Kristina develops her relationship with the monster, she turns more and more to her alternate self "Bree". This story is told in poem from and is spectacular!

What did you think: I loved this book. At first it really creeped me out (in a good way)and the writing confused me a little, but once I got the hang of it I totally fell in love with her poem-type writing!

Who would you recommend it to: People who like psychological thrillers and poetry

A.L. (Grade 11) from Snohomish Library

Big Baby

Today is the last day of Teen Read Month, and the last opportunity to turn in your entries for the Teen Art Contest "It Came From the Library."

Here in Oak Harbor, it recently came TO the library...

Big Baby loves to read - especially horror books!

Happy Halloween!

Trailer Tuesday: Deck Z by Chris Pauls

Ok, this Deck Z is an adult book, but I find the premise and trailer irresistible. Also funny. Especially the last picture of the kid.

What if the German's developed a deadly plague, someone stole it, then boarded the Titanic to get away? What if that plague accidentally got loose? Did the Titanic really sink because an iceberg?

Teen Read Month Special: Our Favorites - Ender's Game

Today's pick is from Nate, one of the great librarians at the Snohomish Library. He has chosen one of my favorites, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card:

“Picking your favorite Teen book is a difficult task for any librarian. What pushed Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card to the top is the number of times I have reread it. It is just a great story of an underdog kid fighting against amazing odds and winning on the strength of his intelligence and friendships. It is also one of my favorite examples of the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” The cover usually looks like Star Wars or Star Trek but the book is actually about a loner kid who is bullied by his brother and fellow students, gets sent to a special school because he is a genius but the teacher’s there treat him horribly. I have found that I like books that are set in boarding schools (Hogwarts anyone?), it must be something about the absence of parents. Ender’s Game is all that and more. A space station that is a school for training military geniuses that will defend the earth from an alien invasion? It doesn’t get any better than that.”


If you like Ender's Game, you should totally read Ender's Shadow, too!  It is the same story, but as seen by another character and is equally awesome!

Teen Read Month Special: Our Favorites - House of the Scorpion

Last but hopefully not least, I want to share one of my all time favorite teen books, House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer!  As you can see from the cover it won a TON of prizes when it first came out.

In this book a young boy named Matt is raised in an isolated house in the middle of a poppy field.  The only person he ever gets to see is the woman who stays with him at night.  He is very lonely.  Then one day a group of children come laughing and skipping across the field.  Matt knows he should hide, but he is so tired of being alone, that he breaks out the window and calls after them.  He cuts his foot on the broken glass, and the worried children rush him to their home...a huge mansion just over the horizon.  There, the children's maid goes to clean off his foot, and discovers a tattoo.  Seeing this, she has him thrown out of the house, for she has discovered Matt is a clone, and is considered unworthy of setting foot in the fine house.  But Matt soon learns he isn't just any clone.  He is the clone of El Patrón, a powerful druglord who had bought all the boarderlands between Mexico and the US and is now ruler of his own lawless land.

I love this book because it brings up so many interesting issues (poverty, drug wars, cloning, etc...), but blends them into an exciting story with characters you really care about.  I never get tired of talking about this great book!

Teen Read Month Special: Our Favorites - Tower of Treasure

Today's pick is from Chy, our librarian at the Lake Stevens Library.  He found a new graphic novel series called Three Thieves by Scott Chantler that he enjoyed a lot.  The first one in the series is Tower of Treasure:

"Orphan acrobat with traumatic childhood memories reluctantly joins two circus-mates, a blue-skinned pickpocket and a one-headed Ettin, in a plot to rob the royal treasury. This first in the series is a fun adventure, with good doses of humor and hints of complex plot intrigue to be unraveled in further volumes. With a setting and tone reminiscent of the Bone series, it is worth a look for anyone who enjoys colorful pre-industrial fantasy adventures. If you enjoy this one, move on to The Sign of the Black Rock"

You can also read the comics online here!

The Influence of Sports Books

Bill Simmons is one of my favorite writers. His book The Book of Basketball: the NBA according to the sports guy is an amazing read if you like the NBA.

If you are into sports or pop culture I highly recommend the ESPN offshoot website he has started called Grantland. You can find all kinds of writing and writers there. I challenge you to read Simmons' ode to his deceased dog "One final toss for The Dooze" and not tear up.

So where am I going with this? Recently Simmons' wrote an article about his favorite books as a kid, sports book by the author Alfred Slote. In particular, one title called Jake. Unfortunately, Sno-Isle doesn't own any of his books and it appears they are out of print.

As a librarian I loved his article. It really brought home the impact books can have on us and the loyalty it inspires. Read the article here.

Just to top things off, they made a mini-documentary about the Alfred Slote. One of ESPN's 30 for 30 Shorts. It is a real treat to listen to the author talk about his writing.


Enjoy.

Weekend Book Give-Away: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Do you believe in true love?  How about love at first sight?  This week's book giveaway, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith, is for all you romantics out there: 

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything? Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row. A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more? Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Ten people are waiting to read this now, but you have a chance to skip the line.  Tell me about the most romantic book you have ever read, and why you think it is romantic (mine is The Princess Bride by William Goldman).

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday October 30, 2012. Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

Teen Read Month Special: Our Favorites - The Golden Compass

Today's recommendation comes from Kathleen, the Teen Librarian at the Mukilteo Library, who has probably read more books than you ever will!

" I could never pick just one favorite teen book, but some of them have been so good that they stay fresh in my mind even years after I read them. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman is one of those—and it’s the book that made me a reader of fantasies. Lyra lives in a world that seems very much like ours at first, but it’s not. Each person’s soul is embodied in an animal companion, armored bears can talk, and a mysterious Dust may have something to do with a bridge to a parallel universe. When Lyra sets out to find children kidnapped from her town, she learns more about all of these magical elements as well as her own destiny. Beautifully written, thought-provoking, a great adventure—and a hundred times better than the movie version!"
 
If you enjoy the creepier elements of this series, you might also enjoy our booklist Human Experimentation - Teens as Science Projects.

Featured Teen Book Review of the Week: Can I See Your I.D.?

I love it when teens tell me about an exciting book I've never heard of before!  I bet I'll be bringing this one out to the schools on my next booktalk.

Can I See Your I.D.?

4 stars.

Describe the book: Ten imposters pass themselves off as people they aren't. A high school dropout spends days as a high-ranked navy surgeon. A poor woman pretends to be a foreign princess. A white man takes a few pill and then instantly explores the world as an African American.

What did you think: These stories were mind-blowing. I thought Mary was quite clever when she used other people's tales to create her own royal life story, and I was impressed when John figured out how to live life disguised as an African American. I was also awed at Solomon's courage. I think it would be so difficult to pose as someone you're not just to stay alive.

Who would you recommend it to: People who want to read shocking yet true stories

- R.B. (Grade 8) from Granite Falls Library

Thanks for the tip R.B.!  Unfortunately, I can only send prizes to our local libraries, and while you put down Granite Falls, your home address is in Virginia.  Let me know if you've moved :)

Trailer Tuesday: I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

If you've read Boy Toy by Barry Lyga you know that he can be unflinching and committed to his subjects. Which... is why I haven't read I Hunt Killers quite yet. But I will. It's nominated as a Quick Pick for Young Adults, so I'll read it by January. Have you read it? What did you think?

Teen Read Month Special: Our Favorites - Tiger Lily

Today's Teen Read Month favorite is from Anne, our Teen Librarian at the Oak Harbor Library who always is reading something interesting:



"The retelling of fairy tales has always been popular, but this year brings us several different tales retold including Robin Hood and Jack the Ripper. One of my favorites has been Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson, which revisits the story of Peter Pan. Tinkerbell narrates the story of Tiger Lily and how she falls in love with Peter, despite knowing the trouble this will bring (especially since she has been promised to another man in her village). Even though many familiar characters are here, erase the memory of the Disney movie from your mind and get ready to read a complex, emotional, and somewhat dark telling of the tale of Peter Pan and Tiger Lily."

If you love fairytale retellings as much as both Anne and I do, you should also check out our book list Fairytales Revisited!

Teen Read Month Special: Our Favorites - 172 Hours on the Moon

Jocelyn, our Teen Librarian from Arlington has another recent favorite to share, called 172 Hours on the Moon, written by John Harstad, and translated from Norwegian by Tara Chase.

"The one word I'd use to describe this book is "creepy". The tension slowly mounts throughout the book, until you finally realize that the foreshadowed horror isn't psychological, it's real. And even worse, it's real in space, where no one can hear you scream. If you are a fan of darkly atmospheric novels, science fiction, and horror, this might be the book for you." - Jocelyn

It's been decades since anyone set foot on the moon. Now three ordinary teenagers, the winners of NASA's unprecedented, worldwide lottery, are about to become the first young people in space--and change their lives forever. Mia, from Norway, hopes this will be her punk band's ticket to fame and fortune. Midori believes it's her way out of her restrained life in Japan. Antoine, from France, just wants to get as far away from his ex-girlfriend as possible. It's the opportunity of a lifetime, but little do the teenagers know that something sinister is waiting for them on the desolate surface of the moon. And in the black vacuum of space... no one is coming to save them. In this chilling adventure set in the most brutal landscape known to man, highly acclaimed Norwegian novelist Johan Harstad creates a vivid and frightening world of possibilities we can only hope never come true.

For more science fiction reads, check out our recently updated list Out of this World - extraordinary science fiction for teens.

Teen Read Month Special: Our Favorites - Paranormalcy

Today's featured book is a favorite of Bryan, the Teen Contact at the Darrington Library:

"Paranormalcy by Kiersten White Evie is a girl with a special gift: she can see vampires, werewolves and other paranormals through their glamours – the façades that covers their real appearance. Working the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA), she assists in capturing paranormals and putting them under the governments control. Evie is content with her life until a mysterious paranormal breaks into IPCA headquarters and enters Evie’s life and heart. Paranormalcy is full of humor, suspense and mystery. Kiersten White’s literary voice rings true and the characters are real. I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series".

We don't have a good list of paranormal books for teens!  Which ones would you recommend for readers who like this book?

Teen Read Month Special: Our Favorites - Please Ignore Vera Dietz

Today's featured Teen Read Month favorite is from Lisa at the Edmonds Library who really enjoyed Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A. S. King:

"Not just another my best friend that I was secretly in love with is dead books. Vera is a wonderfully real main character; she is awesome, but she is also full of flaws. She loves her dead best friend, except he went and ruined everything. So maybe she hates him, too. She gets through her days by following two survival rules :

1. Ignore every messed up thing in this life

2. Be ignored

Trouble is, her problems keep multiplying and ignoring them isn’t helping.  This is a funny and heartbreaking book about friendship, guilt, speaking out and rising above your circumstances.  And did I mention the talking pagoda?"

If you like heartbreaking books like this, you might enjoy titles from our Tearjerkers: Books to Make You Cry booklist, too.

 

Weekend Book Give-Away: Confessions of a Murder Suspect

This week's book is an exciting one. Right now we have 51 people waiting to read Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson...and if you are lucky, you might get a free brand new hardback next week!

On the night Malcolm and Maud Angel are murdered, Tandy Angel knows just three things: 1) She was the last person to see her parents alive. 2) The police have no suspects besides Tandy and her three siblings. 3) She can't trust anyone-maybe not even herself. Having grown up under Malcolm and Maud's intense perfectionist demands, no child comes away undamaged. Tandy decides that she will have to clear the family name, but digging deeper into her powerful parents' affairs is a dangerous-and revealing-game. Who knows what the Angels are truly capable of? 

Does that not sound like a thrilling mystery? For your chance to win, make up a completely outrageous and ridiculous family secret that you recently "discovered".  Keep it under a paragraph, but make it exciting!

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday October 23, 2012. Be sure to leave a name and library with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.