The
Summer Reading Program has just started, and I KNOW you want to win
that laptop. The only way to do it is to devote a significant slice of your summer to reading and
reviewing books.
And I also know what that means. You need book recommendations. Well, it just so happens that every year teens pick their top ten favorite books from the year previous. Voting for Teens' Top Ten doesn't open until August 25, but I don't know, maybe you'll want to have read more than just
Breaking Dawn before making your decision.
Here's the list from the Young Adult Library Association:
2009 Teens’ Top Ten Nominations
Cashore, Kristin.
Graceling.
Lady Katsa is born with a Grace (super talent) of killing and her uncle, the king, makes her his brute squad. When she meets Po, a rival kingdom's Graceling, she becomes more powerful as a woman of justice, self knowledge, and romance.
Cast, Kristin and P.C. Untamed.
At finishing school for young vampyres, Zoey makes a shocking discovery about the
school's leader, but no one will listen to her as her undead friends and 3 boyfriends turn against her. Loyalties are strained, truths are revealed, and an ancient evil is awakened in Cast's fourth House of Night novel.
Clare, Cassandra.
City of Ashes.
The second in the Mortal Instruments trilogy, this volume continues the saga of Clary and her best friend Simon as they struggle to find their place in a magical world parallel to their NYC home. Demon-fighting shadowhunters, vampires, warlocks, werewolves, faeries, and a master villain named Valentine provide a heart-pounding backdrop as Clary uncovers secrets about her past.
Collins, Suzanne.
The Hunger Games.
To save her young sister from competing, Katniss Everdeen takes her place in the annual Hunger Games, a televised competition in which only one person, the winner, survives. By turns an adventure, a love story, and a futuristic thriller, this is the first in a planned trilogy.
Fukui, Isamu.
Truancy.
In the totalitarian society that Tack lives in, a rebel group called the Truancy is fighting for freedom. But Tack vows revenge on the Truancy when someone he loves is killed accidentally during one of their attacks on the government.
Fukui, Isamu.
Truancy: Origins.
Umasi and Zen, adopted and raised in a life of privilege, are horrified to discover that their father is behind the restrictive policies of their city. One brother will be driven to rebellion.
Gaiman, Neil.
The Graveyard Book.
When a toddler wanders away from his home just before assassins slay his family, he
ends up in a graveyard. Named Nobody Owens, the ghosts and other denizens of the
cemetery adopt him and teach him important skills he will need to survive.
Green, John.
Paper Towns.
When they were little, Margo Roth Spiegelman was Q’s best friend. Now, a month before
high school graduation, she disappears after taking Q on a night of pranks involving dead fish and a depilatory, sending him on a quest to find her.
Harris, Joanne.
Runemarks.
Maddie is shunned by the town because of the mysterious rune mark on her hand. This
same rune mark will shatter her dull existence as it propels her into the center of a war between the new controlling religious government and the Norse gods of old.
Hopkins, Ellen.
Identical.
Identical teenage twins, Raeanne and Kaeleigh, respond in totally opposite ways to the abuse and abandonment from their parents. One twin finds bulimia and cutting eases the pain and helps her to maintain her passivity, while the other, more rebellious twin sinks into the world of drugs and sex.
Lockhart, E. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.
When Frankie's boyfriend joins a secret society that she isn't supposed to know anything about, she surprises everyone—including herself—by trying to beat them and become the biggest prankster of them all.
Marriott, Zoё. Daughter of the Flames.
Zira bears scars from the battle that left her orphaned and in the care of the Ruan people. When a tyrant king threatens her home, Zira seeks help from an unlikely romantic interest and uncovers the truth about her past.
McMann, Lisa.
Wake.
Going to sleep isn't a big deal for most of us, but for Janie, falling asleep means getting sucked into other people's dreams. The supernatural ability she's always considered a nuisance quickly becomes a nightmare when she blunders into a dream and witnesses a murder.
Meyer, Stephenie.
Breaking Dawn.
In this, the fourth and final installment of the Twilight Saga, Bella’s new life as the wife of vampire Edward Cullen is wrought with unexpected obstacles, difficult decisions, and potentially overwhelming outcomes.
Moran, Katy. Bloodline.
In the brutal world of Dark Age Britain, Essa fights for his life, his identity, and the lives of those he loves. Paolini and Tolkien fans will be drawn in.
Ness, Patrick. The
The Knife of Never Letting Go. (Chaos Walking. Book 1).
Dangerous secrets can even be hidden in a world where all men and animals hear each
others' thoughts. Because all women died shortly after he was born, Todd Hewitt is the last boy left in his town. When he learns a dangerous secret, he runs for his life with his dog and finds something even more surprising: a girl!
Noёl, Alyson.
Evermore.
Her life ripped apart by a tragic accident that killed her family, Ever struggles with her newfound ability to hear people’s thoughts. Enter Damen, the new boy who seems the perfect distraction — except he doesn’t eat or drink, and soon Ever discovers a supernatural new world of which she is now part.
Palmer, Robin.
Geek Charming.
Dylan’s middle name is “crisis.” It seems to follow her wherever she goes. First she
catches her boyfriend staring at another girl. Then her beautiful designer bag takes a swim in a fountain. However, along with crisis comes opportunity, and Dylan's Beverly Hills world is about to be turned upside-down.
Pierce, Tamora.
Melting Stones.
All life, both plant and animal, on the Battle Islands is mysteriously dying. Stone mage Evvy responds to the islander’s call for help. They need her magic to solve the mystery. Accompanied by her friend and mentor, Luvo, she uncovers the deep secret revealed by the stones and the volcano. Will it be in time to rescue the children?
Scott, Elizabeth.
Living Dead Girl.
Alice was kidnapped when she was young and is forced to pretend to be a little girl to please Ray. She could never escape and wishes for death. Soon her wish will become
true, as she had become too old and now she must find Ray a replacement for her.
Smith, Cynthia Leitich.
Eternal.
Zachary, a guardian angel has, against all rules, fallen in love with his charge. When he sees Miranda sleeping in the shadow of death, his attempt to save her hurls her into life as a vampire princess and exiles him from heaven.
Smith, Sherri L.
Flygirl.
Because she wants to fly and to support her soldier brother, 18-year-old Ida May Jones passes for white amidst obstacles of race and gender and joins the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II .
Weingarten, Lynn.
Wherever Nina Lies.
Two years after 16-year-old Ellie's older sister, Nina, disappeared, Ellie pieces together clues to her whereabouts and heads out on a road trip that leads to murder and mystery with her hot new boyfriend, Sean.
Werlin, Nancy.
Impossible.
This gentle story details young teen Lucy's rape and subsequent pregnancy, with an
amazingly supportive cast of a faithful boyfriend and loving parents. A fairy tale set in the present, with flashes of realism and romance.
Yee, Lisa.
Absolutely Maybe.
Maybe (short for Maybelline, her mother's favorite mascara) leaves home and heads to
California on a mission to find her biological father, and avoid her mother's planned
wedding number seven.
You might have to wait some time before your hold comes in on these titles, but it's worth it. Promise.
As you know I'm regularly sharing lists of books people think are the best of whatever category they are concerned with (I like books! I can't help it!). What makes this list just a little different is that it's mostly full of books (with a few exceptions) you've probably never heard of. The reason for that is the companies that published these books are more likely to be smaller and not have money to spend making book trailers or putting ads into magazines and websites. Basically, reading a book on this list is like going to Dave's Burgers instead of McDonald's, or going to the corner espresso stand rather than Starbucks. 
