Monster by Walter Dean Myers

 Click here to put this book on hold at your library. 

Steve is 16 and on trial as an accomplice to murder.  This is his first person account of the trial and his time in juvenile detention.

This book is amazing.  Steve tells the story in the form of a film script.  We see everything from his perspective as the court case goes on.  It illuminates the feelings that prisoners have and how they interact with each other without preaching to the reader.  I would recommend this to boys especially those who have trouble staying with a story.  The story is fast and the illustrations help to highlight the action and move the story along.

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Click here to find this book at your library.

After Liz is hit by a taxi she wakes up on a giant ship bound for Elsewhere.   She is not alive but she’s not completely dead either.  Death is a part of life, so her life goes on in Elsewhere.  Here she must learn how to complete her journey and find a way to “live” what remains of her life. 

This story is interesting because Elsewhere is like Earth, but also different from Earth.  Everyone who dies goes to Elsewhere and ages backwards until they become babies again and are sent back to earth to be reborn.  The process of aging backwards is really interesting and the story makes some interesting points about life without hitting you over the head with it.  I would recommend this book for teen readers, 8^th grade and up, who are looking for a little something different to read. 

Curveball: the Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick

Click here to find this book at your library. 

Pete is an all-star athlete, and he is set to make a big splash as a great baseball pitcher when ninth grade starts.  Life seems pretty easy until a serious injury leaves him unable to pitch ever again.  Now he has to figure out who he is if he can’t be the star pitcher anymore.  On top of all of that, his grandfather is acting strange and there is a new girl in class whose presence renders him speechless. 

Jordan Sonneblick is a great writer.  That is all there is to it.  He writes some of the best teen fiction I have ever read.  When I read his books all of the characters read true for their age.  This story sounds sad, but it is full of humor and a lot of teens will be able to identify with Pete and his family.  I would recommend this for teens who like realistic stories with lots of humor. 

Uglies: Shay’s Story by Scott Westerfeld

Click here to find this book at your library. 

Shay is living in Uglyville waiting for the operation that will make her pretty.  While out on her hoverboard she makes friends with some Crims and starts exploring outside of Uglyville.  What she learns makes her question if she wants to be a Pretty or not.

This is a great new addition to the Uglies “Trilogy”.  Scott Westerfeld has teamed up with Devin K Grayson and Steven Cummings to make the first Uglies graphic novel.  It’s great to see things from Shay’s perspective.  I hope they do a few more of these. 

Eve by Anna Carey

Click here to find this book at your library.

Eve and the other girls in The School are protected from the outside world and The Plague.  They are learning and when they finish their primary education at age 16, they will go to the secondary school to learn their trade.  Eventually they will help to rebuild society.  That is what everyone believes, but what if things don’t happen that way?  What if life is different after graduation?  When Eve discovers the truth she finds herself on the run fighting for survival. 

I like this story.  It’s a little more Handmaids Tale then Hunger Games, but the adventure and the world around Eve read true and realistic.  I like the romance (usually not my cup of tea) and the pace of the book.  I would recommend this to teen girls looking for a Hunger Games read alike or those who like a little romance with their adventure.  This is already being marketed as a trilogy so expect two more books to come out soon. 

Croak by Gina Damico

Click here to find this book at your library. 

Lex is a little bit wild…ok she is a serious DELINQUINT!  Even she doesn’t know why she keeps getting into fights and hurting people.  Her parents have had enough so she is sent to live with her weird uncle for the summer.  A summer of shearing sheep and milking cows should fix her right up.  Only that’s not what her uncle does for a living.  Lex is soon working for him and she finds herself in a strange new world with different rules and danger. 

The book is about reapers (scythe and all).  It kind of reminded me of the show Dead Like Me so I checked it out at the library.  Lex starts out as a character I would not want to know, but as the story goes on I found myself being pulled in.  The end is sad and unusual so I hope they do another book to wrap it all up.  I would recommend this book for guys and girls who like dark humor. 

The Night She Disappeared by April Henry

Click here to find this book at your library.

Pete’s pizza is a cool place to work. Drew takes the calls, Kayla or Gabie makes the deliveries. Everything is cool until Kayla and Gabie switch shifts and Kayla gets kidnapped. Did the kidnapper mean to take her or was it really Gabie that he was after? Is Kayla even still alive?


This is a thriller about a kidnapped girl, and the people who are left behind. The reader gets to see 14 days from the day the girl goes missing, until the end of the story. I enjoyed reading the story from several different points of view, even the kidnapper’s. I would recommend this book to guys and girls who enjoy suspense.

After by Amy Efaw

Click here to find this book at your library.


Devon is a star soccer player and a straight A student. Her life is going great until she has a baby and dumps it in a trash can. After her arrest everyone, including Devon herself, tries to figure out why she did what she did.

The book was interesting. Devon is not a monster, but she did something monstrous. While reading it I found myself becoming frustrated with her, just like other characters in the book. She does nothing to help her own defense, and she seems to not really know what is going on for most of the book. I like the story, but I wished it didn’t take so long to get to the meat of the story. The author only gives little details at a time. I almost gave up on the story, but I wanted to know what would happen to Devon. I would recommend this book to an older teen girl who likes dramatic realistic fiction.

The Dead Winter by Chris Priestley

Click here to find this book at your library. 

Set in the Victorian England we meet Michael on the worst day of his life; his mother’s funeral. After the service he is told that he has a benefactor and he must move far into the country for Christmas at his benefactor’s county estate. As soon as he arrives he starts to hear and see strange and unusual things. The house and those in it are hiding some great secret that threatens to destroy them all.

This is a horror story with an ending that I saw coming about half way through. I found it predictable, but I really like the characters and the pace of the story. I also liked the ending, which takes place many years in the future. I think a lot of teen guys would like the story. Overall it is a good ghost story without too much gore.

Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Click here to find this book at your library.

Alyss is a princess in Wonderland. Her mother is the queen and ruler of the land. When her evil Aunt Redd wants to take over Alyss and Hatter find themselves out of Wonderland and into the mortal realm. Alyss makes friends with a writer who tells her story, but he messes the whole thing up. Alyss told him the truth and he made a book about a girl named Alice who uses her imagination to go on an adventure. She is furious. As she grows up and finally makes her way back to Wonderland she must face many challenges to take her place as the rightful queen of Wonderland.

I liked the retelling of the story from a different point of view. This book is intended for audiences 10 and up. My older teens liked it, but they thought the story might be better for middle school than high school. They didn’t really feel a connection to any of the characters. Overall it was an ok book, but I wasn’t blown away by the story.

Gone by Michael Grant

Click here to find this book at your library.

In a quiet town in California, in the middle of class, everyone over the age of 14 disappears. Adults and older teens just blink out of existence. In the world that everyone now lives in there are no rules, no parents, no one to tell kids what to do, fix a broken arm, or make food. Add to that the fact that there are little kids and babies who need to be taken care of and you have a pretty gripping story. But why stop there? Let’s pile on. Some kids have special super abilities and some kids are powerless. When the power hungry kids from the private school come to town and clash with the public school kids anything can happen.


I enjoyed reading this book. I’m reading the sequel right now. I hardly ever read a whole series, because there are too many good stories to get to and I don’t have the time, but I really want to know what is going to happen to these kids. The book drags a little in the middle, and it takes a while to get where it’s going, but the final showdown is worth it, and there are some amazing action sequences that would translate really well to a movie. There is a lot of violence so if you are sensitive to that sort of thing don’t read the book. The main characters are mostly 14 and that is the youngest aged teen I think I would recommend the book to.

The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Click here to find this book at your library.

It’s 1996 and Emma just got her very first PC. She loads AOL and clicks on her favorites. Facebook pops up even though it won’t exist until 2004. She starts seeing what her life will be like fifteen years in the future. At first she thinks it’s a trick, but when she tells her friend Josh they start to take it seriously. Facebook knows things that no one could know, and there are pictures posted that they have not even developed yet. Once they believe Facebook is showing them their future they start to make minor changes that and soon they see the effects of knowing their future.


I have been waiting since 13 Reasons Why for a new Asher book and I’m not disappointed. This book is not deep and gut wrenching like 13 Reasons Why, but it is a fun read and it has an interesting take on the way our lives are shaped. I loved the idea that even the smallest change could have astounding consequences in our lives. Because it’s told in alternating chapters from the point of view of a boy and a girl, I think anyone will like the story.

Two Books I Really Meant to Read

Have you ever started a book a few times, thought it was interesting, but never really been able to get back to it?  That has happened to me.  I have these two books, with great reviews, that seem really interesting.  I checked them out from the library, renewed them, and now they are overdue again.  I have started reading both of them, and I think the stories are interesting, but I just can’t seem to finish.  It’s time for me to give up.  Maybe I can come back to them or maybe someone else will read them and let me know the endings.

I recommend you give these books a try.  The Predicteds by Christine Seifert is about a girl whose mother made a test that can predict how someone will behave in the future.  (Will you be a good kid or bring a gun to school.)  The other book, Going Underground by Susan Vaught, is about a guy that did something not so bad, but it will haunt him for the rest of his life.  Both are meant for older teen readers because of the situations in the books. 

The Anti Prom by Abby McDonald

Click here to find this book at your library.

The cool girl, the outcast, and the wall flower. What do they all have in common? Prom of course. All three girls show up expecting different things and none of them get exactly what they thought they were going to out of their prom night.


Told in alternating chapters we see from each girl’s point of view. I like the way the story is told, and the way it’s all wrapped up. Each girl is incredibly believable and I think a lot of teen girls will see themselves or someone they know in the book. I would recommend for 9th grade and up because of some mild language and implied sexual content. (Nothing explicit in the book and no F bombs.) This is a good girlie teen book.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Click here to find this book at your library.

Andi is devastated by the death of her little brother and the end of her parent’s marriage. She blames herself for a lot of what happens and she tries to save her mom from a deep depression while attempting to hide from her own dark feelings of desperation and sorrow. Andi is a wealthy girl who goes to an elite school. When situations start to get out of control at home her father takes her on a business trip to Paris. He thinks she will work on her senior paper and get away from the things that are troubling her. What she finds in Paris is the diary of a girl her own age. The girl lived during the French revolution and was nanny to the last heir to the throne. In alternating stories we hear the events of both girls’ lives as they deal with two separate but oddly similar tragedies.


I usually don’t read said or realistic fiction. I like zombies and ninjas thank you very much, but this book blew me away. The pain is so realistic and not at all gratuitous. Donnelly tells the story so well that you can smell the gun powder from the fireworks, and feel the chill of a New York City night. I recommend this for anyone who likes realistic fiction, historical fiction, or stories about the intricacies of families. If you’ve never read YA fiction this book would be a good place to start. I also recommend Donnelly’s other book, A Northern Light.

Click here to find this book at your library.



Anti Valentine's Day Party



Room Set Up


1. iPod with music and display on the big screen. (Making up the mix is great to have your Teen Interest 
   Group work on.) My library meeting room has a screen and projector that hangs from the ceiling. I did a
   light show to go with the music. It added light to the room without making it bright. The event calls for a
   club like atmosphere so the lights should be low.

2. Ribbons with hearts hanging from the ceiling.
     a. Hearts will be die cut in purple, black, hot pink, and gray.

3. Bar – Food and drinks at the bar.
     a. Shirley Temple for the girls - Ginger ale over ice and sprinkle grenadine syrup over it. Garnish with a 
         lemon slice and a cherry.
     b. Roy Roger for the guys - 6-8 oz cola, ¼ oz grenadine, maraschino cherry for garnish.
       (We need small plastic cocktail cups for drinks).
     c. Using library popcorn machine. (We need cups for scooping).
     d. Broken Heart Cookies (Bake and then break during the set up).
     e. Candy hearts with sayings. (Need to purchase.)
     f. Chocolate hearts. (Need to purchase.)

Games & Stations


1. Pin the Heart on the Hottie.  Make a poster with a famous hottie and hang it on the wall.  Teens are
    blindfolded and have to pin a heart on the poster as close to the heart as possible.  It's a good idea to
    have more than one poster and mix it up between guys and girls.  (Free)
2. Wii or other gaming system set up in one corner. (Free because we have the equipment and games).

3. Heart Bean Bag Toss. – We have a Bean Bag toss game. We can decorate it with broken hearts and 
   people can play if they want to. Game on one wall. (Free because we have the game and can make the
  decorations).

4. Craft Table at one end of the room for those who want to hang out but not dance.
     a. Friendship bracelets. (We have the stuff already so it’s free).
     b. Makeover Romance Novel Covers (We use romance novels from the used book sale room and art
        supplies that we have so it’s free.)
     c. Deface a romance cover – Use a color printer to print poster sized teen romance novel covers. Place
        these around the room and give the teens markers so that they can change to covers.


Group Games

1. Musical Chairs - The teens love this. 

2. Steal My Heart – Everyone gets a heart taped to their back when they come into the party. No one can
    say “Like”. If you hear someone saying “Like,” you can steal their heart. The person with the most hearts
    at the end of the event wins a prize. (Free)

Staff


1. At least 2 adults (one staff person and one volunteer).

2. Teen Interest Group and other volunteers can run the stations.

     • 2 people working the food and drinks area
     • 1 person at the craft table
     • 1 person for each of the three game stations


Other Considerations

1. Do you have a prize box with left over prizes? If so this is a great event to use up those left over prizes.
   You can put a mixture of prizes at every game station. You can also talk to community business about
   getting small prizes. I had left over books, posters, and stuff from previous events, and one dollar Dairy
   Queen Coupons.

2. The food cost takes up the bulk of the money. You may want to see if there is a local restaurant that
    wants to sponsor your event.

Cost

I spent 42.48 for 36 teens so it was $1.18 per attendee. Food was the main cost. You could skip the bar idea in place of just regular soda and cookies and lower the cost. You might also be able to get a local restaurant to sponsor the event. If you wanted to go bigger you could buy prizes for the games and order pizzas for the food.

Checklists:

Do Ahead

1. Make the Pin the Heart on the Hottie Posters
2. Make the die cut hearts
3. Make the musical mix and load it on an ipod or burn a cd
4. Make food arrangements
5. Make sample of friendship bracelets and print instructions for the table
6. Get romance novels for makeovers
7. Print posters with teen romance novel covers
8. Send request for volunteers
9. Decide what volunteers will do what stations and contact them to make sure they are ready and know
    what to do.

Day Before the Event

1. Gather all supplies don’t forget the following:
     • Markers
     • Art supplies for craft tables
     • Tape
     • Staplers
     • Food
     • All supplies for the stations
     • Sign in sheets for the teens, complete with a space for them to write a parents name and number in case
       of emergency.
     • Poster with a no leave policy. (If you are having this event after library hours, you should make sure that
       as each teen comes in, you mark their and with a little heart in Sharpie. Let them know that if they leave
       the library, they will not be allowed to come back. This cuts down on teens leaving and drinking or
       bringing things into the party.)
     • Tablecloths or paper to cover the food tables for easy clean up.
     • Camera to take pictures
     • Photo release forms
     • Bookmarks or small flyers with your library’s teen bolg, or Flickr page address. (You will post the
       pictures from the event and this is a great way to boost the number of people who visit the site).

     • Pencils and patron program evaluation forms. (It’s always a good idea to include questions about how
       they heard about the event, and if they have ever attended an event before, and what other events they
       would like to have. This will be a useful tool when planning your next event.)

2. Make sure you know your room set up and allow for plenty of time to get everything set up before teens
    arrive.

3. Test your music set up in the room so you know the sound level and you have the set up down. Technical
    difficulties they day before an event are better than the day of the event.


Day of the Event

1. Set the room up.
2. Make sure all of your volunteers are ready and understand what to do at their stations.
3. Make sure you have plenty of trash cans, napkins, and wipes.
4. Have an adult volunteer or a staff person running the sign in table.

After the Event


1. Review the event with your Teen Interest Group. They will give you honest feedback about how much fun
   people had, and what they would do differently.

2. Do a blog post or a Flickr set about the event. Teens love to see stuff they have done online. It will
    increase your online visibility.

3. Evaluate the event yourself and think about if the cost was worth the turnout. How can you do it better? Is
    this something you want to do again.

**If you do an Anti Valentine's Day event at your library respond to the post and let me know how it went or if you have other ideas.**