10 Best Teen Reads

The Hunger Games

Set in the near future, a terrifying reality TV show is taking place, where

12 boys and 12 girls are forced to take part in The Hunger Games, 
where there is only one rule: kill or be killed. Katniss steps forward to 
take her younger sister's place, and is determined to win.

The Fault in Our Stars

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning-author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

To Kill A Mockingbird

The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.

Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior - to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book

to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.

Harry Potter Series

Now for the first time ever, J.K. Rowling’s seven bestselling Harry Potter books are available in a stunning paperback boxed set! The Harry Potter series has been hailed as “one for the ages” by Stephen King and “a spellbinding saga’ by USA Today. And most recently, The New York Times called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows the “fastest selling book in history.” This is the ultimate Harry Potter collection for Harry Potter fans of all ages!

1984

Nineteen Eighty-Four revealed George Orwell as one of the twentieth century’s greatest mythmakers. While the totalitarian system that provoked him into writing it has since passed into oblivion, his harrowing cautionary tale of a man trapped in a political nightmare has had the opposite fate: its relevance and power to disturb our complacency seem to grow decade by decade. In Winston Smith’s desperate struggle to free himself from an all-encompassing, malevolent state, Orwell zeroed in on tendencies apparent in every modern society, and made vivid the universal predicament of the individual.

The Diary of a Young Girl

Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank's remarkable diary has since become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit. In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the "Secret Annex" of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.

Divergent Series

Veronica Roth's entire Divergent trilogy is available together for the first time, with a bonus booklet about the series. Perfect for gift givers, collectors, and fans new to the series, the complete collection includes the full text of Divergent, Insurgent, andAllegiant, plus "The World of Veronica Roth's Divergent Series," a forty-eight-page booklet including faction manifestos, a faction quiz and results, a Q&A with Veronica Roth, playlists, discussion questions, series inspirations, and much more!

Divergent: One choice can transform you. Veronica Roth's #1New York Times bestselling debut is a gripping dystopian tale of electrifying choices, powerful consequences, unexpected romance, and a deeply flawed "perfect society."

Insurgent: One choice can destroy you. Veronica Roth's second #1 New York Times bestseller continues the dystopian thrill ride. As war surges in the factions all around her, Tris attempts to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Allegiant: The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers inDivergent and Insurgent.

The Lord of the Rings Series

This four-volume, deluxe paperback boxed set contains J.R.R. Tolkien's epic masterworks The Hobbit and the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King).
 
In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins is whisked away from his comfortable, unambitious life in Hobbiton by the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves. He finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon.
 
The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the dwarf; Legolas the elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.

 J.R.R. Tolkien's three volume masterpiece is at once a classic myth and a modern

 fairy tale—a story of high and heroic adventure set in the unforgettable landscape of Middle-earth.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective…but there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

Since its publication, Stephen Chbosky’s haunting debut novel has received critical acclaim, provoked discussion and debate, grown into a cult phenomenon with over three million copies in print, spent over one year at #1 on the New York Timesbestseller list, and inspired a major motion picture starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story about what it’s like to travel that strange course through the uncharted territory of high school. The world of first dates, family dramas, and new friends. Of those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre is the story of a small, plain-faced, intelligent, and passionate English orphan. Jane is abused by her aunt and cousin and then attends a harsh charity school. Through it all she remains strong and determinedly refuses to allow a cruel world to crush her independence or her strength of will. A masterful story of a woman's quest for freedom and love. Jane Eyre is partly autobiographical, and Charlotte Brontë filled it with social criticism and sinister Gothic elements. A must read for anyone wishing to celebrate the indomitable strength of will or encourage it in their growing children.

Hot Reads For Young Adults

New Books for 2011:

Darkest Mercy By Melissa Marr

      The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything. 

                                                   

                                                        

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

      At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh to save his kingdom. He stands on the rock of the three wonders with his friend Prince Balthazar and Balthazar's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood to safeguard Lumatere.

      Ten years later, Finnikin is summoned to another rock--to meet Evanjalin, a young novice with a startling claim: Balthazar, heir to the throne of Lumatere, is alive. This arrogant young woman claims she'll lead Finnikin and his mentor, Sir Topher, to the prince. Instead, her leadership points them perilously toward home. Does Finnikin dare believe that Lumatere might one day rise united? Evanjalin is not what she seems, and the startling truth will test Finnikin's faith not only in her but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny.

   The Throne of Fire By Rick Riordan

 Ever since the gods of Ancient Egypt were unleashed in the modern world, Carter Kane and his sister Sadie have been in trouble. As descendants of the House of Life, the Kanes have some powers at their command, but the devious gods haven't given them much time to master their skills at Brooklyn House, which has become a training ground for young magicians.

      And now their most threatening enemy yet - the chaos snake Apophis - is rising. If they don't prevent him from breaking free in a few days' time, the world will come to an end. In other words, it's a typical week for the Kane family.

      To have any chance of battling the Forces of Chaos, the Kanes must revive the sun god Ra. But that would be a feat more powerful than any magician has ever accomplished. 

 

A Newbery Honer author JOAN BAUER in the Libaray NOW!

Summary:      What happens when a saucy, optimistic teenager and a terrific short-order diner cook head to Mulhoney, Wisconsin? Great apple pie, a killer mayoral election, and a heartfelt story about life in a rural town.

      Readers will immediately fall in love with 16-year-old Hope. She has bounced from place to place, serving plates of meat loaf and frittata specials to diner patrons cooked up by her aunt Addie, with whom she lives. Since changing her name from Tulip to Hope, this protagonist always tries to live up to her name, offering readers an uplifting look at politics, love, friendship, and, literally, life, as a waitress at G. T. Stoop's Welcome Stairways diner.

Summary: 
 Foster McFee dreams of having her own cooking show like her idol, celebrity chef Sonny Kroll. Macon Dillard's goal is to be a documentary filmmaker. Foster's mother Rayka longs to be a headliner instead of a back-up singer. And Miss Charleena plans a triumphant return to Hollywood. Everyone has a dream, but nobody is even close to famous in the little town of Culpepper. Until some unexpected events shake the town and its inhabitants - and put their big ambitions to the test. Full of humor, unforgettable characters, surprises, and lots and lots of heart, this is Joan Bauer at her most engaging.

Other Books by Joan Bauer:

Best Foot Forward           Backwater               





A new ROMANCE Series on The Wovles of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater, SHIVER

About Shiver;  

Grace and Sam share a kinship so close they could be lovers or siblings. But they also share a problem. When the temperature slips towards freezing, Sam reverts to his wolf identity and must retreat into the woods to protect his pack. He worries that eventually his human side will fade away and he will be left howling alone at the lonely moon. A stirring supernatural teen romance.

About Linger;

Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

About Forever;

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. In Linger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

MHS LMC Recommended Books

Award Winning Books





The Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books

     2011 Teens' Top Ten
     2010 Teens' Top Ten








Margaret A. Edwards Award
The Edwards Award honors an author and a specific work for significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens.

 Sir Terry Prachett is the recipient of the 2011 Margaret A. Edwards Award,  honoring his significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens.

                  

2011 Printz Winner

The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.

                                                                                                                                                     

 Ship Breaker----In America's Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts, Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota--and hopefully live to see another day. But when, by luck or chance, he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life......

Nothing written by Janne Teller,

Pierre Anthon’s nihilism causes his classmates to begin a search for life’s meaning in this bold, unsettling parable translated from Danish.


Other Honor Printz Books

ByLucy Christopher, The rugged Australian outback becomes Gemma’s prison after she is drugged and abducted by a handsome, obsessed stranger in a first novel filled with searing imagery and archetypal characters.

By Lucy Christopher,

The rugged Australian outback becomes Gemma’s prison after she is drugged and abducted by a handsome, obsessed stranger in a first novel filled with searing imagery and archetypal characters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                

The Most Wanted

One of the books that students are checking out the most is the trilogy of the Hunger Games by Suzane Collins. Check them Out too! Visit their site The Hunger Games

In the first book of the trilogy The Hunger Games, the future America (now called Panem) is made up of 12 Districts, each District serves the Capitol. The Capitol controls the districts and forces them to work while keeping them in poverty.  Every year the Government living in the Capitol hosts The Hunger Games, where a boy and a girl (aged 12 - 18) from each of the 12 Districts is selected at random to enter in a reality show where all 24 'tributes' will have to kill or be killed in an arena.The last survivor "Winner"  will return to their District as a hero with a new life of fame and fortune and the Governments reward of one years supply of food for their District.In Book #1 sixteen years old Katniss Evergreen volunteered to be contender in the Hunger Games.

About the Author

Suzanne Collins is the author of the New York Times bestselling Underland Chronicles series, which has more than one million books in print and is available in seven foreign editions. In the award-winning The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, Collins continues to explore the effects of war and violence on those coming of age. Also a successful writer for children's television, Collins lives with her family in Connecticut. Visit her at http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/

What's NEW?

So many books, so little time. What's new and what's coming out this spring. Check our blog we'll keep posting some review for those book. Check them out soon from your library.

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS by Sara Shepard

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Everyone has something to hide—especially high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna.

Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. And Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful. But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished. How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were and the naughty girls they are now. And guess what? I'm telling.

READ THE WHOLE BOOK FOR FREE

About the Author

Sara Shepard

The last few years have been pretty amazing for author Sara Shepard. First, her debut book series, Pretty Little Liars, became a bestseller. Then it inspired a hit TV show. Now ABC Family is producing a pilot based on her sophomore effort, The Lying Game. The pretty little truth is: success hasn't changed her one bit. Check out our Q&A with Sara and flip through the personal photos she shared with us to learn more about the woman behind the Liars.
About her book

The Truth About Forever

Macy's summer stretches before her, carefully planned and outlined- she will spend her days sitting at the library information desk, she will spend her evenings studying for the SATs, and her spare time will be used to help her obsessive mother prepare for the big opening of the townhouse section of her luxury development. But Macy's plans don't anticipate a surprising and chaotic job with Wish Catering, a motley crew of new friends, or ... Wes. Tattooed, artistic, anything-but-expected Wes. He doesn't fit Macy's life at all--so why does she feel so comfortable with him? So ... happy? What is it about him that makes her let down her guard and finally talk about how much she misses her father, who died before her eyes the year before? Sarah Dessen delivers a page-turning novel that carries readers on a roller coaster of denial, grief, comfort, and love as we watch a broken but resilient girl pick up the pieces of her life and fit them back together.

While Sarah Dessen was born on June 6, 1970 in Evanston, Illinois, she was raised in North Carolina. Both of her parents were professors at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. which Dessen later attended from 1988 to 1993 She graduated with highest honors with a degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing. Dessen sold her first book, That Summer, three years after she graduated. Two of her novels, That Summer and Someone Like You, were the basis for How to Deal, a 2003 movie starring Mandy Moore. Her novel Just Listen, was released in April 2006 and subsequently reached number two on the New York Times Book Review.

Just Listen

Annabel Greene is the girl who has everything, loads of friends, she is a top student, popular cheerleader, and the prom queen- at least that's who she plays in the commercial for Kopf's Department store. In real life, Annabel is the girl who has nothing. She does not have a best friend or anyone to talk to about her problems. Then, she meets Owen Armstrong- intense, obsessed with music, and is always determined to tell the truth. Can a girl who hates direct confrontation find a way to connect with a guy who thrives on it? Find out.

The Princess Diaries Series

Mia is a teenage girl who finds out she is next for the Genovian throne. In no way is she ready to take her spot as queen. Now that she realizes she is going to be queen; she spends all of her time doing one of three things: preparing for her nerve-racking entree into Genovian society, slogging through the congestion unique to Manhattan in December, and avoiding further smooches from her hapless boyfriend. Kenny. Find out how Mia makes it to the top.

About the Author: Meg Cabot


Meggin Cabot was born on February 1, 1967 in Bloomington, Indiana. She is an American chick-lit author of romantic comedies for teens and adults. She has written and published over fifty books, and is best known for The Princess Diaries, later made by Walt Disney Pictures into two feature films.

Other links:

Meg Cabot Official Site

Books by Meg Cabot

Speak

As soon as Melinda Sordino steps into Merryweather High, she knows that she is an outcast. She busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so her old friends won't talk to her. She goes in to a state of silence and does not associate with anyone. She keeps to herself; however, that's not so easy either. There is something bothering her, something that she can't seem to get out of her mind. She knows she needs to reveal the truth, she must speak.

The Sea Of Monsters

Percy Jackson's seventh grade year has been surprisingly quiet- too quiet. When a gang of Laistrygonians arrive at school and start using balls of fire in the PT dodgeball game, Percy knows something is amiss. The innocent game of dodgeball quickly turns into a death match. The unexpected arrival of his friend Annabeth brings more bad news. The magical borders that protect Camp Half-Blood have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy. Unless Percy finds a way to conquer the enemy, the only safe haven for the demigods will be banished forever.

The Hunger Games

In a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining capitol surrounded by twelve outlying district. The Capitol is harsh and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl to participate in the annual Hunger games, a fight to the death. Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen-year-old, lives with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. She has been close to death before and survival for her is a second nature. She knows that if she wants to win she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Point Blank

When a series of mysterious deaths occur, agent M16 assigns Alex rider a fourteen year old reluctant spy, to the case. Before he knows it, Alex is stuck in a remote boarding school high atop the Swiss Alps with the sons of the rich and powerful. Something feels wrong, very wrong; these former juvenile delinquents have turned into well-behaved and respectful boys. In the end, it is up to Alex to find out who is behind this evil plot. The clock is ticking- is Alex's luck about to run out?

The Blind Side

Michael Oher, is one of thirteen children by a mother who is addicted to crack. He does not know his real name, his birthplace, or how to read or write. His life is transformed after a rich white Evangelical family picks him up off the streets. He takes up football and his grades slowly start to improve.

The Fire Within

David discovers a collection of clay dragons that come to life when he moves in with Liz and her eleven-year-old daughter, Lucy. David's own special dragon inspires him to write a story and reveal the secrets behind a mystery. In order to save his dragon, David must master the magic of the fire within.

Dear John

From http://www.nicholassparks.com/

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who has captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love—and face the hardest decision of his life.

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