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Arkansas Teen
Book Award:
Arkansas Library Association
September 2010
Arkansas Teen Book Award

ArLA Meeting Agenda:
– Overview of Award
 Rachel – Promotional Wiki
 Randi – Teen Voting
 Jana – New 2010-11Booklist
 David
The Steering Committee: Who We Are
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Jana Dixon, AASL/AAIM Representative,
 Cutter Morning Star High School Library Media Specialist
David Eckert, Assistant Director,
 Jonesboro Public Library
Randi Eskridge, Head of Children's Services,
 Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library
Crystal Long, Library Program Advisor,
 Arkansas State Library
Jessica McGrath, Head of Adult Services,
 Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library
Rachel Shankles, AAIM Representative,
 Lakeside High School Library Media Specialist
The Process (or How It All Works)
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January to April
 Solicit Readers and Book Titles to Consider
 Send either request to [email protected]
 Book Title Criteria:
 Unless the book can stand on its own, it must be the first in
a series.
 Copyright date goes by the hardback edition unless it was
originally published as paperback.
 Allow translations going by the US copyright date.
 Age division will be determined by reviews through School
Library Journal when possible. If not, then Booklist, Library
Journal, or the discretion of the steering committee will be
used.
The Process

April to August
 Assign titles to Levels 1 or 2
 Levels will be determined by the largest number of grades
covered by the review's indicated grade level.
 Example: 8 + would be assigned to Level 2 because it
covers more
grades in that level than in level 1.
 Assign Number of Votes to each Reading Group
 Target number of votes per level is 15 between all reading
groups.
 Allows for some “wildcards.”
 Based on the percentages of total number of titles per group
 Example 1: 74 titles in level 1 divided by 15 = 4.93 titles
per every 1 vote
 Example 2: 97 titles in level 2 divided by 15 = 6.47 titles
per every 1 vote
 Assign Readers to Preferred Groups (when possible)
 READ, READ, READ!!!
Wild Cards (or “free agents”)
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August to September
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Nominate wild card titles
Participating readers read all wildcard titles
Meet before SELA/ArLA conference in September to vote
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Great way to meet your fellow readers!!!
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Announce and Distribute Lists
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Titles on the final reading list will be announced at
ArLA
Distribute lists state-wide by October
Promotional material will be available for download
at http://arkansasteenaward.wikispaces.com
The Process - Years 2 & 3

Year 2
 Teens READ – October to October
 Teens Vote during Teen Read Week (in
October)
 Winners announced in December

Year 3
 In April – Honor 1 winner at the AAIM
Conference
 In September or October – Honor 1 winner at
the ArLA Conference
Arkansas Teen Book Award
Timelines
2009 (2008 © books)
 10/24/09
 Meet with Readers
 Decide on wild cards
 Finalize list & announce at
ARLA
 10/31/09 Distribute Reading Lists
Statewide
 12/1/10 Announce Winners
 4/20/11 Honor 1 winner at AAIM
 10/24/11 Honor 1 winner at ArLA
2010 (2009 © books)
 10/24/09 Start soliciting readers &
Book titles for next year’s list
 4/15/10
 Decide on Reading Groups
 Distribute Reading lists
 READ!!!

9/25/10 Meet with Readers
 Decide on Wild cards
 Finalize list & announce at
ARLA
 10/31/10 Distribute Reading List
Statewide
 12/1/11 Announce Winners
Statistics from Year One
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Total number of Readers: 66
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School Library Affiliation: 27
Public Library Affiliation: 26
University Library Affiliation: 11
Individual Reader: 1
Total number of Titles:
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Adrenaline (Fiction): 31
Graphic Novels/Manga: 38
Non-Fiction: 36
Realistic Fiction: 67
Statistics from Year Two
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122 readers this year across both levels
44 readers in Level 1 groups
53 readers in Level 2 groups
25 readers in combined groups (Graphic Novels and
Historical Fiction)
179 books this year across both levels
80 titles in Level 1
99 titles in Level 2
2009-2010 Teen Reading List
Level 1 – Grades 7-9
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Airman
Eoin Colfer
Audrey Wait!
Robin Benway
Black Box
Julie Schumacher
Bog Child
Siobhan Dowd
Chains
Laurie Halse Anderson
Curse as Dark as Gold
Elizabeth C. Bunce
Disreputable History of Frankie LandauBanks
E. Lockhart
The Graveyard Book
Neil Gaiman
Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
Impossible
Nancy Werlin
Into the Volcano
Don A. Wood
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Life Sucks
Jessica Abel, G. Soria, W. Pleece
No Choirboy: Murder, Violence, and
Teenagers on Death Row
Susan Kuklin
The Savage
David Almond, Dave McKean
Sun & Moon, Ice & Snow
Jessica Day George
Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's
Struggle for Freedom
Margarita Engle
Trouble
Gary D. Schmidt
Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark
Twain in the Wild, Wild West
Sid Feleishman
Waiting For Normal
Leslie Connor
What the World Eats
Peter Menzel, Faith D'Aluisio
2009-2010 Teen Reading List
Level 2 – Grades 10-12
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The Adoration of Jenna Fox
Mary E. Pearson
The Astounding Wolf-Man (vol.1)
Robert Kirkman, Jason Howard
Atomic Robo: Atomic Robo and the
Fightin' Scientists of Tesladyne
Brian Clevinger
City of Thieves: a Novel
David Benioff
Echo: Moon Lake
Terry Moore
Eat This, Not That!
David Zinczeko
Farts: A Spotter's Guide
Crais Bower, Travis Millard
Gadget Nation: A Journey Through
the Eccentric World of Invention
Steve Greenberg
Graceling
Kristin Cashore
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Green Arrow: Year One
Andy Diggle and Jock
Jellicoe Road
Melina Marchetta
Knife of Never Letting Go
Patrick Ness
Little Brother
Cory Doctorow
Mudbound
Hillary Jordan
Over and Under
Tod Tucker
Pitch Black: Don't Be Skerd
Youme Landowne, Anthony Horton
Playing With Matches
Brian Katcher
The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez
Alan Lawrence Sitomer
Silver Surfer: Requiem
J. Michael Straczynski, Esad Ribic
Venomous
Christopher Krovatin
Promoting the Award to Teens
Book Displays:
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Draw attention to the titles on
the list.
 Have the lists available for
teens to grab.
Feature “teen picks” each
month.
Promoting the Award to Teens
Contests:
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Provide GREAT prizes.
Have teens write book reviews
Host your own battle of the books.
Host an essay contest.
Host an art contest.
Promoting the Award to Teens
Word of Mouth:
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Post teen-written book blurbs around the library.
Have the list handy at all times.
Start a book club.
Create a book crush bulletin board/sign
The Future
Have teens involved as initial readers
 Have money to bring in the winners
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Wikis
The Wiki
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Reading Groups
 Each
has a wiki to discuss the books
 Use of a rating system
 Voting
 General book discussion mayhem
 http://arkansasteenaward.wikispaces.co
m
http://arkansasteenaward.wikispaces.com/
http://arkansasreaders.wikispaces.com/
Please Become involved
promote - suggest
read
Thank You!!!
Voting
Voting

Students will vote at their school/public library for their favorite book
from the list during Teen Read Week each year, beginning in 2010,
so please purchase the titles, if possible, and have the teens begin
reading from the attached list.

Teens will have the Arkansas Teen Reading Book Award reading
lists available to them from October to October. It is the
responsibility of public librarians, school library media specialists
and teachers to make this list available to students.

Teens will cast their votes up until midnight Oct. 23, 2010 of Teen
Read Week.
Voting Procedures

Voting procedures are simple:
Students are required to have read at least one book
from the list before voting.
Students may vote online at
http://arkansasteenaward.wikispaces.com/Voting+For
m or http://tiny.cc/arteen

Public librarians and library media specialists are
responsible for sending their students’ votes to the
Book Award Committee to be counted if they choose
to use a paper ballot rather than the online voting
form. These votes can be mailed to
[email protected]
http://arkansasteenaward.wikispaces.com or
http://tiny.cc/arteen
ARTBA Reading List
Fall 2010
Reading List
Level 1
All The Broken Pieces by Anne E. Burg
Grade 6–8—In 1977, 12-year-old Matt Pin lives
a fractured life. He is the son of a Vietnamese
woman and an American soldier and was
airlifted to safety from the war zone. Adopted by
a caring American couple, he has vivid and
horrific memories of the war and worries about
the fates of his mother and badly injured little
brother. Matt's adoptive family adores him, and
he is the star pitcher for his middle school
baseball team, but there are those who see his
face and blame him for the deaths of the young
men they lost in the war. The fractured theme
runs the course of this short novel in verse:
Matt's family, the bodies and hearts of the
Vietnam vets, the country that is "only a
pocketful of broken pieces" that Matt carries
inside him. Ultimately, everything broken is
revealed as nonetheless valuable. While most of
the selections read less like poems and more
like simple prose, the story is a lovely, moving
one. Use this in a history class or paired with
Katherine Applegate's Home of the Brave
(Feiwel & Friends, 2007).—Heather M.
Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library,
Castle Rock, CO From School Library Journal
ISBN 9780545080927
Beautiful Creatures
by Kami Garcia
Because I am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas
“Anke’s father is abusive to her brother and
sister. But not to her. Because, to him, she
is like furniture— not even worthy of the
worst kind of attention. Then Anke makes
the school volleyball team. She loves feeling
her muscles after workouts, an ache that
reminds her she is real. Even more, Anke
loves the confidence that she gets from the
sport. And as she learns to call for the ball
on the court, she finds a voice she never
knew she had. For the first time, Anke is
making herself seen and heard, working
toward the day she will be able to speak up
loud enough to rescue everyone at home—
including herself.” –Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Because-AmFurniture-ThaliaChaltas/dp/0142415103/ref=sr_1_1?s=book
s&ie=UTF8&qid=1280528154&sr=1-1
ISBN 978-0670062980
The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had by Kristine Levine
Grade 6–9—This spirited, early-20th-century coming-ofage story presents a small-town cast of well-drawn
characters, an unlikely friendship, engaging adventures,
and poignant realizations. When a new postmaster
arrives in Moundville, AL, 12-year-old Dit is surprised to
discover that Mr. Walker is African American and that
his refined daughter knows nothing about baseball,
hunting, or fishing. With his best friend gone for the
summer and in search of companionship other than his
nine siblings he reluctantly hangs out with proper,
opinionated Emma, who tags along with him asking
questions and trying to keep up. Gradually, Dit begins to
respect her independence, intelligence, compassion,
and determination. But the harsh realities of segregation
and racist attitudes threaten their friendship and open
Dit's eyes to injustice. After witnessing the town barber's
self-defense shooting of the alcoholic and abusive
sheriff, Dit and Emma hatch a plan to save the black
man's life. Dit's episodic story resonates with youthful
authenticity. Peer pressure and racial barbs weigh on
his competitive but sensitive spirit. Dit's insular world
expands on drives to Selma with Dr. Griffiths, when the
influenza epidemic of 1918 invades Moundville, during
his pa's shotgun vigil to protect neighbors from
nightriders, and in his shared exploits and lively
discussions with Emma. Adult characters offer a range
of guidance, perspective, and tolerance that helps
shape Dit's understanding of his world. Readers will find
humor in his candid account, universality in his
dilemmas and blunders, and inspiration in his friendship
with Emma and their mutual desire for social justice.—
Gerry Larson, Durham School of the Arts, NC From
School Library Journal ISBN 9780399250903
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer
by James L. Swanson
Based on rare archival material, obscure trial
manuscripts, and interviews with relatives of the
conspirators and the manhunters, CHASING
LINCOLN'S KILLER is a fast-paced thriller about the
pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth: a wild twelveday chase through the streets of Washington, D.C.,
across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of
Virginia. "This story is true. All the characters are real
and were alive during the great manhunt of April 1865.
Their words are authentic and come from original
sources: letters, manuscripts, trial transcripts,
newspapers, government reports, pamphlets, books and
other documents. What happened in Washington, D.C.,
that spring, and in the swamps and rivers, forests and
fields of Maryland and Virginia during the next twelve
days, is far too incredible to have been made up." So
begins this fast-paced thriller that tells the story of the
pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth and gives a
day-by-day account of the wild chase to find this killer
and his accomplices. Based on James Swanson's
bestselling adult book MANHUNT: THE 12-DAY
CHASE FOR LINCOLN'S KILLER, this young people's
version is an accessible look at the assassination of a
president, and shows readers Abraham Lincoln the
man, the father, the husband, the friend, and how his
death impacted those closest to him.
(barnesandnoble.com)
ISBN 9780439903547
The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima
Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief
Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for
himself, his mother, and his sister Mari. Ironically, the only thing
of value he has is something he can’t sell. For as long as Han
can remember, he’s worn thick silver cuffs engraved with runes.
They’re clearly magicked—as he grows, they grow, and he’s
never been able to get them off. While out hunting one day,
Han and his Clan friend, Dancer catch three young wizards
setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. After a
confrontation, Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of
the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won't use it against them.
Han soon learns that the amulet has an evil history—it once
belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed
the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful
at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it
back.
Meanwhile, Raisa ana’Marianna, Princess Heir of the Fells, has her
own battles to fight. She’s just returned to court after three
years of relative freedom with her father’s family at Demonai
camp – riding, hunting, and working the famous Clan markets.
Although Raisa will become eligible for marriage after her
sixteenth name-day, she isn't looking forward to trading in her
common sense and new skills for etiquette tutors and stuffy
parties. Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering
cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea—the legendary warrior
queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it
seems like her mother has other plans for her--plans that
include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom
stands for.
The Seven Realms will tremble when the lives of Han and Raisa
collide.
www.amazon.com
ISBN 9781423118237
Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
by Jacqueline Kelly
“Growing up with six brothers in rural Texas
in 1899, 12-year-old Callie realizes that her
aversion to needlework and cooking
disappoints her mother. Still, she prefers to
spend her time exploring the river,
observing animals, and keeping notes on
what she sees. Callie’s growing interest in
nature creates a bond with her previously
distant grandfather, an amateur naturalist of
some distinction. After they discover an
unknown species of vetch, he attempts to
have it officially recognized. This process
creates a dramatic focus for the novel,
though really the main story here is Callie’s
gradual self-discovery as revealed in her
vivid first-person narrative.” -Booklist
http://www.amazon.com/EvolutionCalpurnia-Tate-JacquelineKelly/dp/0805088415/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&
ie=UTF8&qid=1280595328&sr=1-1
ISBN 978-0805088410
The Great and Only Barnum
by Candace Fleming
Step right up! Meet the astounding . . . the
amazing . . . P. T. Barnum!
The award-winning author of The Lincolns: A
Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary, Our
Eleanor, and Ben Franklin’s Almanac brings
us the larger-than-life biography of showman
P. T. Barnum. Known far and wide for his
jumbo elephants, midgets, and three-ring
circuses, here’s a complete and captivating
look at the man behind the Greatest Show on
Earth. Readers can visit Barnum’s American
Museum; meet Tom Thumb, the miniature
man (only 39 inches tall) and his tinier bride
(32 inches); experience the thrill Barnum must
have felt when, at age 60, he joined the circus;
and discover Barnum’s legacy to the 19th
century and beyond. Drawing on old circus
posters, photographs, etchings, ticket stubs—
and with incredible decorative art by Ray
Fenwick—this book presents history as it’s
never been experienced before—a showstopping event! ISBN 9780375841972
How to Be a Vampire: A Fangs-On Guide for
the Newly Undead by Amy Gray
Welcome to the world of the undead! A
comprehensive guide to the vampire lifestyle
quenches newcomers’ thirst for lore — and tasteful
tips. For those who join the decadent realm of the
vampire, eternal life holds juicy perks — charm and
strength, shape-shifting and flying, telepathy and superpowered senses. But then again, one becomes . . . so
terribly hungry. Is there an etiquette for feeding without
causing a scene? How do you set up your crypt? What
supernatural foes will make your blood run colder? In this
elegant, edgy resource, the newly immortal will find
everything they need to know, including:
- a quiz to determine your true vampire persona
- ways to turn into a vampire — or when a kiss is not just
a kiss; and why you should take a look at your family tree
- a transformation checklist, including canine teeth and
UV sensitivity
- a makeup and fashion guide to looking damned good
(or just damned)
- knowing your weaknesses, from garlic, stakes, and
sunlight to a n obsession with counting
- 10 signs that your boyfriend is a vampire, including
super coolness (body temperature-wise) and a habit of
sleeping in
- a field guide to vampiric variations around the world and
throu gh history (barnesandnoble.com) ISBN
9780763649159
Indigo Notebook
by Laura Resau
Leviathan
by Scott Westerfeld
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only
thing he can remember is his first name.
His memory is blank. But he’s not alone.
When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds
himself surrounded by kids who welcome
him to the Glade—a large, open expanse
surrounded by stone walls.Just like
Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or
how they got to the Glade. All they know is
that every morning the stone doors to the
maze that surrounds them have opened.
Every night they’ve closed tight. And every
30 days a new boy has been delivered in
the lift. Thomas was expected. But the
next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to
ever arrive in the Glade. And more
surprising yet is the message she delivers.
Thomas might be more important than he
could ever guess. If only he could unlock
the dark secrets buried within his mind.
www.amazon.com
ISBN 9780385737944
Meridian by Amber Kizer
“All her life, dead and dying things seemed
to find Meridian, and eventually she got
used to it. But when, on her sixteenth
birthday, Meridian is faced with more pain
and death than she ever imagined, her
parents decide the time has come to whisk
her away to a safe place and let her know
what she really is: one of the last remaining
Fenestra, part-angels who help the dying
find their way to the other side. Taking
refuge with a great-aunt who shares her
talent, Meridian meets, and after a rocky
start, falls in love with Tens, who is destined
to be her lifelong protector.” –Booklist
http://www.amazon.com/Meridian-AmberKizer/dp/038573669X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books
&ie=UTF8&qid=1280527770&sr=1-1
ISBN 978-0385736688
Messed Up by Janet Nichols Lynch
“With all of his biological family
members out of the picture, R. D. lives
with his grandmother’s former boyfriend,
Earl. It’s not much, but it’s par for the
course in a life filled with the threats of
Latino gang violence and failing eighth
grade (again). Then Earl dies. R. D.
does the right thing—he calls 911 and
they come to take his body—but slowly
R. D. realizes that as long as no one
else finds out, they can’t send him to a
group home. So he begins to teach
himself everything he’s always avoided:
how to shop, how to cook, how to work,
how to pay bills.” -Booklist
http://www.amazon.com/Messed-UpJanet-NicholsLynch/dp/0823421856/ref=sr_1_1?s=bo
oks&ie=UTF8&qid=1280595048&sr=1-1
ISBN 978-0823421855
Omnivore’s Dilemma for Kids: The Secrets
Behind What You Eat by Michael Pollan
A New York Times bestseller that has
changed the way readers view the
ecology of eating, this revolutionary
book by award winner Michael Pollan
asks the seemingly simple question:
What should we have for dinner?
Tracing from source to table each of the
food chains that sustain us-whether
industrial or organic, alternative or
processed-he develops a portrait of the
American way of eating. The result is a
sweeping, surprising exploration of the
hungers that have shaped our evolution,
and of the profound implications our
food choices have for the health of our
species and the future of our planet.
(barnesandnoble.com)
ISBN 9780803734159
Pricker Boy by Reade Whinnem
Some stories draw blood. Some truths
won’t stay buried.
He was human once, or so they say. The
son of a fur trapper, he was taunted by his
peers and tricked into one of his own
father’s traps. By the time anybody found it,
the trap’s vicious teeth were empty, pried
open and overgrown. It was said the
brambles themselves had reached out and
taken pity on that boy; that his skin had
hardened to bark as thorns grew over every
inch of his body. Maybe it’s true and maybe
it isn’t. But anyone who knows anything
stays out of the woods beyond the Widow’s
Stone. That used to be enough. But this is
the summer everything changes, as Stucks
Cumberland and his friends find a
mysterious package containing mementos of
their childhood: baseball cards, a worn
paperback, a locket. Offerings left behind in
the woods years ago, meant to keep the
Pricker Boy at bay. Offerings that have been
rejected.
www.amazon.com
ISBN 9780375857195
Remember Little Rock: The
Time, the People, the Stories
by Paul Robert Walker
Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon
“In Chicago in 1968, Sam, 14, obeys his
father, an eloquent civil-rights leader who is
close with Dr. King and is passionately
committed to nonviolent protest. But after
King is assassinated and Sam witnesses
police brutality toward a friend, Sam follows
his rebellious older brother, Stephen
(“Stick”), and joins the Black Panthers,
whose revolutionary platform is the opposite
of the nonviolent philosophy that Sam has
been taught at home. Then Sam’s father is
stabbed. Will the brothers retaliate with
violence?” -Booklist
http://www.amazon.com/Rock-River-KeklaMagoon/dp/1416978038/ref=sr_1_1?s=book
s&ie=UTF8&qid=1280528640&sr=1-1
ISBN 978-1416975823
A Season Of Gifts
by Richard Peck
T-Minus: The Race to the Moon by Jim Ottaviani
Question:
What happens when you take two
global superpowers, dozens of
daring pilots, thousands of
engineers and scientists, and then
point them at the night sky and say
"Go!"?
Answer:
A SPACE RACE!
The whole world followed the
countdown to sending the first men
to the moon. T-Minus: The Race to
the Moon is the story of the people
who made it happen, both in the
rockets and behind the scenes.
www.barnesandnoble.com
ISBN 9781416986829
Reading List
Level 2
After
by Amy Efaw
Demon's Lexicon
by Sarah Rees Brennan
Fallen
by Lauren Kate
Fire by Kristen Cashore
She is the last of her kind...
It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City,
the young King Nash is clinging to the
throne, while rebel lords in the north and
south build armies to unseat him. War is
coming. And the mountains and forest are
filled with spies and thieves. This is where
Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly
irresistible and who can control the minds of
everyone around her.
Exquisitely romantic, this companion to the
highly praised Graceling has an entirely new
cast of characters, save for one person who
plays a pivotal role in both books. You don't
need to have read Graceling to love Fire.
But if you haven't, you'll be dying to read it
next.
www.barnesandnoble.com
ISBN 9780803734616
Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan
Blake is the class clown who can spin anything
his way with a joke. Or at least, he could before
he began to navigate the tricky waters of girls
and relationships. Now that he is in a relationship
with Shannon, he frequently finds himself out of
his depth and wondering what he has done to
anger her. His relationship with Marissa is
simpler. They are friends who take a photography
class together; their teacher refers to Marissa
and Blake as "Pretty and Gritty" respectively
because of the subjects they choose to
photograph. While Marissa is focusing on flowers
and beauty, Blake is taking pictures of bleak
sidewalks and homeless people. When Marissa
recognizes one of the homeless people as her
mother, her life is thrown into a tailspin as she
tries to rehabilitate her mother. Concerned, Blake
finds himself lying to Shannon in order to check
up on Marissa. Despite having fallen in love with
Shannon, he is drawn into Marissa's world more
and more as the situation with her mother makes
her vulnerable and strengthens their friendship.
Reviewer: Jennifer Waldrop
www.barnesandnoble.com
ISBN 9780547194899
The Forest of Hands and Teeth
by Carrie Ryan
In Mary's world there are simple truths. The
Sisterhood always knows best. The
Guardians will protect and serve. The
Unconsecrated will never relent. And you
must always mind the fence that surrounds
the village; the fence that protects the village
from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But,
slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s
learning things she never wanted to know
about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and
the Guardians and their power, and about
the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.
When the fence is breached and her world is
thrown into chaos, she must choose
between her village and her future—
between the one she loves and the one who
loves her. And she must face the truth about
the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there
be life outside a world surrounded in so
much death?
www.barnesandnoble.com
ISBN 9780385736817
Ghosts of War: True Story of a
19-Year-Old GI by Ryan Smithson
Ryan Smithson joined the Army Reserve
when he was just out of high school. At
age nineteen he was deployed to Iraq. His
year in combat changed his life. This is
his story. It will change the way you feel
about what it means to be an American.
www.barnesandnoble.com
ISBN 978-0061664687
Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's
boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their
school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him,
Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a
classmate, but was implicated in the
shootings because of the list she helped
create. A list of people and things she
and Nick hated. The list he used to pick
his targets. Now, after a summer of
seclusion, Val is forced to confront her
guilt as she returns to school to complete
her senior year. Haunted by the memory
of the boyfriend she still loves and
navigating rocky relationships with her
family, former friends and the girl whose
life she saved, Val must come to grips
with the tragedy that took place and her
role in it, in order to make amends and
move on with her life.
(barnesandnoble.com)
ISBN 9780316041447
hold still by Nina LaCour
An arresting story about starting over
after a friend's suicide, froma
breakthrough new voice in YA fiction
dear caitlin, there are so many things that i
want so badly to tell you but i just can't.
Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful . . .
in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a
painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now
Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice,
struggling to find renewed hope in the wake
of her best friend's suicide. With the help of
family and newfound friends, Caitlin will
encounter first love, broaden her horizons,
and start to realize that true friendship didn't
die with Ingrid. And the journal which once
seemed only to chronicle Ingrid's descent
into depression, becomes the tool by which
Caitlin once again reaches out to all those
who loved Ingrid—and Caitlin herself
www.barnesandnoble.com
ISBN 9780525421559
The Human Brain Book by Rita Carter
The Human Brain Book is a complete guide to the one
organ in the body that makes each of us what we are unique individuals. It combines the latest findings from
the field of neuroscience with expert text and state-ofthe-art illustrations and imaging techniques to provide
an incomparable insight into every facet of the brain.
Layer by layer, it reveals the fascinating details of this
remarkable structure, covering all the key anatomy
and delving into the inner workings of the mind,
unlocking its many mysteries, and helping you to
understand what's going on in those millions of little
gray and white cells. Tricky concepts are illustrated
and explained with clarity and precision, as The
Human Brain Book looks at how the brain sends
messages to the rest of the body, how we think and
feel, how we perform unconscious actions (for
example breathing), explores the nature of genius,
asks why we behave the way we do, explains how we
see and hear things, and how and why we dream.
Physical and psychological disorders affecting the
brain and nervous system are clearly illustrated and
summarized in easy-to-understand terms. The unique
DVD brings the subject to life with interactive
elements. These include a clickable model of the
brain's structure that allows the user to zoom in and
discover deeper layers of detail, while complex
processes, such as the journey of a nerve impulse,
are broken down and simplified through intuitive
animations.
www.barnesandnoble.com
ISBN 9780756654412
I’m Down: a Memoir by Mishna Wolff
Mishna Wolff grew up in a poor black neighborhood
with her single father, a white man who truly believed
he was black. “He strutted around with a short perm,
a Cosby-esqe sweater, gold chains and a Kangol—
telling jokes like Redd Fox, and giving advice like
Jesse Jackson. You couldn’t tell my father he was
white. Believe me, I tried,” writes Wolff. And so from
early childhood on, her father began his crusade to
make his white daughter down. Unfortunately,
Mishna didn’t quite fit in with the neighborhood kids:
she couldn’t dance, she couldn’t sing, she couldn’t
double Dutch and she was the worst player on her
all-black basketball team. She was shy, uncool, and
painfully white. And yet when she was suddenly sent
to a rich white school, she found she was too “black”
to fit in with her white classmates. I’m Down is a hip,
hysterical and at the same time beautiful memoir that
will have you howling with laughter, recommending it
to friends and questioning what it means to be black
and white in America.
www.amazon.com
ISBN 978-0312379094
Lady Macbeth's Daughter by Lisa Klein
Grade 8 Up—This reworking of Macbeth is told in
alternating points of view by Albia, Macbeth's daughter,
and Grelach, her mother and Macbeth's wife. Because
Albia is born with a crippled foot, Macbeth orders that
she be killed. Grelach's servant rescues her, and she is
raised by Rhuven's sisters. Albia grows up ignorant of
her true heritage, believing herself to be Geillis's
daughter. She realizes that she has second sight, and
she begins to foresee terrifying, bloody events that are
to come. After Macbeth murders King Duncan, Geillis
sends her to be fostered by Banquo and his family. As
the Scottish kingdom falls into even greater disorder
under Macbeth's tyranny, Albia finds out the truth about
her birth, and she must decide if she should use her
gifts to overthrow her father and help bring order to the
realm once again. A number of sections of the book are
based directly on scenes from the play. This is a strong
feminist reenvisioning of the original that raises issues
about the treatment and social positions of women at
the time. Grelach, Lady Macbeth, is far more
sympathetic than in Shakespeare's version, and Albia is
a compelling character who fights for the good of her
country and refuses to allow anyone to use her as a
political pawn. Klein has gone to historical sources
predating Shakespeare's primary source, Holinshed's
Chronicles, and has restored some of the history
Shakespeare changed, most notably by including the
character of Luoch, Grelach's son by her first husband.
A great choice for teen book groups.—Kathleen E.
Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ
From School Library Journal ISBN 9781599903477
Marcelo in the Real World
by Francisco X. Stork
Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka, vol. 1 by Naoki
Urasawa
In a distant future where sentient
humanoid robots pass for human,
someone or some thing is out to destroy
the seven great robots of the world.
Europol’s top detective Gesicht is
assigned to investigate these mysterious
robot serial murders—the only catch is
that he himself is one of the seven
targets.
In a distant future where sentient
humanoid robots pass for human,
someone or some thing is out to destroy
the seven great robots of the world.
Europol’s top detective Gesicht is
assigned to investigate these mysterious
robot serial murders—the only catch is
that he himself is one of the seven
targets. -www.barnesandnoble.com
ISBN 9781421519180
Sandman: Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman
Featuring striking painted artwork, this
love story, set in ancient Japan, tells
the story of a humble young monk and
a magical, shape-changing fox who
find themselves romantically drawn
together. As their love blooms, the fox
learns of a devilish plot by a group of
demons to steal the monk's life. With
the aid of Morpheus, the King of All
Night's Dreamings, the fox must use
all of her cunning and creative thinking
to foil this evil scheme and save the
man that she loves. This book also
boasts an eight page section
highlighting Yoshitaka Amano's
amazing painted art. –
www.barnesandnoble.com
ISBN 9781401224240
Say the Word by Jeannine Garsee
Dredging up the past can knock the
present right off balance. The world expects
perfection from seventeen-year-old Shawna
Gallagher, and for the most part, that’s what
they get. She dates the right boys, gets good
grades, and follows her father’s every rule. But
when her estranged lesbian mother dies, it’s
more than perfect Shawna can take.
Suddenly, anger from being abandoned ten
years ago is resurfacing along with Shawna’s
embarrassment over her mother’s other
family. As she confronts family secrets and
questions from the past, Shawna realizes
there’s a difference between doing the perfect
thing and doing the right thing. Shawna’s
honest and relatable voice will draw readers in
and hold them until the last page in this
coming-of-age story. Jeannine Garsee has
delivered a compulsively readable second
novel, perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and
Laurie Halse Anderson.
(barnesandnoble.com)
ISBN 9781599903330
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
For years, Grace has watched the
wolves in the woods behind her house.
One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a
chilling presence she can't seem to live
without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two
lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the
protection of the pack, and the silent
company of a fearless girl. In summer,
a few precious months of being human
. . . until the cold makes him shift back
again. Now, Grace meets a yelloweyed boy whose familiarity takes her
breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be.
But as winter nears, Sam must fight to
stay human—or risk losing himself,
and Grace, forever.
www.barnesandnoble.com
ISBN 9780545123266
Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim
If Nina Khan were to rate herself on the unofficial
Pakistani prestige point system – the one
she’s sure all the aunties and uncles use to
determine the most attractive marriage
prospects for their children – her scoring
might go something like this:
+2 points for getting excellent grades
–3 points for failing to live up to expectations set
by genius older sister
+4 points for dutifully obeying parents and never,
ever going to parties, no matter how antisocial
that makes her seem to everyone at Deer
Hook High
–1 point for harboring secret jealousy of her best
friends, who are allowed to date like normal
teenagers
+2 points for never drinking an alcoholic beverage
–10 points for obsessing about Asher Richelli,
who talks to Nina like she’s not a freak at all,
even though he knows that she has a
disturbing line of hair running down her back
In this wryly funny debut novel, the smart, sassy,
and utterly lovable Nina Khan tackles
friends, family, and love, and learns that it’s
possible to embrace two very different
cultures – even if things can get a little bit,
well, hairy.
www.barnesandnoble.com
ISBN 9780374370114
Stitches: A Memoir by David Small
A stitch in time can save nine, but Caldecott-winning
children’s book author David Small’s unloving parents spared
him not a one, as Stitches, his graphic memoir of his
harrowing childhood, makes clear. Small was a sickly child,
and his radiologist father subjected him to repeated X-rays,
believing it would cure his sinus problems. When a lump
materialized on his neck, his mother complained about the
expense and put off surgery for three years. Small emerged
from multiple operations at 14 unable to speak, and only
learned later that he’d had cancer. Like Alison Bechdel’s
genre-bending Fun Home, Stitches melds ink-washed
drawings and incisive captions to tell Small’s devastating
story about growing up in a silent, angry household with
miserable parents. With its menacing, child’s-eye view of
Detroit smokestacks, hospital corridors, and scowling,
bespectacled adult faces looming up close, Stitches reads
like a silent horror movie. Communication in the Small
household was nonverbal: "Mama had her little cough," he
opens, which augured her unexplained rages. His father
"thumped a punching bag. That was his language." His older
brother, who grew up to become a percussionist with the
Colorado Symphony, beat his drum. And little David, "born
anxious and angry," got sick. David is saved by a wonderful
psychiatrist, depicted as Lewis Carroll’s White Rabbit, who
helps defang his nightmares -- including his parents -- and
makes him realize that drawings are his language. Small
writes, "Art became my home. Not only did it give me back
my voice, but art has given me everything I have wanted or
needed since." Stitches leaves the reader speechless -stunned at its power and perfect pitch. --Heller McAlpin
www.barnesandnoble.com
ISBN 9780393068573
We Were Here
by Matt de la Pena