2014 ALA Youth Media Awards!

Today the American Library Association announced the winners of their Youth Media Awards, the best books for children and young adults published in 2013. This teen librarian was excited to hear who would earn the prestigious Printz Award and the Morris Award for a debut author. Here's how it all went down:

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature for young adults

Winner:

 

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

Melissa the Teen Librarian says: I didn't expect a fantasy title! Printz committees love to honor books that reference other famous works of literature, so fantasy is often overlooked. As a big fan of fantasy, horror, and other "genre" fiction, I'm thrilled!

Finalists:
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal
Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner
Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool

Melissa the Teen Librarian says: So happy to see Rainbow Rowell honored! Her books are my current obsession.

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens

Winner:

Charm and Strange by Stephanie Kuehn

Melissa the Teen Librarian says: An Actual Teen recommended this title to me! I've heard it's the kind of book that messes with your mind a bit -- a psychological thriller crossed with a boarding school book.

Finalists:
Sex and Violence by Carrie Mesrobian
Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos
Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross
In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Melissa the Teen Librarian's says: Adding all of these to my To-Read list immediately!

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults

Winner:

The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World's Most Notorious Nazi by Neal Bascomb

Finalists:
Go: A Kidd's Guide to Graphic Design by Chip Kidd
Imprisoned: The Betrayal of Japanese Americans During World War II by Martin W. Sandler
Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles, America's First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee Stone
The President Has Been Shot! The Assassination of John F. Kennedy by James L. Swanson

Melissa the Teen Librarian says: Narrative nonfiction is in a renaissance right now! Publishers are more interested than ever in producing nonfiction books for young people, and teachers/parents are looking for more nonfiction because of the implementation of the Common Core standards. If you need a nonfiction title for school and you don't want to slog through a boring old tome, any of the books that YALSA has honored in the past two years would make an excellent candidate.

Sequels and Series for the Fall

September 2010 Releases:

 

9/21 - Twelfth Grade Kills (Book 5 in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod) by Heather Brewer

9/28 - Torment (sequel to Fallen) by Lauren Kate

9/28 - Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking: Book 3) by Patrick Ness

Released October 5, 2010:

Sugar and Spice (Book 3 in the L.A. Candy series) by Lauren Conrad
Thirst #3 by Christopher Pike
Crescendo (sequel to Hush, Hush) by Becca Fitzpatrick


Released October 12, 2010:

The Scorch Trials (sequel to The Maze Runner by James Dashner

 Beautiful Darkness (sequel to Beautiful Creatures) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

The Lost Hero (Book One in the new series) by Rick Riordan

Released October 26, 2010:

Ghost Town (Book 9 in the Morganville Vampires series) by Rachel Caine

Misguided Angel (Blue Bloods: Book 5) by Melissa de la Cruz

Upcoming Sequels and Series

A sequel to Shiver? The final Hunger Games book? It's gonna be a great summer! Take a look at all the new installments to these popular series, coming to the library this summer and fall:

Book #5 in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod:

Twelfth Grade Kills, Heather Brewer - 9/16

Sequel to Shiver:

Linger, Maggie Stiefvater - 7/20

Book #4 in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel:

The Necromancer, Michael Scott - 5/25

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Book #3 in The Hunger Games:

Mockingay, Suzanne Collins - 8/24

Book #3 in the Gone series:

Lies, Michael Grant - 5/4

Sequel to Hush, Hush:

Crescendo, Becca Fitzpatrick - 11/16

Teen Book Drop is here!

Thursday, April 15
5 - 7 p.m. (drop-in)
Upper Level, Teen Area

Don't forget! Tomorrow, April 15 is Operation Teen Book Drop! Help spread awareness of the pure awesomeness that is "Teen Lit" in your own community! Pick up a FREE book, personalize your own unique book plate and drop it in a random spot in your community for someone else to find! Also join the Readergirlz after-party online at 9 p.m.!

Attention Twihards!

Stephenie Meyer recently announced the title and release date of her Bree Tanner spin-off novella: It's called The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner and it's due out on June 7, 2010. Additionally, from the release date until July 5th, fans can read the book for free by going to www.breetanner.com.

According to its item page on Amazon.com, the novella will tell "the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion."

Hmm, what do you think? Are you excited? Beyond ecstatic? A little underwhelmed? Or are you over it?

[img source http://bit.ly/a1u3cw]

Movie Review: The Lightning Thief

Rick Riordan’s novel The Lightning Thief is so full of fast-paced action and plot twists that it would seem destined to make a great movie. After reading the whole Percy Jackson series, I couldn’t wait to see Chris Columbus’ movie adaption. Unfortunately the movie was a disappointment. Major plot points from the book were skimmed over or cut out all together. For example, the big prophecy about Percy is never even mentioned! Instead the plot focuses on the kidnapping of Percy’s mother by Hades. The result is a movie that lacks the mystery and depth of the books. The movie does have its high points. Despite not having the world’s greatest dialog, Logan Lehrman does a decent job playing Percy and the special effects are really cool. Still, I was left wishing that the writers had stuck closer to the book rather than turning the movie into a generic fantasy with Greek gods. 2.5 of 5 stars Reviewed by: Alia

Logan Lerman Talks to Teen Vogue!

Check out what Logan Lerman had to say to Teen Vogue about his upcoming role in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief coming to theaters on February 12!

Haven't read Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series yet? Check out a copy or reserve a copy from CHPL today! Simply click here to search for these titles:

Book #1: The Lightning Thief

Book #2: The Sea of Monsters

Book #3: The Titan's Curse

Book #4: The Battle of the Labyrinth
Book #5: The Last Olympian

Reading not your thing? Why not try an Audiobook!?

Staff Pick

I am a GENIUS of UNSPEAKABLE EVIL and I want to be your CLASS PRESIDENT
by Josh Lieb

Picture the movie Rushmore meets Artemis Fowl - that's this book. It's darkly funny at some points and fantastically silly at others. Everyone in Omaha thinks that 12 year old Oliver Watson is a loser. Not that Oliver cares what other people think. You see, Oliver is really an evil genius with a secret evil empire that has made him the third richest person on earth! But when Oliver’s father challenges him to win the school election, suddenly what other people think becomes important. Can Oliver win over his classmates and rule his empire all while keeping his identity a secret ? It’s a lot harder than you might think! Reviewed by: Alia (YA Fiction)

Staff Pick

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Hey Team Jacob, this is the book you wish Twilight was! Sam is a werewolf who spends only a shorter and shorter time each year as a human. For years, Grace has loved Sam from afar as her yellow-eyed wolf. When she meets him in human form it is love at first sight. But it can't last. Sam’s transformation is controlled not by the moon, but by temperature, and winter is right around the corner. As the weather gets colder, Grace and Sam must fight to stay together. You’ll want to curl up under a warm blanket to read this romance. You can almost feel the chill in the air as the temperature drops and Grace and Sam’s situation becomes more desperate. Reviewed by: Alia (YA Fiction)

....And look for the sequel this Summer!

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Expected release date: July 10, 2010

Coming Soon...

Check out what the New Year has in store!

Heartless: Pretty Little Liars #7

Release Date: 1.19.2010

Drama High: Culture Clash

Release Date: 1.26.2010

Sweet Little Lies: L.A. Candy #2

Release Date: 2.2.2010

Eleventh Grade Burns

Release Date: 2.9.2010

Gone: Wake Series #3

Release Date: 2.9.2010

*release dates may change

A little mockingjay told me....

Book #3, The third and final chapter in THE HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY has a release date!! According to Barnes & Noble, the book rumored to be titled THE VICTORS will be released August 24, 2010!!! The final cover art has yet to be revealed...but we will definitely be keeping our eyes peeled for you! In the meantime, you still have time to catch up on the first two bestselling books - check out previous reviews by our staff below:








The Hunger Games (#1) by Suzanne Collins
Imagine being on a reality show much-like Survivor, but instead of the nation watching you battle it out for money they are watching you battle for your life. There are no tribal meetings, no voting for friends or enemies. And alliances? Well, they are always short lived. In the Hunger Games all bets are off and there can only be one winner who goes home alive. From the author that brought us the Underland Chronicles, this is a must read for grades 6-12.
(YA Fiction) Read by Michelle

Catching Fire (#2) by Suzanne Collins
Suzanne Collins, author of New York Times Bestseller The Hunger Games, does not disappoint with the much anticipated sequel Catching Fire. Set to be released September 1, I was lucky enough to get my hands on an Advanced Copy and devoured it in two days flat. Katniss and Peeta may have found a way to bend the rules of the hunger games, but they did it by rebelling against the Capital. Now there are rumors of uprisings in nearby districts and President Snow is not happy. Filled with action, suspense, humor and of course a messy love triangle, Catching Fire should be on everyone’s fall reading list.
(YA Fiction) Read by Michelle

Lightning Thief

The Lightining Thief, the first title in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians series is slated to hit theaters Februrary 12, 2010!