Plymouth Staff Choices

HEAT by Mike Lupica
Youth Fiction: LUPICA. Teen Zone Fiction: LUPICA

This heart-warming, come-from-behind sports story will have you cheering from the first chapter right through to the exciting conclusion. Michael and Carlos Arroyo came to New York from Cuba with their father to pursue a better life. When their father dies, the brothers must find a way to stay together until Carlos comes of age. Complications arise when Michael’s talent as a pitcher brings him some unwelcome notoriety and unfounded accusations from an opposing team. Michael is benched just when the team needs him most. The story ends with a baseball dream come true, it’s just a different one than Michael expected. (Journalist and sportswriter Mike Lupica, has written many novels about sports for adults and children.)

SEARCH OF THE MOON KING’S DAUGHTER by Linda Holeman
Book - Teen Zone Fiction Main Level – Holeman

This novel is exciting historical fiction about young Emmaline Roke and her family in 1830s Victorian England. Emmaline’s father passes away when she is very young, and her mother, Cat, is unhealthy in spirit and mind. This leaves much of the responsibilities up to young Emmaline. Even though this is a difficult situation, Emmaline acquires a huge blessing by taking care of her sweet baby brother, Tommy. When he is sold to be a sweep in London to help support Cat’s drug addiction, Emmaline’s world turns upside down. Determined to find Tommy, Emmaline sets off on the adventure of a lifetime with just a few coins in her pocket and an abundance of faith. If you like to read mysteries with historical flavor and strong human spirit, you will enjoy Search of the Moon King’s Daughter by Linda Holeman!

Snow by Tracy Lynn
Teen Zone – Paperbacks - L

One of my favorite subgenres is the fairy tale made into a novel. For the conceit to work, the simple cartoon outlines of the original story have to be fleshed out, the story moving from anytime, anywhere, with any motherless child to a particular time, place and characters that feel real. This is a truly excellent example of the art. Jessica was born a duchess in a tiny manor in Wales. Neglected by her father, she took refuge in the kitchens. When her new stepmother came, over forty and determined to produce an heir at any cost, Jessica became a servant girl named Snow. The new duchess’s madness grows, and Snow flees by train to London, where she finds refuge with a little band of outcasts. The late Victorian setting works beautifully for the tale, with the industrial jungle of London substituting for the forest of the original Snow White. Magic and science blend in the stepmother’s experiments, while the world that Snow lives in also flows back and forth between modern and ancient. Lynn keeps the story close enough to the original to be recognizable, yet without providing the neat edges and answers for which fairy tales are known.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
Teen Zone New Fiction- Main Level- Schmidt

Holling Hoodhood has many things on his mind. The U.S. is at war with Vietnam. His older sister has painted a flower on her face. His father is trying to run the town’s other architect out of business. And Holling’s teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates his guts. You see, every Wednesday after lunch, half of the kids in Holling’s 7th grade class go to the Temple Beth-El for Hebrew School. The other half goes to St. Adelbert’s for Catechism. Holling, the lone Presbyterian, is the only student keeping Mrs. Baker from an afternoon to herself. To avenge her privacy, Mrs. Baker decides to bore Holling to death by reading Shakespeare with him, but the joke’s on her- Holling actually likes Shakespeare! It may help him secure the heart of Meryl Lee Kowalski, get Doug Swieteck’s older brother off his back, and run faster with the cross country team. Or, it may help him right into a pair of yellow tights with feathers on the behind. But maybe, just maybe, it will help him tell his father how he feels.

This laugh-out-loud novel from Gary Schmidt (author of Newbery Honor book Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy) will reel in readers with Holling’s wry yet innocent narration. Schmidt, a professor of English, grew up in Long Island just like Holling. He now resides near Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he taught me how to write, among other things, book reviews.

Thwonk by Joan Bauer – Teen Zone Fiction – Main Level – Bauer
Teen Zone Paperbacks – Main Level - Bauer
A.J. McCreary is 17 years old and unlucky in love. She spends most of her days crushing on new boys, attending Benjamin Franklin High, hanging out with her best friend Trish, and pursuing her passion of photography. One night something strange occurs—her stuffed cupid, Jonathan, comes to life and offers her the chance to have one of a possible three wishes come true. A.J. chooses to have her major crush, Peter Terris, fall in love with her despite Jonathan’s ominous warnings about forcing love.

With a tiny “thwonk” from Jonathan’s arrow, Peter Terris’ heart is forever changed and propelled to love A.J. McCreary with the deepest of devotion. At first, A.J. is beyond thrilled with Peter’s undying love, and thoughtlessly ignores her past friends as she gets swept away by her new boyfriend. However, as time passes A.J. realizes that one should be careful what they wish for because the best kind of love is natural and real. She also learns that truth is more valuable than fake emotion because truth is real, and in order to achieve anything worthy in life, one has to experience truth.

Joan Bauer really captures the spirit of teenage angst and love in this novel. All of the characters are believable, and Thwonk is a story that will make you laugh, smile, and sympathize with A.J who could be anyone’s daughter, sister, or friend. Thwonk is a lot of fun to read especially when you imagine a tiny cupid assisting you through life’s ups and downs, and it is certain to bring smiles to those who thumb through its pages!

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Teen Zone Fiction- Main Level- Pullman
Teen Zone CD Books- Main Level
Downloadable Audio File

Something is awry in Oxford. Children are being snatched away, never to return. Lyra Belacqua thinks it’s a myth until her friend Roger disappears. No one else seems to notice, and she realizes it’s up to her to rescue him. When Lyra learns that her new foster mother, the oh-so charming Mrs. Coulter is involved, she runs away to the raw frozen North with a band of gyptians, an armored bear, and a mysteriously powerful gadget given to her by a former caretaker. Piece by piece, she bravely uncovers the mystery of where the children are and what is being done to them. But can she save them? Lyra’s adventures deeper and deeper into danger gave me the most delightful jitters, and there’s no doubt that she belongs on my list of coolest fictional females. And I haven’t even mentioned Pullman’s writing, which is musical, bonechilling- glorious! Lucky for me, there are two more books in the trilogy, and I’m already counting down until the movie comes out on December 7.

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff. Narrated by Kim Mai Guest.
Teen Zone CD Books – Main Level - Rosoff

Fifteen-year-old Daisy is mostly relieved when she leaves her pregnant stepmother in New York to stay with her aunt and cousins in the English countryside. She loves the old farm house and being part of a large family. Then, her aunt leaves the country for a few days. England is attacked and the borders are sealed, leaving four teens and nine-year-old Piper alone in the big house. Somehow, Daisy falls in love with her younger cousin Edmond (fourteen), who seems to be able to read her thoughts. In spite of the ickiness factor, but aided by the war, they have a tender but inexplicit romance. Then the children get discovered and separated, the oldest brother joining the military, Daisy and little Piper to one house, Edmond and his other brother to another, hours apart. As the war gets worse, Daisy knows that it’s up to her to reunite the only family she’s ever felt she belongs in. And as food gets scarcer, the eating disorder she brought over from New York starts to look very different. At the height of the book, Daisy and Piper are traveling secretly across England by foot, foraging for food, and trying to find Edmond, whom Daisy can still hear faintly in her mind. What started off looking like a loveable family drama turns quickly into a survival adventure, with explicit and gory violence. The narrator of the audio book sounds utterly believable as a young teen. For older teens through adults, this is a book you won’t want to turn off.

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
Teen Zone Fiction - Main Level - MARCHETTA

Saving Francesca is a captivating novel that focuses on a teenager named Francesca Spinelli and her experiences as an 11th grader at St. Sebastian’s school which has 30 girls and 750 boys! It’s a time of learning and change for Francesca as she tries to fit in with girls she doesn’t particularly feel drawn to and boys who aren’t so happy to have girls at their school. In the meantime, Francesca also deals with her mother’s depression. Her mother, Mia, is an outspoken and go-getter type of woman, but one day she is unable to get out of bed. This depression leaves a cloud of sadness over the entire family which includes Robert, Mia’s husband and father to Francesca, and Luca—the baby of the family.

Throughout this year, Francesca tries to come to grips with her mother’s illness and her new school. Luckily, Francesca finds friends in places she never thought possible and even falls in love for the first time with Will Trombal--one of the 12th grade leaders of the school.

Set in Australia, this is a novel that will definitely captivate its audience—teen to adult. The unlikely friendships that form between the kids at St. Sebastian’s are truly realistic, relatable, and enjoyable. Furthermore, the heavy theme of depression is something that most people have some experience with in terms of at least knowing someone who has dealt with this illness. There is hope in this novel through the everlasting friendships that Francesca makes and the resiliency of the human spirit. Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta is so well-written that in my opinion, it could definitely be made into a movie!

The White Darkness
Teen Zone Fiction- Main Level- McCaughrean

“I have been in love with Titus Oates for quite a while now—which is ridiculous, since he's been dead for ninety years.” So begins The White Darkness, this year’s recipient of the Michael L. Printz award for excellence in young adult literature.

Titus Oates, who joined Robert Falcon Scott’s exploration of Antarctica, has indeed been dead for ninety years, and his last breath was taken in the South Pole. Fourteen-year-old Sym has been hearing his voice in her head for quite some time; he is her dearest companion. No one else at her school wears hearing aids or dreams of Antarctica.

Sym’s dangerous exploration begins when a weekend trip to Paris with her Uncle Victor, the man responsible for Sym’s obsession with “the ice,” turns into a surprise visit to exactly that place. How generous! Until the camp of tourists is plagued with mysterious mishaps, and Sym finds herself unsure of who to trust and how to survive. Geraldine McCaughrean will mesmerize you with her eerie descriptions of adventure in “the last place on earth.”

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman.
Teen Zone Fiction—Main Level—Cushman.

It’s 1290, and Catherine the 13 year old daughter of a minor lord has been told she must soon get married. “Corpus Bones!” This is not a happy prospect for feisty Catherine who likes to burp and play in the mud. Worse yet are all the men her father keeps inviting over to visit Catherine. These men are gross, and Catherine does everything to outwit them. For instance, she rubs soot in her teeth and hair and even blows up the outhouse in her determination to get rid of one of her suitors! These shenanigans work for awhile until Catherine is betrothed to marry Lord Murgaw of Lithgow, the Baron Selkirk, Lord of Smithburn, Random, and Fleece. Catherine calls this lord Shaggy Beard because he is slimy, yellow-toothed, cruel, and rude. He is also old! How could her father do this to her? Can Catherine get out of this arranged nightmare? Or is she destined to be the life partner of a man she doesn’t love much less even like? Pick up a copy of Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman so you can laugh out loud as you find out the answer to these questions and more!

Karen Cushman is a prolific author that has written quite a few historical fiction novels about strong adolescent females. Her stories are inspirational as they give young girls a voice. They are also touched with humor and heart.

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. Read by Natalie Moore.
Teen Zone CD Books - Main Level - MURDOCK

It’s the summer between DJ Schwenk’s sophomore and junior years. She’s managing her family’s dairy farm, with both her parents unable to help and her little brother busy with Little League. Her two college-age older brothers are off coaching at a football camp. Busy, simple, boring. Then a family friend, the coach of the rival high school’s football team, asks DJ to coach his back-up QB. Brian is a rich and snotty quarterback already loathed by the entire Schwenk family. Still, DJ and Brian forge a connection as they’re running and bringing in the hay. More than that, his casual insults make her think about what she does and why. DJ decides to find a way to do more of what she really loves – football. There’s also an interesting subplot with DJ’s best friend, Amber. This is a rare book with a protagonist for whom thinking and words don’t come easily. Natalie Moore brought DJ to life with a great Midwestern country teen voice. DJ's humor and honesty with herself kept me going straight on to the second book, The Off Season. Murdock's most recent book is Princess Ben.

Goose Chase: A Novel by Patrice Kindl
Youth Fiction - Lower Level
Teen Zone Fiction - Main Level – KINDL

Alexandria Aurora Fortunato is a Goose Girl in a small village in the country of Dorloo. She lives by herself with her twelve Geese until one day she meets a hungry old lady. Once she feeds this old lady, Alexandria is given special powers. For instance, when she brushes her hair, gold dust falls to the ground. Furthermore, when she cries, her tears turn into diamonds.

Upon learning about her powers, she comes to the attention of two suitors: the Prince of Dorloo and the King of Gilboa. Both decide that they want to marry her. However, Alexandria is 14 years old and is not interested in marriage especially with these two men.

Soon however Alexandria finds herself unwittingly thrown together with the Prince. Together they battle evil ogresses and the greedy King and his girlfriend who are determined to keep power over Gilboa. What will Alexandria do? Well if she follows her deceased mother's decree that she take care of her twelve Geese, she may just be able to triumph over anything!

Goose Girl by Patrice Kindl is an extremely engaging and light fantasy. It's the perfect book to cozy up with after a long day of work.

Peeled by Joan Bauer.
Teen Zone New Fiction - Main Level - BAUER

Hildy Biddle is 16 years old and lives right in the heart of apple country—Banesville, New York. She is an average teenager in many ways dealing with past boyfriends, friends, and school troubles. However, the possible haunting of the local Ludlow House takes up much of her free time because she is a reporter for the local school newspaper, The Core. Unexplained deaths and scary sightings have been reported at this house for as long as Hildy can remember and as a reporter, Hildy is in charge of finding out the truth about these occurrences. Along her journey to the facts, Hildy learns from her fellow citizens that being courageous is scary, but always worth the effort. Truth and the truths that bind a community cannot be underestimated.

Peeled, written by Joan Bauer, is an extremely well written and appealing teen fiction mystery. The characters are finely drawn, and the story has a unique flavor because of its emphasis upon journalism and the complexities of this art.

Epic by Conor Kostick.
Teen Fiction -- Main Level -- KOSTICK

Everything in society is based on how well you play a videogame. Instead of coming home from school to study, students play Epic, a video game that makes every single major (and sometimes minor) decision. Students who make it the furthest, with the strongest characters, are given the opportunity to proceed to University life, where they will earn the right for the best jobs. The rest, are forced into labor, a hard, meager life, with little chance for improvement.

Epic was created to find solutions to the world’s problems in a peaceful manner. No violence is allowed in the real world; however, fighting abounds in Epic. But death of a character in Epic is not without consequence. A new character can be created, but just as a new character starts with nothing, any advantages that were previously gained in life through the game are forfeited as well.

Although Epic has created a relatively peaceful civilization, problems and prejudice are just as abundant as before the game was created. In some ways, not much has changed: the majority of citizens work hard to supply the needs of few elite. But has Epic created more problems than it has solved? Epic will be enjoyed by gamers everywhere. Put down the controller and pick up the book!

Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller by Sarah Miller.
Youth New Book Shelves – Lower Level
Teen Zone Fiction – Main Level

Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller live in American history as strong young women who faced adversity and rose above it all to become very successful people.

Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller by Sarah Miller tells the story of how Annie worked extremely hard to reach Helen not just intellectually, but also emotionally. While the novel is fiction, Sarah Miller conducted rigorous research to make certain her story was based upon facts. The result is a very compelling and inspiring story of human strength triumphing over physical and emotional weaknesses.

The novel is on many best lists including the 2008 ALA's Best Books for Young Adults.

The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson
Teen Zone New Fiction – Main Level - Davidson

Edinburgh, late 1930s. The world is on the brink of a second world war. Fifteen-year-old Sophie’s boarding school is shaken by the bombing attacks of rogue explosionists. In this world, Napoleon won the battle of Waterloo and Europe is divided into quite different countries – Scotland is not part of the United Kingdom but the New Hanseatic League. Sophie is forced by the impending war to make important decisions about her future now. Very few girls are going to university, with many joining the military and the brightest and most beautiful going to join IRLYNS. IRLYNS (pronounced, irrationally but amusingly, irons) is a top-secret program which trains women to be the driving force to help high-placed men do great things in service to the country. But why, Sophie wonders, do the women in high places not get similar male assistants? Outside of these thoughts, Sophie is getting on with everyday life: trying to hide a crush on her chemistry teacher, cutting gym class to have tea with the professor next door and his housekeeper’s visiting Danish nephew, Mikael, and attending her great-aunt’s regular séance. Then the medium from the séance is murdered, and Sophie starts hearing voices herself. Sophie and Mikael will both have to get over their distrust of spiritualism to find out who murdered the medium and who the explosionist was. This is a rare and delightful book that will leave you with something to think about even as the adventure will keep you reading.

Lyddie by Katherine Paterson.
Youth Fiction Shelves - Lower Level - PATERSON
Teen Zone Paperbacks - Main Level - PATERSON

Lydia (Lyddie) Worthen and her family live on a small farm sans their father in 1843 Vermont. Their mother is mentally unstable and as such, Lyddie and Charlie, the two oldest children, take care of the farming and the cooking. Eventually, their mother leaves the farm with the two youngest children and sends Lyddie and Charlie to work in a tavern and mill to pay off family debts. The pay is very poor at Cutler’s Tavern, and soon, Lyddie starts a new life as a higher paid “factory girl” in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Although Lyddie earns more money in her new position, life in Lowell is not an easy one for any of the girls that work in the mill factories. For instance, they work very long shifts in bad conditions without long breaks in between. While working in the mills, Lyddie learns lessons about life. For example, she learns that working hard brings a great sense of self-accomplishment. Likewise, she also learns that people must stand up for their rights whether it is young mill workers demanding ten hour days with better working conditions or young women standing up to sexual harassment. Most importantly, Lyddie learns to trust herself and believe in her strengths.

Lyddie by Katherine Paterson is an uplifting novel that gives power to young women and their voices. It is also a great historical account of how mill life was in 1840s America. Having been listed on many "Best" lists including the ALA Best Book for Young Adults, Lyddie by Katherine Paterson is an exceptional piece of literature.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Teen Zone New Fiction – Main Level - CASHORE

Katsa, the king’s niece, is Graced, and the world knows it, because her eyes are different colored, one green and one blue. In her kingdom, children with Graces are given to the King, in case the Grace turns out to be useful. Katsa, at eight, killed a man who was trying to molest her with one blow, and has since then been trained as used as the king’s assassin and public torturer. She might not have much in the way of ordinary social graces, but Katsa has a keen sense of justice and started, secretly, a Council to help subvert the often cruel and capricious whims of kings, both her own and those of neighboring realms. As the book opens, she’s on her way to rescue the grandfather of one of the few peaceful kingdoms, who’s been kidnapped for no reason. Though I paused for back story here, the book starts bang in the middle of a cracking good infiltration and fight scene. Near the end of this, she runs into a handsome young prince with one gold and one silver eye, the only person she’s ever met who’s even close to as good at fighting as she is.

The Reader, of course, will have no difficulty ascertaining that this man, Po, will be our Love Interest, and the Reader will be correct. But Katsa coming to admit that she could be attracted to someone is only a small part of the story, though her struggle to find a way to love and retain her independence is rare for teen portrayals of romance. The romance itself takes place in the shadow of Katsa and Po trying to discover what massive and tangled political forces were behind the kidnapping of Po’s grandfather and trying to find out if Po’s aunt and cousin, wife and daughter to yet another king, are safe. Katsa also begins to wonder about her Grace for the first time – both how she has always used it and if it really is killing. That’s of personal growth combined with an impressive and fast-moving adventure and a plot that moves in quite unexpected directions. Written to capture teens with a lot for adults as well.

The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.
Teen Zone Cd Books - Main Level - MURDOCK

D.J. Schwenk is a junior in high school in rural Red Bend, Wisconsin. Her family has two passions: dairy farming (which is out of necessity) and football (their true delight). D.J.’s older brothers and father were all football stars, and now D.J. herself is playing linebacker for the high school football team. Her life seems to be going well especially when she becomes close with the quarterback of the rival football team, Brian Nelson. However, situations change and D.J. worries when her parents struggle with making ends meet, Brian ignores her around his friends, and her best friend moves away. Still none of that compares to the heartbreak of seeing her older brother, Win, become paralyzed because of a football injury. Soon D.J. becomes the main caretaker of her brother while he goes through rehabilitation, and she learns how to become a stronger person with deeper perspective.

The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock is a sequel to Dairy Queen. Dairy Queen introduces readers to the appealing Schwenk family and D.J. and Brian’s relationship. While it would be helpful to read Dairy Queen first, it is not necessary to enjoy The Off Season. Furthermore, although The Off Season deals with heavy subject matter, there is humor and joy sprinkled throughout the novel. One final note, Natalie Moore, the actress who reads both novels, does a splendid job right down to giving the characters a charming Wisconsin accent.

The Devil’s Paintbox by Victoria McKernan.
Teen Zone New Fiction – Main Level - MCKERNAN

Adolescent Aiden Lynch and his younger sister Maddy are in dire straits on their Kansas farm in post Civil War America when they meet a charismatic stranger named Jefferson J. Jackson. Jackson is leading a wagon train to the west and offers them a place with the group in exchange for Aiden’s promise to work as a logger in Washington Territory. With their whole family deceased and almost certain death facing them due to starvation, Aiden and Maddy agree to join this adventure.

An adventure it is with interesting new friends, beautiful landscapes, sickness, accidents, harsh weather conditions, Indians, and smallpox also known as “the devil’s paint.” Along the way, Aiden makes friendships with Indians from the Nez Perce tribe and tries to help save them from smallpox. Meanwhile, Maddy finds herself wanting to become a doctor at a time when women were expected to keep their place and get married. Will these two very young Americans be able to achieve their dreams in spite of harsh realities?

The Devil’s Paintbox by Victoria McKernan is a very rich and deep novel. McKernan expertly ties a sad part of White/Native American history, the fact that Native Americans were not allowed to be vaccinated against smallpox during the post Civil War era, into the deep belly of her plot. This novel does not sugar coat how harsh life was for such pioneers as Aiden and Maddy who were basically facing the threat of death every single day of their lives. Still there is a hopefulness to the book in the fact that both teens find inner strength to cope with the demons that surround them. Their humanity is universal and will touch all readers because no matter what the time period is, we all face the same weaknesses of the human spirit. If you are a fan of thought-provoking historical fiction, then this is the novel for you.

The Twisted Window by Lois Duncan
Teen Zone Fiction - Main Level - DUNCAN

Adolescent Brad Johnson is very upset because his baby sister, Mindy, has been kidnapped by his estranged ex-stepfather Gavin Brummer. Brad has traced Gavin to Winfield, TX so he decides to travel from New Mexico to find Mindy. Once in Winfield, Brad seeks the help of teenage Tracy Lloyd, a young woman with a sad past. He begs Tracy to help him find his sister. Although Tracy is suspicious of this stranger, she decides to help Brad because of her own shaky relationship with her father. How can Tracy ignore the needs of a helpless little girl when she herself knows what it's like to have an uncaring parent?

Brad and Tracy develop a scheme to get Mindy back. Everything seems to be going according to plan when suddenly Tracy realizes that there is much more to the story than Brad has told her. What will Tracy do now? Can Mindy be found? Is Brad telling the truth? Is Brad crazy? These are just a few of the questions that will arise as this book is read.

The Twisted Window by Lois Duncan is an interesting psychological mystery. It's a short read with many surprising plot turns. If you are looking for something unusual and suspenseful then The Twisted Window is a great choice!

Evermore by Alyson Noël
Teen Zone Fiction-Main Level – NOEL

Sixteen year old Ever Bloom is the only survivor in a car accident that claimed the lives of her parents, her younger sister, and the beloved family dog. Now Ever resides with her wealthy aunt in Southern California. As a result of the accident Ever can now see people’s auras and read their thoughts. At her old school Ever used to be popular, wear the latest trendy clothes and have a lot of friends. At her new school she is the freaky new girl that wears jeans, keeps her hood up on her sweatshirt and only has a couple of friends. Ever tries to block everything out by hiding in large sweatshirts and listening to her I-pod. Everything changes the day she meets Damen, the new boy in school. There are many things about Damen that intrigues Ever. She cannot see his aura or read his thoughts and is perplexed by his ability to make red tulips appear out of nowhere. Once Ever discovers the truth about Damen she discovers the truth about herself as well. Will Ever accept the fact of what she became even though she did not have a choice?

This is the first in a new fantasy series called The Immortals by Alyson Noël. If you are a fan of the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer than you will probably enjoy this series. The second book in the series is called Blue Moon. The third book called Shadowland will debuting January of 2010.

Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock
Teen Zone Fiction-Main Level
15-year-old D.J. Schwenk takes over the milking chores on her family farm when her father is injured. When heart-throb Brian Nelson, the quarterback of the rival football team, is sent to help out and learn how to work, D.J. is put in charge of teaching him. They start working out (training for football season) together. D.J. acts as the trainer, which becomes awkward when she later decides to try out for her high school football team. Issues of family communication, friendship, loyalty, teenage crushes, and the value of hard work make up this fun teen fiction book.

Teen Idol by Meg Cabot.
Teen Zone Cd Books - Main Level - CABOT

Jen Greenley, 17 year old Junior at Clayton High School in Clayton Indiana, is the type of girl everyone wants to be friends with because she’s easygoing, cute, and nice to everyone. Jen never challenges the status quo, she sings in her school's show choir, and she even secretly dispenses advice in the "Ask Annie" column of her school's newspaper. Jen has the perfect life--or does she?

When Jen is put in charge of guiding the major motion picture teen star, Luke Striker (aka Lucas Smith), around Clayton High she isn't even excited. Jen is not interested in movie stars. She would rather read science fiction books than moon over the latest glossy pics in gossip magazines. Guiding undercover Luke around Clayton High is just another duty in Jen Greenley's predictable life. However, Jen is in for quite a surprise when Luke comes to town!

At first, Jen is able to keep Luke's true identity a secret, and she feels that her life will return to normal once Luke heads back to Hollywood. However, after a few days in Clayton, everyone in town finds out who Lucas Smith really is, and chaos ensues. All the girls in Clayton, including Jen's best friend Trina, want to date Luke, entertainment reporters camp out at Jen's house, and now Jen is going to the Spring Fling with Luke as her date! Will Jen's life ever go back to being normal again? Or maybe that normal isn't what Jen needs?

Teen Idol by Meg Cabot is a super engaging and funny book. The audio book version of this novel is delightfully read by Elizabeth Moss who expertly brings the characters of Clayton High to life. Teen Idol may not be thought-provoking literature, but if you are looking for a tall and refreshing glass of lemonade on a hot summer day, then this novel is your ticket!

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Teen Zone CD Books - Main Level - Asher

Before 17-year-old Hannah Baker committed suicide, she recorded thirteen cassette tapes. Each one explains one of the reasons why she did it. She names a different classmate on each tape, and has instructed each person to pass the tapes to the person named after them. If they don’t, another classmate has been instructed to go public with the tapes. The story is told from Clay Jensen’s perspective. He, of course, is one of the people named on the tapes. You may be thinking that this is a depressing story –and it is – but it is told in such an intriguing way that the reader can’t help but empathize. I listened to this book on audio, and found myself both dreading and yearning to know who the next named person would be and how that person affected Hannah’s life. Ultimately, this book is a lesson in hope, reminding us that nothing (and no one) is beyond repair or redemption if we just open ourselves to those around us with honesty and humility.

Hikaru No Go by Yumi Hotta. Art by Takeshi Obata And now, for a change of pace, some manga. Hikaru is a fun-loving, not too serious middle school student. One day, he finds an old go board in his grandfather’s attic. It turns out to be haunted by the ghost of an old and really good go player, Sai, who then takes up residence in Hikaru’s consciousness. This is somehow not creepy, and we are also assured that Sai is male even though has long purple hair, earrings, and a delicate face. Anyway, prompted by Sai, Hikaru starts playing Go. He joins his school’s go team and goes to go salons. At first, he lets Sai tell him where to put the stones. Doing this, he attracts the attention of Akira Toya, the best player from the best middle school go team in town. But before Akira can track him down for another game, Hikaru decides that he wants to play for himself. Over the course of the series (17 books out in America so far), Akira and Hikaru, coached by Sai, climb higher and higher into the go world. Even though this has an improbable premise and is centered on a complicated game I don’t even try to understand, the characters are so well done that the story doesn’t feel silly. Hikaru and his friends are genuinely likeable characters, and the honorable rivalry between Hikaru and Akira Toya is compelling. It’s good story-telling, with large numbers of impossibly innocent-looking wide eyes and a few adorable girls in mini-skirted uniforms thrown in for good measure.

Evermore by Alyson Noel
Teen Zone Fiction-Main Level NOEL

This is the first book in The Immortals series. These aren't vampires, they're immortals. Sixteen-year-old Ever lost her family in a car accident. Since then, she can see people's auras and hear their thoughts. Ever is moved to California to live with her aunt. At her new school, she meets Damen (another new kid), and there is an instant attraction. As it turns out, he is also an Immortal. He and Ever have an interesting connection, which you'll have to read the book to understand! Good vs. evil, friendship, magic, and grief are all themes in this book. Adult and teen fans of supernatural fiction will enjoy this series!

The second installment in the series is
Blue Moon and the third and fourth books are due out later in 2010.