(log in: InfoSoup Libraries)
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff is one of the books I have been pressing into hands this year. On a bookshelf filled with vampires, werewolves, fairies and angels, (It sometimes feels like a tide of the paranormal doesn't it?) Mackie Doyle stands out. Not only is his story well written, it's gripping. It's about decisions you make and the results of your choices.
Mackie shouldn't exist. He's a replacement; a fairy changeling left in the place of a stolen child. He's allergic to iron and most replacements don't last long; but he did, and now he's 16 and the cycle is about to begin again. Will he challenge the accepted order in Gentry and let another child be taken, or will he stand up? What will it cost him? What would you do?
You see? Gripping. Read it.
The Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid
From Rick Riordan, the man who brought us the Percy Jackson books, comes a new series, the Kane Chronicles. The first book is The Red Pyramid. Here is an interesting "Trailer" for the book.
The Books of Pete Hautman
Pete Hautman has been writing books for teens for a while, and I have enjoyed every one that I have read. But does everybody know what an interesting writer he is? How do you find out about his work? Traditionally you send out copies and get people to review them, put ads out, have signings... what teenager (who hasn't talked to their librarian, that is) would know about this? Then there's Pete. He has made trailers for his books and put them on YouTube! What a cool idea! For his book "The Big Crunch", he has provided this video:
There have been quite a few "trailers" made for teen books by the teens themselves, but this is the first time I have seen an author really take control of it and make it his own. What a great way to publicize a book's great story to people used to visual marketing! I look forward to seeing much more of this kind of marketing.
Looking for a Good Book?
How do you decide what cool books to read next? If you are like me, you look to someone who has similar tastes to see what they are reading. It can be really great if you find someone online who reviews books and also seems to like the things you like (or has similar opinions about the books you have both read). One of the reviews I like right now comes from Unshelved, a comic strip with "librarian humor". One of the really nice things about these reviews: they tell you why they picked it up, why they finished it, and who they would give it to. This works for me, since I am always thinking about who else might love the thing I am reading. You can look at some of the most recent reviews or look at their list of the books they have reviewed already.
Werewolves and Vampires and Zombies Oh My!
Happy Halloween everyone! In honor of our most spooky holiday, a list of some of our best supernatural books. From campy to scary to silly, there's something for everyone! Check this out to read more great books about your favorite: Werewolves Vampires Zombies Fairies Angels
Mortal Kiss - a story you help create
Mortal Kiss is a new paranormal mystery for teens that lives entirely online. You sign in to the website (Stardoll) for free and read the daily "chapters". You then help shape the story. This project runs only until Halloween 2010, when the story ends in the shape the readers have chosen. This is a first look at what an interactive book might look like in the future. It's free, so give it a try and shape the story yourself!
In the Reading Spotlight - The Carbon Diaries
The Carbon Diaries by Saci Lloyd is a series that takes place in England as the global environmental crisis deepens. In The Carbon Diaries 2015, Laura Brown is a pretty ordinary London teenager; then England decides to be the first country to "ration carbon". What does this mean? Every person in the country gets a certain amount of energy they are allowed to use each month; when it is gone they can't drive, buy food, heat their homes or use electricity in any way until they get more "points" the next month. It is a radical shift in how people think about using energy, and it goes down hard. Laura's diary of the first year of Carbon Rationing is riveting.
In The Carbon Diaries 2017 the crisis is spreading. As Laura's band takes off on a tour of Europe, drought and famine have Africans desperate to get into Europe, flash floods hit across Europe to destroy towns and wipe out crops, and frighteningly facist political parties are winning elections all over Europe, with enevitable clashes with protesting groups. As Laura struggles to get home, the world seems to spin out of control.
In the Reading Spotlight - A Family Secret
In A Family Secret, we see the effect that living under Nazi Occupation had on one family in Amsterdam. Living under Occupation and deciding what to do to try to keep yourself and your family safe tore this family apart, as each person made their own choices about balancing safety with the need to help those being persecuted by the Nazis. The result was so traumatic that the family chose to bury the past.
Eric Heuvel wrote this graphic novel as a companion to The Secret, the story of a Jewish girl in Amsterdam and her survival. The main character in A Family Secret is her best friend.
In the Reading Spotlight - A Conspiracy of Kings
Sophos, heir to a throne, practices sword play, war games and other escape practices under the guidance of a tutor. Nothing, however, prepares him for the day when armed men attack the villa, and kidnap him. He is smuggled far away from home and sold as a slave. Was his Father a part of this plot? Sophos always felt he was a huge disappointment to him. Sophos accepts his current circumstance, and sorts out his thoughts on who he can trust, and what he has learned that will now be useful in this new world. He realizes he must escape to make his way home to find out what has happened to his Sisters and Mother, whom he fears were also kidnapped and forced into slavery. Complicated plot, but, a worthy read.
Review by Barb Husch - Forestville Branch
A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner is the fourth book in the Attolia Series.
In the Reading Spotlight - In The Small
What would happen if, suddenly, every human being on Earth shrunk to 6 inches tall? What kind of problems would they face? Michael Hague's graphic novel In The Small takes us into the world just as a strange blue light changes the future of humanity. It follows two groups of now very tiny humans as they navigate a towering new reality. The cities are filled with horrors and dangers, but so are the suburbs; all the animals are still their ordinary sizes... (nice Kitty...). A beautiful and terrifying look at a shocking "what if?"