A Guide to Navigating NPR’s Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy

Click to head to the guide

SF Signal has put together a kind of “Choose Your Own Adventure” guide to NPR’s Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy.  It is equal parts hilarious and amazing – check it out by clicking the image above.

2012 Printz Awards

Yesterday, the American Library Association gave out the Michael L. Printz Award to Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley.  The Printz is an award for a YA book that “exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature”.  We have a copy of this book, and while I haven’t read it (yet), I remember being really excited about the cover.  Here is a brief description of the Where Things Come Back:

Seventeen-year-old Cullen’s summer in Lily, Arkansas, is marked by his cousin’s death by overdose, an alleged spotting of a woodpecker thought to be extinct, failed romances, and his younger brother’s sudden disappearance.

Printz Honor books include:

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

Sixteen-year-old Min Green writes a letter to Ed Slaterton in which she breaks up with him, documenting their relationship and how items in the accompanying box, from bottle caps to a cookbook, foretell the end.

The Returning by Christine Hinwood

Cam Attling, having lost an arm, is the only one from his town of Kayforl to return after twelve years of war. All his fellow soldiers were slain, and suspicion surrounds him. When his betrothal to Graceful Fenister is called off and his role in the community questioned, Cam leaves to find the lord who maimed him but spared his life, seeking answers and a new place in the world.

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

In small-town Australia, teens Jasper and Charlie form an unlikely friendship when one asks the other to help him cover up a murder until they can prove who is responsible.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Nineteen-year-old returning champion Sean Kendrick competes against Puck Connolly, the first girl ever to ride in the annual Scorpio Races, both trying to keep hold of their dangerous water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.

Reach Out Reads

The website Reach Out has so much information about dealing with some tough issues, like depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and violence. If you are looking for hotlines, advice, facts, or stories from others who are dealing with something similar, I would suggest heading here to check it out.

I’ve been reading a lot about bibliotherapy lately, which is a form of healing through reading and where you use your relationship with books and poetry as a form of therapy.  I was really excited to learn that Reach Out has a Read Out Reads section, where there are book suggestions based on real life problems.  Reach Out Reads also has an author chat feature, where Young Adult authors are available once a week in a live, streaming chat.  The next one is tonight at 7:00 pm here, and the author is Lisa McMann, author of Wake and Fade.  McMann’s newest book is titled Cryer’s Cross.  We have two copies of it at the Cedar Rapids Public Library just waiting to you to check out.   Here is a brief description of the book.

Kendall loves her life in small town Cryer’s Cross, Montana, but she also longs for something more. But when Cryer’s Cross is rocked by unspeakable tragedy, Kendall shoves her dreams aside and focuses on just one goal: help find her missing friends.

If you’d like to check out more upcoming Reach Out Reads authors, you can do so here.  If you need someone to talk to in Iowa, the Iowa Teen Hotline is 1-800-443-8336 and is totally free to call and open 24 hours a day. 

Earth Day Reads

Earth Day is tomorrow, April 22nd and the library is full of materials about going green and using what you already have to create new things.  Here are some titles we have at Westdale that might appeal to the environmentalist in you.

50 Green Projects for the Evil Genius

Girls Gone Green

Sneaky Green Uses for Everyday Things

Eco Craft: recycle, recraft, restyle

Eco Craft by Susan Wasinger

Who knew taking care of the planet could look so good? Eco Craftshows how, with 30  projects that elevate environmental consciousness to stylish new heights.

50 Green Projects for the Evil Genius by Jamil Shariff

This guide for “evil geniuses” offers step-by-step instructions for 50 environmentally friendly projects such as insulating windows, building a compost bin, setting up a rainwater collection system and even creating a wind turbine as an alternative energy source.

Sneaky Green Uses for Everyday Things by Cy Tymony

Combining the sneaky ingenuity of Tymony’s successful Sneaky Uses series with the rabid interest in green energy, this work has more than 40 projects dedicated to using green techniques, each accompanied by step-by-step illustrations and directions.

Girls Gone Green by Lynn Hirshfield

Everyone’s going green these days, but saving the environment is a large task for anyone to take on. The everyday green girls profiled here have a passion to do just that. They’ve stepped up, taken the initiative, and made their voices heard, and in doing so, they have helped to effect change from creating a cosmetics line free of toxic chemicals to trying to conquer global warming to encouraging the use of wind power. Filled with stories from real girls who made a difference, plus lots of celebrity green girls who are doing their part to help out.

Can’t make it into the library? The site Teens for Planet Earth has tons of great ideas.  It is a social networking site for teens who want to protect our planet. Choose a project, connect with others, and make a difference.  Click the picture below to take you to the site.

New April Reads

There is an influx of new YA titles at the library this week!  Need something new to read?  Check out these brand new books…who knows, you might even be the first one to check them out (which is the best feeling!).

Fantasy

If you are a fan of Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series, City of Fallen Angels, the fourth book in the series, was just released this week.  Clare’s good friend Holly Black just released the second book in her Curse Workers series, Red Glove which continues the story started in White Cat.  The Abused Werewolves Rescue Group continues author Catherine Jinks Reformed Vampires Support Group cast of random characters in a hilarious look at the paranormal craze.

Realistic Fiction

Fans of Sarah Dessen will want to check out Deb Caletti’s Stay, which follows Clara’s struggles with an abusive boyfriend.  Gayle Forman’s Where She Went is the sequel to her best selling sequel If I Stay explores Mia and Adam’s relationship over the course of one day.

Novel in Verse

Karma by Cathy Ostlere is a diary of 15 year old Maya, who has just lost her mother and must travel to India for her funeral and burial.  This emotional book combines history, family, and spirituality using poetry to tell Maya’s story.

Last of 2010

We’ve just gotten our final big shipment of new YA titles for 2010 with plenty of exciting stuff coming up in 2011. Full of series continuations, these are sure to be popular so get yourself on the hold list now! Sapphique by Catherine Fisher is the sequel to her critically acclaimed novel Incarceron, Bloody Valentine by Melissa De La Cruz is a collection of short stories from the popular Blue Bloods series, Lost Saint by Bree Despain is the sequel to The Dark Divine, and Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber is the continuation of her Vampire Kisses series.

Amazon’s Best of Teen 2010

It’s that great time of year when everyone is coming out with their “Best of 2010″ lists and Amazon is no different. Check out their list here.

Good news boys and girls, we’ve got all of them! Even better news? We have them for free. Check the catalog for availability.

NPR’s Best Teen Reads

NPR has put up a list of their favorite teen fiction for 2010 in the article “Oh, To Be Young.” We have all of them except for Anna and the French Kiss, it doesn’t come out for another week so keep an eye out for it! If you’re interested in any of these titles, just look them up in our catalog where you can place holds on anything that’s already checked out.

2010 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens

The YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) committee chose the following as the Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens

YALSA Teen Top 10

YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) has released their teen Top Ten List for 2010. Teens had the opportunity to vote on their favorites and the winner was Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. If you’re interested in reading this one, start with the first book in the series, The Hunger Games.

Looking for books to interest reluctant teen readers or looking for something to put on your own reading list? Click on the link above to check out the rest of the list, it’s full of reliable teen favorites from this year, including several popular series installments.