Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

When it was first published in 2007, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher quickly picked up steam as being the “it” book to read. It has since won over a dozen awards, recently winning the Iowa High School Book Award for 2011-2012. It is also set to be released as a movie starring Selena Gomez in 2013.

Clay Jensen’s life changes when he discovers a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his front porch. Inside are cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker – his classmate and crush – who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list. 

Interested in talking about the book? Come to the Pizza and Pages Teen Book Discussion at the South Side Library on Tuesday, May 29 at 3:00 PM. We’ll eat pizza and discuss the book!

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

If you only read one book this year, let it be this one. Let that sink in for a minute…yes, it’s THAT good! It doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, teenager or adult, this book will take you on an unforgettable journey. Since its debut on the NYT Best Sellers list,  The Fault In Our Stars by John Green has consistently stayed in the number one slot for the past seven weeks. It’s received five starred reviews – you heard right, five!! And to the delight of all his fans, John Green has also recently closed a deal with Fox 2000 to make TFIOS into a movie.

The adventure unfolds with Hazel, a sixteen-year-old girl with terminal cancer, meeting Augustus Waters at Cancer Kid Support Group. It’s an incredible story of life and love, a story that will keep tugging at you way beyond the last page.

For all things John Green, make sure to check out his website: http://johngreenbooks.com/.

Sarah Dessen

We all have our favorites – favorite foods, favorite colors, favorite subjects - the list goes on and on. As you can imagine, there’s one thing librarians are really good at talking about: their favorite authors. For me, I can still remember when I picked up my first book written by Sarah Dessen. I was amazed at how real the characters were, as if they were old friends.

To say that I get excited when she publishes a new book is an understatement. I was absolutely thrilled last week when her highly anticipated 10th novel was released, What Happened to Goodbye. If you are a fan of realistic fiction and are looking for some good reads this summer, check out what Sarah Dessen has to offer. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!  You can also check out her website at http://sarahdessen.com/.

Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia

“Try getting through these halls without elbows, backpacks, attitude, a lot of running, and now dancing. There are thirty-five hundred students in this school . . . from period three to period eight you have the weight of the world marching in this cereal box.”

Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia is about girl-on-girl violence that takes place from “zero” period to the end of the day at 2:45. It is told from three teenagers’ points of view: Leticia, Trina, and Dominique. All three girls have very distinct personalities, and perspectives of the world, which collide in Jumped.

Nothing is going right for Dominique. She loves basketball more than anything else, but she’s been benched for the season because of her low grades. She is upset by her situation and everything feels out of her control. She says, “The grades I get. The classes on my schedule. When I come and go. I don’t control none of that. All of that’s controlling me. Boxing me in.” ‘Nique is mad and she wants to prove it.

Trina, on the other hand, is having a perfect day. She feels complete in her hot pink jump suit that says, “Hot Chick.” She’s just finished viewing her artwork on display in the ‘C’ Corridor for African History Month, and she is pleased with her accomplishments. Life couldn’t be better . . . until she unknowingly crosses paths with Dominique.

Leticia is the character that many readers will find themselves relating to the most. She witnesses the interaction between Dominique and Trina between zero and first period. She knows that Trina is going to be jumped at 2:45, yet it’s not a clear-cut decision for her to alert anyone to the looming violence. Leticia’s character forces readers to think about what they would do in a similar situation. What is ethical and what is minding your own business?

Jumped is a quick book to read because of the changing points of view and the fact that it’s only 169 pages. The language and some scenes are gritty. Rita Williams-Garcia spent time observing classes and hallway interactions to get the characters right. The Des Moines Public Library has Jumped both in print and electronic format. Click here to reserve a copy.

Trapped by Michael Northrop

I don’t know about you, but I am getting pretty tired of winter. How many more gray, wet days can we take? I realize this comes with the territory, living in the Midwest, but I don’t think I’m the only one who is eagerly anticipating the arrival of spring.

Those of us that live in the northern regions know how to brace ourselves for winter. But in Trapped by Michael Northrop, no one could even imagine the epic blizzard they were in for. No one knew the snow wasn’t going to stop for a week. No one knew they were about to experience the blizzard of the century. Talk about one for the record books.

For seven teens at Tattawa High School in rural New England, this storm is about to change their lives. Of course, students cheer when they hear the early dismissal announcement. However, seven teens are kept waiting for their rides to pick them up…rides that never come. They are…TRAPPED.

The Hate List

On May 2^nd, 2008 Garvin High School’s commons erupted into loud shots as students were targeted due to “the hate list,” created by Nick Levil and Valerie Leftmen.  Only, Valerie never expected it to go that far . . .

Valerie, known to many her junior year as “Sister Death,” (not a nickname she appreciated) was tired of being bullied, but undoubtedly, her boyfriend, Nick, got the brunt of the abuse.  They were repeatedly made to feel inferior, and according to Nick, even losers get to be winners sometimes.  Readers learn in the beginning of The Hate List by Jennifer Brown that Nick takes a gun to school killing many students on the list and then turns the gun on himself.

The real story starts when Valerie returns to Garvin High in the fall to finish her senior year.  She has many obstacles, both physical and emotional to overcome.  The school is portrayed as a happy unified place after the shootings, but once inside, Valerie sees a different view.  It is hard for her to find people to trust and for others to trust her.  Valerie makes some friends in unlikely places and while Val is continuingly changing throughout the novel, so is Jessica Campbell one of the high school’s most popular cheerleaders and Student Council President.

The Hate List is told in four parts, each representing a turning point in Valerie’s life.  It raises questions about guilt and forgiveness.  What it means to be bullied and the aftermath of school violence.

Printz Award 2011

Last week Monday the American Library Association made their highly anticipated announcement of the youth media awards.  I say “highly anticipated” because as librarians, especially those of us that work with youth and teens, we have been speculating possible winners for months.

One of the awards that was announceed was the Michael L. Printz Award, which is given for excellence in literature written for young adults.  The 2011 Printz Award winner is (drum roll please….) Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi.  You can click here to see the author talk about his book.

Four Printz Honor Books were also named: Stolen by Lucy Christopher, Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King, Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick, and Nothing by Janne Teller.

Calling all Ellen Hopkins fans!

I’m totally hooked on Ellen Hopkins! I love the cutting-edge topics she discusses, but what keeps me coming back for more is her writing style. She writes her novels in verse; it reads like poetry. Click here for a sample of her style.

So, if you love the style of Ellen Hopkins books as much as I do, you might enjoy  these novels that are also written in verse.

Click here to learn more about these books and more!

I Am Number Four

They caught Number One in Malaysia.

Number Two in England.

And Number Three in Kenya.

They killed them all.

I am Number Four.

I am next.

Check out the awesome movie trailer.  Movie comes out February 18th, so there is still time to read the book first!

Pretty Little Liars Premieres January 3rd

Are you caught up in the craze counting down the days until ABC airs the series Pretty Little Liars based on the teen books by Sara Shepard? At DMPL, we know the books are popular and we have multiple copies of each title.  Click on the list below to reserve your copy or visit Sara Shepard’s website to learn more about the author and her famous characters.

Pretty Little Liars, Flawless, Perfect, Unbelievable, Wicked, Killer, Heartless, Wanted, Twisted (07/05/2011)