Do we control our own path or does fate determine our destiny? From Ruta Sepetys’s Out of the Easy to Bridget Zinn’s Poison, the following new mysteries selected by Junior Library Guild editors will give teen readers something to think about.
Decisions Determine Your Destiny: New Mysteries for Teens | On the Radar
By on August 3, 2013 Leave a Comment
Tamora Pierce’s Fantasy Novel Picks | SLJ SummerTeen
By on July 29, 2013 1 Comment
Acclaimed young adult fantasy author Tamora Pierce headlined SLJ’s SummerTeen online event on July 24, and shared her love for libraries and books during the conference’s opening keynote. The 2013 Margaret A. Edwards Award-winner regaled the virtual audience of librarians and teens via webcam with a presentation about her writing process, her inspirations, and other fantasy novels and writers that readers should be adding to their to-be-read piles. The following is a list of the titles that were cited in Pierce’s talk.
Polsky’s ‘This is How I Find Her’ and A.S. King’s ‘Reality Boy’ | SLJTeen Book Reviews
By on July 24, 2013 1 Comment
Dodie Ownes, editor of SLJTeen couldn’t keep quiet about Printz honoree A. S. King’s latest title, Reality Boy, and reviews it alongside teen-approved This is How I Find Her by Sara Polsky.
Free Student Publishing How-To Manual | Big Brain Club
By on July 24, 2013 Leave a Comment
The Big Brain Club is now offering its how-to manual for student publishing programs to any schools interested in participating. The manual provides a blueprint for the program, making it easy to get organized and up and running quickly, especially key with the new school year just weeks away.
MTV Survey Groups Millennials into Harry Potter or Katniss Everdeen Camp
By on July 24, 2013 Leave a Comment
MTV recently surveyed its core audience, the Millennials, in order to better understand the younger subset of that group, ages 13-17, as they age into the older group, ages 18-24. And while the results may not be surprising, MTV’s deft interpretation of the responses divides the Millennials into two distinct archetypes as represented by the two biggest names in fiction over the past 15 years—Harry Potter and Katniss Everdeen.
Reader Expectations for ‘The Art of War,’ Snitches, and 50 Cent | YA Underground
By on July 23, 2013 1 Comment
How much do our expectations influence our reading? Sometimes it’s the cover that throws you off, or maybe the author’s back story. And then again, what we think is great may not ring the bell for the teens we serve. Amy Cheney presents several titles that have met her teen readers’ expectations, including classics, self-help narratives, and YA novels for reluctant and urban readers.
Teens Review ‘Talk a Good Game’, ‘Encore’, ‘The Last of Us’ | Music and Games
By on July 22, 2013 2 Comments
Our teens review music for R&B listeners as well as country/western fans; Kelly Rowland, well-known for her affiliation with Destiny’s Child, dishes out tasty tunes on her lastest album Talk a Good Game, while relative newbie Hunter Hayes hits the mark with his special release, Encore. Looking for a videogame experience that promises a “gut-wrenching journey full of action, horror, combat, and stealth?” Cue up The Last of Us, a new release for Playstation 3.
Urban Teen Fiction Flip Books Show Two Points of View | Giveaway
By on July 22, 2013 Leave a Comment
The Lockwood Lions crosstown rivals, the Grovehill Giants, seem to have it all. Or do they? When the cheer squad and the football players get together, it always gets intense. But there are two sides to every story—whose side are you on? Five lucky winners will get a collection of leveled readers, including the new Truly Fine/Forever Hot from Saddleback.
In the Swing of Summer, Planning for Winter | Fresh Paint
By on July 19, 2013 Leave a Comment
It’s official. Gum Spring Library is no longer the new kid in town. And now the realization that tweens are the most frequent Teen Center users has forced staff to look more closely at upcoming programs.
The Debut: Hollis Seamon, ‘Somebody Up There Hates You’
By on July 18, 2013 Leave a Comment
Late fall 2012, SLJTeen editor Dodie Ownes was introduced to Somebody Up There Hates You by YA debut author Hollis Seamon. Her first thought was, “Oh no, a riff on The Fault in Our Stars.” But that never really should have been a concern.
Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award Finalists Revealed
By on July 17, 2013 Leave a Comment
The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has announced the finalists for the 2013 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award for Young Adult Fiction. No surprises here – just some tough decisions to make. Former winners include Lauren Myracle (Shine, Amulet), Francisco X. Stork (The Last Summer of the Death Warriors, Scholastic) and Kristin Cashore (Fire, Penguin).
Printz and the Power of Story: Honorees Get Personal at Awards Reception | ALA 2013
By on July 15, 2013 1 Comment
For many young adult literature aficionados, the highlight of the American Library Association’s annual summer conference is the ticketed reception for the Printz Awards. A central theme emerged at this year’s celebration: the power of storytelling and its ability to connect kids to larger truths about the world.
Teens Review ‘Famous Last Words’ and ‘Since You Asked’ | Books
By on July 10, 2013 Leave a Comment
Both of our featured titles have ties to journalism. In Famous Last Words, Sam is the obituary writer for a local paper, while Holly is the copy editor for the high school newspaper in Since You Asked. Teens taking the summer off from writing may be inspired to return to the keyboard and see what kind of stories they can cook up themselves.
Saint Paul (MN) Schools and Public Library’s Wild Cards! Partnership
By on July 10, 2013 Leave a Comment
Saint Paul (MN) public schools and the Saint Paul Public Library have teamed up to provide library cards and library resources to incoming freshmen with their Wild Cards! summer school program.
A Giveaway Befitting a Bollywood Star
By on July 10, 2013 Leave a Comment
Uma Krishnaswami’s charming novels will have young readers tap-tap-tapping their toes as the colors and music of Bollywood dance through these madcap middle grade romps, and now five lucky people can win her two books featuring Dini, Maddie, and Dolly–The Grand Plan to Fix Everything, and The Problem with Being Slightly Heroic.
‘The Wolverine’ Returns: Graphic Novels for Teens | Media Mania
By on July 9, 2013 Leave a Comment
With the release of The Wolverine, movie fans will be clamoring to read more about the man who put the “SKINT!” into hand-to-hand combat. Consider enhancing your graphic novel collection with titles about this plain-talking, hard-scrapping hero.
Teens Review ‘Random Access Memories’, ‘Grid 2′, ‘Minis on the Move’ | Music and Games
By on July 9, 2013 Leave a Comment
Summer vacation calls for cool tunes and lots of screen time. Daft Punk’s latest album promises to put them front and center on the U.S. music scene—tracks from Random Access Memories will be blasting from car windows. To escape the heat, our reviewer recommends hitting the virtual race track with Grid 2, a car racing game. And for fans of everything Mario, add Minis on the Move to the collection for puzzle fun and games.
Marie Lu and Alex London Talk About Debt, Society and ‘Proxy’ | SLJTeen Interview
By on July 8, 2013 Leave a Comment
Marie Lu, author of the “Legend” series (Putnam) knows a thing or two about dystopian worlds. That made her the perfect person to sit down with Alex London to talk about some of the observations he draws about society in his YA debut novel Proxy (Philomel).
Tamora Pierce Wows YALSA at Edwards Celebration | ALA 2013
By on July 1, 2013 1 Comment
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Margaret A. Edwards Award, given by the Young Adult Library Services Association in honor of work that makes a “significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature.” The award, which is sponsored by SLJ, was presented Saturday to Tamora Pierce for her “Song of the Lioness” and “The Protector of the Small” series. As the featured speaker at the event, the feisty and mischievous Pierce did not disappoint.
Costumed Revelers Honor ALSC Youth Media Award Winners | ALA 2013
By on July 1, 2013 Leave a Comment
Dressed in book-themed costumes and hats, hundreds of enthusiastic librarians gathered at the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago to honor the winners of the 2013 Caldecott, Newbery, and Wilder Awards, presented by the Association for Library Service to Children.
