|
|
"When you convert a good book to a film, stupid things happen. God only knows what would happen if you tried to convert this unstoppable barf-fest into a film." ~ from Jesse Andrews' Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
|
|
|
Greetings! Hello, I'm Caroline Peterson, and I am the editor of the Teen Scene E-Newsletter. I am also the Teen Librarian at the Southwest Library. As an avid reader of young adult literature, I hope you enjoy these recommendations! Please email me at cbpeterson@dconc.gov if you have any thoughts or questions! I just finished reading Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen. Oh my goodness, you guys, I loved this book. The characters are so well developed and so real. Peyton, Sydney's handsome older brothers, always gets the lion's share of their parents' attention. When Peyton gets into a drunk driving accident, he goes to prison. This affects Sydney's family. Her parents become too busy with making sure Peyton is ok to pay attention to Sydney. She then begins her new year at a new school and finally makes friends who really care about it. It's such an emotional story and I loved Sydney's character so much. It was a book that I really didn't want to end! Check it out!
|
| Crimson Bound by Rosamund HodgeFantasy. Despite knowing the dangers of the dark forest, apprentice woodwife Rachelle strays from the path and pays the price: she is marked as "bloodbound" to the wolfish, supernatural forestborn and forced to become a killer. As penance, Rachelle pledges to use her deadly new powers to protect the kingdom from evil. The king, however, orders her to guard his son, Armand, which not only gets in the way of Rachelle's personal mission, but also kicks off an angsty love triangle involving fellow bloodbound Erec. This "unusual, intricately woven story" (Kirkus Reviews) based on Red Riding Hood is sure to captivate fans of the author's previous fairy tale retelling, Cruel Beauty. |
|
|
Heat of the moment
by Lauren Barnholdt
Fiction. A first entry in a series told from the perspectives of three former best friends begins with Lyla, who reevaluates her senior-year ambitions after receiving an email from her freshman self. Lyla McAfee had all but forgotten the email that she wrote to herself freshman year and scheduled to be delivered right before graduation—the one promising that she’d learn to trust by the end of senior year. But when she receives it the first morning of her senior trip to Florida her life is sent into a tailspin. Soon she’s questioning her seemingly perfect relationship with her boyfriend, Derrick; her attraction to the school player, Beckett; and whether ending her friendship with Aven and Quinn, her former BFFs, was one of the biggest mistakes of her life. Be sure to read this book on summer romance! .
|
|
| The Porcupine of Truth by Bill KonigsbergFiction. Carson hasn't seen his alcoholic father in years, but now that the guy is dying, 17-year-old Carson is forced to spend the summer with him in Billings, Montana. There, Carson meets Aisha, who's been sleeping at the local zoo since her ultra-conservative father kicked her out for being a lesbian. The two quickly become friends, and after they discover some surprising clues regarding Carson's long-absent grandfather, they take off on a road trip to learn the truth and bring Carson's dad some closure. If you prefer realistic fiction that's both funny and unflinching, don't miss this bittersweet story about prejudice, forgiveness, and family. |
|
| Scarlett Undercover by Jennifer LathamSupernatural Mystery. At 16, talented sleuth Scarlett has already finished high school and started her own detective agency. Though her latest job seems normal enough, it leads to an ancient supernatural conspiracy in Scarlett's family history; to crack the case, Scarlett will have to re-examine not only her personal beliefs, but also her father's unsolved murder. Told in a tough-talking, hard-boiled style, this debut novel introduces a memorable teen detective and a suspenseful, mythology-infused mystery. Readers who want another smart Muslim American heroine may enjoy G. Willow Wilson's Ms. Marvel comics, while those looking for another teen gumshoe should try Sean Beaudoin's You Killed Wesley Payne. |
|
| Nimona by Noelle StevensonGraphic Fantasy. When exuberant, gleefully violent Nimona first offers to be his sidekick, villainous Lord Ballister Blackheart turns her down. Once she reveals that she's a shapeshifter, however, Blackheart is intrigued. And Nimona does have some good ideas for overthrowing Blackheart's archenemies, Sir Goldenloin and the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics... But does she really have her powers under control? Adorably edgy cartoons provide the perfect visuals for this witty and heartfelt fantasy that overturns stereotypes about good and evil. Whether you're a new fan or you've been following Nimona since its beginning as a webcomic, you may find it hard to resist the adventures of this irrepressible anti-heroine. |
|
If You Like: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
|
|
Combining humor, profanity, and insight, these unconventional reads about friendship, creativity, and the things that change (or don't change) your life will appeal to fans of Jesse Andrews' Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. The movie of Me and Earl opened in U.S. theaters in June.
|
|
| Dear Life, You Suck by Scott BlagdenFiction. Outspoken, irreverent, and a little too quick with his fists, 17-year-old Cricket doesn't see a lot of options for himself once he leaves the Naskeag Home for Boys. He might survive on his boxing skills, or by taking over for a local drug dealer, but with such a bleak future and an unthinkable past, Cricket's not even sure that life is worth living anymore. Enter Wynona Bidaban, the girl who offers Cricket unexpected new perspectives. Like Me and Earl's Greg, Cricket confronts both the excitement and the bitter unfairness of life with sarcasm, self-awareness, and lots of movie references. |
|
| Two Parties, One Tux, and a Very Short Film About the Grapes of Wrath by Steven GoldmanFiction. Junior year is turning out to be eventful for Mitchell Wells: his best friend has just come out to him (and only him); he's turned in a somewhat obscene claymation short film instead of a paper about The Grapes of Wrath (didn't go over so well); and one of the most popular girls at school suddenly likes him (?!?!). Prom is coming up, and at this rate, there's no predicting what will happen. If you liked Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower, it's a pretty good bet that you'll like Two Parties, One Tux, and a Very Short Film about The Grapes of Wrath, a drily hilarious and painfully honest slice of high school life. |
|
| An Abundance of Katherines by John GreenFiction. Recent high school graduate and former child prodigy Colin Singleton falls in love easily. Since third grade, he's had a grand total of 19 girlfriends, all named Katherine, who have all dumped him. Freshly rejected by Katherine XIX, Colin sets off on a road trip with his best friend Hassan, a chubby, Judge Judy-obsessed Muslim with dreams of becoming a stand-up comic. They make it as far as Gutshot, Tennessee, where they befriend a girl who is NOT named Katherine, and where Colin works to perfect a mathematical formula that can predict how long romantic relationships will last. This offbeat male-bonding story should appeal to anyone who thinks that math is fun, road trips have curative powers, or that everyone's story matters. |
|
| Now Playing: Stoner & Spaz II by Ronald KoertgeFiction. Having been ditched one too many times by his flaky sort-of girlfriend, Colleen, aspiring filmmaker Ben Bancroft wonders whether someone his overbearing grandmother approves of -- like popular, pretty, academically driven A.J., who is just as big of a film nut as Ben -- might be a better match for him. But can A.J. really see past Ben's cerebral palsy like Colleen does? Fans of the 1st book, Stoner & Spaz (and other all-about-the-attiude novels like Barry Lyga's The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl), will be pleased to find the same sort of witty, electric banter in Now Playing, and film buffs will appreciate the movies that are mentioned throughout. |
|
| King Dork by Frank PortmanFiction. Smart, cynical Tom Henderson is a typical high school loser whose pastimes include coming up with band names (never mind the fact that he's not in a band) and trying to attract "semihot girls." Tom is baffled and annoyed by his teachers' cultish allegiance to The Catcher in the Rye, a book that changed their lives when they were teenagers. But Tom's own life is about to be changed by a copy of the same book -- the copy that his recently deceased father filled with cryptic notes that might explain his mysterious death. Tom's sardonic humor and esoteric musical references continue in the sequel, King Dork Approximately. |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
If you are having trouble unsubscribing to this newsletter, please contact the Durham County Library at
919-560-0100, 300 N. Roxboro Street, Durham, NC 27702
librarywebmaster@durhamcountync.gov
|
|
|