Young Adult Chick Lit Reading List

If you like the Gossip Girl series, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, or the Clique series then you like books in series with strong, female leading characters. You like drama, action, fashion, and are not afraid to state your opinion. Chances are that you’ve finished reading these series and are awaiting the next book with anticipation. While you are waiting why not give these authors a try???

Hailey Abbott writes the series Summer Boys as well as several fun stand-alone novels. She likes to write about the beach, romantic trysts, and family drama.

Libba Bray writes the Gemma Doyle series set Victorian England but with all the drama of Gossip Girls. There are also elements of fantasy and mystery.

Kate Brian writes the Private series in which 15-year-old Reed Brennan uncovers dark secrets about her private boarding school. Kate also has written many stand-alone novels.

Meg Cabot is most known for her Princess Diary series but she writes so much more—from murder mysteries to hilarious Bridget Jones-esque romances. Look her up in the catalog; you will like everything she writes.

Jen Calonita writes the Secrets of my Hollywood Life series that follows the glamorous life of Kaitlin Burke.

Ally Carter writes the Gallagher Girls series. It is about a boarding school for exceptional women that teaches essential skills to being a spy but the main character finds that it is more dangerous to fall in love.

Zoey Dean writes several series: A-List, Tallent, and Hollywood Royalty. She likes to write about characters who have fame and fortune and are not afraid to flaunt it!

Sarah Dessen writes thought provoking and touching stand-alone novels that deal with real life issues and strong female characters.

Melissa De La Cruz writes several series Au Pairs (about being a hot nanny), Ashleys (about being a queen bee in a private girls school), and Blue Bloods (about a girl who finds out she is a vampire. Ahhhh!).

Sarah Mlynowski writes a fun and snarky fantasy about a girl who finds out that her younger sister is a witch in the series Magic in Manhattan. Sarah also writes humorous stand-alone novels.

Lauren Myracle writes the Internet series about the friendship for three sixteen-year-old girls through their Internet messages.

J. Minter writes the Inside Girl series about the scandalous lives of the privileged in Manhattan’s trendiest neighborhoods.

Sara Shepard writes the series Pretty Little Liars about the lives of the uber rich in Rosewood Pennsylvania.

Scott Westerfeld is best known for his Uglies series in which he explores the real meaning of beauty in society but he also writes stand-alone novels and science fiction/fantasy.

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone

by Laini Taylor
YAFic Tayl

Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

I really liked the first part of the summary, which is the paragraph above, so I decided to give the book a shot after it appeared on several end of the year best lists. And there is a lot to love in this book which is the first book in a planned series. There isn't to many books that deal with a fantasy world of angels and demons, called chimera here, and those worlds are rather engaging. Other than that it is a book by numbers in the new vein of young adult literature.

The protagonist is a teenage girl named Karou, with pale skin and bright blue hair, she probably models a lot of the core readers who love this book. She is a talented artist, recently heartbroken, and lives a dangerous life fencing items for her caretaker. I would think most teens would relish the independence of living alone in a foreign city. The main problem with the book, which plagues many YA books, is that there is no rhyme or reason to the relationship that develops. Most of the feelings described are spent on how beautiful the characters are which gives the relationship a shallow depth and with the star crossed lovers aspect of the story comes into play, I had little feeling for their relationship or the final reveal at the end. For fans of Twilight and other books in the Paranormal Romance section at your local bookstore.

Two new YA novels from two YA greats!

The fault in our stars
by John Green
YAFic Gree


Despite the tumor-shrinking miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.


I do not handle cancer stories well and this was probably this was longest it took me to finish a John Green book, who I usually devour in one sitting. This is probably because each chapter was making me laugh and then making me cry and usually on the same page so much that by the end of that chapter I was emotionally spent. Regardless of that, Mr. Green continues to be my favor tie YA writer since S.E. Hinton and each of his book is a joy to read.
The big difference from this book over his other ones is that there is a girl as the main character, and other readers might think differently, but I found Hazel and Augustus to be the most like actual teenagers than in any of his other novels since Looking For Alaska.



Dead to you
by Lisa McMann
YAFic McMa


Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It’s a miracle…at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn’t going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he’d be able to put the pieces back together. But there’s something that’s keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...


This book had been getting good hype and we had an advanced copy sent to us. The early hype that this was a real page turner was not wrong. I finished it in two sittings and afterwards I couldn't say why. I didn't really like the main character but like a good 90s made-for-TV movie, the main character's predicament is engaging. The end is a mix bag of emotions and left me a little put out and wanting more.

2012 Michael L Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature

WINNER
Where Things Come Back

by John Corey Whaley

In the remarkable, bizarre, and heart-wrenching summer before Cullen Witter’s senior year of high school, everything he thinks he understands about his small and painfully dull Arkansas town vanishes. His cousin overdoses; his town becomes absurdly obsessed with the alleged reappearance of an extinct woodpecker; and most troubling of all, his sensitive, gifted fifteen-year-old brother, Gabriel, suddenly and inexplicably disappears.

As Cullen navigates a summer of finding and losing love, holding his fragile family together, and muddling his way into adulthood, a young, disillusioned missionary in Africa searches for meaning wherever he can find it. Through masterful plotting, these two stories are brought face-to-face in a surprising and harrowing climax that is tinged with melancholy and regret, comedy and absurdity, and above all, hope.

HONOR BOOKS
Why We Broke Up

by Daniel Handler

Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.

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.But this is not just Cam's story, it's about all those whose fates entwine with his. Set in a medieval world that is entirely the author's creation, this is an ingenious, exquisite story about what happens after the battle. When sisters, sons, friends, parents, and lovers are left to deal with the subtle aftermaths and unimagined repercussions of war.

Jasper Jones

by Craig Silvey

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.But this is not just Cam's story, it's about all those whose fates entwine with his. Set in a medieval world that is entirely the author's creation, this is an ingenious, exquisite story about what happens after the battle. When sisters, sons, friends, parents, and lovers are left to deal with the subtle aftermaths and unimagined repercussions of war.

The Scorpio Races

by Maggie Stiefvater

A bloody, intoxicating horse race on the Island of Thisby is the backdrop for this atmospheric novel. The heart-pounding story pits two teens against death – to win is to survive.

Wonder Struck

by Brian Selznick

JFic Selz

Wonderstruck is the followup to the Caldecott winning The Invention of Hugo Cabret which is probably the wordiest book to ever the award. Both use a series of prose and pictures to tell a story. They both take place in the past and both deal with orphans. They are both amazing books from start to finish. It took me around two hours to finish them each and I would say it was better than going to the movies.

It is 1977 in Gunflint Lake, Minnesota, and Ben Wilson is a young boy who has lost his mother. He now lives with his well-meaning aunt and uncle who are struggling financially, sharing a room with a resentful and bullying cousin, Robby, and wishing for the one thing that he can never have. Robby, partially deaf, has grown up in the sheltered world created by his mom, a single mother and librarian who fed his fascination with outer space and covered their fridge with her favorite quotations, and she isn't coming back.

Interspersed with Ben's story is that of a young girl, told only in pictures. Her story begins enigmatically- a small girl sitting at a desk, surrounded by models of skyscrapers which appear to be made after the view from her window of the 1927 New York City skyline. Why does she write a note with the words "Help Me" on it? Is she a prisoner in this room where she must have spent so many painstaking hours creating the models around her? Why does she seem fixated on a famous actress, enough so to climb down the tree outside her window to sneak off to see one of her silent films at the movie theater?

The two stories are expertly interwoven and when they collide it definitely pulled at my heart strings. Brian Selznick I am sure will be put on the short list again this year for the Caldecott award along with a whole mess of other awards and honors.

The pages of pictures out number the pages of text by taking up 460 of the 608 pages. The pictures themselves have a cinematic tone by using angles and zooming in and out through the pictures. This gives an effect of focusing in on the character and creating a sense of movement and scope. All of the pictures are black and white and done in either pencil or charcoal with a cross-hatching style.

I would highly recommend either of his books. The Invention of Hugo Cabret will be coming out to theatres as Hugo in November.

Monster

by Walter Dean Myers
YAFic Myer

Monster is one of the more popular young adult of the last decade after winning the Michael L Printz Award and was named a Coretta Scott King Award Honor book. It is as well known for its realistic subject matter as its unconventional format. The book is split up into sections of part screenplay and part diary all written by the main character Steve Harmon.

Steve Harmon is a young African American teenager who has grown up in Harlem and now finds himself on trial for the charge felony murder. To help himself understand how he got to be in this situation he decides to write a screenplay about all that goes on as it really happened. After the beginning introduction introduces this, the credits roll and the rest of the book is in the form of an actual screenplay with cuts and cues and everything. I didn't find this all that difficult to read as I mostly skimmed over it and just concentrated on who was speaking and what was being said. Diary like voice overs are interspersed in the screenplay of Steve speaking about what his inward feelings and thoughts.

Other than the format of the book, which I didn't find that strange, the other strange thing is that Steve Harmon didn't actually kill anyone. He may or may not have been involved in a robbery that resulted in the death of the owner of the store they were robbing. Steve's alleged part in this robbery was that of a lookout. He allegedly went into the store to see if any cops or other people were in it that would give the actual two robbers any trouble. Once I learned this it changed my perspective of the book from how a young man feels to be on trial for murder to how a young man can make the kind of decisions to end up in this situation. This becomes more unclear as the story goes on since Steve is the one writing the screenplay and as the trial develops Steve starts rationalizing his part in the robbery to the point of not having actually been there at all.

The book is a fast read and you are genuinely invested in the verdict by the end. With a strong message of how the simplest of decisions can snowball into drastic repercussions and how they having a lasting effect on you and those around you.

Locke & Key

Written by Joe Hill

Illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez

YAFic Hill

Locke & Key is a horror comic released by IDW in monthly issues and bound together in trade hardbacks. There are currently three volumes out now with the fourth being planned for July. There is suppose to be a total of six volumes by the end. The story evolves around the Locke family who have moved back to the family estate, Keyhouse, after a horrible tragedy befalls them. Keyhouse, on Lovecraft Island, is not a normal house. There are many keys to be found within the estate and each key has a specific special power, but since this is a horror comic there is also a sinister "spirit" trying to get the keys especially one key in particular to unleash the big bad that the house has captured. That is the initial setup, but there is more that I just wouldn't want to spoil.

I had tried getting into this series a few times because I had heard several times how great it is, but my first attempts weren't successful. Neither the art not the story telling really grabbed me. I would highly recommend choosing to atleast start out reading this series with the first trade Welcome to Lovecraft. Reading several issues in one go helps you get a feel for the story's pacing.

I may not be totally in love with the artwork here but I do really dig the use of perspective. A comic book will move the eye as it should which Gabriel Rodriguez does but he also moves your eye to the reveals. Throughout the series the reader is more aware of everything that is going on than the characters which is done by the careful dialouge of Joe Hill's and the small tellings that are included in the panels without sacrificing the pacing of the story. I hope you can check out all the volumes out together or put them on hold because this one addictive story that will have you sweating to get a hold of the next one.

2011 Michael L. Printz Award

The 2011 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellance in Young Adult Literature was given to Paolo Bacigalupi for his novel Ship Breaker.

It is a fast-paced postapocalyptic adventure set on the American Gulf Coast. Nailer works light crew; his dirty, dangerous job is to crawl deep into the wrecks of the ancient oil tankers that line the beach, scavenging copper wire and turning it over to his crew boss. After a brutal hurricane passes over, Nailer and his friend Pima stumble upon the wreck of a luxurious clipper ship. It's filled with valuable goods—a "Lucky Strike" that could make them rich, if only they can find a safe way to cash it in. Amid the wreckage, a girl barely clings to life. If they help her, she tells them, she can show them a world of privilege that they have never known. But can they trust her? And if so, can they keep the girl safe from Nailer's drug-addicted father?

The 2011 Printz Honor Books were Stolen by Lucy Christopher, Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King, Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick, and Nothing by Janne Teller.

The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a Topeka, Kansas school librarian who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association. The award is sponsored by Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association.

2011 Newbery Medal Winner

The 2011 Newbery Medal was awarded to Clare Vanderpool for her debut novel Moon Over Manifest.

It is the story of 12-year-old Abilene, who has spent her life riding the rails, that was sent away by her father to stay with Pastor Shady Howard in Manifest, Missouri, a town he left years earlier; but over the summer she pieces together his story. In 1936, Manifest is a town worn down by sadness, drought, and the Depression, but it is more welcoming to newcomers than it was in 1918, when it was a conglomeration of coal-mining immigrants who were kept apart by habit, company practice, and prejudice. Abilene quickly finds friends and uncovers a local mystery. Their summerlong “spy hunt” reveals deep-seated secrets and helps restore residents’ faith in the bright future once promised on the town’s sign.

The 2011 Newbery Honor Books were Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm, Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus, Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman, and One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia.

The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

A Tale Dark & Grimm

by Adam Gidwitz

Ages 9 - 12

The supposed true story of Hansel and Gretel that is mischevious and loads of fun. This is the authors debut novel and finds Hansel and Gretel walking out of their own fairy tale into eight other classic-inspired Grimm fairy tales.

The author takes the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel and weaves something new out of it. You start with their Grandfather and then their parents marriage and then their own trials and tribulations as they seek a safe place but are constantly met by evil forces that wish them harm.

Gidwitz uses the current popular technique of adding a narrator to the mix which adds a humorous effect to the book though it gets old after the first hundred pages. To his credit though, he knows his fairy tales and many familiar tropes can be found amongst these pages. Within the overall story there are smaller tales which play on a more classic tale. The original tale of Hansel and Gretel is included with a slight variation. What really drives the story is the level maturity he gives to them both. There is an underlining of morality with each tale and as the two face each evil tribulation they grow up a little more each time while never losing sight that there are just kids. The main and very clear theme the author is expressing is that the world is unsafe but kids may not be as helpless and innocent as the world want to believe Not all actions are logical though, but the story moves so fast that you won't care if you even notice.

Chains

Grades 6+
by Laurie Halse Anderson


Isabel tells the story of her life as a slave in New York City at the beginning of the American Revolution. She was sold with her five-year-old sister to a cruel Loyalist family even though the girls were to be free upon the death of their former owner. She has hopes of finding a way to freedom and becomes a spy for the rebels, but soon realizes that it is difficult to trust anyone. She chooses to find someone to help her no matter which side he or she is on. 


With short chapters, each beginning with a historical quote, this fast-paced novel reveals the heartache and struggles of a country and slave fighting for freedom. The characters are well developed, and the situations are realistic. 


An author's note gives insight into issues surrounding the Revolutionary War and the fight for the nation's freedom even though 20 percent of its people were in chains. Well researched and affecting in its presentation, the story offers readers a fresh look at the conflict and struggle of a developing nation.


If you read Fever 1793 and liked it, this would be another great historical fiction novel to read. And if you liked this book, check out the sequel. 

Revenge of the Witch: Last Apprentice Series Bk. 1

By Joseph Delaney 
Grades 5+
Thomas, seventh son of a seventh son, is apprenticed to the local Spook, whose job is to fight evil spirits and witches, he expects a life of danger. However, the boy doesn't realize just how soon he'll face a powerful enemy alone, as Mother Malkin escapes her confinement while the Spook is away. Thomas is forced to use his wits, and the help of his enigmatic new friend, Alice, to fight the evil witch. And defeating her is only the start of the boy's problems. 

Delaney's characters are clearly presented and have realistic depth, and Thomas's mother and Alice stand out for their strong words and actions. The protagonist's voice is clear, and his conflicts over his actions ring true.

I was not expecting to like this book but once I started reading it, I didn't want to put it down. I stayed up  to finish the book. This was a fantastic first person horror story that is scary and gory but not too scary and gory. 

A fantastic read.


1.  The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch
2.  Curse of the Bane
3.  Night of the Soul Stealer
4.  Attack of the Fiend
5. Wrath of the Bloodeye
6. Clash of the Demons
7. The Spook's Nightmare (2010)
8. The Spook's Destiny (2011)

Teen Read Week

We're celebrating Teen Read Week right now (Oct. 17 through Oct 23) at all the Warren County Public Library branches, and encouraging teens to "read like a rock star." Anytime this week that you check out a book at one of our branches you will get a rock-star fun band. We will also be giving away some freebies at all of our Wii Guitar Hero Jam sessions this week.

Guitar Hero Jam Sessions:

Main, Oct. 18, 6 p.m.

Graham, Oct. 21, 3:30 p.m.

Kirby, Oct. 22, 3:30 p.m.

39 Clues: Maze of Bones Bk 1

By Rick Riordan
Ages 9+
The story starts when Grace Cahill dies and scatters cryptic clues to a mysterious fortune around the globe. Lead-off hitter Riordan (The Lightning Thief) mixes just the right proportions of suspense, peril and puzzles in a fast-paced read (Riordan mapped the narrative arc for the series, but other high-profile authors have written books in the series). 


Likable orphans Amy and Dan Cahill have moxie (plus Dan can memorize numbers instantly) and frailties (Amy hates crowds). As the siblings compete with less honorable members of the Cahill clan, all distantly related to Benjamin Franklin, to win the fortune by collecting all 39 clues (only two are found in this first book), they learn about their dead parents, each other and world history. 


While waiting for the next book you can go online and play to get more clues and to have more fun: www.the39clues.com.


Here are the books so far!

1. Maze Of Bones (2008) by Rick Riordan
2. One False Note (2008) by Gordon Korman
3. The Sword Thief (2009) by Peter Lerangis
4. Beyond the Grave (2009) by Jude Watson
5. The Black Circle (2009) by Patrick Carman
6. In Too Deep (2009) by Jude Watson
7. The Viper's Nest (2010) by Peter Lerangis
8. The Emperor's Code (2010) by Gordon Korman
9. Storm Warning (2010) by Linda Sue Park
10. Into The Gauntlet (2010) by Margaret Peterson Haddix

(HINT: The books are found on the shelf under JFic Thir for 39 Clues. )

Coraline Four Different Way

by Neil Gaiman

Ages 9+

Coraline is one of those properties that has been excellent in any form that it has been made available to be consumed. Whether it is the original juvenile book, audio book, graphic novel, or movie, all forms of the material have all been well received. It may be because Neil Gaiman's original book is so strong and unique that no matter what medium it is adapted into the story still shines through.

Coraline Jones has just moved into a new flat and cannot wait to explore her new area, but on a rainy day when she is not allowed to play outside she makes a discovery in a little hidden door. With warnings from both neighbors and their pets to stay away from this door, Coraline cannot resist the temptation of a new place to explore. At first the Other World with her Other parents seem great but soon Coraline will realize that their is something dark behind all the perceived sweetness.

Neil Gaiman, using Alice in Wonderland as inspiration, creates a fun and eerie novella that can be enjoyed by child and adult a like. I first read Coraline just shortly after it was released because I had loved Neil Gaiman's comic series Sandman and his other adult novels. When I head a movie was being made by Henry Selik (Nightmare Before Christmas), I went ahead and checked out the graphic novel that was illustrated by P. Craig Russell to brush up on the story and I love graphic novels anyways so I was curious as to how well it was adapted. The graphic novel version is the most realistic visually you will experience the book. Coraline looks older here than in the movie or original illustation of the book cover. Because of the realistic look of the illustrations this version may be the best for teen readers as I also found it to be the most creepy when the Other world starts to lose its solidity.

Gaiman chose himself to read for the audio book, and his voice adds a dark, crisp tone to the retelling. There is some odd and not very good music that plays at times but it is not often enough to ruin the whole experience but I still wish it wasn't there. If you are taking a trip this October this would serve as a fun and seasonal listen.

Coraline was also adapted into a stop-motion film and released in 3D in 2009. The film adaption concentrates more on isolating Coraline and making her feel unwanted in the real world rather than portraying her as a more curious child as they do in the book. They also introduce a young eccentric boy who is a relative of the landlord. They did this so there wouldn't be scenes with Coraline talking to herself. The movie's strongest trait is the gorgeous visuals of Henry Selik and some scenes really pop especially the intricate mouse circus of Mr. Bobo.

The book won the 2003 Hugo Award and Nebulla Award for Best Novella along with the Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers. The movie was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards.

Fever 1793

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Ages 9+

It is one of the hottest summers anyone can remember in the nation's capital of Philadelphia in 1793, and Matilda "Mattie" Cook just wants to sleep in and not worry about her chores around her family's coffeehouse. Though as the heat is reaching all time highs, Mattie is no longer having to worry about chores or going to the market as rumors of a yellow fever outbreak spreads across the city. Soon thousands lay dead and families are fleeing Philadelphia in droves, and even though the Cook family coffeehouse is doing great business, sickness and death are approaching quickly to Mattie's door.

Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Speak, creates a protagonist who goes from a sheltered teen to a young woman in just a few months. Mattie has to learn to care and protect for others, sacrifice her own well being and health for the greater good, and make hard decisions that will affect her future while all around her the first great catastrophe of our young nation is playing out. Anderson peppers real historic individuals and portrays the time with authenticity. Mattie, her mom, and close friend Eliza are all portrayed as strong women and would be good female role models during any period.

Fever 1793 is an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults.

Paper Towns

by John Green

Grades 9+
Having kind of enjoyed John Green's first book, the 2006 Michael L. Printz winner Looking For Alaska, and having a friend who swears by him as the teen writer of our times, I decided to give him another shot and read Paper Towns. By the end, which was accomplished in one night, I had laughed a lot and gotten a little teary eyed.

The girl of your dreams, who was also your childhood best friend, appears at your window one night to take you along on an all-night, score-settling spree through Orlando. Just when high school senior, Quentin Jacobsen (Q), thinks Margo is back in his life she disappears. Q with the sometimes help of his two best friends will trace Margo's last days in and around Orlando in hopes to find out where she has disappeared to and along the way maybe find out who Margo is as a person. The drama of this book isn't especially the chase and mystery of where Margo went or even if she is still alive, but Q finding out about Margo herself and coming to terms with finishing high school.

Paper Towns won the 2009 Edgar Award for best Young Adult novel.

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

Grades 6+

What do you want to be when you grow up? An Athlete? A Movie Star? A Musician? A Lawyer? Not many kids or adults really want to see the inside of a courtroom or wade through piles of litagation paperwork. But the main character in this book, Theo can't decide between being a famous trial lawyer or a respected judge.

Well, Theo Boone hasn't taken the bar, but he offers advice to his friends, hangs out at the courthouse, and watches Perry Mason reruns. Things turn serious, however, when a witness to a murder, a young illegal immigrant, comes to Theo with evidence. The trial is in full swing, and it looks like the defendant will walk unless Theo comes forward. But he's promised the young man he will keep his identity confidential. What should he do?

Grisham is known for his legal mysteries, and this kids book is no exception. It is a fun read for anyone, not just aspiring lawyers.

Little Blog on the Prarie

by Cathleen Davitt Bell

Ages 10+

Imagine it is 1890. No iPods, no cell phones, no jeans or tank tops, no electricity, and no indoor plumbing. This is the life that Gen Welsh has to endure for the whole summer, since her mother has decided that the family's vacation will be at a frontier-living fantasy camp near Laramie, WY. When they arrive, all modern conveniences are taken away, but Gen is granted her one wish: Clearasil. Secretly she has hidden her new cell phone in the product's box, and uses it to text her friends back home. 

Meanwhile, back at camp, a first romance and a good, clean girl rivalry are bubbling among the milking of cows and clearing of forest. As the families make their way through a difficult season, they all discover their strengths and weaknesses.

This fast read is humorous and insightful, with realistic characters that are refreshingly well rounded. Bell has captured a 13-year-old's voice, making Gen's unlikely situation feel very real.

Sabriel

by Garth Nix

Please welcome our first teen blogger, Elizabeth! Thanks for the GREAT entry!

I was wandering my school's library and praying for a good fantasy book to do my report on. Finally I gave in and typed 'fantasy' into the search engine and Sabriel came up as a result. The cover looked interesting so I hunted it down and read the back. It sounded like just what I needed, so I checked it out. Then I proceeded to spend weeks reading the rest of the series because Sabriel was so amazing.


Sabriel is the adopted daughter of the Abhorsen, a necromancer sworn to help the spirits back into Death. When her father goes missing, she takes up the seven bells of the Abhorsen, and goes in search of him, hoping her meager knowledge of necromancy is enough. She finds companionship in the form of Mogget, an incredibly powerful Free Magic creature, and Touchstone, a prince imprisoned in the wood of a ship's figurehead for several centuries. She and her friends must track down Kerrigor, a spirit from beyond the ninth gate. Sabriel has to imprison Kerrigor to free her father. Will she do it?

Well I sure ain't tellin'! What I love about this book, is the fact that it is subtly eerie and scary, without being an all-out blood bath. Garth Nix keeps Sabriel focused with a believable familial loyalty, and puts her necromancer skills to the test in many unusual and unexpected ways. The cover makes you really wonder about what will happen, and gives you the chills.