CPL Teen Reads Book Club Page 20

CPL Teen Reads Book Club -Page 20

Are you interested in reading and reviewing new teen books before they are in the bookstore or your local library? Now's your chance! Join this group!

Our Teen book group has been selected by the Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American Library Association, to participate in the Teens' Top Ten Program For 2010-2012.
Sixteen library book groups from around the USA were selected for this program. Teens in the group will read and review new books from thirty publishers.

All teens in 7th-12th grade are welcome to participate. For more information, talk to Karen S.

Review Form

Please download this form with Microsoft Word, fill it out on your computer, save the document and then attach it to an email, and send that email to kstierler@coralville.lib.ia.us

Books We're Reading Now

	Shine by Lauren Myracle \|\| When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice. Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.		The Secret of Rover by Rachel Wildavsky \|\| The Secret of Rover follows the clever and resourceful twins Katie and David as they race across country in their attempt to outwit an international team of insurgents who hold their parents and baby sister captive in a foreign land. Held hostage because they invented a spy technology called Rover that can locate anyone in the world, Katie and David’s parents are in grave danger. Now, it’s up to Katie and David to rescue them. But first they must find their reclusive uncle, whom they have never met—the only person they know who can help them. This page-turning story from a debut author with insider knowledge of Washington is fun, suspenseful, and convincingly real.
	Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge \|\| Paige Turner has just moved to New York with her family, and she's having some trouble adjusting to the big city. In the pages of her sketchbook, she tries to make sense of her new life, including trying out her secret identity: artist. As she makes friends and starts to explore the city, she slowly brings her secret identity out into the open, a process that is equal parts terrifying and rewarding.		The Kissing Game by Aidan Chambers \|\| In this brand-new collection of short stories, Aidan Chambers explores moments of truth, when a character or an event suddenly reveals an often-surprising meaning: A girl loses her humanity when she takes a summer job as a theme-park character; a boy tries to save a girl from a fiery death, only to discover the same event happened one hundred years before. And the titular story, in which an innocent game takes a fatal turn, will haunt the reader for a long time. These provocative stories beautifully lend themselves to discussion, and once again Chambers treats us to his fiercely intelligent, finely crafted prose and his incisive understanding of the wonderings of young people on the verge of adulthood.
	I Don't Want to Kill You by Dan Wells \|\| John Wayne Cleaver is a troubled teenager with psychopathic tendencies who has saved his town from two murderers--so far. Now he's on the hunt for a third, embracing his own dark nature to fight the town's evil. He has called a demon—literally called it, on the phone, and challenged it to a fight. He’s faced two of the monsters already, barely escaping with his life, and now he’s done running; he’s taking the fight to them. But as he wades through the town’s darkest secrets, searching for any sign of who the demon might be, one thing becomes all too clear: in a game of cat and mouse with a supernatural killer, you are always the mouse.		"To Timbuktu by Casey Sciezka; illustrated by Steven Weinbergka; illustrated by Steven Weinberg \|\| In the tradition of "Eat, Pray, Love", comes a fully illustrated travel memoir geared towards teens and twenty-somethings who are looking for inspiration and a sense of what's possible after college.
	The Girl Who Became a Beatle by Greg Taylor \|\| Regina Bloomsbury wishes she could be as famous as the Beatles—but when her wish comes true, she discovers that being a celebrity isn't all its cracked up to be.		Enclave by Ann Aguirre \|\| Welcome to the apocalypse, where the fate of the remaining NYC enclaves rests in the hands of two head-strong teenagers.
	White Crow by Marcus Sed \|\| Some secrets are better left buried; some secrets are so frightening they might make angels weep and the devil crow.		Conspiracies by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill \|\| Spirit and her friends Burke, Loch, Muirin, and Addie have managed to defeat the evil force that has been killing students at Oakhurst Academy for the past forty years—or so they think. When a series of magical attacks disrupts the school, Doctor Ambrosius calls upon alumnus Mark Rider to secure the campus—and start training the students for war. The only student without magic, Spirit doesn’t trust Mark or his methods. She knows that Oakhurst isn’t safe. And if Spirit and her friends want to live long enough to graduate, they have to find out what is really going on—before it’s too late.
	Purple Daze by Sherry Shahan \|\| Set in suburban Los Angeles in 1965, six high school students share their experiences and feelings in interconnected free verse and traditional poems about war, feminism, riots, love, racism, rock ’n’ roll, high school, and friendship.		Memento Nora by Angie Smibert \|\| In Nora’s world you don’t have to put up with nightmares. Nora goes with her mother to TFC—a Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic. There, she can describe her horrible memory and take the pill that will erase it. But at TFC, a chance encounter with a mysterious guy changes Nora’s life. She doesn’t take the pill. And when Nora learns the memory her mother has chosen to forget, she realizes that someone needs to remember. With newfound friends Micah and Winter, Nora makes a comic book of their memories called Memento. Memento is an instant hit, but it sets off a dangerous chain of events. Will Nora, Micah, and Winter be forced to take the Big Pill that will erase their memories forever? Angie Smibert’s remarkable debut novel takes readers on a thrilling ride through a shadowy world where corporations secretly rule and consumerism is praised above all. A teen struggles to hold onto her memories and her identity in a world that wants everyone to forget and keep on shopping.
	Zitface by Emily Howse \|\| Thirteen-year-old Olivia Hughes has always considered herself a lucky girl. She knows what she wants to do with her life—be an actress. And she’s already on her way. She just landed a national ad campaign that should get her noticed. But then her luck runs out. A little pimple turns into a full-blown case of acne, with serious side effects for her career, her relationships, and her self-esteem. Now all she wants to do is hide, but she can’t. She goes from being the girl at school who everyone wants to be . . . to Zitface, a girl who is teased, dumped, and even fired. What do you do when you’ve lost control of everything in your life? Olivia has to find out the hard way. And maybe what she finds isn’t so bad after all. The book includes an author’s note about the psychological and medical issues involved for teens dealing with significant acne. The author is a licensed mental health counselor who has worked in California and Texas schools.		Crystal Bones (The Faelin Chronicles, Bk 1) by C. Aubrey Hall \|\| Diello and Cynthe have always believed their parents are too cautious. The twins expect things to be different on their thirteenth birthday. Their mysterious Fae mother has promised them that today they’ll be given magical gifts, and they’re planning to sneak off to the village fair. But nothing goes right. The magic isn’t what they hoped. Their human father won’t let them out of their chores. They’re forbidden to attend the fair and are sent on an errand instead. Then the day turns deadly as Diello and Cynthe are plunged into a lethal game of cat and mouse with old enemies of their parents. Suddenly there are secrets upon secrets to unwind. Who is friend and who is foe? And what have their parents been hiding?
	Bloodline Rising by Katy Moran \|\| A story of loyalties tested, secrets exposed, and one boy’s search for identity amid the tangled political intrigue and deception of the Dark Ages. A young thief known as “the Ghost” roams seventh-century Constantinople, tangling in political feuds and petty theft, using his eerie gifts of persuasion and stealth. With his father away at war and his mother devastated by his little sister’s death, Cai would rather be anywhere than at home. But when a rival ambushes and sells Cai as a slave, he begins to regret his choices. Aboard the slavers’ ship, Cai travels far from the warmth of Constantinople into his parents’ homeland — the forbidding land of Britain, where war is brewing between tribes. Bought by a clan head, Cai finds a new life as a tribal member, and using his uncanny talents, is put to work as a spy. The secrets he discovers, however, kindle doubt and disloyalty in his heart. Adrift in a society he still feels apart from, Cai seeks truth and revenge, throwing his life to the wind with startling results.		Small as an Elepahnt by Jennifer Richard Jacobson \|\| Jack’s mom is gone, leaving him all alone on a campsite in Maine. Can he find his way back to Boston before the authorities realize what happened? Ever since Jack can remember, his mom has been unpredictable, sometimes loving and fun, other times caught in a whirlwind of energy and “spinning” wildly until it’s over. But Jack never thought his mom would take off during the night and leave him at a campground in Acadia National Park, with no way to reach her and barely enough money for food. Any other kid would report his mom gone, but Jack knows by now that he needs to figure things out for himself — starting with how to get from the backwoods of Maine to his home in Boston before DSS catches on. With nothing but a small toy elephant to keep him company, Jack begins the long journey south, a journey that will test his wits and his loyalties — and his trust that he may be part of a larger herd after all.
	The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta \|\| Award-winning author Melina Marchetta reopens the story of the group of friends from her acclaimed novel Saving Francesca — but five years have passed, and now it’s Thomas Mackee who needs saving. After his favorite uncle was blown to bits on his way to work in a foreign city, Tom watched his family implode. He quit school and turned his back on his music and everyone that mattered, including the girl he can’t forget. Shooting for oblivion, he’s hit rock bottom, forced to live with his single, pregnant aunt, work at the Union pub with his former friends, and reckon with his grieving, alcoholic father. Tom’s in no shape to mend what’s broken. But what if no one else is either? An unflinching look at family, forgiveness, and the fierce inner workings of love and friendship, The Piper’s Son redefines what it means to go home again.		The Anti-Prom by Abby McDonald \|\| They’ve spent years at the same high school without speaking a word to one another, but that’s all about to change. Popular Bliss was having the perfect prom until she found her BFF and boyfriend making out in the back of a limo. Bad girl Jolene wouldn’t be caught dead at the prom, yet here she is, trussed up in pink ruffles, risking her reputation for some guy — some guy who is forty minutes late. And shy, studious, über-planner Meg never counted on her date’s standing her up and leaving her idling in the parking lot outside the prom. Get ready for one unforgettable prom night.
	Lost in the River of Grass by Ginny Rorby \|\| Thirteen-year-old African American Sarah Emerson does not have a lot of friends at her new school—she is on financial scholarship, and everyone knows it. While on a field trip to the Everglades as a way to meet people, Sarah jumps on the opportunity to sneak away for an airboat ride with Andy, a local boy, whose father proudly displays the Confederate flag. The two stop on an island for a snack, only to return to see their airboat sinking. They are stranded. With no one knowing where they are or where to look for them, the duo must embark on a ten mile journey back to civilization…		What Can't Wait by Ashley Hope Perez \|\| For Marisa Moreno’s family, making ends meet is more important than making it to college. When Marisa’s brother-in-law is injured at work, Marisa is expected to babysit for her niece, work long hours to help support her family, and still find time to juggle her AP Calculus class and her little, if any, social life. With little support from her family but full support from her AP Calculus teacher, Marisa decides to go out on a limb and apply to the University of Texas-Austin’s engineering program. However, when things in Marisa’s life seem to spiral out of control, not even the love and support from her new boyfriend Alan and best friend Brenda are enough for her. Will Marisa be able to please her family and still satisfy her own needs without being stretched too thin? Will an acceptance letter from UT be her only ticket out of Houston?

Books We're Reading Now

CPL Teen Reads Book Club

	Shine by Lauren Myracle \|\| When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice. Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.		The Secret of Rover by Rachel Wildavsky \|\| The Secret of Rover follows the clever and resourceful twins Katie and David as they race across country in their attempt to outwit an international team of insurgents who hold their parents and baby sister captive in a foreign land. Held hostage because they invented a spy technology called Rover that can locate anyone in the world, Katie and David’s parents are in grave danger. Now, it’s up to Katie and David to rescue them. But first they must find their reclusive uncle, whom they have never met—the only person they know who can help them. This page-turning story from a debut author with insider knowledge of Washington is fun, suspenseful, and convincingly real.
	Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge \|\| Paige Turner has just moved to New York with her family, and she's having some trouble adjusting to the big city. In the pages of her sketchbook, she tries to make sense of her new life, including trying out her secret identity: artist. As she makes friends and starts to explore the city, she slowly brings her secret identity out into the open, a process that is equal parts terrifying and rewarding.		The Kissing Game by Aidan Chambers \|\| In this brand-new collection of short stories, Aidan Chambers explores moments of truth, when a character or an event suddenly reveals an often-surprising meaning: A girl loses her humanity when she takes a summer job as a theme-park character; a boy tries to save a girl from a fiery death, only to discover the same event happened one hundred years before. And the titular story, in which an innocent game takes a fatal turn, will haunt the reader for a long time. These provocative stories beautifully lend themselves to discussion, and once again Chambers treats us to his fiercely intelligent, finely crafted prose and his incisive understanding of the wonderings of young people on the verge of adulthood.
	I Don't Want to Kill You by Dan Wells \|\| John Wayne Cleaver is a troubled teenager with psychopathic tendencies who has saved his town from two murderers--so far. Now he's on the hunt for a third, embracing his own dark nature to fight the town's evil. He has called a demon—literally called it, on the phone, and challenged it to a fight. He’s faced two of the monsters already, barely escaping with his life, and now he’s done running; he’s taking the fight to them. But as he wades through the town’s darkest secrets, searching for any sign of who the demon might be, one thing becomes all too clear: in a game of cat and mouse with a supernatural killer, you are always the mouse.		"To Timbuktu by Casey Sciezka; illustrated by Steven Weinbergka; illustrated by Steven Weinberg \|\| In the tradition of "Eat, Pray, Love", comes a fully illustrated travel memoir geared towards teens and twenty-somethings who are looking for inspiration and a sense of what's possible after college.
	The Girl Who Became a Beatle by Greg Taylor \|\| Regina Bloomsbury wishes she could be as famous as the Beatles—but when her wish comes true, she discovers that being a celebrity isn't all its cracked up to be.		Enclave by Ann Aguirre \|\| Welcome to the apocalypse, where the fate of the remaining NYC enclaves rests in the hands of two head-strong teenagers.
	White Crow by Marcus Sed \|\| Some secrets are better left buried; some secrets are so frightening they might make angels weep and the devil crow.		Conspiracies by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill \|\| Spirit and her friends Burke, Loch, Muirin, and Addie have managed to defeat the evil force that has been killing students at Oakhurst Academy for the past forty years—or so they think. When a series of magical attacks disrupts the school, Doctor Ambrosius calls upon alumnus Mark Rider to secure the campus—and start training the students for war. The only student without magic, Spirit doesn’t trust Mark or his methods. She knows that Oakhurst isn’t safe. And if Spirit and her friends want to live long enough to graduate, they have to find out what is really going on—before it’s too late.
	Purple Daze by Sherry Shahan \|\| Set in suburban Los Angeles in 1965, six high school students share their experiences and feelings in interconnected free verse and traditional poems about war, feminism, riots, love, racism, rock ’n’ roll, high school, and friendship.		Memento Nora by Angie Smibert \|\| In Nora’s world you don’t have to put up with nightmares. Nora goes with her mother to TFC—a Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic. There, she can describe her horrible memory and take the pill that will erase it. But at TFC, a chance encounter with a mysterious guy changes Nora’s life. She doesn’t take the pill. And when Nora learns the memory her mother has chosen to forget, she realizes that someone needs to remember. With newfound friends Micah and Winter, Nora makes a comic book of their memories called Memento. Memento is an instant hit, but it sets off a dangerous chain of events. Will Nora, Micah, and Winter be forced to take the Big Pill that will erase their memories forever? Angie Smibert’s remarkable debut novel takes readers on a thrilling ride through a shadowy world where corporations secretly rule and consumerism is praised above all. A teen struggles to hold onto her memories and her identity in a world that wants everyone to forget and keep on shopping.
	Zitface by Emily Howse \|\| Thirteen-year-old Olivia Hughes has always considered herself a lucky girl. She knows what she wants to do with her life—be an actress. And she’s already on her way. She just landed a national ad campaign that should get her noticed. But then her luck runs out. A little pimple turns into a full-blown case of acne, with serious side effects for her career, her relationships, and her self-esteem. Now all she wants to do is hide, but she can’t. She goes from being the girl at school who everyone wants to be . . . to Zitface, a girl who is teased, dumped, and even fired. What do you do when you’ve lost control of everything in your life? Olivia has to find out the hard way. And maybe what she finds isn’t so bad after all. The book includes an author’s note about the psychological and medical issues involved for teens dealing with significant acne. The author is a licensed mental health counselor who has worked in California and Texas schools.		Crystal Bones (The Faelin Chronicles, Bk 1) by C. Aubrey Hall \|\| Diello and Cynthe have always believed their parents are too cautious. The twins expect things to be different on their thirteenth birthday. Their mysterious Fae mother has promised them that today they’ll be given magical gifts, and they’re planning to sneak off to the village fair. But nothing goes right. The magic isn’t what they hoped. Their human father won’t let them out of their chores. They’re forbidden to attend the fair and are sent on an errand instead. Then the day turns deadly as Diello and Cynthe are plunged into a lethal game of cat and mouse with old enemies of their parents. Suddenly there are secrets upon secrets to unwind. Who is friend and who is foe? And what have their parents been hiding?
	Bloodline Rising by Katy Moran \|\| A story of loyalties tested, secrets exposed, and one boy’s search for identity amid the tangled political intrigue and deception of the Dark Ages. A young thief known as “the Ghost” roams seventh-century Constantinople, tangling in political feuds and petty theft, using his eerie gifts of persuasion and stealth. With his father away at war and his mother devastated by his little sister’s death, Cai would rather be anywhere than at home. But when a rival ambushes and sells Cai as a slave, he begins to regret his choices. Aboard the slavers’ ship, Cai travels far from the warmth of Constantinople into his parents’ homeland — the forbidding land of Britain, where war is brewing between tribes. Bought by a clan head, Cai finds a new life as a tribal member, and using his uncanny talents, is put to work as a spy. The secrets he discovers, however, kindle doubt and disloyalty in his heart. Adrift in a society he still feels apart from, Cai seeks truth and revenge, throwing his life to the wind with startling results.		Small as an Elepahnt by Jennifer Richard Jacobson \|\| Jack’s mom is gone, leaving him all alone on a campsite in Maine. Can he find his way back to Boston before the authorities realize what happened? Ever since Jack can remember, his mom has been unpredictable, sometimes loving and fun, other times caught in a whirlwind of energy and “spinning” wildly until it’s over. But Jack never thought his mom would take off during the night and leave him at a campground in Acadia National Park, with no way to reach her and barely enough money for food. Any other kid would report his mom gone, but Jack knows by now that he needs to figure things out for himself — starting with how to get from the backwoods of Maine to his home in Boston before DSS catches on. With nothing but a small toy elephant to keep him company, Jack begins the long journey south, a journey that will test his wits and his loyalties — and his trust that he may be part of a larger herd after all.
	The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta \|\| Award-winning author Melina Marchetta reopens the story of the group of friends from her acclaimed novel Saving Francesca — but five years have passed, and now it’s Thomas Mackee who needs saving. After his favorite uncle was blown to bits on his way to work in a foreign city, Tom watched his family implode. He quit school and turned his back on his music and everyone that mattered, including the girl he can’t forget. Shooting for oblivion, he’s hit rock bottom, forced to live with his single, pregnant aunt, work at the Union pub with his former friends, and reckon with his grieving, alcoholic father. Tom’s in no shape to mend what’s broken. But what if no one else is either? An unflinching look at family, forgiveness, and the fierce inner workings of love and friendship, The Piper’s Son redefines what it means to go home again.		The Anti-Prom by Abby McDonald \|\| They’ve spent years at the same high school without speaking a word to one another, but that’s all about to change. Popular Bliss was having the perfect prom until she found her BFF and boyfriend making out in the back of a limo. Bad girl Jolene wouldn’t be caught dead at the prom, yet here she is, trussed up in pink ruffles, risking her reputation for some guy — some guy who is forty minutes late. And shy, studious, über-planner Meg never counted on her date’s standing her up and leaving her idling in the parking lot outside the prom. Get ready for one unforgettable prom night.
	Lost in the River of Grass by Ginny Rorby \|\| Thirteen-year-old African American Sarah Emerson does not have a lot of friends at her new school—she is on financial scholarship, and everyone knows it. While on a field trip to the Everglades as a way to meet people, Sarah jumps on the opportunity to sneak away for an airboat ride with Andy, a local boy, whose father proudly displays the Confederate flag. The two stop on an island for a snack, only to return to see their airboat sinking. They are stranded. With no one knowing where they are or where to look for them, the duo must embark on a ten mile journey back to civilization…		What Can't Wait by Ashley Hope Perez \|\| For Marisa Moreno’s family, making ends meet is more important than making it to college. When Marisa’s brother-in-law is injured at work, Marisa is expected to babysit for her niece, work long hours to help support her family, and still find time to juggle her AP Calculus class and her little, if any, social life. With little support from her family but full support from her AP Calculus teacher, Marisa decides to go out on a limb and apply to the University of Texas-Austin’s engineering program. However, when things in Marisa’s life seem to spiral out of control, not even the love and support from her new boyfriend Alan and best friend Brenda are enough for her. Will Marisa be able to please her family and still satisfy her own needs without being stretched too thin? Will an acceptance letter from UT be her only ticket out of Houston?