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Teen Books
As
hard as it can be to choose a picture book for children, deciding on
a book for the teenager in your life can be even harder. We have
divided our teen section into two areas to make it easier for you.
In our children's section are Junior books (great for 9-12) and Young Adult books. These novels are
suitable to 12-14 year olds. At the beginning of our Adult Fiction
section is PG-15 which is the gateway to older, more adult topics.
If you still aren't sure where your teen fits or what to buy, speak
with Mandy.
She orders most of the books for these areas.
Thanks for coming to our Turning Pages Festival
in May! It was a great day - for more about the festival please read
HERE
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Teen Book of the Month for
July |
Wayfarer by RJ Anderson
This is the sequel
to Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter by local
author RJ Anderson. In this thrilling adventure, the young
faery Linden must save the inhabitants of their protected
Oak tree home from a deadly crisis. The faeries are in
danger of extinction and Linden has been give the task to
travel and find the solution. She puts her trust in a human
boy named Timothy to help her. Soon Linden and Timothy
discover a threat much worse than the Oakenfolk's loss of
magic: a potent evil that threatens to enslave faeries and
humans alike. In a fevered, desperate chase through England,
Tim and Linden must risk their lives to seek an ancient
power before it's too late to save everyone they love. This
book is perfect for any faery aficionado that you know! -
Bronwyn
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Bruiser by Neal
Shusterman
Neal Shusterman is one of my
favourite authors. I recommend his books to everyone, especially
teen and pre-teen boys, or reluctant readers. He just knows how
to write an engaging story that happens to be exciting and
thought-provoking at the same time.
Bruiser is his newest novel. I thought I had an initial handle
on the story-- brother and sister are close, but bicker and when
the sister starts dating the school meathead, the brother gets
understandably protective. As it unfolds, the reader finds out
that the "bully" is possibly beaten by his uncle, and I thought
that I knew where it was all going.
But I had no idea. And that's all I can say about the plot and
the characters without giving away too much. What I can say is
that Neal is known, at least by me, as a writer of stories
involving fantastic situations. Everlost is set in a world after
death where kids are stuck until they can find a way to move on,
and Unwind (my favourite) is set in a futuristic society with a
gruesome twist. Both books have a wonderful sense of
imagination; Neal gives a lot of thought to the emotional lives
of his characters and the world they inhabit. And Bruiser is no
exception.
Set in a contemporary world, Bruiser completely surprised me. A
great way to kick off your summer reading, you'll have this book
read in a sitting. You'll need to know how it ends! - Mandy |
White Cat by
Holly Black
is
the first in a new series called The Curse Workers, and my
first time reading Holly Black.
The
story opens with Cassel Sharpe having sleepwalked out of his
dormroom and onto the roof. It's actually a pretty great
scene.
Except, once he's helped down from the roof, he's kicked out
of school. It's no secret that his whole family are Curse
Workers, his grandfather having been a death worker for the
powerful Zacharov family. Cassel has never shown signs that
he's inherited his family's worker gene, but the school thinks
that maybe he's been cursed himself, on account of the shady
dealings his family is associated with. Because although it is
not illegal to have the ability to work, actually using your
abilities to victimize others in any way is definitely
illegal. Cassel's mother is in jail for this reason.
One
of the coolest things about the world in White Cat is the
notion and complexity of curse working. Bits of its history
and rules are offered throughout the book, but there's no
full-on explanation for its existence, or how some people have
access to these abilities. People go around wearing gloves to
protect themselves from skin contact, or if they're a worker,
to show that they mean no threat to others. Traditionally a
curse is transferred via the hands, and can only be countered
by charms--bits of stone that have been created by workers to
offer protection to the wearer.
There's so much background info about curses and charms and
how everything functions, the type of society that would grow
around a world with this magic in it. Holly works * har har *
this into the story flawlessly and even attempts to explain
the ability to work in a scientific frame.
Getting back to Cassel's entry into the story, he tells the
reader, in a Noirish way that permeates the tone of the story,
that he's killed his best friend.
Lila was a dream worker and Cassel just expects that his
nightmares and sleepwalking are just a part of his guilt.
Until he starts digging through his family's secrets and finds
out there's way more going on to Lila's death than he
remembers.
Holly is a very strong writer when it comes to characters and
dialogue. One of my favourite scenes is when Cassel goes to
see Crooked Annie, a sharp, wizened fortuneteller who's real
business is selling powerful charms. The dialogue is perfect,
the back and forth between them. The scene is so vivid and
really gives a lot of unspoken information about Cassel and
his growing concern that his family is conning him.
There are two more books slated for the series and I can't
imagine where the story will go from here. White Cat is a
great choice for the dudes.
--Mandy
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 Calling All TEACHERS!
Words
Worth Books is planning an exclusive evening in September
just for you! We will have lots of great
kids books, classroom support material and a special
discount. But first we need your EMAIL! If you are a
teacher or a school librian or administrator
please send us your e-mail address,
name and the school you're with! |
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How to Find
Books That Teens Will Enjoy:
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- Teens are increasingly interested in local,
national, and international current events. Many of them read
editorials and articles from the newspaper and news magazines.
- As we all know (and remember) teens
question authority. Suggest classic and modern novels that deal
with 'big' issues such as when the needs of a community are more
important than those of individuals.
- Teens are striving for independence, yet
still want to be connected to their families. Read your favorite
books and explain why they are important to you and read books
that let you share laughter, a good mystery, an action-packed
adventure, a science fiction journey.
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Teens are gradually learning to think
abstractly and understand the reasons behind views that differ
from their own. Read books that challenge them to think 'out of
the box' and see the world beyond their daily experiences.
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Teens are thinking about what they will do in their lives --
college, careers, and more. Read books that introduce a wide range
of opportunities and experiences.
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Some of Our Favorite
Books for Junior Readers: |
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Travels of Thelonious
In a world of talking animals, there is
one burning question: Did humans ever exist? Thelonious Chipmunk
believes he has proof that they did: a postcard showing a building
made of concrete and glass. But his sister thinks the postcard's
just a dumb piece of paper, and that humans are only make-believe.
Then one day a flash flood carries Thelonious away. When he comes
to, he's in a strange world that looks something like his postcard,
only crumbling and decaying. But if this means humans did exist,
where did they go? Thelonious, along with some of his friends, sets
off to find out. And thus the adventure begins!
Gilda Joyce The Dead Drop by
Jennifer Allison
The fourth book in the Gilda
Joyce series, The Dead Drop, is out now. For those
unfamiliar with the zany Gilda Joyce, she is a plucky young
detective in the tradition of Nancy Drew and Harriet the
Spy. Jennifer Allison has created a fun series
of books devoted to this one-of-a-kind heroine. Gilda Joyce is 13
years and has
infiltrated boarding school and posed as a concert
pianist. The book opens quickly with Gilda
arriving in Washington to study as an intern at the International
Spy Museum. The opening page,
her list of needed spy gear including: “Jogging suit for early
morning workouts near the U.S. Capitol Building (opportunity to rub
elbows with winded senators)”. This is an awesome
pick for girls 11 and up.
Fans of Kiki Strike
will love her.
Toby Alone by
Timothee de Fombelle
Toby Lolness may be
just one and a half millimeters tall, but he’s the most wanted
person in his world — the world of the great oak Tree. Toby’s father
has made a groundbreaking discovery: the Tree itself is alive,
lowing with vital energy, and there may even be a world beyond it.
Greedy developers itch to exploit this forbidden knowledge, risking
permanent damage to their natural world. But Toby’s father has
refused to reveal his findings, causing the family to be exiled to
the lower branches. Only Toby has managed to escape — but for how
long? And how can he bear to leave his parents to their terrible
fate? This is a TERRIFIC book for kids, and a great analogy for our
current environmental problems. My children loved this book and were
constantly drawing Toby’s tree and Toby’s tattoos while I read the
book to them.
George’s Secret Key to the
Universe by Stephen Hawking
The second book in the Lucy and
Stephen Hawking series for juvenile readers, George’s Cosmic
Treasure Hunt, was released just a few weeks ago. My boyfriend’s 8
year old son loved it. George’s Secret Key to the Universe is
a fun adventure in outer space. Written by Stephen Hawking and his
daughter, the story includes Hawking’s most recent theories on black
holes, full colour pictures of space and planets, and fact charts,
all woven into a great story about a boy and his supercomputer. I
really like when fiction for kids is published with a heavy emphasis
on non-fiction, such as the George books, the Magic Treehouse books
and 39 Clues. George’s Secret Key to the Universe is a great choice
for kids up to 12.
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Some of Our Favorite
Books for Young Adult Readers: |
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Unwind by
Neal Schusterman
This is an awesome story with a
satisfying, tight plot, developed and complex characters, and a
gripping premise. Marked for Unwinding, a medical process which
donates all of a person’s organs while they remain “technically”
alive, Connor, Risa and Lev are on the run to evade the government
who would round them up and put them in harvesting camps. But
Unwind pushes far beyond a simple dystopian action tale. All
through Unwind characters deal with questions of morality, the
nature of consciousness and the existence of the soul. A
remarkable book, one of that best that I’ve read in a while.
Recommended for those 13 and up, or for anyone looking for great
Science Fiction! Recently, I had the extreme good fortune to
interview Neal Shusterman and ask him some questions about Unwind.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Graveyard Book will please Gaiman’s legions of fans with
many of the same literary tropes as Coraline: an eerie setting, a plucky hero,
and a sinister villain. Bod (short for
Nobody) Owens has been raised in a graveyard, sort of like Mowgli in
The Jungle Book. Bod faces a lot of challenges that go along
with being the only living inhabitant of a graveyard—a scary
tattoo-faced ancient Indigo Man who lurks beneath the hill, an
odious group of monsters called the Sleer, and gateway to an
abandoned city of ghouls. And if that’s not enough to keep a young
boy busy, a man named Jack—who has already killed Bod’s family—wants
to find Bod and finish the job… Neil Gaiman really
knows how to move a plot and his descriptions of the supernatural
are thrilling in the sort of way that walking through a graveyard at
night stirs up the old imagination and makes you want to walk just a
little faster. In the case of The Graveyard Book, I
found myself wanting to turn the pages faster and faster until I
finished the book at 2:14 a.m.
The Hungry Games by Suzanne Collins
In the ruins of a place once known as
North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded
by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and
keeps the other districts in line by forcing them to participate in
the annual Hunger Games, a fight-to-the-death on live TV. One boy
and one girl between the ages of twelve and sixteen are selected by
lottery to play. The winner brings riches and favor tohis or her
district. But that is nothing compared to what the Capitol wins: one
more year of fearful compliance with its rule. Sixteen-year-old
Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger
sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to
represent her impoverished district in the Games. But Katniss has
been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature.
Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to
win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival
against humanity and life against love. Acclaimed writer Suzanne
Collins, author of the New York Times bestselling Underland
Chronicles, delivers equal parts suspense and philosophy, adventure
and romance, in this stunning novel set in a future with unsettling
parallels to our present.
Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
Rick Riordan's
newest series opener, The Red Pyramid: Kane Chronicles Volume
One, is just as action-packed and addictive as his wildly
popular Lightning Thief series. In it, siblings Carter and
Sadie have been living apart for years, across the world from
each other and always envious of each others' circumstances.
Until they are brought together only to see their dad
kidnapped. Carter and Sadie have to find their dad and contend
with the ancient Egyptian gods, particualrly the most vicious
of them, Set.
What makes the
Riordan books great is how the suspense is successfully
written. Riordan builds a whole mythical world, but always
makes sure it's exciting to read about.
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Some of Our Favorite
Books for PG-15 Readers: |
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Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
A modern tale of
star-crossed lovers with a fresh urban twist.
At Fairfield High School, on the outskirts of Chicago , everyone
knows that south-siders mixing with north-siders can be explosive.
So when Brittany Ellis and Alejandro “Alex” Fuentes are forced to be
lab partners in chemistry class, this human experiment leads to
unexpected revelations – that Brittany ’s flawless reputation is a
cover for her troubled home life, that Alex’s bad-boy persona hides
his desire to break free from gang ties, and that when they’re
together, life somehow makes more sense. Breaking through the
stereotypes and expectations that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex
apart, Perfect Chemistry takes readers to both sides of the tracks
in a passionate love story about looking beneath the surface.
Click HERE
for the video hip-hop trailer for Perfect Chemistry!
Lock and Key
by Sarah Dessen
I was excited last week to see
that Sarah Dessen’s Lock and Key is now available in
paperback. Dessen’s books have this addictive quality, they are
finished in one or two sittings usually. Lock and Key is a perfect
afternoon read. But don’t expect a frilly or lighthearted story. In
her novels, Dessen begins with a jarring and divided cast of
characters, seemingly bleak circumstances, and ends on a high,
hopeful note always. Lock and Key begins with the story of Ruby, a
teen girl abandoned by her mother and forced to live with her older,
estranged sister, who left them years ago. From abject poverty (both
financially and emotionally) to private school and her own room,
Ruby comes to understand the connections between people and heals
the schism in her life. *Warning*
After reading one Sarah Dessen novel you will be hooked.
The Knife of
Never Letting Go
by Patrick Ness
The first of an
anticipated trilogy, The Knife of Letting Go is the winner of
last year’s Guardian fiction prize. The panel of judges were “blown
away by the breathtaking quality of Ness's writing”. And I was too.
The first chapter I read at a quick, hypervigilant pace. My only
qualm is that Patrick Ness decided to end the first book on a
cliff-hanger, but the second installment The Ask and the Answer
is available in North America in September. Plenty of time to read
this exciting, genre-bending book. Todd Hewitt lives in Prentisstown
with all of the other men. It is the only place he has ever lived.
And it is overly populated with thinking; everyone can hear everyone
else’s thoughts. The din is overwhelming at times, disturbing at
others, but always unwelcome. Until Todd suddenly “hears” silence in
the swamp. And then he has to run. Gripping adventure and a smart,
ambitious story make The Knife of Never Letting Go a terrific read.
Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been
particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much
her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came
along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is
drawn to him against her better judgment.
But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to
trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about
her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should
fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some
answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling
than anything Patch makes her feel.For Nora is right in the middle
of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen
- and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost
her life.
What
an exciting new series! Mary Quinn is rescued from the gallows
in 1850's Victorian London and is offered a mysterious
education. Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls is a cover for
an all-female investigative unit called The Agency, and at
seventeen, Mary is about to put her training to the test.
Assuming the guise of a lady's companion, she must infiltrate
a rich merchant's home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo
ships. I had a hard time putting this thrilling read down and
was surprised at the unexpected plot twists and turns. A great
read.
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