County Teens

Two new graphic novels arrived today.

One by Christopher Yost, Pasqual Ferry and Frank D’Armata, is an adaptation of ENDER’S GAME by Orson Scott Card.

Ender has been sent to battle school by his parents. Fighting in real and simulated practice fights reveals his leadership potential when other students start to follow him and take lessons from him. He might even be ready to lead his own army in combat. Oh, and did I mention? Ender is six years old.

Runaways “Pride and Joy” by Brian K. Vaughan is about a group of six teens who eavesdrop on their parents’ annual fund-raising event when they discover that their parents aren’t actually the charitable people they pretend to be. In fact, they’re super villains with  major secrets to hide. As it says on the cover, “Together, [the teens] run away from home and straight into the adventure of their lives – vowing to turn the tables on their evil legacy”.

People don’t own the water in their own village
and they certainly don’t own the diamonds and gold.
Millions are forced to make dinner out of garbage and dust

The book, made up of poems, letters, and diary entries from fictional girls- is a powerful collection of the issues plaguing girls all over the world – from not having purple Uggs boots to being sold into sex slavery.

I say let’s go for it
if it’s all coming down.
I say let’s speak it
let’s fight it
let’s right it.

The author describes the book as a “celebration of the authentic voice inside every girl and an inspiring call to action for girls everywhere to speak up, follow their dreams, and become the women they were always meant to be.”

Just noticed this cool list by author Cecil Castelluci – (she wrote the Queen of Cool and Boy Proof!) of ” ‘Books that Rock’  — eight novels with characters whose lives are changed by (turn that down!) music”
The Library has most of these – so if you’re interested, stop in and ask for them!

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2009/08/cecil-castellucci-picks-young-adult-books-that-rock.html

So, if you’ve been to www.skulladay.com you know that Noah Scanlin made a new skull every day for a year – and then made a book about the project. He uses things like soy sauce, twigs, comic books, and… well, you’ll have to check out the book to find out what other stuff he uses in this cool, but admittedly a little weird, ongoing art project! This is one of New York Public Library’s Stuff for The Teen Age 2009 and totally worth checking out!

Let it Snow  by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

Christmas Eve brings romance to one small town the year of a terrible snowstorm as a stuck train, a teacup piglet, and riots over collectible Christmas village sets (wait, what?) bring people together all across town.

Three intertwined stories written by some of your favourite authors. This is the kind of book that makes you want to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and stay warm on a snowy day.

Heart on my Sleeve – Ellen Wittlinger
 

Have you ever been even a little bit curious about the content of other people’s e-mails? In Heart on My Sleeve, you can read all about Chloe, who loved Eli, until she met Julian, who sort of liked Nina until Chloe came along – all through the e-mails they send back and forth! Chloe and Julian meet – briefly – and exchange e-mail addresses.

Throughout the summer, Chloe and Julian e-mail, write real letters, and IM until they can meet again in August.  But – how honest are they really being with each other?

Cassie’s Stepfather is famous — and crazy. He’s an extremely talented musician who is “joy impaired” (depressed), “excessively imaginative” (delusional), security conscious (paranoid) and emotionally challenged (a wacko!)

as he gets more erratic, Cassie gets progressively more concerned – her father has turned up evidence that he’s not who he says he is – but if that’s true.. . who is he?

Alice’s family is religious. As in, no TV, no dancing, no buying groceries at full price because it’s a sin, religious. They’re part of a harsh, judgemental church that believes all illness is possession and that no one is good enough.  When Alice starts to hear voices – scary voices – that tell her that people are following her and watching her – she knows the church won’t help. But when they find out anyway, they accuse her of being infested with demons. She runs away but not before being institutionalized in a place where she thinks they drug her, follow her and posion her. She escapes and finds herself in the streets. Can she find safety and a forgiving God before it’s too late?

A review by K.T.

I’d recommend this book to people older than 17.

A young doctor named Toby works in a relatively quiet hospital, until a naked man is brought into the ER and mysteriously disappears. Now Toby finds herself struggling to stop the spread of a deadly virus — before it’s too late!

The Street Lawyer by John Grisham a review by KT.

I’d recommend this book to adults

Michael Brock is a layer with the prestigious Drake and Sweeney. Until Mister comes along and makes Michael…. A Street Lawyer

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We read this book for our book club and it stimulated a lot of discussion. Pick it up!