Teen Read 2012
The format for our summer reading program is new this year! Go to your local library the week of June 5th* to pick up a bingo card!
Once you complete one row on the bingo card you will earn a free paperback book!
Complete 5-in-a-row and get a raffle ticket for cool prizes.
Complete the ENTIRE CARD and win a prize!
See your local branch for more details!
*The Sebastopol branch's teen read program will start June 26th.
Teen Read 2012 Programs!
All programs are free and fun!
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Reviewed by: Phil, librarian, Cloverdale Branch
Synopsis: In the not-so-distant future the world flat-out sucks; life is hard for most, including teen Wade Watts, who spends most of his time plugged into the virtual reality multi-verse OASIS. Though most use OASIS to escape the harsh reality of 2044, Wade is an ardent Gunter – a term given to those trying to solve a seemingly unsolvable multi-part puzzle devised by one the creators of OASIS. Whoever solves the puzzle will inherit the entirety of OASIS and become one of the richest people in the world. Some Gunters are strict soloists, while others have banded together to form guilds. These competing factions have toiled for years to solve the puzzle to no avail – that is until Wade happens to solve the first part. Suddenly the quest to solve the puzzle reaches a fever pitch, and the game becomes deadly serious. When Gunters start dying in real life it becomes apparent that a sinister force is willing to go to extremes to reach the prize. Wade knows that he is in serious jeopardy. The question is: Will he solve the puzzle before they get to him?
Why I picked it up: Alex Award (best adult book for teens) winner, and very highly recommended.
Why I finished it: Without a doubt the most fun book that I have read in the past year. It was absolutely impossible to put down.
I'd recommend it to: Gamers, science fiction and adventure tale enthusiasts, as well as 1980’s pop culture fanatics. Even if you don’t generally read in those genres, this book is just plain fun!
Ashfall by Mike Mullin
Review by Phil, Librarian, Cloverdale Branch
When Alex’s family travels out of town for the weekend he plans on ditching his trigonometry homework and playing World of Warcraft – that is until something crashes through the roof of his house. Then the explosions start and communications go down. Soon ash has blanketed the world in an oppressive grey, and with the ash comes marauding bands and chaos. Adrift and alone Alex decides to hightail it out of town to try and find his family. On the road he encounters escaped convicts and people full of distrust. He also finds companionship and hope, but the question is will he find his family? And what will the post ashfall world be like?
Why I picked it up:
Seemed like an engaging premise, and was recommended to me as a read-a-like to Hunger Games.
Why I finished it:
I had to see what happened. I enjoyed the characters and the pacing, and it was chock full of suspense.
I'd recommend it to:
People who enjoyed Hunger Games, or any other apocalyptic or dystopian fiction.
Get your FREE Comic Book this Saturday at one of these participating stores:
Outer Planes Comics and Games
526 7th Street
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Comics for the Win
1435 Santa Rosa Ave, Suite C 5
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Comic Book Box
189 Southwest Blvd
Rohnert Park, CA 95492
Schulz Museum- Peanuts Comic Book Only
2301 Hardies Lane
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Bumped by Megan McCafferty
Review by Kudra, Sonoma Valley Branch
Bumped is a novel about an alternate worlds where a Virus makes everyone over eighteen infertile, adults pay teens to "bump" with each other and have children for them, placing a high price on the teenage girls. Sixteen-year-old twins Harmony and Melody, separated at birth, and either one knowing about the other, until now. Harmony, a church devoted girl journeys to Melody's home, and chaos strikes. Amongst all this, Melody must also fight the attraction to her best friend Zen, for her conception contract which she worked so hard to get fights against it. When Melody's representative pairs her with Jondoe, the most genetically flawless male bumper, and Harmony is confused for Melody, both lives are changed forever.
This book had me engrossed, and I ended up reading it in two days. It is a fairly easy read, but I wouldn't recommend it if you avoid religious stuff. I would recommend this book to people interested in alternate futures, and thrilling books with many plot twists.
This is Kudra's first teen review! Welcome Kudra to the team of teen book reviewers!
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Review by Phil, Librarian, Cloverdale Branch
Miranda leads the life of a fairly typical Midwestern teenager, or at least she did until a giant asteroid slammed into the moon. After the collision the moon appears oddly in the sky – somewhat titled, and closer to Earth. The nights are also a little brighter. Though these changes are unnerving there don't seem to be any major consequences- other than not having to go to school or do homework. Then the tsunamis hit, and the communications go down. Grocery stores run out of food, and volcanoes cloud the sky with ash. Winter sets in and blankets the world in unrelenting snow. In other words, life as Miranda and her family knew it will never be the same again.
Why I picked it up: I was intrigued by the concept, and it was highly recommended. I've been on an apocalyptic fiction kick, so this one was right up my alley.
Why I finished it: I enjoyed the subtleties, and I wanted to know what would happen to Miranda and her family. Pfeffer does well to tell this story with a level of realism that many similar stories disregard in favor of sensationalism.
I'd recommend it to: Anyone looking for an apocalyptic novel without the violence.
Vote for YOUR favorite book!!!
YALSA (young adult library services association) compiles a list of the best books of the previous year. Thousands of teens across America vote for their favorite book on the list during the months of August and September. The winners are announced during Teen Read Week in October. Start reading today so you can have your say in August!
All Good Children by Catherine Austen (Not owned by SCL, keeping check, it will be ordered soon!)
Max, his sister Ally and their mother return home to Middleton to find Ally's classmates acting strange. It is the future, and the government has created a "vaccine" to make kids easier to teach -they are les rowdy, less likely to question, and willing to obey any direction. Max's family has a choice: to be "vaccinated", to flee their home, or stay and fight.
Ashes by IIsa Bick
Alex, Tom, and Ellie join forces after an electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky. The pulse kills most of the world's population and destroys all computer devices, but it also turns some who remain into zombies or gives them superhuman senses.
Abandon by Meg Cabot
Pierce has experienced death before and barely escaped. When she moves from her old town to a town called Isla Huesos- Island of Bones – for a new start, she realizes that death wants her back. Can she escape death once again?
Tempest by Julie Cross
Jackson is a typical college kid until the day his girlfriend, Holly, is shot. Jackson decides he must use his one incredible gift, the ability to time travel. He goes back in time two years, trying to discover a way to alter the future so that Holly lives. The future is full of uncertainty and the past is full of betrayal-is there anyone Jackson can trust?
What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
Ever since Mclean's parents divorced, she has lived in four towns in two years – each time taking on a new persona. Mclean expects to leave Lakeview in six months, but soon finds she doesn't want to -she just wants to be herself.
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
In the future, experimental genetics ensures that males only live to 25 and females to 20. When 16-year-old Rhine is kidnapped and sold into marriage, she is determined not to left her walls down for anyone so she can escape and go home to her brother. But when she meets her sister wives and Gabriel, a handsome servant, she finds it harder than ever as she tries to plan her escape under the watchful eye of her sinister father-in-law.
Where She Went by Gayle Forman
This sequel to Gayle Forman's If I Stay is narrated by Adam, Mia's ex-boyfriend. Shortly after the devastating accident that killed Mia's family, the talented cellist moves to new York, where an accidental meeting brings them back together.
Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
Will Scarlett is one of the Merry Men, Robin Hood's legendary band of thieves, but what few people know is that Will Scarlett is actually…a girl! Disguised as a boy to escape from her past, Scarlett robs from the rich and gives to the poor. When an old enemy of Scarlett's appears, she must choose: Keep her identity hidden? Or keep the people of Nottingham safe?
Eona: The Last Dragoneye by Alison Goodman
As the battle for ultimate control of her home draws near, Eona finds herself waging an internal battle that might cause more damage than the war threatening to break out across the kingdom.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Hazel and Augustus meet and forge a relationship at a support group for kids battling cancer. As Hazel and Augustus struggle with the "side-effects of dying," they come to learn the strength of wishes, the complexities of long human lives, and the wondrous ways of the universe.
Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge
When Paige Turner and her family move to Brooklyn from rural Virginia, she tries to make sense of her new life through her sketchbook, which exposes her true personality and helps her find herself.
Legend by Marie Lu
June, a fifteen-year-old military prodigy, is hunting Day, the outlaw she believes is responsible for her brother's death. What will happen when the two meet and discover the government is corrupt?
Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Emerson Cole sees dead people – ghosts from the past blending in with her surroundings. When a new consultant from a secretive organization shows up at her door to try to cure, her, everything changes. But diving into the world of the mysterious Hourglass Society proves to be dangerous as the past merges with the present.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
A futuristic retelling of the classic Cinderella, Cinder, a cyborg and talented mechanic, lives with her cruel stepmother and two stepsisters in the plague-ridden New Beijing. Soon after meeting Prince Kai, Cinder must find the truths of her past, which may help to save the future.
Shine by Lauren Myracle
When her best friend falls victim to a horrible hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover the culprits in her backwoods town in North Carolina.
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Conor suddenly wakes up just past midnight to find a monster outside his window. This monster wants something from Conor that he is reluctant to give: the truth.
This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel
In this prequel to Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein is on a dark quest to save his twin's life. With help from his best friend Henry and his lovely cousin Elizabeth, the three go on a quest to concoct the mythical Elixir of Life. How far is he willing to go to save his twin?
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Cryogenically frozen centuries ago, Amy and her parents are on their way to a new planet aboard the spaceship, Godspeed. Unplugged from her cryo chamber, Amy discovers she has been awoken 50 years early, in a failed murder attempt. With Elder, the future leader of the ship, by her side they are on an adventure filled with murder, lies, dreams, and stars.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
When Jacob was little, his grandfather would tell him stories of the fantastical children's home where he grew up and the seemingly magical kids who lived there with him. When his grandfather is killed, Jacob sets out to find the home where these children lived, unearthing a magical secret and uncovering his true heritage.
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Abnegation (selfless), Erudite (intelligence), Candor (honesty), Amity (peace), or Dauntless (brave); where would you fit? Beatrice lives in a society where she must choose either to remain with her family's faction or set off towards independence and her beliefs. And what happens when the unity between these factions begins to fall apart?
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
In 1941, Lina, her mother, and younger brother are taken from their home in Lithuania and sent to Siberia. The only thing that keeps her going is her secretly-created art and the hope that one day she'll be reunited with her father.
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Every November, the beaches of Thisby come alive with the Scorpio Races. The water horses are vicious, the terrain is treacherous, and death is likely, but the reward can be beyond anything you could imagine. Puck Connolly is racing for her family, Sean Kendrick for his passion – but only one can win The Scorpio Races.
How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr
A year after Jill's father dies, her mother decides to adopt a baby. Mandy's been living in different places, but now that she's pregnant, she wants to make sure her baby has the love and support she never did. A story of two girls dealing with grief, new life, and everything in between when their paths cross.
All these Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
In 2083, water is rationed, paper is rare, and coffee and chocolate are illegal. Anya Balanchine balances a mobster family, ailing grandmother, and forbidden love – until it all comes crashing down.
Teen Review of this book can be found here: http://sonomalibrary.org/blogs/ya/2011/11/29/teen-book-review-all-these-things-ive-done/
