Book Spotlight: Chopsticks

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony

Several authors are now presenting their stories through pictures and random items instead of the traditional written word.  This short mystery story is told mostly through pictures, newspaper articles and short computer messages.  It's very unique.  To find out more check out the Chopstick website.

For another book in this style check out our review of The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt.

 

Volunteer @ Your Library!

Want to give back to your community?  Do you enjoy working with kids?  Do you need to "beef up" your college application?  If so, we need you!

Every year teens across the county help us run our summer reading program.  If you are interested in helping at your local library give us a call because we need you!

These branches are actively looking for teen volunteers:

Central Library (downtown Santa Rosa):  Kathleen, 545-0831 ext. 514

Healdsburg:  Tiffany, 433-3772 ext. 6

Northwest:  Kim, 546-2265 ext. 6

Petaluma:  Kate, 763-9801 ext. 6

Rincon Valley:  Laura, 537-0162 ext. 6

Sebastopol (after 6/19):  Tiffany, 823-7691 ext. 6 or tbronzan@sonoma.lib.ca.us

Windsor:  Ana or Bill, 838-1020 ext. 6

Free Comic Book Day!

 

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

Chaos Walking movie announced!

Did you love the Chaos Walking trilogy as much as I did?  It's just been announced that they are making it into a movie, hoping to find "the next Hunger Games!"

http://www.totalfilm.com/news/lionsgate-plan-to-make-chaos-walking-trilogy-the-next-hunger-games

Hunger WHAT?  Chaos Walking needs no comparison– just read book one "The Knife of Never Letting Go" and see for yourself!  Click below to find a copy or place a hold–>

The Knife of Never Letting Go

 

Time to Battle it out again!

If you recall, last year we posted about the Battle of the Kids' Books, hosted for the past few years by School Library Journal. This is a bracket-style showdown between some of the best books for kids & teens, with each matchup "judged" by a well-known author. And it's that time of year again!

This year's Battle of the Books began last Tuesday March 13, with an epic showdown every day– judged by a wonderful group of authors of teen and tween books (Sara Zarr! Gayle Forman! Jeff Kinney!).  There are three more matchups left in Round One, and then we move on to the re-matches in Round Two.

One thing that I keep thinking about as I follow this contest – how on earth do you choose between two such excellent books that are so different?  It is interesting to see how each judge considers the choices thoughtfully, in order to make the decision.  Click here to read the thoughtful reviews – and to see which books will be moving on to the next round!

http://battleofthebooks.slj.com/

Award Winners!

And the winner is…..  Check out these award winning books….

 

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:

  Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

  2012 Honor Books:

  Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

  The Returning by Christine Hinwood

  Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

 

 

 

For more information please visit:

http://www.ala.org/yalsa/printz#current

Stay tuned for more award winners!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from teenspace!

Want to know about about Thanksgiving?  Check out about.com's article about Thanksgiving!

*Reminder*  The library will be closed Thursday, November 24th & Friday, November 25th for the Thanksgiving Holiday.  We will re-open Saturday, November 26th @ 10 am!

The Dark Side of Young Adult Fiction

The New York Times has a section called "Room for Debate" and they are currently debating about "The Dark Side of  Young Adult Fiction".  Many authors are weighing in on the issue.  Look who is debating this issue:

Paolo Bacigalupi author of Ship Breaker

Maggie Stiefvater author of Shiver

Jay Parini author of The Passages of H.M.

Scott Westerfeld author of Uglies

Andrew Clements author of Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School 

Lisa Rowe Fraustino author of The Hole in the Wall

What do you think?  Do you read "dark" young adult fiction?  Why do you like to read "dark" fiction?  Who is right?

Angels & Demons Book List

     Angels & Demons

 

Book List

 Demons:  Sometimes scary, sometimes comical – demons and their realms just got a lot more interesting.

Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
Nick's family has battled demons for most of his life.  When his brother, Alan, is marked for death while helping friends, Nick's determination to save Alan leads him to uncover a devastating secret.  The story continues in Demon's Covenant and Demon's Surrender.

  Demonkeeper by Royce Buckingham
When Nat, the weirdest boy in Seattle, leaves for a date with the plainest girl in town, chaos breaks out in the houseful of demons of which he is the sole guardian.

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
The world will end next Saturday according to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter.  But a fussy angel and a fast-living demon are not looking forward to the apocalypse.  If these unlikely allies are going to stop it from happening, they must find and kill the Antichrist.

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
After a prom-night spell goes badly wrong, Sophie Mercer is exiled to a school for wayward Prodigium, supernaturally gifted teenagers, where she learns that an unknown predator has been attacking students.  The story continues in Demonglass and Raising Demons.

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
Theia knows she's seen Haden before – not around town, but in her dreams.  The only thing Theia knows for sure is that the pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.  When she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

Devilish by Maureen Johnson
Jane's best friend Ally sold her soul to the Devil in exchange for popularity.  Jane tries to save her best friend by making a pact with a cupcake eating demon.

Angelfire by Courtney Moulton
Ellie discovers she has the reincarnated soul of an ancient warrior destined to battle monstrous creatures that devour humans and send their souls to Hell.  A kick-butt heroine, awesome battle scenes, and a little romance, this story has it all.

Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver
Riley Blacktorne is picking up the pieces after her father, a demon trapper, is murdered.  A young apprentice demon trapper herself, Riley is just getting the hang of the job when her whole world crashes down around her.

Lord Loss by Darren Shan
Grubbs Grady is the only witness to the horrific murder of his entire family.  He must outwit not only the mental health professionals determined to cure his delusion, but also the demonic forces only he can see.  First book in the Demonata series.

Misfit by Jon Skovron
On her sixteenth birthday, Jael receives a mysterious present that unlocks her family's dangerous history and Jael's own untapped potential.  Jael must negotiate normal life while learning to control the abilities she inherited from her mother, a demon, and protect those she loves from Belial, the Duke of Hell.

Angels:  If you think Heaven is all about fluffy clouds and halo wearing, lute playing angels, you're in for a surprise.  These angels are after your soul…and they don't always have Heaven in mind.

Evercrossed by Elizabeth Chandler
When a car crashes ends Ivy's life, her great love Tristan, who died and became an angel, breathes life back into her with a passionate kiss, but love may not be enough to save her.

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford
Eden was once a lonely human who lost her heart to a fallen angel.  Now trapped between Heave and Hell, Eden discovers that her touch can strip away the morals and logic of mortals.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Nora has always been cautious in her relationships.  When mysterious Patch, who has a large V shaped scar on his back, enrolls at Nora's school she is strongly drawn to him despite her misgivings.  The story continues in Crescendo.

Unearthly by Cynthia Neely
Clara's visions begin to make clear her purpose as an angel-blood.  In order to fulfill her destiny, clara and her family move to Jackson, Wyoming, where she learns that danger and heartbreak come with her powers.

Fallen by Lauren Kate
Suspected in the death of her boyfriend, Luce is sent to a reform school where she meets two intriguing boys and learns the truth about the strange shadows that have always haunted her.  The story continues in Torment and Passion.

Meridian by Amber Kizer
Meridian is a Fenestra, the half-human, half-angel link between the living and the dead.  She must learn to help human souls to the afterlife before the dark forces reach them.  But Meridian faces great danger from a band of demons that capture souls on the brink of death.

Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors
Katrina's kindness to a man she finds sleeping behind her grandmother's coffeehouse leads to a strange reward as Malcolm, who is actually a guardian angel, insists on rewarding her by granting her deepest wish.

Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith
When Miranda's guardian angel Zachary recklessly saves her from falling into an open grave and dying, the result is that she turns into a vampire.  Zachary is left to try to reinstate his reputation by finally doing the right thing.

Kindred by Tammar Stein
Spiritual warfare breaks out when the Archangel Raphael and the Devil each deliver very different assignments to eighteen-year-old twins Miriam and Moses.

Angel Burn by Lee Weatherly
Two teens are on opposite sides of a battle that puts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful.  When Alex and Willow find themselves falling love, they discover that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil.