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If you're a fan of good books, maybe you've read a few by Maureen Johnson.  Not only is she an author of great books, but she's awesome herself - we learned that when she Skyped with us back in May 2010!  Later this month Maureen Johnson has a new book coming out - The Last Little Blue Envelope. 

It's the sequel to 13 Little Blue Envelopes, the book where Ginny goes on a whirlwind adventure in Europe after receiving a package of 13 letters in the mail from her Aunt Peg who recently died of cancer.

In the new book, The Last Little Blue Envelope, Ginny is a little older, a little wiser, and has a sort-of boyfriend from her previous adventures.  But then she receives a message that will again send her on an adventure across Europe and change her life.  You will NOT want to miss this book.  I've been lucky enough to read it early, and trust me, it's fantastic!

But wait!  You haven't read the first book 13 Little Blue Envelopes yet??  Don't worry - it's not too late to read it before the sequel comes out...

For TWO WEEKS, Maureen Johnson is offering the FREE EBOOK for 13 Little Blue Envelopes!  Just follow this link to her blog post to get the link for your device to download the book.  And if you don't have an eReader, we have a copy of the book in the Teen Zone!  Hurry and check it out!

The Hunger Games!

How much did you love The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins?  Are you Team Gale or Team Peeta?  Is Katniss your favorite female character in a teen book?  What would you do if you were in the Games?

The next teen book discussion - R.E.A.D.: Read, Eat, and Discuss - is Monday, September 27th at 7pm upstairs in the Estelle Cooperman Board Room.  Come talk about the book, enjoy snacks, play The Hunger Games Jeopardy, and win prizes!  We'll also talk about other awesome books you might like when you've finished the trilogy.  Registration is required and open now!  Register online at calendar.webrary.org, visit the Reference Services or Youth Services desk, or call (847) 929-5101.

AND if you're on Facebook, we're discussing The Hunger Games on MGPL's Facebook Fan Page too!  Just go to our Fan Page, become a fan, and click on the Discussions tab to join in.  We want to hear what you think!

Teens' Top Ten

Want to vote for your favorite teen books from last year?  Be one of the teens voting from all over the country and during Teen Read Week in October we'll find out Teens' Top Ten favorite books from 2009!  City of Glass, Catching Fire, Along for the Ride, and Leviathan are just a few of the titles you can choose.  Follow this link to vote!  And be sure to leave a comment to this post to tell us which books YOU picked! Voting ends THIS Friday, September 17th, so hurry!

Eclipse!

The movie is finally out! Who's seen it already? Is it the best one yet?

Don't forget to read the new Eclipse novella, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. You can put a hold on it here. While you're waiting for the latest book, if you want to start re-reading the series, I just saw 3 copies of Twilight on the shelf in the Teen Zone. Get them quick before they disappear again!

New Books!

Check out the Teen Zone for great new books on display! Here are just a few of the latest YA books you'll find.

Happyface by: Emond, Stephen "Just put on a happy face!" Enter Happyface's journal and get a peek into the life of a shy, artistic boy who decides to reinvent himself as a happy-go-lucky guy after he moves to a new town. See the world through his hilariously self-deprecating eyes as he learns to shed his comic-book-loving, computer-game playing ways. Join him as he makes new friends, tries to hide from his past, and ultimately learns to face the world with a genuine smile. With a fresh and funny combination of text and fully integrated art, "Happyface" is an original storytelling experience. ...More

	Once by: Gleitzman, Morris

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by: Green, John and David Levithan One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens both named Will Grayson are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history's most fabulous high school musical. Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan's collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humor that have won both them legions of faithful fans. ...More

	Before I Fall by: Oliver, Lauren A terrible accident takes Samantha Kingston's life. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she relives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined. ...More

New Books

MGPL just got a ton of great new books! Here are a few of the newest YA books available to check out. You can find these and others on display in the Teen Zone.

	The Agency 1: A Spy in the House by: Lee, Y. S. 2010-03 ISBN:0763640670 / 9780763640675 Format: Hardcover First in a new series. Packed with action and suspense and evoking the gritty backstreets of Victorian London, this breezy mystery debuts a daring young detective who lives by her wits while uncovering secrets--including those of her own past. ...More

	Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1 by: Meyer, Stephenie 2010-03 ISBN:0759529434 / 9780759529434 Format: Hardcover When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret... ...More

	Cirque Du Freak, Volume 2: The Vampire's Assistant by: Shan, Darren 2009-08 ISBN:0759530386 / 9780759530386 Format: Paperback Darren returns to the old-fashioned freak show where, thanks to Mr. Crespley, he has become a "half-vampire." Darren once again struggles against the urge to feed upon the human blood his health requires. ...More

	Ghosts of War: The True Story of a 19-Year-Old GI by: Smithson, Ryan 2009-05 ISBN:0061664685 / 9780061664687 Format: Hardcover See Other Formats In a harrowing memoir about combat, friendship, fear, and a soldier's commitment to his country, Smithson brings teen readers inside a world that few understand, as he describes his experience as a 19-year-old Army engineer in Iraq. ...More

Book Cover Revealed

Big news this week for a certain popular YA series! Scholastic revealed the title and cover of the third and final book in Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy!

Mockingjay will be published on August 24th. If you haven't read the first two in the trilogy yet, you still have some time! Check the Library catalog for The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.

Have you already read them? What do you think of the new cover?

Book Review: Life As We Knew It

Life as We Knew It
By Pfeffer, Susan Beth
Check the Library's Catalog

When Miranda Evans hears astronomers have predicted that a meteor is going to hit the moon, she doesn’t give it a second thought. But, when it hits, because the meteor is denser than believed, it pushes the moon closer to Earth. This change in distance completely alters life on Earth, creating tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, and more. Miranda, along with her mother and brothers, must fight for survival in a new world of dangerous weather, decreasing supplies of food and water, lack of electricity and heat, and complete isolation.

Life As We Knew It is written as a journal. This makes the novel a quick and interesting read because readers get a true sense of what life is like for Miranda and her family. We see her anger, fear, and sadness when dealing with this drastic change. The descriptions are so vivid that it’s easy to get lost in the story, believing chocolate chips are rare delicacies and the sight of the large moon is unsettling. Pfeffer’s second book is called The Dead and the Gone and follows the same scenario from the perspective of a new character in New York City. The third book in the trilogy is called This World We Live In and is out in the spring. Pick up this first book and get started on the trilogy today!

Award Winners: Printz

Yesterday was a big day for books! Pretty much every award given to Young Adult and Children's Literature was announced yesterday morning. You've probably read Caldecott and Newbery books for school, but did you know that there are also several categories about young adult books? One of these categories is called the Michael L. Printz Award. It honors literary excellence in young adult literature and has previously gone to these books you may recognize: Looking for Alaska by John Green, American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, and Monster by Walter Dean Myers.

Here are this year's big winner and four honor books:

WINNER

Going Bovine
By Libba Bray

HONORS

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith

by Deborah Heiligman

The Monstrumologist
by Rick Yancey

Punkzilla
by Adam Rapp

Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973
by John Barnes

Have you read any of these? Are there any books you loved that didn't win?
Want to know the other award-winning young adult books? Stay tuned to the MGPL Teen Zone Blog!

What to Read, What to Read...

Now that classes are out and you have some free time, are you looking for a good book to read? Check out the Teen Book Lists!

There are lists full of recommended books on a variety of genres -- adventure books, mystery & suspense, teen horror. There are recommended reads from other teens -- Abraham Lincoln H.S. Award 2010, STAR Volunteer 2009 Favorites, and TLC's Favorite Books 2009. There's also themed lists -- Books with Bite (vampires and werewolves), Rockin' Reads (music-related), and Twisted Myths (fictionalized mythology).

With all of these lists of recommended reads, you're sure to find something you're interested in. Be sure to come back and post a review if you find and read something great!

Written by Teens

What do these three books have in common?


The Outsiders
By Hinton, S. E.
1997-11 - Puffin Books
014038572X Check the Library's Catalog



Eragon
By Paolini, Christopher
2003-08 - Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
0375826688 Check the Library's Catalog


Frankenstein
By Shelley, Mary
2001-11 - Oxford University Press
0195149017 Check the Library's Catalog

All are popular, great reads. But they were also all written by teens! S. E. Hinton was only 16 when The Outsiders was published. Christopher Paolini wrote the first draft of Eragon when he was 15, and Mary Shelley was just 19 when she wrote Frankenstein. If they (and others!) can do it, why couldn't you? Happy NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and good luck writing!

For more books written by teens, click here.

Banned Books Week

Two weeks ago you probably saw books on display at the library for Banned Books Week. Young Adult books are usually some of the most questioned books across the United States. Common reasons for challenging a book are "offensive language", "unsuited to age group", and "violence." Just because a book may be challenged somewhere, doesn't mean it's bad. Sometimes the challenges raise awareness about a book or subject and teens can discuss it and what they think about it. Other times a book may be questioned by someone who hasn't even read it but thinks it contains material that's not suited for teens - you. Here are some of the most frequently challenged books in the last few years.

• What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
• The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
• TTYL by Lauren Myracle
• Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
• The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
• Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
• The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
• Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

It's never too late to celebrate, highlight, and discuss books that are questioned. What do you think? Have you read any of these? What would you say if someone told you that you (and everyone else) shouldn't be allowed to read something?

New Books!

Looking for something new to read? A few books that have already gotten a lot of buzz come out TODAY!

Fire by Kristin Cashore

She is the last of her kind... It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to

unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.

This fantasy novel is a considered a prequel to Graceling, but you don't have to have read it to pick up Fire.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

You may have read Scott Westerfeld's other books - Uglies, Pretties, Peeps, etc. - but this is a brand-new sci-fi trilogy. The first book, Leviathan, takes place in an alternate 1914 Europe. Fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.

While these two are processing to get out on the shelves asap, be sure to get your hold on them today. And in the meantime, here's a few other new books out recently that you may have missed...

Pop by Gordon Korman

Lonely after a midsummer move to a new town, sixteen-year-old high-school quarterback Marcus Jordan becomes friends with a retired professional linebacker who is great at training him, but whose childish behavior keeps Marcus in hot water.

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Libba Bray was well-known for her Victorian-gothic Gemma Doyle trilogy. Her newest novel, Going Bovine, is nothing like her other books. Cameron Smith, a disaffected sixteen year-old who, after being diagnosed with Creutzfeld Jakob's (aka mad cow) disease, sets off on a road trip with a death-obsessed video gaming dwarf he meets in the hospital in an attempt to find a cure.

These (and A LOT more!) are available at the Teen Zone in the library. Stop by and pick them up today! Have you already read any of these? Let me know what you think!

What did you read this summer?

With sooooo many books to choose from--what did you read this summer? Let us know!
Here's what some YA authors read:

Stephenie Meyers: Dreamhunter and Dreamquake by Elizabeth Knox and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Neil Gaiman: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie, The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas, and Flight by Sherman Alexie

Find a Good Book...

Looking for a new book to read?
Check out the booklists from our Teen Zone webpage!

Click here for books!

Celebrate Banned Books Week

Celebrate Banned Books Week in downtown Chicago at the Read Out!

Many of your favorite authors will be there including: Judy Blume, Stephen Chbosky, Chris Crutcher, Lois Lowry, Lauren Myracle, and Ilene Cooper. They will be reading from their favorite banned or challenged books.

The event is Saturday, September 27th from 12-4:30 pm at the Pioneer Plaza (on Michigan Avenue between the Tribune Tower and the Chicago River) and is free to the public. For more information, click here.

Stephenie Meyer's is Coming to Chicago!

Three days after the release of her latest book, Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyers and Justin Furstenfeld from Blue October will hold a concert at the Harris Theater in Chicago. Tickets go on sale June 21st at 11:00 am for $20 a piece. For more information click here. If you want to hear some of Blue October's music, come into the Library and checkout their cd!

Plan on joining us at the Library, August 2nd at 2:00pm for a fun discussion of the Twilight series! Registration will be required--more details to come soon!

The Final Twilight Series Book!

The publisher of the Twilight series, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, sent out a press release yesterday stating that the fourth and final book in the series will be released at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, August 2nd.

Can't wait that long for more on Bella, Edward, and Jacob?
Check out the latest news and links below:

Inside a special edition of Eclipse- to be released on May 31st- will be the cover art and first chapter of the last book, Breaking Dawn. Stephenie Meyer's first adult novel, The Host, will also be released in May.

Do you ever wonder what Edward was thinking when he first met Bella? Stephenie Meyer's has posted a version of the first chapter of Twilight from Edward's perspective called Midnight Sun on her website.

Twilight movie news: Read Kristen Stewart's interview on MTV Movies Blog and more info on the movies newest cast members.

Celebrate Black History Month by Reading

The brownbookshelf.com is promoting teen and children's fiction by African American writers by presenting 28 Days Later, where they will feature one author or illustrator for each day of February.

Find info on some teen authors and their books:

Touching Snow by: M. Sindy Felin on February 9th
Sweet Thang by: Allison Whittenberg on February 14th
Game by: Walter Dean Myers on February 15th
Tyrell by: Coe Booth on February 22nd

Twilight the Movie

The first book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series is scheduled to come to the big screen in December of 2008. Kristen Stewart, who was most recently in The Messengers and Into the Wild, will play Bella Swan and Robert Pattinson, who was Cedric Diggory in the last two Harry Potter movies, will play our favorite vampire Edward. If you want to know the latest details about the movie go to The Internet Movie Database website.

If you still haven't read Twilight, stop by the Library and check it out-- and remember, if it's checked out (and it might be, because it's so popular) you can put on hold on it at the Reference Services Desk or from your computer at home!