YMWCTO: Compuls1on by Heide Ayarbe

Author: Heidi Ayarbe

Title: Compuls1on

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publication Date: October 2010

Number of Pages: 297

Geographical Setting:  Carson City High School

Time Period: Modern Day

Series: N/A

Plot Summary: Jacob Martin is a soccer star.  His team has 2 State Championships under its belt; the team is on its way to a third.  But, Jacob knows that it isn’t his skill that’s lead the team to victory…it’s the magic.  The “magic” that Jacob lives by is actually Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  He hides this fact about himself, and that fact weighs heavily upon him. Jacob is leaving town to go to college in just a few months…does his OCD have to go with him? Will he be able to find a place in his life for it? This honest look at what the disease feels like makes the reader wonder what life is like on the other side.

Subject Headings: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, High School, Soccer, Emotional Issues

Appeal: insightful, realistic, poetic, history-filled, suspenseful, sad

3 terms that best describe this book: Touching, honest, personal, riveting

YMWCTO: Notes from the Blender by Cook and Halpin

Author: Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin

Title: Notes from the Blender

Genre: Fiction

Publication Date: March 2011

Number of Pages: 229

Geographical Setting: Not Stated

Time Period: Present Day

Series: N/A

Plot Summary: Meet Neilly.  She’s pretty, popular and totally in love with her awesome friends and boyfriend.  Enter Declan, a guy who’s less than popular and lives and dies by Finnish death metal.  Shock of shocks…Declan would do anything to get next to Neilly.  Then, out of the blue, his dad helps him get closer to Neilly, only it’s not in the way that Declan imagined.  Declan’s dad is going to marry Neilly’s mom!  Thrown together in a blend of crazy experiences, Declan and Neilly learn that labels and high school trauma just have to come in second place to family and real life.

Subject Headings: Dating, Step-family, High School, Sexuality

Appeal: Humorous, realistic characters, quick

3 terms that best describe this book:  touching, insightful and easy

YMWCTO: Hush by Eishes Chayil

 

Author: Eishes Chayil

Title: Hush

Genre: Fiction

Publication Date: September 2010

Number of Pages: 357

Geographical Setting: Bourough Park, New York

Time Period: 1999-2010

Series: N/A

Plot Summary: Gittel has grown up all her life living in an Orthodox Jewish community.  When she was young, things were simple–simple because they were planned out for her, laid out like a path she just had to follow.  But, when something horrific happens and she loses her best friend Devory, Gittel struggles to understand just how she’ll stay on that planned path.  The choices (both those that she makes and the ones that are forced upon her) leave her feeling guilty and confused.  Hush is the story of Gittel’s journey for peace.

Subject Headings: Judaism, conduct of life, suicide, Judaism Customs and Practices

Appeal: provocative, insightful, inspiring, fascinating, intriguing.

3 terms that best describe this book:  thought-provoking, touching, triumphant

Friday Fun Feature: Teen Reads Blog

When you sit back and think about it, the way that we learn about books is most often because we heard about it from someone else.  That someone else can be a family memeber or friend; it can even be on a tv show or webcast. 

So, you do what any normal person does–you get pumped up, lace up your sneakers and high tail it to the library to pick up that new novel.

But, the library doesn’t have it! Or, the book is on hold for someone else!  You offer up your card and get in line…but you wanted to read!  You were pumped to check out SOMETHING today.

Some people will come right out and ask about something to read until then.  Most people, however, won’t ask.  They’ll wantder around aimlessly, not finding anything that sounds good, and just pick up any old thing.

Well, hang on to your hats…cause here’s a suggestion to solve this crisis!  Have a second book in mind.  The people over at TeenReads.com do an AWESOME job of pointing out different books, topics and read-a-like titles. 

If you’re feeling REALLY ambitious, check out their TeenReads Ultimate Reading List.  OHMANIT’SAWESOME! : )

 

Currently thinking about: Reading a book on the Commons in this gorgeous weather!

Currently NOT thinking about: School starting up again in a few days!

YMWCTO: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

 

Author: Jennifer Donnelly

Title: Revolution

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publication Date: October 2010

Number of Pages: 479

Geographical Setting:  Brooklyn, Paris and 19th Century Paris

Time Period: Modern Day and the 19th Century

Series: N/A

Plot Summary: Can reading the diary of someone you’ve never met be so connective that you feel transported to their world?  Andi has been bombarded by hard situations in her life: Dad left, Mom’s unable to deal and she lost her brother.  Rage and despair have begun to take over, and Andi’s about to be expelled from school.  Then, her father shows up and whisks her away to Paris for her winter break.  Two centuries earlier, Alexandrine is forced into living a life that’s anything BUT what she wants.  Then, late one night in some Parisian tombs, their realities become a little too similar.  Can Alexandrine really comfort Andi from 200 years earlier? Can Andi deal with living a life that’s Alexandrine’s?

Subject Headings: Grief, Diary, Dysfunctional Families, Musicians, Paris, France, French Revolution

Appeal: insightful, realistic, poetic, history-filled, suspenseful, sad

3 terms that best describe this book: Touching, personal, introspective

YMWCTO Wednesdays!

Check in with the Teen Scene Blog on Wednesdays for a Book Review Series lovingly called, “You Might Wanna Check This Out.”

But, since that’s a LOT to type, it’ll just be YMWCTO.  : )

Currently Reading: Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Currently Waiting for: The library to be open on Fridays again!  When’s September 2nd gonna GET HERE ALREADY?

May the Odds be EVER in Your Favor

I hate to be all Hunger Games crazy, but I had the pleasure of chatting with some soon-to-be-freshmen this weekend about the series.  They’d read the books this summer as a 2 pack on their iPads, (so maybe that deal is still available) and were begging me to tell them the ending so they didn’t have to read Mockingjay.  AS IF, people.  Librarians WANT you to read, remember? : )

Imagine my surprise when these kids had no IDEA that the book series was being made into a movie!! That’s right folks, in a few short months, you TOO will be able to see Katniss take on the Arena.

One of the best places to gather information about the movies is on the Lionsgate Films publicity page.  This is the company that’s producing the films, so expect the info to be accurate and easy to understand!  Check out some of their links and see what’s going on with the Hunger Games film:

http://lionsgatepublicity.com/epk/thehungergames/

Here’s a screen shot from the filming of Josh Hutcherson playing Peeta Mellark.  You can almost FEEL the coal in the air, can’t you?

Current book I can’t wait to get my hands on: Heist Socity #2: Uncommon Criminals

Countdown to awesome Teen Event: 24 Days to “Teen Found Art Night”