Staff Pick of the Week: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

This week's pick is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie (YA ALEXIE).

Junior's life has never been easy - born with brain damage, he's always been the target for teasing due to his strange looks, stutter, and lisp. But Junior isn't stupid - he's actually very smart, and knows after the first day of high school that it's time to get off the rez - the Spokane Indian reservation he's lived on his whole life. When he decides to go to the all-white school in a nearby town the entire reservation (except for his family but including his best friend) turns on him, and the kids at his new school don't really like him either. Still, things are working out better than Junior expected and he starts to hope that he will make it in the outside world, until tragedy strikes - not once but several times. Will Junior be able to work through his pain and continue to keep hoping?

Reminder: Teens & Tweens Book Club this Thursday!

Don't forget: Teens & Tweens Book Club this Thursday, November 1st @ 7:00 PM! For this meeting we're reading two different books: When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt & Say Yes by Audrey Couloumbis. Copies are available for you to pick up at the circulation desk. Choose which book you'd like to read and come prepared to snack, discuss, and have fun!

New Books!

Check out these new books & audiobooks in the Teens & Tweens Space:

Ask CosmoGirl! About Your Body (613.04243 ASK)
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson (YA-V PATT MR)
Ranger's Apprentice Book Two: The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan (YA FLANAGAN)
Unforgettable: an It Girl Novel by Cecily Von Ziegesar (YA VON ZIEGESAR)
Upstate by Kalisha Buckhanon (YA-V BUCK UPS)

Check out these books recommended by the Teen Read Week challenge winners!

Here are some recommendations from the Teen Read Week challenge participants:

The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart (YA LOCKHART): "Ruby Oliver had a few panic attacks because of her terrible week at school. Her mom makes her see a shrink."

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (J ROWLING): "One favorite part was when Norbert (the dragon baby) hatched."

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (YA HESSE): "Billie Jo Kelby suffers through the Dust Bowl."

Stay With Me by Garret Freymann-Weyr: "A girl searches for the answer to her sister's suicide."

Witch's Sister by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor: "It was terrifying."


Thanks to everyone who participated in the Teen Read Week challenge! If you submitted an entry, please stop by the Youth Services department to pick up your prize!

Staff Pick of the Week: The Whole Sky Full of Stars

This week's pick is The Whole Sky Full of Stars by Rene Saldana, Jr. (YA SALDANA).

When you're in trouble, who do you turn to? Your best friend, of course. Barry and Alby have been best friends for forever, so when Alby owes more than a little too much money to Ciro, the high school poker champ, he turns to Barry for help. But Barry has troubles of his own - his father died recently of cancer and his mom is having a hard time making ends meet. And Alby doesn't want to admit to Barry why he needs cash, so instead he tries to get to enter the Man O'Might competition with the promise of plenty of prize money for both of them. At first Barry isn't sure this is the right way to go, but the though of being able to help his mom takes precedence and he agrees to fight. But when the day of the competition arrives, will everything go as planned?

New Book Display: Fantasy Books!

Can't wait for the release of The Golden Compass movie? Check this selection of fantasy books out while you're waiting!

Black, Holly
Tithe: 16-year old Kay has always known her life is a bit different - she spends a lot of time looking after an alcoholic rock star mom and counts among her childhood friends several fairies. Things really become strange, however, when Kaye and her mother move to her grandmother's house in New Jersey to escape a murderous boyfriend.
YA BLACK

Dale, Anna
Whispering to Witches: Joe knows his Christmas is going to be anything but merry - his father has to go away and Joe has to spend the holidays with his mom, stepdad, and half sister Esme. On the way to meet his family, Joe somehow gets off at the wrong train station, and before he realizes what is happening lands himself in a witches' coven and is wrapped up in an otherworldly conspiracy.
YA DALE

Dunkle, Clare B.
By These Ten Bones: When the young wood carver first appears in Maddie's village with the old man, he refuses to speak to anyone. But Maddie finds out Paul can speak, and soon after she learns his terrible secret. Will Maddie be able to save Paul from himself?
YA DUNKLE

Gardner, Sally
I, Coriander: Coriander lives a life of happiness and wonder until the horrible day her mother is suddenly stricken ill. Pressured by well-meaning friends, her father marries a "good" Puritan woman, only to discover she is anything but. Will Coriander be able to find the magic locked inside her and save herself from both an evil fairy queen and an extremely wicked stepmother?
YA GARDNER

Marr, Melissa
Wicked Lovely: 17-year old Aislinn knows faeries are real - unlike the majority of teenagers, she sees them everywhere she goes. But until the Summer King notices her and decides she must be Queen, life has been somewhat normal. Now Aislinn must choose between "normal" and the end of the world as she knows it.
YA MARR

Pratchett, Terry
Wintersmith: Almost 13-year old Tiffany Aching is training to be a witch when she catches the eye (if he has one, that is) of the Wintersmith - the element that creates winter. Sonn the Wintersmith is convinced he is in love with Tiffany, and won't let winter end until she becomes his. What is a witch to do?
YA PRATCHETT

Pullman, Phillip
The Golden Compass: Lyra Belacqua lives in an alternate universe where all humans have daemons, animals who are extensions of their humans' personalities. Raised by the Scholars at Jordan College at Oxfrord, Lyra is not overly studious but is extremely curious. When her best friend disappears and her uncle Lord Asriel is imprisoned in the far north, Lyra decides to run away and discovers the horrible experiments that are being done on children in the arctic wasteland.
YA PULLMAN

Sherman, Delia
Changeling: Neef is a teenaged changeling living in New York Between with her fairy godmother Astris. Neef lives a fairly normal life (for a changeling), until the day she breaks a Fairy Law. In order to survive Neef must accomplish the tasks set for her by the Green Lady. Is Neef up to it?
YA SHERMAN

Thompson, Kate
The New Policeman: 15-year old J.J. Liddy knows that there's never enough time - time to practice his music, get his homework done, live his life. But when he discovers that time is actually being leached away from our world to that of the fairies, he realizes he must stop it and at the same time get to the bottom of his family's secrets.
YA THOMPSON

Wooding, Chris
Poison: When 16-year old Poison's sister is kidnapped by the phaeries and a changeling is put in her place, Poison takes matters into her own hands and leaves the marsh she's lived in her entire life to find her. Along the way she collects a band of followers and finds what her strengths truly are.
YA WOODING

Staff Pick of the Week: Dream Factory

This week's pick is Dream Factory by Brad Barkley & Heather Hepler (YA BARKLEY).

Disney World is supposedly the "happiest place on Earth," but as Luke and Ella soon find out, it is anything but. Hired for the summer to replace striking Disney cast members, Ella as Cinderella and Luke as Dale (as in Chip and Dale), the two teenagers grow tired of marrying Prince Charming every day (in Ella's case) and hanging out with Chip (in Luke's case). But Chip is played by Cassie, Luke's current girlfriend, and Prince Charming is Mark (or was it Matt?), a totally cute and completely forgettable Disney devotee. For the moment, it appears Luke and Ella are stuck in their respective roles. But management has devised a way to boost the summer replacement cast's increasingly sagging morale - a scavenger hunt of all things Disney. Cassie is determined to win and immediately choose Disney worshipper Mark to be her partner, which leaves Ella and Luke free to work with each other. Will Luke be able to see beyond Cassie's blonde and beautiful perfection? Will Ella be able to tell Luke what's really going on in her life? Find out in Dream Factory.

New Books!

Check out these new books on display in the Teens & Tweens Space:

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (YA ALEXIE)
Chicken Soup for the Christian Teenage Soul (158.12 CHI)
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: The Real Deal (158.12 CHI)
Before I Die by Jenny Downham (YA DOWNHAM)
Bounce by Natasha Friend (YA FRIEND)
Beyond the Billboard by Susan Gates (YA GATES)
Hello, Groin by Beth Goobie (YA GOOBIE)
Mates, Dates, and Great Escapes by Cathy Hopkins (YA HOPKINS)
Mates, Dates, and Sizzling Summers by Cathy Hopkins (YA HOPKINS)
Nightrise: Book Three of the Gatekeepers by Anthony Horowitz (YA HOROWITZ)
Schooled by Gordon Korman (YA KORMAN)
Girl, Going on 17, Pants on Fire by Sue Limb (YA LIMB)
Boy Toy by Barry Lyga (YA LYGA)
The Decoding of Lana Morris by Laura & Tom McNeal (YA MCNEAL)
Frogs & French Kisses by Sarah Mylnowski (YA MYLNOWSKI)
The Queen Geek Social Club by Laura Preble (YA PREBLE)
Gluttony by Robin Wasserman (YA WASSERMAN)
Greed by Robin Wasserman (YA WASSERMAN)
Sloth by Robin Wasserman (YA WASSERMAN)
Wrath by Robin Wasserman (YA WASSERMAN)

Reminder: Teens & Tweens Halloween Party

Teens & Tweens Halloween Party!: Saturday, October 13th @ 2:00 PM

To celebrate Teen Read Week & Halloween, we're going to have a scavenger hunt & make cool Mardi Gras masks. See you there!

Staff Pick of the Week: Ophelia

This week's pick is Ophelia: a Novel by Lisa Klein (YA KLEIN).

For everyone who knows the story of Hamlet and Ophelia, here is a retelling that takes the story much farther than Shakespeare ever did. Born in 1585 to a fairly poor family, Ophelia spends much of her childhood chasing after her brother Laertes and playing the part of the tomboy. But when her father gains favor at court, Ophelia and Laertes are taken to live with him at Elsinore Castle, and it is there that Ophelia is noticed by Queen Gertrude. At first Ophelia is snubbed by the other ladies-in-waiting and feels stifled by the strict rules that govern women's behavior at court, but in time she becomes one of the queen's closest confidants. The queen respects her thirst for knowledge and supplies her with books and opportunities for learning. As Ophelia grows older she is also noticed by Prince Hamlet, but due to their differences in rank (he is royalty and she is the lowliest lady-in-waiting), they must meet in secret. She finds herself falling in love with Hamlet, and begins to dream of a life where they could be together. But then tragedy strikes - the king is murdered and Hamlet is not only thrown into the deepest grief, but becomes possessed with the desire for revenge. Ophelia finds herself drawn more and more into Hamlet's madness. Will she be able to save herself before Hamlet reaches his breaking point?

Teens & Tweens Book Club: Thursday, November 1st @ 7:00 PM

This month we're reading two different books: When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt & Say Yes by Audrey Couloumbis. Copies are available for you to pick up at the circulation desk. Choose which book you'd like to read and come prepared to snack, discuss, and have fun!

Celebrate Teen Read Week!

Teen Read Week: October 14th - 20th, 2007

Join Franklin Park Teens & Tweens Teen Read Week challenge! Read a book before October 20th and drop off a form (available in the Teens & Tweens space) with the title and author, a short description of the book, your name, and phone number and/or e-mail address. Every person who submits a form will receive a prize, and all forms will be entered into a drawing for an additional prize! Forms may be dropped off in the box in the Teens & Tweens space or may also be submitted online - just click here. Please submit only one form per person. All forms are due by October 20th.

Nominations for the 2007 Teens' Top Ten Books

You can vote for your favorites during Teen Read Week: October 14th-20th, 2007

Abbott, Tony

Firegirl: 7th-grader Tom has always felt like an outsider at school and his only real friend is Jeff, who has become increasingly angry since his dad moved out. Then Tom meets Jessica, a girl who has been badly burned and moved to his town to seek treatment at a local hospital. Will Tom ignore Jessica like the rest of his classmates (including Jeff) or will he reach out to her?

J ABBOTT

Almond,David

Clay: When Davie agrees to befriend Stephen, the new boy in town, he has no idea their friendship will turn into something much more sinister as Stephen unleashes his power to bring inanimate objects to life.

YA ALMOND

Brooks, Kevin

The Road of the Dead: 14-year old Ruben senses his older sister Rachel's death the moment it happens. With his brother Cole, he travels to the small town where the murder occurred, determined to find the killer and bring Rachel's body home.

YA BROOKS

Calonita, Jen

Secrets of My Hollywood Life: All Kaitlin Burke wanted was for life to be normal for a change. Too bad trying high school after Hollywood stardom was anything but.

YA CALONITA

Cushman, Karen

The Loud Silence of Francine Green: Francine has always been content to stay out of trouble and follow her parents' lead when it comes to McCarthyism - be quiet. But then she meets Sophie and comes to realize being quiet also has its consequences.

YA CUSHMAN

Dessen, Sarah
Just Listen: Annabel never told anyone what happened at that party last year and she doesn't say a word about why she hates her life now. But her new friend Owen refuses to take silence for an answer.

YA DESSEN

Elkeles, Simone

How to Ruin a Summer Vacation: 16-year old Amy is convinced her estranged father wants to ruin her life when he insists on taking her to Israel for the summer. What she encounters while there, however, becomes one of the most amazing experiences of her life.

YA ELKELES

Ellsworth, Loretta

In Search of Mockingbird: Almost 16-year old Erin decides that it's time to get to know her deceased the mother the day her father announces his engagement to his girlfriend. Armed with only her mother's dairy and a tattered copy of To Kill a Mockingbird, Erin boards a bus to Alabama in hopes of meeting Harper Lee herself.

YA ELLSWORTH

Ferguson, Alane

The Christopher Killer: Cameryn wants more than anything to be a forensic pathologist and is ecstatic when her father, the county coroner, agrees to allow her to be his assistant. But when one of her first cases turns out to be the body of a friend, Cammie discovers she is in much deeper than she expected to be.

YA FERGUSON

Giles, Gail

What Happened to Cass McBride: After his younger brother's suicide, Kyle Kirby decides to avenge his death by kidnapping and burying alive the girl he holds responsible - 17-year old popular Cass McBride.

YA GILES

Goobie, Beth

Hello, Groin: Dylan is finding herself more attracted to girls than guys, but tries to hide her true feelings and warm up to her boyfriend Cam. Things come to a head when she kisses another girl at a school dance. Life isn't all smooth sailing afterwards, but Dylan realizes it's time to be true to herself.

Hale, Shannon

River Secrets: Razo is completely surprised when he is chosen to accompany a corps of soldiers from Bayern to Tira - he is weak and often bullied by the other soldiers. But it is Razo who discovers the first body on the soldiers' journey, and it is Razo who must get them out alive.

YA HALE

Henry, April

Shock Point: Cassie is kidnapped and take to a school for troubled teens when she finds out her stepfather has invested in a drug that causes teens to commit suicide. Somehow she must escape and warn others about the drug before it is too late.

YA HENRY

Jaffe, Michele

Bad Kitty: Jasmine has always wanted to be a detective, but unfortunately her father has other plans. Instead of spending the summer as a police intern, Jas is dragged to Las Vegas for the family's summer vacation. Luckily, there's plenty of crime in Vegas to be found, and Jas's sleuthing skills are soon put to the test.

YA JAFFE

Korman, Gordon

Born to Rock: When straight-laced Harvard-bound Leo Caraway loses his scholarship, he decides to join his rock star father on his summer tour in an effort to find a way to pay for school.

YA KORMAN

Meyer, Stephenie

New Moon: Bella is heartbroken when her vampire boyfriend Edward is forced to leave town after an incident at her birthday party. She soon finds solace in Jacob's friendship, but realizes his companionship comes at a very steep price.

YA MEYER

Miller, Kirsten

Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City: 12-year old Ananka Fishbein has lived a fairly ordinary existence with her lifelong academic parents in Manhattan. But one day she spies a sinkhole outside her apartment window and decides to check it out. That decision introduces her to the Shadow City as well as Kiki Strike, changing her life completely.

YA MILLER

Nelson, Blake

Prom Anonymous: Laura, Jace, and Chloe used to be best friends but went their separate ways in high school. Now it's spring of their junior year, and Laura is convinced they should go to the prom together. Forget the fact that Jace and Chloe don't (yet) have dates or dresses - Laura is certain all will go well.

YA NELSON

Pfeffer, Susan Beth
Life As We Knew It: Miranda is concentrating on her fairly ordinary life (middle sibling, parents divorced, dad remarried), and the report that there's a meteor about to hit the moon doesn't sound very important. But then the meteor hits and everything changes: Miranda's world becomes smaller and smaller as the moon wreaks havoc on everything she used to count on.
YA PFEFFER

Reich, Susanna

Penelope Bailey Takes the Stage: 11-year old Penelope is determined to act in her school's production of Romeo & Juliet, but her snobbish and conservative aunt forbids it. Can Penelope overcome the odds and become a star despite her aunt's disapproval?

J REICH

Vande Velde, Vivian

All Hallows Eve (13 Stories): Thirteen stories, all set on Halloween night.

YA VANDE VELDE

Vrettos, Adrienne Maria
Skin: The story opens as 14-year old Donnie tries to resuscitate his 16-year old sister Karen, who has died of anorexia. Donnie recalls the previous year as his parents’ marriage falls apart and Karen gets worse and worse. Will Donnie be able to move on from this horrible tragedy?
YA VRETTOS

Welsh,T.K.
The Unresolved: The day 15-year old Mallory receives her first kiss is also the day she dies—June 15, 1904, when the steamship called the General Slocum catches fire, killing over 1000 people. Mallory’s spirit remains as she tries to help those still living uncover the truth.
YA WELSH

Wilce, Ysabeau S.
Flora Segunda: Flora Segunda lives in Crackpot Hall, a falling-apart house with rooms upon rooms, a slightly mad father, and a mother who's almost always gone fighting wars. She's about to turn fourteen, at which point she'll be ready to go into the military and follow in her mother's footsteps. But Flora doesn't want to be a Commanding General like Mama - she wants to be a Ranger like her heroine Nini Mo. Flora's dream is to create magic and go on reconnaissance missions, not to be a soldier. Will she get her wish, or will she follow in Mamma’s footsteps?
YA WILCE

New Books!

Check out these new books on display in the Teens & Tweens Space:

Feels Like Home by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo (YA CHARLTON-TRUJILLO)
Salome by Beatrice Gormley (YA GORMLEY)
Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide to Emo Culture by Leslie Simon and Trevor Kelley (781.66 SIM)
Alfred Knopp: The Seal of Solomon by Rick Yancey (YA YANCEY)

Reminder: Teens & Tweens Book Club!

Don't forget the Teens & Tweens Book Club tomorrow! We'll be discussing Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer - there are still copies available at the circulation desk for you to pick up. Come prepared to snack, discuss, and have fun!

Staff Pick of the Week: Miki Falls

This week's pick Miki Falls: Spring by Mark Crilley (YA MIKI FALLS).

Miki is about to start her senior year, and she's determined this year will be different. No more of the old Miki, eager to please and follow along with what everyone says. And she is not about to let her best friend Yumi fix her up with just anyone, despite Yumi's insistence that a girl without a boyfriend is "just ... sad." As luck would have it, there's a new guy in school - Hiro Sakurai. But Hiro isn't like other guys, and he has no wish to get to know Miki. Yet as she persists, eventually Hiro opens up a little, until Miki almost discovers his secret. Again Hiro turns away from her. Will Miki be able to uncover Hiro's secret? Can she get Hiro to trust her? Find out in Miki Falls: Spring.