The 2010 Michael L. Printz Award has been awarded to Libba Bray for Going Bovine, about a 16-year-old diagnosed with mad cow disease who, ala Don Quixote, takes off on a road trip in search of a cure. He brings along a Sancho Panza-style sidekick he meets in the hospital.
Four Printz Honors were given: Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman, which was also a National Book Award finalist; The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey ; Punkzilla by Adam Rapp; and Tales from the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973 by John Barnes.
After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick (Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie) Jeffrey isn’t a little boy with cancer anymore. He’s a teen who’s in remission, but life still feels fragile. The aftereffects of treatment have left Jeffrey with an inability to be a great student or to walk without limping. His parents still worry about him. His older brother, Steven, lost it and took off to Africa to be in a drumming circle and “find himself.” Jeffrey has a little soul searching to do, too, which begins with his escalating anger at Steven, an old friend who is keeping something secret, and a girl who is way out of his league but who thinks he’s cute.
Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder (I Heart You, You Haunt Me) Restless souls and empty hearts. As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they’re being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.
Fang – Maximum Ride #6 by James Patterson ( Max - Maximum Ride #5) Being a kid with wings–constantly on the run–has never been easy, and Max and her flock are getting tenser than ever. First, on a trip to Africa, they meet a mysterious billionaire whose intense scrutiny of the flock makes her fear the worst. Then, a cryptic message from a young girl arrives, warning them “The sky will fall.” And as if an impending apocalypse weren’t bad enough, canny bird-kid, Angel,makes a dire prophecy about Max’s soul mate: Fang will be the first to die. Max’s desperate desire to protect Fang brings the two closer than ever. But can the team weather the storm, or will the turmoil rip them apart for the last time?
The Long Way Home - Homelanders #2 by Andrew Klavan (The Last Thing I Remember – #1) As eighteen-year-old Charlie West continues to elude the law and the group of terrorists looking for him, he tries to remember what happened a year ago and find out who has framed him so he can clear his name.
Player’s Ruse: A Knight and Rogue Novel #3, by Hilari Bell (Last Knight – #1; Rogue’s Home – #2) Sir Michael Sevenson and his squire, Fisk, were just beginning to enjoy the quiet life. They really should have known better. When Lady Rosamund runs away from home to marry a traveling player, former knight errant Michael makes a noble promise to help the object of his unrequited love. The quest takes our would-be heroes to the coastal town of Huckerston, where savage sea pirates called wreckers terrorize the coast. With the help of a reluctant Fisk, Michael plans on catching the wreckers and winning back his lady; but when mysterious murders and dangerous accidents threaten the town and its players, love might be the least of his problems. . . .
~ DJC
Terra Cooper is so ready to get away from home that she’s finished high school in three years and has applied to an art school on the other side of the country. Unfortunately her father just seizes on this, as well as Terra’s invite into her first art exhibit, as another opportunity for ridicule. To make her life a little more complicated she has a large port-wine stain on her face that she has spent years learning to cover up with thick layers of special makeup. It’s only when she meets dynamic Jacob, with scars of his own, that Terra is able to gain a true sense of direction.
Author Justina Chen Headley has a knack for creating strong female characters who deftly tackle challenges to their self-esteem and North of Beautiful is no exception.
~Laura
YALSA’s award selection committee has spent the year reviewing nonfiction books for young adults, ages 12–18, published between November 1, 2008 and October 31, 2009. As a result, five nonfiction titles make up the first Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults.
Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream
by Tanya Lee Stone.
When NASA was launched in 1958, 13 women proved they had as much of the right stuff as men to be astronauts, but their way to space was blocked by prejudice, insecurity, and a scrawled note written by one of Washington’s most powerful men. This is the fascinating, frustratingly true story of the Mercury 13 women. Today, dreams of space exploration are a reality for women who meet the challenge. We’ve come a long way, baby!
Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith
by Deborah Heiligman
The teaching the Darwin’s evolution theory in schools causes intense controversy today, as it did in Darwin’s time. This debate raged within Charles Darwin himself, and played an important part in his marriage and family life. His deeply religious wife, Emma, gave Charles a lot to think about as he worked on his theory. This biography is a thought-provoking, humanizing account of the man behind Darwin’s famous theory, and his great love for his faith-filled wife. History, science, religion and romance –there is much here for readers to appreciate.
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
by Phillip Hoose
Every young American student learns about Rosa Parks, and the spark that led to desegregaton of city buses in the heart of 1950’s Alabama. How many know the largely untold story of Claudette Colvin? Nine months before Parks staged her own bus ride protest, 15-year old Colvin was arrested and jailed after refusing to give her up seat on a bus to a white woman. Interviews with Colvin shed light on both the Montgomery bus boycott and the landmark Browder v. Gayle case, in which she was a key defendant.
The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P. T. Barnum
by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Ray Fenwick
Part colorful performer, part flimflam man, P.T. Barnum is an undisputed American legend. Fleming’s book gives a fun historical account of the ultimate showman and his life. To sweeten the deal, photos and illustrations provide a feast for the eyes that is difficult to resist.
Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland
by Sally M. Walker
In a fascinating story of forensic archaeology, author Sally M. Walker assists as scientists investigate colonial-era graves near Jamestown, Virginia: a teenage boy, a ship’s captain, an indentured servant, a colonial official and his family, and an enslaved African girl. All are reaching beyond the grave to tell us their stories, which are written in bone.
~DJC
Have you noticed that Alice Sebold’s gripping novel, The Lovely Bones, has a new jacket with a movie tie-in? The film adaptation by Peter Jackson will open to limited markets on December 11, starring Saoirse Ronan as the murdered 14-year-old Susie Salmon.
You might remember Saoirse from the movie version of Ian McEwan’s Atonement, where she brilliantly played the little sister we all loved to hate! Susie watches her family and her murderer from heaven, trying to find a balance between wanting retribution for her killer and healing for her family, who are struggling to move on with life. Part CSI drama and part paranormal enchantment, The Lovely Bones is worth a read for teens who may have been too young for it the first time around. Others may wish to re-read it before seeing The Lovely Bones, which is rated PG-13.
Ready for an uplifting family story for the holidays? How about Michael Lewis’s The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game? This is the true story of Baltimore Ravens’ All-American offensive 
lineman, Michael Oher.
Lewis tells how an underprivileged, at risk African American teenager, from the impoverished part of Memphis, works to overcome his obstacles with the support and love of a well-to-do white family. Sports fans will gain insights into college and professional football and the scouting process, but Michael’s moving story will appeal to a broader YA audience, too. The Blind Side is currently in theaters, and stars Quinton Aaron as Michael, Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy, and Tim McGraw as her husband, Sean. Written and directed by John Lee Hancock, this sports drama is rated PG-13.
What holiday season is complete without a great romantic drama or two? In Me and Orson Welles, by Robert Kaplow, Richard Samuels is a 17-year old theater lover who lucks into a small role in an edgy Broadway production of Julius Caesar.
It just so happens that the play’s director is an incredibly gifted, 22-year old Orson Welles. Richard is plunged into a world of clashing egos, ugly ambition, and artistic brilliance, all ruled over by the charismatic, cold-hearted Welles. Frantic preparations for opening night are further complicated by Richard’s growing love for a young production assistant. The first-person narrative is breezy and fast-paced. Richard’s trials and tribulations—ranging from a first love affair to new self awareness, make for a classic coming-of-age tale. The movie stars Zac Efron as Richard, Claire Daines as his love interest and Christian McKay as Orson Welles. Me and Orson Wells is rated PG-13. Did you catch that? I said ZAC EFRON.
The first book in the Irene Adler series, Good Night, Mr. Holmes, won
several awards for author Carole Nelson Douglas after its 1990 publication: New York Times Notable Book of the year, American Mystery Award for Best Novel of Romantic Suspense, and Romantic Times Best Historical Romantic Mystery Award. The series continued for several years and the first book was just re-issued in paperback.
Miss Irene Adler, beautiful American opera singer and superb detective, is sharp enough to outwit the brilliant Sherlock Holmes. It is in matters of the heart that she encounters difficulty. After being taken in by the deceptively gorgeous and emotionally flawed Crown Prince of Bohemia, Irene has had a dose of man trouble. Dashing barrister, Godfrey Norton, must convince Irene that not all handsome men are heart breakers.
For more about both lovely Irene and Mr. Holmes, check out The Complete Sherlock Holmes, v.I, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, which includes A Scandal in Bohemia. Irene makes a starring appearance in the new film, Sherlock Holmes, directed by Guy Ritchie and due out Christmas Day. Rachel McAdams (The Notebook) portrays Miss Adler, who matches wits with Holmes as few could. Robert Downey Jr. stars as Sherlock Holmes, Jude Law is his faithful sidekick, Dr. Watson. Sherlock Holmes is rated PG-13.
~DJC
The popular Alex Rider Series, by Anthony Horowitz, continues to be a great adventure series for those who like fast paced story lines. It all starts when young Alex Rider is shot by a sniper, and he finds out that his uncle was a spy! Coerced into taking his uncle’s place, Alex finds himself in a spot of trouble—-working for the British Secret Service.
The newest book, Crocodile Tears, was released earlier this month. Alex faces a con artist who is scheming to 
produce the biggest disaster known to man. The deadly plan involves genetically modified wheat. The crop would release a potent virus, knocking out an entire country in one windy day. In a flurry of gunfire, explosions, and hand-to-hand combat with mercenaries, Alex fights to bring down his most dangerous adversary yet!
Don’t miss Alex Rider — or all the excitement. Check out the other 7 books in the series:
~ Beth/DJC
When he is diagnosed with fatal mad cow disease, Cameron Smith meets a punk angel who challenges him to find the the mysterious doctor who supposedly holds the cure.
Cameron sets out on a cross-country quest to find the elusive Dr. X. Traveling with a dwarfish hypochondriac named 
Gonzo and a fierce garden gnome, Cameron meets a dead jazz star, stumbles into a cult of happiness, and narrowly escapes the apocalyptic Wizard of Ruin.
On the face of it, Cameron’s journey is a haunting and hilarious fantasy adventure, but Going Bovine (2009) by Libba Bray can also be read as the experience of a young man whose mind is being ravaged by illness.
~ Kate L.
Are you “Team Jacob” or “Team Edward?” That’s a good question for Twilight Saga fans to ponder as they await the second Twilight movie installment, which opens in theaters on November 20.
Meanwhile you can play the New Moon trivia game and give your answer at the Castle Pines library. The fun starts on Monday, November 16, from 7 to 9 pm, and that night coincides with–can you guess?—the new moon! Come win a prize!
You might want to to read or reread the Twilight books–especially if you can’t make up your mind which team you’re on. As for my own team loyalties—- I’ll be howling with the rest of the wolves come late November!
Don’t forget the DVD! Movie Companion Books Movie sound track
e-books and audiobooks
~DJC
October 18-24 is Teen Read Week
Read something out of this world, just for the fun of it!
If I were a teenager again, I would be hard pressed to imagine a better way to spend my summer than working in the gardens of a big estate that is 
shrouded in mystery and local lore. Throw in one or two hot, older guys as co-workers and a loving, trusting, and laid back dad, who treats me like an equal. Then there’s the chance to have my way with the historical archives of the quaint local library any time I want. Helping me out is a glamorous librarian who puts the cool in nerdiness. It’s a promising setting for a teenage girl who has a few things to think through.
This is the situation Katie finds herself in one summer, the summer after her mom’s death. National Book Award nominee, Beth Kephart, places a cast of interesting characters and their wonderful dialogue into this setting. Katie finds answers and romance, and begins to work through her grief, toward growth and healing. Good for teens of all ages, Nothing but Ghosts is a little like a perfect summer night — full of possibilities and over too soon.
~DJC
