Destroy All Cars September 22, 2009

Title: Destroy All Cars

Author: Blake Nelson

Summary: James Hoff is angry: He is sick of watching the people around him disregard the immediate peril of global warming and environmental destruction just because they like to shop and drink bottled water. He hates new clothes, preferring to cut the elbows out of his sweaters to make them look older than they are. And he hates the way his ex-girlfriend Sadie tries to change the community by working on silly projects like bike paths and conservation that can’t possibly make a difference. But most of all, as he describes in one of the many essays for his AP English class that form the bulk of this funny, quick read, he hates cars.

James is a great character, a dark and jaded loner who says he has no hope in the future but still obsesses over the possibilities of reunion with his ex, and a determined misfit who finds that it isn’t always so easy to practice what you preach. As you follow James through the ups and downs of his junior year, you will be drawn into his world, and maybe consider walking to school instead of grabbing a ride in your family’s giant SUV.

Who will like this book?: Budding political radicals and environmentalists, and the friends who would like them to relax a little bit.

If you  like this, try this: The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd. If you are interested in making an impact, try The Virtuous Consumer: Your Essential Shopping Guide for a Better, Kinder, Healthier World by Leslie Garrett or Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life by Linda Sivertsen.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

Getting the Girl July 22, 2009

Title: Getting the Girl: A Guide to Private Investigation, Surveillance, and Cookery

Author: Susan Juby

Summary: At Harewood Technical High School, the worst thing that could happen to a girl is to get ’defiled,’ or ‘D-Listed.’ When your picture goes up in the bathroom with a D written over it, you instantly become a non-entity: No one will associate with you, or even talk to you at all, ever again. When Sherman Mack, a slightly short culinary student and all-around nice guy, begins to fear that the new girl he has a crush on might get D-listed, he decides to find out who exactly is doing the ‘defiling,’ even if it means crossing the social boundaries of his school and asking questions no one really wants to have answered.

This mystery will keep you guessing, and gives both guys and girls a great hero to root for in Sherman. Even though like most young people, he has a lot on his plate (both literally and figuratively), he goes out of his way to help his friends and the Defiled. You’ll finish this book wishing Sherman was your next-door neighbor - a guy who stands up for what he believes in and a terrific cook!

Who will like this book?: People who like funny mysteries that aren’t intense or gory. Readers who like stories with heroic teens who aren’t afraid to stand up for what is right.

If you like this, try this: The Alice books, also by Susan Juby. 13 by Jason Robert Brown. Little Brother by Cory Doctrow. Paper Towns by John Green.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

Columbine June 17, 2009

Title: Columbine

Author: Dave Cullen

Summary: On April 20, 1999, two boys entered their high school and proceeded to unleash the most unforgettable school shooting of the modern era. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were troubled outcasts in black trench coats, picked on by jocks and preps, who, after years of listening to angry music and playing violent video games, finally snapped.

Or were they? Actually, none of these accepted facts about the young killers are true. In this absorbing book for mature readers, a reporter who was on the scene that day and followed the story long after the tragedy of school shootings became seemingly commonplace, dispels the myths behind the shooting, its perpetrators, and even its victims. Everyone knows what you mean when you say ‘Columbine,’ but not one of us has ever heard the whole story until now.

Who will like this book?: Mature teen readers interested in crime and detection stories. 

If you like this, try this: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser. A mature fictional work that deals, in part, with Columbine and it’s aftermath, The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

Jumped March 11, 2009

Title: Jumped

Author: Rita Williams-Garcia

Summary: When should you speak up? Trina, a pretty girl who is pretty self-absorbed, cuts through Dominique’s space in the hallway before school. An insulted Dominique vows to beat her down at 2:45 when school lets out. Trina doesn’t realize it – but Leticia, who witnesses the scene and overhears Dominique, does. When Leticia calls her friend to gossip about what just happened, she is urged to warn Trina…but why should she? She and Trina aren’t friends.

As the school day goes on and the clock winds down, we follow each girl through classes, lunch, and interactions with teachers, friends and guys. Trina, oblivious to what is in store for her, hangs her artwork. Dominique, angry about being benched for basketball games because of one failing grade hustles to get back on the court. And Leticia ignores her friend’s pleas to do something, and waits to see if Trina will really get jumped.

Who will like this book?: People who like gritty, disturbing, realistic fiction. None of the girls are heroes – you won’t be rooting for any of them and the ending of the story will leave you shaken. A great read for people who like stories that make you think.

If you like this, try this: Snitch by Alison van Diepen.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

Whale Talk September 8, 2008

Title: Whale Talk

Author: Chris Crutcher

Summary:  Chris Crutcher is one of those unique writers who manages to get his work challenged almost as often as he receives literary awards and lands on best book lists.   Whale Talk  is perhaps one of his most controversial and one of his best.  It’s told from the point of view of T.J. Jones, a black, Japanese, white high school senior born to a hippie, drug-using mom and adopted as a toddler by a loving white couple.  While T.J. may be the narrator, this is not just his story.  It’s also the story of a group of misfit teens who are inspired to achieve something of their own, a little mixed race girl struggling against a brutal home life, a good man who spends every day trying to make up for a 20+ year old horrible accident, and the racism and prejudice that tie their lives together. 

Who will like this book: While the basic plot of this story centers around T.J. assembling and leading a rag-tag swim team populated with the biggest school misfits, this isn’t just a book for sports fiction fans.  This book delves into topics of child abuse, racism, and bullying with a raw honesty that is heartbreaking at times. 

If you like this, try this:Any other books by Chris Crutcher, Speakby Laurie Halse Anderson, Tangerine by Edward Bloor

Recommended by: Jen, Branch Teen Librarian

Zen and the Art of Faking It August 20, 2008

Title: Zen and the Art of Faking It

Author: Jordan Sonnenblick

Summary: Because his dad was a con man (now in prison), San has spent his life moving from school to school. Each time he transfers, San finds a way to blend in: In one school he’s a skater, in another a scholar, and so on. But when he moves to Pennsylvania, he adopts his most curious persona yet. Because he has already learned about Buddhism in social studies at his old school, he knows enough to convince his classmates he might be a Zen master himself. Now, instead of blending in, San stands out – and he likes it. With this new identity, he can fight for the little guys, impress his teachers, and maybe even win the heart of the guitar-playing girl of his dreams, Woody.

But it isn’t easy being Zen – not only does San have to study up with supersized library books on the subject, he has to embody principles like selflessness and tolerance all the time – which is next to impossible when you’re in middle school and you’re still really angry at your dad. How would Woody and the rest of the school react if they find out that San is just faking it?

Who will like this book?: Readers who like a big dose of humor in their stories. Anyone who ever ‘faked it’ a little to win hearts or make friends.

If you like this, try this: Stuck in the Middle, a great graphic novel by Ariel Schrag. Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian