December 20, 2010

I am Number Four


by Pittacus Lore
YA SciFi Lore P
440 p. 2010 SciFi/Romance
Grade: A+

I am Number Four is an awesome book filled with mystery. I can't wait for the next.

Reviewed by Teen Lit Club and TAB member Kyra B.

December 14, 2010

Best Books of 2010?

Reading Rants, one of my favorite sites for YA lit., came out with its best books for 2010 list. I'm so far behind in my reading! Of her 10, I've read 2. But this gives me a great jumping off point to catch up.

Here's the list:

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Forge.

Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker.

Black, Holly & Justine Larbalestier, eds. Zombies vs. Unicorns.

Emond, Stephen. Happyface.

Green, John & David Levithan. Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

Hemphill, Stephanie. Wicked Girls.

Oliver, Lauren. Before I Fall.

Oppel, Kenneth. Half Brother.

Yancey, Rick. The Monstrumologist: Curse of the Wendigo.

Yovanoff, Brenna. The Replacement.

I must say, I loved Before I Fall. Ship Breaker was also excellently written. The next one I'd like to read is Happyface.

My own list will be coming soon. How about you? What were your favorite books this year?

December 13, 2010

Nightshade


by Andrea Cremer
YA Horror Cremer A
454 p. 2010 Supernatural/Horror
Grade: B

Calla is that Alpha of the Nightshades, and she is arranged to marry the Bane Alpha, Ren. WHat will she do though when she finds a mystery boy that has everything to do with her world, is turning it upside down, and he doesn't even know it? Calla and everything she stands for is put to the test.

Marriage, prophecy, lies, secrets, enemies and allies. What can you do when nothing makes sense anymore? Follow Calla in her journey to discover the truth.

Nightshade was reviewed by teen volunteer Maggie K.

December 9, 2010

Matched


by Ally Condie
YA SciFi Condie A
369 p. 2010 Science Fiction
Grade: A

Take The Giver, Uglies and a dose of teenage angst, give them a good mix, and you've got yourself Matched. In a futuristic society, Cassia is matched with her friend Xander, but ends up falling for a "forbidden" boy, Ky. She must choose whether to follow the safe path she's always known or let her heart lead her. Although this was an enjoyable, engaging, page-turning read, I felt like the concept of her society had already been done in The Giver and Uglies. All in all though, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a page-turner romance (that's not too sappy!) or anyone who likes The Giver.

Reviewed by Teen Lit Club & TAB member Allison P.

December 1, 2010

Free FAFSA Webinar

Our library will be doing our own FAFSA program in February 2011, but if you simply cannot wait to get all the info, there's a free webinar coming up on December 8.

You may be asking yourself what the FAFSA is. If you're a graduating senior or the parent of any college-bound student, now is the time to know.

FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form is used to determine the amount of money a family is expected to contribute to the price of attending a postsecondary institution. The results of the FAFSA are used in determining student eligibility for grants, work study, and loan amounts. The FAFSA application is critical because it is used for Federal Pell Grants as well as determining eligibility for other financial aid opportunities offered by colleges and universities.

The webinar is hosted by the National Association for College Admission Counseling and will be held on Wednesday, December 8 at 2 p.m. For complete info and to register, visit NACAC.