The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga

Anderson, Laurie Halse Twisted
Publisher: Viking Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-0-670-06101-3
Price: $17.00 #of pgs: 250 Call number: FIC AND

Annotation: Sixteen-year-old Tyler is just completed his community service hours given to him by a judge after he wrote, misspelling many of the words, on his high school building. He is in love with Brittany, the most popular girl in school, whose father is his father's boss and whose brother is the leader of the group of athletes who constantly harass him . When Brittany makes a play for Tyler after drinking heavily at the party without adults, Tyler does the honorable thing and walks away, but Brittany is drunk and has no idea what shame awaits her. The events that follow are realistic and in Anderson's style of an important lesson learned the hard way. Twisted are the families, the way of thinking, and acting in this suburban high school.
Strength: Fast paced; funny, clever dialogue
Weakness: High School language and situations may be to explicit.

Draper, Sharon November Blues
Publisher: Atheneum Date:2007 ISBN:1-4169-0698-3
Price:$17.00 #of pgs:316 Call number: FIC DRA

Annotation: This sequel to Battle of Jericho; however, it is not necessary to have read that book first. Life doesn't go as planned in this realistic novel about a sixteen year old girl named November who has so many positive future plans, a great family, good friends, and is respected by her teachers. When she discovers she is pregnant 2 months after her boyfriend, Josh, died from a pledge stunt gone terribly wrong, she is truly unprepared and recognizes that she is so not ready to have a child. Josh's cousin Jericho, is having a very difficult time after the death of his best friend, Josh; he gives up his trumpet to play football. To add to the problems the father of the baby's parents find a way out of their depression by trying to adopted the baby. Too keep the subplots going we have an overweight, bullied girl who becomes a good friend to both November and Jericho. The ending was climatic, realistic and satisfying. A must read for both boys and girls.Strength: characterization is well-developed, plot is fast pacedWeakness: dialogue is somewhat artificial or stifled
Cover Appeal: beautiful girl with a serious expression and a football player looking at the stands

Franklin, Emily The Other Half of Me
Publisher: Delcorte Press Date: 2007 ISBN: 0-385-90449-0
Price: $16.00 #of pgs: 247 Call number: FIC FRA

Annotation: Jenny is a struggling artist with many doubts about herself. The biggest doubt is whether her family cares about her interest as much as their athletic pursuits. She has known all her life that her biological father was sperm donor. Her mother was concerned that she might not have a family and wanted a child very much. The mother soon married and had three other children. Jenny has young twin sisters who are very much alike and enjoy each other’s company; she also has a younger brother who is quiet and very athletic.Her long time love interest begins to pursue her and encourages her to pursue the donor registry to see if she has a sibling from Donor 125. She does and the girl comes for a surprise visit, much to the dismay of some in her family. When the new girl wins over the family, she is crushed and sees that they are not alike as she had hoped. The end of the story is realistic and one that reader will accept.Strength: The plot surrounds the feeling of not fitting into your family; like you are an odd ball. New love and jealousy is a popular reading theme with our students. Definitely a chick lit book.Weakness: Not sure if students are interested in sperm donors, but they will like the need to feel like you fit in your family.Cover appeal: Bright yellow cover with empty, split-in-half egg shell.

Dessen, Sarah Just Listen
Publisher: Viking Date: 2006 ISBN: 0670061050
Price: $18.00 #of pgs: 371 Call number: FIC DES

Annotation: Starting her junior year, Annabel Green is ostracized by her friends because she will not confront her former best friend –mean and vindictive Sophie-- about what happened with Sophie’s boyfriend at a summer party. Annabel does not want to disappoint her mother who is recovering from depression, so she continues to model part-time. She goes along with her family’s cheerful attitude that everything is fine even though there is strife caused by her older sister deciding not to pursue a modeling career and her middle sister’s severe anorexia. Annabel struggles throughout the story to avoid confrontation at all costs and shield her friends and family from any unpleasantness. This coping strategy has always worked before, but now seems to make things worse. As her friendship with the school’s most obnoxious loner, Owen, develops, her carefully structured world begins to fall apart and keeping silent about issues no longer works. Owen, a part-time dj at a community radio station, dealing with his own angermanagement, tries to broaden Annabel’s music taste. He exhorts her to "Don't think, or judge. Just listen." With his advice and unfailing honesty, she begins to realize that recognizing her emotions and dealing honestly with issues and people is not as devastating as she feared.Cover: Somewhat boring: partial side view of young girl with an IPOD in her jeans pocket.

Morgenroth, Kate ECHO Publisher: Simon & Schuster 2007 ISBN 1-4169-1438-2 Price: $16.00 #pages:137p Call number: FIC MOR
Annotation: The story begins with a scene (not explicit) in which Justin witnesses his 12-year-old brother inadvertently killing himself. Fast-forward one year, and Justin, guilty, angry, and guided only by a voice in his head, readies himself for school, endures bullying classmates, and suffers a painful encounter with his former girlfriend. Then, during an angry confrontation, he watches his former best friend tumble down the school stairs. The following acts of an unstable mind will surprise most readers and frustrate some.
Strengths: Students who enjoy psychological novels will enjoy this one, which shows one young man's struggle to live a "normal" life, but who's life will never be normal again.
Weaknesses: Justin's situation gives little hope.

Crutcher, Chris Deadline Publisher: Greenwillow Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-0-06-085089-0 Price: $16.99 #of pgs: 316 Call number: F Crutcher
Annotation: Ben Wolf has gotten the ultimate punch in the gut. He’s eighteen years old, a senior in high school, when he finds out that he has an incurable blood disease. He orders his doctor not to tell anyone (and because he’s of legal age he gets away with it) and he sets out to have the best year possible.Ben has his reasons for making the decision not to tell anyone. His mother is bipolar, with nightmarish manic and depressive cycles. Ben has no idea how his mother will react to the news, except it won’t be good. His father has all on his plate that he can handle. Ben also wants to be treated normally – he doesn’t want to be known as the "dying kid." Finally, he wants to do somethings that he would never have had the nerve to do otherwise – such as playing football (at 123 pounds) and seeing how far he can go with Dallas Suzuki.So Ben plays football with his brother, starts a relationship with Dallas, and continually irritates his government teacher by pointing out how bigoted he is. To Ben, "somehow I knew my chances aren’t about living, they’re about living well" (p. 10) and that’s what he does.Strength: Theme -- the idea of getting the most out of life. Crutcher's characters are also very appealing.Weakness: Crutcher does hit a lot of problems in this novel but I think he does it successfully.Cover Appeal:The cover has a picture of boy upside down -- appropriate since Ben's life has been turned upside down. It would be appealing for both boys and girls.

Bruchac, Joseph The Way Publisher: Darby Creek Publishing Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-1-58196-062-4 Price: 16.95 #of pgs: 156 Call number: FIC BRU Annotation: One TP (trailer park) after another, Cody LeBeau remains unpopular and teased, often retreating into a fantasy world where he is always the unsung, no super-powers, martial art yielding hero. Long River High School seems to be no different, as Cody endures more torture at the hands of the jocks. To Cody’s shock, he is greeted one afternoon at home by his mother and a stranger that she introduces as Uncle John, her brother. John has come to stay with the LeBeaus while he trains for an Ultimate Fight Contest being held at the local Native American owned casino. Uncle John begins to teach Cody about "The Way" – not necessarily of the fist or fighting but a way of life that helps bring Cody into himself as a practitioner of self-healing and self-awareness. Strength: high interest for boys, Native Americans, and those who don't feel they "fit in", contemporary issues/school violence Weakness: time passes very quickly in this book, leaving the reader to wonder what has happened in between and why Cody "picks up" so quickly Cover Appeal: Teenage non-white male on the cover with a bear paw and yin/yang symbol

North Carolina Young Adult High School Book Award

You are invited to read as many of the nine book nominated this year and vote for your favorite by March 31, 2009. Please write a review using the format provided and sign your first name only.

Myers, Stephanie ECLIPSE
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co. Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-0-316-160209 (hardcover) Price: $18.99 #of pgs: 629 Call number: FIC MEY
Annotation: This book is a sequel to Twilight and New Moon by Stephanie Meyer. As graduation approaches and college looms in the near future, Bella is once again the center of danger. Trying to balance her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob amidst an age-old hatred, Bella faces dangers from old and new enemies - entangling Jacob and Edward in her protection as vampire and werewolf come to understand that both care for her deeply. The understanding leads to a new relationship between the Cullens and the Blacks, protecting Bella being their common goal.
Strength: Fast paced
Cover Appeal: a free-floating fraying red ribbon on a black background

Chanequia T.

Olive's Ocean by: Kevin Henkins

I loved reading this book. It is the sort of book that gets better and better as you read. It also has a very good mural value to it. The character Martha was very well written. This book almost made me cry at the end. The fact that Olive's death affected her in a powerful way was the best part. You really have to read this book to understand the emotions that I have. This is a book I highly recommend to anyone I would mind reading it again. I would to read a squeal to see what will happen to Tate and Martha next summer!!

Chanequia T.

Thirsty by M.T. Anderson

I thought this book was a little unusual , but all and all I enjoyed reading it.
I did laugh out loud once while reading , It sort of exciting and gruesome at the same time.
I must say I would never have pick this book up on my own but I recommend it to any one!! That is to anyone who like wired and unusual!!!

Thirsty by M. T. Anderson
-- Funny, good description, realistic teenage depiction, but the sterotypical teen is not a positive image.
-- Did not like the ending


Next Book is Olive's Ocean