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There is No Dog by Meg Rosoff What if God were a teenaged boy? In the beginning, Bob created the heavens and the earth and the beasts of the field and the creatures of the sea, and twenty-five million other species (including lots of cute girls). But mostly he prefers eating junk food and leaving his dirty clothes in a heap at the side of his bed. Every time he falls in love, Earth erupts in natural disasters, and it’s usually Bob’s beleaguered assistant, Mr. B., who is left cleaning up the mess. So humankind is going to be very sorry indeed that Bob everRead More →

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Bad Kitty for President by Nick Bruel The votes are in–it’s a Bad Kitty landslide!   It’s time to elect a new president of the Neighborhood Cat Coalition! Who will win the election? The candidate chosen by the kitties on the right side of the street or the candidate chosed by the kitties on the left side of the street? When election time rolls around, one candidate (guess who?) will discover that she never bothered to register to vote and the entire election will be decided by a surprise, last minute absentee ballot sent by Old Kitty.Read More →

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The Fault in Our Stars by John Green Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten. Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.       The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis “We areRead More →

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Bloodrose: A Nightshade Novel by Andrea Cremer The third and final installment of the international bestselling Nightshade trilogy! Calla has always welcomed war. But now that the final battle is upon her, there’s more at stake than fighting. There’s saving Ren, even if it incurs Shay’s wrath. There’s keeping Ansel safe, even if he’s been branded a traitor. There’s proving herself as the pack’s alpha, facing unnamable horrors, and ridding the world of the Keepers’ magic once and for all. And then there’s deciding what to do when the war ends. If Calla makes it out alive, that is. In this remarkable final installment ofRead More →

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School Library Journal (1/4/2012) reports: Teen librarian Karen Jensen had a moment of inspiration and decided to create “The 2012 Project.”  Her goal? To gather 2,012 images this year that demonstrate that teens are still using libraries. But Karen can’t do it without the help of you and your teens. Visit this blog post, download posters, and put them up everywhere. Here’s how the project works: using a cell phone or a digital camera, take some photos. They can be creative or just straight-ahead shots. Add text if you’d like. Pictures can be tweeted to @TLT16 or posted directly on the Teen Librarian’s Toolbox FacebookRead More →

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How to Save a Life, the latest from Sara Zarr, is an emotionally honest, engrossing, and raw journey from loss and heartbreak to trust and hope.  Two young women, both broken and running away from wrenching pain, take turns telling their stories in well developed, distinct, truthful voices. High school senior Jill’s dad was killed in a car accident ten months ago and his sudden death has all but destroyed Jill’s world. Her raging anger has alienated everyone who tried to support her, has left her feeling lost and isolated, and is keeping her from seeing any hope or possibility of happiness in her future.Read More →

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Sitting under a blanket, with a cup of hot cocoa, watching the snow fall… ok, so in AZ I can do the first two and enjoy Winter Town, the latest from Stephen Emond, but alas, no snow here.  But it’s not really necessary, since Emond does a good job creating a sense of winter on every page of Winter Town: the cold gray skies; the biting wind and thick blankets of snow; the pristine landscape; the almost harsh feeling in the air late at night when it’s far below zero.  And of course, the feeling of isolation, the sense of reflection and doubt, and theRead More →

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I’ve been looking forward to Cinder: The Lunar Chronicles Book One by Marissa Meyer since the ARC came a few months ago. As the book got closer to the top of my pending stack, I kept glancing at the cover and wondering, excitedly, what the retelling of Cinderella as an android would be like.  So finally, on Tuesday, Cinder was at the top of the pile. I don’t remember much about Wednesday since I spent most of the day reading.  And despite a little awkward editing, I was rewarded for my patience with an engaging, fast-paced, creative story. In this era of re-imagining and retellingsRead More →

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There’s one word that I come back to again and again when I read a book written by Christopher Paul Curtis: craftsmanship.   Curtis’ skill as a writer, his gift with storytelling and character development, and his awesome ability to reach through the printed page into the hearts and minds of his readers all combine into the mark of a true literary craftsman.  I’ve never been disappointed, been left wanting, or felt as though one of his books was swiftly pulled together to meet a deadline.  Instead, each page, each character, and each place is built slowly, carefully, lovingly, until the final product is somethingRead More →