Blog Posts by Subject: Teen/Young Adult Literature

Happy New Year from TeenLIVE! For our first TeenLIVE event in 2012, we were lucky enough to hear from teen author and activist Gaby Rodriguez about her book, The Pregnancy Project. Seeing the effect of teen pregnancy on her family and peers, the straight A student decided to stage a pregnancy for a senior project at school to combat stereotypes and gossip. The day after she revealed that her pregnancy was, in fact, fake, her life was blown into a media whirlwind! News outlets swarmed her small town of Toppenish, Washington, and less than a year later, she’s flying across the country to Hollywood and New York City for talk show and radio appearances, book signings and 

On the morning of January 25, 2012, the theater of the Dallas Convention Center was packed with literary professionals and enthusiasts who were awaiting the results of the YALSA Awards. The announcements started promptly at 7:45 a.m. If you showed up late, all the good seats were taken. You had to hoof it to the balcony. Of course, you could have watched the live web cast.

So it’s been a mild winter and maybe snow has only just fallen, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still imagine ourselves in a tropical paradise: sipping fruity drinks and dancing our faces off! But what thump, thump, techno beats would we be dancing to underneath the stars? Luckily, I have just returned from Mexico where I was doing just that, and here’s what the DJs were spinning:

Do you miss the Library's Stuff for the Teen Age list just as much as I do? Are you looking for a few good young adult books to read, but don't know what to check out from your local library? Then look no further! Here are 10 of my favorite books from last year. 

Do you like fantasy and science fiction? Are you ready for some armchair exploration? For your reading pleasure, check out these three new books that are set in alternate futures and alternate realities!

Andrew is 17 years old. He has been attending Young Adult programs at New Dorp Library for several years. In an attempt to get to know him better, I asked him five ridiculous questions. These are his serious answers.

Game by Walter Dean Myers, 2008.

Drew's mom sees inner city kids shot dead outside and wants him to stay out of the street. He does, but he also goes to legal hearings about other kids in trouble. Other guys without the smarts, or guys that get into trouble with drugs or the law — they don't make it. Maybe they don't have support from someone like Drew's mother.

The teens in our Teen Advisory Group have been involved in several recent brainstorming sessions to pick out their favorite books, music, and movies that were released this year. Their selections included all kinds of stuff — funny, weird, and thought-provoking — even stuff that will make you want to dance. 

Comedy makes us laugh, plain and simple. Whether it's standup, or a funny movie or your grandmother telling you funny stories from her youth. You know the one about her going to school with her nightgown on. Whatever, let's face it, the human condition is funny.

Get ready for one of the darkest books I've seen written for YA readers. 

Janne Teller's Nothing is the story of a group of eighth graders trying to find meaning in the world.  Sounds pleasant enough, right?

Benny Imura was appalled to learn that the Apocalypse came with homework.

Thus begins Jonathan Maberry's new teen novel Dust & Decay, the eagerly-anticipated sequel to his 2010 novel Rot & Ruin.

After reading or while reading Infinity — there are lots of questions that come to mind! I know I certainly had a few! What struck you as you were reading? Here are some questions to get the discussion started, but please don’t feel limited to answering only the questions below. Go ahead and add your own questions or comments.

The new school year has just begun, but already the teens in Kingsbridge Library's Teen Advisory Group have been reading up a storm. Here are some of their favorite books from 2011 — some of them are already on our shelves, and some of them will be released in the coming months. They're all listed in our Catalog, so you can reserve copies of these new and super-new titles!

When The Hunger Games came out a few years ago, author Suzanne Collins had no idea she was popularizing a whole sub-genre of fantasy — the dystopian romance. With all the sub-par Hunger Games copycats out there, it’s hard not to be cynical. However, I am here to tell you that there is HOPE. Blood Red Road by Moira Young has it all! A fast moving, edge-of-your-seat story, a super kick-ass heroine, amazing action, and an epic romance that just might have you saying, “Peeta who?”

Bullying is a horrible thing.  It sticks with you forever.  It poisons you.  But only if you let it.

When Brynn was four years old, her life changed forever when a rogue werewolf killed her parents. Rescued by the Stone River Pack and Marked by the pack’s alpha, Callum, Brynn’s safety is a matter of pack law.

Sometimes Brooke just knows things, partly thanks to her excellent memory. But sometimes she just knows for reasons that have nothing to do with that.

That’s the way it is with Scott Abrams. Brooke is certain that they are meant to be together. The only problem is Scott doesn’t know it yet. He doesn’t really even know Brooke. And moving away to New York City the summer before senior year doesn’t really help either.

If you have an affinity for things that go bump in the night, then the TeenLIVE event with Darren Shan on November 12, 2010 was right up your blood-curdling alley. Have no fear (pun definitely intended) if you missed out on Shan’s edge-of-your-seat reading of Lord Loss and Birth of A Killer, because you can watch it here.

In The Magnolia League, Alex is a free spirit that is forced to move in with her grandmother after her mother’s mysterious death. Alex doesn’t want to leave her commune in California, and Savannah, Georgia seems like a world away from everything she knows.