Stuff for the Teen Age 2009

Stuff for the Teen Age 2009 PDF

The Undead

The Graveyard Book
Neil Gaiman | HarperCollins
One night, a shadowy man with a sharp knife murders an entire family... except for one boy who toddles off to the nearest graveyard. The local ghosts agree to raise the child, but they can only keep him safe for so long.

Ghostgirl
Tonya Hurley | Little, Brown
Charlotte choked to death on a gummy bear right before she could claim the spotlight, but she's not about to let being a ghost stop her from becoming popular. Too bad she's stuck in Dead Ed classes...

Breaking Dawn
Stephenie Meyer | Little, Brown
Bella + Edward, together forever.

Bliss
Lauren Myracle | Amulet
Discovering that high school girls bicker, hold silly grudges, and occasionally thirst for blood.

Pemba's Song
Marilyn Nelson and Deborah Muirhead | Scholastic
From an apartment in Brooklyn to a house in Connecticut, haunted by the ghost of a slave girl.

Generation Dead
Daniel Waters | Hyperion
Kicked out, beaten, and set on fire, all for being dead. Tommy and his fellow "living impaired" teens face a nightmare every day. Two bright spots though: Tommy's not rotting, and Phoebe Kendall just might be in love with him. [Video]

Music

I am... Sasha Fierce
Beyoncé | Sony
The two sides of Beyoncé: her R&B diva self and her dance floor alter-ego Sasha Fierce. [Video]

Viva La Vida
Coldplay | Capitol
More moody goodness from Chris Martin & co.

Folie à Deux
Fall Out Boy | Island
The latest from the kings of emo.

The Quilt
Gym Class Heroes | Fueled by Ramen
Punk pop + hip hop. Gym Class Heroes brings it all together.

A Little Bit Longer
The Jonas Brothers | Hollywood Records
OMG, it's Kevin, Nick, and Joe!!!!! [Video]

One of the Boys
Katy Perry | Capitol
Sassy, feisty, pop songs about neurotic boyfriends…and that one girl.

Tha Carter III
Lil Wayne | Cash Money
Like a lollipop... [Video]

Good Girl Gone Bad (Reloaded)
Rihanna | Island
Back to the dance floor!

Paper Trail
T. I. | Grand Hustle/Atlantic
T.I. gets back to basics with help from Lil Wayne, Rihanna, Usher, The Dream, Fall Out Boy, Kanye West, John Legend, DJ Toomp, Swizz Beatz and Justin Timberlake.

Twilight Soundtrack
Various Artists | Chop Shop/Atlantic
Broody and angsty. Who knew vampires could sing?

Girl Drama

Audrey, Wait!
Robin Benway | Razorbill
The day Audrey broke Evan's heart, he wrote The Song. Now she's dodging paparazzi, getting blamed by the press for breaking Evan's heart, and trying to hit on the cute guy at the Scooper Dooper ice cream parlor. What's a girl to do?

Fortunes of Indigo Skye
Deb Caletti | Simon & Schuster
Sandwich. $5.95. Drink. $1.95. Tip. $2.5 million.

30 Days to Getting Over the Dork You Used to Call Your Boyfriend
Clea Hantman | Delacorte
Spend a month thinking, writing, dancing, meditating, venting, and more. And before you know it, you'll realize that you are SO beyond that dork!

Suite Scarlett
Maureen Johnson | Point
Kooky actress + spoiled sister + dreamy crush = Scarlett's crazy summer.

My Life as a Rhombus
Varian Johnson | Flux
When math genius Rhonda has to tutor rich and popular cheerleader Sarah, she assumes they come from two different worlds. Rhonda's pregnant and heartbroken, and Sarah has the perfect life... right?

The Market
J. M. Steele | Hyperion
What if popularity were like the stock market? Kate's watching her value rise and fall, and she's willing to do anything to stay on top.

Climbing the Stairs
Padma Venkatraman | Putnam
It's 1940s India, and Vidya dreams of college and falling in love. But her parents have other plans.

Love

Debbie Harry Sings in French
Meagan Brothers | Henry Holt
Johnny has managed to survive his father's death, his mother's depression, and his own accidental overdose. Shipped off to an uncle down South, he discovers new interests: the music of Blondie, a girl named Maria, and wearing women's clothes.

Falling Hard
Betsy Franco | Candlewick
100 love poems by teenagers.

How They Met and Other Stories
David Levithan | Alfred A. Knopf
Eighteen stories about break-ups, make-ups, first crushes, confusion, and desire.

I Know It's Over
C. K. Kelly Martin | Random House
Sasha broke up with Nick a few months ago, and now she's on his porch, pregnant. She's considering her options, but he's reliving their relationship, wondering if anything is ever really over.

Manga

Vampire Knight
Matsuri Hino | Viz
Goth fashion! Hot students! A deep, dark secret! Gorgeous art! Life at Cross Academy sounds glamorous and amazing. But for Yuki, it's torturous, because she's torn between two guys: noble, handsome Kaname and impetuous, misunderstood Zero.

Rosario + Vampire
Akihisa Ikeda | Viz
Perfectly average Tsukune can only get into one high school: Monster High. Sadly, it lives up to its name: vampires and werewolves battle to dominate the school, and ghouls, succubi and witches are some of the most popular students. What's a normal guy to do? [Video]

Chibi Vampire
Yuna Kagesaki | Tokyopop
Karin and Kenta are finally out on a date! Only one problem—Kenta's a human guy, and Karin's a vampire in reverse. Once a month, Karin has such an extensive nosebleed that she has to give blood to humans. Can humans and vampires really get along? [Video]

Naruto
Masashi Kishmoto | Viz
Naruto returns after two years of training with Jiraiya. He is older and more experienced, but when Sasuke is kidnapped, can Team Kakashi defeat Sasori? More importantly, can Naruto control the power inside himself? [Video]

Bleach
Tite Kubo | Viz
Ichigo unwillingly battles soul-devouring monsters. But what happens if he gets possessed? Can he win the struggle for his own soul?

Train + Train
Hideyuki Kurata | Go! Comi
Arena and Reiichi travel from fight to hazard to danger on the Special Train. Arena's quest for revenge is coming to an end, but what about the fate of the Special Train?

Fairy Tail
Hiro Mashima | Del Rey
Lucy wants to get into Fairy Tail, the wizard guild that only admits the best and most powerful. But what is she supposed to make of her fellow wizards? They regularly drink multiple kegs of wine, seduce Wizard Council members' families, and destroy homes! But what happens in the guild stays in the guild, right?

For Real

Gay America
Linas Alsenas | Amulet
From murder in Memphis to marriage in Massachusetts.

War Is...
Marc Aronson and Patty Campbell, editors | Candlewick
...miserable? inevitable? both? [Video]

Voices in First Person: Reflections on Latino Identity
Lori Marie Carlson, editor | Atheneum
Latino writers, artists, and poets telling their stories.

Loose Girl
Kerry Cohen | Hyperion
Desperate for love and not getting it from her parents, Kerry discovers early how good it feels to get a boy to notice her. Her ability to attract is addictive. What happens when you confuse love with sex?

50 Ways to Save the Earth
Anne Jankeliowitch | Harry N. Abrams
Notice the weird weather outside? Seen the trash bags piling up on your street? Wondering what you can do to help? Save some water, recycle a bottle, and enjoy some gorgeous photographs of easy environmental activism.

No Choirboy
Susan Kuklin | Henry Holt
How does it feel to be young and condemned to die? Teens on death row speak. Roy says, "As long as you're alive and breathing you got a chance. Once they kill you and bury you, it's over. I got hope but I ask myself how long is it gonna take?" [Video]

Ripley's Believe It or Not
Ripley Entertainment, Inc.
What's your hidden talent? Whether it's chewing light bulbs, eating frogs, collecting Hot Wheels, or letting snakes crawl out your nose, you've got a chance to be famous. [Video]

Urban

One Mic: A Lyrics on Lockdown Anthology
Lauren Billie; Danielle Laura, and Ella Turenne | Andre Maurice Press
Love, death, and lockdown. Poems by Rikers inmates.

Kendra
Coe Booth | Push
Kendra's always been a good girl. She's not going to be like her mom and get pregnant at fourteen. But it's hard to be good when the hottest guy at school wants you to be bad.

Conception
Kalisha Buckhanon | St. Martin's
Shivana is fifteen, pregnant, and determined to get out of Chicago to start a better life. [Video]

Bad Girlz 4 Life
Shannon Holmes | Griffin
Tonya Morris is back in the strip clubs. She and her best friend Na'eema create an escort service for rappers, athletes, and other celebrities. Life is good until Tonya's past comes back to take it all away.

Hot Girl
Dream Jordan | Griffin
Kate's becoming fast friends with fly girl Naleejah, but neither girl is telling the whole truth.

Brooklyn Street Art
Jaime Rojo and Steven P. Harrington | Prestel
Graffiti, sculpture, and stencils. Brooklyn comes to life. [Video]

Midnight: A Gangster Love Story
Sister Souljah | Atria
Before The Coldest Winter Ever, Midnight and his mom moved to Brooklyn from Sudan. Now Midnight struggles to stay true to his Islamic values while he learns to survive the streets.

True to the Game III
Teri Woods | Grand Central
It's back to Philly with Gena and Quadir. New dangers—corrupt cops, a killer, and a stalker'threaten Gena—s money and her life.

After Tupac and D Foster
Jacqueline Woodson | Putnam
Three girls in Queens, bonding over Tupac.

Tell the World
WritersCorps | HarperTeen
Who we are, where we're from, what we love. Poems by teens from the Bronx and beyond.

It Hurts

You Know Where to Find Me
Rachel Cohn | Simon & Schuster
Once upon a time, skinny, blonde Laura and antisocial Miles were like sisters. Then Laura committed suicide, and Miles took pills, hoping to forget.

Swallow the Ocean
Laura M. Flynn | Counterpoint
Laura's mother is hard to love: she's a paranoid schizophrenic who believes Laura's father is the devil. A true story of a strange, unpredictable, and dangerous childhood.

Identical
Ellen Hopkins | Margaret K. McElderry
Twins Kaeleigh and Raeanne and their parents seem like the ultimate all-American family. But underneath lurks a twisted reality.

The Missing Girl
Norma Fox Mazer | HarperTeen
A man secretly watches five sisters who live in his neighborhood, hoping to bring one home with him. Which one will he choose?

Living Dead Girl
Elizabeth Scott | Simon Pulse
When Alice was ten, Ray kidnapped her. Now that she's fifteen, she knows she's getting too old for him. Will he let her go, or will she suffer the same fate as the last girl he called Alice?

Sweethearts
Sara Zarr | Little, Brown
Jenna, a witness to abuse, and still traumatized after eight years.

Games

Call of Duty: World at War
Activision | PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii
Fighting your enemies in World War II.

Gears of War 2
Microsoft | Xbox 360
This action-packed third person shooter returns with more weapons, more gore, and more multiplayer options. [Video]

Guitar Hero: World Tour
Activision | PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii
The Guitar Hero franchise adds a mic, a drum kit, and a whole lot of new tracks. [Video]

Mario Kart
Nintendo | Wii
Race your favorite Nintendo characters in all-new courses. Watch out for banana peels!

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
Midway Entertainment | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Scorpion v. Batman!? [Video]

Rock Band 2
MTV Games | PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii
More songs, more challenges, more ways to rock out on drums, guitar, and vocals. [Video]

Super Smash Bros Brawl
Nintendo | Wii
The ultimate Nintendo smackdown! [Video]

For Guys

Black Rabbit Summer
Kevin Brooks | Chicken House
Two people are missing, and the only clue is the head of a black rabbit, nailed to a fence.

Little Brother
Cory Doctorow | Tor Teen
San Francisco has been attacked by terrorists, and Marcus and his friends are blamed, detained, and tortured by the Department of Homeland Security. When they get out, Marcus and his hacker buddies vow to take the government down.

Paper Towns
John Green | Dutton
Quentin falls harder for Margo after the two share a one-night revenge mission through the streets of Orlando. The next day she's vanished, leaving behind a trail of clues that only he can understand.

Dark Dude
Oscar Hijuelos | Atheneum
From Harlem to Wisconsin. From white to Cuban. Rico and Jimmy's year with the hippies.

Out of the Pocket
Bill Konigsberg | Dutton
Star quarterback Bobby Framingham is gay, and everyone has an opinion. Dealing with the outside world is making it hard to concentrate on his game.

Venomous
Christopher Krovatin | Ginee Seo Books
Locke Vinetti understands the meaning of learning to control your inner demons. Faced with a deep-seeded anger called the Venom, he has to learn to control it before it controls him.

Sunrise Over Fallujah
Walter Dean Myers | Scholastic
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Robin, a young soldier, has some big questions. What is this war? Why are we fighting? And who exactly is the enemy?

What I Was
Meg Rosoff | Viking
A troubled English lad is at his third boarding school when he meets mysterious, beautiful Finn, living alone near the beach. He's intrigued, then obsessed, then in love.

He Forgot to Say Goodbye
Benjamin Alire Saenz | Simon & Schuster
One guy's got everything. One guy's got nothing. Both guys are dealing with their pain.

LOL

My Most Excellent Year
Steve Kluger | Dial
Through letters, IMs, emails and diary entries, eleventh graders TC, Ale, and Augie look back on love, identity, baseball, and Broadway in their freshman year.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
E. Lockhart | Hyperion
Tired of being shut out of her boarding school's all-male secret society, Frankie becomes an underground criminal mastermind.

Indognito
Karen Ngo | Little, Brown
Have you ever dressed up your dog? Photos of beagle penguins, bulldog pirates, Dogzilla, and more. [Video]

Little Vampire
Joann Sfar | First Second
Ghouls, monsters, and a red dog called Phantomato. [Video]

Good Enough
Paula Yoo | HarperTeen
Pushy parents, perfect scores, and spam sushi. What does it take to be the Perfect Korean Daughter?

Movies & TV

American Teen
Paramount
Who's in your high school? Filmed in Warsaw, Indiana, this documentary follows the jock, the nerd, the prom queen and the misfit over the course of one school year.

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Walt Disney Video
The Pevensie siblings return to Narnia to help defeat an evil king and restore the rightful heir, Prince Caspian, to the throne.

The Dark Knight
Warner Home Video
Chaos threatens Gotham City, and it's up to Batman to defeat the sadistic Joker. Best superhero movie ever!

Enchanted
Walt Disney Video
A classic Disney fairytale collides with modern-day New York City, when Princess Giselle is sent to our world by an evil queen.

Gossip Girl: The Complete First Season
Warner Home Video
The CW's hit series chronicles the lives of wealthy teens on the Upper East Side and the Brooklyn teens who dare to socialize with them. Relive all the drama, including Dan and Serena's burgeoning romance, Blair's catty witticisms, and Chuck's spectacular outfits.

Iron Man
Paramount
A different kind of superhero comes to life when billionaire industrialist Tony Stark is kidnapped by terrorists and must invent an indestructible suit that allows him to escape.

Juno
20th Century Fox
Pregnancy and indie rock. Where's your hamburger phone?

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Sony Pictures
Michael Cera and Kat Dennings play two music-loving, romantically-challenged teens from New Jersey trying to find love over the course of one wild night in New York City.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
Warner Home Video
Carmen, Tibby, Lena and Bridget are back for another summer of friendship, adventure, and great fitting jeans.

Step Brothers
Sony Pictures
Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are 40 going on 13, until their parents' marriage forces them to move in together.

Fantasy & Science Fiction

Kin
Holly Black and Ted Naifeh | Graphix
Her mother has disappeared, and now the faerie world is creeping into Rue's reality. [Video]

Airhead
Meg Cabot | Point
Geeky Em gets crushed by a giant plasma TV and wakes up in the body of Nikki Howard, a supermodel socialite. Can Em keep her true identity a secret without turning into an airhead?

The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins | Scholastic
The ultimate reality show. America no longer exists. Each year, two teenagers are chosen from each district to participate in a televised game. The winner receives great wealth, and the losers are all dead.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox
Mary E. Pearson | Henry Holt
Jenna is recovering from a car accident she can't remember and wasn't expected to survive. Now her family is acting strange. What exactly happened to Jenna the night of the accident?

Streams of Babel
Carol Plum-Ucci | Harcourt
When two women in a small New Jersey town die the same night of a rare brain disorder, the only person who suspects the truth is a teen hacker spying for the U.S. on suspected terrorists. Will the authorities discover the source of the illness before it is too late?

Impossible
Nancy Werlin | Dial
Lucy learns that the women in her family have been cursed for generations because an Irish ancestor spurned the love of a fairy prince. Now she must solve three ancient riddles before the curse falls on her and her unborn child.

R.I.P.

Jenny Green's Killer Junior Year
Amy Belasen | Simon Pulse
Jenny Green has had enough of cheating, lying, deceitful men, and her new Canadian boarding school is full of them. But this time Jenny isn't going to sit back and sulk. She is going to make these guys pay... with their lives! [Video]

Newes from the Dead
Mary Hooper | Roaring Brook
Anne Green, a servant girl in the 1600s, survives her own execution.

Would You
Marthe Jocelyn | Wendy Lamb Books
Burning questions from Natalie's summer: Would you rather eat a rat or sewage straight from the pipe? Would you rather die than have everyone else die? What if there were a real accident?

The Outcast
Sadie Jones | HarperCollins
After his mother's death, Gilbert is isolated and depressed and barely speaks. Acting out his anger leads to setting fire to a church and prison time.

Madapple
Christina Meldrum | Alfred A. Knopf
The suspect: Aslaug, spotted dragging a large, white, body-shaped mass across the yard. The charges: poisoning her mother, murdering her aunt and cousins, and burning down the local parish.

Skulls
Noah Scalin | Lark Books
Artist Scalin makes a skull a day out of nails, wire, a tooth, a light bulb, and more. [Video]

About STA 2009

Stuff for the Teen Age 2009 marks the 80th anniversary of The New York Public Library’s list of the best books, music, movies and video games for teens.

Kudos to the Stuff for the Teen Age 2009 review team: Megan Honig; Beryl Eber; Joanne Rosario; Julie Row; Johanna Lewis; Shauntee Burns; Andrea Lipinski; Cara Kinsey; Jonathan Vargas; Marie Hansen; Emily Valente; Robyn Zaneski; Jack Martin; Chris Shoemaker; and Jeanne Lamb.

Special thanks to library staff and Teen Advisory Groups who participated in the videos. Thanks also to Anne Rouyer, Tompkins Square Branch; Ignayra Ramos, Grand Concourse Branch; Marie Hansen, Jefferson Market Branch; Sarah Couri, Teen Central; and Thomas Knowlton, Tremont Branch.

Assistance also provided by the Young Adult Programming team: Louise Stamp; Iris Holt; and Grisel Romero.

Artwork by Ivan Velez, with help from teens at the Wakefield Branch.

Teen videos filmed and edited by Chris Shoemaker. Additional footage and animation by James Murdock.

2009