Ashfall / Mike Mullin
Beneath the hot springs and geyser of Yellowstone lurks a supervolcano. Alex is enjoying a parent-free weekend when the volcano erupts, turning his town into nightmare of ash and violence. He begins the frantic search for family and friends. (www.Amazon.com)
Code name Verity / Elizabeth Wein
A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. The pilot and passenger, both young women, are best friends. Verity, the survivor, is captured by the Gestapo. She carefully crafts her written confessions, trading her secrets for her life.
The New York Times called it "a fiendishly-plotted mind game of a novel." (www.Amazon.com)
Colin Fischer / Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz
Colin Fischer can’t stand to be touched. He dislikes the
color blue. He needs index cards to recognize facial expressions. But this
logical, modern-day Sherlock is determined to prove that Wayne Connelly, who
frequently bullies Colin, did not bring the gun to school.
Discovering Wes Moore / Wes Moore
Two men named Wes Moore, both fatherless boys from Baltimore. One earned degrees from Johns Hopkins and Oxford, became a decorated combat veteran, and a businessman. The other is serving a life sentence for murder. This is an inspiring story about the challenges of growing up and the responsibility for the choices we make. (http://theotherwesmoore.com/)
Two men named Wes Moore, both fatherless boys from Baltimore. One earned degrees from Johns Hopkins and Oxford, became a decorated combat veteran, and a businessman. The other is serving a life sentence for murder. This is an inspiring story about the challenges of growing up and the responsibility for the choices we make. (http://theotherwesmoore.com/)
Ender’s game / Orson Scott Card
Andrew “Ender” Wiggin is just a boy, but his military skills make him a leader in his school and a respected opponent in the Battle Room. While children participate in mock battles in zero gravity, a real war rages outside. Is Ender the perfect general that Earth has been searching for?
Every day / David Levithan
A, a teen who wakes up every morning in a different body, living a different life. He lives by simple rules : never get attached; avoid being noticed; do not interfere. Then he meets Rhiannon. (www.Amazon.com)
Flesh and blood so cheap : the Triangle fire and its legacy / Abert Marrin
On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City burst into flames. The doors were locked to keep workers inside. One hundred forty-six people—mostly women—died. In the aftermath, activists worked to push politicians to pass radical new laws that changed working conditions forever. (from the book jacket)
Mythology for teens : classic myths in today’s world / Zachary Hamby
Relates ancient stories to contemporary culture, history, art, and literature.
1. The
hero – the tale of Perseus
2. Battle
of the sexes: women in mythology : th story of Atalanta
3. A
twist of fate : Oedipus Rex
4. Beauty:
the eye of the beholder : The judgement of Paris
5. War:
the Iliad and the Trojan War
6. National identity : the Aeneid
6. National identity : the Aeneid
Never fall down / Patricia McCormick
Arn Chorn-Pond was a normal kid until the Khmer Rouge arrived and marched his entire villege into the countryside. In the labor camp, he worked in the rice paddies and watched other children die. When the soldiers asked for instrumentalists, Arn Chorn-Pond volunteered though he’d never played a note. When Cambodia was finally liberated, he was forced to become a soldier.
“Based on the true story of Cambodian advocate Arn Chorn-Pond.” (www.Amazon.com)
Seraphina / Rachel Hartman
Hartman introduces mathematical dragons in an alternative-medieval world to fantasy and science-fiction readers of all ages. Humans and dragons maintain an uneasy peace. Seraphina, a gifted musician, comes to court at the time a royal is murdered. As the investigation uncovers a secret plot to undermine the peace treaty, Seraphina struggles to keep her own secrets.
Somebody, please tell me who I am / Harry Mazer & Peter Lerangis
As a high school senior, Ben lived a charmed life. He enlisted after graduation, and injuries from an attack left him in coma for two months. When he wakes up, he begins the struggle to remember his old life, beginning with his own identity. (from the book cover)
**these books are new to our library and are part of the "Read for a Lifetime" list. RFL is a teen reading program sponsored by the Illinois State Library. Students who register for this program and read at least four titles from the list receive a certificate from the Illinois Secretary of State. If you are interested, please see a teacher or The Librarian.
