SCPL Teen Blog!

The Michael A. Printz award winners were announced last week! This award recognizes books that exemplify literary excellence in young adult literature. Each year, there is one winner and up to four honor books. This year’s winner is:

 
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Witty, sardonic Cullen Witter agonizes over the disappearance of his beloved brother, Gabriel, while everyone else in his stiflingly dull Arkansas town thrills to the apparent return of a long-extinct woodpecker. Kidnapping, bromance, arcane religious texts, and ornithology collide in this ground-breaking coming-of-age tale.

 The four Printz honor books this year are:

 
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

In this beautiful piece of bookmaking, heartbroken movie obsessive Min Green dumps a box of relationship ephemera on ex-love Ed Slaterton’s porch, each item attached to a raging, loving, insecure and regretful letter explaining how each memento contributed to their breakup.

 
The Returning by Christine Hinwood

A large cast of characters from two fictional kingdoms recover from a drawn-out, brutal war in a portrait both sweeping and specific as it explores the ramifications of the conflict on Cam, the only one who lives to return to his village.

 
Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

Spurred by the mysterious death of a schoolmate, Charlie confronts racism and his fears as he learns about family, friendship and love in the oppressive heat of small-town 1960s Australia. Silvey weaves themes of freedom and loyalty with moments of humor in this wrenching novel.

 
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

 A bloody, intoxicating horse race on the Island of Thisby is the backdrop for this atmospheric novel. The heart-pounding story pits two teens against death – to win is to survive.

We’re entering our second month of Teen Winter Reading, where you can win great teen books, earbuds, or maybe even a Kindle Fire! Haven’t gotten started yet? Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time. All you have to do to enter is read and review a book—simple enough, right? Review forms are available at all SCPL locations, or you can submit your entry online. We’ll draw weekly winners who will receive earbuds and a book, and after Teen Winter Reading ends on February 29^th, one lucky teen will win a Kindle Fire. You’ve got a little under two months to enter as many reviews as you can, so keep reading!

I initially picked up this book because the cover led me to believe it was a dystopia of some sort, but after reading the blurb, I figured I’d give it a try anyway. It’s difficult to discuss the plot without some major spoilers due to the book’s twists and turns, but the basic idea is this—Abby wakes up by a burning building with no idea of who she is or where she came from, lying next to a boy named Sam who promises to keep her safe. At first, it seems as though her life with Sam in a “cave palace” is a romantic dreamworld, and Abby is content to let him provide for her and tell her who she is. However, as Sam’s actions become sketchy and Abby starts to remember snippets of her former life, Abby realizes that she needs to find out more about her past and starts to understand that the world she sees may not be what it seems. More and more cracks appear in Sam’s story as heinous things happen to Abby, eventually culminating in a test of Abby’s will to survive. This book was intense, even though it was pretty slow-moving at times, but I found myself wanting to keep reading to see how it would all play out. If you’re a careful reader, many aspects of the plot are a little predictable, but that doesn’t diminish Heltzel’s capacity to make Abby’s realization of her circumstances compelling and heartbreaking. The book’s final act seemed a bit rushed to me, and the ending leaves things pretty open, but this psychological thriller is definitely worth a read if you can handle some heavy topics.

   Ransom Riggs spins a suspenseful plot that begins with a violent murder, a possible monster sighting, and a smattering of bizarre images. Ever since Jacob was a little boy, he was enthralled by his grandfather’s stories about his experiences in Wales as a teenage refugee fleeing the Nazis during World War II. Now sixteen, Jacob has serious doubts about the authenticity of his grandfather’s tales. This eerie mystery is punctuated with dozens of antique photographs of the “peculiar” friends described by Jacob’s grandfather. Is it possible that their special powers might really exist: invisibility, levitation, telepathy, super strength...? Jacob heads for the isolated island in Wales to explore the site of Miss Peregrine’s Home, looking for clues to his grandfather’s secrets. What begins as Jacob’s attempt to sort out his grandfather’s past quickly escalates into an adventure involving time travel, romance, and a fight for survival against dark, bloodthirsty creatures.

   In addition to being a talented writer, Ransom Riggs is also a filmmaker and a photography collector. The photos used in the book are actual vintage prints, and this serves to amplify the overall creepiness of the reading experience. There are a few spots in the book where you may hesitate to turn the page for fear of the photo awaiting you there.

   If you are not already sold on this book, check out the author’s awesome booktrailer. Even more interesting is the video about the making of the book trailer, A Most Peculiar Trip: Searching for Miss Peregrine. Finally, watch Riggs’ video about his eccentric hobby, collecting old photos of total strangers, Talking Pictures.

Think this book sounds good? Read it and come to Read & Feed next Monday @ 4:30pm!