Hot Pick from TAB - The Graveyard Book

By Neil Gaiman

(YA F Gaim)

312 pages 2008 Fantasy/Newbery Award Winner

This story is about Nobody Owens, a boy who has been raised in a graveyard...by ghosts! When a man named Jack killed his whole family while Nobody was very young, Nobody's curiosity comes in handy. Not wanting to remain in his crib any longer, he climbs onto a stuffed bear and out of his crib, bumping and sliding down the stairs and out of the house. He unknowingly enters a graveyard, and the newly dead spirit of his mother pleads with the ghosts for them to keep him safe. So this is why Nobody cannot leave the graveyard to enter the human world. But what of his curiosity? It only grows stronger as the boy grows taller. The Graveyard Book tells of his adventures and misadventures, of his friends and enemies, and of his life and others' deaths. The Graveyard Book grabs you around the neck and forces you to keep reading! Why fight it? (Grades 5 & Up)

Reviewed by TAB member Colleen K.

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Catching Fire

By Suzanne Collins

(YA F Coll)

391 pages 2009 Science Fiction

District 12 tributes Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have been crowned the victors of the Hunger Games and have won fame and fortune for themselves and their families. All is not well in the dystopian land of Panem, however. Having won the games by defying the Capitol, Katniss and Peeta have become the unwitting symbols of rebellious uprisings throughout the districts. The insidious President Snow refuses to be outsmarted. What will he have in store for the 75th anniversary games? This sequel to The Hunger Games does not disappoint with its mixture of action and intrigue.

reviewed by Teen Librarian Elizabeth S.

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Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion

By Mark Cotta Vaz

(YA 791.4372 Vaz)

141 pages 2008 Nonfiction

You've read the book. You've seen the movie. Now read the book about the movie. Go behind the scenes to discover how the film sets were designed and the special effects were created. See for yourself just how a vampire flies and sparkles in the sun. Get the inside scoop on your favorite Twilight characters and enjoy photos from the movie set. Don't miss this ultimate Twilight companion! (Grades 6 & up)

reviewed by Teen Librarian Liz B.

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Notes from the Dog

By Gary Paulsen

(YA F Paul)

133 pages 2009 Realistic Fiction

14-year-old Finn's plan for the summer is to read as many books as possible and speak to no more than half a dozen people. But his world is turned upside down when the cool and hip graduate student Johanna moves in next door. She has Finn planting a garden instead of reading books and talking to new people instead of avoiding them. As the summer progresses, Finn is surprised to discover that he has a knack for connecting with people, and he uses that ability to help Johanna, who is battling breast cancer.

reviewed by Teen Librarian Liz B.

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Hot Pick from TAB - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am Not

Artist: Arctic Monkeys

(MR ARCT WPS A 86)

2006 Rock

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am Not is the debut album of Arctic Monkeys, a newer four-man band from High Green England. It's a fantastic album, played in a post-garage/indie rock style, and contains two singles: "I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor" and "When the Sun Goes Down". The songs "The View From the Afternoon" and "Fake Tales of San Francisco" were also given great acclaim. However, every song on this album is worth listening to, and it is one of the best debut albums in history. It remains the fastest selling debut album from a band in British history. The other thing about the album that is interesting is that the band is fiercely independent, and used an extremely small label, promoting the music over the internet via the fans rather than the band. All in all, it's one of the best rock albums I've heard.

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reviewed by TAB member Arjun B.

Fancy White Trash

By Marjeeta Geerling

(YA F Geer)

257 pages 2008 Chick Lit

Imagine living in a tiny house with your two sisters (one is pregnant), mom (also pregnant), niece, and stepfather. Did I mention that both babies were fathered by your stepdad? This is Abby Savage's reality, where life seems more like an episode of Jerry Springer than the soap opera she loves. Armed with her best friend Cody and her One True Love plan, Abby is determined to stay "normal" in a family of fancy white trash.

reviewed by Teen Librarian Elizabeth S.

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The Forest of Hands and Teeth

By Carrie Ryan

(YA F Ryan)

310 pages 2009 Horror/Science Fiction

Mary knows little of the past or of the world around her. She lives in an isolated village fenced in from the dangers of the forest and the Unconsecrated, an aggressive population of undead who prey upon the flesh of the living. Supervised at all times by the Sisterhood, a sect of religious women charged with the survival of the human race, Mary longs for more in her life. She clings to the stories her mother told her of a great body of water and buildings that reach into the clouds. Will Mary ever escape and find her dreams, or is the entire world truly just her tiny village and the threat of the Unconsecrated?

reviewed by Teen Librarian Elizabeth S.

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