New Teen Fiction - 6/2/08

Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman
Day I Killed James by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Fact of Life #31 by Denise Vega
Girl From Mars by Tamara Back
Lamplighter (Monster Blood Tattoo Book Two) by D. M. Cornish
Madapple by Christina Meldrum
Roots and Wings by Many Ly
Saga by Conor Kostick
Suck It Up by Brian Meehl

Review: The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Title: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (Copyright 2008)

This book takes place sometime after the year of 2032. Jenna has come out of the coma she was told that she was in for the past 18 months or so. She has no memories. She does find that she doesn't quite walk normally, and that she can read emotions and thoughts in through the eyes of the people around here. As the memories begin coming back, she puts together the events of her life, and that things now are not quite what they seem. There are mysterious computers in a locked closet in her mom's bedroom. She doesn't quite bleed like other people. She suddenly has memories from when she was an infant, and her grandmother doesn't like her anymore. What happened to her friends in the accident? And why is she suddenly a walking history textbook when history used to be her worst subject in school? A lot of things she is told don't add up.

This is vaguely a science-fiction novel. It is well-written, and brings up a lot of ethical questions when it comes to bio-engineering. It is highly recommended.

New Teen Fiction - May '08

Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson series #3) by Rick Riordan
Bon Voyage, Connie Pickles by Sabine Durrant
Brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees
Chosen (House of Night #3) by PC Cast and Kristin Cast
Death in the Air by Shave Peacock
Death of Jayson Porter by Jaime Adoff
Edification of Sonya Crane (Kimani Tru series) by JD Guilford
Facts of Life: Stories by Gary Soto
Joys of Love by Madeleine L'Engle
Lily Dale: Believing by Wendy Corsi Staub
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Neptune's Children by Bonnie Dobken
Pirate Wars (Wave Walkers book 3) by Kai Meyer
The Pretty One by Cheryl Klam
Red Necklace by Sally Gardner
Road of Bones by Anne Fine
Ruby Key (Moon & Sun series #1) by Holly Lisle
Secrets of My Hollywood Life: Family Affairs by Jen Calonita
Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli
Stella Stands Alone by A. LaFaye
Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt

Review: The Sky Inside

The Sky Inside by Clare B. Dunkle

This new book is great for those who may not be "into" science fiction, but are intrigued by books such as Lois Lowery's The Giver. The Sky Inside takes place in the future, maybe a couple of generations from now. The lucky people got a place in the doomed suburb. Everything from the outside is sent through "packets". The seasons are controlled in the dome, and when seasons change, all the residents put different window clings on their houses (flowers in spring, for instance). Adults in the dome vote on an issue everyday (such as the color of the President's new curtains) via their interactive tv. Meals come through a devine that works much like a gambling machine - you never know what you are going to get to eat. Pets, such as Martin's dog, are "bots" that can be reprogrammed. Martin is a teen who is not part of the genetically-engineered "Wonder Babies" generation like his sister. Babies are sent via packet, too, after parents go through a long application process. His sister Cassie is always asking questions, about everything, like all of the kids of her "model". Then when she is about 7 years old, a stranger ( and strangers never come to their dome) comes, and offers to take all of the Wonder Babies to a school outside the dome so they can learn all that their insatiable minds want to know. This is after he helps find Jimmy's (8 years old, the oldest Wonder Baby) real - not bot - rat. This part of the story offers a modern take on "The Pied Piper", in this way. Read the book to find out what happens next!

New Teen Fiction - 4/ 18/08

Child of Dandelions by Shenaaz Nanji
Defying the Diva by D. Anne Love
Foot Free and and Fancy Loose by Elizabeth Croft and Sarah Fain
nugrl90 (Sadie) by Cheryl Dellasega
The Pact of the Wolves by Nina Blazon
Players by Joyce Sweeney
Ranger's Apprentice: Book Four: The Battle For Skandra by John Flanagan
Rits by Mariken Jongman
Saturday Night Dirt by Will Weaver
Steel Trapp: The Challenge by Ridley Pearson
Thaw by Monica M. Roe

Review: Imaginary Enemy

Review: Imaginary Enemy by Julie Gonzalez

Jane Venezuela White's second grade teacher thought she was writing a letter to Buddha, but she was really writing to Bubba (and just wrote the b's the in the wrong direction). Her teacher didn't hang her letter on wall as was the plan, and Jane put it in her math folder. She keeps that folder well into high school, and adds letter after letter to it over the years. She writes to Bubba, her imaginary enemy. As she says on page 3, this first letter was "a fairly modest beginning to what has proven to be a long and fruitless relationship."

This is a great read. You learn all about Jane's relationships with her family and her friends, how she believes herself to be the ultimate slacker (but as she eventually discovers, she really isn't) and how Bubba eventually starts replying!

You should really think about giving this book a try.

- Reviewed by Leisl, YA Librarian

New Teen Fiction - 4/15/08

(In Alphabetical Order by Title)

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Exodus by Julie Bertagna
Into the Dark (An Echo Falls Mystery) by Peter Abrahams
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
Runaway (Platinum Teen Series Book Three) by Iuwell & Precious
The Sky Inside by Clare B. Dunkle

New Teen Fiction - 3/26/08

How Not To Be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler
Imaginary Enemy by Julie Gonzales
Life is Fine by Allison Whittenberg
Prey by Lurlene McDaniel

New Teen Fiction - 3/20 to 3/25/08

The Comeback Season by Jennifer E. Smith
Go Big Or Go Home by Will Hobbs
Guinevere's Gift by Nancy McKenzie
The King's Arrow by Michael Cadnum
The Last Exit to Normal by Michael Harmon
My Life: The Musical by Maryrose Wood
Runemarks by Joanne Harris
The Scarlet Stockings by Charlotte Kandel
Season of Ice by Diane Les Becquets
Skin Deep by E.M. Crane
Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
When You Wish by Kristin Harmel
You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn

New Teen Fiction - 3/19/08

Confessions (Private series) by Kate Brian
Fatal Charm (Seer series #5) by Linda Joy Singleton
Girls That Growl by Mari Mancusi
The Hanging Woods by Scott Loring Sanders
How They Met, and Other Stories by David Levithan
Hot Scots, Castles, and Kilts by Tammy Swoish
Hurricane: a novel by Terry Trueman
Last Dance (Seer series #2) by Linda Joy Singleton
Legacy (Private series) by Kate Brian
Private by Kate Brian (#1 of Private series)
The Squad: Killer Spirit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Stake That! by Mari Mancusi
Sword Play (Seer series #4) by Linda Joy Singleton
Thirteen by Lauren Myracle
Unforgettable (an IT Girl book) by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Untouchable (Private series) by Kate Brian

New Teen Fiction - 3/14/08

Angel by Cliff McNish
The Big Field by Mick Lupica
The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Gabriel's Journey by Alison Hart
Primavera by Mary Jane Beaufrand

New Teen Fiction - 3/12/08

The Serpents' Coils (Hallomere #1) - Tiffany Trent
By Venom's Sweet Sting (Hallowmere #2) - Tiffany Trent

Review: Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn

Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn
(Teen Fiction Weyn)

This book is about two soulmates who live through many lifetimes (some shorter and some longer) to eventually come together to enjoy the love they have always had for one another. Whether or not you believe in reincarnation, this is a work of fiction that is well done. It shows that how we may want life to go for us does not always "work out" right then, in that particular lifetime, but that it can and does eventually. This book is fun, too, in that you can start recognizing the same "people" from lifetime to lifetime (one always has foot and ankle problems, and develops a fear of fire and another often has headaches and sometimes strange birthmarks). Besides that two 'main characters' - one of whom is mostly a woman and the other is usually a man (although during their Civil War liftetime, they switched) - there is at least another male and female pair who are always around, too, and often get in the way and cause problems with the soulmate pair. This story starts out in prehistoric times and continues through snapshots of lifetimes up to the current day. The scenes take place in various countries, cultures, and historical time periods.

This is a very good book. Teens in high school would really enjoy this book, particularly if they are into historical fiction and some romance.

- Reviewed by Leisl (YA Librarian)

New Teen Fiction (New to JPL)

Another Kind of Cowboy - Susan Juby
A Curse as Dark as Gold - Elizabeth C. Bunce
Game - Walter Dean Myers
In the Cards: Fame - Mariah Frederick
Indigo Summer (Kimani Tru series) - Monica McKayham
Keysha's Dream (Kimani Tru series) - Earl Sewell
Lucky (It Girl novel) - Cecily Von Ziegesar
The Missing Girl - Norma Fox Mazer
Notorious (It Girl novel) - Cecily Von Ziegesar
Reckless (It Girl novel) - Cecily Von Ziegesar
The Red-Headed Princess - Ann Rinaldi
Reincarnation - Suzanne Weyn
Safe - Susan Shaw

Check back soon for more titles and reviews.