Last Days to Vote

Saturday January 30th is the last day to come in to the library to cast your vote for the best Nutmeg book. Here are the nominees. Winner will be announced February 14th. Come in and cast your vote!

Printz Award Goes To "Going Bovine"

Each year a teen book is selected by the American Library Association as the best young adult book from the previous year. This award, called the Printz award, is similar to the Newbery medal given to children's books. This year the Printz award went to the book Going Bovine by Libba Bray. Bray, the author of the Gemma Boyle series: A Great and Terrible Beauty, The Sweet Far Thing, and Rebel Angels, takes a real departure from historical fantasy in this new book. School Library Journal says, "In this ambitious novel, Cameron, a 16-year-old slacker whose somewhat dysfunctional family has just about given up on him, as perhaps he himself has, when his diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jacob, "mad cow" disease, reunites them, if too late. The heart of the story, though, is a hallucinatory-or is it?-quest with many parallels to the hopeless but inspirational efforts of Don Quixote, about whom Cameron had been reading before his illness."

Find out if it's checked in at the library, then tell us what you thought of this book. We'd love to hear your review!

Teen Nutmeg Book Award Voting

Come in to Teen Space at the library and cast you vote for the 2010 Teen Nutmeg Book Award winner. Anyone in grade 5 through 9 who has read at least one of these Teen Nutmeg Book nominees can vote. Fill out a ballot and drop it in the box by the Nutmeg Books. Voting ends January 31, 2010. We'll announce the winner here and at the library on February 14, 2010.

More Teen Book Reviews

Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie

Steven's younger brother has always been annoying. Then he ends up as the center of Steven's life when he is diagnosed with cancer. Steven's life completely changes after that.
This is a wonderful, heart-warming book. It shows how very important family is in a time of crisis. I suggest this to all readers.

Books as Holiday Gifts

Once again, Connecticut's librarians have put together a list for holiday giving of the Best Books for Teens of 2009.

On the list is Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, the sequel to one of last year's popular picks--The Hunger Games. Readers of The Hunger Games will want to know what happens to the winners after the competition is over. Already read the sequel? Check out the list for other suggestions or stop by the library and check with our librarians.

Happy Holidays!

Teens Top Ten Winner Announced

Paper Towns by John Green was the winner of the Teens Top Ten poll. More than 11,000 teens voted all together this year. Watch the official announcement in this webcast from World Wrestling Entertainment, hosted by Divas Brie Bella and Nikki Bella and featuring John Green. Thanks to everyone from EWML who voted.

More on "Crazy Beautiful"

Author Lauren Baratz-Logsted visits here at the library next Saturday, October 24th at 2PM. The library now has a copy of her book, Crazy Beautiful, which you can reserve from our catalog. Here is the review of it from Publishers Weekly (September):
"Baratz-Logsted's modern take on Beauty and the Beast is told from the alternating points of view of two sophomores as they begin class at a new school. Beautiful, kind Aurora is immediately absorbed into the popular crowd; she and her father, the school librarian, are especially close following the death of her mother a few months earlier. Lucius's family is more troubled: since he exploded chemicals in his basement last year, blowing up part of his house as well as his forearms, his father will barely look at him. Lucius brings his past with him to the new school, both externally (in the form of the hooks that he chooses to replace his hands) and on the inside. Lucius quickly attracts the attention of Jessup, a student who harasses him and nicknames him Hooks, but also that of Aurora, who is as drawn to Lucius as he is to her. Both Aurora and Lucius are remarkably resilient given the events of the preceding year, and following the highs and lows of their blossoming relationship makes for a fast-paced and intense read."
Come next Saturday to meet and talk with the author of this book. Please register ahead for this event.